Virginia Beach: The Final Recap

It's hard to believe the final Virginia Beach recap I'm posting took place almost a year ago to date. I didn't intend for that to happen, but life got in the way of blogging about vacation. I wanted to finish it before this year's vacation, and I hope to be more timely with that recap!

Speaking of this year's vacation, as this post goes live, we will be preparing for our trip to the beach! We're leaving very early Saturday morning, which also happens to be Liam's 5th Birthday. Spending 12+ hours in the car isn't exactly the best way to spend a birthday, but he will be spending the evening of his birthday on the beach! (Hopefully that will make up for it.) We're all looking forward to spending a fun, relaxing week together at the beach!

For now, let's go back to almost exactly one year ago today...it was day seven of our Virginia Beach vacation, and it was Liam's 4th Birthday...

Life Lately

I'm back! The past three weeks have been rough. Liam got sick on July 24th, and it took him over a week to bounce back, then I caught his germs. I haven't been that sick in many years. I literally stayed home for almost an entire week, and couldn't leave my bed or the couch. I'm still not 100%, but it's a huge improvement from last week!

Needless to say, I won't be posting a weekly recap this week. If I did, it would look something like this: Monday sick, Tuesday sick but had to run a few errands, Wednesday sick, Thursday sick, Friday sick but starting to feel better, Saturday and Sunday weak and exhausted. I only pulled out my camera once the entire week, and I didn't get anything done! Lily spent this past weekend at my parent's house, Dylan had a friend sleep over on Saturday night and he spent all day Sunday with us, and Lexie went to her friend's house on Sunday. I feel like the past three weeks of Summer passed by in a blur while Liam and I were sick!

We hit the ground running today (Monday)! Liam has his last three days of preschool this week, and we have so much to do to prepare for our upcoming beach vacation. I also have to get back to work, and catch up on some sponsored posts that had to be pushed aside while I was so sick. I have so much unfinished content in my drafts folder, but right now I only have the brainpower to focus on real life posts! I'll get back to focusing on content after I get back from vacation and the kids go back to school. So for now, let's chat...

Family Fun at Virginia Beach {Day Six}

We are less than two weeks away from our next family vacation, and I have yet to finish recapping our last trip. I took so many pictures during the last three days in Virginia Beach that I have to break it into two posts, but I'm determined to finish the recap over the next week! Although I do want to share our family trip, it was honestly very low on my list of priorities over the past year!

We absolutely love Virginia Beach, and have gone there the past few years, but we opted for a different beach this year. We're excited, but looking back at all the fun pictures makes me regret that just a bit! If only we could plan TWO beach vacations each Summer...or just move to the beach!

The Mom Life Chronicles

The past few weeks of Summer have been a blur. After taking care of a sick Liam for two weeks, I ended up catching his germs. Although I didn't get nearly as sick as he did, the sore throat is brutal, and I'm now on day four of feeling miserable. That makes mom life a bit tough! Here's hoping the germs leave our house soon, and nobody else gets sick!!!

Here's a glimpse at mom life over the past week...

Lily's 7th Birthday

Lily celebrated her 7th Birthday on Friday! I remember the day she was born so vividly. It doesn't seem all that long ago, so it's hard to believe my baby girl is now 7 years old!

Lily had a great birthday, and we spent the entire day celebrating! She kicked it off with a room filled with balloons, and it ended with a tent full of kids. Every moment was special, and I have no doubt she's going to remember her 7th birthday fondly!

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!!! If you read my post on Tuesday, you know we're recovering from a tough two weeks. The good news is Liam is on the mend, he's done taking steroids (YAY!!!), and today is Lily's 7th Birthday! We have a LOT to celebrate! 

I'm keeping this week's Friday Favorites short and sweet, and sharing 5 awesome things that we are currently loving!

When Sickness Strikes...

The picture above sums up the past week of my life! Taking care of Liam, who ended up getting REALLY sick over the weekend, and preparing for a meeting to discuss inclusion with the school district took up all of my time. Everything else got pushed aside...no blogging, no photography, no sponsored work, no summer fun...and rightfully so. The needs of my family always come first!

Some of you might have seen all the "excitement" unfold on Instagram or Facebook, but if not, I'll sum it up. Liam managed to go 8 months without getting sick a single time, but made up for it in one short week. He got a low fever on Tuesday and it came and went throughout the week. It was odd, because he rarely gets a fever, but he didn't have any other symptoms...and then those Chickenpox popped up! Just like his big brother, he ended up getting a mild version of the virus even though he was vaccinated. Then, on Saturday, he went into respiratory distress, and ended up in the ER. It was truly one of the most terrifying experiences I've ever had with one of my kids!

Here's how the week progressed from a simple fever to an overnight stay in the ER...

What's Up Wednesday - Life Lately in July

There are only 6 more days left in July, and the first day of school is exactly 5 weeks away. Summer is passing by so quickly, and I feel it slipping from my fingers. The next time I share a What's Up Wednesday, it's going to be the first day of school, and I will most likely be a worried, sobbing mess, because it will be Liam's first day of Kindergarten! 

Before I focus too much on what's to come, here's what we have been eating, watching, reading, wearing, listening to, and loving...

Summer with The Chaos Crew

We returned to our ridiculously busy schedule this past week. I went back to leaving the house every single day - often multiple times - but we packed a lot of fun into the past seven days! Life in the Summer is always entertaining and full of chaos!

As we approach the end of July, Summer just seems to be speeding up. I can't believe it's going to be August next week. August is full of birthdays, reunions, parties, our family vacation, and the first day of school. It's going to be fun, but I know it's going to fly by as quickly as June and July did. What I wouldn't give to press the pause button!

Here's what life is like with the Chaos Crew (AKA 4 kids who keep me on my toes)...

Down For Adventure in Pittsburgh with Just Ducky Tours

I partnered with Just Ducky Tours for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

As often as I say that I want to move to the beach, I do realize that Pittsburgh is a wonderful place to raise children, and that we're lucky to live so close to the city! Pittsburgh has some of the best universities, hospitals, doctors, museums, and professional sports teams, and has an amazing cultural district that appeals to any lover of the performing arts.  Pittsburgh ranks as one of the most livable cities in the United States, one of the best places to raise a family, and one of the best cities to visit. (I can also attest to the fact that it's a great place for a child who has Down syndrome!)

There are so many fun family-friendly activities in Pittsburgh, and my own family loves to spend the day in the city! It's just a short drive south from the suburbs, and there's no denying that Pittsburgh is a  beautiful place to visit. No matter how many times I experience it, my breath still catches every time the first bridge and skyscraper come into view as we approach the city.

On Monday, we decided to have a staycation day, and tour our city! We did it the way every Pittsburgh tourist should...with a Just Ducky Tour. We quack quack quacked our way through the city, and directly into the river without changing vehicles, learning fun facts about Pittsburgh along the way! (If you're wondering how that's even possible, read on!)