A Visit From The Scharman's and Summer Olympics!

The past couple weeks we were lucky enough to have my sister Marisa and her family come visit from Arkansas. After being quarantined for so long, it was so nice to have something different to do and someone to see!! The kids haven't been able to be around anyone but my parents, sister, and brother's family, so they were thrilled to have even more cousins to hang out with.

We had a kind family (Divalls) who let us use their pool while they were on vacation and we had a fun time playing and cooling off! 

 

Fun with grandma in the pool!

My sisters and I! 

The kids made us breakfast which was sweet. We didn't see the Scharmans every day, so we had some other fun as well. 

The girls and I did manicures and even got me to do one which I haven't done since my wedding! 

We ate smores over the stove as well! Just as yummy! :) 

We celebrated Liam on his birthday. On July 4th the kids played with water balloons and water guns and had a fun time. 

That evening we went home and watched fireworks from our driveway. The boys didn't want to be outside. Deacon had fallen asleep on the way home from my parents and slept through it all, and Cavin hates how loud they are, so the girls joined Ragnar and I and there was quite a show in the neighborhood. I am so grateful for the freedoms of America and the country we live in. It may be going through a lot right now, but I am so grateful to live here and the rights and freedoms we enjoy.  God bless America.

We got to go to the park with cousins and Grandpa taught us how to play pickleball.  

Then on the last day together we had our annual Summer Olympics which the kids love each year.  

They started with a 1/2 mile race, then archery, frisbee toss, football and javelin throw, a pickleball rally, and a soccer ball dribbling exercise.  

We then headed to the pool and cooled off and did our last few events of a lap race, floating challenge, and a jumping contest.  

We finished with an obstacle course which the kids thought was fun.  

The kids did great and tried hard. Ella won the floating contest and the Frisbee in the hole. Cavin won the Obstacle course and Football throw. Channing won the pool jumping contest with a cool split, and Deacon was the Junior division all around athlete as he placed in the top 3 in almost every event. I am grateful my mom puts it on every year and I think this was the 10th year to do it. 

We had a great time visiting my sister and her family and having the Speers cousins as well all join in together. I wish we had Corey's kids, but maybe next time. It was nice to do something as I am super sad our trip to Germany next week got cancelled. :(

June Shenanigans!

Summer began a few weeks ago, and we are trying to find fun things to do amid the quarantine when most things/businesses are still closed. We have been hanging around the house and playing lots of 5 crowns, but we have tried to find fun things to do as well. We went over to my moms pool and swam with them a couple weekends ago as our pool isn't open yet. 

We always enjoy a day with grandma and grandpa and they bought us snow cones to cool down after the pool.  

We've watched several movies and the kids have been sweet to get along and play together. They came up with the game hotel and for several days they stayed in each others rooms and had room service and such. They are pretty creative. 

Channing also decided to go for a summer cut and cut off 9 inches of her hair.  

She is brave and donated it. My friend Jen cut her hair and I always get so sad when she cuts it, because I love long hair. Yet, I am proud of her for thinking of others.  

Here are her 9 inches! 

Before and after. She looks cute and I am sure it is cooler for summer! 

Our friends are also out of town and they let us use their pool one afternoon and we had a great time. 

Relaxing!!!

Channing is my buddy and always wants to be with Ragnar or I. 

Deacon is a goof!! 

No one else I would rather be quarantined with than these 5! 

Monday we got to volunteer with Homeland security. Our friend works with the K9 unit and needed volunteers to help train their dogs to search and track bombs. Our family spent a couple hours walking through a couple spots in the airport to see if the dogs could track us. Ragnar and I had to plant "bombs" on us or "blanks" to see if the dogs would respond and be able to track. The dogs did really well and the kids thought it was really cool. I was happy to help the training in hopes of making the airports more secure. 

Ella also started her literacy girls/sewing class. Jeri Wyn Mumford who hosts it each summer decided to go ahead with it, and the first day went well, but the sewing day was a little frustrating as Ellas machine is super old! 

We are staying busy. Not a thrill a minute over here, but the kids are being great sports and we are doing the best we can. We are super sad our trip to Germany is cancelled, but hoping that things will get back to whatever the new normal looks like soon!

First Attempt at Fishing!

Last night we went over to my brother Chris' to take the kids to go fishing. They had seen pictures of their cousins going and Cavin really wanted to try it. We had dinner and then watched the movie Bedtime Stories waiting for the sun to start to set so we could fish. 

We walked over to a little pond in their neighborhood and started fishing.  

Cavin was the first of the kids to catch a fish and he was pretty excited.  

Ragnar tried it out and caught a fish pretty quickly.  

Crew was the master fisherman. He caught 3 like nothing and could have caught several more if he wasn't having to share the pole! 

Charlotte finally got a turn! 

Ella was excited when she caught one to! 

Hers was a catfish.

Channing was patient and got one before the end of the night. 

Deacon took a while. He tried for about an hour. We didn't want to go until all the kids caught one. He doesn't have a lot of patience since he does everything at about 100 miles an hour, but Uncle Chris was patient and he helped him catch one!  

It was our last night with John. He has been here serving his MTC training and we have loved having him here. It has been a great example for the kids. We sure will miss seeing him!