Game On! It's Evan's 10th Birthday!

Evan turned the BIG 1-0!

I usually let the kids decide on a party or a road trip for their birthdays. Evan's choice is always a party. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it really wasn't an option this year. Evan decided to break the mold, and asked for a bunny for his birthday instead. This was a tall order considering none of the pet stores in our area had bunnies because of the pandemic, but I managed to find one through a Facebook sale page at the last minute.

Before the pandemic, Evan and I had been brainstorming party themes. Evan loves playing Minecraft, so we decided on it as the theme. In terms of cost, the bunny wasn't a tall order, so I decided to have a small celebration as well. I invited the grandmothers and Aunt Sara over for a Minecraft themed lunch. Evan knew about the birthday lunch, but he was surprised by the Minecraft set-up. If you know anything about me, you know I love a themed party!

We also surprised him with a yard sign. He loved it!

After lunch, Evan opened up presents. This one was a crowd pleaser. We found way too much enjoyment in watching the kids go after each other! These bumper balls lasted only a few days, but they were well worth the entertainment cost.

We really enjoyed our time together with the grandmothers and Aunt Sara! We had not seen my mother since quarantine began. The kids were used to seeing her every other weekend, so this small get together was good for all us. And, it made Evan's birthday all the more special. 

Happy Birthday, Evan! I hope you enjoyed your day. You have been such a blessing in our lives. I love how you always strive to do your best and your caring spirit. You make me so proud. I pray you will always lean on the Lord and let Him guide your path. Love you bunches!

Mentone {Spring Break 2020}

Do you remember how and when you found out that the world was shutting down?

I was at work when I heard the news of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Alabama. The kids were at school and set to be released from school for spring break that afternoon. By that afternoon, parents received the phone call that their kids would not be returning to school after the break. Over the weekend, my workplace had contacted me about our new work schedule in order to keep employees socially distanced. Did I mention that in the midst of all of this, my husband was in Ecuador on a missions trip?! We began to worry that he would be stuck in Ecuador for an indefinite amount of time. God was on our side though, as Chris and the missions team were able to book the very last flight back to the U.S. from Ecuador until the following July! ~ 3/22/2021

The kids and I planned a trip to Noccalula Falls Park in Gadsden to stay in a cabin for spring break while Chris was in Ecuador on his missions trip. In addition, the kids were set to compete in our JBQ State Semi-Finals at Camp Springville following our stay at the cabin. We were ready for a fun and competitive spring break. 

Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the JBQ competition was cancelled. In the meanwhile, Chris had made it home from Ecuador (Hallelujah!) and we were still planning our trip to Noccalula Falls. However, we received a call the day before our trip that the park was closing and our cabin stay was cancelled. It was understandable, but the kids were disappointed. I knew we could still plan a fun, socially distanced trip, so I booked an amazing secluded cabin in Mentone. If you remember my post about our camping trip at DeSoto State Park with the cousins, Mentone is in the same area.

Before checking into our cabin, we made a pitstop at Little River Canyon Falls.

We also hiked to Martha Falls and we actually made it to end of the trail this time.

We arrived at the cabin a little while later. The cabin was situated on a bluff that overlooked part of the Little River. The kids had so much fun hiking and exploring the area.

We hot tubbed and relaxed at the cabin for most of the next couple of days. We did, however, venture out to Desoto Falls one afternoon for a picnic lunch and to view the Falls. Here were a few of my captures.

A sweet lady offered to take this picture of the whole family.

On our way home, we decided to have a final picnic lunch at Brow Park. We stopped by Mentone Market, a favorite stop during our trip, and picked up some grub. While the mountain views were incredible, this probably wasn't the best idea. It was bitterly cold outside and mountain winds were blowing around our lunches.

I'm glad we were able to salvage our spring break. We enjoyed our socially distanced getaway. It was nice to have lazy days at the cabin and to get out in nature, something that has become a rarity with our busy schedules.

Camping at Monte Sano

This past weekend was our annual camping trip with the cousins. For this year's trip, we decided to camp at Monte Sano State Park near our cousins' hometown of Huntsville, Alabama.

When we arrived, the cousins had already set up camp and were waiting on us. The campground was in a great location, nestled on a mountaintop with breathtaking views of city. While Chris finished setting up our campsite, I took the opportunity to take some pictures of the kids.

They loved their hammocks!

We enjoyed our first night hanging around the campfire, grilling dinner, and watching some college football. Okay, so there may have been a little "glamping" involved, too. The dads did what they do best.

The next day, we hiked/got lost on trails.

It was nice to be out in nature while still having access to the city. We were able to shower at the cousins' house and we attended our first hockey game, Huntsville Havoc vs. Knoxville!

We returned to this view later that night.

The next morning, we made a campfire breakfast and tore down camp as we said our goodbyes.

 We drove to the scenic overlook to take a final picture of the kids. And, we just happened to bump into some NASA scientists who had set up telescopes to view Mercury passing in front of the sun. Oh you know, just the norm.

We had a good a time, as always. We love being able to enjoy the great outdoors and catch up with the cousins.