tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89496345601860571212024-03-06T01:02:35.135-06:00A Sweet Life with Buck & Chucka sweet life withB and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-45719625268055306442023-03-15T00:19:00.003-05:002023-03-15T10:35:52.485-05:00Our Fave Homeschool Resources! <p>I get questions daily about what we do and love for homeschool. Sharing our experiences is absolutely one of my favorite things to do. If you've spent any amount of time with me, you know I'm obsessed with homeschool life, so it's such a joy for me to share snippets of that with other families interested in doing life this way!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbzt16aETGudOkZJP-W5trbs7mwGLZ-kKqAdBmlxeVMvsnpu4MjAVYnLbzdqWH_Rn3DjCDkK-a90uCEPi5YRPRAO2A7pJAbLnVi9P2Vbhv-S5eNpRzfK6PhwSa5pnXHQWa3hwhNUqINl7JFz4yMVyCG934ou3lAjVkKUTErTYS5e4IU7HiJO1elZz5Q/s1920/6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAbzt16aETGudOkZJP-W5trbs7mwGLZ-kKqAdBmlxeVMvsnpu4MjAVYnLbzdqWH_Rn3DjCDkK-a90uCEPi5YRPRAO2A7pJAbLnVi9P2Vbhv-S5eNpRzfK6PhwSa5pnXHQWa3hwhNUqINl7JFz4yMVyCG934ou3lAjVkKUTErTYS5e4IU7HiJO1elZz5Q/w640-h360/6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>Hands down, the most overwhelming challenge for new homeschoolers is figuring out what curriculum to use. I get asked OFTEN about the resources we use in our home, so I decided to compile this year's resources here!</p><p>Disclaimer: our homeschool needs and structure are ever-changing. I adapt DAILY to our schedule, the kids' interests, and what I think is a priority for our home and their education. Being able to tailor their educational experience to their exact needs is magical (I could write a whole post about that). So don't be afraid to ditch what's not working, follow your kids' lead, and do what you know is best for them!</p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>How do I know what to teach?</b></p><p>The short version: I prioritize reading, math, and cc memory work. Everything else is based on what's interesting & meaningful to our family. My philosophy of education is that it doesn't entirely matter WHAT they learn, but that they know HOW to learn, and that they ENJOY doing so. We simply follow our interests and explore together! The goal is to inspire life-long learners!</p><p>This list is a brain-dump of resources we've dabbled in this year. Some we've used consistently and some for only short spurts (and I'm sure some are missing entirely). We definitely don't use all of these every day (or even every week!). I'll have to share separately on how I narrow down and plan each week!</p><p>For reference: Beckett is 9 (3rd grade) and Charlie is 7 (1st grade). Both kids generally work above grade level in their subjects. </p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>R E S O U R C E S</b></p><p><b>Classical Conversations</b></p><p><a href="https://classicalconversations.com/">Classical Conversations</a> (CC) serves as the spine of our homeschool journey. This is the program that will provide the bulk of their middle and high school education. My kids use their <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/foundations-memory-work-c2/id714463714">memory work app</a> daily. We attend community days (co-op) once a week, and field trip together about once per month. </p><p><b>St. Louis Homeschool Network</b></p><p><a href="https://www.homeschool-life.com/3175/index_public?Logout=1">SLHN</a> is an additional co-op we participate in. We don't attend their regular (twice monthly) in-person classes because I didn't want another consistent obligation, but we sign up for a lot of their online classes, field trips, and one-day workshops. We appreciate the diversity and class variety this group offers! </p><p><b>Math</b></p><p>We have used a variety of resources for math, and have worked hard to find a program that Beckett is passionate about. I cannot express enough how grateful we are for the option to ditch a curriculum or program that does not fit his learning style and preferences. After several tries, we've found a combination he loves! </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://beastacademy.com/">Beast Academy</a></b>: Beast serves as our primary math curriculum for both kids. It is targeted at math-minded kiddos who excel in the subject. It is ideal for confident readers, but can work for struggling or non-readers if the parent is willing and able to always work with them. The text book is graphic novel style, the videos are fantastic, and the practice set-up is phenomenal. We HIGHLY recommend this program. We use Beast 4-5 days per week. </li><li><b><a href="https://mathseeds.com/?_gl=1*1gx6os0*_ga*OTA5MDcxNjM1LjE2Njk4NzMzMTA.*_ga_HHKH11LVLM*MTY3ODgzMTQzNy4xNS4wLjE2Nzg4MzE0MzcuNjAuMC4w&_ga=2.136761584.1558898354.1678831437-909071635.1669873310">Math Seeds</a>: </b>Because we have a subscription to Reading Eggs, we try to make use of their Math Seeds program. This was Charlie's primary math program last year. She still uses this when she needs a break from Beast. Both kids use the Mental Minute feature a couple times per week for regular practice with math facts.</li><li><b><a href="https://d6437.paperpie.com/p/7814/multiplying-and-dividing-activity-book">Math Workbooks</a>: </b>Because the bulk of their schoolwork is done on screens, I try to incorporate breaks for their eyes and brains, and give them a chance to work those motor skills. I like <a href="https://d6437.paperpie.com/p/7814/multiplying-and-dividing-activity-book">these</a> workbooks from Usborne for basic math practice because they are colorful and fun, but thorough! We use these 2-3 days per week.</li><li><b><a href="https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/">Prodigy</a></b>: Prodigy is a fun, video-game like math website. My kid LOVE this. We generally only use it for extra, fun practice and is rarely assigned during the week, but it is a great little review game if your kids are wanting some screen time and you'd prefer it be educational!</li><li><b>Math Board Games</b>: We have a variety of math board games, mostly from <a href="https://simplyfun.com/collections/all-games?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=general&utm_content=responsive1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtsCgBhDEARIsAE7RYh0q0Mer6JtBFTGOigZZyrI99c1nRHQ5V7wgHlflLHR6v3lX4X8fhnAaAoCSEALw_wcB">Simply Fun</a>, that we incorporate when we can! Beckett's current favorite is Sumology and Charlie likes Hook' Em.</li><li><b>Classical Conversations</b> has a math strand with memory work they practice every day. We are so grateful for this memory work, as it has given the kids a phenomenal base for math skills! Even if you don't join CC, find yourself some skip counting songs! </li></ul><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp95_1JUNhKQVcLu8rl1lwRK-XRkN9BJI-3G5Nu-h5FtvL36KegiEbnSY_3eyA4zylaFG_poDyY2fg3BmdI3Hmnwhfbv3hiODwJr6cuUW88YhMFZu80xGad2c2dmHsYQlwJ-IiUkI65v9CgKyvdq3ePRmyHTEg1c0GiOrIJUNedZ2HMMmEknJorrEqog/s1920/7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp95_1JUNhKQVcLu8rl1lwRK-XRkN9BJI-3G5Nu-h5FtvL36KegiEbnSY_3eyA4zylaFG_poDyY2fg3BmdI3Hmnwhfbv3hiODwJr6cuUW88YhMFZu80xGad2c2dmHsYQlwJ-IiUkI65v9CgKyvdq3ePRmyHTEg1c0GiOrIJUNedZ2HMMmEknJorrEqog/w640-h360/7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><b>Reading</b></p><p>We tried using The Good and The Beautiful with both kids. I love their curricula! However, we really struggle with consistency when Mom has to facilitate every part of the day, so curriculum options that can be done relatively independently are so much more successful in this house! Don't be fooled... "independent" is still a lot of hands-on for mom, but it creates a lot more freedom to multitask (between two kids, housework, my own work, etc) than if I were also serving as primary instructor. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://readingeggs.com/?_gl=1*56clqq*_ga*OTA5MDcxNjM1LjE2Njk4NzMzMTA.*_ga_HHKH11LVLM*MTY3ODgzMzYzOC4xNi4xLjE2Nzg4MzM2NDEuNTcuMC4w&_ga=2.126802765.1558898354.1678831437-909071635.1669873310">Reading Eggs</a>:</b> both kids use Reading Eggs as their primary curriculum. I don't think it's as thorough as others out there, but it covers all of the basics (spelling, grammar, dictionary, comprehension, etc). Because my kids are voracious and confident readers, and because they'll get intense grammar & writing training through CC, I feel like this is enough practice for them right now. We use this 4-5 days per week.</li><li><b>Books!</b> This really should be at the top of the list. We. love. books. And we encourage lots and lots of reading. I rarely assign specific books to my kids, but sometimes I guide them. I keep a wall of books in our loft that are chosen to support topics we're studying, we have a full library, and both kids keep a plethora of books in their rooms. We read aloud as a family, and love audiobooks as well. Raising readers is a GAME CHANGER. If you do nothing else as a homeschool parent, figure out how to inspire a love of books in your home, and they'll be off to a strong start!</li></ul><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNjiYHI6mUqbXpo48YbIT6sgH0jKuJWeORi5FW_cqIUoBEidxvfJufNmKErxYutAo6lAicpJC1j8ubGYxZJOGmYJSzPPHeWauPy5cDuh1CsxQLZYhouzQfr3NYNr2O8a9tRo3bQfCADppDRUzq3mosDstoxYs7-jnALud6M2yDwv9Vxio8LlrssvKWA/s1920/10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNjiYHI6mUqbXpo48YbIT6sgH0jKuJWeORi5FW_cqIUoBEidxvfJufNmKErxYutAo6lAicpJC1j8ubGYxZJOGmYJSzPPHeWauPy5cDuh1CsxQLZYhouzQfr3NYNr2O8a9tRo3bQfCADppDRUzq3mosDstoxYs7-jnALud6M2yDwv9Vxio8LlrssvKWA/w640-h360/10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><b><p><b>Geography</b></p></b><p></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Classical Conversations</b> has weekly memory work for geography. Eventually, they'll be able to draw the entire world to scale and label all of the countries, major landforms, bodies of water, etc.</li><li><b><a href="https://www.seterra.com/">Seterra</a></b>: this is an app we've found relatively recently and is a total game changer. It's free, very thorough, and the kids love it! I assign them one continent or region at a time and they practice for about 5-7 minutes per day. </li><li><b>SLHN</b>: Beckett is taking an online 50 States class through SLHN this year! </li></ul><p></p><p><b>History</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Classical Conversations</b> has two strands of history memory work. They memorize one history sentence per week about an important fact, event, person, etc. (There are three cycles of memory work, then they repeat). They also memorize a 161-point timeline of history + all of the presidents in chronological order. (This part repeats every year). As they get older (next year for Beckett), they'll dig deeper into the history with history-based writing assignments, then speeches, etc. </li><li><b><a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/">The Good and the Beautiful</a></b>: I LOVE the way TGATB history is set up. If we had more time and space in our days, we would be using this curriculum! We have dabbled in it, but struggle with consistency, so have set it aside it for now. However, if you're looking for a beautiful open-and-go curriculum, start here! </li><li><b>Picture Books:</b> Books.. books... more books! We love learning history through picture books. Each year, I do a massive haul from <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/">Thriftbooks</a> to help create a wall of beautiful and diverse history books that align with their memory work or whatever we're interested in. I recommend checking out <a href="https://readaloudrevival.com/">Read-Aloud Revival</a>, <a href="https://heritagemom.com/">The Heritage Mom</a>, and <a href="https://www.bfbooks.com/">Beautiful Feet Books</a> for ideas of quality books to support your studies. </li><li><b>Audiobooks:</b> Audiobooks are such a fantastic way to get in rich literature on the go. Our family has gone through phases of being really intentional with audiobooks, and forgetting about them altogether. They're great for in the car, while you're doing art/puzzles/lego/chores, or listening to at bedtime!