New Year’s Goals

New Year’s Resolutions. I just don’t make them anymore. Every year that I did, I felt like I was just setting myself up for failure. Instead, I choose goals. 

Goals are something to aim for. It’s okay if you mess up. It’s okay if you miss a day. It’s simply a learning process to reach those goals, and you can change or adapt as needed. 

Each New Year, I take a little bit of time to reevaluate my goals. I look back on the past year to see what worked, figure out what goals were reached, and decide which goals to keep, get rid of, or add. Because it’s the start of a new year, it’s a good time to make a new game plan for the year ahead! 

Ringing in 2023

Once upon a time, New Year’s Eve was a big celebration for us. I have never been a fan of New Year’s Eve, and we aren’t drinkers, so we shifted our focus. New Year’s Eve became a party with my big family, until everyone started doing their own thing. 

Soon after, a big New Year’s Eve party with friends became our thing. Over time, our group whittled away, families moved, and kids grew up. Finally, instead of going to a party, we became the hosts. It has been that way for several years now. 

I miss how it used to be, but as long as I’m with my immediate family and closest friends, I’m happy. I realize that our traditions will adapt and change over the years, so maybe one day, it will become a big celebration again! Nothing is forever. Maybe I will even start to love the holiday!

Completing Phase Three: The Final Pregnancy Chapter with a TWIST

My husband and I started our parenting years when we were young. While everyone else we knew was in college or starting their careers, we were buying a house and having a baby. Two years later, we added another child to our family. Grant said he wanted one, maybe two, kids, so we thought that was it for us.

4 1/2 years later, we changed our minds. Lily was born, and a few days after she turned two, Liam joined our family. At that point we started referring to our kids as Phase One and Phase Two. We always said there would NEVER be a Phase Three!

Well, we all know how that turned out! Coen was our BIG surprise, coming into our lives after we donated most of our baby items. We were done. Phase Three would just be Coen, and we would move forward on our parenting journey. It turns out this chapter in our lives hadn't ended just yet...

Myrtle Beach Pandemic Vacation - Day 4

Day 4 of our September 2020 Myrtle Beach Vacation looked a lot like the previous days! Slow mornings, lots of relaxing, and spending the day swimming and sitting on the beach. We are beach people, so those long days on the oceanfront suit us perfectly!

We have always gone to Myrtle Beach in August, so we are used to the hot Summer days. This was a rapidly planned vacation during the off season. We couldn't pass up an end of September trip for the ridiculously cheap price of $1200 for the week!

While we were at the beach, we were able to celebrate the first day of Fall. It was different being there when the weather was cooler, but we still enjoyed ourselves. It was warm during the day, and cool at night, so there were lots of hoodies involved! We all thought it was cool that we experienced two seasons on our beach vacation!

Myrtle Beach Pandemic Vacation - Day 3

 

Day 3 of our Myrtle Beach "Pandemic" Vacation was a relaxing one! Life is always GO GO GO for us at home, so we try to take it easy on vacation. In September, we took advantage of all the restrictions still in place, and just did our own thing at the beach. It ended up being one of our best beach vacations!

It was perfect, because we started each day slowly, spent our afternoons at the pool and the beach, ate dinner together as a family, took walks on the beach, and enjoyed late night swims. Although a few days were a bit more adventurous, day 3 was all about relaxing and just enjoying being at the beach. It truly is our happy place! 

I'm not quite sure what this month's vacation to the beach is going to be like, but we will definitely be adopting a few of those lazy days strategies. Slow mornings were new to us on this vacation, and we all agreed that it was exactly what we needed. Recapping this last trip from September is making us feel so excited for our upcoming family vacation!

Myrtle Beach Pandemic Vacation - Day 2

Our first full day at the Myrtle Beach was perfectly relaxing! We were just so thrilled to be back at our happy place, despite all the restrictions due to the pandemic. We weren't quite sure this trip was going to happen, and we were so grateful we were able to pull it together with just one month of planning!

Life is so busy with 5 kids, so when we go to the beach, we keep things low-key. We focus on simply relaxing, and spending uninterrupted time together as a family. We all love the beach, so just being there is enough for us!

