Happy Mother's Day to me! Another quarantine chill day. We hung out at home all day together.
Nothing crazy, the weather was crappy so not much to do. We did snap a few pics together.

Always so difficult to get one nice photo, but we did it.

Katie & Mike bought a new house this weekend so we were forced to be in each others houses for the first time. Lots of helping with kids during showings and then also when they worked to get their house ready to sell. Needless to say, we all thought it was okay to have a little Mother's Day dinner after being together the past few days.

Also hard to get a good pic of this crew with everyone looking! So funny, there were so many great outtakes that made us all laugh. Nice to be together for the first time in so long. This quarantine is killing us! Also nice to just be out of our house... good change of scenery. xoxo

Enjoying the sunshine & unseasonably warm weather. Hard to believe it is only the beginning of May. The past 3 months have been so odd & definitely not normal, it is so nice to feel the sun shinning & get outside. The girls needed this weather so bad. They are really yearning for time with their friends & some normalcy. Definitely got some this week!

Maeve & her crew definitely jumped right into summer mode. Swim suits, picnics & all.

The bigs have been spending their time taking pics & recording themselves dancing. Whatever it takes. I am just happy to see their big smiles.

Sunshine is just what we needed! Happy May. As much as we are home doing nothing & keeping our distance, the days are flying by. Enjoying our time together. xoxo

Back out for another nature walk today. This time with Veraghens. The girls wanted them to see the new trails we discovered. The sun was shining & it felt good to just be outside together exploring.

After we did the walk we decided to pop in & visit some friends who recently got pigs. Margaux & Hayden were so excited. They wore their mud boots & got right in the pen with them. So many smiles.

Messy, muddy & so fun for the girls. We were shocked that Maeve got so close!

What we thought was going to be a quick stop turned into hours of laughing & running around for the kids. They also have chickens. Our kids were in heaven. Such a fun day... exactly what we needed. xoxo

Happy Easter!

 The only "normal" part of this Easter was that the bunny arrived & hid the girls baskets. All three were happy to find surprises in their hidden baskets. Shirt, led lights & pogo ball for Marg, clothes, led lights & a faux plant for Marin & smelly pens, a Harry Potter shirt & a basketball for Maeve. 

We didn't even color eggs this year. Instead we made Easter egg cut out cookies & delivered to our friends/family. The girls did a great job decorating & delivering.

Easter mass was attended in pajamas at our kitchen counter via an online live feed while we all ate breakfast. SO ODD!!! Nothing about this stay at home order feels normal. When I really sit down & think about it, it's hard to imagine it is all even happening. Needless to say, we attended virtual mass & spent the rest of the day just being together at home. Not our typical Easter, but thankful we are all healthy. xoxo

The girls were begging for an Easter egg hunt but I didn't have any candy. Finally after 3 weeks of being home & not leaving I ventured out to the store. We did pretty great eating for three weeks & not going to the store. Needless to say, my list was pretty long...Eerie feeling in the store. So empty & those that were shopping had masks & gloves on. $350+ and one house plant later, I was on my way home to wipe down the groceries & change/shower. I also snagged a big bag of Easter candy so we could have an egg hunt. The forecast for the weekend/Easter looks rainy & cold. Even a chance of snow! So we opted to do the egg hunt a little early & enjoy it while the weather was still nice today. Invited the cousins over to join in on the fun...

 Maeve really loved it. Her smiles were so big & you could see the excitement in her eyes. So glad we got it in. All three had so much fun helping Sloane & Fitz too. We are missing our snuggles with them. Being outside in the yard just isn't the same. But we are thankful for the outdoor time we're getting together too. 

 Another quarantine violation for a quick photo!  

I know that we are all healthy because we have not left the house, but we are still trying to follow the rules. We're all looking forward to no school tomorrow {Good Friday} and Easter weekend. Even if we are just hanging at home alone, still sometime to look forward to. Maeve is counting down the days until the bunny arrives. She can barely contain her excitement. 3 more sleeps!! xoxo

Covid cut day! 

With the Stay At Home order no one is allowed to go to any appointments unless they are essential. All of our dentist & well check appointments were cancelled as well as hair cuts! Totally fine for the Brown girls, but Gary's hair was getting a little long for his liking. 

Solution... Covid cuts at Katie & Mike's in the back yard.

