Shecklet #3’s quaranTEN birthday! 🎂

This girl has made 10 trips around the sun! I cannot believe how fast her first decade has gone. She is an independent, loving, leader who is artistic, kind, and helpful. She gives great hugs and isn’t afraid to show emotion. I love to watch her work hard in school and sports and cannot wait to see what the coming year has in store for her. 🍁 🎃 🍁

We decorated her bedroom door with streamers and made a birthday backdrop for her video calls today. She selected an awesome t-shirt and is all smiles today. Double digits!

For dinner, she requested pancakes, bacon & scrambled eggs. Her godmother/aunt joined us. She waited all day to open her cards and presents.

Birthday cake, was red velvet. The “0” candle on the cake was from the day we brought her home from the hospital. We celebrated her “0th” birthday with the boys as a way of including them in the joy of her birth in 2010.

School pics 2020-2021

Thanks to Covid and distance learning, I’m not sure if my kids will have “official” school pictures. So like so many other things this year, we did something different. No uniforms, outside, and fall colors.

Family Formation kickoff

It was a beautiful (and windy) day to kickoff the start of our new Family Formation year at our parish.

Outside activities were enjoyed by all of the Shecklets – including the pie eating contest, egg breaking contest, scooter racing, and rock painting.

Biking on the Cayuga Trail 🚴‍♂️

We took the Shecklets mountain biking at a state park near Crosby. We met Jake’s uncle there and split into two groups. Jake and his uncle rode with the three older Shecklets and I rode with Shecklet #4. After about two hours or riding, we headed to the skills park. They had a mini course for younger or newer riders and a more advanced one with different levels of skills, similar to what you’d find when you go skiing.

A short time later, our fun came to a stop and we had to detour to the ER. Shecklet #2 attempted a drop off, and he’ll tell you he “landed wrong.” Thankfully, Jake was with him and helped him get down off the course to where Helena and I were at. It didn’t take long to realize an emergency room visit was necessary – #2 couldn’t move his wrist, it was swelling, and he had a substantial gash on his elbow.

After cleaning out his wound (the area was numbed and he was given IV pain meds) they put his arm in a splint – including his elbow. We were told to have the wound looked at on Monday (Labor Day) and re-splinted until we could see an orthopedic doctor later in the week

My aunt and uncle sent us an electronic DQ gift card while were in the ER, which was a sweet surprise and delicious treat after such an eventful day.

Tough kids 🚲

She said she was “drifting” and this happened. Good thing Grandma & Grandpa had their first aid kit with them!

Great night for a ride 🚲

Jake took the three older Shecklets to meet up with his brother (who is in town visiting).) the five of them went biking and according to the kids – had a blast!

Back to school…into the unknown!

When I told a friend we were heading into the unknown today (back to school) she replied with the song from Frozen 2 ❄️.

I took the Shecklets to the back to school supply pick up this afternoon. It was strange to be welcomed by teachers in masks and face shields but good to see familiar faces (at least part of their faces 😷.)

This year is going to be one like no other. We’re all going to need a lot of patience and grace. Hopefully that combination along with some determination and flexibility, (and a lot of prayer!) we’ll make it through.

Our back to school pictures were very unique this year. It’s also the final year of all four Shecklets attending the same school. It’s hard to believe it is Shecklet #1’s last first day at DVA! 🧨

Rose hunt 🌹

I took the kids on a rose hunt in a local suburb. We tracked down over half of the 20 statues scattered throughout the city. It was fun to see the different ways that the artists used paint and other mediums to decorate the 3D canvases.

I don’t have many photos of just me with the Shecklets individually, so I made sure to capture them today.

Apple pie 🍎 🥧

We were the recipients of a homemade apple pie tonight. Our friend’s dad is a gifted pie baker and he made one with his grandsons today – for us ❤️🍎❤️. So delicious!

Another day at the lake

We’ve been fortunate enough to make several trips to Nissedalen this summer. Today is the second Saturday in a row that the kids have spent the majority of the day in their swimsuits being pulled behind a boat. They are at such a great age for having fun in the water and playing independently. (I spent most of the day watching them from the shore – in the shade.)

No photos of the day, just memories I’m keeping in my head. I hope the kids are able to do the same <3