The boys and I drove out to Cheekwood to see the Lego Exhibit today. It was awesome!!! Afterwards, we enjoyed a picnic under a shady tree. Look how big they’re getting!!!
Front Seat…
It was a big day today for mother AND son…look who’s riding in the front seat now!!!
Movie…
I took the boys to see a movie today…we were pretty much the only ones there! They love to bring their blankets and stuffed animals and enjoy their homemade treat bags with popcorn and fruit gummies. (I can’t even believe how comfortable movie theater seats are nowadays…I’m surprised I didn’t take an afternoon nap!)
Old Lady Glasses…
Well, I turned 45 today. To commemorate the occasion, Jonas made me a pair of “OLGs” (“Old Lady Glasses”)…
Tom surprised me with a Sunday brunch at my favorite restaurant in Nolensville with two of my favorite people. Here I am on the porch at Birdie’s with Laura and Sandi. So grateful.
Creek Stomping…
Tom and I love going creek stomping with the boys in Mill Creek. There are a few different access points that we like to frequent…one near downtown Nolensville and one off of the trail that runs from NES to MCMS/NHS. Xander caught a crawdad!
Art Camp…
We usually try to keep things pretty simple with the boys, schedule-wise, during the year…i.e. they each only do one extra curricular activity. This summer, though, I wanted to tap into their creative sides with creative classes and lessons. Jonas and Xander love art and are both really good artists. So, I signed them up for a week long art camp (pottery) with Nashville Children’s Art Classes. They enjoyed it! Here’s Jonas with his melting snowman pot and Xander with his upside down hat that doubles as a banana bowl pot.
Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center Pool…
The boys and I went to the Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center pool today. It’s pretty fun with water slides, a lazy river, and a climbing wall.
Lake Trip…
We spent the week at Lake Anna, VA with Grandma and Grandpa Seyfried, the (Northern) Seyfrieds, the Longs, and the Paccassis.
For more pictures, click on the “Lake Anna 2021” picture page to the right.
To the Lake…
We’re heading to Lake Anna, VA this week to spend the week with Grandma and Grandpa Seyfried, the (Northern) Seyfrieds, the Longs, and the Paccassis. On the way, we stopped off at The Caverns at Natural Bridge. We’d never been to anything like that with the boys before, so it was super cool to explore together.
We spent the night at a hotel and stopped off at Virginia Military Institute where John Paccassi is a cadet in school. One of his good friends was there and gave us a tour, and we took him to lunch (the perfect thank you for a college student). Check out The Palms, if you’re ever in Lexington, VA…delicious!
Loved this beautiful mountain view…
Defy…
The boys love going to Defy…I love it too because it wears them out so much…haha. I try to take pictures of them, but it’s tough to take ones that aren’t blurry because they’re in constant motion.
4th of July Parade…
One of the things we love about our neighborhood is the annual 4th of July parade…complete with a fire truck blaring patriotic music, everyone/everything decked out in red/white/blue (including bicycles, strollers, and dogs), and popsicles. This year, Roman got to enjoy it with his best friend, Owen.
Childhood Friends…
Here’s a picture of Jonas and three of his friends (Henry, Ethan, and Bryant)…they were all in the same 1st grade class together. Now, they’re all headed into the 7th grade. Oh my heart.
Happy Birthday, Xander…
Xander celebrated his 11th birthday a day early with his two best friends, Jeremy and David. Tom took them to Urban Air, we ate dinner (waffles, maple sausage, and fruit at Xander’s request), they swam and jumped on the trampoline in our backyard, they played Exploding Kittens (such a fun game), Xander opened presents and we ate dessert (apple pie and ice cream at Xander’s request), they settled down to watch Gravity Falls, and they built with Legos and laughed a lot before bed.
Braces…
My baby got braces today!!!
Lemonade Stand…
Roman had a lemonade stand today to raise money for a Nintendo Switch. He spent a good bit of the morning/early afternoon making lemonade, pink lemonade, brownies, oatmeal raisin cookies, and snickerdoodles with me. He had a good crowd and even served two officers from the Nolensville Police Department (he gave them a discount).
Nash Family Creamery…
I took the boys out to the Nash Family Creamery today, a dairy farm in Chapel Hill. On the tour, we visited with the calves (one of them kept trying to nurse Jonas’ finger) and checked out the milking parlor. Afterwards, we stopped in to the creamery to buy some ice cream to enjoy with our lunches under the pavilion out in the fields.
615 Day of Service…
Our church coordinated a day of service for middle schoolers today. I chaperoned and really enjoyed my time with my group of boys (Jonas, Xander, Spencer, and Braden). It worked out great because the boys were so like-minded and close in age (three rising 6th graders and one rising 7th grader).
We started out at St. Philip Catholic Church where we listened to music and a talk by PJ Anderson in the fellowship hall and attended daily mass in the church. We were supposed to clear brush from the property of the new catholic church in Nolensville, but someone had already done that. So, we loaded up and followed three other groups out to Columbia to the 431 Ministries farm, where we helped build a retaining wall around their new office for about 15 minutes.
Jonas had a hard time not chasing the chickens the entire time, so even though it ended up being a lot more driving, I was somewhat relieved (if a little frustrated) when the youth leader asked me if I could take the boys out to Catholic Charities in North Nashville to help out there instead. So, we loaded back up into the van, the boys ate their lunch and cracked jokes, and we arrived at our destination about 45 minutes later. We ended up filling 60 bags for the elderly leaving rehab…it was the perfect job for the boys (and for me). I was so proud of their willingness and their ability to work together to get the job done.
Afterwards, we stopped at a playground, so I could eat lunch. Then, we headed back to Franklin to Baskin Robbins for some ice cream and on to Pinkerton Park for some hang/play time with the rest of the group. It was really fun and really exhausting for everyone all at the same time. I’m so thankful for this opportunity that the boys (and I) had to serve, learn, and grow.
Beach…
We LOVED our beach trip to Cape San Blas, Florida. We hung out on the beach, swam in the pool, read books, watched shows, played board games, went out for lunch and ice cream, checked out a shipwreck on the beach, sat on the porch, went to the state park, and enjoyed relaxing.
For more pictures, click on the “Cape San Blas 2021” page to the right.
Patterson Park Indoor Pool…
The boys and I love the Patterson Park Indoor Pool and were so excited to get back to it, as it’s been closed for a almost a year and a half due to COVID. Roman was especially excited that he was finally tall enough to go down the water slide!!!
Strawberry Picking…
Tom and the boys and I went out to Burns Farms this morning to do some strawberry picking. It was cold and blustery, but we made quick work of it and came home with a bag full of delicious strawberries.
