Butterflies, Flowers, Trails and More...

Happy Sunday! Sunday is meant to be a day of rest and relaxation and one of the ways that I rest is to spend time in nature. I try to spend a least a little bit of time in nature each week. I have decided that I will use Sundays to share the photos of my nature adventures each week just as a way to relax and share the beauty that is God's creation with all. I hope you enjoy!

June 29, 2020 Kokosing Gap Trail, Howard

June 30, 2020 Ariel-Foundation Park

July 2, 2020 Kokosing Gap Trail, Mount Vernon

July 3, 2020 Brown Family Environmental Center

I hope you have been able to spend some time outside in nature this week. Here's to another week reveling in nature's beauty! 

It's Saturday!

Happy Saturday and Happy 4th of July! This is definitely different kind of year to celebrate the 4th. 

However before that I wanted to talk about what's been going on. Thursday was not a good day.  The night before Bill and I got into it with each and there was arguing and yelling. I didn't sleep well that night and woke up with a headache. The kids were whiny and fighting in the morning. I had had enough. So I declared it movie day or rather I put the TV on so they could be quiet and watch tv and not bother me. I felt guilty about it, but ALL the kids were in moods and driving me insane. I couldn't take it anymore. I also sent Jacob to his room for the day as he was being mean to his brother and after multiple warnings I was done. It was not my finest moment as a mom. Just keeping it real.

That evening, I decided that I needed to get out and walk. They re-opened the bike trail head in our town (it had been closed due to road work near it) and so we headed out there to walk. Everything was so green. We saw 2 deer on the path and heard multiple birds (more than we typically do).

Yesterday, I made plans to meet up with a friend and her kids at the Brown Family Environmental Center. The kids could run and hike and we moms could chat and catch up. The kids enjoyed playing around in the pine forest, throwing rocks in the river and spending time in a little creek. We spend about 2 hours there. It was a much needed time of catching up, hiking and just being with others in a responsible way. 

Last night Bill and I decided to do date night since we were going to a cookout tonight. We ordered food from the same Greek and Indian place that we ordered from last Friday. I ordered the chicken Tikka Masala and was disappointed in it. The sauce was like a tomato soup and it was just there. I much prefer my own tikka masala that I make with chicken and veggies. Live and learn.

Today, I need to make a pasta salad and a fruit salad to take to my parents' house for a cookout later. I am currently not doing much of anything, except watching Spongebob with the boys and typing this up. I guess I need to get moving and get things done. 

Hope everyone has a safe Fourth of July! Anyone have any plans today? 

Walking, Tower Climbing and COVID-19 numbers

Happy Wednesday! Is it just me or is this week going by at a snail's pace? Seriously I thought yesterday was Wednesday all day long. Oh well, I will blame it on the heat! LOL  It has been HOT here the last couple of days... we've had highs in the high 80s/low 90s and it is just HOT! There is actually heat warnings for later in the week. 

I have been getting the kids out of the house anyways; we try to get out in the morning when it is somewhat cooler (if you call real feel of 90 degrees cooler! LOL). Monday we went to the bike path in Howard to walk. The kids had fun, as we explored the little nature path that runs along the river as well. They also got to play on the playground when we were done. We did have a little bit of drama when we left the walk and Ethan thought he had left his dexcom (his diabetes sensor reader) at the playground (as he didn't have pockets). I did a big u-turn on the highway and we booked it back to the path. He and Rebecca went back to the playground to look for it only to figure out it was in his waistband of his shorts. He had it all along! 

Monday afternoon, Bill and I spent about an hour cleaning the dryer. I had smelled a burning smell earlier that day, so we took off the back and there was lint stuck on the electrical parts. Not good! We cleaned it completely out and I need to get a new hose for the outside connection as it is caked with lint that we can't get out. But good news is that there is no longer a burning smell! 

Yesterday morning, I woke up to seeing Ethan reading to Gronk. This is great as he is behind on his reading skills and he took the initiative to read. 

Later in the morning we went to Ariel-Foundation Park and conquered the tower! Rastin Tower is a steel, spiral staircase that coils around the PPG industrial smoke stack built in 1951 and overs a beautiful view of Mount Vernon 140 feet above the ground. You have to climb over 220 steps to the top. Lacie and Jacob are terrified of heights but I knew they could get to the top. I kept telling them that they could do hard things and to keep going and they did it! They both made it to the very top! Lacie even thanked me for pushing her and getting her to do it! 

After we came down, we walked around other parts of the park before heading to get lunch. It was super hot! 

Last night, Rebecca and I headed to Walmart to return two bathing suits that she had bought that didn't fit. I also wanted to get some ice cream treats for the kids and some things that are cheapest at Walmart. Tonight, I need to make an Aldi's run for produce and other things needed for dinners next week. I am trying to get my shopping done before the craziness of people shopping for the 4th of July. 

