Catch up (7/19 version)

So apparently I began a "catch up" post last summer (last touched 7/19), and, true to form when it comes to my blogging habits, I apparently abandoned it partly completed. 

It's just what I do.

But, thanks to our current state of quarantine, I've got tons of some time on my hands. 

The Fall and Winter last year (**referring to 2018 here**) brought some good times, like when I asked my two kids to smile for a picture-day-before-school snap, and Guster joined in as well...

Both kids played Fall soccer, and both kids LOVED it!

Freezing on the sidelines...

Our Astrid kitty continues to be such a gift! 

Appreciating the sunshine whenever we get the chance...

October was also when we celebrated our Guster's first birthday!

For Halloween 2018, we had a pretty dope rapper and Rey of Jakku up in here...

his grill made me laugh every single time he opened his mouth...=)

our motley crew of trick-or-treaters...

in November, we celebrated my Dad turning 70! 

SUCH a gift to be able to have so much family in one spot!!

We managed to have some decent weather days in mid- November where we were able to play outside...

Boba Fett on his bike...

(seriously one of my favorite pics of the boy from 2018!)

Best. Pets. Ever. 

Sister continued to enjoy being a part of a Girl Scout Troop...

We got a hotel for Thanksgiving night, and some cousins came over to swim. With these four, there are always shenanigans afoot! 

We continue to feel blessed to be able to celebrate Thanksgiving with our families again!

...especially when one of the uncles stands still with his mouth open and lets everyone pelt him with candy as they attempt to land a piece in his mouth...

 ...seriously, my kids are SO lucky to have these great uncles in their lives!

December 2018

We did some holiday baking...

Brother played on his first basketball team...

These two cuties BOTH had solos during their 3rd grade Winter Concert!  Dave and I were crazy proud of them! I would not have had enough courage to even audition for a solo when I was eight...

Also in December a big group of friends and us decided to rent a pool to ourselves.... 

So thankful for such a fun group of friends and their kids!! 

Christmas Eve we celebrated the one year anniversary of our Gus joining our family! 

 (yes, I saved the box we brought him home in for a year. I'm a sentimental nerd. And we had extra garage space)

More cousin fun at Christmas time...

Christmas 2018

January brought more basketball...

...and a randomly sunny Saturday...

It also brought nasty viruses, and we all spent days upon days cuddled up in miserable, fevery piles...

Then February brought SNOW!!!

Slowly we started to get some sunshine...

Gus continued to impress us for his penchant for finding mud puddles even on sunny days...

Good thing he's so sweet...=)


And the kids continued to make good use of the backyard...

Spring 2019 brought a new sport for our kiddos!

Softball for the girl and baseball for the boy.


They'd played TBall in Kuwait, but this was their first go with a pitcher and everything!

So proud of this girl as she sauntered up to her first practice...

and this boy looking adorable in his uniform...

Gus contiuned to GROW...

March brought a NINTH birthday for this adorable set of twins!

In birthday tradition, each kiddo got to pick an activity and a meal...

(frosty's from Wendy's definitely happened)

Arcade was Sister's request...

...and bowling was Brother's...

9th Birthday Party at the indoor soccer facility...

Another birthday tradition: a pic of momma and her babes...

April 2019

Using their Spidey Sense out back one morning before school...

April brought an incredibly relaxing Girl's Weekend Away for this momma! A bunch of my friends and I rented a floating house on the river nearby, and it was an idyllic way to spend a spring weekend! 

Spring weather was in full force, and we were there for it!

Indoors were pretty sweet, too...

Baseball/Softball carried us through Spring...

Sister found her spot behind home plate. Homegirl was a CATCHING BEAST.






Easter celebrations with cousins...

SUNSHINE around town! 

In May, Dave and I broke away to the coast for a few nights to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary...

15 years!! Officially Grown-Ups now =). 



Our family celebrated the Blazer's playoff run BIG TIME..

The kids and I finished up the 3rd  Harry Potter book...

(and that one remains our favorite thus far!)




June 2019 brought along Girl Scout camp for Sister and I! 

June also meant Field Day at school!! 
I'm so thankful for a work schedule that allows me to attend fun things like this while my kids still think it's cool to have Momma there =).

Peace out third grade!




Easing into summer like...

We kicked off the summer of 2019 with a camping trip with a big ol' group of friends...

...Detroit Lake surrounded by friends in the sunshine...fantastic way to begin summer!

…turns out Gus can swim!...

We celebrated this guy in June...

For Dave's birthday we went to a live showing of The Price is Right with some besties...

We got to say goodbye to our sweet first dog before she went to Heaven. 

So sad to say goodbye to that sweet girl, but very grateful we were able to spend some time with her to say goodbye.

Some summer shenanigan's...

We celebrated 4th of July with a large group of friends and their kids...

We got to meet our newest cousin!







A family meet up with ALL my sisters and ALL their kiddos! It's a MIRACLE!!!

Caught a local baseball game...

Don't worry, they're besties...

Thankful for the great outdoors...

Swim Lessons...

...and relaxin'...

So. 
There you go. 

"Caught up" to the end of July, 2019.
(it's currently May of 2020, but we're still marking this in the "win" column) 

I am just about ready to tie this up with a bow, and begin turning it into a book so that our family can always look at pictures and read stories about our adventures of living abroad =).