Author: Jodi

Lake Wylie…

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We went to Lake Wylie, NC this past week for our biennial celebration of Grandma and Grandpa Seyfried’s wedding anniversary with Grandma and Grandpa Seyfried, The Seyfrieds, The Longs, and The Paccassis. We are so blessed to be able to gather together with family. We enjoyed tubing, riding on the boat, swimming in the lake, paddle boating, paddle boarding, kayaking, waverunnering, eating, playing games, reading, and catching up.

For more pictures, click on the “Lake Wylie 2019” picture page to the right.

RoMo Monkey…

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We went to the Williamson County Public Library today in Franklin to stock up on books and DVDs for our upcoming lake trip. Roman was SO excited when he saw this monkey on the wall, so I had to walk him out to the van to grab his Ki-Ki so he could pose for this picture. Sweet boy.
He’s also been working on book reviews with Tom for his very own YouTube channel, “RoMo Monkey”. I was not sure at first and am still not super sure what I think of him being on YouTube. BUT his presence and his reviews are great…especially for his age…and he works so hard on reading the books, writing the reviews, editing the reviews, and reading the reviews while Tom is filming him. He’s working with his daddy, being creative, building his confidence, and learning a lot…and I’m all for those things. And it makes me happy to see him sharing his love of reading with other kids. Check out his YouTube channel, RoMo Monkey, if you want to…and get ready for some cuteness!!!

July 4th…

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To celebrate the 4th of July, we joined in on our annual neighborhood parade in the morning. It’s such a beautiful thing, seeing patriotically dressed moms and dads and kids and dogs with their decorated strollers and wagons and scooters and bikes, walk behind a NVFD fire truck (driven by Tom), waving American flags in honor of our Independence Day. In the afternoon, we were invited to a potluck lunch and an inflatable water slide extravaganza in a close by cul-de-sac. I love our neighborhood. Happy 4th!!!

Boating Adventures…

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We joined the Nashville Boat Club this summer (and are sharing the membership along with another family)!!! Tom is so amazing at finding these adventurous things for us to do at the best possible rate…it’s one of his many gifts.

We took a wake board boat out today and had so much fun…I mean, come on…what a dream!!! All of the boys tubed on the Big Mable, which is basically like an inflatable overstuffed chair. They all jumped off varying heights of cliffs into the water. AND they all tried wake boarding…Xander was the only one who was able to get up on top of the water. Jonas loved watching him and said, “Mom, this is more entertaining than TV!” HaHa. It is truly exciting to watch. I was inspired by their bravery and might try it myself sometime soon…we’ll see.

Happy Birthday, Xander!!!…

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I cannot believe that Xander is 9 today!!! He doesn’t always show his personality in pictures, so I love this one that my neighbor took of him playing in her back yard.

Xander surprises me all the time. He’s chill and laid-back in a lot of ways, but he can also be SUPER silly and wacky. He’s the quietest of the three boys, but he has no problem roaring back at his brothers when he needs his space. He was quite cautious and shy as a little guy, but as he’s growing up, he has become so incredibly brave and daring (he likes to go as fast as he can on wave runners and tubes on the lake, he jumps off of boss-high cliffs like it’s nothing, and he came out of the gate swinging in his first ever team sport last year, rocking it out on the basketball court). He is an insane speller…he can look at a list of words once (or not at all) and rattle them off without one mistake. He loves animals (especially dolphins and penguins) and the water to his core. And he has the most tender heart and such a sweet, precious spirit. It’s so fun watching him grow…what a privilege. Happy Birthday, Xan-Man!!!

Star Spangled Celebration…

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The Star Spangled Celebration in our little town gets better every year. To celebrate the 4th of July this year…there were tons of inflatables, a climbing wall, face painting, food trucks, live music, and booths galore (Tom helped out with the NVFD one). It was super hot, but the kids still had fun. They ran around, played football barefoot, visited booths to pick up swag, and waited with me in a crazy long line for ice cream that tried to melt before we could eat it all. Here’s a picture of all three of the boys together…

SOAC…

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We went to the Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center pool today!!! We met two of our dearest friends, the Pomerantzes and the Hearns, and really just had the best time. There was something for everyone with a deep end, a climbing wall, three water slides, a lazy river, and a splash pad. (It was a win…I really needed a win after all of the fighting, whining, meltdowns, and emotional rollercoasters we walked through yesterday and what feels like many of the days before.) Yay for a great summer’s day!

