Weekend Wrap-Up

 We had a lovely holiday weekend and enjoyed all the extra family time.

Our elf has been doing a lot of fun things! Kylee made a zip line out of my old hot loops- so creative!

Wednesday the kids were all excited for a day off school.  We got a few things done around the house then had lunch together with Kent at Wig and Pen before helping set up and decorate the Christmas tree in his office. That afternoon Kent met up with a friend for a bit wh'ile Kase played with friends.  The big kids and I just hung out then when Kent got home we all sat in the hot tub then watched Home Alone 2.  It was the perfect night!

Thursday we spent the day at my parents' house for Thanksgiving.  It was such a great day with the whole family.  We are so lucky that everyone was healthy and we just really enjoy being together.  

Kael and Kylee look so grown up here!!

It was so bright out and we keep cracking up at these pictures- the kids trying so hard to keep their eyes open!

The whole gang.  What a great group.

The food was awesome. 

An afternoon walk was great! We enjoyed the sunshine all day!

Kase challenged the aunts to some one on one football and they both obliged.  He's such a lucky kid. And he can never get enough football!

We also had some down time and the kids enjoyed playing Among Us on their phones and in real life!

Kent and Turkley had some funny battles.

And COVID bingo was such a hit!!! Prizes and fun all around.

We came home with full hearts and bellies and had a nice relaxing night at home.  So thankful for family.

Friday Kent and Kylee finished up decorating in his office while Kael and I made soup- the recipe from his foods class.  Kase declared it to be the best soup he has ever eaten!! Our friends came over to watch the Hawkeye game- it was such a nice day and we all sat in the garage while watching it.  At halftime we had a big kids versus parents football game!!

We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening just hanging out at home.  Sat in the hot tub, played some games, watched some TV.  

Saturday morning we got a few things done around the house then went to Keith and Cindy's for Patterson Thanksgiving.  It was such a great day with family.  My kids love being around their little cousins and of course Kase convinced everyone to play a big football game too. We truly are blessed with the best family on both sides of our families!

Cindy had some fun painting projects for the girls too!

Buddies. 

We had great evening playing cards, shooting baskets and just catching up. So fun.  Later that night Kael went to a sleepover at a friend's and the rest of us went to see the Croods 2 movie.  It was pretty cute!

Sunday morning Kaser was up early so he and Kent and I sat in the hot tub then Kent and I tried to go for our usual weekend morning long walk but it was so brutally windy! The kids spent the morning relaxing and Kent went to the office for a little bit. Later Kent and Kylee did some Christmas shopping, Kase played with friends.  Kylee had her first volleyball practice of the season too! She is thrilled to be back at it.  

Happy Thanksgiving!

 I'm thankful we only had two days of virtual learning this week. The big kids don't mind it terribly but it is a long day for Kase.

I'm thankful the boys were excited to wrap Kylee's presents the other day while she was gone! 

I'm thankful for time spent with grandparents.  We are so lucky the kids are able to go over there, often one on one and enjoy making memories (and treats!) with my parents.

Grandpa's backyard is the best Winter Wonderland!

I'm thankful for the beautiful snowfall on Monday! And, I'm thankful the kids were home and done with school for the day so we could sit in the hot tub while the snow fell down!

I'm thankful my fourth child is back.  Ha.  Just kidding, sort of.  Asher's parents had been out of town for a week so he had been staying at his grandparents' house and we hadn't seen him for way too long! 

I'm thankful the magic is still alive for Kase.  Our elf came back earlier this week and brought hot cocoa bombs.  (Have you seen these? So cool!) 

I love that Kase was so excited about it and carried our little reindeer around all day and even showed his class on their Zoom.  Kase seems so grown up most of the time and wants to be a "big kid" like Kael and Kylee but I just love when I see glimpses of him still being young and so sweetly innocent.  I'm also super thankful that Kael and Kylee play along for his sake.  Kylee has even taken it upon herself to move the elf each night and she has the cutest ideas for it. 

I'm so thankful for my mother-in-law. Cindy was able to take Kylee to an appointment on Tuesday while I was deep in the middle of virtual school with Kase.  She also treated Kylee to a coffee at Ziggi's on their way home and Kylee came home all smiles.  She loved getting to spend time with Cindy and I was so thankful not to have to reschedule the appointment.

I'm thankful for a fun night driving around looking at the Uptown Holiday Lights.  I was so pleasantly surprised when the big kids were all in and excited about going when I mentioned driving around to look at Christmas lights together.

I'm thankful that everyone is feeling healthy and we get to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families.  2020 has been a wild ride and I'm so looking forward to spending time with all of our favorite people and counting our blessings.  Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! 

Weekend Wrap-Up

 Our weekend fun started with a get together at Keith and Cindy's for pizza on Thursday night.  Look at these two cuties twinning! 

These two have been enjoying lazy mornings by the tree. Kase's favorite thing to do right now is find every "cozy" thing we own and pile it on top of himself on our front room rug.

Friday afternoon Kael helped my dad in his backyard. 

And this guy came home with a surprise for me! He had his best month yet at work and brought me flowers to celebrate.  What a guy.  Seriously though, so proud of him to continue to work hard and find success in these crazy times.

Kylee ended up going with a friend to Jolly Holiday Lights, so the boys grilled steaks and we watched the Ankeny Hawk game.  

The next day we got things done around the house then a friend stopped by with Among Us cake for his birthday to share with the fam.  It had black frosting, can you tell?! That face, though.

We gifted Clay Among Us socks and also had socks for our whole family! They are so fun.

