We had such a great month.  Although everything is strange and unlike anything we have ever dealt with, it was a great month.

We spent so much of it outside.  We have always loved being outside (usually in the pool which we have done ZERO times this year) and we have discovered that we love hiking.

Wheeler Wildlife Refuge

They had educator day at Burritt on the Mountain and we went.  We both have our educator cards from Co-op.  We used to go often when Keilee was younger but it’s been awhile.  And we didn’t’ even know they had trails! We also hiked at Monte Santo which was great.

Then we went to a new place.  That didn’t turn out to be very good (no shade and not very well maintained trails) but we went to one of favorite parks that was about 30 minutes away and had a great day.

We are still enjoying our Botanical Gardens pass.  We had one a few years ago but didn’t go much. Of course the world looks different now.

One of our favorite places within the garden.

Rails to Trails  We did the Elkmont section.  And enjoyed it so much.

Cook Museum of Nature Science opened back and they got a SEA TURTLE.  We were able to finally meet Kale!

We actually did 2 hikes on this outing. The 2nd was by far our favorite. We have been to Green Mountain but it has been years!

Happiness is a Keilee who sees several deer.

She was so excited. Like giddy. And the rest of the day was fun too. Hiking, picnics, boat wishing and a run in with a park ranger with an attitude. (Well that part wasn’t fun). Joe Wheeler State Park.

I did a thing!

I am always about a month or so behind in these updates. But I want to do them. I want to be able to look back (besides on Facebook or Instagram) and see what we did during these weird times. And for you Carrie. 😉

We have done a lot of hiking and just being outdoors. We’ve always spent enormous time outside but lately we’ve been trying to find actual hiking places.

We spent the  4th of July home. We grilled out and our neighbors had beautiful fireworks.

Our first outing in July was to Isom’s Orchards. We saw beautiful peach trees, sunflowers, and took a strange ride in the back of a cart to the orchards.

Sunflowers!

Keilee also celebrated her 4th year as owner of Magical Memories! Looking through pictures she has continued to try to up her game all the time.  Especially trying to navigate this time.  And of course we had to do a photo shoot!

Sportsman’s Lake is a go to place for us.  It’s about 40 minutes away and is beautiful and peaceful. It also has camping area. Our dream is to get a van and turn it into a travel van for camping. So if anyone has one of those let me know.

We also painted our front door. We have been wanting to do this forever. And it took less than an hour and costs less than $10!!

We went back to Sportsman for a picnic and to spend time with killer ducks.

We have several murals planned for our town.  We are so excited because we love murals!

Our sweet friend Heather sent us a drive that she does and we decided to do it.  It is almost completely gravel roads but we loved it so much.  It runs right alongside the Tennesse River!

Keilee gets sent things all.the.time.  This lovely retro company sent her this dress and she did it as a Tinkerbell look.

We went to a very small nearby town that my Daddy suggested.  We found an old cemetery and spent some time there.

We go a lot. But we usually spend at least 3-4 days at the pool and it didn’t open this year.  The only thing we ever pay for is gas. We bring out lunch.  And we have discovered some beautiful places.  August has been filled with more of the same.

Being in nature soothes my soul.

Karen ~the hiker 😉

Things are still moving slowly, except for time and it is speeding by.

We are trying to find things to do outside. We feel safer outside.

We decided to get a yearly membership to the Botanical Gardens.  It is a beautiful place and it wasn’t very expensive.

Our local park is gorgeous in the spring/summer.

We went to Clarkson Covered Bridge one morning. We both love covered bridges.  The last picture is in the downtown area of a nearby town.

We also went to a Lavender Farm to pick Lavender. It was so beautiful and smelled so good!

We discovered an outdoor obstacle course and park and went with friends.  It is so close to us and we didn’t know it existed!

Our church had a socially distant chalk out for the kids.  It was so great to see everyone!

We also visited The Jesse Owens Memorial.  We had been when Keilee was younger but its bigger and better now!

