The Weekly Review

As October nears an end, we're back to our typical level of busyness! We're just not seeing as many people as we typically do, and life does look a lot different than last year. My kids are still going to school in person, and participating in some activities, so that keeps us going!

This past week was filled with school, time spent outdoors, time spent with our quarantine circle, and cheerleading. Fall was in its full glory with beautiful colors and 80 degree days, and I LOVED it! Then it all came to an end on Saturday. The temperature dropped 30 degrees, Lily's cheerleading season came to an end, and the trees lost most of their leaves.

And here we are, in the last week of October! We jumped straight into Halloween week. I'm not overly bummed about the beauty of Fall coming to end, because it's officially the holiday season, and we're here for it! It might look a bit different than previous years, but we're excited to celebrate Haloween, Dylan's 16th Birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Eve!

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!

The Last Days of July

I can't believe July is over, and the first day of school is just weeks away! The pandemic might have put an end to all our usual fun Summer activities, but time isn't slowing down one bit. After 4 months of social distancing, we managed to cram some fun into the end of July!

During the last ten days of July, we spent a lot of time outdoors, celebrated a birthday, reinstated family hikes, and jumped back into a busy cheer schedule. With the exception of wearing a mask in public, life started to feel a bit more normal. It is such a welcome feeling!

July was a fun month! (It was definitely more exciting than the previous three months combined!) I shared the first half here, and here's how we spent the remainder of the month...

Back To School & Big Changes

Over the past 6 weeks, life has been a whirlwind. The back to school season is always incredibly busy, but it's even more chaotic with four kids in four different schools AND a baby. I attempted to stay current with blogging, but failed miserably, and that's okay. I needed a break, and my one week break turned into three!

Life is finally calming down (a bit), so I figured it was time to get back to writing. I have so many updates to share, so I figured I would put them all in one post before moving on. Life has been very busy for my big family, and I haven't really had a moment to breathe!

Here's life in a nutshell over the past 6 weeks:

• My kids went back to school, and there were big changes this year!
• Lily became a cheerleader, and gave up dance for tumbling. She loves it!
• Coen is growing at an alarming rate. This last first year with my last bonus baby is going entirely too quickly.
• It's Down syndrome awareness month, and I haven't shared a single post. I do have a big one coming up!
• I started working out again - REALLY working out, and I'm finally getting my pre-baby body back. I'm also getting back into photography, and have SO many pictures to share.
• My parents had some health scares. My dad had a mini stroke, and my mom had a seizure. They are doing well now, but it was scary and stressful. 
• Life with 5 kids is just busy. Really busy.

Keep reading, and I'll fill you in on life lately!

Amazon Finds July & August

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through, and make a purchase, I will earn a commission. Everything I recommend has been tested by me or my family!

It took me a while to fully embrace Amazon Prime, but now I buy as much as possible from them! If it saves me a trip to the store with five kids, it's worth it. Plus, I can pretty much find everything I'm looking for, order straight from the app on my phone, and get it within 1-3 days. That's a definite win!

July and August were full of birthdays in our immediate family, so lots of gifts were purchased. Grant turned 40, Lily turned 8, and Liam turned 6! We also started to shop for Fall clothing and back to school items. I got sucked into the Amazon Fashion hole for the first time ever, and never looked back!

My Amazon finds for the past two months include baby clothing, first day of school outfits, jewelry, fashion accessories, bags, toys, books, storage boxes, and electronics accessories. I'm sharing my honest thoughts on everything I bought! (Spoiler Alert - Most were hits!)