Category Archives: events

June 1-30, 2020

Here I go again, posting a much delayed June update in August. Oh well, better late than never. Gonna let the pictures speak for themselves as I’m ready to unload the burden of blog posts and just get them done.

A bit overdue, Reid had his 3 year well-check on June 4th. He checked in all healthy at 34.8 pounds (80th %ile), 38″, (60th %ile) and 16.97 bmi (77th %ile). Dr Houts “burned” off the small wart he had on his pinky toe and we scheduled a follow up visit for a few days after to recheck Reid’s abdomen where Dr. Houts felt something. He was fairly certain it was stool, but wanted to be 100% certain and as it turns out he was right. So thankfully no worries. At age 3 he is full of sass and spunk. He’s a great cuddler, has more facial expressions than I can count, and likes to be in charge. He and Griffin are playing really well together and he likes to be able to do anything Griffin does. He’s becoming a much better car driver, though he does like to run around in a diaper (or less) a fair bit. He’s begun potty training and does really well, though isn’t entirely interested in doing it all the time hence the diapers and pull ups.

 

We enjoyed a short trip to Mom and Dad’s for Dad’s birthday and Father’s day. The kids enjoyed playing with their cuzzies for a good bit.

We recently began receiving meal kits from Hello Fresh and have come across several recipes we enjoy. While they definitely take longer to prepare than the card says (or at least I must be slower than expectations) they are generally quite tasty.

Friday, June 12th was Haya’s last day with us before she has baby Summer! She was getting rather uncomfortable and decided she’d like to be finished a bit earlier than planned. In the end everything worked out just fine and we were able to find someone, Lexi, through College Nannies + Tutors who began the following Monday. Haya was so gracious and brought the boys gifts for HER last day. I told the boys how spoiled they are. She brought them gifts they loved and they were busy the whole day playing with the water table and Griffin’s lego kits. We gave here a couple of our favorite things, the Chicco table seat and the SkipHop on the go changing pad clutch. She also brought Lucy for some fun and Griffin was beyond thrilled.

We’ve been biking for food and later that night decided to head out for dinner at Raising Cane’s in Powell. It was a great ride and we even went across Sawmill Parkway to have dessert at Whit’s.

I had to go to Millcreek over the weekend and Griffin likes to come along. Since we didn’t get out a golf cart I let him “drive” from the main office to our shipping building. He thought it was pretty awesome. Then he likes to sport all my gear like pruners and radio etc.

After having the pediatrician “burn” off Griffin’s several warts (one large one in particular) on his hands we decided it was time to go the the dermatologist. We had his first visit on June 15th and he did great. They applied acid-soaked cotton to his warts that we left on for up to 2 hours. Then a recheck and similar process a couple weeks later, though using nitrogen to burn off the largest one. That was a more painful process!

June 15th also marked 5 years since Nathan was born and passed away. Each year we visit the cemetery and take flowers. We spend time talking to the kids about him and saying a prayer. It’s always a sad and emotional time for me in the weeks leading up to it.  We have finally purchased our family headstone and Nathan’s marker and hope they will be installed in the next couple of weeks.

We visited the zoo for the drive in zoovies a couple of times – once with neighbors and once with just our family. It was a warm night but a fun time.

We celebrated Kevin for Father’s Day and the kids enjoyed giving their dad their home made gifts. Daddy was also pretty have to receive noise-cancelling head phones to use primarily when mowing the lawn, lol. Griffin has been begging to go fishing so that’s how we spent the early evening of Father’s Day. I was kind of a nervous wreck with Reid and the water. Griffin caught a fish on his first cast and Reid caught a ginormous fish that slipped off the hook just as they were reeling him it at the shore!

Lexi began on Monday, June 15th and we’ve had a great start. She writes up a little report each day and has created fun cards for activities. The boys have bracelets with beads that are earned by following the rules and doing good things. She has a lot of creative ideas and the kids are transitioning well.

Jim and Pat came up for a short visit to pick up some Millcreek shrubs for their yard renovations. They stayed for dinner (another Hello Fresh, which we’d never made before but turned out to be another good one!) and we enjoyed seeing them in person for the first time in a long time amid all the corona distancing!