Now it’s almost halfway through July.  Our city just passed a mask ordinance (of course we have worn masks all along) And of course EVERYBODY has an opinion)

I’m not sure when the world will feel normal again. But we are chugging along.

Stay safe everyone,

Karen

What can I say about the last two months? The world went from normal to insane seemingly overnight. We heard rumblings of COVID-19 but they were halfway around the world. In March the rumblings grew stronger. March 13, 2020 was the last time Keilee did a normal party or event. The next day she woke up with 103° fever. She had to cancel her first ever party.  She spent the next week coughing her head off.  Wracking coughs that would not stop.  Her fever went down but she kept a low grade fever.  Then I started the coughing. I didn’t have fever but I thought I would cough a lung up.  Was it Covid-19? There were no reported cases here at the time but who knows.

The last 70 something days have been so surreal.  We have stayed in.  We have used grocery store pick up. We haven’t gone in a store except for 3 times. Twice into Dollar General and once in CVS for my Daddy.

Keilee had to completely stop doing parties of course. She has made to transition to all virtual.  She has been slammed with video calls and personalized videos.

We wear our masks every time we are out anywhere. (Not in the car obviously)  I don’t understand all the uproar about masks. They are recommended. They help. Wear the damn  mask.

We have gone on a lot of car rides. And seen some beautiful things.

I love Wisteria.

Spring flowers.

We’ve eaten dinner on the patio a few times.

We bought a small pool to lay out in because Point Mallard isn’t opening.  Which makes us sad but we agree with that decision.

We  visit Daddy but stay 10′ away. He is older with COPD and he would die if he got sick.

Our country breaks my heart. Other countries banded together, our tore apart. There is so much more I could say about it all. But I won’t.

Keilee  did go to 2 nursing homes and walk around outside waving to residents. It was our favorite thing during all of this.

Keilee has her business completely virtual over this time.  She has had free story times each Friday and also done tons of video messages and Zoom parties.

Story Time Fridays for 12 weeks

 

New normal.  I’m not sure how long this will last but here we are.

Karen

­Mardi Gras is always a favorite time.

Do you celebrate Mardi Gras? I think it’s a very southern thing. We love Mardi Gras and it’s a month long event in our town.

Cake Shake 2020

This is basically ALL YOU CAN EAT cake!!  FREE.  Also with a cool band.  It’s one of our favorite events.

CAKE!

This was ONE table.  There were MANY tables.

Lydia Brittan & The Royal Family,

Children’s Parade 2020

The kids were so excited. We thought this little girl was going to hyperventilate! I wish I  had a video.

Nightime Parade 2020

Picture by: Freedom Light Productions

Keilee

Our church had a Mardi Gras parade for the kids on Fat Tuesday.

Getting ready for the parade.

Laissez les bons temps rouler (Let the Good times roll)

Karen

We are so lucky to have the Space and Rocket Center so close.  We  have actually never bought a yearly pass but have been dozens and dozens of times.

On homeschool trips, on educator days and when Keilee was filming Space Warriors we were there almost every day for weeks.

Last Monday it was Educator Day and since we both teach at Co-op we got in free.  A friend was back in town and went with us.

It was bitter cold so we froze walking from building to building but it was a great day!

This is the same spot that the actors from the Lego Movie 2 stood in this picture. Of course they could get rid of all the tourists and they got cool space camp uniforms. 😉

Keilee likes space but has never been obsessed by it.  Here the school kids all go to Space Camp in the 5th grade.  Homeschoolers can go but it’s really expensive so she didn’t go.  She did take an Aviation class here that she really loved.  She also got to be in the first group to test their Mission to Mars training simulator.

A great but cold day!

Karen

20
Every year I write a post about her birthday. This year she is 20. No longer a teen. How in the world is that possible?
2 decades she had been on this earth. And blessed my life every single day.

She is fierce and opinionated. She feels deeply but expresses it in quiet ways. Unless she’s mad. Or at home. She hates injustice. She hates that people marginalize others. She’s smart and analytical. She’s sees the whole picture. She believes she can accomplish anything. She is fascinated with understanding what makes people tick. She is one of the wisest souls I’ve ever met. Much wiser than her age. She rarely gets overwhelmed by things. She suffers fools zero percent.

