Von Voyage to Kristy & Twins Game Fun!

Weekdays:

• It was our last week with the summer nanny, Kristy!  She was so reliable, kind and fun all summer long!  She is going to have a blast in Europe for the next month and our kiddos are going to wrap up summer with a week at Mini Hops camp & Grandma visit!
• Monday - Connor had baseball in the evening (7p) and it was a lovely cool night for it, sweatshirts for Maci and me :)
• Tuesday - Nice lazy evening with no sport plans
• Wednesday - Busy evening!!  Maci headed to her pal Livi's for a sleep over before the school year starts.  Clint and Connor were off to his 5p baseball game.   I met up with my fav soccer moms for dinner/drinks at 6 Smith.  We had lots of laughs and are looking forward to the upcoming fall session!
• Thursday - Last day with Kristy!!  SAD FAMILY!  I left work around 3p so that I could give Kristy a proper send off with the kiddos.  We took pictures and then she was gone!  We get to see her again when she is back from Europe in late September when she watches the kids one Saturday night!  After she left, Connor headed to Chuck's house for a play date with Chuck and Anna.  Later in the evening I had a catch up call with my high school girlfriends where we learned all the latest on Meagan's son Grant's condition post the fire as well as Michigan football prep for Rachelle etc.

She's the best!

Friday - 

• Get stuff done day for work at home for Clint and I and sleep in late and play day for the kiddos!
• Once we wrapped work for the day, the kids played outside, Clint and I took a walk and we waited for Pappa John's pizza to arrive.
• After dinner we hung out, had a small fire and enjoyed the hot tub once the kids were chilling in their rooms.  A lovely cooler summer day!

Oh yea, Halloween costumes came!

Connor is a Power Ranger

Maci is going to be Wednesday Addams but wants it a surprise!

Saturday - 

• I started the day with a massage which thank goodness b/c I had some pain in my neck and shoulder on the right side and he made it all better!!
• I came home to drink a ton of water to keep it feeling better and then took a lil nap 
• Our whole house was moving pretty slow but we eventually got rolling for so Connor could get to his pal's 7th birthday party at 1p
• We continued the lazy theme of the day all day until it was time to get ready for the Twins game!
• We got to the stadium around 5p, watched a whole bunch of the warm up fun and then enjoyed a great night for baseball.
• Unfortunately the twins tied it back up 2-2 at the bottom of the 8th but had to take it to extra innings where they came up 1 run shy in the 10th but still a great time had by all!

Sunday - 

• The usual get things ready for the week with groceries and schedule preparing etc.  It will be different having to drive the kids to camp this week after a summer of just leaving once Kristy got here.  We also have to pack lunches, boo!  But it is only 4 days and Clint has a busy week with his team in town and hosting a happy hour at our place on Wednesday night.
• Once we finish up our lunch and household to dos, we may go swim at the Harty's this afternoon before enjoying a Sunday family dinner and maybe a fire while watching the Bengals pre-sesason game to end the evening.

Here is to the end of summer and transition to fall/back to school and routines!  We hope you all are enjoying this time of year!

Lots of Love,

C, K, M & C

Dinner w. Friends, Sleep Over, Country Concert & Birthday Party Fun!

Weekdays:

• Monday - I worked from home along with Clint since we had an early sports night.  I had an exhausting week at work because we hired a new leader for the teams I support and many adult men turned into children over the news.  At least I have a great team and we could laugh about it!  Connor had baseball at 5p and it is so cute watching them learn the game and improve game to game.
• Tuesday - Another day of running the daycare, I mean leading human capital! HA. Thankfully we had no evening plans so we enjoyed dinner together and then I had a lovely video catch up with my former co-worker & now friend Row.
• Wednesday -  My team and I volunteered to make sandwiches for a charity over the lunch hour which was a great break in the midst of our nutty week.  Clint also went into the office today but was home in time to relieve Kristy.  Connor then had baseball at 6p which I was running late for so Clint and Connor headed for the field to be on time and then I grabbed Maci and we met up.  Connor had one really great hit right down the first base line giving him a double.
• Thursday - A long day at the office followed by an evening of drinking for all of us from human capital - HA!  Clint and I did our boozing with the Harty Party for a lovely evening of bags, such a nice cooler summer night!

Friday : 

• We both worked from home and the kids were great for us today!  
• We headed to our pal Amber & Adam's house at 6p.  The Harty's were joining us too!  We had pizza dinner, fruit and dessert from Tena afterward!  The Markovich new home is gorgeous!!!  They have an indoor sport court that the kids really enjoyed and the adults loved sitting in the 4 season porch catching up over beverages.  
• We called it a little after 9p but the girls were having such a blast (Maci and Avery - going into 5th grade- are the only girls as Avery also has a brother, so does Maci with Connor and then the Harty 4 boys!)  So Avery came home with us for a sleep over!  The girls were so easy but sounds like they stayed up until 2a so we are going to have tired little ones.

Saturday :

• Clint started the day with a 8a massage which he says he will never do one that early again, we have become a big time sleep in family!
• After he got home, we napped for a bit until we headed to the Harty's at 12p for Nash's 5th birthday.  The weather was quite a bit cooler only in the low 70s so some kids swam but most hung out and enjoyed pizza.
• We left home to get some stuff done around the house before getting ready for the night.
• Our sitter came at 5p and we were off to eat at Rock Elm and then to Corcoran Country Daze - country concert.
• My sister and brother in law were going to come at one time this weekend but since they couldn't, we had the Harty's use the tickets!
• We had such a blast listening to live music, sipping beverages and enjoying the chillier weather!
• Half way through the night, I looked to my right and there was Kristi (Lucy from soccer's mom)!  We ended up hanging with the Stengel's (Kristi & Kevin) the rest of the night along with the Harty's.  
• We headed out as the headliner was wrapping up and all were ready for some rest and water :)

Great Crew!

