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Week six of summer break was spent exhaling after aaaallll the travel. We spent much of it getting caught up on all the things after our trips, and we celebrated the 250th birthday of our nation.
Monday, June 29
Monday, we were on our way home from Denver, so I’ll recap that in a separate post. I cannot wait to recap this trip because we seriously squeezed in SO MUCH and it was just a wonderful, exhausting, and emotional – but so beautiful – trip.
Tuesday, June 30
Tuesday morning, my alarm went off at 7:30 AM, but I didn’t get out of bed until 8:15 AM because I was just so tired. When I finally pulled myself out of bed, Brian was already at work and the kids were still asleep, so I spent a few minutes in the kitchen eating breakfast, emptying the dishwasher, and tidying a bit.
I woke Jacob up at 8:30 AM per his request, and then Olivia finally made her way out of bed around 9:15 AM.
I had a very long list of things to do Tuesday, so I spent pretty much the whole day tackling my list:
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Washing our sheets (none of us showered after our
flight Monday, so that was the top priority)
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Catching up on emails
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Paying a couple of bills
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Catching up on blog housekeeping
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Working on social media content
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Transferring all the photos and videos from my phone
to my computer
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Catching up on a few things in my planner
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Finishing unpacking and putting everything away
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Making a grocery list
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Collecting all the towels for washing
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Washing one load of clothes
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Starting and almost finishing my post for Wednesday
Meanwhile, the kids stripped their beds, washed their sheets, and got
everything back on their beds when everything was clean. They also tackled their laundry, and they
both worked on summer homework for a while.
Jacob knocked out a good chunk of his Lit & Comp and Olivia read for
an hour.
Mid-afternoon, I got showered and ready for the day and then I dropped Olivia off at her last June dance class. She has a session in July, but it’s not until the second to last week, so she’ll get a little break for a bit.
On the way home, I swung by Walmart and Publix to load up on groceries, and then I got everything put away when I got home. Brian got home from work just in time to help me carry everything in and that was nice because it was a LOT.
As I put everything away, I also cleaned out the fridge and the pantry since both needed it, and while I did that, Jacob made cinnamon muffins for us.
After everything was in order, I made dinner – sheet pan sausage with lots of veggies because I think all our bodies were screaming for a vegetable after being out of town so much in June. I do try to eat semi healthy when we travel, but I do also indulge in donuts, adult drinks, and various other stuff that I don’t normally eat on a daily basis.
While dinner was in the oven, I loaded the dishwasher and flipped the laundry, I got the first load folded and put away, and I watered the indoor plants. Then, I made some chocolate chip muffins for Olivia to have on hand all week since she doesn’t like cinnamon muffins.
When Brian and Olivia got home, we all ate together and then cleaned the kitchen, and then I watered the outdoor plants and then went for a two-mile walk in the blazing heat. It was so hot and humid Tuesday, but the humidity was welcomed after being in the dry heat all weekend in Colorado. My body is so accustomed to the humidity that it went whacky while we were out there. It felt so good to sweat.
When I got home, I did my seven-minute tai chi workout and then I lay down on my bedroom floor under the ceiling fan to do my meditation, vibration plate, and neck pillow all at once. That was the first day that I decided to combine all three and, y’all, it is heaven. I feel SO relaxed when I’m done, and it really sets the tone for a relaxing, restful evening and night.
While the kids brushed their teeth, I folded and put away the towels, and then they got in bed at 9:45 PM. Brian and I watched one episode of The Four Seasons and then we went to bed, too. I did stay up and read for 30 minutes, though, as I’ve been doing every night during the summer.
It was SUCH a productive day, and it made me feel good to knock out so many things after being gone so long. It always amazes me how much I can get done on a summer day when I don’t have to be in the car for hours shuttling the kids around.
Wednesday, July 1
Wednesday, I got up at 7:45 AM feeling refreshed. After my morning routine (breakfast, unloading the dishwasher, taking my vitamins, making the bed, making my tea, etc.), I headed to my office to fix some blog typos Brian had found and to start organizing my photos from our trip. Per usual, that was a nightmare because so many files were broken/missing/mislabeled/etc. so I only worked on that for a bit and then I pivoted to working on my blog post for Thursday. I started it and almost got it finished, and then I worked on a few other blog housekeeping things.
After lunch, the kids and I got changed and packed for the pool. On the way there, we swung by the library to pick up yet another library holds and then we met my friend, Khristina and her son, Noah, at the pool.
For the next couple of hours, the kids played and Khristina and I talked nonstop. It was HOT Wednesday, so a pool day was just what we needed since it was pretty much the only way to get some outdoor time without melting.
While that baked, I tidied my office and I caught up on my devotional and then we all ate dinner together.