</li><li><b><a href="https://welltrainedmind.com/c/series/the-story-of-the-world/">Story of the World</a>:</b> this is another one we only turn on occasionally, but LOVE when we use it! Our family ONLY uses the audiobook version, and my kids love it! I've heard good reviews from other family who use the hard copy and do the activities, but I like the simplicity of just hearing the audio, jam-packed with great history to devour. </li><li><b><a href="https://outschool.com/?signup=true&usid=iQor5Y1t&utm_campaign=share_invite_link">Outschool</a></b>: Outschool is a fantastic resource with a plethora of fantastic classes. My kids have taken so many. Currently, Beckett is taking a <a href="https://outschool.com/classes/early-united-states-history-a-historical-book-club-GGxAivRc?sectionUid=566b4a35-fc49-4741-a91c-853b100e21d5&showDetails=true&usid=iQor5Y1t&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link">history book club</a>, using the Who Was books. If you're checking it out for the first time, use <a href="https://outschool.com/?signup=true&usid=iQor5Y1t&utm_campaign=share_invite_link">this link</a> for $20 off your first class!</li><li><b>Videos, shows, podcasts, and documentaries galore: </b>we have a variety of resources we love for videos & podcasts. We use Brainpop, Curiosity Stream, TedEd, Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, Amazon, etc for videos. We use Apple's Podcast apps for podcasts, but specifically love <a href="https://angelaodell.com/real-cool-history-for-kids-episodes-chronological-order/">Real Cool History</a>. There are SO MANY incredible resources out there, you'll have so much fun searching around & seeing what you can find!</li></ul><b><div><b><br /></b></div>STE[M]</b><p></p><p>For science, I used to attempt to study whatever aligned with what we were doing in CC. This year, I decided to let Beckett choose the area(s) of study based on his current interests, and it's been the best decision I've ever made! He chose Chemistry and Coding, with a splash of Engineering. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Classical Conversations </b>has weekly science memory work. It will get more in depth as they get older. They also do a science experiment every week on Community Day.</li><li><b><a href="https://www.goodandbeautiful.com/">The Good and the Beautiful</a></b>: again, we love TGATB. I particularly love this curriculum because it reinforces that God and Science are not mutually exclusive (in addition to being beautiful and thorough!). This year, we're working through Chemistry. We are working SLOWLY through this curriculum, and doing a lot of fun supplemental chem activities in between. The goal is to do one lesson per week, but it's turned out to be closer to once every other week, if that.</li><li><b>Supplemental Goodies</b>: Whenever I do a science unit, I compile a list of resources to enhance that unit. <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K8p1cVrIYDY7x4lMhE5vbmVvl7YPckVCFMXDuWTEPnw/edit?usp=sharing">This is the example for Chemistry</a>! Keep in mind that many of these books and tools have been gathered and gifted over years and not purchased all at once! (In the book list, <u>Disappearing Spoon</u> is our current audiobook!). </li><li><b><a href="https://outschool.com/?signup=true&usid=iQor5Y1t&utm_campaign=share_invite_link">Outschool</a></b>: Beckett has taken multiple science classes through Outschool. Currently he is taking both a <a href="https://outschool.com/classes/weekly-minecraft-coding-beginner-fun-learn-to-code-with-new-projects-every-week-HYhEqveh?sectionUid=f23d49f8-ee41-49c3-bc7e-fe52b8f593d8&showDetails=true&usid=iQor5Y1t&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link">Minecraft Coding</a> and a <a href="https://outschool.com/classes/chemistry-in-minecraft-build-a-science-lab-and-create-more-chemical-reactions-5qgBQbTb?sectionUid=db911b28-837d-4618-b31f-ddb746edd68d&showDetails=true&usid=iQor5Y1t&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link">Chemistry in Minecraft</a> class. </li><li><b>Lego Engineering Clubs:</b> for the first year, the kids participated in <a href="https://www.firstlegoleague.org/">First Lego League</a>. It was a great experience! Beckett has also just joined a <a href="https://www.bricks4kidz.com/home/">Bricks 4 Kidz</a> after school club at one of our local schools!</li><li><b><a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAFXT9TkjIM/CH_1pkL-fh6142H_PHw3BQ/view?utm_content=DAFXT9TkjIM&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink&mode=preview">Grab Bag Checklists</a>:</b> This year, I decided to try something new with our sciences. Because we have collected so many neat resources over the years, and because it's difficult (and too calculated) to try to intentionally schedule them each into our days, I created these grab bag checklists. They have each of the cool resources we have on hand and that are appropriate ways for Beckett to learn and explore his subjects. When I'm planning out our week, I plug "Chemistry Grab Bag" or "Coding Grab Bag" into his days wherever they fit. Then when those times come around, he can choose whichever activity he's interested in. This gives him the freedom of choice, and relieves me of the decision-making!</li></ul><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.canva.com/design/DAFXT9TkjIM/CH_1pkL-fh6142H_PHw3BQ/view?utm_content=DAFXT9TkjIM&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink&mode=preview" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2p75lmYsWPjErtxONBqOl4ZLiYQkWAAxZr_nT6pR7tyhWUR9sx_IfeUBVDZ2ntENYVPKFgq-Rf7E2LdgOZYdI311xvSkKJ1TwRkRS83A-QuC_NRxJeUjxouTknTZjpPVe6FVP_aTsA_frNBegbBnYQZa1wJ2Q6-y0SuD_69_gDeoWTzbPHavkLlwu2A/w640-h360/MONDAY%20(6).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><b>Latin</b></p><p>I have gone back and forth on whether or not to do supplemental Latin work at home with my kids. They LOVE doing it, and I'm very excited for them to learn Latin. But it's one more thing to fit into a schedule (and I am committed to not over-scheduling!). Because I know the kids will get a thorough Latin education in their later years in CC, we have been extremely lax with our Latin studies this year, but we hop back in whenever we have time and energy!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Classical Conversations </b>has weekly Latin memory work. The kids do this daily. When they get to middle school, it'll get significantly more in depth. </li><li><b><a href="https://classicalacademicpress.com/collections/song-school-latin">Song School Latin</a></b> is adorable and my kids loooove it. </li><li><b><a href="https://www.duolingo.com/">DuoLingo</a> </b>is free and Beckett really enjoys it. Plus it's completely independent!</li><li><b>SLHN</b> offered an online Latin class that Beckett took this past fall!</li></ul><p></p><p><b>Grammar & Writing</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Classical Conversations</b> has weekly memory work for English/Grammar. They do this daily.</li><li><b>Reading Eggs </b>covers some grammar. </li><li><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3JCaGlr">Fix It Grammar</a>:</b> Because Beckett will use IEW next year in Essentials (CC), I decided to give him a jumpstart on his grammar skills using Fix It. We have been SO HAPPY with this curriculum. It's relatively quick and easy each day, but thorough! He does this 4 days per week, unless we are traveling. </li><li><b>Writing Workbook</b>: Charlie is still working on handwriting skills, so I chose <a href="https://amzn.to/3LnClYE">this adorable writing workbook</a> just because it's cute and I knew she'd love it. We call it "unicorn writing" and she does it 4-5 days per week, unless we're traveling. </li><li><b><a href="http://Typing.com">Typing.com</a></b>: because Beckett has always had an aversion to hand writing (and most fine motor skills), we've tried to be intentional about introducing him to typing. He uses typing.com for practice. The goal has been to do it about 3 times per week, but I've recently cut it from his schedule and decided to make it a part of his daily morning routine this coming summer.</li><li><b><a href="https://www.nightzookeeper.com/">Night Zookeeper</a></b>: at the beginning of the year, we were really consistent with this, but have taken a step back. The kids really enjoyed it, but I decided narrative writing wasn't a priority right now (it's in their long term plan) so it hasn't been something we've chosen to continue with on a regular basis. Charlie writes stories for fun all the time, which I much prefer over facilitated writing anyway!</li></ul><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqtFvcSPFigYVx0C0g1HXxkNvYjeYqTlQdjPEkpvK1Cg2LtblJQEWlO4mM38PRIPEswf3U6Jxj7230akZCfRRaBEKYDRSNNCoLgHRRchnSYdzLx9CThGI_gXSMlXb1xvqJSFhiQsUABR2mRcGyp48-eX8GqszDCowCLiCXYxb-DH0YapRUbZRQVzAow/s1920/9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqtFvcSPFigYVx0C0g1HXxkNvYjeYqTlQdjPEkpvK1Cg2LtblJQEWlO4mM38PRIPEswf3U6Jxj7230akZCfRRaBEKYDRSNNCoLgHRRchnSYdzLx9CThGI_gXSMlXb1xvqJSFhiQsUABR2mRcGyp48-eX8GqszDCowCLiCXYxb-DH0YapRUbZRQVzAow/w640-h360/9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><b>Bible</b></div><p>I've tossed back and forth with what I want to do for Bible with my kids. So far, I've decided not to do a structured curriculum. I want them to know the Bible thoroughly, but it's important to me that it's not presented as an item on a to do list, or as part of a list of assignments. Here's what we're currently using in our home. </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://youtu.be/GIg4_MNOlUk">Genesis Song</a>: </b>For CC this year, we are memorizing the first chapter of Genesis. <a href="https://youtu.be/GIg4_MNOlUk">This</a> is the song we are using.<b> </b></li><li><b><a href="https://spiralbible.com/products/spiral-bible%E2%84%A2-for-kids-the-book-of-exodus">Spiral Bible</a>: </b>Charlie has this, and it's so beautiful. It has been a great way to review stories and let her dabble in note taking in her Bible. She does it when she feels like it, not as part of an assignment.</li><li><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3yHyoqh">I Am Bible Story Book</a> </b>and <b><a href="https://amzn.to/3YQLXhH">I AM Devotional Book</a>: </b>These are so neat. These are the books that Mom is attempting to work through with the kiddos. There are 40 Bible stories in the Bible story book, and then several devotions in the second book to go along with each story/name. I love the formatting. Admittedly, I have struggled with consistency on this, but the goal is to do a story OR devotion each morning. </li><li><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3Te8e80">Action Bible</a>:</b> This has been the best investment for us. Beckett loves graphic novels, and loves the Bible. This combo is genius. He reads this all. the. time. I've never had to assign it, it's just come naturally. He's read all the way through (over 800 pages) once already and is almost half way through a second time. I love this thing so dang much!</li><li><b>Nighttime Devotionals</b>: Brian is really fantastic at being consistent with the kids' nighttime devotionals. They each have their own he does with them individually. Charlie is working through <a href="https://amzn.to/3mPf2Nc">this</a> for the second time through. Beckett is working through <a href="https://amzn.to/3yF5Uxu">this</a> for the second time through.</li><p></p></ul><b>Extras</b><p></p><div>We can't forget the electives and extracurriculars!!</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Beckett plays sports through the local Catholic league. He's made buddies with the third grade boys at the local Catholic school and has played soccer and basketball with them so far this year. He starts baseball with the same boys this month! (As a homeschool family, you also often have the option of playing sports with - and receiving therapy/services from - the public school you are zoned for.)