December 2020 Fun

 It wouldn't be Christmas without a trip to downtown Grapevine for pictures! 

Santa Claus & the NCL Holiday Tea

Every year we volunteer at the HES Breakfast with Santa. This year, due to COVID we got a 'drive by' Santa experience. And Afton volunteered all by herself! She passed out candy canes and holiday spirit. I brought Maisy by for a quick picture before her company rehearsal. 

December 2020 Covid Style

 Even with a global pandemic, we worked hard to have a normal Christmas season. 

We had friends over for dinner and gingerbread houses.

Thanksgiving 2020-Part 2

 We headed south to Florida for Thanksgiving! Rocky got to come too! Our first stop was a night in Mandeville. 

Thanksgiving Break 2020- Part 1

 We kicked off Thanksgiving Break with a birthday celebration for Grandpa. He turned 66 years young. 

GHS Volleyball

 We were fortunate to have volleyball this year. While Afton was a remote learner, it provided her with a connection to the school. And when she returned to campus, the familiarity of her coaches and team made the transition to high school easier. The season had some ups and downs. Afton finally found her place at the end of the season. She was thrilled to have Coach Wallace tell her that she was a front-runner for playing middle on Varsity next year. Time will tell, but it's always nice to have something to look forward to for sophomore year. 

Halloween 2020

Family pumpkin carving 2020! We tried to vote on a winner... but everyone likes their own pumpkin best. These girls keep us entertained! I think this was the first year that no one needed help carving their pumpkin. Everyone is all grown up :)

Jeff Turns 44

 Better with age, that's what they say about Jeff Conner! We celebrated his 44th birthday at home this year. 

Back to School (IN Person!)

 After spending the first 9 weeks at home, we decided it was time to try 'in person' learning. Too many webex meetings and time on the computer were making everyone a little stir crazy. So with a mask and prayer, these girls headed into school for the first time since March. 

Pumpkin Patch 2020 - Maisy's Turn

 Maisy had her turn at the Pumpkin Patch with friends! 

Maisy's Birthday Week

Around here, we don't do 'Birth-DAYS' - we do 'Birth-WEEKS'! 

Because it's always more fun to keep the party going. 

Columbus Day 2020

Jeff took off Columbus Day so he could hang out with us! We were craving a good hike, but it's Texas... so settled on an 'ok hike' with 'great company'. :) Texas is many things. But it is not known for beautiful hiking. Nevertheless, we were happy to have a break from school and work. And being outside as a family is something I will always be thankful for. The Cross Timbers trail had great tree cover, some fun ups & downs, and a view of the Red River. We could even see all the way to Oklahoma from the trail!

On the Lake- in October!

 Who would have guessed we would be on the lake in mid-October. That's the great thing about a Texas Fall. The water was a little cool, but it was so warm outside- it felt great! It was Rocky's first time on the boat and he was so well-behaved. He is a good little dog. 

Maisy's 11th Birthday Party

We threw Maisy a ‘Halloween themed’ birthday party!

This girl loves any opportunity to dress up. This year’s costume- Scarlett O’Hara. We set up spooky mystery boxes (cold spaghetti noodles = zombie brain etc), had a costume contest, and the girls put on a talent show. Such a fun night celebrating our girl!

Hall's Pumpkin Farm 2020

 The cutest pumpkins in the patch! COVID can't stop the pumpkin farm! We wore masks and had to submit our email addresses for 'contact tracing'. But whatever! We got our pumpkin patch pics! Maisy and some of her 5th grade friends went one day and Afton and her friends went another. I think the years of going as a 'family' are over.

It's Almost October

The Wednesday Night Supper Club continues. We hosted again, the girls felt weird about getting too close in a pic this particular week because Volleyball had been 'shut down' for the week due to a positive COVID test. Every week is different. Some better than others. 

Rocky continues to be a bright spot in our lives. Everything he does is so cute. 

And with some encouragement from Maisy, we got the ole' Halloween decorations down from the attic. What would we do without our Maisy? 

And for those wondering about our 'remote learning.... There have been many pros & cons with the ‘learning from home’ instructional model. Eating lunch together, playing in the yard for recess, lots of puppy time, and wearing slippers all day — definitely show up in the ‘pro’ category.

GHS vs CHHS Red Rail Game

High School Football is back!! Red Rail Rivalry - GHS vs CHHS. This year’s rivalry game was played at the old Globe Life Park. Football on a baseball field? Sure. Why not?! It’s #2020- anything goes! Made us all SO happy to see so many friends in person.

New Normal

 August was full of 'new normal' moments. 

Friends on the boat when the temps soar up to 106 degrees. 

A Pandemic Puppy- Meet Rocky!

 When we were in Vail, the girls 'kind of ' talked us into getting a puppy. Since we were all staying at home for the first 9 weeks of school, it seemed like a good idea. We agreed on getting a Cairn Terrier. But we had trouble finding a breeder in Texas or anywhere near.

