Halloween 2019

Every Halloween I have high hopes of an amazing family costume. Then it sneaks up on me and after outfitting the kids all my time and energy has been expended. The day after I scroll through social media and see so many creative ideas that I vow to pull it off next year. That cycle repeated itself for six years.

In 2019 we finally made it happen.

We swung by the Spirit Halloween store after realizing we've had every boy costume Costco sells. When we were shopping around Owen found a ninja costume and decided that's what he wanted to be. Then he saw a matching costume in Hazel's size and loved the idea of them dressing up together. He then suggested we find one in Wes' size. Wes was SO excited that Owen wanted him to match and excitedly proclaimed- "Owen wants me to be a ninja, too!" With three ninjas it didn't take much for Ty and I to find costumes and get in on that.

We did the Halloween festival and the clubhouse and hit the hood on Halloween night. Treats were abundant and Hazel fell asleep with candy tucked under her chin.

Chelanigans 2019

We spent a week in Chelan this July and stayed at Campbell's Resort. It was our first true hotel vacation (without a separate baby sleeping space or kitchen) since we've had Hazel and it actually went really well. We enjoyed being in downtown Chelan, the perfect swimming arrangements, a day at Slidewaters, and time away to be together. Vacations get easier every year and making these family memories means everything.

Summering 2019

Now that we are officially an elementary school family, time passes in related increments—nine months of school followed by three months of summer. Every changing of the season gives us reason to stop and reflect: the first day of school, the last day of school, the start of summer, the end of summer.

This is the first year where summer has felt significant for a couple of reasons. Pre-kindergarten, I had all the kids with me all the time, so outside of the warm weather, our routine didn't feel much different. Now I only have a few months with all three of my babies under the same roof. Furthermore, I found that during the school year I didn't plan quite as many mini adventures with Wes and Hazel. I knew that Owen would be upset if he was left out, and we had so many structured morning activities that there wasn't much space for spontaneous outings. With these two epiphanies, I was determined to make the most of the unstructured sunny days. I put together a bucket list and we spent the summer checking things off. Hazel is old enough that it feels fun and relatively easy to venture out, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well the kids played together at home. As much as I love the break that comes with dropping Owen off for six glorious hours, it's special to know that I love having him home just as much.

The first year of Hazel's life was hard. Her second has felt much more manageable. This summer we're coming alive. With fewer nap schedule constraints and more independent kids, it feels like we're on the brink of a new chapter in our family history. We've checked almost everything off that bucket list and I've genuinely enjoyed my time with them. As things wind down, we are feeling ready for fall. I'm equally grateful for the adventures and time together as a family that summer has provided and for the routine that comes with back to school.