We watched the Hawkeyes play and Kael had a friend come over so Kent took them all out for Mexican. Later the kids all sat in the hot tub.

Sunday morning Kent and I sat in the hot tub then went for a walk.  After making a big breakfast and watching church online, we cleaned the house then Kylee and I baked thumbprint cookies.  A couple of Kase's friends stopped by to play.

Then we spent the afternoon axe throwing! So fun! It made me a little nervous at first, especially with Kase throwing it, but the kids all did great and I had a fun time throwing too!

We came home and played a little Trivial Pursuit then made breakfast for dinner then sat in the hot tub.  What a great weekend!

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful that Kent and I got a chance to go out for lunch last week when the kids were all at school.  Bonus that we ran into my sister who was in the next booth- ha! I love that Ankeny feels like a small town sometimes.

I'm thankful that our family is staying healthy as this pandemic seems to be ramping back up again.

I'm thankful that Kase's first day back to virtual work this week went pretty well.  Once he finished, we popped some popcorn and watched Home Alone- what a great afternoon!

I'm thankful for Kent's flexible work schedule.  He was able to rearrange some appointments to go visit his Grandma on Monday.  

Kase is actually thankful for the break in basketball (per the governor's proclamation).  He was kind of getting tired of going three times a week so I guess taking a few weeks off won't be so bad!

Happy Thursday!

Weekend Wrap-Up

We got our hot tub up and running on Thursday night!! We made it a special night and ordered pizza beforehand and just made it a family night.  It was seriously awesome. I think we will use it all the time!

Kase had fun styling Kent's hair (then later got a haircut of his own that he often spends quite a bit of time in front of the mirror styling).

Friday the kids didn't have school.  Kent and I were up early and in the hot tub! He only worked part of the day so once the kids got their school work done he came home and we had a great day together.  He and Kael bought a new "floater" tv so we can have an extra around to occasionally put outside or have in our bedroom/Kase's bedroom/downstairs second TV for when Kael's friends come over. (see comments below)

Kylee spent the afternoon with a friend baking at her house then coming back here to the hot tub for a bit.  Kael went to the gym, and later we had Kase's buddies over to watch the Hawkeye game and the Ankeny Hawk game and also have dinner with us and sit in the hot tub and later make s'mookies (s'mores made out of the cookies one of the moms had sent along).

Seriously do these kids have it made or what?! Kent had so much fun getting all the techie stuff worked out.  

Kylee and Kael joined the fun too!

When they were done in the hot tub and it was too cold to stay outside, they came in to watch the end of the game.

The next morning, my littlest buddy and I were home alone so we snuggled on the couch and read for awhile then he rode his bike while I walked and we got donuts for breakfast.

Meanwhile, Kent took the big kids to Sheffield to shoot guns with my dad and grandpa! Kael and Kylee had never shot a gun before so this was a fun new experience for them.  Kent is so fun- it was all his idea.  And I know my dad was so happy to go along too and I'm always happy anytime anyone gets to spend more time with Grandpa Dean too.  What a crew. They all had a great time and no one got hurt! Later they drove around Clear Lake- Kael has his hopes set on renting or buying a lake home next summer so he keeps checking Zillow every day and while they were so close up in northern Iowa they decided to check out the town of Clear Lake a bit even though Kael wants to be in Okoboji.

That afternoon Kase had two basketball games.  I can tell his heart isn't super into it this season but he has learned so much and they really have a pretty good team! He's just kind of a homebody right now and would rather be in our backyard playing football with friends.  They lost one by one point then won the second game in OT so that was fun!

You guys, I wish I had gotten a picture but that night Kael had his buddies stay here.  We have only had them over once since the pandemic started and Kael goes to their houses nearly every weekend so I totally felt like it was our turn.  But it is a lot of kids! 9 were here counting my own 3 kiddos.  And it is hilarious.  Several of the friends bring their own gaming systems and/or TVs.  I went downstairs at one point and there were 4 TVs, 3 xBoxes and 1 PS4 set up.  Hilarious.  They also played some backyard football and were super sweet to include Kase in the fun.  Later that jumped on the trampoline and sat in the hot tub.  Such a fun night for Kael.  And man, can those boys eat.  We had 4 large pizzas, a double order of breadsticks and also chicken wings plus snacks...I had put some of the pizza they didn't finish in the fridge and when I woke up this morning every last bit was gone.  Lol.  Teenage boys!

Kael is so good about helping whip the house back in shape after his friends leave.  It's always a bit of a train wreck in the basement (Powerade bottles all over, tables moved for makeshift TV stands..) but he empties all the trash and carries up all the blankets that got used that need washed...usually I have him vacuum too but Kent took care of that today.  In fact the whole family was super sweet about pitching in- even Kase and Kylee!

After his friends left Kael and I made an apple pie that he had gotten the recipe for and made in his foods class at school.  It turned out pretty well!

My parents came over for lunch which was so nice.  Great to catch up with them and have an actual real meal! Later we sat in the hot tub for a bit, then had fun looking at old photos and videos.  Kase, of course, ran off to play with friends and after my parents left Kael actually fell asleep on the couch! That never happens! Sign of a good sleepover I guess? Later we put up the Christmas tree! I love how cozy the house feels when it's up.  Everyone was a great help!

We wrapped up our weekend sitting in the hot tub reminiscing about family vacations.  So fun hearing the kids' favorite memories.  Plus we all agreed that sitting in the hot tub at night is our favorite time! Then we did a family "make your own nacho" night which turned out to be a hit.  Played some board games then called it a night! Fun weekend!