{We have yet to be in each others houses... still following the rules over here although the 6+ feet rule got broken for the sake of haircuts today}

 We laughed so darn hard watching this all go down, but in the end Mike did a great job. Gary got his shortest cut to date & my dad too. Katie said my dad's forehead got a little bigger! Made us all laugh. Buzz cut boys over here but no one is complaining, smiles for all! We even facetimed my grandpa Bob the barber to get his approval. We also keep joking with my mom that she'll have hair long enough for a pony tail after this quarantine. Makes us all laugh... my grey hair will be out of control too. I may need a visit to the backyard Salon Katie in a few weeks. 

Speaking of grandpa... we stopped over at their house the other day & knocked on the patio door to surprise them. They were so happy to see us in the flesh! They surprised us & wanted to sit outside for a cocktail too. The Brown 5 on one side of the deck... Goessl's on the other. We had a great visit!

During this quarantine we are so thankful for the hot tub too! We've been spending so much time out there. It is especially awesome when the sun is shinning. I tell the girls we pretend it is our beach vacation. They disagree, definitely not the same but the closest we'll get right now.

 Quarantine week three... done. On to week 4! Still praying for an end. 

xoxo

We are still here & still quarantined, but doing great! School days are getting easier {routine wise} and the weather has been better! Hoping it stays this way because it feel so great to see the sunshine & be somewhat warm while outside. Lots of walking & rollerblading. Today we walked to Katie's to say hi to the kids. Still staying away, but Fitz has such a hard time with it. He just wants us to hug him like we usually do which turns into this...

He just cannot help himself. Loves his cousins so much. I am missing holding & hugging them all. Acre is just the worst. He is getting bigger by the minute & I just want to kiss his cute little cheeks. We need this to be over soon or I may just have to cave & break the social distance rule. I need baby snuggles. Bad. For now I am thankful I can see him from 6 feet away. Better than not seeing him at all I guess. Thinking positively!

We're still puzzling too. Here is a shot of the ones we've done so far. Just had to order more. The majority of them are 300-500 pieces but we just finished the cottage that was 1,000 pieces. Took us a few days. 

 We typically sit & puzzle in the evenings after dinner while watching tv or movies. The living room is a mixture of puzzles & board games. All so fun.

 Gary & Margaux were deep into the Packer puzzle the other night & Maeve was already tucked in. She was yelling from her room requesting that we turn the lights off because it was too bright in her room. She was a tired mess! So Gary & Marg compromised by putting our new head lamps on. Worked perfectly!

Sad part is I ordered them to use for crab hunting on the beach. Still so sad that our vacation was cancelled but glad the headlamps got used! Next puzzle is Mickey Mouse. We've just been doing a big puzzle exchange & it has been great. Keeping us all busy. xoxo

Margaux pulled this out of her work pile this morning & it made us laugh. The virus is not at all funny, but the fact that she labeled her folder like this was pretty funny. It is our reality right now.

Also, today is Hayden's birthday & Margaux made this sign for her big 11th bday. She worked on it all day yesterday. We delivered & Wendy hung it on her door this am.

 Tonight we went down to their house & sang Happy Birthday to her from their back porch which made her smile. We all enjoyed watching her blow out her candles too. So odd that we can't go in!

 No one has been in our house in weeks. It's sad because our house has never been cleaner. I am caught up on laundry, we organized & rearranged bedrooms, everything... so clean!! No end in sight as of now. We just keep crossing our fingers it is sooner vs later. Now all of our summer concerts were just postponed. Wendy & I just purchased Justin Beiber concert tickets for the girls & it is now postponed until September. Really hoping we are in a better place before the summer, but who knows. Just keep praying. xoxo

Two days of virtual learning in the books! 

The girls did so great. Other than a few internet issues with the learning platforms they are using, the days went overall very well. It's going to be a learning process for us all. Very different to be watching their teachers in a video via their iPad, but each day will get easier. We are trying to maintain a schedule which means going to bed by 9/9:30 {8:30 for Maeve, she needs her sleep!} and all of them are up by 8am getting ready for breakfast. 9:00 is when their teachers post their work/assignments for the day so we've been working on being ready by 8:45. Both yesterday & today the girls were done by lunch time which was perfect. 

 Here is a little what school at home looks like in our house so far. Maeve & Marg prefer to be set up in the kitchen at the table near me. They are both pretty independent but need me every now & then. I've got my computer at the table too, so the three of us just hang together all morning. I had to order bins for their school things. Right now it is just everywhere because they basically brought everything home. Hoping they are here sooner than later... we need to keep our school room organized!!! 

Marin has been at her desk in her room. Easier for her to concentrate on her work without any distractions. She definitely has the biggest work load, but she has been managing it well.

 The girls have been keeping in contact with their teachers via video chats. So fun for them all to be able to see each other outside of school & check in. Gary is taking work calls & having virtual meetings all day from the sunroom & I have work/school meetings to attend as well. So much internet usage in this house!!

