Our family

Although we aren't together and it was an absolutely crazy day, this is the day we celebrate our family.  We hope we get to go out to eat in a couple of weeks, but since the Bengals made the Super Bowl, we'll have to see if restaurants (nice ones) will be open.  I am so incredibly grateful for my children and our family!

Amazing football playoffs

This year, the football playoffs have been more entertaining then I can remember them being in years!  I loved that the first weekend had six games.  The games last weekend were amazing...three last minute field goal wins and a TD in OT.  This week, another OT win and even the last game ended with the difference of just a field kicked with less than two minutes left.  They were incredible games!

So we are looking at a Bengals/Rams super bowl in two weeks.  Obviously, we are NOT Bengals fans, but the city is having such a blast!  The fun and excitement and is truly contagious, and we'll be rooting for the AFC North team in two weeks!

Another league title

Last night the league championship for swim was held.  It is not my favorite meet, although this one only required I be at the pool for 4-1/2 hours.  We've definitely had some that took longer and went later!  There was a lot of drama though, and that wasn't fun at all.  Unfortunately, because Andrew is an assistant athletic director, we can't avoid the drama.  It was memorable, but not for good reasons.

At the end though, our school won both the boys and girls titles!  For the boys, it was their 16th consecutive, and for the girls, they were able to reclaim after losing last year, and that makes it 15 out of 16.  Thomas's two relays both came in 5th place and he had an individual finish of 8th place, all of which earned points for the team.  I was particularly grateful that in the last event, his relay didn't finish last.  I didn't want that for his last swim at home.  He'll still have sectionals in a couple of weeks, but those are just about improving time.  We know there is no advancing, and that is okay.  I'm so grateful that my kids have been able to be a part of such a winning tradition, and I appreciate that they always felt they were a part of the team, no matter how much (or how little) they are able to contribute.  I'm so grateful it all ended with another league title! 

Wish this snow would amount to something

I am sitting here watching the flurries fall.  Sadly, they are absolutely nothing more than flurries.  We all NEED the snow to accumulate to something.  Our teachers are wound and need some down time.  Our students need some down time.  The administration needs some down time.  We are all hanging in there, but everything needs a surprise day off.  We take pride in being open, but we are exhausted.  Sadly, nothing in the forecast, nothing at all, is going to get us that day off.  I can wish though!

The little things mean so much

Before the holidays, we brought home an entire box of apples from the FFA fruit sale.  They've been kept in our garage, and they are nearly gone.  But the last two weeks, Andrew has so lovingly brought in an apple and placed it on the counter for me each morning.  He is grabbing his own apple, and thoughtfully grabs one for me.  He thinks nothing of it because he keeps saying he is grabbing his own, why not grab two?  But that apple sitting on the counter each morning fills my heart more than I can say.  It's not just about not having to go out and get my own apple.  It's not even that he is being kind.  It's that he thought about me.  It seems so little, but it truly is so big, and I'm so grateful.  This is just one example of so many.

I'm grateful to be in this marriage.  My most fervent wish is that each of my children can find a partner, not just a spouse but a true partner, who loves them as I am loved.

A fabulous football weekend

After I got home from the pool Friday, I had absolutely no where I had to be all weekend.  It was glorious to have the entire weekend to get things done and to just relax.  I was incredibly productive, but I was also able to watch the AMAZING football games that happened this weekend.  All four games were decided by a total of 15 points.  Only one game actually went the way I was rooting, but they were all such great games!  In fact, the Chiefs/Bills game last night might have been the best playoff game I have ever seen.  Amazing!

We are entering into a tough stretch of the winter.  It's cold, but no snow to make it fun (this weekend we were too far south), and no snow days.  Swim is at the end, and we have a very long meet on Saturday.  The end of January is a tough time, but I'm grateful for each day!

Last senior night at the pool

Last evening was the last senior swim night for our family (high school, anyway).  Catherine was home for the weekend because she is working, and since she was off at 5:00 she was able to be there as well.  I'm so glad this was able to happen!  Thomas only swam in three events, but he cut time off of all of them.  Swim has been a great activity for my kiddos!

Where's OUR snow?

 The meteorologists we watch have been very busy the last couple of weeks with snow storms.  Two weeks ago it was promising that we might get some snow the next day, but NO!  Strangely enough, in a bizarre twist of fate, it seems as though we live too far north to get any snow.  That's right!  Not too far south, but too far north!  Are you kidding me????  Two weeks ago Tennessee was a beautiful winter wonderland.  Last week northern Kentucky had a wonderful snow fall.  We had a very slight dusting this past weekend, and absolutely nothing else.  Tonight it's supposed to be treacherous as well...if you live south of here!  I want a good 4-6" snowfall!