First Day of School- 9th Grade and 5th Grade

 We opted to start the year as remote learners. The entire district required everyone to learn from home for the first 3 weeks. But after that students were given a choice- to either stay remote until the end of the first 9 weeks or to go back in person. It was a hard decision but due to sports and ballet and the fact that I could stay at home with our girls- we made our choice. 

Last Days of Summer

 We have been getting out on the lake as much as possible. Everyone seems to be happier on the water. 

Maisy is On-Pointe!

We jumped right back into our routine. Afton is playing volleyball- she made the Freshman A- team for GHS and signed with No Limits on their 15's Black team. (No pics of any of this because #teenagers). 

Maisy missed her bunnies while we were gone and has taken to 'mothering' them again. Poor Snowball lost her baby- we are not sure what happened. Sadly we think a red tail hawk picked it up. So we are hoping for another litter in the fall. 

A Week in Vail - 2020

We escaped the heat of Texas and the reality of #thecovid for a family vacation in the mountains. Afton had volleyball until late afternoon, so once we got on the road - we only drove 5 hours to Amarillo before stopping. We had dinner downtown and then stayed up late, excited for our adventure. 

Grammy Comes to Town

We haven't seen my mom in a looooong time! So happy she was able to come see us for the week. We did a lot of eating, shopping, talking and having fun. Love you Grammy! 

4th of July - Is Not Cancelled

"Things" tightened up again around the 4th of July. The relaxation of quarantine restrictions in May, plus the political and BLM riots, and general exhaustion from #thecovid led to an increase in cases. Our state put in place a mandatory mask rule and although there was no 'lockdown'- large group gatherings were banned. Our gym required masks to be worn during exercise, Maisy continues to dance in a mask, and Afton gets regular temperature checks and health questionares before any sports activity. We were nervous that more things (restaurants/gyms) might shut down again. Our neighborhood Patriotic Parade was canceled. 

SOOOOO we decided to celebrate the 4th of July at home. We spent too much money on small fireworks, ate lots of 'griddle' food, swam for 6+hours, and then sweated in the garage until we could no longer bear the heat. It was a fun day! 

Summering with the Conners

The endless summer thing is turning out to be pretty good for everyone around here. 

We go to the lake a lot. Sometimes Coco goes too. 

Cinnamon Shores- 2020

We escaped the reality of COVID with a trip down south to Port A! This is our fourth time at Cinnamon Shore and we loved it again. Both the girls brought a friend- Maisy had Analeigh (cousin/friend) and Afton brought McCall again. The drive down was super easy. We stopped a few times and took the ferry route. This year, the ferry official wouldn't allow anyone out of their cars for the trip to Port A. Probably due to corona. But we made it to our condo safely, unpacked, and quickly went down to the beach. 

Senior Rec 2020

Like everything else... Senior Recognition was 'different' this year too. But I have to say, this was a good different. In order to pull off a large event with the current health restrictions, we had to host it outside for the majority of our chapter members. I think it turned out so cute! Box gourmet dinners, a cocktail truck, and friends together outside. 

Kicking off Summer 2020

It kind of feels like summer started a while ago, but we are happy for it to be officially here.

Last Day of School - 4th & 8th Grade

Well, we did it! After 11 weeks at home, the school year wrapped up. It was a little bit strange- just a 'goodbye' WebEx for Maisy and then I don't really know what for Afton.

The End of Middle School

Well, three years flew by for Afton. I can't believe she is on to high school in the fall. Since the school year ended 'weird', most of the 'goodbyes' and celebrations were done virtually or from a distance.

6th Grade

Quaran-tired?

Ain't no rest for the weary! The quarantine continues. And despite it all, these girls remain happy! Who knew they would love being at home so much?!

Hello 40

I was fortunate enough that by the time my birthday rolled around, our quarantine relaxed a little bit. My friend Kim organized a birthday lunch for me at Del Frisco's Grille. I felt so thankful to have friends to celebrate me, despite all the craziness that is happening in the world.

Quarantine Mother's Day

Hey hey - it's now May! And we are still here!

 Here with our bunnies. 

Making the most of Quarantine

8 weeks later, here we are! Still in quarantine mode! A few things are starting to open up, but not much. We are still eating all of our meals at home. Still learning from home. Jeff is still working from home. And thankfully- the weather is still beautiful. 

For Earth Day, Afton carried on our tradition of making a 'recycled' fashion creation. 

A Quarantine Easter!

It was a different Easter for sure! But a really good one. The rain ended just before sunrise, and the girls hunted for their Easter baskets. They seemed pleased with their treats from the E.B..

Sheltering in Place continues!

We are still at home! Tomorrow begins "Week 6 of  Learning from Home". WOW!

 If you would have told me we would be 'homeschooling' for six weeks.... well you know what I would have said. NO. WAY.

But here we are. And for the most part, it's all good. We have our routine and we are plugging along.

Afton turns 14

Afton's 14th came during our quarantine- but we knew we could still make it fun!

The Quarantine Continues- April

This was shared on FB and I thought it was important to save. So I NEVER forget..... April 6, 2020

Quick shopping trip requires social distancing and PPE