This school year has been a bit of a rollercoaster, alternating between full-time, virtual, and blended, but overall has been going really well.  The kids do great with wearing their masks to protect against Covid.  They were all excited to get back in school full-time - who knew they would ever complain about NOT being able to go to school!  Check out the pics from the first day of this crazy school year.

We took a summer trip to Cape San Blas, what better place to social distance and enjoy the outdoors. We got in plenty of time both on the beach and in the water. Our rental included a paddleboard which the kids enjoyed taking out. We also took a short hike to the shipwrecked Donna Kay, a shrimping boat that was beached during one of the recent hurricanes.

We also spent some time kayaking and exploring in the bay, where we saw lots of stingrays, collected shells, snails, and other sea creatures. It was a great week at the beach - we can't wait to go back!e

We spent an afternoon exploring Orr Park in Montevallo.  This scenic park was home to many dying/dead cedar trees.  Instead of cutting them down, local artists came in and turned them into works of art.  The trees contain carvings of faces, storybook characters, and other creatures and make for a very unique walk through the park.  The kids loved it and finished the afternoon with an old fashioned dip in the creek. 

In March, the world shut down.  With the outbreak of Covid-19, schools closed, businesses shut their doors, and the world may never be the same.  With both Susan and my companies shifting to remote work, we tried to balance helping the kids with virtual schoolwork while maintaining our work responsibilities.  Despite all the bad going on in the world, we tried to make the most of our situation and the extended time we were gifted to spend with our children.

From March to June, we tooks LOTS of walks and bike rides around the neighborhood, spent many days around the pool, did lots of virtual assignments and projects, cooking classes, plenty of yardwork, zoom calls and more.  We did our best to stay safe and keep everyone busy. 

Click the pic above to check out a few pics from our quarantine. 

With Sadie's birthday less than a week later, we had a similar celebration for her 7th birthday.  She had a pool party with one of her bigger gifts being a gymnastics bar for the playroom.  The kids also celebrating by "camping" out on the deck.  Even without an official party, it was a pretty good birthday!