Closing Out June

Hey There!

I can't believe we are closing out June! I swear it was yesterday when I was putting together Rian's birthday festivities. We've been super busy around here. Let's recap, shall we...

Myself, Rory and Rian got much needed haircuts. Rian's was in despite need because she and her dad have chunked her hair trying to get out knots or maybe a tangled hairbrush, so it needed to be evened out. 

 Going...

Going...

Gone! To be honest though, I went back and evened out the right side some more after this was taken. You're not leaning, she was while I was cutting her hair... ay Rian!

We've been really focused on having a healthier lifestyle now that quarantine is officially over here in Vegas. I found this imagine online and it really helps the kids with picking out their lunches and snacks. It's a great visual aid that I have on the refrigerator for them. 


Along with making healthier food choices, we've been working really hard at our Saturday training sessions with my friend Vicki. Those "End of Workout Challenges" are tough... 

But so far I'm tougher... hahaha. The current score is me: 2, with Rory and Rian with goose eggs. 

And man has the desert really started to heat up. It's way to early for 118 degrees...

However, this I can do. I love a good desert monsoon. The warm air and smell is the best! If you know, you know.

I spent this month studying and completing an ethics class for work. And I'm proud to say that I passed. Not really sure how, but I did. Dang it was brutal. I had 18 seconds, yes seconds, on the timer when I submitted my exam for grading. Talk about cutting it close! That's a little too close if you ask me.

And just as soon as I completed my exam, I got a call from the kids's school that Rian fell off the monkey bars. She's fine thank goodness. Luckily just a scrapped chin and a cut up mouth, but getting the call from the school definitely triggered some PTSD with me from when Rory injured his eye at school a few years ago.

And speaking of school, the kids finished summer camp at school. The district offered camp for the month of June to help with providing a space for kids to continue to connect with their schoolmates after being in distance learning for so long. I know their school isn't perfect, and if, I said if, I was asked on how they could improve, I would be able to rattle off about a handful of items off the top of my head that could use improvement. However, they really do the very best at helping the students and have the best teachers. Like I mentioned in my previous post about this past school year, Rory and Rian had the best teachers and support system this past year. I will always be grateful for this school and staff!




The kids worked on STEM activities...

did crafts...

had a talent show, which Rian technically did not participate in. She said she was on stage because her friend was too scared to go up there by herself. Way to be a great friend Rian!

They had balloon toss competitions each Friday, which by the way, I was told by Rian's teacher that "she nailed Rory with a balloon!"

Nothing makes me happier than to see these two together. I'm not sure if they're rebelling together, but that's not the point... But if they are, they're doing it together!


And with that, we're following their lead a walking away from June 2021! July, we're coming for ya!

Thanks for stopping by!

xo

-aMie

Happy 8th Birthday Rian

Hey! Well my little mini me turned 8 earlier this month! Eight years with this spunky, free-spirited, independent, loving, beautiful girl.






So since she only had a hint of a birthday party last year, she had a little extra this year. Rian had been asking for a murder mystery party and I immediately thought of Escapology. But once it came time to choose a game, she decided on Who Stole the Mona Lisa? The vibe there was Steam Punk and super cool. If you don't know Rian very well, she has an older sense of taste. So she was very excited with Escapology. 

So they don't allow any photos or video beyond this point. ^^^ Hence the death stare.

Well we did our best, but we did not solve the game before our time was over. And let me tell you that having to work together was, ummmmm, challenging, at times.

Once we were done with Escapology, we headed next door to meet up with Rian's friends to keep the celebration going...


Let the bowling party begin...




















I have to make a note of this... I have never ordered the perfect amount of cake. I always order way too much and get stuck eating cake for a week. Ok, let's be real, I really don't mind leftover cake. But I was so proud of myself this year.
















We had a blast celebrating Rian. She has a great group of girlfriends that just added to the fun! Thank you so much to her friends for joining us and for her gifts!!! 

And thanks to you all for stopping by! And should I say I'm all caught up on the blog! Yay!!!

xoxo

-aMie

Our California Adventures

Hey! Well we are officially on summer break! And as soon as school ended we all needed to get out of town. However, our original plans for this road trip were postponed due to covid (not any of us), but that didn't stop us. And besides, I had been itching to drive my new car for longer stretches then just around town. So I loaded us all up into the car and we headed west. We were moving along when we hit like a massive wall of traffic on the Cajon Pass that extend the trip by an hour and a half. So let me tell you when we finally got moving again, I was ecstatic!


So the baby shower was not happening... no biggie, we've been making lemonade out of lemons for months. We just adjusted and spent some quality family time at my aunt and uncle's. The kids wasted no time in jumping in the pool. At least this time it was by choice and not by being booty-bumped in... hahaha! 


And I'm not sure if I've made this clear before, but my family takes games very seriously. Jenga being one of those, along with Rummy and Mexican Train, and well anything else that's competitive. (Side note: I can remember a mean game of croquet getting playfully heated at my grandparents's house when I was about Rian's age. I'm just sayin'...)

And just in case you were wondering, this did not end well with someone crying and someone doing a victory dance. It's all fun and games until someone losses.








Hey there! 


You know it's going good when a giant bottle of liquor comes out... Cheers!


Someone had way too much fun the night before. Well is that actually a thing? Too much fun? Nah, you can never have too much fun. We all had a great time. Besides my parents, we haven't seen anyone since my Nana's services back in November 2019.


So in a weird deja vu, we got stuck in identical traffic coming home, same length of time, same distance from home. Although look at that beautiful desert sky! Insert heart eyes

***Insert Rian's birthday celebration week here. More on that to come***

After a rotation or two of laundry and repacking suitcases and the car, we were off again to Cali. This time to celebrate the upcoming new addition to the family!!!


Dinner conversations with your cousins. I have no idea what they were talking about, so I'm gonna take a guess it went a little something like this:

Rory: Seriously this is the biggest Doritos Cool Ranch chip I've ever seen...


Let me show you...


See how small this one is compared to this one...


Clyde: Ok, yeah I can see it. Maybe if I get a bag of Doritos Cool Ranch chips I'll find a giant chip too?!?


Clement: Sorry Clyde I took the last bag!


And to wrap up Rian week-long birthday celebration... another birthday cake, another birthday wish to make.


Rian recently started playing volleyball on a team and she asked to watch the championship between the SC and UCLA girls.


It was close, but UCLA won!


I didn't realize there was a morning meeting going on... hahaha




And we're off to celebrate Emily and this year's rookie that will be added to the cousin line-up.

Last year's rookie has been promoted! Little Junebug was born during the pandemic and this was the first time we met her.


Some of the girls... missing a few




And lucky for us, the boys made us extra homemade pizza! It was so good!


And how could I not include this cute little monster?!?


And with that, our weekend filled with festive family fun had come to an end. I missed these people so much and I enjoyed every minute soaking it all up. 

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

-aMie