Zach is 16!

Zach turned 16! Still in shock that this actually has happened. Zach is so helpful and always the first to step in and lend a hand, even when he is not even asked. He has a sixth sense to know when someone needs help. He is the best big brother to Kate and the boys, and the craziest die hard Eagles fan we know!

One of the benefits of covid is now instead of fighting the long wait times at the DMV we can schedule appointments! We scheduled Zach's driving test at the downtown location, hence all the boarded up windows, in the event of a riot. Of course he passed and we now have a new driver in the house. Our stress levels have immediately increased, but we are excited to have another driver in the house too. Bittersweet for sure!

Oh Tennenbaum...

So...turns out the crate idea we had to prop our small tree on to add more height wasn't the brightest idea. Guess short it is this season. I wasn't home when this all happened but I have a nice water stain on my rug that will remind me to never try and add height to my tree again.

 

Oh Christmas Tree...

Covid restrictions have lifted a little bit for outdoor gatherings, so when Plumper Pumpkin Patch announced they would be open for the Christmas season we jumped on it. The air was a bit chillier than our usual fall weather we are used to experiencing at Plumper, but they did a good job with all their activity offerings. The kids enjoyed the water duck racing, slides and observation of the farm animals. It felt nice to get out and do something festive.

We ended up finding our tree down the street from Plumper, at a random tree farm. All the trees were small. The hot summers have taken quite the toll on the trees here. We settled on one and took it home. It was a bit shorter than we thought it would be so we propped it up on a crate to give it some height. The kids had a great time decorating it. It's always a chore to get all the Christmas decor out but once its up its so nice. Kate was extra helpful and is starting to like the interior design aspects of setting up decorations.

 

Thanksgiving 2020...

Aunt Marnae and Uncle Brian and their two boys stayed at our house for Thanksgiving this year. Uncle Casey and his boys also came to town. We continued our tradition of our Turkey Bowl in the park but added a new tradition...PUZZLES! Puzzles are so relaxing and I love how they gather people together and get everyone talking and laughing about the most random things. Our food assignment this year was rolls. We ate dinner over at Grandma and Grandpa Thompson's house. We love this chill holiday.

 

The Gym Finally Opened during COVID

It has been months now that the gym has been shut down due to Covid. The amount of zoom High Fitness classes and Youtube classes I have attempted to workout to can finally come to an end. There is something about being able to workout with real people surrounding you. I discovered how much I really crave it and was very happy to return to Villasport for my first Athletic Conditioning class in months, even if we had to do it outside in the cold pouring rain! For the record, turf fields are a different beast. Its going to take my body a while to get used to it.