Troyer Party of 9!

Well after 10 years of keeping this blog  I have finally run out of storage for photos and such so I've decided to start a new blog.  Continue to follow our story over at www.troyerpartyof9.blogspot.com.  There is also a link on the right side of this page that will send you to our new space!

COVID 19 - Week 11

DAY 71
Monday (5/25)  Today was Memorial Day and we had the whole family over to celebrate Aubrey and Maddie's birthday.  It was good to see everyone again.  The kids were especially excited to see their cousins.  We had pizza and instead of making smash cakes again I decided to serve ice cream.  The twins got their own ice cream bars which I knew was going to be messy but not sure if I pictured it quite this messy.

I can't believe how big all of these kiddos have gotten.

The birthday girls with great grandpa.

Let the mess making begin.

AUBREY

Aubrey liked the ice cream bar but was slightly more cautious than sis.

Maddie on the other hand was ALL IN!

 Loved having everyone over and the chance to celebrate our girls again.

DAY 72

Tuesday (5/26)  LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL!!!  These last days will be busy ones as the kids each has an awards night via ZOOM in the evening and Friday we need to go by school to drop off all of the curriculum we've borrowed.  The kids are really excited that this is their last week but honestly I'm not sure.  I'm excited to welcome a more laid back routine but also a little nervous.  Nothing is really open.  No libraries, no swim, none of the usual stuff we do in the summer and even if they were I don't think I could go anywhere alone with this crew of mine.  There are just too many variables right now between the sheer number of kids, to the twins being at a really difficult age, to Hazel and Evie being wild cards in terms of how well they are able to listen and follow directions.  I hate feeling this way but it doesn't feel manageable or realistic to think we would get out much in the best of circumstances.  I hate feeling like I can't handle my own life and yet that's how I feel right now.  I'm so overwhelmed and add to this the fact that we've already been home for what feels like summer break and it's left me pretty apprehensive about what summer will look and feel like.  I hope and pray our patience with one another lasts another 3 months and that we all have the extra creativity we'll need to make it fun.

Uncle Robert dropped these swings off for the girls the other day and we finally got them hung.  

This is why I'm exhausted.  I can laugh when Brandon and I are managing them together but it's not so funny all day every day.  Yet I know these days will pass all to quickly.  The saying the days are LONG but the years are short has never felt more true than it does right now.

This is an old song but I tell myself this so many times every day and every time I hear it come on I remember to take a deep breath and enjoy these days.

Tonight was Wyatt's award assembly!  Wyatt got the 100 Grand Award.  His generous and caring heart continues to define him and we are so proud of him for both his hard work this year and his big heart.

Here are some photos of Wyatt's year from the end of the year slide show.

Wyatt had some of the best class parties this year.  They earned a black light party and a Mario Cart party!

Christmas 2019

Spirit Week

Reading Buddies - Wyatt got to be with Brantley, Coles cousin.

DAY 73

Wednesday (5/27)  Today the kids had their final chapel of the year and Sadie had her award assembly.  

We loved this award for Sadie and the fact that her teachers seemed to really get to know her this year.  It showed that she's really opening up and letting her personality come out more and more at school and we think that is great!

DAY 74

Thursday (5/28)  Today was a big day.  We had a company come and take out the huge redwood tree in our front yard which seems to have been messing with the concrete in our garage for some time now.  It was sad to cut down such a huge tree but exciting to watch and we love how much its opened up our front yard.

Also, last but not least, Cooper had his award assembly tonight.  One boy and one girl in Cooper's class were chosen for the leadership award and Cooper was the boy.  We were very proud of him!

DAY 75

Friday (5/29)  Today the kids only had a little bit of work to do and Wyatt when on a virtual field trip which he thought was pretty awesome.  They went to Mars and Disneyland and a few other places.  He has some very talented and creative teachers.  

In the afternoon we made one last trip through the school pick-up line to wrap up our year.  When we pulled up there were bubbles and Otter Pops and then stations where we could drop off our borrowed Chromebook, library books, curriculum, etc.  The teachers really went above and beyond in making the end of the year as fun as possible.  Sadie and Wyatt's teachers will be coming by this weekend to drop off their awards but Cooper got to say good bye to his teachers today.

The twins continue to entertain us with their crib shenanigans.  They love passing the bunnies and blankets back and forth and surprisingly they rarely drop them.

This reminds me so much of a picture I have of Sadie that Robert took right before Wyatt was born.  Where does the time go???  Of course I can't find it but these girls look a lot like their big sister.

DAY 76

Saturday (5/30) Today it was more work on the bathroom.  DRYWALL!

Also today Sadies teachers came by to drop off her award and a little gift.  They had some really sweet things to say about our girl which made us very proud.

DAY 77

Sunday (5/31)  Today Wyatt's teachers came by.  They told all the kids at their last Zoom meeting that they would do one thing of their choice when they came by.  Wyatt thought and thought about what he wanted to do and finally landed on a Nerf gun war.

And Evie made her first outing since this whole crazy thing started with Daddy to Home Depot.

So I think we will wrap this up here.  Seems like as good an ending point as any as we've wrapped up the school year and the month of May this weekend.  I literally cannot comprehend that it's been 77 days since we have left this house to do anything other than pick up groceries or dinner through a drive through and it's perhaps even harder for me to believe that it's still not over.  Things are opening back up but life definitely isn't back to normal.  There is still so much division...so much unknown...so much mixed information and at the end of the day it really just makes me sad.  I don't know what to think or believe or do anymore.  It seemed so simple at first but now it all feels hard like there's no winning...no doing what's right...no agreeing...no together.  All I know is that I desperately want to do what is right.... to be a light... to teach my children to be selfless and to love others as Christ has called us to.  I know we won't do that perfectly.  In fact one of the hardest parts of this has been that it seems like in choosing to love one you end up hurting and making another feel judged.  So it kinda a loose loose.  It all feels futile and impossible and frustrating and lonely but we're doing the best we can and believe that God will honor that and that one day we'll look back on this season as a distant memory.