Summer 2020 sure looks a lot different than past summers. We would usually be taking a trip, Finding fun museums, visiting family, camping and having tons of play dates. Due to the pandemic we need to come up with other ways to have fun like bike rides to Subway for lunch...
Ordering fun toys on Amazon to play with!
We were excited to find out about a new fun water park near us. It's called Splash n Dash and it's at lake McSwain only about 15 minutes away. We decided to get season passes and we had a super fun family day on Friday July 3rd.
Mr. Mask Man being silly!
Buying fireworks!
4th of July was pretty laid back. Just the 4 of us relaxing and enjoying our pool. We had a fun breakfast....
Did a craft
BBQed
played in the pool...
had a firework show...
and root beer floats for dessert...
Monday nights we have been enjoying a paint class that has been put on by Micheal's
That night Carter planned dinner, helped cook it and served it! (it was for a badge for Boy Scouts)
Carter also had a building assignment to do...
I got to have a date lunch with my hubby. We found a new Mexican restaurant that we love! best taco's around!
A treat with my girl!
Carter's awards that he has been earning all summer!
We got to meet up with our friends the Sharp's for dinner and dessert!
Getting ready for Carter's birthday party!
When Carter had his birthday in May and we had to cancel a party due to all that was going on I was sure by July it would be over. I promised Carter we would have a swim party in the summer. Well July came and the pandemic was still going. He was really wanting a party. We decided if we did a small party 100% outside and be super careful it was okay. So he got to invite a handful friends that I checked with all the parents and they had all been healthy. We ordered a super fun water slide and we went ahead and had a party. We had the best time getting everything all ready for his Fortnight swim party!
We were thrilled with how his cake turned out! On accident I bought brownie mix not cake mix so it was super rich but oh so good!
When the slide arrived the night before we were all blown away with how huge it was!
Carter was very excited!
When Carter's friends started to arrive he was so happy!
Ander, Wesley, Carter, Joseph, Cord and Noah
Between the slide, the pool, and water balloons the boys all had a blast! There were times where I was just sitting around which usually never happens at parties. I guess they are all grown up now and can make their own fun!
Dad made hamburgers for lunch.
It was a really great time and so fun for Carter to get to see all his friends!
Since we had the slide for the entire day I told Aubrey she could have a few friends for her end of the year summer party. I had originally had big plans to host a huge 6th grade bash but we couldn't so this was a mini version.
Since we were serving tacos for dinner we went with a Mexican Theme.
I told Aubrey she could have 5 friends. Her guest list was Presley, Mia, Reid, Trey and Caleb. Mia couldn't make it at the last minute so there were more boys than girls. They still had lots of fun and I'm happy that Aubrey has friends that are both boys and girls. These kids have been friends since kindergarten so it's really special!
Carter took a not so fun science and engineering class through the Jr. College. It sounded like it would be a fun zoom class and since Aubrey was taking an accelerated Jr. high math over zoom I thought it would be good for Carter to take a class. He hated it! You wouldn't have known from this picture but I guess he just thought it was boring and a waste of time. I liked that he had something to do other than video games and swimming.
Nana and Papa are so great at finding fun games for the kids to keep them busy. This is a fun juggling game that they got really good at!
It was time for little Macy to have her first hair cut and dad was up for the challenge!
She looks so cute!
The kids and I rode our bikes to Taco Bell for a treat. When we got there I realized the dinning room wasn't open so we rode our bikes in the drive thru we got some weird stares and the workers were not that happy but we got our treat anyways!
We always find time for fun crafts....
July 16th was Millie's 4th birthday. She enjoyed a doggie cheese cupcake and got a couple new toys...
Aubrey went over to her friends for a little swim party and BBQ
We made soft pretzels for the first time and they were amazing!
I have been wanting to do this fun project with a cute yogurt jar. They came out so cute!
Well we made a huge decision on July 25th we bought a new house!!!!! It was in the making for a long time! We have been on a search for a new house. We had a pretty huge list of must haves. When the pandemic happened we thought our house hunting would have to be put on hold. Once we saw houses were starting to go for higher and higher and our kids were getting older and older we got more serious. A friend from church had told me about someone she met walking by her house. He told her he was getting ready to sell his house and that it was over 3,000 square feet with a bonus room, guest room and a pool. She got his info and then called me I think this was in January. At that time we were thinking we wanted to live on more land and more in the country so even though everything else sounded perfect we decided to hold off on calling him. Then in May my friend from school called me and told me all about this house her friend was getting ready to sell that was over 3,000 square feet with a bonus room, guest room and a pool in a great neighborhood. Well what do you know it was the same house and now I was beginning to think we should at least go see it. We called the guy and he was super nice. The house was in the manshionettes (which is an area Spencer and I have always liked). It wasn't in the country on a big lot but given the size of the house and it being a single story it was on 1/3 of an acre of land which was plenty for us. The guy selling it, Phil lived with his elderly parents and the hose was just too big for them. Phil was a real-estate agent and seemed like he would be willing to really work with us. Spencer and I went to see the house in June and we LOVED it. There were lots of jobs that needed to be done to make it our own but we wanted projects. The neighborhood was excellent, it was in our school districts (walking to Aubrey's new school), one story for our moms and when we get older, so much room (3,604 square feet of room!), 4 bed rooms, a bonus room for our home theater, a beautiful pool and a spa. It was perfect. So we did it! We bought a new house!!! Here are the pictures of the outside and as we complete our remodels I will be posting pictures of the inside....
