Ivy's 9th Birthday (and Mother's Day)

Ivy's birthday fell on Mother's Day again this year. She isn't so fond of sharing days with me but I love sharing my day with her!! What a better sentiment to a Mother than to celebrate her child's birth? Anyhow, the super fun, inflatable slide and pool party was the day before, on Saturday. All her cousins were invited... luckily we had extra cousins in town because Covid left you feeling like you couldn't invite anyone else!

Traditional birthay hat photo!!

A very special number 9 pancake for the 9 year old. 

I maybe did something unconventional and threw the kids in the pool, clothes on and everything. 

Taking my Mother's Day selfie with my kiddos!

Birthday gifts!!

Blowing out the candles on her requested pumpkin pie! Happiest Birthday Ivy dear!!!

Easter 2020

The Easter Bunny still showed up in the throws of COVID (barely! Thanks Amazon!) We opened Easter baskets, had a delicous brunch at Grandma Vicky's house, came home and dyed some Easter eggs and then enjoyed an Easter dinner at Ryan and Heather's. 

I can't remember specifically what happened (the down side of blogging 6 months behind) but I do remember that something did happen between Grandma Vicky's and dying Easter eggs that caused me to lose my ever-living-mind and explode on the children. I specifically remember sending each of them to their rooms for a serious break. After a few deep breaths I put on some soothing Easter hymns and prepped the table for egg dying. Each of the children were allowed out of their rooms on the conditions of an apology, and a pledge to be better. I honestly don't recall what happened but what I do recall is a turn-around because egg dying was perfectly pleasant. And clearly I can only remember the happy loving feelings of forgiveness that came afterwards. Isn't that what the Atonement is all about? Exactly why Christ died and how it works. So we can make mistakes, correct them, remember them no more and continue in love and kind feelings toward each other.  Thank you Jesus!!

Happy Easter!!

 

Frog Gigging

We went out one night on the airboat to frog gig! We picked up some Subway, ate dinner on the boat, enjoyed the beautiful weather and caught ourselves a few frogs!

Quaratine Life

I tell you what.... quaratine life in Nova Bay just might be the best life. We have a pool in the backyard and a nice little pond just beyond our back fence. We have the lakefront 4 houses down. We used our little Key West to it's fullest potential, fishing in the afternoons and evenings. We event hit the intercoastal. We drove the Wild Florida Safari and Jackson even worked a few days down at the safari. We didn't have to rush off to practice, we didn't have a bed time, we couldn't go out to eat so we spent a lot of time together. 

All this fishing and with our Keys trip coming up it was necessary to find a bigger off shore boat. Well, the perfect one came right along... Here she is... our yellow Cobia. She's big and beautiful and we love her.