Of all of the months in 2018, May seems to have passed by the quickest. I can’t say that I’m upset about it, because the end of school and extra-curricular activities brings with it a lot of added stress. I swear I was writing a check to the school twice a week and the kids always had something extra to purchase or carry with them to class. Between teacher appreciation, class parties, and fifth grade graduation — I was overwhelmed and broke by the time Memorial Day came around! Ella has a few more days of dance practice and Sophie is taking a hiatus from piano this summer, so I’m adjusting my work schedule accordingly and we are going to spend plenty of afternoons and evenings at the pool.
traveling | We are only days away from our annual beach vacation and we cannot wait. For the first time in a very long time, I had zero work conflicts during our two week stay. I’m happily headed down on the same day as my family (first the first time in years) and we’ll enjoy camp life for a solid fifteen days. We debated about whether I should save that week of paid vacation for my maternity leave, but since it’s our last trip as a family of four, I really wanted to soak up every minute with the girls. We only have to survive two days of dress rehearsal and a full day of back to back dance recitals and then it’s time to head south!
grilling | I debated on whether or not to share a post full of Memorial Day grilling ideas a few weeks ago, but since I’ve done that in the past, I decided not to be an overachiever – ha! Here is our favorite recipe for throwing on the grill and even though it takes a little time to prep, these burgers are well worth the effort!
exploring | The only things we’ve been exploring this month are car dealerships — both local and otherwise. They might not be as fun as vacation destinations, but they are just as entertaining and adventurous! We’ve been debating (for months) how to handle our vehicles, given the need to add a car seat to our rotation, and we ultimately decided to upgrade Josh’s truck first. My car is paid for and it’s so economical for my crazy long commute, that I wasn’t really ready to replace it. Not to mention, if I can drive it for 3-4 more years, then Ella can drive it until she needs something more reliable for college (can you even believe this is a topic of conversation at our house?!). We sold Josh’s truck in a mere 36 hours and have been scouring the tri-state area for a replacement, for the better part of six weeks. Thankfully, we found something just in time to tow our camper, and I can’t complain about the much roomier back seat. Three kids might have to squeeze into my car occasionally, but Josh’s truck is the new family car.
planting | These prompts are making me second guess myself a little, because I haven’t planted a single thing this year. I had big plans for an herb and vegetable garden at our new house, but pregnancy derailed all of my best intentions. We do have some amazing raised planter beds that I plan to fill for next spring and summer, but for now I’m enjoying all of my parents’ hard work and buying my veggies at the grocery store.
playing | Do grownups get to play? With big kids we don’t many hours of playtime at our house, but that is sure to change in the coming months. For now, we’ll be playing all of the card games around our campground picnic table. What is your favorite card game to play?
P.S. Can we talk about how cute all of those seasonal house photos are, all lined up below?!