Our trip involves slow mornings, hours spent at the beach and the pool, family dinners with the balcony doors open, evening strolls on the boardwalk, night walks on the beach, shell collecting, late night swims, sunrises, and relaxing on the balcony overlooking the beach. We try to plan one or two small outings or dinners, but we mostly love our beach days. Someday - someday - we will move there, or at least get a timeshare!

Big Family Life - What It's REALLY Like

 

I grew up in a big family. It wasn't a traditional big family - my mom had 4 kids, my dad had 3 kids, then they got married and had me. Technically, I have half siblings, but I prefer to drop the half, and just call them my siblings. I grew up in a family with 8 children, but because I was so much younger, I also got to experience life as an "only" child when I was a teenager. It definitely gave me a unique perspective!

I always wanted to have 4 kids, but didn't expect that to happen, so I am definitely surprised that we have more. I know we are considered a big family, but truthfully, it doesn't feel that way. When you grow up with 7 older siblings, a family with 5 kids doesn't seem THAT big. Where we live, however, our family is unusual. 2 or 3 kids is the norm here, and it's hard to find young families nearby with more than 3 children.

We get a lot of questions and comments about our family, in real life and online, so I figured I would give the inside scoop! If you are a long time reader, you were able to watch us go from a family with just two kids and no plans to have anymore to a family with five kids, including one who has Down syndrome. Yes, they are all ours, yes, they are spaced out in age, yes, we know how it happens, and yes, we LOVE our big family. So if you're wondering what big family life is really like, here goes...

Traveling During a Pandemic: Our Family Road Trip to Myrtle Beach

2020 was a year unlike any other. There was so much we couldn't do during the pandemic, including going on our usual Summer vacation to the beach. It turned out that we just needed to rethink our travel plans!

Like so many other families, we were being careful, and avoiding travel, especially to hotspots. As Summer neared an end, we decided we would look for a condo at a beach, since Fall isn't a peak time for beach travel. We knew we were going to have to wear masks, and we knew the weather was going to be cooler, but we just wanted to get away after the craziness of the year. 

We ended up finding a big condo in Myrtle Beach, for an INCREDIBLE deal, at the end of September. We immediately booked it, then invited my dad to join us. We had never taken anyone on our family vacation, and we had never gone during the school year, so we were excited to try something different! It ended up being a great vacation full of fun memories. We are officially less than a month away from our 2021 beach vacation, so I figured I would do a quick recap of our pandemic vacation before I start packing for our next trip!

A Few of My Favorite Things

Happy Monday! Can you believe we're already almost two weeks into July? Every year, time goes by more quickly! It has been a while since I shared a few of my favorite things, so I figured it was time to jump back in!

We are over one month into summer break, and thoroughly enjoying a more relaxed routine. Don't get me wrong - my kids still want driven everywhere, Liam had a week of summer school, Lily has tumbling, and Liam is taking swim lessons. BUT...we are staying up late and sleeping in most days, which is awesome after 9 months of really early wakeups, and constantly being on the go. Summer is DEFINITELY one of my favorite things!

Over the past few weeks, I discovered a few items to add to my rapidly growing list of favorite things. From apps to travel blankets to everything in between, I've got it covered! Here's what made my Love List in June...

Our Fun-Filled 4th of July Celebration

The 4th of July has been one of my favorite holidays for years. It never used to be that way, but my husband and his family converted me! Now I love it, and we are passing on all of our favorite 4th of July traditions to our kids!

This year, the 4th of July was almost perfect. We spent the day with family and friends, from start to finish. We kicked it off with the town parade, spent the afternoon and evening at a pool party/picnic with friends, watched fireworks with friends and family, then headed back to a friend's house to continue the fun! 

The only thing missing was Dylan. Having older teenagers is tough, but we eventually learned to compromise. Some holidays and events are non-negotiable, but we do understand that some things are more fun with friends. He just wanted to go to the parade and the fireworks with his best friends. We missed him, but talked to him at the end of the day! But other than that little downer, we had a great day!

A Dino-mite Jurassic Quest Drive Thru

When we found out the Jurassic Quest Drive Thru was in Pittsburgh, we knew we had to go! Our 2 year old, Coen, LOVES dinosaurs, and we had a feeling our older kids would enjoy it, too. So last Thursday, we piled into our SUV, and made the 45 minute drive to the Jurassic Quest location.