Kevin had 6 trees taken down (our dying spruces and dead portion of our birch) and all the stumps ground out. We now have basically no privacy trees along our neighbors with the white fence, though they trees were mostly needless anyway. Time to put some thought it to how to redo this area.

Griffin harvested our first green pepper! And a few pics of Brutus out front one really nice morning after our daily walk. He’s such a pretty boy.

 

We celebrated Mom and Dad’s 50th wedding anniversary on June 27th with a feast of food! We had appetizers, a dinner prepared by the Bethune’s and us, and a lovely replica wedding cake made by Amy. It was grande and fun! We had solicited videos and photos from friends and family and it turned into a 45 minute video that we all enjoyed watching with laughter and tears!

Here are our yearly summer pics of the boys with their hosta’s (Reid all About It and Mighty Finn). And a few of them just amongst the masses for scale!

Reid has pretty much given up naps even though he still really could use them! Bedtime was getting to be a bear in that he wouldn’t go to bed and stay in bed so we decided to stop the naps. That being said we regularly find him asleep if he sits down to watch a show on the tv or tablet late in the afternoon.

Our neighbors have an awesome inflatable water playspace and we’ve been lucky to play there several times. This particular day Griffin really hurt his back by jumping down the slide. Thankfully after a couple of days of soreness and pains he was back to normal. Gave me a good scare though as this boy doesn’t often get hurt to the point of tears for an extended period of time!

December 8-23, 2019

Well, here i am  two months after our annual Candy Making Party putting together a blog post about it along with the rest of our fun-filled December. Whew. I just can’t seem to keep on top of our blog but I’ll do my best to go back in time and recall our shenanigans.

 

Griffin was diagnosed with the flu yesterday evening (February 7). We had tickets to go see Miracles and Magic along with dinner before hand at the Spaghetti Warehouse with four other families in our neighborhood but since Griffin isn’t well he and I are at home (he’s been napping for awhile) and Kevin and Reid are have some fun time together at the show. Since I’ve already cleaned every bathroom, door knob, and light switch with bleach, and am almost done with laundry (lots of loads of sanitizing coats, towels, clothes, sheets, etc) I figure I should put together this post in the calm of the early evening.

 

So….let’s get back to December and talk about our annual candy making and cookie decorating gathering at our house. We had a good crowd this year and as per usual we made buckeyes, decorated sugar cookies, and made hard tack candy (lemon, cinnamon, root beer, and peppermint). We also attempted to make chocolate covered pretzels.  They turned out ok but certainly not like the photos on Pinterest, lol. We enjoyed a nice lunch of chili, hot dogs, salad, and pulled pork (I think?).  It’s crazy when I look back at the years of photos from this time together each year and how big all of the kids are getting, the Manning girls especially! Mom brought some cute crafts that the kids enjoyed too. Bracelets seemed to be quite popular.

Each year Mom is generous with her time and talent and brings a birthday cake for Kevin! This year it was quite the feat and took extra time but her from-scratch chocolate cake was super yummy. Mom and Dad, the Bethune’s and Audrey and Samantha enjoyed another round of food and capped it off with the chocolate cake and some ice cream.

 

On Kevin’s actual birthday we went out for his favorite, pizza, at Shorty’s Pizza and Growl in Powell. Then it was home for presents and apple pie! Griffin crafted Kevin a nice handmade card.

Our annual winter time OU girls gathering was at our house mid-December. Rather than making cookies this year we just enjoyed a nice brunch of cinnamon rolls, fruit, quiche, and mimosas! It was nice to sit around the table and catch up. We didn’t have an agenda, a timeline, or anything – just hours of conversation! They were quite excited about the sign greeting 🙂

 

It had been a couple of years since we’ve visited the Zoo during Wildlights but it was on our December bucket list and we spent a few hours checking out many of the lights, several animals, a quick 4D movie, and enjoyed yummy hot cocoa while we explored. 

 

Can you spot everyone in this photo?