She is a child and dog whisperer. She doesn’t love quickly or easily but when she does it is a beautiful thing. She loves giving her time and talents to others. Especially children.

She has big plans. Plans that would overwhelm most people her age (or even older)but she has no doubt they will happen. She loves Jesus but asks hard questions. She leads easily and confidently. She wants to make a difference in children’s lives. And she does. In ways she’s not even aware of.

She made me a Mother and at times I miss her little girl self horribly but I love so much who she has become.

Happy birthday my beautiful child. You are exquisite and I hope you always know how much your Momma loves you. And how you delight me every single day.
May this next decade be simply amazing filled with new experiences and beauty.

And may you always remember, “You are the Storm”.

Breakfast at IHOP as we have done every year since she was 3.

Always with a sundae! And they sing Happy Birthday.

Afterwards we went to see Little Women. Which we both LOVED so much.  Keilee played Amy when she was 12 and it’s still one of her favorite roles of all time.

Pictures of her from 10-19.  How quickly a decade passes.

Happy birthday Keilee.  I hope your next decade is as amazing (or more so) that the last one.

I love you,
Momma

As December winds down I sit and reflect on this month.

It’s been an insanely busy month.

Frozen 2 came out the end of November and she has been all the Elsa’s all the time.

And it SNOWED!!!  In December! In Alabama

During December she was Elsa 16 times (at 7 schools, the library, a bookstore, the Christmas parade, Shop With A Cop, the mall and parties). Ariel, Rapunzel, Merida and Cinderella one time, JoJo three times, Holly the Elf 8 times.

Also there was photo editing, doing the “12 Days of Christmas” for her company and her @princesskeilee, planning, marketing, communicating and more for a large event in January, crocheting 12 Elsa and Anna crowns, practicing for the adorable children’s Christmas program at church, decorating the tree and house, crocheting 2 Christmas presents, buying and wrapping presents.
And me; I’ve mostly been beside her. Taking pictures and being her sounding board. And helping with the decorating and present buying.

Then we came home and spent the rest of the day just us two.  We even made turkey and dressing and all the fixings. Her ring light was one of her favorite gifts. She has needed one for videos and pictures.

Yahtzee!

We have this week mostly free and then bring on 2020.

Also check out this amazing free resource I found. It is FREE for one year with no credit card info needed plus there are teacher’s guides.  Seriously SO COOL!!  It says ‘one month’ free but it’s a year if you are a homeschool/public teacher.

http://www.vooks.com

Homeschool /still/ rocks!
Karen

“May you never be too grown up to search the skies on Christmas Eve.”

 

Our October.

Alabama snow.

Me & her

Huntsville Botanical Garden

We love Fall at the garden

2 of these in our backyard. Stat.

Swamp Sunflowers

We love this tree!

Taking a break

My Kei

Scarecrows

You know your in Huntsville when….

Huntsville Havoc

A piano in the woods…

Pumpkin Art

Butterfly Garden

It was such a beautiful day.

More Swamp Sunflowers

Big Chair Picture

Stone River Fall Festival. 

We had a Frozen room and went as Olaf and Sven. It was SO MUCH FUN!!

Goodbye October.  You were busy and beautiful.

Karen

We always try to go to a pumpkin patch every year.  There is usually a homeschool day and since we teach at a co-op we sign up to go too.

We went to 4D Farms and while it’s beautiful it was SO HOT.  98° in October!!

Sunflowers!! This was a small part of a huge field!!

Of course the animals are a big part of Kei loving it.

There’s so much to do.  For all ages.  I am so happy Keilee still wants to go on field trips like this!

HAY!

This is in front of the little food shop.

Pumpkins!!

We kept having to go to the car to cool off because it was insanely hot.  And we didn’t stay as long as we ususally do because it was SO HOT but we still had a great day!!

Karen