Jurassic Quest has over 100 animatronic, life size dinosaurs to experience. They do have an indoor event, where you can get up close and personal with the dinosaurs, which I know my kids would have loved. This time, however, it was a drive thru. 

Although I think the indoor event would have been a bit more interactive, the drive thru was still a fun experience. We drove through the Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Triassic periods, learning about each dinosaur or prehistoric creature along the way via the digital audio tour. Coen was mesmerized by all the 'saurs that he loves so much, and Liam was grinning the entire time. It was definitely a fun adventure my family will always remember!

Happy 14th Birthday, Alexandria Elizabeth!

On February 22nd, our sweet Lexie celebrated her 14th Birthday! I can't believe how fast she is growing up. (All of our kids are growing up too fast!) We shut down just a few weeks after her 13th birthday, and never got to have a party, and she had another pandemic birthday this year. We tried to make her day as "normal" and as fun as possible!

Her day was filled with our usual birthday traditions, a trip to Starbucks, lots of presents, dinner at a restaurant, and a mini party with my parents. She also got to skip school, too, which is a favorite tradition! It *almost* felt like an ordinary birthday!

We try to make birthdays extra special for our kids. Social distancing definitely got in the way of some of our traditions, but we made the most of it. Lexie was smiling all day, and said she had a great birthday! Here's how we celebrated her special day...

March 2021 Goals

Happy March! I can't believe we're already into the third month of 2021. The year is going smoothly so far, and I'm trying to live in the moment, and focus on my word of the year - Togetherness!

February was a really good month. We got a puppy, we celebrated Valentine's Day, and we celebrated Lexie's 14th Birthday. The month started off cold and snowy, then we eventually got a taste of Spring. I actually enjoyed Winter this year, but I'm officially ready for the longer days and warmer weather! 

Although I'm not obsessing over them, I am still going strong with my goals for the year. I set goals to find small ways to improve my life. Sometimes I realize my goals work, and sometimes changes need to be made. Overall,  I have learned to give myself grace when I inevitably fail at one of those goals, and just try again! Baby steps, my friends! 

Our New Favorite Birthday Tradition

Last year, Lexie and Coen's birthdays fell days before the pandemic made our world shut down. We were able to celebrate their birthdays, but had to put their birthday parties on hold. Lily had been hoping for a big birthday party with her friends, because she had never had a party with classmates due to having a Summer birthday, but as August 3rd approached, we knew it wasn't going to happen. She was so diappointed, so we decided to come up with a fun alternative!

On Lily's 9th birthday, our new favorite family birthday tradition began! We tackled our usual birthday traditions, then after Grant finished work for the day, we loaded into the car, dropped off our dog at my parent's house, and took the party to a hotel with a swimming pool. Thanks to lack of travel during the pandemic, we had the entire hotel to ourselves!

We had such a great time that we decided that it needs to be a permanent tradition! Once a year around Dylan's birthday, once between Lexie and Coen's birthdays (14 days apart), and once between Lily and Liam's birthdays (15 days apart). I thought it would be fitting to share our new favorite tradition on Lily's half birthday!

A Week In Mom Life - The First Week of 2021

The first week of January has passed, the Christmas season is officially over, and we have returned to reality! In one short week, we went from holiday break to back to work/school/remote learning. We ended this first week of January by finding out that the rest of our kids can join Liam in going to school in person again!

Life lately has been a bit tough, but we're taking it one day at a time. Lexie is dealing with a terrible loss right now, and we can't do anything but help her through it. Liam is going through a scary health issue, and will be having surgery next week. We're hoping it's just a glitch in his otherwise excellent health history, but we are nervous about him going under general anesthesia, the doctors cutting into his neck, and receiving the biopsy results. 

Luckily, the busyness of big family life keeps us from overthinking things - it's those quiet moments that get us down. We do have some exciting things coming up, though! We're REALLY looking forward to some good!

Deliciously Easy Cheesy Baked Spaghetti

Did you know it's National Spaghetti Day? I didn't even know it was a thing until it showed up on my calendar! My family LOVES spaghetti...heck, Liam eats gluten free spaghetti almost every morning for breakfast!