I’ve come to really enjoy the time I spend with Brutus on our walks. That’s not to be confused with loving getting out of bed every day just after 6 so I can get dressed for work, feed the dogs, take him on a walk, pack the kids lunches (and mine!), make my coffee and head out the door at 7:30. But I’ve learned that it is difficult to do it in the evening. Kevin often work until later and three weeknights the boys have activities. Once those are over and Kevin is home I’m ready for bed! And since Reid has been getting out of bed after we put him down I don’t want to leave the house when they should be sleeping to take Brutus before Kevin is home. So, early morning it is.  It’s kind of fun to be out and about in the dark and quiet and notice the different feels of the neighborhoods around. Brutus has good listening days and other frustrating days. For instance when we pass by another dog in a yard he tends to zone out and just want to get to the dog. Or he barks at someone putting out their trash in the dark, lol. He does get a bit spooked here and there which is understandable since it’s dark out! But we have fun and hang and get our steps in. Then when we get home to the yard I usually let him go nuts in the front yard. He really loves that. I was able to get some pictures in the light when I took him on a walk in daylight on the weekends :).

Our online shopping was almost crazy it seems this year {insert laughing emoji here}. For awhile there it seemed like multiple times per day we were getting deliveries. I’d seen this nice idea online of putting out snacks and drinks so I decided we should do that as a way of thanking our delivery people! I wasn’t sure if people would take things or not. Surprisingly most took one or two snacks but no one took any water!

Reid has been having trouble sleeping through the night. We have been hearing noises or hear our door opening and it is has been Reid! More than a couple times I open our door to find him sleeping in the hallway. Sometimes he’s gone back to his room but sleeps with the light on. Hoping it’s just a phase!

Reid’s Guppy class at NPCA did not participate in the Christmas Program with the other classes as they’re pretty young. Instead, their class had a lunch and the parents were invited. It was fun to show up and see him in his class, eating at the table, and amongst the other kids. It was a pajama day so he wore his Christmas jammies :).

Reid is our climber and oftentimes we find him in the pantry, up on the counter, which he got to by climbing up the shelves. I used to have a stool in there (which I now keep on the counter) but he has creatively found ways to get up on his own. He loves “bars” (fig bars) and “pire boody” (pirate booty). I may need to look into getting a lock on the door!

These two are a handful sometimes.  They go from giggle together to screaming at each other in nothing flat. But they can also be really cute together and help each other and talk nicely to one another. Griffin often tries to help Reid; sometimes he likes it and other times he wants to “do it myself”.  Our weeks are busy with Gymnastics, Soccer, and Swimming. Then Flag Football on Sunday’s. Griffin is doing well in school and has earned more Pawsome notes from his teacher. His reading and math are excellent; one area he’s working on improving is his writing (like putting more obvious spaces between words and spelling words with proper vowels/sounding them out).

Griffin and I took some photos of one of our silly times together. He enjoys capturing different expressions that we make at the same time :).

Before Christmas break the boys gave Haya a happy vacation gift. I loved the picture Kevin sent me that morning of Reid wearing the necklace we gave her, lol.

I got a late afternoon call from a transportation company who wanted to pickup the MGTD within approximately 3 hours. What? This was on a Thursday afternoon in December, literally it had been the coldest night of the year the night before. Griffin had swim lessons at 5:30 and the trucking company couldn’t drive directly to our house for pickup as he had an open-air 18 wheeler, which wouldn’t be able to navigate Jewett Road.  Soooo…..thankfully Jim and Pat were here watching the kids and Kevin and his Dad were able to jump the MG to get it started. We arranged to meet at the Target parking lot on Sawmill Parkway. Once the trucking company arrived there was some uncertainty if the car would fit on the trailer.  Again, what?? Don’t you know what you’re picking up and the specifications of the car?  Thank the Lord even though the car was narrow, it did fit on the ramps and he was able to take it. It made for a memorable experience!

A couple days before Christmas we headed to Mansfield to spend time with Mom, Dad, and the Bethunes. Amy, Andy, and the kiddos gifted Kevin a nice Hockey Sweater ala Clark Griswold. Kevin loved it and lived in it most of our time there. All eleven of us ventured to Kingwood Center for their winter lights. Parking was crazy and it was a super popular event in town. The kids enjoyed seeing the lights and trees, walking around outside, touring the Kingwood Mansion, and as a bonus they got to see Santa together.

The office/break room/men’s and women’s restroom building project began at Millcreek. They had it framed in a day! Whew, moving right along!

And here are a couple videos: one of Kevin driving the MGTD to Target and another of Brutus demonstrating good obedience at the end of a walk.