 Settling in to our new schedule & hanging out in pajamas all day! We've all been in comfy clothes around here all morning for sure & by afternoon we're getting dressed to head outside for some exercise and fresh air. Dinner is whatever we have in the house for groceries. I created a board that I have been changing every few days which the girls are loving. They like making the choices.

Gary went to the store on the 20th, almost 2 weeks ago & we are still good. At some point we'll need a grocery refresh but not quite yet. It's a new way of life around here. Going to the store is a big job. When we go out we are encouraged to wear face masks & have gloves on... change clothes & wash hands and/or shower as soon as you get home. We are also using disinfecting wipes to wipe down all the groceries & things that are shipped to the house. Seems a bit crazy but it is what we are all doing to prevent the spread of the virus. Hard to believe it is even happening. Just odd... but again, we are thankful for our health & time together. Just keep saying that!! xoxo

It's been a week since my last post. A lot has changed in a week. What hasn't changed is the Stay At Home order. We are all still quarantined to our houses. The girls are enjoying their spring break days the best they can. They are definitely ready for a little routine. There is only so much we can do being at home all day. Gary did get the go ahead to work from home so he's been home all week. The sunroom is now his new office for who knows how long. I am so thankful that he's home. I feel 100x better with all 5 of us in the house together. Safe.

Lots of office share time this week because the girls & I have not started virtual school yet. Maeve has been at the desk next to him watching live feeds from various zoo's across the US. She just loves checking in on the animals. All three of the girls have been using facetime to connect with their friends & we wave from 6+ feet away outside when we see the neighbors. The national suggestion is that every stays at least 6 feet away from each other at all times. We have been taking walks with Veraghen's almost daily. It is our sanity!!! One family walks on the sidewalk & the other on the road so we have about 10 feet between us. We are being so careful! Most days we walk to my parents or Katie & Mike's to say hello and check in. Today we walked outside with my parents & Katie/Mike/kids. So hard to stay away from each other, but we are doing it.

Hayden has been hanging out by Margaux's window too. They think it is so funny! Desperate times call for desperate measures I guess. They'll do anything to see each other. Hayden's birthday is in a few days & they are just so sad that we can't celebrate together like we usually do. Life is so different right now. I am just thankful to see them all still smiling. 

They were also recording videos of themselves dancing through the window. Goofballs.

We've all been doing a lot of sidewalk chalking too! Cute messages all throughout the neighborhood. It is pretty cool to walk around seeing all of the art from all the kids. A lot of really great, inspirational quotes & beautiful drawings.

Nationally, people are decorating & hanging hearts in windows to show support for all the healthcare workers. Our girls made a few this week & we've got them hanging in all the front windows of the house.

Also fun to walk through the neighborhood & see all the hearts in windows. They are everywhere! 

We are starting to hear rumblings that we won't be going back to school the 13th. Starting to sound more like the end of April... if at all. I am anxious to get going next week with the virtual learning. I think it will be good for the girls. All three of them have been AMAZING. So much better than Gary & I ever thought they would have been given the circumstances. They are getting along & we are all really enjoying our time together. We have been playing games, baking a ton & addicted to puzzles. I've been taking photos of each one, so eventually I'll have to share them soon. xoxo

UGH!!!! 

Life took a hard turn in the last week. The country is dealing with a global pandemic. Covid-19 {also known as the Corona Virus} has taken over the world. From what we know, this started in China in January & it is slowly making its way around the world. Long story short, the US and many other countries are shutting down & putting Stay At Home orders into effect. The girls & myself went to school on Monday and by the end of the day we were all packing up & preparing to not be back to school for a few weeks. The fear is that if people do not stay home this virus will spread like wildfire. Tuesday was our first official day at home. We are no longer allowed to gather in groups larger than 10 and we are strongly encouraged to social distance from everyone, including family that live outside our home. It is a very odd & eerie feeling. None of us have ever gone through this & we have no idea how long it will all last. There is a huge fear for the economy & the general health of all Americans. Covid-19 is proving itself to be very deadly & at this point there is not vaccination or medicine that is working to treat it. Some people sick with the virus are needing to be hospitalized & on a ventilator, while others are experiencing fever/cough while recovering at home. It varies from person to person. Hoping that they will find more answers & this does not last too long. 

For now, we are told the girls will be learning virtually from home until at least April 13th.

Here is a little bit of what our first two days of quarantine look like...

The girls are trying to stay active while being at home & kind of cooped up. It is not very warm outside so they do go out for short periods of time. The rest of the time they are playing tennis or rollerblading in the garage! We moved both cars out so they have a big open space to play & work off some energy.