In honor of National Spaghetti Day, I wanted to share one of my favorite spaghetti recipes. It's easy to make, it can be customized in so many ways, and it only takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Although the recipe I'm sharing is vegetarian, you can add ground beef, turkey, or sausage, and you can make it gluten free by swapping out the regular spaghetti for a gluten free version.

My kids can be picky at times, but one thing I know they will always eat is spaghetti. They all love this cheesy baked spaghetti, and they don't even complain that there isn't any meat in it. When I can find something that everyone in my family will eat, I'm thankful!

Togetherness: The Word of The Year for 2021

Happy 2021! I'm not one to wish away time, but I do hope 2021 is an improvement over 2020. I'm realistic enough to know that change won't happen immediately, but I do hope we return to some sort of normal this year!

2020 wasn't an awful year. It was just different, and it had its good moments and bad moments. One of the best parts of 2020 was all the time we were able to spend together as a family. That is exactly what made me start thinking about togetherness for my word of the year. 

The holiday season was great, but 2020 did not end well. Lexie was with her best friend's family when they experienced a tragic loss. We spent the past week praying and crying, and we're absolutely heartbroken for their family. We are reminded that time spent with family and friends is a precious gift that should be treasured and made a priority. If this year taught me anything, it’s that loved ones are EVERYTHING, which is why togetherness became my word for 2021.

Dylan's Sweet Sixteen Pandemic Birthday

It seems like just yesterday that I was staring down at my firstborn child, who had just arrived in our lives, making us a family of three. I blinked, and sixteen years passed by. Now I'm staring UP at my son, and wondering when he slipped through my fingers and who, exactly, this young man is! I desperately tried to slow down time, but today, he celebrated his SIXTEENTH Birthday!

When I started this blog, Dylan was 3 and Lexie was 1. Now they are both teenagers, and we have three more children. Sometimes it's really hard to wrap my mind around that! It's even more difficult to accept the fact that my first two babies are not babies anymore, and are just a few years away from leaving home. That's the point of raising children, but I don't have to like it one bit!

2020 was a rough year for everyone. We try to make birthdays a big deal in our home, but this year we had 4 major milestone birthdays, and we weren't able to celebrate with parties. Sweet Sixteen is supposed to be a big deal, and we had big plans at the start of the year. Unfortunately, we weren't able to follow through with those big plans, but we made the day as special as we could for Dylan. It may not have been exactly what he expected, but he had a great 16th Birthday!

What We REALLY Want You To Know About Down Syndrome

Down Syndrome Awareness Month has come to an end. Most people are aware of Down syndrome, but the majority of people don't understand exactly what it is. So many people still view it as a tragedy or something to fear. What they can't allow themselves to see is that a person with Down syndrome does have differences - just like any other person - but they truly are like every other person on this planet...just with an extra chromosome!

I advocate for Liam and his peers through inclusion. I share about life with Down syndrome by simply sharing our family. Liam does what we do, goes where we go, and is very much an intricate part of our family unit and our community. Down syndrome is a part of him, just like his big blue eyes that are flecked with Brushfield spots or his joyful smile, but we refuse to let it define him.  

I spent the month of October advocating for Liam by sharing how he has impacted the lives of those around him. I have been advocating for over 7 years, but my ways have definitely changed. I used to share facts, but now I just let Liam and our experiences lead the way. I always share from my heart, so I will let Liam's siblings and grandparents tell you all about life with Down syndrome, before wrapping it up with a few things I really want you to know about Down syndrome.

Long Time No See

Hello, strangers! It has been a hot minute since the last time I really blogged about US. Back to school, a family vacation, a busy cheerleading schedule, a husband working from home, and juggling life and 5 kids takes up every single minute! 

I miss blogging so much, so I'm going to attempt to get back into it. I can't make promises anymore, though. This stage in our lives is just too busy right now, and my number one priority is spending time with my family, especially since my kids are growing up so fast. Guilt over not being able to put the time into writing has consumed me, but I refuse to let myself feel that way.

So here I am. I will write when I can. Sometimes I'll be able to blog more, while some weeks might be silent. I have so much to catch up on - Lily's birthday, Liam's birthday, our awesome beach vacation - as well as some new topics I want to tackle. For now, here's a look at life lately...kind of a reintroduction since we're pretty much strangers now!