Week in Rewind Volume 119

Welcome to volume 119 of the Week in Rewind with Midwest Life and Style. In each recap, I’ll share my most recent posts, favorite finds, and a collection of ideas, tips, and inspiration from other bloggers around the web.

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Week in Rewind Volume 119

Hey there, friend!

I feel like I owe you an explanation after kind of disappearing for the last few months. I’m ashamed to say I can’t remember the last time I shared a recap with you, so I had to look.

February. It was February!

In fact, it’s been so long since I’ve posted anything new that a friend of my husband’s, who follows along, even messaged asking if I was okay, which honestly is fair.

But I promise, I didn’t fall off the face of the planet, I’m still very much alive, and I’m still blogging.

Life has just been extremely busy for the past several months. Our oldest daughter, Peyton, was a senior this year, and if you’ve been there, you know. I was fully consumed by all things graduation planning and desperately trying to be present and enjoy the moment.

The lasts sneak up on you fast, and I didn’t want to miss a single one. But I’m happy to report now that we’ve survived graduation and summer has settled in, I’ll be back here more often.

So grab a drink, get comfy, and let’s catch up on what’s been going on here for the last few months.

Tidbits from Home

March

A Month of Celebrations

In early March, Peyton had a special signing day celebration with her club volleyball program, where they honored all of the seniors.

The celebration felt a little bittersweet since she didn’t get her final year of club competition after tearing her ACL back in September.

But watching her be recognized and celebrated made me so excited for what’s to come.

This girl has shown more perseverance than anyone I know, and I can’t wait to watch her play at the next level this fall at Missouri S&T.

Speaking of perseverance, she’s continued to make amazing strides in her PT and recovery, and in mid-March her surgeon cleared her to compete in track…. as a shot putter.

I can honestly say that shot put is not an event that any of us ever imagined on our bingo cards, and we got a few good laughs out of it. But considering we thought her high school career was over after her injury, we were just as thrilled that she got to put on a jersey one more time.

Taking the Stage

Our youngest daughter, Harper, also had her first show choir concert in March. Ever since I can remember, she’s loved singing and dancing. If there was ever something tailor-made for Harper, show choir is it!

She also performed in the All-City Band concert and did a wonderful job. She’s loving the saxophone and will be continuing in 7th grade, which makes this former saxophone-playing momma very happy!

April

The month of April was filled with track meets, road trips, and prom!

Track Season Recap

Watching Peyton compete in track this year and learn a brand new event was so much fun. She wasn’t the best out there, but she worked hard, improved a lot in a very short amount of time, and set PRs at almost every meet.

Most importantly, I think she proved once again that you can take a competitor out of sports, but you absolutely cannot take the competitor out of the athlete.

A Road Trip and a Moment We’d Been Waiting for

At the end of the month, we headed down to Missouri S&T for Peyton’s official visit and to meet her new coaching staff.

We had dinner with the whole team, visited with the head coach and players, and hit up all of our favorite spots in Rolla. (Side note: if you ever find yourself vacationing along historic Route 66, a stop at Soda and Scoops in Rolla is a must!)

It was also her first time on a volleyball court since she tore her ACL in September, which felt incredibly surreal and slightly terrifying. She was still limited in some drills, but just seeing her out there smiling again made my momma heart so happy.

She’s on track to be fully cleared to return to sport by early July, and we’re already mapping out our fall schedule to figure out which matches we can make it to.

Senior Prom

In April, Peyton also attended her first (and last) prom.

She missed last year’s prom due to an out-of-state club volleyball tournament, so I’m so glad she got to experience it at least once.

She looked absolutely beautiful and had the best time at the dance and post-prom festivities.

The First of the Lasts

To close out the month, Peyton had cap-and-gown photos taken, including solo shots and a few photo shoots with friends as well.

I’m happy to report that minimal tears were shed, but be sure to check in with me come August when we move her into the dorms. I’m not so confident we’ll have the same outcome.

May

They don’t call it Maycember for nothing, and with a senior, this year’s May calendar was extra packed.

A Month of Lasts

May was a month of lasts, starting with Peyton’s final honors convocation, including a special ceremony just for seniors to share their college plans, scholarships earned, and accomplishments.

Just before finals, the student council hosted a Senior Sunrise breakfast celebration. I honestly don’t remember anything like this being a thing when I was in high school, but I love that it is now.

It was a fun way for Peyton and her friends to celebrate together and make some last memories before they go their separate ways in August.

And then came the last day of school for both girls. We did what we always do, and they humored me with the traditional “last day” photos, but it wasn’t until later, looking back at them, that it really hit me.

It was the last time I’d get a photo of both girls together on the last day of school.

It didn’t fully register in the moment, but the reality of how much things are about to change around here is really starting to sink in.

The Final Meet

District track brought Peyton’s high school track career (and her high school sports career altogether) to a close. It wasn’t the senior season she had imagined by any stretch.

She had been looking forward to the long jump, triple jump, the 400, and the 4×4 relay, and none of that happened thanks to her knee injury.

But she got to compete, and on her very last throw, she PR’d by a whole foot, which felt like the most perfect way to go out.

A few days later, we attended her last-ever end-of-the-year sports banquet. She earned one final varsity letter (the eighth of her career) and also received the Knight Vision Award. This award is given to an athlete who exemplifies a positive, dedicated, and hard-working attitude and is recognized as a leader by her coaches and peers.

I can’t think of anyone more deserving this season. It would’ve been so easy to give up and quit, but through her injury and this entire year, she showed nothing but grit, grace, and determination.