Even though we had all the excitement of the house it was also so sad to say good bye to our first house that we loved an d cherished for the last 14 years. We were going to rent it but with the market so uncertain and the prices rising at the time of us getting our new house we decided it was best to sell our Theresa house. So many tears were shed (mostly from Carter and I). I was excited to be moving to bigger and a better neighborhood but I will always hold a very special place in my heart for 4220 Theresa Lane.
The rest of July and August were trying to pack and stay sane at the same time. Let's just say you can accumulate a lot in 14 years!
Carter doing zoom class...
Splash and Dash with friends...
I made one of my favorite restaurants we use to go to as a kid, Olga's
Aubrey being silly...
Our house officially went on the market July 28th
Selling your house is so much work! It's insane and during a pandemic it's even worse. We had to allow strangers in our house and I had to keep it clean always. We had a showing pretty much everyday sometimes 2 times a day it was crazy. I lost my mind a few times for sure.
Thursday July 30th was our 15 year anniversary. We thought we would be on a trip near some ocean but we were not. Hoping 2021 we can have a redo of all these big milestone dates! Even though we were not on some exotic vacation we still got to go out on a date in masks eating out side.
Then our date got cut short when we got the call for a showing. WE picked up the kids and went to dessert. I t was fun being altogether.
Since we had a ton of showings the first weekend in August we decided it would be fun to go up to Sonora to visit family. It was so nice to get away and have a break from all the house stuff.
Once back home we were back to the cleaning, packing, showing and trying to fit being a fun mom in the middle of it! We had fun doing these mega big bubbles.
The kids and I went on a mini road trip to Los Banos were our niece Alex was taking her drivers license test.
Aubrey got new clear glasses that look so cute!
Friday August 7th I took Aubrey to get her new class schedule. School is very different this year. It's all virtual so lots of zooms and google meets. It's a very interesting way to start Jr. high like this but we are trying to make the best of it.
Aubrey has 7 classes and she is so excited to be a teenager at a big time school!
We decided we all needed a weekend away again. The stress pf all the house stiff was crazy, the kids getting ready to start school and the lack of adventures due to the pandemic was really getting to us. IT was a spur of the moment trip to Santa Cruz and it was just perfect.
Monday August 10th we got to have my dad and brother out so that they could do a home inspection on our new house. It was so fun having family here and getting them to see our new house.
It was also great because having family be home inspectors that cost was only lunch! Since we know my dad and brother love the Indian restaurant we have here in town and the lunch buffet is not open right now Spencer put together our own buffet at home with the restaurants food it was so yummy!
Getting all ready for the first day of school!
Wednesday August 12th was the first day of school. It was all virtual!
I loved being able to have the kids home. I know they wish to be at school with their friends and being social I like that I get to be there for them. It's been fun listening in to there classes and working with them. I think deep down they like being home too!
I was feeling bad that the kids had to do all the school work but not have social time so I let them have friends over the first Friday of the school year. I took them to the craft store to get some fun crafts.
We had pizza, went swimming, did a craft and spent the night.
When looking at old pictures of the Theresa house I found this cute one....
Being silly
We got to meet up with the Aunts
Fun pedicures...
Got to go see grandma...
Carter is starting a his orthodontics treatment....
Aubrey painting her desk for her new room...
My friend Amy was in town so I got to go running with her.
August 26th we got our kids for our new house!!!! So excited!
After school we went over for a fun picnic and swim party just the 4 of us....
Since we still had our house on Theresa for another month we didn't have to rush and move. We actually accepted an offer on our house on the day we got our new house everything was working out! This allowed us to have time to do some much needed home improvements.
First project painting the kids rooms.....
and getting to enjoy our huge movie room
Saturday August 29th Aubrey and I went up to Sonora for a girls weekend. We had so much fun!
We ended August with a fun playdate with friends enjoying our new yard!
