End of Distance Learning and the beginning of Summer 2020!

This week brought the end of 9 weeks of distance learning. There really are no good words to capture the loss all students are feeling this year. Whether you're a graduate or not, there are events missed and a lack of closure. Both of my boys had drive-through visits at their school to retrieve items from PE, band and their lockers/teachers. What an awful way to end the school year. Instead of last concerts and awards ceremonies, a manilla envelope and a plastic bag full of stuff. And while it's great to see the teachers again, they have masks, you have masks, and a sign for air hugs. It's just not the same. I pray my kids will have some semblance of normalcy next year, which means I'll ignore the news about school next year for a little bit.

The medal around his neck is awarded for those who do between 15-29 hours of community service!

I can't believe he will be in High School next year! I really hope the sign behind him was meant to say 8th graders, not 6th graders, lol

Every week things start to feel a little more normal as things reopen. I think we're just in the phase where we slowly add everything back in, and whether the casualties continue, we will all just move on. 

I got a much needed haircut!

As a family we've pretty much decided to keep our outings to an outdoor type to provide some natural social distancing.

One day we did some floating down the Guadalupe. We found a spot to park each car, and we found out that to float that section of river takes approximately 4 hours! We weren't totally prepared for that much time on the water, but we will be next time. Gotta figure out a way to float a cooler along with us!

Dragonflies! They were everywhere!

Cade is the adventurous one, trying out lots of rope swings and boulder jumps along the river. The water can get surprisingly deep at times!

Our next outdoor adventure was at Enchanted Rock state park. We've been there once before, but we reserved a day pass on the State Park website because i needed a little more outside time. We arrived early to beat the heat and the crowds. It was really nice!

And the same picture from another angle. Amazing how much can change with view from another perspective!

Loved these purple flowers

Quartz strewn about the trail

That's Enchanted Rock behind us- one big pile of granite

This was a HUGE spider along the side of the trail. His body quarter sized or more

                   

Speaking of bugs...

Cactus blossoms

Dogs are allowed on the main Loop Trail, so Carson got to have an outdoor adventure too!

A boy and his pup

Picnic lunch after a 5 mile hike!

Alex and I stayed with the dog while Dan and Cade did the summit trail to the top of the Enchanted Rock. Puppies aren't allowed, probably to protect their cute puppy paws.

View from the top!

Sometimes these boys are so silly! 

And then the hour and a half drive home. It's fair to say they were all a bit worn out!

Well to finish this blog post, and symbolically these COVID-19 times, Dan and I wanted to throw an end of the school year, beginning of summer celebration for the boys at home. Home is where we've spent a lot of 2020, and that will continue. If we can't make memories at home, it's all for nothing. 

Pizza, s'mores, decorations, water balloons, bubbles, cornhole and laughs. Love my family!

Bubble within a bubble!

Why didn't I ever think of this??

And for those still concerned about my health, I am stuck in a pattern of my fever appearing every few days. This week was 4 out of the 7 days, and one was after a day of adventuring. Only one of those 4 fever days kept me down in spirits and energy, so even though they're still happening, they aren't affecting me as much as they did before. I'm mostly just used to feeling chills A LOT.  7 weeks and 3 days of symptoms. One day they'll be gone, right? :)