In other news, apparently there is someone at Bill's work who is in isolation after being exposed to someone with the virus. He said that his work is being real hush-hush about it and are trying not to let anyone know. Speaking of the virus, I haven't done an update in a while so why not do one now? The last time I did one, May 30, Ohio was at 32,637 cases, 1,938 deaths and 25 cases in my county. Today we are at 48,222 cases, 2,615 deaths and 39 cases in my county. The numbers are just depressing to look at. The last 6 cases in our county have been attributed to community spread which is somewhat depressing. Well, the kids are clamoring for a promised water day. I have promised them a day of running through the sprinkler, getting sprayed with the water hose and possibly water guns! LOL 

What are you up to today? Is it hot where you are? What are the COVID numbers like where you are?  

More Rain and Cleaning the Closet of Doom

Happy Monday! Is anyone else dragging today like I am? Not sure if it is the weather--hot and humid, or the fact that I didn't get very much sleep last night but I am just dragging today. Maybe it was the busyness of the weekend? I don't know. 

Friday night I did, in fact, order takeout for Bill and I at a local Greek and Indian restaurant that recently reopened. They have been closed for over a year, while the owner went back to India to get married. We got takeout from there to celebrate the 16th anniversary of Bill proposing to me. While Bill was heading out to pickup our food, it starting storming horribly. And we had a tornado warning as well! Thankfully, he got home shortly after the sirens went off. We did not get a tornado, but we did get almost 3 inches of rain in less than an hour. 

You can see the rain just pouring off my neighbor's porch roof! 

Ponding and flooding in the yard

After he got home and dried off, we enjoyed our yummy dinner! I got a chicken kabob platter and he had a lamb gyro! Both dishes were super yummy!

Chicken Kabob Platter (that rice underneath was so tender and cooked perfectly!)

Bill and his lamb gyro. He said it was one of the best he has had. 

Saturday, I ended up watching my niece and nephew so that my parents could go to two graduation parties. I figured they would enjoy them better if they didn't have to take Lacie and Ethan. It was rainy and stormy most of the morning/afternoon, so we played games and hung out here. Saturday evening I ended up going to bed early. I guess I was tired.

Sunday, I decided that I needed to tackle the closet of doom! I have mentioned this nemesis before on my blog and it was time to tackle it again. The main reason was to get all my heath and beauty stuff organized so that I could see any gaps that I need to fill in (I am doing this so that I can be more prepared if we have another stay at home order mandated. Ohio's numbers are increasing daily and all evidence is that it is NOT because of more testing. My gut tells me that we will have another one sooner rather than later, so I want to be more prepared.) This is what I started with: 

And here is the finished product:

I ended up with 6 trash bags and a box full of stuff to donate and 2 bags of trash. I also posted the kids' dollhouse and stuff that goes with it on Facebook for anyone for free and a friend came and picked it up for her single mom neighbor who has a 2 year old! Win, win in my book. Also, I came out ahead in another way as I found a 12 pack of toilet paper, a half a can of disinfecting wipes that I didn't know that I had and a nickel! I call that a win. Cleaning that out took most of my day. I wish I could say that I had help, but I was watched most of the time to make sure I was doing it right! LOL

Last night I made cheesesteaks for dinner and they were super yummy! Not necessarily good for my diet but good non-the-less. Speaking of my diet... by counting calories and exercising (walking) I lost 4 pounds last week! I think my body knows because I have been craving chocolate and all the junk food the last 24 hours. Gotta stay strong. 

Today, I have taken the kids on a 2 mile walk and have started laundry. I might clean the bathrooms here in a bit. Dinner is pretty much sorted as I have a whole chicken cooking in the crockpot. Easy peasy. I also want to make a Walmart and Aldi list for either tomorrow night or Wednesday night...thankfully the only need that I found for our health and beauty stuff was deodorant for Bill and adult toothpaste. (I have 3 tubes of kids Colgate, and only one backup tube for us.) I think my grocery run is going to be mostly produce and milk. 

What are you up to today? Is it hot and humid where you are? Hope everyone has a good week! 

Stop and See the Flowers

Happy Sunday! I used to do a post of Nature Photos on Sundays as a way to bring some calm to the end of the weekend and to the beginning of the new week. I am not a great photographer, but do enjoy capturing moments of nature when I am out walking or out on adventures with the family. So I have decided to bring back this feature. 

Sunday is meant to be a day of rest and relaxation and one of the ways that I rest is to spend time in nature. I try to spend a least a little bit of time in nature each week. I have decided that I will use Sundays to share the photos of my nature adventures each week just as a way to relax and share the beauty that is God's creation with all. I hope you enjoy!

The following photos were taken June 25 at the Children's Garden.  

This was taken June 26 at Wolf Run Park on one of the trails. 

Have a great week!