Brenham Vacation Part 1

We were supposed to take an extended family vacation to Durango, Colorado, but because of COVID-19, we decided to stay closer to home. The ranch we stayed at was such a great property! We took advantage of the pool every day, and the shuffle board and ping pong tables were popular as well.

Eating ice cream by the pool

Austin and Morgan on top of the look-out tower

A new outdoor game that we enjoyed on this vacation: Kubb

Trying a new game: Cartographers

The Game of Things, a common game when we get together.

Horseback riding--super hot, but the kids had fun

Carter won Luman over--a tough feat!

Sculpting activity for the kids

Clayton did some fizzy fruit for us, which was such a fun way to eat fruit!!

(dried ice + fruit in a cooler for several hours)

Celebrating Kara's birthday with some Texas sheet cake.

Carter Graduation

4th grade graduation looked a little different this year. Usually there is a clap out for 4th graders. Due to Covid-19, we met in the high school parking lot. No one was supposed to leave their cars except teachers and administration.

Principals and counselor announcing each graduate's name and any awards. Carter got an award for PE. On his graduation certificate, he got an award for good citizenship and A/B honor roll. (His final grades for all his classes were As, so I'm not sure why he didn't qualify for the all A honor roll. He made 1 B in the 3rd 9 weeks.)

All the cars lined up 

Carter's 4th grade teachers: Mrs. Wallace and Mrs. Conner

 

More Quarantine

Home church each week has been a different experience. Matt and I switch off who teaches an in-depth lesson. For the last month, we've had Caleb and Carter each teach a small portion of the lesson. Everyone shares a scripture that stood out to them that week in their reading. On Fast Sunday, we all share our testimonies. Blessing/partaking of the Sacrament each week has been a neat experience. Unfortunately there typically is some giggling, so it's not quite as spiritual as it should be...

Grocery shopping

Today for the first time, I took these hooligans with me mostly because there was so much fighting going on this morning that I didn't dare leave all the kids alone for the 1 1/2 hours I'd be gone to Sam's Club.

Filling up a whole tank of gas! I did have some Kroger fuel points, but gas is so cheap right now.

What on-line school looks like:

(and pink hair just to liven things up)

Bryson doing his 20 minutes of reading time.

Quarantine Activities

 Here are some of the activities that we have been doing while we've been stuck at home:

Big bubbles

 Pet-sitting

LOTS of fishing!

 (This face says, "I'm taking a picture because my dad said, but I hate touching the fish!" He's my germaphobe.)

Driving to my parent's neighborhood to play weekly tennis since our neighborhood shut our courts down.

Trampoline + water + cool jumps

Chalk mosaic

 Catching lizards

Visit to Mercer Arboretum to walk around in nature and look at flowers

Carter's 10th Birthday/Easter

Carter and I celebrated our birthday during this Covid-19 mess. I woke up to meet a friend for a run; we run together every Monday and decided to continue even during social-distancing for our sanity. When I left the house, the front door and parts of the yard were covered with hearts, sweet notes and candy. I wish so much I would have thought to take a picture of it! :( Lots of love.

Carter's request for his birthday was swimming, so a friend let us use her pool for a few hours in the afternoon.

Clayton swung by with some cookies. Ariane wanted to take me to the movies to see Emma for my birthday, but since the theaters were closed, she purchased it for me to watch at home. I got lots of sweet texts and a gift card from friends. Carter got fishing gear for his birthday as well as some smaller things--gum, candy, and an expansion to Exploding Kittens. Grandma and Grandpa gave him a gift card to Academy to pick out more fishing gear as well as a new book. It was lonelier not to celebrate with family or friends, but still a nice day.

We chose lasagna for dinner and a Razzleberry pie for dessert.

We celebrated Matt's birthday a few days later by ordering take-out from Texas Roadhouse.

 Easter was lonelier as well all by ourselves. We did an egg hunt in the afternoon after our family church.