 

October 6-15, 2019

Griffin really enjoyed outdoor soccer this fall. His confidence grew a bit each week and he really ran hard out there zooming after the ball. He had some nice passes and even was able to score. I really enjoyed watching him play (when I wasn’t finding a YouTube or Netflix show for Reid, or chasing Reid, lol.

 

Kevin and I went out for a date night to dinner and a Mercy Me concert with Chris and Sarah Manning. Crowder opened (and Micah Tyler but we didn’t get there in time to see him!) and he was really enjoyable also.

On Sunday we were outside enjoying the day and decided we wanted to burn some energy. We sprung a surprise bike trip on the boys and didn’t tell them where we were going until we were about to leave. We took a nice little bike ride across Jewett and through Calumet Farms, then throughout Worthington Hills and we ended up at the Hills Market down at 315 and Worthington Hills where we had lunch at Subway and ice cream treats from Hills Market. We knew we would be cutting it close with the weather as rain was on the way. Just as we finished lunch and were getting ready to head out in hopes of beating the rain a downpour ensued! So, we hung out under the covered patio at the shopping center and let the rain pass.  We made it back up the b-i-g hill at the entrance to Worthington Hills and then eventually back home. It was fun! Just a whee bit nerve wracking going down the big hill toward 315, but Griffin stayed right beside me and did a fantastic job controlling his bike and speed.

Donuts with Dad was this week, however, there was a random fog delay the morning of, so it was postponed a day. Unfortunately, Kevin was headed to a conference in North Carolina so he wasn’t able to go with Griffin on Wednesday. Instead, he took Griffin to Tim Horton’s and picked up donuts to have a home. It was a win-win :). When Dad is away, we will play! Just kidding, we go out to eat once a week after swimming or gymnastics – this week we ended up at Culver’s.

Griffin is continuing to enjoy school. The bus ride may be his favorite part as he can trade Pokemon cards and various other things with his friends along the route to and from school. Next up: recess and math. This kid is doing awesome with his math skills. He is constantly crunching numbers in his head or outloud – addition, subtraction, multiplication. He is crazy about numbers. I was able to flex my time at work and volunteer to help with raffle tickets for the raffle baskets as a part of Fall Fest at lunch one day this week. We weren’t able to go to Fall Festival at Tyler Run this year as Kevin’s reunion was the same weekend. So instead of the money spent on a wrist band for rides, etc., we gave Griffin money to buy raffle tickets to drop in the raffle boxes during lunch. As it turns out – he won the ART basket! I had volunteered at lunch and then gotten home and a short bit later my phone rang “Tyler Run”. I was nervous for a quick second thinking it might be the school nurse again – but it was a friend of mine telling me Griffin had won a basket! I was able to go pick it up and have it at home by the time he got off the bus. Earlier in the day I had gone over to school to walk in the Fun Walk through the school neighborhood. It’s a fun day that I look forward to each year.

Friday afternoon we packed up and headed to Enon for Kevin’s Greenon High School 30 year Reunion. The weather turned rather yucky, but we forged ahead and took Griffin with us to part of the high school football game (in the rain!). He enjoyed watching them play and it was fun to get him the fun hot dog, skittles, and gatorade from the concession stand. Afterward, we took Griffin back to Grandma and Grandpa’s and Kevin and I headed to meet up with his classmates and Taylor’s Tavern. It was a fun evening meeting many of Kevin’s friends and listening to so many stories.

Saturday there was a gathering the The Bogey. There were a large number of people, yet a different group than Friday, who came. We spent several hours talking with Kevin’s old friends. There were also numerous yearbooks which were so fun to peruse and see pictures of Kevin back as far as 5th grade! Then on Sunday there was a tour of the High School (they will be razing it within a year as a new one is being built) so we took the boys on a walk through of Daddy’s old hallways and then they raced a lap on the track before we headed home.

Reid is such a silly boy sometimes. On this afternoon he put Haya’s hair band on his head. She sent me this picture and I just had a chuckle. He’s a little silly entertainer. He also makes pretty expressive faces, see the picture of him sniffing my coffee one morning. I’ve signed Reid up for gymnastics which he absolutely loves. Pure joy on his face as he runs to the bell to ring it at the start of the class. We got in the car after the second week and he said “mama, that fun!”

Check out our official First Grader’s school photo! He’s growing up fast!