</li><li>Charlie has played with the same (county/rec) soccer team for 4 years now. They will be moving to a club together in the fall. This year, they also played basketball together though a local church (similar to <a href="https://www.upward.org/">Upward</a>). </li><li>Charlie does gymnastics and Beckett does Ninja Warrior at the same gymnastics gym.</li><li>Beckett takes an online Chess class that was set up through SLHN. </li><li>Charlie takes an art class on <a href="https://outschool.com/?signup=true&usid=iQor5Y1t&utm_campaign=share_invite_link">Outschool</a>. (This is extra fun because her cousins in Dallas are in the same class!)</li><li>Beckett takes piano with an awesome teacher who comes to our house every week (we got so lucky with her!). </li></ul><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RzJuZKxfR_ZJSz2GgFs5Q_nWKjf8kydyXC1cHZwAhh5IFdESEW1OjMH47YeXwdin8M6Gw6UciQPda8HDY91Zv-KvF0p4-qG0FwvjwFbYJSHHmzlUxgH3arr6qVnc8umsv8JTlOGGbpqiZ7FZUAydyiIVmvkwk4yEVE8ebGBQa9ljHjen-eZs5QOhmA/s1920/8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1RzJuZKxfR_ZJSz2GgFs5Q_nWKjf8kydyXC1cHZwAhh5IFdESEW1OjMH47YeXwdin8M6Gw6UciQPda8HDY91Zv-KvF0p4-qG0FwvjwFbYJSHHmzlUxgH3arr6qVnc8umsv8JTlOGGbpqiZ7FZUAydyiIVmvkwk4yEVE8ebGBQa9ljHjen-eZs5QOhmA/w640-h360/8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>And that's a wrap!! I know this list is loooonnnggg. We like variety! But if you're just starting off, my biggest piece of advice is to KEEP IT SIMPLE (trust me: easier said than done). </div></div><div><br /></div><div>I'd love to hear your thoughts and questions! Send them my way anytime!</div>B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-31267436967234688502022-11-28T14:35:00.509-06:002022-12-14T00:16:29.087-06:00Christmas Letter 2022<p style="text-align: left;">Merry Christmas, sweet Friends & Family! I'm so glad you found your way to our little corner of the Internet. This is the space where I've tried to maintain a record of life and memories. It's not quite as nostalgic as old fashioned scrapbooks and journals, and there are definitely major gaps (consistency is not one of my spiritual gifts), but we sure do love looking back on the memories we've managed to document here!</p><p style="text-align: left;">This year has been yet another full of adventure. Neither Brian or I seem to be able to sit still too long, but both in our own way. Brian is always challenging our family to grow in some area or another; and I'm always saying yes to invitations and adventures (although I'm a total homebody in between)! Between the two of us, we keep our crew living our best lives - and I wouldn't have it any other way! </p><p style="text-align: left;">Here's the rundown of life updates! </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>B U C K A N D C H U C K</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">You all know that these two mini humans are the best thing that have ever happened to us, and they only get more amazing with age. The independence of older kiddos, combined with very sweet and fun personalities, is making parenting these two so dang fun. Of course, there are PLENTY of challenges, but we're grateful that each year with them is our new favorite ever. </p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDmLDrdTJKGKjflFHYoyM_qTLWYI50m1bmQTWWRm-Ep3_rhQ8N1al9RuoC1PLtKJDYO1KzT1y7DHnWgjic_P3zsj2529JjmJfm1oOIh8z7WZh_Ar2QRoG316SZVdNvdyFhJSloiiVreZlNRCkBI8_s3cGUwBix1JhmGaFJiUVGM3BlVrec-SquTAtCQ/s1920/MONDAY%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDmLDrdTJKGKjflFHYoyM_qTLWYI50m1bmQTWWRm-Ep3_rhQ8N1al9RuoC1PLtKJDYO1KzT1y7DHnWgjic_P3zsj2529JjmJfm1oOIh8z7WZh_Ar2QRoG316SZVdNvdyFhJSloiiVreZlNRCkBI8_s3cGUwBix1JhmGaFJiUVGM3BlVrec-SquTAtCQ/w640-h360/MONDAY%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Recently, I was completing a writing assignment/journal entry for my therapist (more on that later!) on my personal parent goals and I was so grateful to reflect on what I wrote, and how intentional we've been about striving to meet those goals, that I wanted to share an exerpt here. I share mostly so that <i><u>I</u></i> remember, but also in case it inspires or encourages any family and friends to reflect on how you're meeting your own parenting goals. In writing this, I realized that many of the things I stress about on a daily basis are not worth my anxiety, and that the things that <u>matter</u> really have remained a priority in our home. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, Arial, sans-serif;"><i>I know that I want to have strong relationships with my kids. I want to hear their hearts and for them to KNOW they're heard. That what they think is important to me, and that I'm always on their side (even if that means correcting them because I want what's best for them).</i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, Arial, sans-serif;"><i>I want them to feel confident. To grow up in a home that empowers and encourages them to be their best selves, and to not feel the need to compare themselves against anyone else. To know they are amazing and celebrated just the way they are.</i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, Arial, sans-serif;"><i>I want their childhood to be full of play and adventure. I want it to be CALM and peaceful. Gentle and slow.</i></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: Lato, Arial, sans-serif;"><i>I want them to know and love Jesus. I want them to know their parents know and love Jesus.</i></p><p style="text-align: left;"><i><span face="Lato, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">I want them to see a healthy marriage. To know without a doubt that their parents are absolutely best friends and ridiculously infatuated with each other.</span> </i></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5TCKI922BD8kynK9xBNv7FAehGw4vO5_DUuebOvhDkjqOSV37PXokVxIis2bvkl8PN9LNO53KtHigUXlZMAVQU979Aj5AGDxlvmxyyxuEpDabYaTi94fbfif4tJQTaru6IYDyGMB1ZkepfSaRoBvMKCNTHiiSoc_IcGaIppokPYmeJFZFs_PaHpvjA/s1920/MONDAY.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5TCKI922BD8kynK9xBNv7FAehGw4vO5_DUuebOvhDkjqOSV37PXokVxIis2bvkl8PN9LNO53KtHigUXlZMAVQU979Aj5AGDxlvmxyyxuEpDabYaTi94fbfif4tJQTaru6IYDyGMB1ZkepfSaRoBvMKCNTHiiSoc_IcGaIppokPYmeJFZFs_PaHpvjA/w640-h360/MONDAY.png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>We're on our fourth official year of homeschooling and we fall more in love every year. We can't imagine another way of doing life. The kids and I have fallen into routines that work well for our family. We have so much flexibility in our days, and are able to spend a lot of time living a life we've dreamed of for them, and striving to meet those goals I wrote about.<div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As I write this, Charlie is laying next to me in her Christmas pajamas, working through her reading lesson. She interrupts me as needed, but is able to work mostly on her own (thankful for awesome technology!). Beckett is upstairs, reading another book instead of knocking out his grammar lesson. This is an ongoing battle in our house, and one that I'm not even a little bit sad about. The amount this kid has learned from just constantly reading is AMAZING, and the fact that he has the time and freedom to just devour as many books as he'd like makes me weepy with gratitude. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyqL0DYGabtVy9zDoAb9o7cYu9o2ODCcajQyRDQH-EcSPq0IhmVJVapF0IAKbo6G_a95snOeU0ZkOvFaEFkE7dFDRa5fWSMQfxctsz38EmKo4z9qbiMx2R-cnCbZr6SgntzSrhddD_gNDWesiNpIq3Nz6neyKa3O_gWbEtoypGni1vnUFD46ya5E6Eg/s1920/MONDAY%20(1).png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSyqL0DYGabtVy9zDoAb9o7cYu9o2ODCcajQyRDQH-EcSPq0IhmVJVapF0IAKbo6G_a95snOeU0ZkOvFaEFkE7dFDRa5fWSMQfxctsz38EmKo4z9qbiMx2R-cnCbZr6SgntzSrhddD_gNDWesiNpIq3Nz6neyKa3O_gWbEtoypGni1vnUFD46ya5E6Eg/w640-h360/MONDAY%20(1).png" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Beckett has always been our quiet, logical, smarty pants kid. As he gets older, he's finding his goofy boy side, which is equally entertaining and challenging at times! He's confident, kind, and genuinely LOVES his family deeply. He gets his servant heart, ability to have a conversation with ANYONE, analytical thinking, curiosity, bravery, and his light & carefree demeanor all from his awesome dad. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">From mom, he gets a love of books and a nice tan... to which I say YOU'RE WELCOME. ;) </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lCezNQQrH-QnWlKmriSIva6V05M5T8JzukRCOe6y8meWMmL6jQwp5j81xKiVXaCAprYvwF_qk7mdOtb4NdlG6NaLpicdpXsYqnsFhltPFt1IXL5WT0eQvMBVpjeCsuZzcIHXLkiNMKg8bEjxTnsjVgyFEIdhovMMZYbQZU2aSYfvXeEet89QDIicjA/s1920/MONDAY%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lCezNQQrH-QnWlKmriSIva6V05M5T8JzukRCOe6y8meWMmL6jQwp5j81xKiVXaCAprYvwF_qk7mdOtb4NdlG6NaLpicdpXsYqnsFhltPFt1IXL5WT0eQvMBVpjeCsuZzcIHXLkiNMKg8bEjxTnsjVgyFEIdhovMMZYbQZU2aSYfvXeEet89QDIicjA/w640-h360/MONDAY%20(3).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">One of my favorite things about this kid is that he is always willing to try new things. This year, he's dabbled in tae kwon do, soccer, ninja warrior, tennis, chess, coding, Latin, piano, and engineering; among other things. He says that of this list, his top favorites are ninja warrior, tennis, and coding. He's decided that soccer, on the other hand, is not for him and doesn't plan to play another season. His parents totally support this choice (no offense, kid). His energy on the field definitely doesn't match his enthusiasm in other areas of his life, so we're moving on!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This year, I thought it would be fun to interview each family member with the same list of questions. Here's Beckett's interview!</div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What was your favorite part of this year? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Getting to see Connor again</span></p></span></span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c6998556-7fff-aee6-8302-e1ed11831766"></span><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the thing you’re most grateful for this year?</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Family </span></p></span></span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span></span><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is one prayer you have for the Christmas season? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">That nobody gets hurt. </span></p></span></span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span></span><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who is your best friend? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brady Holke </span></p></span></span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span></span><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your favorite place we’ve traveled to this year? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">California, because we got to meet Orleatha and I got a new friend (Orleatha’s neighbor).</span></p></span></span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span></span><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the hardest thing you’ve accomplished this year? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It was kind of tricky to finish some of my piano books. I’ve finished two new piano books since winter!</span></p></span></span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span></span><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your current favorite hobby or pastime? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Either reading books or playing video games. Reading books is my happy place. If I get angry or something, I can just go up to my room, read for a little bit, and I won’t be very mad anymore after like half an hour. </span></p></span></span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span></span><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your favorite part of your day every day? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hanging out with mom. </span></span></span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">My favorite thing about Charlie is her intense creativity and imagination! She is just a ball of joy, and she has the absolute best giggles. She loves all things girlie: unicorns, rainbows, baby dolls, crafts, pink, glitter, the cheesiest girlie music. She is my mini me in so many ways. She's extra, ya'll. She knows how to get what she wants. She loooves lists and itineraries. She's extremely cautious, doesn't like change, and is overwhelmed by too many people. On the other hand, she's incredibly affectionate and thoughtful, and she feels deeply. She's amazing. In more ways than anyone reading this could ever know. She's most herself at home or in small groups of people she's very comfortable around, so very few people get the true treat of REALLY seeing this girl shine. I'm so grateful to be in her inner circle. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0rWvkekWALG05InfS5FplGSpBjvWSa_-Naj1GSkJdPq9uLhSDKh-u10lZor76B64m6YVSLTnc8HBnzPDFxwheqL-Ijq37lw3ke242aE1AG65u-tzQeh2wkJ6cM-ssso2syO58sJ_dA6b50TEJ4YkCF_wxIPfC-PRiVoR2NnjoSuOSoeAaiP7BW2Ptw/s1920/MONDAY%20(5).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU0rWvkekWALG05InfS5FplGSpBjvWSa_-Naj1GSkJdPq9uLhSDKh-u10lZor76B64m6YVSLTnc8HBnzPDFxwheqL-Ijq37lw3ke242aE1AG65u-tzQeh2wkJ6cM-ssso2syO58sJ_dA6b50TEJ4YkCF_wxIPfC-PRiVoR2NnjoSuOSoeAaiP7BW2Ptw/w640-h360/MONDAY%20(5).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Charlie is a creature of habit and NOT interested in lots of variety and change, so she's been consistent in her hobbies and preferences. She spends a LOT of time with her dolls, putting that incredible imagination to good use. Most of the time, you'll find her in a fully-immersed conversation with a baby doll, LOL doll, Barbie, or Lego Minifigure. She also still plays soccer with her Ladybugs - who have now been together almost HALF of her life - and she still does gymnastics every week. She LOVES both. We've consistently offered new opportunities, but she knows what she likes! This year, we have convinced her to give basketball a try, but she's extremely apprehensive. She'll be playing with a team of primarily Ladybugs (her soccer team), so hopefully she enjoys her experience! Only time will tell. <div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div>Here's Charlie's interview!</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What was your favorite part of this year? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our trip to California, because we got to go to Legoland and Disneyland.</span></p></span></span></div></blockquote><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-64f85382-7fff-5dcd-1137-c1c839ec2ba0"></span><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the thing you’re most grateful for this year? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My Home</span></span></p></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p></span><span><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is one prayer you have for the Christmas season?</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> That nobody gets hurt</span></span></p></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p></span><span><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who is your best friend? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I don’t have a best friend. There’s too many people that I like!</span></span></p></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p></span><span><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your favorite place we’ve traveled to this year? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Disneyland</span></span></p></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p></span><span><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the hardest thing you’ve accomplished this year? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s a lot of things that I’ve accomplished this year that have been super hard, because I’m scared of a lot of things! </span></span></p></span></div></blockquote><div><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your current favorite hobby or pastime? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Playing with Avaya</span></span></p></span></div></blockquote><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p></span><span><br /></span></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your favorite part of your day every day? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Playing with my dolls, because I basically play with my dolls every day. I’m counting Legos [MiniFigs] as dolls. </span></span></p></span></div></blockquote><div><span><div><span face="Montserrat, sans-serif" style="font-size: 10pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div></span><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>W O R K</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">When I think about attempting to summarize the work part of our life, I chuckle a little bit. Brian keeps the business side of things ever-changing and always interesting. He's so full of energy and so incredibly brave that I cannot at all comprehend how he musters it all, but boy am I grateful he chose me as his partner in life and adventure. It's been an epic ride. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3S3SExhBLXxtK_A4KnFxi8CCHpNbMeDWf6sdICzSQ0D8zLdNLubXjlxys80l_gboEpRV6oYXw1JhCRQhabNrXOi7tyW3qujRSo2AJvg87uDpJlauCoML0b_VcM7WRHQfAekZm9IowV0k6IxIxP7aBvlTvSClud8XkWlPS8idqN2IUxFmPo2uUu35oQ/s1080/Cream%20Minimalist%20Thanksgiving%20Instagram%20Post.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3S3SExhBLXxtK_A4KnFxi8CCHpNbMeDWf6sdICzSQ0D8zLdNLubXjlxys80l_gboEpRV6oYXw1JhCRQhabNrXOi7tyW3qujRSo2AJvg87uDpJlauCoML0b_VcM7WRHQfAekZm9IowV0k6IxIxP7aBvlTvSClud8XkWlPS8idqN2IUxFmPo2uUu35oQ/w257-h257/Cream%20Minimalist%20Thanksgiving%20Instagram%20Post.png" width="257" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This season, we're finally wrapping up an extremely long and trying time with some drama we've had to navigate (lawyers and lawsuits and liars, oh my!). It's been very hard and very frustrating, but Brian has managed to continue to lead our family and teams with grace, integrity, and the most amazing calming presence. He's a unicorn, I swear. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This picture is one of my favorites ever. He sent it to me after depositions one day. I love it because he RARELY lets on to how much pressure he carries, and then when he chooses to share (notice the sweat), it's in a light and funny way (whereas I would definitely be crying and complaining and whining about how unfair it all is).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">But there's finally a light at the end of the tunnel, so please pray for our family as we finally walk away from a season of poopity poop poop. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">In other news: It's now been seven years since he launched All American Calendars (now Law Enforcement Services) and it's still going great. We're so thankful for the most amazing team who we love deeply. This year, we finally signed the papers to acquire (buy) a similar company from a sweet friend who is looking to retire. This is such an exciting development as we continue to grow the company we love. Brian has worked so hard to expand his relationship and opportunities to serve our Law Enforcement well. It's a very cool industry to be a part of, and we're super grateful for our tiny part in serving. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We also just celebrated four years with the real estate company that we share with my brother. Brian and DJ have had a few entertaining years of trial and error as they figure out what in the world it looks like to grow a successful portfolio, but they've been brave, hard working, and willing to learn. Again - so dang impressive! I'm simultaneously jealous of and inspired by their willingness to take risks and try [what I think are] TERRIFYING things. But here we are: with 21 additional rental properties in the last two years, and now they're letting Brittany and me work on our first (and maybe last? lol) house flip!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And if all that weren't enough, Brian had a new idea and dream... so we've got a brand new adventure headed your way in 2023! We bought a building! And a web domain! We have lawyers! And supplies! This one's exciting, guys.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Want to follow along? Find us on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/topshotvgr/" target="_blank">HERE</a> or Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TopShotVGR" target="_blank">HERE</a>. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Way more on that later. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Here's Brian's Interview! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-05e71f69-7fff-4fdf-2f5c-e49c80fd934e"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What was your favorite part of this year? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Going to the Akers’ Lakehouse.</span></span></p></span></div></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-05e71f69-7fff-4fdf-2f5c-e49c80fd934e"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p></span><span><br /></span></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the thing you’re most grateful for this year? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with the lawsuit. </span></span></p></span></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is one prayer you have for the Christmas season?</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> That we get some answers for Baby Ben.</span></span></p></span></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who is your best friend? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Josh Frey.</span></span></p></span></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p></span><span><br /></span></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your favorite place we’ve traveled to this year? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Niagara Falls</span></span></p></span></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p></span><span><br /></span></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the hardest thing you’ve accomplished this year? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Resisting the urge to hire an assassin. </span></span></p></span></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your current favorite hobby or pastime? </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dreaming about my new business.</span></span></p></span></div></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">What is your favorite part of your day every day? </span></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Devos with the kids at night. </span></span></span></div></div></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>T R A V E L</b></p><p style="text-align: left;">Anyone who knows us at all knows how much of a priority travel is in our lives. It's a major reason we homeschool, a huge part of our annual budget, and something we spend a giant chunk of our time planning and executing. We LOVE being on the go (which is funny, cuz we also LOVE being at home!). </p><p style="text-align: left;">The amazing part is that I generally only initiate a couple of trips per year. The rest of it happens because a friend or family member invites us to join them on an adventure, and we try REALLY hard to always say yes! We want our life to be filled with adventures with the people we love. And we are OVERWHELMINGLY grateful for the flexibility and resources to make it happen. </p><p style="text-align: left;">This year, we made it to California, Texas, Niagara Falls (on both the US and Canadian sides), Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Indiana, North Carolina, and West Virginia. We did a couple of local trips here in Missouri, camped at a couple of places in Illinois, visited 3 theme parks, 3 National Parks, and lots of cool state parks. We visited tons of friends and family, took about a billion pictures, and made LOTS of memories</p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7U1DTaX1JKoLRpZqkyBUgwHnxf2aC3rTEQKpDsABekGB7pHrSOmNTvRjT4qdBDaAHLaZVdjZZze1XpdpU8vF_W1gUPVyXbkXmBNo4bIYF-YXNkT4cDJ3VYkEnAzrEC5eKPrtnzOi2Bban4HPvUjxATM4EqQvjsyx6a09xW8xCP3TxZcg3-yJJXh-gg/s1920/Untitled%20design%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7U1DTaX1JKoLRpZqkyBUgwHnxf2aC3rTEQKpDsABekGB7pHrSOmNTvRjT4qdBDaAHLaZVdjZZze1XpdpU8vF_W1gUPVyXbkXmBNo4bIYF-YXNkT4cDJ3VYkEnAzrEC5eKPrtnzOi2Bban4HPvUjxATM4EqQvjsyx6a09xW8xCP3TxZcg3-yJJXh-gg/w640-h360/Untitled%20design%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></p>Our people mean so much to us. And even though there's never enough time to spend with ALL of the people we love so much, we're endlessly grateful for the opportunities we do have! <br /><p style="text-align: left;">And now it's time for MY interview! </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What was your favorite part of this year? