The boys and I went blueberry picking this morning at Golden Bell Farm. We ended up going a little later in the season, so most of the berries were a little tougher to find/get to than usual. BUT we still ended up picking almost 2 pounds collectively!!! Xander, even though he doesn’t look like he’s too into it in his picture, picked the most.
I’ve been feeling a little down and needed to pull out of my funk. So, I took the boys to Grand Ole Golf. I used to go put put golfing there with my mom when I was a little girl, and I knew they would love it as much as I used to. The weather was beautiful. Jonas, Xander, and I took score and Roman just played for the fun of it, which ended up working out really well for everybody. After we finished playing 18 holes, we took a break and ate the lunch we brought from home and re-grouped. For fun, I decided to let each boy choose one extra activity…Jonas (and I) chose go karts and Xander and Roman chose the arcade. This was Jonas’ first time driving a go kart on his own, and he did a great job…I was impressed! I had fun zipping around the track, trying to keep up with him. Xander and Roman, even though each ended up with differing amounts of tickets, were rewarded above and beyond by the sweet girl behind the counter (she even tossed in several things for Jonas). They were so excited. Afterwards, we stopped at Cotton and Snow for one big snow cone to share with multiple flavors…I picked snow cream, Jonas picked red velvet, Xander picked blue raspberry, and Roman picked sponge bob. Yummy! It ended up being a really fun, indulgent day that lifted all of our spirits.
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.
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.
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…
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!
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.
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!!!
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!!!
I took the boys to BounceU today, and they had a BLAST. They were SO sweaty by the time we left which is definitely the sign of good time.
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.
The boys painted pavers this afternoon to complete the pathway they’ve helped me create through the garden. I love their artwork!!!
Jonas’ creations…
Xander’s creations…
Roman’s creations…
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.
Jonas, Xander, and I spent a few hours at the Patterson Park Indoor Pool this morning. It was the perfect place to be during this heat wave. We went down the water slide, ate lunch in the sun, and played football in the water.
We celebrated Tom’s birthday tonight with dinner out and, of course, chocolate cake! After dinner, I snapped this picture of our three wild boys who make life so colorful…
A fun mom in our neighborhood coordinates the best thing to celebrate the end of the school year…the Bruster’s ice cream truck parking in one of our cul-de-sacs! The timing of it ends up to where the boys have dessert before lunch…but oh well. Afterwards, we loaded up and went to a friend’s house for what ended up being the biggest pool party we’ve ever been to…the boys and I all agreed that altogether it was the best kick off to summer that we’ve ever had.
Jonas and I were so excited to get to have lunch with MeMe after his kickball tournament today!!! We ate at Edley’s Barbecue in Nashville…it’s one of MeMe’s favorite spots, but we had never been. It was so good…especially the banana pudding…and even better to get to share it with MeMe.
Jonas had his end of the year celebration today…a 4th grade kickball tournament at Nolensville Park. His class won the first game AND the second game!!! There’s definitely a lot of competitive boy energy in his class…bless his teacher’s heart. HaHa! I loved being able to be there to watch him in action with his classmates. Here he is in the dugout and celebrating afterwards with a popsicle.
I enjoyed joining Jonas on his field trip to The Hermitage today. It was fun checking out all of the old-timey things and guessing/finding out what they were used for (nosegays, suitor’s candle, etc.) and touring Andrew Jackson’s beautiful home and gardens. The garden was my absolute favorite!!!
I loved being able to hang out with my boys on Field Day. In the morning, I volunteered at the first aid station. Roman came by every now and then to say hi and get a hug which was super sweet. In the afternoon, I was signed up to volunteer at the bounce house but they ended up not needing me, so I just hung out with Jonas and Xander. Jonas was having a blast with his friends. Xander was having a rough day with a new allergy medicine we were trying him out on which ended up making him super sad…to the point where he was not having fun and starting to cry on a day he would usually be ALL about. So, I snuggled with him on the field where we watched all of the goings on for a little bit…and then, I just took him home to have some special time with mommy. Sweet boy.
