Tag Archives: millcreek

July 1-15, 2019

This week started off with a bang! I was home on Monday and was able to take Griffin to his swim lesson, which is in the morning at 9:00 am. He did great and I enjoyed seeing his progress as I haven’t taken him to swim since March! When I met his coach at the end of class Griffin was carrying a sign that read “I graduated today!”. He has completed the necessary skills and is moving on to Level 5!  Later that morning we met our friend Claire and her three boys at the Powell Pool, as her guest. We haven’t been before and while I didn’t get more than two photos the boys had a great time!

Lemonade anyone? I loved how color coordinated and organized they were this time!

We spent July 4th at Zoombeezi Bay. It was surprisingly not super crowded and we had a Cabana which allowed us to get out of the sun from time to time and Reid also was able to nap. We had a great time. We left at 8 pm, hurried home and showered and changed while Kevin packed up a quick picnic dinner. We then loaded back into the car and headed toward Dublin so we could see the fireworks. We parked in a park off Emerald Parkway which happened to be a great spot that filled quickly upon our arrival near dusk.

Oh, the many faces and temperaments of Reid. He’s a silly one. He’s full of sass, he can be bossy, he knows what he wants and where he wants it, but he’s also very loving and an awesome snuggler.

We went blueberry picking on the 5th at a new-to-us farm in Fredericktown. It seemed more like  a side yard to a family’s home and the bushes were really big! They were pretty overgrown and could use a serious pruning, but the berries were nice and tasty and we picked a full bucket.

Our garden is beginning to bear fruit – we’ve harvested carrots and cucumbers this week. The picture of Griffin holding carrots just reminds me of a similar one I took when he was probably Reid’s age!

Our neighbors had a summer party complete with a kids water slide and pool. There were so many kids in there and they had a blast as it was a really hot afternoon.

On Sunday we went to our friends Chad and Nicole’s for a Hazy IPA Tasting. Really just a fun reason to gather. The kids played with middle school and high school aged boys and rather than participate in the tasting I chased Reid around and tried to shoo him away from opening and closing the doors.

On Monday, Vacation Bible School began! It’s one of our most favorite weeks of summer. This year we went all in for Crazy Hair Day! And character Day Griffin was a SWAT officer. A lot of fun was had and great memories made.

Reid likes to participate in whatever activity Griffin is doing so one evening after dinner while we were out playing baseball, Reid wanted to suit up and get in some batting practice. It’s pretty comical but he has fun. On Saturday, Amy, Andy, Graham, Greta, Rowan, Mom, and Dad all came to Griffin’s baseball game. This week Griffin was awarded the game medal for Courage.

Our crazy weekend continued after baseball with our annual Bartholomew Lakes Block Party. This year I mostly organized the advertising/food sign up/etc and with the help of Kevin and Brian we setup tables and chairs in Brian’s driveway, shade tents, the bounce in our yard, a huge cooler of drinks, and Kevin moved the grill to our driveway where he was the head cook grilling up burgers, brats, and hot dogs. Brian had smoked ribs and chicken that Carlene had prepared. We even sang a surprise Happy Birthday to Jane Martin, whose birthday was the following day. We met neighbors we’d not met before, new neighbors who just moved in came down – it was a lot of fun! We had so-much-food and stayed up way-too-late! A small number of us stayed up until 1:30 in the morning just hanging out under the lights. Griffin had his first ever sleep over at the Dennie’s where Griffin, Cole, Cooper, and Miles slept on the floor. They went to bed at about 11 and once they hit the floor they were out! About 7:30 the next morning Brian sent me a picture of the boys having a pancake breakfast! The joy on Griffin’s face made me so happy.

On Sunday Griffin and Kevin went with Chad and Will to see the Arena Football Team game at Nationwide Arena. Afterwards they went to Pins and then had dinner at Dirty Franks. Reid and I stayed home and after his afternoon nap took a trip to the grocery, dropped our goods at home, and went on a date to Graeter’s. He had a blast eating his cone – he truly loves the cone part – and actually in these pictures he’s basically eating MY cone!

Griffin had his dental check up (he has 2 cavities, 🙁 ) and Reid got a chair ride too, which basically indicates that he is ready for his appointment. The hygienist counted his teeth (8 on top and 8 on bottom – just waiting on his 2 year molars) and he did really well.

Mom came down to Columbus and treated us to our annual girls pre-vacation pedicure. This year we tried out Posh in Dublin, then had dinner at Fado in Bridge Park and then had ice cream at Kilwin’s. It was great, thanks Mom!

 

And here are some videos:

 

And here is the latest at Millcreek – the concrete has been finished on the inside and all of the dock aprons are now complete as well. We also poured an additional area at our production building which had been on the request list for quite some time.

May 16-31, 2019

We’re making the most of summer this year. I’ve been taking one day off a week and trying to have some sort of fun involved with the kids. This week we went to the zoo and rode the train, spent some time at the petting zoo, and saw many animals. Several of these pictures of Reid I’ve included to show his many expressive faces and his spunky personality. He’s in a fun stage.

This week I went to the Train concert at Express Live with Laura, Sarah, and Megan. It was a nice evening outdoors of fun and friends. Over the weekend Kevin enjoyed a trip to Emerald Isle North Carolina with his friend Chad. It was nice for him to get away and recharge for a couple of days. The beach was nice and warm, but super windy at the beach!