Shut down

On Wednesdays, I am only working until about 10:30 or 11 most weeks.  I appreciate having a little more time at home, especially when school is in session because it is quiet time for me.  Anyway, because I am only working short days on Wednesday, I was in the grocery when I got the text that the public schools would be closed for the next two days.  There is just too much staff out to be able to run the buildings safely.  The private school at which I work probably won't need to close at all during all of this, so I'll still be working the next two days.  I haven't heard about extra-curricular activities.  My biggest concern is that Friday night is supposed to be Senior recognition.  I wished it had been done earlier in the year, but it wasn't, so I'm hoping it can still be done Friday!  I'm also hoping Andrew and Thomas can go back to school on Monday!

Our long January weekend

This weekend has truly been a lot of fun, and honestly, it felt like a long weekend, not just three days that went quickly.  It helped that I got off work a little early on Friday so that I could attend an admissions meeting with Thomas.  I was home by 7:00 Friday evening, and Andrew and I were thrilled to be able to sit in our house without wearing masks around each other.  Thomas had swim practice and then pep band, but then came home, and we watched some episodes of "Ghosts".  The three of us really enjoy that show!

Saturday Thomas left for a leadership conference through FFA.  It was a great experience for him and I'm so glad he made the trip.  I had to be at the pool by 7:30 for my swim volunteer commitment.  After that I worked at church for a bit.  We spent Saturday hanging out watching playoff football.  Catherine had to work Saturday and Sunday, so she stayed over at our house that night.

Yesterday, we FINALLY got all of Christmas taken down and put away.  I was getting pretty annoyed with the fact that it was the middle of January and there were still trees and other decorations up.  I couldn't help it because we had been really busy, but it was making me crazy.  There were tubs and chaos everywhere.  We had the football games on, but didn't really care until the late game last night.  Although the Steelers game didn't go the way we wanted, it went pretty much as we expected.  Thomas was home from his leadership experience mid-afternoon, so we made some home made pizzas for dinner.  Catherine went on back to her apartment, and since it was snowing I was a nervous wreck until she made it back.  The snow didn't really amount to much though.

Today was an incredibly productive day.  I got the house really picked up and got so many little things accomplished.  While I LOVE having our Christmas decorations out and I love how cozy the house feels when it is decorated, I also love the less cluttered look, and I enjoy having the snowman and winter decorations put out.  It's so easy to relax when the house is cleaned up!

We have another busy week, but it's always nice to start the week with an extra day off!  It was also really nice to have some family time this weekend!

Ten years since our last family trip

Ten years ago this past weekend, we took our last trip as a family to my dad's cottage.  Andrew and I would go for a weekend with friends in April, and we would make a day trip in May, but this was our last overnight trip.  I was so emotional at the time, because the cottage was for sale.  I completely understood why dad needed to sell, and I'm really glad it wasn't something mom had to deal with when he passed.  I'm so, so grateful for the memories we made there.  They were really awesome times with our family and my dad!

The middle of our January

The last two weeks have been extraordinarily long.  The first week, I was focusing on school progress reports, and both weeks I've been working on church end of year.  I still have plenty of church work to do, but I'm in decent shape.  At school, we've also been dealing with constant COVID cases.  It was a long week of calculating timelines and determining any in-school exposures.  The hardest part was the phone call I received Monday morning.  Andrew had been at a meeting Sunday afternoon, and the host had tested positive first thing Monday.  He'd been symptomatic, but because his son had a cold and had tested negative twice, he assumed he also had a cold.  We were very grateful to know right away, as it allowed our family to take precautions.  I spent the week sleeping in Catherine's room since she was at college.  Whenever we were all home together, we wore masks.  I didn't love wearing masks in my home, but we were willing in an effort to try to keep it from spreading among us.  My school still follows the ten day quarantine rule, and I don't receive any paid time off.  If I can avoid missing a chunk of a paycheck, I would prefer to do so.  Friday evening I had to take my mom's new phone to her, and while I was gone, I was thrilled that Andrew tested himself and it came back that he was negative!  What an incredible relief.

Meanwhile, Catherine has started her next semester of classes.  For a variety of reasons, she is taking a bit of a lighter class load.  She's still working here in town on the weekends, but not necessarily staying here.  We are proud of her for doing her thing, but as a mom that worry and fretting never ends.

Thomas has so much going on that he really warrants his own post.  He's got a lot going on and we are so proud of him as well.  It's not a normal senior year, but he's hanging in there so far.  He has a lot of work to do and has a lot of decisions to make.