They have also been spending more time in the workout room together. Taking turns between the treadmill, the peloton & other workouts. Love that Maeve enjoys exercising in her nightie!! 

 Maeve & Gary have been bowling in the kitchen using these tiny little pins & a bouncy ball. They keep score on a bowling scoring app. Anything to pass the time!

 And we busted out all the paint & canvases too. The girls have been painting away. Maeve worked so hard on this Harry Potter canvas. She is really knocking out the great art lately!

 This week they are just off as their teachers prepare for digital/remote/virtual school days. Next week {March 23-27} is spring break, so they won't have school. And that is our BIGGEST BUMMER... no Orange Beach vacation for us this year. We are all so sad, but it is helping the girls knowing that no one can go. The beaches are shut down & now they are starting to close restaurants too. This whole situation is so crazy & quite scary. For now we are going to cuddle in & enjoy our time together as a family. A healthy family. So much unknown ahead. For now Gary is still going to work each day. But every day brings something new at this point. I am hoping by the end of the week they give him the go-ahead to work from home. Thankful for our health. More to come... xoxo

Last night we visited the district art show. We've attended this event when both Marin & Margaux had pieces in the art show. This time it was Maeve's turn. Her clay bird piece was chosen by her art teacher to be featured in the show. 

She was so darn excited & felt so special. Art is definitely her favorite special at school. She just loves it & this little bird was so darn cute. She did a great job... Nice work Maeve!!! xoxo

A little warmer today. Well maybe not but it felt nice to see the sun. Katie & Mike took Maeve with them to the zoo to get some fresh air. Since we no longer have a zoo pass we don't go as often as we used to. But makes it more fun when we do!!!

Hopefully when it gets nicer we can all go. Every time we visit they have new things which is always fun to see. The sunshine makes me excited for the beach in a few weeks! Can not wait! xoxo

Last night was Bhodi's birthday gathering. He was so excited for his big day & when we all got ready to leave he asked Maeve if she would have a sleepover with him. Their little friendship is so darn cute. He is certainly like the little brother she never had. I was so happy she accepted his invite {you never know with Maeve, she's such a mommy's girl!} Wendy sent this photo before they went to bed...How cute are they all snuggled up on the couch with Yooper?!

 And then I got this photo this morning. No surprise that Maeve was up bright & early. She is definitely the earliest riser in our house. And the birthday boy still out cold. 

No school today, so it was the perfect night for a sleepover. Today we're enjoying our low key day. So nice to have these days off every so often. xoxo

This is my new daytime home for the next 4ish months...

My elementary school gymnasium. Just accepted a long term phy ed position. I will be working as the PE teacher from now until the end of the school year. Feels so funny to be back in this school after attending k-4th grade here. Also fun because one of my great friends is the school counselor so we have been able to have lunch dates together. Still friends 30+ years after we attended elementary school here. Sometimes hard to see each other these days because life gets so darn busy! We'll soak up these lunch dates while we can. Monday-Friday I will be getting active with 330 students & wearing my comfy workout clothes to work every day! xo

Winter Jubilee tonight at Titletown.

So many fun happenings going on down there. Live music, tons of ice sculptures & ice games galore. Marin opted out, she had better plans with her friends! We missed her. Acre was also in attendance but not pictured in the stroller next to us.

The ice sculptures were pretty great. All lit up throughout the park.

Every time we saw a new one, they wanted another photo.

But the real fun was the ice games. They had a ice bean bag boards, a shuffleboard table & this fun air hockey table. Cold... but definitely fun for all.

It was a pretty quick visit. We were all pretty cold after about an hour of walking around. Glad we checked it out. The girls definitely enjoyed it. Nice to get some fresh air. This winter is getting long! xoxo

Happy Valentines Day!

This was the photo we used for our Valentines Day card. Always so fun to send out a little extra love to our friends, but not as fun attempting to get a photo of these three. Love them, but they are definitely in the running for being my worst photo subjects! After some whining & having to go outside twice... we got a photo. Look how darn cute they are out in the fresh snow. 

Tonight we had our annual candle lit valentine dinner. Menu for the night was ham & twice baked potatoes. Everyone was happy. Even better, no reservations needed or heavy crowds. 

Our Valentine Crew... minus Jerry who is up north for the weekend.

And one extra tonight... Estelle. Thanks for taking our photo!! I knew we invited her for a reason. Love this crew & we had a great night together. Added bonus is the girls didn't have school today so we will enjoy a three day weekend. Happy Valentines Day to us! xoxo