The pools here in Kentucky are closed and will be through the end of the month. Normally I wouldn't care because we would just swim in the back yard, but we are in the apartment this year.  We even picked one with a fabulous pool. Go figure! At first, I was super bummed out, but we've found the best little swimming spot.  The first time we went I didn't expect much because so many of these areas are packed with everyone else looking for a reprieve from the heat.  Luckily, I was very wrong, and we found a quaint little spot not too far where we live. We ran into one of Ellie's friends from cheer and spent the afternoon, just us, enjoying the sunshine and water. I'm sure we will make good use of the pool once it reopens, but in the meantime, I anticipate many, many trips to the creek. Hearing the laughter, and splashing and playing was so good for the soul. After working up a good appetite, we stopped on our way home for another summertime fa

Throughout quarantine, Ellie kept talking about how she couldn't wait to go shopping once everything opened back.  No matter how may times I asked, she never once changed her mind, so once we were comfortable with new regulations, we ventured back into the world for a girls day. She wore her mask like a champ! We eased back into things slowly and were on a mission to get some cute clothes for our beach trip later this summer.  First we stopped at TJ Max, but there was a line just to enter, so we stopped by Wal Mart and Target instead.  We didn't have much success, so we headed to a little consignment shop where we racked up.  She shares my passion for bargain shopping. I have to say, that I very much enjoyed our girl time.  She was a pleasure to be around and we had some great conversations.  I really did have fun.  I look forward to many more days like this as she grows into a young lady and hope she will always let her Momma tag along.

It blows my mind to think that when the pandemic started we had just listed the house with a realtor, and now three months later, we are living in an apartment while our home goes up.  So much has changed in our world and for our family.  Going from almost two acres down to an apartment has been interesting, but we're enjoying being renters for the time being. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that we have plenty of space to run and play at the land when things start to feel a little tight. One thing that's been a constant for us during this season of crazy has been our bonfires at the land.  We burned a ton of stuff while we were moving and now we get to do the same with scrap lumber.  Last weekend when the kids got back from Nanna's house, we loaded up everything we needed for a bonfire and had the very best time listening to music and spending time together. The kids pretty much want to do it every weekend now. Even has the world starts

One of the first things we did when the travel ban was lifted was to go hiking!  We often use the trails near our home at Mammoth Cave National Park.  It's such a blessing to have a national park in our backyard, but we were ready to bust of of this joint and decided that we needed a change of scenery. We felt so much freedom driving to the trail and also kinda like outlaws because it's been so long since we've been out in "public".  It was a perfectly sunny day with low humidity and fantastic temperatures for early summer.  It was also super easy to social distance in the great outdoors!  We decided on a whim to go, so we packed our masks, stuffed our bags with lots of snacks and made a short stop for BBQ at a little makeshift drive-thru.  It had been years since we'd hiked the trail.  In fact, I was pregnant with Eli the last time we were there.  We also went during the winter months, so it was like a whole new world getting to exper

I don't think it's any secret that we are a Disney family.  Over the years it's become a happy place for us, and we have made so many precious memories. We have Disney playlists on our phones, play Disney games on Family Game Night, and have fun testing our Disney trivia skills or talking about our favorite rides, shows and resorts. I absolutely love researching and planning for each of our trips. It gives me something to look forward to and there are so many amazing options that the experiences change and grow right along with our kids. The way we vacation now is much different that 2010 when we took our first trip, and it's rewarding for me to find new experiences for each trip and each child. I was knee deep into planning our October 2020 trip when Covid-19 turned the world upside down. I had such a wonderful trip planned with the NBA experience for Eli and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique/princess dinner for Ellie.  We were finally getting to stay in a Deluxe Reso