After dinner, it was a walk, an 8-minute tai chi workout, my vibration plate / meditation / neck pillow time, and a shower for me, and then I joined Brian on the couch while he watched USA in the World Cup. I read all evening while he did that, and the kids did their own thing. Jacob joined us in the living room a bit later and Olivia started her new cross stitch project that she’d gotten at the museum in Nashville.
Thursday, July 2
Thursday morning, I was up at 7:45 AM and then I settled in to get some stuff done after breakfast:
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Doing my blog post from start to finish for Friday
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Starting to catch up on blog reading
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Washing all our swimsuits and towels from the
previous day
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Working on organizing photos from our trip some more
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Going through the kids’ closets to see what uniform
items they need for school
I sat with Olivia Thursday, and she decided that she wanted to start a new song. She was torn between something by Myles Smith and something by Ed Sheeran, and ultimately, Ed Sheeran won out. She ended up choosing the song Happier, which is probably my very favorite Ed Sheeran song, and she picked it up quickly even though a couple of the chords are a little tricky.
She also gave Mr. Steve a guitar pick that she’d brought back from Denver. We saw one that had Red Rocks on it, and we thought it would be perfect for him since he loves music so much. He was grateful and so moved, and he told us that he’s always wanted to see someone perform there.
Meanwhile, Jacob decided to practice Clair de Lune some more at his lesson. He learned it a year or two ago, but there was one part that he never perfected, and he told his music teacher that he was determined to get it down this time.
When we got home, I finished my book that I’d been reading and then I did my devotional for the day + two Bible studies.
After that, Brian and I made breakfast for dinner and then he headed to Walmart to pick up a few last-minute items we needed for our 4th of July party while I went out for my evening walk. When I got home, I did a short tai chi workout, and then I lay on my neck pillow and vibration plate while I meditated. It’s just the loveliest combo, y’all, and I always feel so serene during and after I’m done.
The kids went to bed around 10:15 PM and then Brian and I finished season two of The Four Seasons before going to bed around midnight. I’m gonna be in trouble when I have to start waking up super early again to get the kids to school.
Friday, July 3
Friday morning, I woke up and looked at the clock, and it was just after 9 AM! I couldn’t believe I’d slept that late as my body clock pretty much always wakes me sometime between 8:15 and 8:45 AM at the latest. I do love to sleep!
The kids were already up, and Jacob had already had breakfast, so I headed down to eat and unload the dishwasher and get started on a couple of things around the house. And Brian spent all morning cleaning off the back porch since we were having guests over Saturday night.
After that, I ordered school uniforms for the kids since they were 35% off for 4th of July weekend and then I locked in to finish organizing all my photos from our trip. It was insane how long it took since so many of the files were broken or missing… I think I ended up having to email myself at least a hundred of them.
As I was organizing, I got an alert from both my Yahoo and my Gmail accounts saying that my storage was getting too full (from having to email myself so many photos and videos over the years, I guess) and then my computer also alerted me that my storage was full so I had to pivot and deal with all that because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to do much of anything until it was done.
I immediately started transferring the last few months of photos and videos to my external hard drives and I uploaded them all to Amazon so I could delete them from my actual computer and that freed up, like 30 GB, thank goodness. While those transferred, I worked on cleaning out my email files and I also did my devotional and a Bible study.
After lunch, I swept and vacuumed downstairs and then I finished catching up on blog reading. That’s always such an enjoyable thing to do, but man, it took forever since I was so behind yet again.
Brian and the kids left mid-afternoon to get haircuts for the boys and then to get fireworks, and I caught up on blog comments, started Monday’s blog post, and showered and painted my toenails.
When they got back, we all met with Brian’s family to finally celebrate Father’s Day with my father-in-law. We were traveling on Father’s Day, so we didn’t get to see him, so we took him out to dinner Friday night. After that, we went back to his house for dessert and gifts, and I spent the whole evening stalking social media on and off for the deets on Taylor and Travis’s wedding. I was THRILLED when I saw that Madison Square Garden had lit up pink and put a message up congratulating them right after the ceremony was over!
I was so skeptical when it was announced they’d get married there, but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense from a security standpoint. It was indoors so they were able to completely control who had access, it was huge so they could invite 1,000 guests like they wanted to (Taylor said in an interview months ago that they were going to invite everyone that they knew), their guests could have complete privacy coming and going, and when you’re a billionaire marrying a millionaire (AKA you have LOADS of money), you can transform a big, cold space like that into whatever you could possibly want it to be. I’ve also heard rumblings that they may have had it filmed for a Disney+ special, which would also make sense for the venue. Who knows if that’s true or not, though. If it is, I will be on the couch with my popcorn on opening night, though!
Anyway, we stayed at my FIL’s house watching a game in The World Cup, and we left after it went into overtime. When we got home, Jacob got showered and I did a quick tai chi workout, followed by my vibration plate, neck pillow, and a meditation.
Saturday, July 4
Saturday morning, I was up at 8:30 AM, I made homemade waffles, and then we got started on all the things to prep for our party.
