Beavers Bend 2021

Before the pandemic you didn't get a fall break, but I'm so glad you do now!

It's a vacation week without any holidays in it; nothing we have to do. Just relaxation.

And this year, we decided to take our relaxation on the road to Oklahoma and visit a place we hadn't been to in many years: Beavers Bend State Park!

We rented a cabin, played Monopoly during the rain, had camp fires, s'mores, hot dogs, told silly disgusting jokes, kayaked down the river, skipped stones, went into town for mini-golf and wax hands and 'mining,' rode horses, rode the train (twice...and julia you won the cotton candy raffle the second time!), hiked...and hiked more...and got lost...and hiked more to get unlost, and went on nightly walks with our headlamps. 

We saw deer at night, deer during the day; creepy glowy eyes at night (deer and one opossum); a lot of cool frogs and one bigfoot (just kidding).

You two set up a trading post and system to trade precious gems. 

It was a time of togetherness -and waters rose and fell- and I am so thankful we were able to do it as a family.

I can't wait to be in the woods with the four of us again...no cell signal...smell of campfire...and sore legs with fully bellies and hearts. 

Summer 2021

 In some regards it feels just like yesterday that I had the house all to myself during the workweek while you guys were at school, and then summer came shining into our lives like a bright, early sunrise. Loud, giggly, sunshiney, hot, long, wonderful summer. And now, in the blink of an eye, you guys are back at school for another amazing school year and I'm here working alone (with Toby), and missing the sounds of laughter and giggling and legos and your music.

But, it was an amazing summer! You guys grew so much- and we grew together. We tried new things, we reunited with family, we played, and laughed, and watched, and cried, and loved. This was a good summer full of long days and late bed-times, and family movie nights, and ice cream and I hope we'll remember it forever:

• We took a beach trip to Galveston-- just the 4 of us!
• You guys got the acting bug with three weeks of drama camps and putting on two shows: The Emerald Org, and Madagascar Jr. The Musical!
• Mommy worked with you on riding bikes in the parking lot and - Aidan- you mastered it so muhc that the three of us could RIDE OUR BIKES to get Donuts!
• This was the summer of hammerhead worms.... and hammerhead sharks!
• This was the summer of reuniting with friends and family we hadn't seen since Covid.
• Sleepovers
• Playdates
• Parkdates
• Swimtime
• A Second beach trip with (nearly) the whole family!
• This was the summer of Maroon 5, and Trolls World Tour Soundtrack, and Zombies and Descendents, and "Book of Life" Soundtrack, and - of course, we like to move it move it- the Madagascar Musical Soundtrack! 
• This was the summer of endless cucumbers
• Of reading the BFG with Mommy
• Of Magic Cards
• Of Legos
• This was the summer of green screens, and 'broadway shark attacks,' and more Chintuplets and more.
• This was the summer of take-out sushi and dumplings
• This was the summer of greasy Keller's burgers and TC Shaved Ice (and mommy with her pickles!)
• This was the summer of Mario Uno and Forbidden Island and Jumanji and Backgammon!
• This was the summer of Sonic and Gabby Cats
• This was the summer of Godzilla v. King Kong and Black Widow.
• This was the summer of swimming every day! CANONBALLS! The "Chairs" Game! Last-day invention of "three-man spider carry"! Yelling stuff as we jumped in! The Olympics! Joffrey can't swim!

May we always carry the spirit of summer with us and never forget the lessons learned and love shared of summer 2021.

SUMMER FOREVER!

Galveston AGAIN in 2021? Yes Please!

 

Covid Quarantine Life - July- August 2020

 

Well, it may be covid, and we may still be quarantining, but that doesn't mean we can't still have a good time! It's still summer, after all!

And so we swam, and had sparklers on the 4th of July. We had our first 'dive in cinema', and a few safe-as-we could vistis with friends and family. Mama died your hair,  and we sang and danced and karaoked and drummed and climbed a lot. And we loved each other- in spite of being stuck together-, at a time when the world- and we- really needed love.

And I took pictures of gross bugs.

There were mud fights in the back yard,  and a movie theater (and hotel (and a movie-voting station)) in our living room.  There were legos and ice creams and books and drawings and the world's tallest marble tower.

We painted the shed together, and went on lots of walks, we rode bikes together, and I got my butt kicked at Star Wars Monopoly (several times); and you even beat Yaya once too. We loved on Toby, and while Julia's room was getting converted, you guys slept on a double-decker mattress in Aidan's old room.

We developped a world-famous fried egg, home pickle sandwich and adopted an inflatable alligator named allison. We jammed and jumped and goofed around.

Tea parties? Oh yeah. We had those.

We even had a 'vacation' to stay at Mimi and Pops' house while they were working in our house and the smell of wood stain and varnish got too strong  for us to stay here. 

We gardened and knitted and pickled and basked.

And don't foget.... our HOUSE GOT FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!! Your rooms upstairs grew from nuthin' to something! And finally in August, we got our final approvals and you got to move in!

And before we knew it, our sweet summer was over, and y'all were back to school (with masks on). 

The house was quiet...too quiet... but the laughter, and noise, and music, and pitter patter, and splishing and splashing echoed through the house's memory...and would return again, very soon.