On the Lake…

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We went out on the boat today…it was just what we all needed…the freedom and restoration of being on the water. We loved riding on the boat, jumping off rock faces into the water, and swimming. All three of the boys tried wake boarding, which is just amazing to me. They are so brave!!! Xander was the closest to getting up on the wake board…so incredibly exciting to watch. They definitely inspire me to be more brave. We’re looking forward to spending more time out on the lake together this summer.

Workout Buddy…

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Petra is my workout buddy without fail…she’s always right beside me if I’m doing a morning, afternoon, or evening workout at home. Sweet girl. I love her so much…she’s such a precious spirit and friend. (I think she can tell that I’m having a hard time sometimes with the workouts and need the moral support…haha!!!)

I started doing Beachbody workouts at home back in September and am LOVING them! My favorite programs that I’ve tried so far are PiYo, Liift 4, and 3 Week Yoga Retreat. I mix three days of running up with three or four days of strength training/yoga. I’ve never felt better. I’m so grateful.

Nolensville 5K…

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I ran the Nolensville 5K today and placed 3rd in my age group for women!!! Can you believe that?!? I could not and still can not. I had no plans to place and no idea I had until after I crossed the finish line. I was just trying to beat my personal best time. What a fun gift!!!

Roman ran the 1K Kids Fun Run. He was nervous at first, but then when he realized just how short the distance was…he was all about it. I’m so proud of him for wanting to do the run in the first place, for pushing through his nerves before the race, and for running his little heart out. Go, Roman!!!

Beach…

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We LOVED our week at the beach…swimming, hanging out, laying in the sun, reading, playing games, taking pictures, resting, going out to eat, kayaking in the bay, snorkeling, shopping for souvenirs, sitting on the deck, going out for ice cream, etc. Hopefully, we can go back next summer!!!

For more pictures, click on the “Cape San Blas 2019” page to the right.

Strawberry Picking…

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This is our 8th year to go strawberry picking at Valley Home Farm!!!

Despite Xander having a monumental meltdown over sunglasses he couldn’t find before we left and then finding them in the car only to forget to bring his shoes and Jonas hopping around on one foot (he hurt his toe yesterday playing football), we enjoyed it. By the end of our time strawberry picking, Jonas was wearing one flip flop, Xander was wearing my flip flops, and Roman had taken off his shirt and his hat and his flip flops…haha!

The best part was having a reverse lunch (eating dessert first)…Roman and I had homemade strawberry honey pops and Jonas and Xander had homemade strawberry ice cream…so delicious. We ate a picnic lunch on a blanket in the grass afterwards, got almost to the interstate and realized we forgot our basket of handpicked strawberries and drove all the way back to get them, and then I took the wrong exit and headed down the interstate the wrong direction for a while before I realized it. Ack!!! Oh well…because it was a long drive, the boys were watching a movie, and I was jamming out to some tunes anyway…so it all worked out. That’s one of my favorite things about summer break…we’re not in a hurry. Yay for a slower pace and yay for strawberry picking with my boys!!!

Stuffed Animal Hunt…

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My boys get so much enjoyment out of playing with their stuffed animals. This morning, Jonas and Roman loaded up the wagon with stuffed animal friends and went for a little walk around the neighborhood. When they got back, Jonas realized that one of his stuffed animals had fallen out of the wagon. So, of course, we had to pile up in the van and retrace their steps to look for it…no such luck…sooooooo…we decided to all set out on foot (complete with Petra and her sniffing-out abilities and Roman and his TaeKwonDo skills/rubber band gun). HaHa! Luckily, we found it (or him…his name is Connor). Yay for summer’s little adventures.

My Little Running Buddy…

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Roman loves running, which is exciting to me because I love it too!!! He’s joined me on a few runs over the past several weeks and has been a great little running buddy. Roman likes to alternate between walking and “turbo boosting” (sprinting). He asked me how I run the whole time, and I told him that I started out walking and running just like him. So, we decided to start a Couch to 5k plan together. We have so much fun with it…he loves to wear my running watch and water bottle and I carry my phone and listen out for the beeps on the app, prompting us to walk and run. I’m so grateful to be able to get outside and run with my precious little guy.

Super Reader…

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Jonas and I swung by the library this afternoon, and he picked out a huge stack of books. I sent this picture to Tom and he said, “That should get him through the weekend.” So true…he had already read five books by bedtime!!! And that is why both of his 4th grade teachers gave him the “Super Reader” classroom award.

Hammock Time…

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I got a hammock for my birthday last year…it’s been gracing the side of my garden since then. On Saturday, Jonas helped me carry it out to the front yard and put it under our tree that’s finally big enough to provide some substantial shade in the summer time. Xander and I laid in it for a while and looked for shapes in the clouds. Here’s to summer and enjoying hammock time!