We’ll miss these high school sports days more than I can say, but Harper has already declared she hopes to participate someday, so maybe our days at the track aren’t over just yet.

Harper’s Concerts

May also brought more music as Harper had her final 6th-grade band concert and then wrapped up the year with another show choir concert the weekend before graduation.

My mom even got to watch her show choir performance, which meant the world to Harper.

Graduation Weekend

And we wrapped up May with Peyton’s graduation celebration Memorial Day weekend.

She graduated on a Friday evening, and my husband, Kirk, volunteered as a faculty usher so he could be right there on the floor during the ceremony, which made it extra special.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude and was a member of NHS, and as her mom, I could not be more proud.

But more than any of that, she learned so much about herself, grew in her confidence and resiliency, formed incredible friendships, and learned lessons that I know will last long beyond her four years of high school.

Over the weekend, we were also blessed to have 17 extended family members in town to celebrate, including family from Colorado, Iowa, and her 92-year-old great-grandma from Minnesota!

It truly was a weekend we will never forget.

It Takes a Village (And Then Some)

What made the weekend so memorable was all the support from our family and friends. The entire celebration was a huge family effort, and we couldn’t have done it without them.

The day after the graduation ceremony, Kirk’s mom and stepdad graciously hosted a family BBQ at their Airbnb. It was nice to take a break from all the crazy party prep, relax, and enjoy some time together.

Beyond the 18 dozen cupcakes my mom baked for the party, she also made a three-tiered cake for the BBQ, which was absolutely stunning (and delicious!).

Peyton was also blessed with some incredibly thoughtful gifts over the weekend, including a custom-painted volleyball from my sister and brother-in-law, and a beautiful quilt made by Kirk’s grandma.

She is an incredibly talented quilter, and we have been lucky enough to receive several of her special quilts over the years. Both gifts, no doubt, will be making the trip with Peyton to her dorm room come August.

Graduation Party Recap

Sunday was the big party, and it truly took an army to pull it off. I cannot say enough about the family and friends who showed up and made it happen.

Moms are truly the best, aren’t they? And I’m so extra thankful for mine.

She spent multiple weekends helping with crafting, painting, and planting flowers, and then helped run the show on party day with setup, teardown, and keeping everything going smoothly behind the scenes.

My dad helped stain pallets and was the on-the-fly problem solver when the wind had other ideas and began blowing things over, and just generally being a nuisance during the party.

My brother-in-law, Greg, built the most incredible pallet backdrop to display some of Peyton’s jerseys and sports memorabilia, and he and my sister made the two-hour drive with a van packed full of tables and chairs from their event venue, saving us a fortune in rental fees.

They also did so much of the food prep the day prior, helping with both the bagel bar and washing and cutting fruit for the fruit tray display.

Kirk’s dad and stepmom helped with washing dishes, running errands, and setting up tents.

And Kirk. Kirk put up with every wild plan I had, spent countless hours getting our backyard ready for the big day, and generally just being the calm that my crazy needed.

I couldn’t have done any of it without this village, and I’m so grateful for every single one of them.

More to Come!

I have so much more to share about all the projects and details, but for now, here are a few photos from Peyton’s backyard graduation party.

Her guest book table was one of the first things we worked on and ended up being one of my favorite features, including her DIY vintage suitcase card box and a DIY globe guest book.

I became best friends with the print shop workers at my local Staples, and between all the craft supplies and last-minute party needs, I’m pretty sure I single-handedly paid for at least one month’s salary for our neighborhood Amazon delivery driver!

Peyton wanted a vintage, floral, and pastel-themed party, and I feel like all the special personalized touches really made her vision come to life.

The tri-fold window was a Facebook Marketplace find that worked perfectly for her memory and academic display table.

Here’s a look at the pallet display backdrop with her sports memorabilia.

And a peek at the centerpieces, along with the DIY paper fan photo backdrop.

And, of course, it wouldn’t be a party without food and all our fabulous family and friends!

Look for a full recap, along with more details on all our DIY projects here on the blog next spring!

P.S. I’m still recovering. The hangover is very real. My dining room is still buried in boxes, but I’ll get it all packed away just in time for it to be taken over by dorm stuff… ha!

What I’m Loving This Week

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Hosting and Entertaining Favorites

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Shop the Collections

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Recently on the Blog

After a three-month hiatus, I got back into the swing of things this week by updating an oldie but a goodie.

This creamy bacon ranch pasta salad recipe is one of the most popular recipes on my blog, month in and month out, and there’s a good reason why. It’s delish!

Covered in a creamy ranch dressing mix and tossed with crispy bacon and tender peas, this pasta salad is one that your family will ask for time and time again.

Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s the perfect side dish for potlucks, backyard cookouts, and even for a Father’s Day BBQ.

Coming Soon to MWLS

This month, I’ll be sharing more summer recipes, and hopefully a few things for the Fourth of July as well. And be sure to keep your eyes peeled for something extra fun coming in July!

Wrapping Up: The Week in Rewind Volume 119

Phew….thanks for hanging with me for this extra lengthy edition of the week in rewind. I promise to post here more regularly now that things have slowed down for the summer.

As always, thanks for following along! If you enjoy these posts, you can find past Week In Rewind posts here.

And… If you are catching up on blog posts you may have missed, be sure to subscribe to become part of the MWLS community and be the first to get all of the latest recipes, DIYs, decor tips, and more sent straight to your inbox.

Cheers,

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