Summer 2021 has come and gone, and I'm happy to move on from it. This summer was HARD. There were some good times had, but overall it was a struggle for many reasons. I personally struggled mentally and had little motivation most days which is so hard when you have to be a mom plus do all.the.things. all day long. It wasn't a complete waste though. I did learn a lot, and I will carry those lessons with me into next summer to hopefully make the next much better.
We started off the summer on a very sad note. We had to say goodbye to our sweet Elliott. He went downhill quickly. Around March we started noticing that he was losing weight and not eating. After some testing we found out that his liver enzymes were elevated which meant that he probably had a liver tumor. I tried some medicine for a few weeks to see if he showed any improvement, but he did not. It was a very rough few weeks with him knowing that he was most likely going to die. Adam and I had to make the very tough decision to let him go. I can honestly say that was one of the hardest things to do in life. Adam somehow mustered up the strength and took him by himself. We always knew what a great dog Elliott was but the hole in our hearts solidified that. There is not a day that goes by that we do not think about him.
Ella had braces put on at the beginning of June. She had a rough time with them for a few days but so far she's done really well. She will have them for the next two years or so. I had an appointment that day as well and sat next to her. I never thought I would be going to the orthodontist with my daughter but here we are.
Paige was so excited that Rylee was able to come over and swim. Luckily, we had no pool issues this summer like we did last year. Thank goodness!
Paige did summer camp for a few weeks this summer. It was nice to get her out of the house during the week so she could socialize and have some fun. She adjusted very quickly, and it helped prepare her for kindergarten. She had a locker and ate lunch there. She amazes me all the time at how quickly she adapts to things. She is a different breed of Bertram.
Each week was a different theme, and the first week was water. She had fun on the inflatable slides and all the different water activities they had.
She was such a big girl walking to her classroom by herself even though she was nervous. I admire her bravery so much. It honestly made me feel a little sick each day dropping her off at a new place with new people. It is incredibly hard to "push" your kids into things, but she is definitely a kid who can handle it.
Brody has had to learn to adjust to being an only dog, and he's now spoiled rotten. He had never been alone since birth so he's getting all the love, cuddles, treats, and attention. I'm sure he misses Elliott, but he's doing really well for an only dog.
He just isn't too sure about all the cuddles that I give him...
I took Paige to see her first movie in the theatre. We went to see Peter Rabbit 2. I was hesitant to take her to a movie, because she talks a lot. You can't really talk and ask a hundred questions in the theatre, but she did really good. She loved the popcorn, candy, and reclining seats. It was also a really cute movie.
We finally let Ella get her hair cut off. She has been begging me months, and I kept putting it off. Although I loved her long hair, short hair is much easier for her to keep up with. It also looks pretty good on her so I wish I would have let her do it sooner.
Fourth of July rolled around which typically feels like the halfway point of summer. We watched the annual neighborhood parade, swam, and did fireworks at my parent's house. I'm not going to lie.. it was a rough day. Although some fun was had, it was tough.
Luckily it wasn't too terribly hot this year so we didn't die sitting outside. Some years it has been so hot you can't hardly handle sitting outside.
Paige sat and unraveled firecrackers. Her headphones are a lifesaver on the fourth!!
Mr. America holding roman candles that say not to hold them in your hands. I'm not sure how, but we have yet to have an injury on the fourth.
We were finally successful at lighting and releasing these lanterns. I love these and enjoy watching them float away.
On one of the hottest days in July we got a call that Adam's dad was in the hospital. They had bales of hay in the field that needed to be loaded into the barn. We all headed up there to help load and unload. It was HOT and HUMID, but we got it done. My legs were scratched, and I was itchy but it was a worthy cause I guess. ;)
Before we knew it, the last week of summer rolled around. Although I was happy, it's also hard sending them back to school.
We had some nice temperatures so Paige and I made some early morning trips to the playground.
We took advantage of a few more pool days...
We also went to Holiday World for one last hurrah before school started. This was the first time we had been in well over a year because of COVID.
Paige wanted to get a picture with the Santa statue this time to prove she wasn't scared anymore.
Paige hit up the kid rides while Ella and Autumn went to ride the Thunderbird. It was raining that morning, and we were drenched. That didn't stop the fun though!
After lunch, the rain stopped and the sun started shining. It was perfect weather for the waterpark.
Paige, Peep, and Autumn rode this slide multiple times. Paige is so brave. I won't even go down this thing.
It wouldn't be a trip to Holiday World without riding Frightful Falls. Paige said she was never riding it again. lol!
Summer 2021 is one to remember for sure. There were a lot of ups and downs (probably more downs than ups), but we made the best of it. Life is hard sometimes, and we all deal with tough times differently. Looking back, I learned a lot and learned a lot about myself. I can hopefully take those lessons and make next summer a little better.
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