Brian went outside to trim hedges, pick weeds, and blow off the sidewalks, the kids did their laundry and Olivia showered, and I finished my blog post for Monday before deep cleaning the kitchen counters, sink, windows, etc. and the guest bathroom. After that, we tidied the whole house and then Brian made his famous guacamole before we all ate lunch together.
After lunch, I decorated the house in red, white, and blue and then I watered the outdoor plants before laying and resting my neck for a bit. My neck has been doing great this past week (hopefully I won’t jinx it by saying that) so I was just laying as a precaution so I didn’t overdo it.
I also, of course, stalked social media all day for all the breadcrumbs I could find from Taylor and Travis’s wedding. They barely let anything out of the bag, but I enjoyed seeing all the celebrities who were invited. I mean, who wasn’t invited?! Haha.
After that, I transferred photos from my phone to my computer and organized them again and then I started my blog post for Tuesday, and I started this blog post while Brian cut up our watermelon for the celebration later in the evening.
After that, it was meditate, vibrate, and neck pillow time and then I got showered and ready for the day. Olivia and I applied our red, silver, and blue star freckles for the party and they turned out SO CUTE. They were even better than I had hoped. These are the ones that we ended up buying and they went on so easily and came off just as easily with scotch tape. That's a little trick I learned wayyyy back since I always wear face tattoos to college football games. ;o)
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Burgers with all the fixings (cheese, lettuce,
tomato, pickles, onions, etc.)
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Hot dogs
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Baked beans
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Potato salad
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Chips and guac (plus regular chips)
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Mac n cheese (brought by my MIL)
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Watermelon
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2 different kinds of cookies
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Banana pudding (brought by my Momma)
We had a pretty decent sized guest list – my parents, Mama Cass, my brother and his roommate (though his roommate didn’t come), my Aunt Joy and Uncle Greg, my Uncle Billy and his girlfriend, my mother-in-law, my father-in-law, and one of my sisters-in-law, and my nephew. They all arrived around 6 PM and we handed out freckles to all who wanted to wear them, and we started whipping up cocktails for anyone who wanted one.
Brian grilled all the burgers and hot dogs and we all sat down to eat when they were ready. It was hot as hades Saturday so most of us stayed indoors most of the evening. Then, much later after the sun started to go down, we all moved outside for fireworks. We didn’t do as many this year as we’ve done in the past, but the kids still enjoyed it.
Just like last year, I was conflicted again this year celebrating this
day. It’s really hard to get amped up to
celebrate something when you’re so disappointed / disheartened / appalled with
the way things are going. And it didn’t
help matters on Saturday seeing all the white supremacists with confederate
flags marching in Washington DC in masks – that was diabolical. So, if you were struggling this year, too, know
you were not alone.
Sunday morning, I dragged myself out of bed at 8:30 AM. I felt like I could have slept for another hour! And then I made cinnamon rolls. While those baked, I cleaned up the lingering bits from our party (there’s glitter on the floor after the party…) and then Brian, Jacob, and I ate together. Olivia ended up sleeping until 10:30 AM and she only got up then because I had to wake her. Sister must have partied too hard!
After the kitchen was clean, I settled in at my desk to get my planner ready for the week ahead, transfer photos from my phone to my computer (again), and then when my girl woke up, we browsed the LoveShackFancy x Target line that had dropped overnight. Olivia wanted a planner and a binder, and I grabbed a Wet Brush for myself since mine is on its last leg. They had so many cute things, though. I do believe Olivia would have bought one of everything if she had unlimited funds. Haha.
After that, I finished my blog post for Tuesday, I worked on this post some more, and then it was time to get ready for the day.
We went to my MIL and step-FIL’s for Sunday lunch, and they’d made meatballs, mac n cheese, and a ton of veggies from the garden + a lemon pound cake. We stayed and chatted for a couple of hours since we hadn’t spent much time with them the past month, and it was nice to catch up. And, of course, Olivia was excited to spend some time with their cat. Haha.
We sat with my friend, Jeannine, and her kids, and then after Mass, we picked up Mama Cass from her house to take her to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner. My Momma made her famous spaghetti which is always a favorite, and she had made a honeybun cake for dessert that was so delicious.
We hung out with them for a couple of hours, and then we headed home. The kids got showered and while they did that, I jumped on the stair stepper for a very short workout (I had zero motivation but I made myself do it anyway and I was so glad I did!) and then I lay on my vibration plate and my neck pillow and meditated.
Unfortunately, we had a massive thunderstorm blow through as we were watching, and the power blinked and our internet went completely out. Brian tried for a long time to get it back up and running, but he never could, so the kids ended up going to bed and I went and got in bed to read. By the time, B got it up and running, it was late, so he watched soccer in our room while I read a good chunk of my book and then we went to bed.
Happy Wednesday, y’all!