While Kevin was out of town Griffin had a double-header weekend of flag football. Grandma and Grandpa Armstrong came up to watch and help me chase Reid around the fields for a couple of hours :). Griffin and Cole earned medals together that day and it was cute to see how excited they were together.  It was a busy afternoon as after Griffin’s game I went home, Griffin went to Coopers birthday party with our neighbors, and I went to Greta’s dance recital. Greta was all done up and danced in two cute routines. Thankfully Jim and Pat were able to stay and watch Reid (as he was in desperate need of a nap, though I was also freaked out as he’d fallen and hit his head and had a huge knot on his forehead). Later that evening Kevin returned from his trip. An action packed day.

It hardly seems possible, but the end of the school year has arrived! Wow, did that year fly by. Griffin was excited to hop on the bus for the last time. He truly loves riding the bus – every time I would go to school and he had the option to ride home with me he chose to ride the bus. E-v-e-r-y time. He particularly loved the “music on the bus Friday’s”. I was able to go to the last day of school activities where the kids played games and enjoyed treats.

The below are not G-rated, lol, but it was a fun memory of the boys being silly running around nu-nu after a shower. What’s cuter than a naked baby booty.

Griffin and Reid have been playing really well lately. They are playing a lot of dress up, tackle, legos, and such.

One of our favorite new spots is Nocterra Brewery in Powell. They have a nice outdoor beer garden and a great selection of brews, though honestly Kevin sticks with the Trail Break and I enjoy the sours (Tahitian, Hawaiian, or the newest one I’ve tried is likely my favorite – the Californian Swell). Each day they have a different food truck so we occasionally eat there, but the kids enjoying running around playing ball, corn hole, and meeting new friends. And it’s forever fun when the trains go by.

It was a hot morning for the Memorial Day Parade this year! But the sun was shining and the parade was fun.

Here are a few other pics from late May. Griffin was excited to gear up in the goalie gear when playing with Cole and Cooper. And a few others of Reid and Griffin having fun with Haya.

The boys are enjoying helping me care for the garden. The favorite activity is watering and harvesting. The photo of Griffin wearing my blue tennis shoes is one for the books. We had gone out to dinner at Roosters and I asked Griffin to get shoes on so we could head out. I didn’t look at him before he got in the car and when we arrived at Roosters he was wearing my shoes! He thought he was hot stuff and very much enjoyed wearing my shoes.

Reid had his 2-year well-check with Dr. Houts and he is a strong, healthy boy. He weighs 29.9 pounds (83rd percentile), 34.75″ (55th percentile), and a BMI of 17.41 (71st percentile). He got one shot and handled that like a champ. Afterward we went to Graeter’s for our traditional sweet treat.

Our construction project at Millcreek is humming right along.

And here are some videos of flag football from Griffin’s double header.

 

May 1-15, 2019

I just love this picture that Haya took of the boys at the zoo while they were riding the train. It shows them both in true character. They had a full adventure at the zoo that day complete with a picnic lunch and exploring the petting zoo, riding the pony’s (Reid’s first time!), the camel, and checking out the aquarium.

When I get home from work the kids are often outside playing. Almost every time Reid just wants to get in my car and play in Griffin’s car seat. He buckles him self and then wants help unbuckling (thankfully he HASN’T learned that yet!). He also loves to flop from the back seat into the back cargo area.
After taking a hiatus from the garden last year we’re getting back in our groove. We planted our little seedlings this week so we will see how we do! I included the picture of Reid helping himself to water at the sink as I just think it’s a good picture of his personality. A climber, risk-taker, explorer, problem-solver – he is a funny little man.

I got each of the boys a new back pack for school (ahead of the game as the current year isn’t even over!) and Griffin was excited to try his on. Though lately he’s told me he doesn’t want to give up his back pack and wants to save this one for second grade!

Griffin truly loves animals. He’s happy to spend hours in the pet store just holding little pups. See the video below too. Haya told me he easily sat with the puppy in the video for a half hour!
The school year is rapidly winding down. Griffin took flowers to his teacher on a wet and rainy morning. He completed his “timeline” project and took that to school also. We were all so happy with it and surely can’t believe how fast the years are moving.

Even though spring season is busy at Millcreek, I have been able to flex my hours and go in at 9:30 on Friday’s, after I get Griffin on the bus. This Friday I surprised him at school to help the kids with a book binding project. As it turns out the book was about Plants! I got to help him bind his book and then he brought it home a few days later.

Griffin continues to love sports and is constantly busy playing outside whenever possible. When Cole and Cooper are home they are usually all playing together and even Kevin and Brian get out there and play. Griffin really enjoyed Flag Football this spring (once the weather cooperated enough to be able to play!). He got to play quarterback a few times in different games and was able to complete a pass that resulted in a touchdown. Woohoo!  I watch the games as best I can but a large portion of time I’m basically chasing Reid around and snatching him off the field. He also gets creative and pretends to sleep in the chair “bed” that he makes.

Mom, Dad, and the Bethunes came over for an early Mother’s Day celebration as Mom and Dad were then headed to Scotland for a couple of weeks. As always it was a fun time 🙂  The first posts were set and construction began on the new Shipping and Growing facility at Millcreek on May 1st. The concrete trucks arrived and before long all of the posts were set.  The building is going up quite fast – I’m really glad we are having it constructed! Our new (second) pump house is nearly completed also. Crazy big pipes and valves in a nice new building. The new pump house will allow us to now do twice the amount of watering simultaneously as to what we’re able to do currently. It’s going to be great.

And here are a few videos for the memory bank, including Kevin’s interviews from his trip to California in February for the IBM THINK 2019! Conference.