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Watching the weight come off of Brian’s shoulders as the court drama started to look up. There was a noticeable physical change in his demeanor, and it’s the most satisfying and liberating thing I’ve ever experienced. </span></span> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the thing you’re most grateful for this year? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other than my previous answer? I’m grateful for the army of amazing people God has put in my life. Go listen to the song Rescue by Lauren Daigle to hear the theme song for my journey. </span></span> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"> </div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is one prayer you have for the Christmas season?</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> That our families can spend time truly enjoying each other, with as little stress over unimportant things as possible. I pray we can really focus on the Reason for the season. </span></span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who is your best friend? </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Brian (although I considered changing my answer after he said Josh... He’s the worst husband I’ve ever had...)</span></span></div></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is your favorite place we’ve traveled to this year? </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Niagara Falls</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What is the hardest thing you’ve accomplished this year? </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Taking steps to overcome mental and emotional crap, including attending a RUQ conference and getting back into therapy. </span></p></blockquote><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S</b> </p><p style="text-align: left;">And that's a wrap!! You made it to the end of the the longest Christmas letter ever! We hope you enjoyed getting a glimpse into our family, and that your holiday season is filled with time spent with the people you love most! </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrUg-i4nJxLeb4MJT-99RcOCNl2n2-QzwKzxIQfaYNVyUxaht0XBStk8L3NNwC0xYAal6RjIOv1qY7mlDS9e4_mWaU7X4sWGuPFaXkmKJNms-LgV3SIA7hgFDTLjmg7jv3Meqjzhub_f-XHOf_2amb8meaOOK48KcQ1Q49GkojAENRN9FgCcM3mhzdw/s1640/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-28%20at%2011.14.55%20PM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1174" data-original-width="1640" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYrUg-i4nJxLeb4MJT-99RcOCNl2n2-QzwKzxIQfaYNVyUxaht0XBStk8L3NNwC0xYAal6RjIOv1qY7mlDS9e4_mWaU7X4sWGuPFaXkmKJNms-LgV3SIA7hgFDTLjmg7jv3Meqjzhub_f-XHOf_2amb8meaOOK48KcQ1Q49GkojAENRN9FgCcM3mhzdw/w640-h458/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-28%20at%2011.14.55%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-31837072454119962392021-05-31T15:40:00.465-05:002021-05-31T22:49:17.688-05:00UTAH is our new JAM | Our Ten Year Anniversary Trip<p style="text-align: justify;">Ten years ago, when we got married, Brian planned an epic surprise honeymoon. He did all of the legwork and I had no clue where we were going until we reached our layover in Miami. He presented me with a travel guide (my love language) and I got to open it up to reveal our destination. It was dreamy, and still one of our favorite memories. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZkkgX8DDmbJmuLklOwDBdgLjCe-zQpAH4FMmAdtlEhQKvtUG5q_WFcyfOdvjJb0SW2G4qPhBAK0QDZB6d1FynpLQB4YZRYkoBrFJAq2ZMqtLAVTp071T8L1x_5uEKmEeCbx3UWzMD3J9/s720/255706_525446265883_7812860_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="720" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIZkkgX8DDmbJmuLklOwDBdgLjCe-zQpAH4FMmAdtlEhQKvtUG5q_WFcyfOdvjJb0SW2G4qPhBAK0QDZB6d1FynpLQB4YZRYkoBrFJAq2ZMqtLAVTp071T8L1x_5uEKmEeCbx3UWzMD3J9/w640-h480/255706_525446265883_7812860_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Honeymoon in Antigua | June 2011</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">We love traveling and are committed to travel together, without kids, every year for our anniversary. We've had to get creative and make some compromises over the years, but we've mostly made it happen - and it's been the best thing ever for our relationship. Getting away, adventuring together, having alone time to be just us - it's a game changer. And something we are ALWAYS indescribably grateful for. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6wv_cObROp1PWeBdmpYIR1rAyeFyMpQ_Rfgk6RN92TGjB_6-fGggGGWhYBwTrFYXjJOQ1bwoKTgn9f-8MqReMTfv0_Y6cwhzmDqhLFYRqkhwVF49UGrJQC8GHy_VoVlZFHtNuEu5PnlQ/s2000/Untitled+design+%252882%2529.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6wv_cObROp1PWeBdmpYIR1rAyeFyMpQ_Rfgk6RN92TGjB_6-fGggGGWhYBwTrFYXjJOQ1bwoKTgn9f-8MqReMTfv0_Y6cwhzmDqhLFYRqkhwVF49UGrJQC8GHy_VoVlZFHtNuEu5PnlQ/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252882%2529.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antigua | Alaska | Colorado | San Francisco | Wisconsin | Ireland | Paris | Cayman Islands | Belgium<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Fun Fact: In our ten years together, we've managed to adventure through 15 countries and 25 states! We travel both with and without the kids, and it's definitely a huge part of our lives together (and a major reason we love homeschooling).</span></div><p>We've been talking about our ten year anniversary for years. We knew we wanted it to be an epic new location, and Brian planned to keep this trip a surprise again! We were both stoked. He planned an international, multi-country trip all by himself. </p><p>And then that pesky global pandemic shut everything down (again), and we had to go to Plan B. (womp womp)</p><p>One of our many life goals is to visit all fifty states, so he suggested we pick a state we hadn't visited yet and make it happen. Again, he planned the whole trip as a surprise and I had no clue where we were going. </p><p>After all of the work of planning the previous trip, and it being cancelled, Brian was very concerned about this trip. He was a bit disappointed and worried that it wouldn't be magical enough. Turns out, he was hecka wrong. </p><p>UTAH. IS. AMAZING. </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Day One | Busting Out</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Early Morning Flight</li><li>Picked up the Jeep</li><li>Visit to the Capitol + Memorial Grove Park</li><li>Dinner at Lake Effect</li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>It had been two and a half years since we traveled without kids, so we were BEYOND giddy as we loaded up and headed to the airport. The epic feeling of calm and freedom knowing you ONLY have to worry about fun and relaxing is the BEST in the world. It's worth all of the planning and preparation a good vacation requires. Seriously. Go do it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCZhRhsTkzwFkAHux9x6Y7_5w9l9t3akKpwpwarR-n_fzqWCvpVpaHQP9E973Y0HX0LRXhajcDmASN3g8t4kADY2HTTsQnHXfmYWg2G2SOMyLO-Cmz3DPgqjtumeajtKKZTHDyOXXszn4/s1920/Untitled+design+%252881%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkCZhRhsTkzwFkAHux9x6Y7_5w9l9t3akKpwpwarR-n_fzqWCvpVpaHQP9E973Y0HX0LRXhajcDmASN3g8t4kADY2HTTsQnHXfmYWg2G2SOMyLO-Cmz3DPgqjtumeajtKKZTHDyOXXszn4/w640-h360/Untitled+design+%252881%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">We picked up the Jeep (our vacation car of choice), dropped our stuff at the hotel, and headed straight out to take in the sights. First up was Capitol Hill. We walked around, took in the beautiful architecture, people watched, and swooned over the mountain views. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ic8uKZayfetVGomB5FeRI4Fr94ItdRSBpjV0A4eoyaaePHG_YfNsVOeaB3EEg1EUqFAUUT3MfXqCZCAC4O5cdwmtAr_iHl6Lb4kMzv4MUXsszA7AukLnEQ7Rft1yTKo5NuYFqy5tlkyX/s1920/Untitled+design+%252897%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ic8uKZayfetVGomB5FeRI4Fr94ItdRSBpjV0A4eoyaaePHG_YfNsVOeaB3EEg1EUqFAUUT3MfXqCZCAC4O5cdwmtAr_iHl6Lb4kMzv4MUXsszA7AukLnEQ7Rft1yTKo5NuYFqy5tlkyX/w640-h360/Untitled+design+%252897%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;">From there, we walked down to the Memorial Grove Park. This is a super neat area, because the city's war memorials are incorporated right into a beautiful, lively park. Our tour guide later pointed out how other memorials (like in Washington DC) are somber and quiet, but how this one encourages life to be lived, which is exactly what our soldiers sacrificed their lives for. It was a neat way of looking at it.</span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWVhrE5QXYez9Ek30KLgmNElwyps6VcZ4GNVExWhoSoLrxud0iGAciSXnvLsX4HJEoSwN1wkWSG4kkO3NKscAmQmgMX5MZfika4PJxPdNp-9rnaN4AYIEA1JnMYpGOtKCzF0xAncena6A/s2000/Untitled+design+%252880%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwWVhrE5QXYez9Ek30KLgmNElwyps6VcZ4GNVExWhoSoLrxud0iGAciSXnvLsX4HJEoSwN1wkWSG4kkO3NKscAmQmgMX5MZfika4PJxPdNp-9rnaN4AYIEA1JnMYpGOtKCzF0xAncena6A/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252880%2529.png" width="640" /></a><span style="text-align: justify;">We finished our night off at Lake Effect - a super duper adorable and swanky bar right by our hotel. Our car rental gal had raved about it, and we were stoked to find out it was next door. Turns out it was the place to be, and most people make reservations or wait a while. ALSO turns out most people get dressed up to go, so I was only SLIGHTLY (or a lot) out of place in my yogas and tennis shoes. </span></div><p></p><p>But we had a blast anyway, and the drinks were so stinkin' yummy. It was a great first night of vacay!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4kxDWkdrgHi4hBYdvCrO7VTT5VFZ6llxOKTQS8uZ8LkFRcmY9vbaqT1O-hH8sAJJjf6Halyc-V0FZl7s8J2s2YaY0YhdHEvpQ2rXBCrBavPayxBqaUIvMwgNuj2nyweJiVuK6h6XkLtF8/s2000/Untitled+design+%252879%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4kxDWkdrgHi4hBYdvCrO7VTT5VFZ6llxOKTQS8uZ8LkFRcmY9vbaqT1O-hH8sAJJjf6Halyc-V0FZl7s8J2s2YaY0YhdHEvpQ2rXBCrBavPayxBqaUIvMwgNuj2nyweJiVuK6h6XkLtF8/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252879%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><p><b>Day Two | The Great Salt Lake</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Antelope Island State Park</li><li>Red Rock Brewing Company</li><li>Salt Lake City Library</li></ul><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On our first full day, we slept in (duh) and then decided to head out to Antelope Island State Park. We had read it was the place to see The Great Salt Lake, and man, it did not disappoint. Today would be a lot of driving, so we took the top off the jeep (hey, vacay!), grabbed some coffee, and were OFF! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ER4jmWNl9IkKr4qwwidIbDiE6W0-PnGJ2pKQUXDtgkQyig8ergzskWpycd7TP4JWkfb1i7ZQDPByj1WNYlmfvGOypmUDUKVqB8QDz7EUCsqyKbuWyUpxx-Po3GOcPuiyDcM03pK-44Y0/s2000/Untitled+design+%252878%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ER4jmWNl9IkKr4qwwidIbDiE6W0-PnGJ2pKQUXDtgkQyig8ergzskWpycd7TP4JWkfb1i7ZQDPByj1WNYlmfvGOypmUDUKVqB8QDz7EUCsqyKbuWyUpxx-Po3GOcPuiyDcM03pK-44Y0/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252878%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Antelope Island is so beautiful. It was quiet and serene, and luckily we had perfect weather. We took a short hike, spent some time just taking in the views, saw some fun little critters and hundreds of bison! We read about the history and stories of the island, and were just in awe by all of our surroundings. We knew we were going to LOVE Utah, and any concerns about this trip being "less than" our big international trip were totally put to rest. </span></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='636' height='403' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwWDkdHZ14issSUtv_qX-9SrEb7gfhYlDBHZTMH-yvaf7DpSu_58B8wB-VDNWfkvUKe82_61h0-19wdercaCw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVikApICs6It0QH2jc-qydVP0929eSHZpul26B3gRN8D9pJE0X55_4DDfJ7w3s_dYr0vw12o42Mf1pnCpq4nik2GFjLBObABA_wMPKOMhtgvVtOxJ4Fz6zDGefezi7dEu7b6cwE7CPXrv/s1920/Untitled+design+%252877%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvVikApICs6It0QH2jc-qydVP0929eSHZpul26B3gRN8D9pJE0X55_4DDfJ7w3s_dYr0vw12o42Mf1pnCpq4nik2GFjLBObABA_wMPKOMhtgvVtOxJ4Fz6zDGefezi7dEu7b6cwE7CPXrv/w640-h360/Untitled+design+%252877%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We headed back into the city and made our first of TWO stops at Red Rock Brewery. Ya'll this place was HECKA delicious. I ordered the Sweet Potato Cannelloni with a Paardebloom Beer, and I knew I'd be back for more of both.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">After dinner, we decided to make a stop at the Salt Lake City Library. I love ANY room or building full of books, but this place was definitely one of the most beautiful libraries I had ever seen. If we weren't exhausted, and if I had been allowed to actually take books home, we would have been in trouble in that place. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0vRJ8-_9EF9CWFF2BVYLykjmBbi3UeFCztbMcbKn2Sb1b2yTkobF18z5Rtp1bTy30bzgKooFJE5jAoOgz5gyZcJhKNWonCIddR906FWPnFky-szoRgwiLAdACiBPAIaWKhZVzPPxaAf4/s2000/Untitled+design+%252876%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_0vRJ8-_9EF9CWFF2BVYLykjmBbi3UeFCztbMcbKn2Sb1b2yTkobF18z5Rtp1bTy30bzgKooFJE5jAoOgz5gyZcJhKNWonCIddR906FWPnFky-szoRgwiLAdACiBPAIaWKhZVzPPxaAf4/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252876%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Day Three | Tenth Anniversary Done Right</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Hot Air Balloon</li><li>Breakfast at Five Seeds</li><li>Big Cottonwood Canyon</li><li>Lunch at Current Fish & Oyster</li><li>Nap</li><li>Salt Lake Bees Baseball Game</li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Brian kept today's main activity a surprise as his gift for our tenth anniversary. We got up way too early in the morning (hello, 4am) and I had no clue how to dress. He just said comfy but cute, and pretty cold, but no too cold, and possibly windy but he wasn't sure... </div><div><br /></div><div>What?! </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, we made the drive out to Park City and I was THRILLED to find out we were headed to embark on a hot air balloon ride. (Side note: I had totally guessed this and he told me I was wrong, and I BELIEVED him. You'd think I would learn by now.)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We had a quick, disappointing hang-up when our balloon guy CANCELLED our trip due to wind, but quickly recovered when Brian just asked another guy at the same launch site if he'd take us up with him. Only as I type this am I realizing we just hopped in Hot Air Balloon with a guy we knew nothing about. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Don't worry. We survived. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It was extremely interesting to learn how the balloon was prepped for flight. They literally just used a fan to get the balloon started. Brian got to help prep the balloon, while I just took it all in. How. completely. amazing. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='637' height='416' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwdNwYLwZXAW4QrLz8n1I7COaAszKT98dcZCXWZcwiFoL-ZijoJe-UKtohsR7UmDoE3DaYmtC9KNDuR1Wtegg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDeRwuo9flkakZL8skAG2CJ1VrT_RB80fu9l18hBF8aOlkZxgm2QQ9tmTjDCyUVlkieaR8k0gkwBZXNIoPCbardukLbLu8dDbAK_TmqNBp5Mc6w-lnbcMPmrsPCEGSmkLsMvpkaWLWNbq/s2000/Untitled+design+%252883%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDeRwuo9flkakZL8skAG2CJ1VrT_RB80fu9l18hBF8aOlkZxgm2QQ9tmTjDCyUVlkieaR8k0gkwBZXNIoPCbardukLbLu8dDbAK_TmqNBp5Mc6w-lnbcMPmrsPCEGSmkLsMvpkaWLWNbq/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252883%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Fun Fact: Brian is terrified of heights. For me, the ride was surprisingly peaceful and totally gorgeous. Brian had a blast too, but describes his feet as clenching the floor for dear life. His stomach flipped out every time I reached over the edge for a picture, and I was totally entertained! </div><div><div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WNpTkYP_uS1DRg8KEHWlVQ4xFy00XoQLddh1gGVIgmzM5XkxQeMK2rxYdwwA36FUK6jjkzUleFVsPNZ4_1tzmkIjxJwbg29hraVAFDxjKum47CvPK6lIb5BrpNg5OoOkRgddH02KWsyy/s2000/Untitled+design+%252885%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7WNpTkYP_uS1DRg8KEHWlVQ4xFy00XoQLddh1gGVIgmzM5XkxQeMK2rxYdwwA36FUK6jjkzUleFVsPNZ4_1tzmkIjxJwbg29hraVAFDxjKum47CvPK6lIb5BrpNg5OoOkRgddH02KWsyy/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252885%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9UF20CodgS43Wy-IqroEVP2zvgAaPCC6l9DOqh-xYzJsJ5ovbSsYykc9XPbxBimeQgMqk2Xz1e5RCESeIfkpZjs2fPpITQnkbfMBSjPJNiiFyUwN56OPCwgFk4GBWaRmTsIZgIvmWIJP/s2000/Untitled+design+%252884%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9UF20CodgS43Wy-IqroEVP2zvgAaPCC6l9DOqh-xYzJsJ5ovbSsYykc9XPbxBimeQgMqk2Xz1e5RCESeIfkpZjs2fPpITQnkbfMBSjPJNiiFyUwN56OPCwgFk4GBWaRmTsIZgIvmWIJP/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252884%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />After our epic adventure, we headed to a local place for the yummiest breakfast EVER. We had vegetarian Eggs Benedict, the prettiest and most delicious pancake you've ever seen in your life, and couple of hecka yummy chai lattes. </div></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4h2zLTK0EnbrxvJ_bmbnGf0AhbRmX6LLEYJpAAkYmyqYEzfQY8BWUJIbSySl8r8bzMlzmItrz8WexHG88363BZVJxrDIWs0xOFgXEuorM-5LRF9oxTpwRDsa9LmcqVxGjDBNvTpmG9du/s2000/Untitled+design+%252886%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio4h2zLTK0EnbrxvJ_bmbnGf0AhbRmX6LLEYJpAAkYmyqYEzfQY8BWUJIbSySl8r8bzMlzmItrz8WexHG88363BZVJxrDIWs0xOFgXEuorM-5LRF9oxTpwRDsa9LmcqVxGjDBNvTpmG9du/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252886%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>We spent an hour or so walking the cute little downtown of Park City, bought some tees for a very necessary wardrobe change (it got hot quickly!) and then headed toward Big Cottonwood Canyon for more gorgeous driving. I cannot emphasize enough how perfect it was to have a Jeep on this trip. If you're planning to take in these sites, make sure you can take the top off! </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLy-ePRQZm0DUv5zlhZuXZuWJqRgCI3rL4W-N1cQ-Ja43BqA4pfY8Rc3CATlLVUgwNbFHSskZooY-5vQgADza9GjnNincICHxRPhDg8Dj3HmyYq-Zou1vkivj8DklN7wH69m4C4EbW9Uy/s2000/Untitled+design+%252887%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLy-ePRQZm0DUv5zlhZuXZuWJqRgCI3rL4W-N1cQ-Ja43BqA4pfY8Rc3CATlLVUgwNbFHSskZooY-5vQgADza9GjnNincICHxRPhDg8Dj3HmyYq-Zou1vkivj8DklN7wH69m4C4EbW9Uy/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252887%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">After the Canyon, we checked Trip Advisor (our travel app of choice) to see where we should eat next. Current was at the top of the list, so we made reservations and headed that way. We were thrilled to see that Open Table had notified the restaurant of our anniversary and they had special little menus for us! It's the little things that make the experience that much more special! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I think we sat outside for every meal of the entire trip, but this was one of my favorite settings. It was cool and beautiful, and had a very swanky vibe (again, in my yogas!). We ordered a couple of very refreshing sour beers, crab cakes (our fave!), fish tacos, and the best freaking tuna melt you've ever had. You need one in your life. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This is also where our waitress told us we looked too young to have been married ten years. That sweet girl made my day!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRr927-W5hUsD3E77WrVRhXLONs3AUkVbxx6MoqUXe1JlMdCVMnG6XjLnMeeurUhAf_bkO3OTku8CvnAYoDJPkKHQv6LVdFAuUpDI3rrsya1LcWocBgRanNCHW-x6j3yLUk8KdLGsOrwUl/s1920/2.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRr927-W5hUsD3E77WrVRhXLONs3AUkVbxx6MoqUXe1JlMdCVMnG6XjLnMeeurUhAf_bkO3OTku8CvnAYoDJPkKHQv6LVdFAuUpDI3rrsya1LcWocBgRanNCHW-x6j3yLUk8KdLGsOrwUl/w640-h360/2.png" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p7IX_Y-5sZuiX3McWgFviGkahn8nzKuaCk8EAqR3TbMqo7wjkcRENPbEhjxlhiv7Zbf48TMAfgzUZWsHbW2IdyjDs-FwHxBgMCxWm2OD1_avIYyyQBQmb5pW_9uCPnETxTgQUAMcgxJh/s2048/E813F413-0CEE-46F5-BD88-DD66C4AADEDD.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_p7IX_Y-5sZuiX3McWgFviGkahn8nzKuaCk8EAqR3TbMqo7wjkcRENPbEhjxlhiv7Zbf48TMAfgzUZWsHbW2IdyjDs-FwHxBgMCxWm2OD1_avIYyyQBQmb5pW_9uCPnETxTgQUAMcgxJh/w640-h480/E813F413-0CEE-46F5-BD88-DD66C4AADEDD.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>After a quick nap (cuz we're old and we got up at 4am), we donned our yellow and headed off to a Bees Baseball Game! I had read that the stadium was worth experiencing, and the reviews were not wrong. It's a small stadium, so there's not a bad seat in the house, and the mountains provide the most stunning background to the game. Our seat was shaded, the beers were delish, and it was the perfect relaxing end to a phenomenal day. Also: Bees were my high school mascot, so I was feeling extra giddy about donning my new Bees visor. They are officially my new (also first) favorite baseball team. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='639' height='532' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzTnqw-lylZuRv2MaQWxd9NXX3ujpKUMzgN6gPz3e9UlTp2hyBfr2uD6_Ti9lOECsGz8DD8RzPF-zrkNQ2kqA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCodwoZxSm9JSZCMrDTIzzF-aF2789XIP6a_c9c0zeHXLb5eyl-vh6qkZuVKEC9ua1RbgxZsP9P2TSNKoPsvJAr3VXUrCthoBIiSEzTci1U1DYKj5Uc6GkRZNexWCrWKPS_LXWUUMLwu20/s2000/Untitled+design+%252888%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCodwoZxSm9JSZCMrDTIzzF-aF2789XIP6a_c9c0zeHXLb5eyl-vh6qkZuVKEC9ua1RbgxZsP9P2TSNKoPsvJAr3VXUrCthoBIiSEzTci1U1DYKj5Uc6GkRZNexWCrWKPS_LXWUUMLwu20/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252888%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Day Four | I'm Never Coming Home</b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>History Tour via Segway</li><li>Red Rock Brewery (again)</li><li>Bonneville Salt Flats</li><li>A Little Off-Roading</li><li>Street Art Festival </li></ul><div><br /></div><div>I used to think city tours would be lame. I'm not sure why I was so dumb, but we realized a while back how totally amazing it is to let someone who knows what they're talking about teach you the history and culture of the place you're visiting. If you haven't started looking for local tours when you travel, I highly recommend it. We chose a Segway tour because we didn't want to be inside on a bus (a waste of beautiful weather) and I worry about long bike tours and my butt hurting by the end (funny, but true!). Plus Segways are so fun!