There is a lot of snow in the area, but no so much here.  That is so disappointing.  I love snow!

Check another one off the list

With our youngest child going through his senior year, there are many "lasts" that are coming our way.  I know for some parents, that can bring sadness, and I am not immune to that.  However, there are things I an NOT going to miss, and yesterday's activity was one of them!  Each MLK, Jr. weekend, there has been a HUGE swim meet where our team parents had to work.  It's the only fundraiser our team has to do because it brings in so much money.  It is packed with people (which I don't love) and I usually have to be at the pool at an obscene time (which I also don't love).  I was assigned the early shift again this year, and I practically did a jig when I walked out of there at 11:30 yesterday.  I felt the same way when band camp ended this year.  I am grateful those responsibilities are behind us!

Putting away Christmas

I'm spending some time today to put away Christmas.  I won't even come close to getting it all done, but I'm doing what I can do.  Putting away Christmas often makes me emotional.  This year, my heart felt so full as I put things away.  We had such a wonderful and lovely time together.  We were with both mothers on Christmas Day, got to spend Christmas Eve with our dear friends, and saw lots of other good friends on NYE.  We went to see some lights, and watch some movies together.  The kids worked, but not too much.  This past week has been crazy but last evening was an absolutely wonderful end to it all.  Catherine went back to school today, but is coming back home again to work next weekend.  Last evening though, she was home by 6:00, and Thomas arrived home shortly after.  We made potato pizza, and all sat here and watched a Hallmark movie together.  We sat around and laughed and then watched some more TV shows.  It was not something that happens all the time, and I took advantage of soaking it all up.  Andrew and I are very, very well aware how blessed we are.

Six weeks ago it was beginning

Six weeks ago will be an evening I will always remember.  It was the Tuesday just two days before Thanksgiving.  We were all done with school for the week, and Andrew's mother was here.  We sat in our living room and all chatted and laughed for quite a while, until Thomas was home from swim practice.  Our pizzas arrived for dinner, and we popped in our Friends' Thanksgiving episodes we had chosen, and we sat and laughed together.  It was the best beginning to our long holiday weekend, and to our holiday season as a whole.

Three weeks ago I worked the last full day of school with students until today.  Thomas had his first swim meet of the season, and I was so excited to be looking at so much time off for break.  It was lovely.

It's all done though.  Reality is back in full swing.  I have already worked ten hours today, and there is more work in my evening plans.  It's the time of year, and it is what it is.  Andrew is working at a wrestling meet and hasn't been home since he left for work at 7:00 this morning.  Catherine is still here, but is working the overnight shift.  I feel fairly safe, but I'll sure be glad when I get a text telling me she is home.  While it's nice having her around, she walked out the door about five minutes after I got home from school so it doesn't really feel like she is here.  Our sweet pup appreciates it though.  Thomas is back to practice and working, and this is our life for these days. 

I am grateful that we were all able to go out to dinner Sunday evening to celebrate Andrew's birthday, and that yesterday everyone was home by 8:00 (Catherine didn't work at all) so that we could share cake and give him his presents.  It helps to remind me that even in long weeks and life feeling busy, there are still fun things to share!

A tough end of the school break

This has been a tough, tough end of the school break.  Part of it is simply how the dates fall.  January 3 is the earliest we ever go back, and since it falls on a Monday it's a full week.  We've had so much family drama this weekend, and it's been draining.  It absolutely detracted from any joy of celebrating the new year, and in fact, we almost didn't get to celebrate with our friends Friday evening.  It's been so tough that our friends even came over yesterday to be supportive.  Today is so much better, and for that I am grateful.

The hardest part is going back to my job tomorrow.  I don't dislike the job itself, but some things have occurred that make it tough to be excited about going back.  One was that I didn't receive the staff gift that was given to everyone.  I know they were purchased because I pay the bills.  I didn't order them so I didn't know the specifics of how many, but I was a little surprised that there wasn't one for me.  Secondly, I didn't receive the gift card that was sent electronically to staff AND contractors.  And all of this is on the heels of being the ONLY employee who didn't receive a raise this school year.  At the time, I chalked it up to the fact that I hadn't been there a year, and I accepted that.  The tough part though, was that I knew the original budget for the school year had a 5% increase for me.  Receiving absolutely nothing felt like a bit of slap, but again, I hadn't been there a year (nine months, but not a full year).  I feel like the message is loud and clear, yet they keep telling me how grateful they are that I am there and how much I bring to the table.  I've always been a huge proponent however, that actions speak louder than words, and the actions tell me otherwise.  It makes it very tough to feel excited about getting back into the swing of things!