PHOTO DUMP & CATCHING UP | 5TH GRADE GRADUATION, A POOL PARTY, & MEMORIAL DAY

Hello, Monday!!

Today I'm here with a giant photo dump from all the things that have been photo-worthy lately. If you follow me on social media, there will probably be a lot that you've seen already but for posterity's sake, I wanted to put them on the blog too. :) I know I won't want to forget these sweet memories.

Mason "graduated" from elementary school this year and it has been bittersweet. We absolutely loved this school and it is just surreal to know that it is no longer a part of our lives. I have so many memories of the boys riding their bikes or scooters to school in the morning and then watching out the window as they come riding into the culdesac every afternoon. When Matthew went to middle school it was just Mason by himself or with his gang of buddies and now...no one. 😢 I'll look out the window and watch younger kids come riding down the sidewalk and wait for the bus to drop my two big kids off at our stop sign. Sigh.

The school had a very sweet little ceremony for the 5th graders and we were so glad we got to be there for it. I don't think they had one last year for the 5th-grade class due to Covid so we were thankful!

They had a great little slideshow set to music and included a picture and baby picture of each kid. Look at my cute baby boy!! I loved his wild hair!

Their class is one of those super special classes where they are all really tight. Sometimes I feel bad for Matthew because his class wasn't really like that. They were all great kids of course but there wasn't that bond that these kids have and they didn't all live super close to each other. I think it helps that about 20 5th grade boys live within bike-riding distance of each other. It has always been a boy-dominated hood (almost all Mason's age!) so they've really grown up together.

We got the Mom & Dad pics out of the way quickly so Mason could move on to his buddies.

(kimono, cami, $8 earrings)

Are they not the cutest?!

We found this picture of a little group of them from 1st grade. #bestillmyheart

One more pic in front of the sign!

Straight out of 5th grade!

After graduation, we went to lunch with a couple of Mason's friends and their sweet mamas.

I mean...it's so easy to picture these boys as men someday.

A few days later, school was out and summer had officially begun!

The high school was holding its baseball and football camps the week after so we kicked off summer still waking up early and staying busy!

Mason had football camp and Matthew had baseball camp in the morning. Then we'd go get Matthew while Mason stayed for HIS baseball camp. So Mason was out on the field from 9-3 for a few long days but he had a great time! And he got to be with these guys.

The last day of camp was probably the busiest day we'll have this summer. After I picked Mason up at camp at 3, we headed straight to the country club for the 5th-grade pool party at 3:30. After so much rain, we were grateful for a beautiful day!

He looks like Alfalfa with whatever that is behind him coming out of the top of his head. 😂

At one point, all the boys gathered at the diving board and started chanting "Belly-flop! Belly-flop!" to whoever was up next. And of course, ALL the boys were up for the challenge and smacked their bodies over and over into the water. 🤦‍♀️ It was funny but also a little concerning as I imagined the words "Chug chug chug" instead of "bellyflop" someday. They were all too happy to give into bellyflop peer pressure!! 😂 Worries for another day.

When you tell them to smile and they are staring straight into the sun...

One last group shot before it was time to get dressed for that 6:00 baseball game!

After playing football and baseball out in the hot sun allllll dayyyyy, then expending an exorbitant amount of energy at the pool, Mason jumped straight into his baseball game and ended up pitching one of the best game he's ever pitched. I still don't know how he managed to do it. This kid is like the Energizer Bunny. I was completely prepared for him to crash by the 2nd inning. 

The Legends won and then Matthew's team was up next for the 8:00 game. 

While we watched Bub play, I looked over for Mason--again, expecting him to be sitting and relaxing for the first time all day--but found him with a group of boys playing pick-up baseball on an empty field instead. 😂 What must it be like to have that kind of energy?! #illneverknow

In other news, we did some dog-sitting for the neighbor's dog while they were out of town last week Matthew and Iba formed a quick little attachment. Matthew loves dogs and I think he'd make a great vet someday. ;)

Speaking of vets, this shaggy ragamuffin needed to get some skin issues checked so we had a visit with our own. I made Matthew come with me because Charlie loves him so much AND I wanted him to see a real vet in action. #plantingseeds #winkwink

Chuck was not happy and hid under the bench a lot but this dog really is the best. He will bark his head off at anyone coming through our front door but when he's out, he is very much a people pleaser. He stood as still as a statue during his exam and never made a peep or even flinched when he got a shot.

Chuck's "Gotcha Day" is coming up and I can't believe it's only been a year. He feels likes he's always been ours!

On the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, I met up with Erika, some of our friends, and her fun neighbors for the annual Wall Party! 

Still loving my little hair waver tool!! (Has a $5 off clickable coupon as I type this.) No idea where this little kimono is from but quite possibly from Jane at some point? They have some really pretty ones on Amazon here too! Sandals are crazy comfortable and are on sale for under $38 right now! (Discount comes off at checkout.) Jeans are here.

Craig is ALWAYS out of town for a football camp for the Wall Party, so I always try to catch a ride with friends. (Thanks Matt & Megan!) They didn't have it last year due to Covid but I've been three other times before. All are so much fun. Some of the years, things get very lively and other years they are a little more mellow. This was a mellow year and we didn't even get a big group shot. But it was set up beautifully!

That was literally the only picture I took all night. #fail

So here are a couple from other years. This was when little Britty had just arrived home! She was smiling for the camera already!

And 2019 was my favorite one! We had the best time that night!

And I always get questions about why they call it a Wall Party. This apparently has been a party that's happened for 20+ years in this neighborhood and from what I was told, it started after the neighbors were forced to build a retaining wall along their backyards that sloped down toward the pond. So now the party is held every year along the wall that runs across the whole slew of houses built on that side of the road. Thus, the Wall Party. :)

And then on Monday, actual Memorial Day, I had planned on the four of us (Craig was back from his camp) just spending the day by the pool and grilling hamburgers and hot dogs...all that jazz.

Instead, it rained cats and dogs all.day.long.

So we had our Memorial Day lunch inside as we watched the rain come down.

I used my new little charcuterie board for the first time but clearly put in minimal effort. Still fun enough for my crew though. They demolished it along with burgers and...

...this baked mac-n-cheese. 😍 (Recipe I used is HERE.)

Ahhhh. Feels good to catch up a little.

Today I'm finishing up a huge Etsy order, (check out my shop HERE!), planning a fun beach bag giveaway since my post over in my Deals Group finally hit the goal I set in order to do it, working on some new collagen promos coming up (like a brand new summer TRIM flavor that will only be available for ONE WEEK!!), and planning a late summer vacay. 

For now, I leave you with this though.

Happy Monday!!

INSTAGRAM | DAILY DEALS GROUP  | COLLAGEN & TRIM

FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | ETSY | LIKETOKNOWIT | SHOP THE BOUTIQUE