</div></div><div><br /></div><div>We learned about the Mormon pioneers of the city, how and why it was founded, and that the Mormon church still owns a large part of Salt Lake City. We learned about the Mormon religion, had lots of questions answered, and got to see some beautiful historic sites representing their history and culture. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCesgxwyPbrQfcHbReCsldAvQU96L7-vplhvx6AsSYAAwrDdpTAXvX3Rx9vbAbcNEGf0y1RZZIOn9YfZHtkBradi3zusAjQ4i4Pye_GEsJKRy-HPARPaAH8pLjrJjSI71wm99_dpWysEn/s2048/B0D28494-50DA-4BEF-9249-A04B84FCA874.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCesgxwyPbrQfcHbReCsldAvQU96L7-vplhvx6AsSYAAwrDdpTAXvX3Rx9vbAbcNEGf0y1RZZIOn9YfZHtkBradi3zusAjQ4i4Pye_GEsJKRy-HPARPaAH8pLjrJjSI71wm99_dpWysEn/w640-h480/B0D28494-50DA-4BEF-9249-A04B84FCA874.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNDMPAI3U1Z_o8H1Xv2CQrFVS__GhSoK7Qv7RCZYmOBhmzKBrD36ZFRHocc5LEwig_Hjkz74GvZFlfpF5AIkcOaZ3f9V-P9260y72iXl3co_9leTOa6Aiut4drPwvhoqtrgbjdGxjKewh/s1920/Untitled+design+%252889%2529.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNDMPAI3U1Z_o8H1Xv2CQrFVS__GhSoK7Qv7RCZYmOBhmzKBrD36ZFRHocc5LEwig_Hjkz74GvZFlfpF5AIkcOaZ3f9V-P9260y72iXl3co_9leTOa6Aiut4drPwvhoqtrgbjdGxjKewh/w640-h360/Untitled+design+%252889%2529.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the right: Brigham Young's House</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>After the tour, we hit up Red Rock Brewery... again. I can't help it, ya'll. It was just the most delish food ever. This time we ordered the same beer and sweet potato cannelloni, but also added sweet potato fries and avocado toast to the table. The avocado toast was so. freaking. amazing. that we ordered a second round of it and screenshot the menu to try and recreate it at home!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IpkYfhLLnapn_YZlQfcy-FdqooXvZLgjKX1omzQ0dzN-v8PkX93KYJhGMlwEp7L98sSf6s26d7dw05PVLRBKc-U966OvP2B67W-NU9rQ8veIir8SLQMGcgEog3z5LlzrZsgKtNbVfjF6/s2000/Untitled+design+%252890%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IpkYfhLLnapn_YZlQfcy-FdqooXvZLgjKX1omzQ0dzN-v8PkX93KYJhGMlwEp7L98sSf6s26d7dw05PVLRBKc-U966OvP2B67W-NU9rQ8veIir8SLQMGcgEog3z5LlzrZsgKtNbVfjF6/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252890%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><b>And then it was time. </b></div><div><br />Even after several days of breathtaking experiences, I need you to know that this next one took the cake. And it almost didn't happen. Brian had written off the salt flats because he thought they were further away. But we mapped it and decided that the 3 hour round trip was totally worth making, especially since we both love the ride and we've got nothing better to do! So we created a makeshift cooler, loaded up some beer, and headed out!</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's what you need to know about the salt flats: </div><blockquote><div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">A salt crust ranging from a few inches to 5 feet thick forms a perfectly flat, uniform, blindingly white crust as far as the eye can see. The flats are about 12 miles long and five miles wide, covering about 46 square miles in total. Visitors from all around the world have traveled to see this pristine, otherworldly landscape about an hour and half west of Salt Lake City. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Aside from the beautiful views, the salt flats are an international hub for car racing. Several speed records have been set at the flats, including the one-time land-speed record of 630 mph, established in 1970 and standing until 1983.</span></p></div></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqurTWs6_hAT0rRtoV3nnzQyM6DSRNyFibgHGiCnolljCAcJP46MKAT09QAl89QNuHLtsOD-rt-vpJJ55zyNxBaAeu64uWL5ki1oO3UJaPM8S49do2uZV1h0gpb_bf3-DubMn0MANH6fO/s2000/Untitled+design+%252891%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAqurTWs6_hAT0rRtoV3nnzQyM6DSRNyFibgHGiCnolljCAcJP46MKAT09QAl89QNuHLtsOD-rt-vpJJ55zyNxBaAeu64uWL5ki1oO3UJaPM8S49do2uZV1h0gpb_bf3-DubMn0MANH6fO/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252891%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">We drove out until there wasn't another person in sight. And then we just hung out. We talked, enjoyed the quiet, snapped a bunch of photos, and swooned over the beautiful salt and mountains. We sat on top of the jeep and just enjoyed the moment.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjue9bzQnA-KD5C29iu16R8ltG1tMVhFM-6v0zTRnFYoTEmUybcI__p5hJ7zsEHoBG8fhvoYePCE_C72-QUqRYtfE7j36U3s_lYFQwcbZGN1-oWXTfClq5r5mzFLfMhik7nTKJ8iwc6a_WT/s1920/1.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjue9bzQnA-KD5C29iu16R8ltG1tMVhFM-6v0zTRnFYoTEmUybcI__p5hJ7zsEHoBG8fhvoYePCE_C72-QUqRYtfE7j36U3s_lYFQwcbZGN1-oWXTfClq5r5mzFLfMhik7nTKJ8iwc6a_WT/w640-h360/1.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFLAdCTgCMIac7wZKBv-5XEVNFUQIWJgFsTgmpKKLcTYKl5wb8ic-2BwQ8Yzn48mmThwKf4V_kTzPp-tl_5jjSxGNAzBAZ9Y2ExD5dDK6Vfc7m9okgnLQ8udXFaKSF6tjTIIukyIJl7OV/s1920/Untitled+design+%252894%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipFLAdCTgCMIac7wZKBv-5XEVNFUQIWJgFsTgmpKKLcTYKl5wb8ic-2BwQ8Yzn48mmThwKf4V_kTzPp-tl_5jjSxGNAzBAZ9Y2ExD5dDK6Vfc7m9okgnLQ8udXFaKSF6tjTIIukyIJl7OV/w640-h360/Untitled+design+%252894%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-p4wFl-wAxJ-LCW_Bp5K9fex15kpdKAtW3TIC70A5TYv9Gbr0zWKrF6luNN6xC0ZEyTYGQxG5B5VYulkDB94EOQCOp-gPvMdx8kp-OEFYT6fv5xWiXPdG_OR49M7FBFi1-OXZujPGTUp/s1920/Untitled+design+%252893%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv-p4wFl-wAxJ-LCW_Bp5K9fex15kpdKAtW3TIC70A5TYv9Gbr0zWKrF6luNN6xC0ZEyTYGQxG5B5VYulkDB94EOQCOp-gPvMdx8kp-OEFYT6fv5xWiXPdG_OR49M7FBFi1-OXZujPGTUp/w640-h360/Untitled+design+%252893%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="text-align: left;">Once we were done sitting, it was time for some driving. This is the part Brian was most looking forward to, because you are allowed to drive as FAST as your car will take you while out on the flats. Our Jeep topped out at 110mph, which was plenty fast enough for me!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Once he finished doing that a couple of times, he entertained himself (ok, me too) by putting the Jeep on cruise control (at a safe 10mph) and surfing on top. He was giddy, ya'll. Living his BEST LIFE. Definitely one of my favorite moments with him, not only because it was hecka fun, but also because this guy DESERVES to let loose. And it's a treat to watch.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='326' height='435' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxdTBcUwOEV3pBgFsGpRBm7wDe_P7yqreWYscdXF-d_TZ_3nmRxxLUniaNTZL7KLaD1FHqSug-jjC_UNV4ecw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe> <iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='306' height='434' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxKOi6uThM6-OeC3YDmN-I7iLZd46cxLJQb6nTH6i4kEZLhamSfIDUWfW8yDzaaTgmg_Z8lYD59mD1nNCWzlA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><br /><span style="text-align: left;">We didn't want to leave, but knew we'd be starving and burnt to a crisp if we didn't get out of there, so we finally decided to mosey on back toward the city. On the way back, we happened upon some off-road trails, and couldn't help but explore.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEido0fKc-g0jq2G49RSoaCihWOAtzcvHani2td_EQ75ASz-oPBkdX36-AfWnqj5QpRlC9uVnVinR1AwlPXoFbEJXnlmphWnmvd57hxLU-E7RV8nkFgPgLfO_iIOqj3QCFs5hes4HkXUgl4V/s2000/Untitled+design+%252892%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEido0fKc-g0jq2G49RSoaCihWOAtzcvHani2td_EQ75ASz-oPBkdX36-AfWnqj5QpRlC9uVnVinR1AwlPXoFbEJXnlmphWnmvd57hxLU-E7RV8nkFgPgLfO_iIOqj3QCFs5hes4HkXUgl4V/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252892%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='635' height='528' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz5eerjw0j4HbG9ue9FQtaqxbKdUYHQ-Yzj0KUe85W4KUy8zNTMKseXfpWGhOuXf4hpSI1EOYhoWgdjTA-Cjg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">That night, we finally got dressed in something other than outdoorsy clothes (I wore a dress!), and then we didn't take a single picture! We spent the evening on Main Street grabbing food, taking in street performers for a festival that was happening, and just enjoying our last night in Salt Lake City.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>Day Five | Making the Most of It</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><ul><li>Fly Fishing</li><li>Flights Home</li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Day five was our last day and we were not ready to give up on the adventures, so we decided to make it another early morning and book a fly fishing excursion before our afternoon flights. Neither of us fish much, nor had we ever been fly fishing, but someone we'd met had mentioned it and it just sounded like an experience worth having.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwrQQmshev7w9vHAg65o8Cdu6__FFsTh7GzSoASaG6vMJLd4MuYaUVZ6A9MLzDTNFhjyKyNxl_csiVuxl7PMcQKL0ipFF6jUeTngKRq9eYjJVhwTFm9N6ys6kXPKJ3MJayX6BdUOqq275/s1920/Untitled+design+%252896%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWwrQQmshev7w9vHAg65o8Cdu6__FFsTh7GzSoASaG6vMJLd4MuYaUVZ6A9MLzDTNFhjyKyNxl_csiVuxl7PMcQKL0ipFF6jUeTngKRq9eYjJVhwTFm9N6ys6kXPKJ3MJayX6BdUOqq275/w640-h360/Untitled+design+%252896%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3iqD9Zh-jrpv5PwC6rh-MBd7sR82tSua961bHxYUriIo7nV9s-BIOIpFBVQjI8L4rmrnNJenEsliQFXeiRn38wJHPJBiMytTYVpKJpHHGePjNGFJRUrvXpxYzkABlns0jH1pCTGFxec-/s2000/Untitled+design+%252895%2529.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2000" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3iqD9Zh-jrpv5PwC6rh-MBd7sR82tSua961bHxYUriIo7nV9s-BIOIpFBVQjI8L4rmrnNJenEsliQFXeiRn38wJHPJBiMytTYVpKJpHHGePjNGFJRUrvXpxYzkABlns0jH1pCTGFxec-/w640-h456/Untitled+design+%252895%2529.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I am SO glad we chose to get up early and make this trip work. The photos don't even begin to do justice to the gorgeous surroundings, and the peace and calm of being in the river. It was just so quiet, and so stunningly beautiful. We each caught several fish, and were just giddy with the experience, minus the freezing cold toes. :) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='637' height='530' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwinxDTk7VTjM7ytok91H8xMFSQQL2NAYmql03WXpSjvb-z-SaTmekdgoyH9c9d9unnrBvHzQmhvtird3WgWA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='629' height='522' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwsxJwhOtjZM3ndNtSe-vcjt6t8Huuc-P-Bm9P_8vc2E3UB4fkmN7mHfkrrhkjrzRRSdGqIE-NqPhdXJkJZQA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><br /></div>Even though this isn't the trip we were expecting for our ten year, it turned out to be everything we could have ever wanted in an anniversary adventure. What a treat to get away to such a gorgeous place and just enjoy each other and a new place. <div><br /></div><div>Here's to ten more years of adventuring together! <div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rGOC0scmQyYZHLNOg138gzasDZqOIHf1d-HXByG5E7YNefc1zrkPqmboXCo7MeN9A_mJtiOFmO4YYizDw7w2J85k_JKaidsd63Tjfk2mfzZWxlzWmhWm7M-JCt8It2hkkr3dshLLB2yK/s2048/0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="2048" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6rGOC0scmQyYZHLNOg138gzasDZqOIHf1d-HXByG5E7YNefc1zrkPqmboXCo7MeN9A_mJtiOFmO4YYizDw7w2J85k_JKaidsd63Tjfk2mfzZWxlzWmhWm7M-JCt8It2hkkr3dshLLB2yK/w640-h512/0.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><br /><p><br /></p></div></div></div>B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-46212401837523908662020-02-03T09:00:00.000-06:002020-02-03T09:21:26.944-06:00Legoland 2020<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View the full photo album <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/HfxqfKoMw79tWeva8" target="_blank">here</a>.