Around here, we have been….

CELEBRATING with family. The fourth of July holiday has always been a special one for my family. Growing up, it was tradition to visit my grandparents and take in all of the small town festivities – parades with lots of candy, sparklers, and of course a ton of barbecued food. Now, going home, it’s fun to watch our kids doing some of the same things. It was wonderful to see both of my sisters and their families. I cherish these moments.

This year, my hometown was having an all school reunion the same weekend as the 4th of July festivities, and so I was able to catch up with two of my best high school friends, and meet their kids. It was a blast to wander around our old high school and bring up all of the memories (both good and bad) that were had there.

RECOVERING from surgery. As part of her arthrogryposis, some of {K}’s joints formed in unusual ways. The hand specialist she sees in the Twin Cities evaluated her left wrist and thumb and let us know that there is potential for both of them to be more functional, which could help her gain more independence. However, he also mentioned that the window of opportunity to improve these joints is limited, and that if not done in the next year or so they may be permanently stuck in the stiff and awkward position.

We did a lot of talking with {K} about what she wanted, and ultimately, though she was scared of having the surgery, she wanted to have it done so that she could have the best possible function. She also wanted the surgery for aesthetic reasons. Our little girl was very brave and although after her surgery she was in quite a bit of pain and discomfort, she is now is back to her happy self with her bright pink cast, which will be removed in August.

TRYING new things, and trying old things again. We gifted {D} a flight lesson coupon for his 11th birthday last November. He saved it, waiting until the weather was perfect to take to the sky. He had a wonderful experience and is excited to continue on his training.

Craig finally got his hands on a box of King Vitaman. It was his absolute favorite cereal when he was a kid, and he wanted to try it again to see if it was everything that he remembered. The cereal is still in production, but in very limited quantities. Buying it online is an option, but an expensive one that we were too cheap to invest in. His sister and her husband bought him a box as a birthday present, and he was pumped! See the video of his reaction to the first bite HERE.

STARTING to cross things off of the never-ending project list. Being renters for nearly 4 years, we haven’t had much to do in the home improvement realm. It’s been a nice little break, but as we are preparing to build Arrow Hill Cottage in the not too distant future, our thoughts are once again turning to DIY. I organized a list of projects that I want to tackle for our new home.

I have to admit it feels pretty good to be getting my hands dirty again, and the kids have even gotten into the action.  We will see if we can finish all of these tasks before we break ground!

This is just a glimpse at what our family has been up to. If you’d like a closer look, be sure to check out our weekly ‘mini vlogs’ on our YouTube channel ARROW HILL FAMILY. Be well everyone!