T-Dog & me

My Hunny!

The Harty's

Baby Sitter Fun!

Maci's Pal Avery taught her how to use this bun device

And she loves her blue light glasses - so big!

Connor wanted in on the fun too!

Still in his swimming gear from earlier in the day HA

Sunday : 

• Big time sleep in at the Mondell's!  We didn't really get up and moving until about 945a today!
• I had to wake Connor up so he would eat and get dressed in time for his buddy Chuck's 7th birthday at SkyZone come 11a.
• Clint ran Connor to the party then ran some errands and washed Rosie.
• Clint ran back to pick up Connor and ran more errands as I did laundry, groceries etc.
• It was such a gorgeous day only reaching a high of 80 but most of the day was LOVELY in the 70s and with a breeze.  We all agreed to keep the kids kicked outside from about 1p onward.  They painted rocks, played hide and seek and other games while we got stuff done around the house.
• Clint is now finishing up the grass for the weekend, about to pick up dinner for us while I finish this blog, laundry and painting my nails.
• After dinner we are trying out our new custom cut fire ring from Etsy - the neighbors are going to come over too for some s'mores!!  Summer fun!

We are ready for another week right around the bend and our final week with the awesome nanny Kristy!! She heads to Europe for a trip and our kids have a week of Gymnastics camp before Grandma Janet comes for the last week before school!!!!  Wahooo!!!  Such a fun way to wrap summer every year!

We hope you are having a wonderful August!

Lots of Love,

C, K, M & C

Busy Work Week for Mom, National Night Out & Maci Sleep Over!

Leftover from WI Dells Fun!

Our Shirts for Grant, one of my best pals from high schools kiddo, arrived

Keep up the fight buddy!!

Weekdays:

• Monday - I had day one of my people team offsite but before heading down to the meetings, I first unpacked my office as we have moved from floor 10 to 12 and my new spot is awesome!  We had a day of meetings and discussions followed by apps and drinks on Lake Minnetonka.  After the boat cruise, about 8 of us headed to Bull & Wren for some dinner.  While I was doing this, Clint wrangled the kiddos to Connor's 5p baseball game and then dinner after.

Boat Crew!

The Optum Digital Peeps!

• Tuesday - This was day two of our people team offsite.  More great discussions and then wrapped.  I was potentially going to happy hour but was tired from the meetings so instead headed home for National Night Out in our neighborhood.  Before we headed to the park, Maci helped out at the make up soccer tryouts and it was HOT!  We picked her up and then headed to the park but didn't stay as long this year b/c well it was HOT!

Best part of National Night Out are the Cops & Firetrucks!

• Wednesday - I had an afternoon of meetings with our Optum head of People's (Deb) extended LT meeting.   Some great discussion/learning and then headed to Deb's home for dinner and games.  Of course once I realized there were games I noted that we were going to win - my team was up for the challenge.  The games consisted of trivia and corn hole - YES!  Well wouldn't you know our team won and we have trophy's in our office now to prove it HAHA

She shines so bright in my office!

• Thursday - A full day of work for Clint and I followed by a pool party with Maci's soccer team at Quinn's house.  They were kind to invite our new roster as some girls moved down, 1 moved up and b/c one moved we replaced her too so we have 4 new names heading into this fall.  It was a fun time of catching up with the moms and the dads talked bourbon while all the kids splashed the evening away - great people!

Friday - 

• Unanticipated busy Friday on the work front but at least at home in casual gear - rocking the Bengals AFC Championship gear :)
• Clint worked from home until lunch time and then headed out to golf with Brad, Reagan from soccer dad.  I moved into the home office at that point b/c my usual deck spot was just too darn hot!
• At 5p Natalie got dropped off for a slumber party with Maci!  I ordered them Noodles and Co and kept getting stuff done around the house.
• Around the same time, Clint picked up Connor and took him to his pal Anna's birthday party at Pump it Up - we love our Anna!
• The girls were great hanging outside and watching movies - Connor did ok leaving them alone once he got back from the party.

Saturday - 

• Natalie got picked up around 1030a but not until Clint took the girls for Starbuck's pink drinks and Dunkin Donuts!
• After Natalie was gone, we did some things around the house but by lunch we were off to the mall to do some back to school shopping - great day for it as we finally got RAIN.  The kids got new gym shoes, water bottles and a whole lot of cool fall/winter gear at Dick's and Old Navy!  We wrapped up our spendy mall trip with a late lunch at Cheesecake Factory
• Once home, Clint and I both took naps while the kids played on screens
• Clint and I had a late dinner of Crisp & Green salads and did things around the house before calling it a night with some TV

Pre-Teens!

Sunday - 

• Love a lazy but also productive day at home!
• After taking a walk with coffee, we got down to business.
• Clint and I ordered a new fire pit for the backyard patio and then he started to tear out some tall grass that started to look sloppy by our walkway to replace with hostas (sp?).  I finished laundry while this was going on and ordered lunch + groceries for the week.
• We are wrapping up household to dos before we have a dinner out as a family tonight and get ready for another busy week ahead.

Thankfully we are currently in a lull of soccer for Maci and Connor just has baseball going so our evenings aren't too nutty right now!  That said, we love this time of year and are just starting to get excited about back to school and fall come September.

We hope you are also enjoying the final stretch of summer and school being out!

Lots of Love,

C, K, M & C