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Brian and I are both big ole firm believers in travel and in gifting experiences over <i>things</i>. For a while, we’ve asked for tickets and memberships as gifts from the grandparents on birthdays and holidays and we just LOVE it! I’ve been dreaming of cutting out the Christmas gifts, and this year it finally happened. Instead of a stack of gifts on Christmas morning, the kids each received one gift from Santa and then were given their gift from mom and dad: their first clue to a <i>scavenger hunt</i> throughout the house!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">They worked together and had a BLAST finding all of the clues and assembling a huge floor puzzle. They were a little confused at first, but when we explained what LegoLand was (they had never heard of it), they quickly became excited. They also received a countdown which we have been marking off daily in our anticipation of the trip. It has made such an impact on the build-up!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">On Thursday, the kids woke up to little Lego Day gifts! They each received a LEGO keychain and bag tag for their backpacks, and a small LEGO set to entertain them during travel. They both completed their sets during the two-hour wait at the airport! Both kids are little expert travelers so the flight and subsequent drive went off without a hitch.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">We arrived at Legoland Resort just in time to catch the tail end of their nightly pajama party. The kids were immediately entertained. Beckett’s first words were, “this place is so fun!” They played in the LEGO pit, danced with the party, ran around the castle play area, and completed a scavenger hunt in our room, which led them to a set of legos for each of them! It was a great first night!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Friday and Saturday looked basically the same: a full day in the park followed by a full evening in the resort. And it was PERFECTION! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Legoland is similar to any other theme park, except it is geared toward younger kids (2-10) and it's completely Lego themed! There are lego structures everywhere, all of your favorite Lego characters, and tons of Lego shopping!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">One of my favorite parts was the Minifigure trading. All staff members have a collection of Minifigures and you can bring your own to trade with them! We brought a bag of our more generic figures and the kids switched and swapped to their heart's content. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">The rides were perfect for our kiddos. Beckett was in HEAVEN. Every time he experienced a ride, his face lit up like pure magic. It was so much fun to watch. Charlie also enjoyed the rides, but was just as content hanging out in the Tula while brother rode. Her favorite part was shopping, of course. The only problem was that once she picked out sets, all she wanted to do was leave the park to go back to the room and build! Lame kid.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">We stayed at the park til close (5pm) and then went back, had dinner at the resort (which is a short walk from the park) and then enjoyed the evening activities! This hotel is the ABSOLUTE BEST. There are staff-led activities all evening, so we sat and watched the kids enjoy storytime, dance parties, building classes, etc while mom and dad enjoyed a beverage. Talk about perfect combination after a long day in a park!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Three nights was an ideal amount of time. After a totally awesome weekend, we were exhausted and ready to come home! The kids walked away with lots of fun memories and quite the stash of new Legos! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">The rest of the pics from this trip are stored <a href="https://photos.app.goo.gl/HfxqfKoMw79tWeva8" target="_blank">here</a>!</span></div>
B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-49031312225059660482019-12-14T17:12:00.002-06:002019-12-14T17:12:32.348-06:00Our Sweetest TraditionLast year, we <a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2018/12/a-new-christmas-tradition.html" target="_blank">started a new family tradition</a> of baking cookies together and delivering them to our neighbors. It was Brian's idea. Personally, I do NOT enjoy baking, and the thought of engaging in small talk makes me physically sick (this is not an exaggeration). However, this magical tradition has quickly become my ultimate favorite.<br />
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This year, I'm behind on everything (it's become a pattern). All of the things I thought I'd facilitate to make the season more magical and memorable are not actually happening. So I'm so glad we carved out a few hours (even past kiddo bedtimes) to spend some intentional and relaxed time together, doing something sweet for others.<br />
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The whole baking experience was a huge improvement from last year. I still depended heavily on break and bake (take it or leave it, neighbors), but the kids are at an age where they are actually independent and helpful, there were no tears, and their little personalities are so fun to interact with.<br />
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At one point I had to run out to the store and when I came home, I just melted at the scene through the window. The trees are decorated and lighting up the house, everyone was donning their Christmas jammies and aprons, and Brian and the kids were gathered around laughing and goofing off as they arranged cookies together. I could have just stared through that window for ages. (Do I sound like a <a href="https://youtu.be/3dvKS9RO99o" target="_blank">Lonestar song</a>?)<br />
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Later in the evening, Charlie got uncharacteristically sentimental when she very sincerely told Brian and me that we were the best family ever, and then proceeded to pull us in under each one of her little arms as she announced, "group hug!" I hope that moment sticks with me forever.<br />
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Today, we got to deliver the cookies together. I had less of a say in what the kids wore this year, so they don't look <a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2018/12/a-new-christmas-tradition.html" target="_blank">as magazine-worthy</a>, but hey! The cookies are delivered and the neighbors were all so surprised and grateful. You win some, you lose some!<br />
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Charlie was MUCH more outgoing this year. Last year, she barely wanted to walk to the doors and refused to say anything to the neighbors as they tried to interact with her. This year, she was ready to put on a show with her best cheesy ridiculousness and wish everyone a Merry Wistmas! Beckett, on the other hand, has never really been shy and is always ready to answer questions or strike up a conversation. He's his father's child in this way.<br />
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The other Christmas tradition-y things on my list may or may not get done this year, but that's ok! I hope we make this one a priority for years and years to come! Do you think I'll be able to convince them to crawl into that power wheel and ride around the neighborhood when they're teenagers?<br />
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<br />B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-31170377771820164402019-12-01T19:39:00.000-06:002021-05-12T19:40:06.343-05:00We Loved You Too, 2019<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
After several years that seemed to be teeming with chaos, we're thrilled to have had a couple of years of just plain enjoyable calm. I keep waiting for something crazy to happen, and honestly sometimes we get fidgety and consider creating our own chaos. Another kid? Foster care? Something else to shake things up? But this year a sweet mom reminded me that it's ok to just enjoy the (relative) calm. And so that's what we've done. Life is good, and we're grateful to be looking back on a fantastic 2019.</div>
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Today we put our Christmas cards in the mail, so I figured it's time for another rundown of the year. I spent some time looking back at <a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2018/12/we-loved-you-2018.html" target="_blank">last year's review</a> and really, not a ton has changed - and we're ok with that!</div>
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<b>B U C K & C H U C K</b></div>
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Oh, where do I start?! These two kids are our favorite people on the planet, and we are absolutely obsessed. Is that normal? Doesn't matter. We're sticking with it. We LOVE doing life together with these two mini-humans!</div>
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Because of the chaos of our lives, and because our family unit is a top priority, we have chosen to <a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2019/10/a-week-in-life-day-1-renaissance.html" target="_blank">homeschool</a>. We don't know if that will be the case forever, but for now, it's allowing us to do life together in a way we love! We have curricula we use, but a large majority of our "school" is just adventuring together and learning as we go (plus reading a whoooole lot of books)! We have created a culture of learning in our family and the results are phenomenal already. It is such a liberating and fun approach to education, and I'm still mind-blown that we get to do life this way!</div>
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We are part of a (Classical Conversations) homeschool community that meets weekly for a more structured & formal education setting, and we get together regularly for field trips and play dates. We also have other friends in the area who homeschool and have been amazing families to build relationships and do life with!</div>
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This year, Charlie started soccer! <a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2019/09/opening-weekend-charlies-first-soccer.html" target="_blank">The first game</a> was rough, but there has been a slow improvement since then! Brian is coaching her team, and I'm not sure who loves it more! It is so much fun to watch BOTH of them in this fun new adventure. Charlie actually is really good when she wants to be. She'll be playing indoor soccer this winter and is already signed up to play in the spring!</div>
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In addition to playing soccer, Beckett started Tae Kwon Do this year! He looooves it, and I love watching him. Because the classes are all ages and the schedule is flexible, Brian has decided to join in, too. They are soooo cute getting into their uniforms and heading off to practice together, and I'm glad they have some time to bond while Charlie and I have some girl time at home!</div>
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<b>W O R K</b></div>
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I've said it many times before, but I can't seem to express how impressive Brian is. The way he manages to work harder than anyone I know, while also keeping our little family as his top priority, is just magical. He's a unicorn, ya'll.</div>
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It has been four years since he launched All American Calendars. To say it's been a wild ride would be a monumental understatement. He's been hurt by people he trusted, stolen from, lied about, and sabotaged. We've navigated law-suits and contracts and court cases galore.</div>
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But. God is GOOD and integrity matters. And there are also super friggin' awesome friends in his corner. It has been a REALLY great year. We're so grateful for his team at AAC, who has worked their tails off to make this year the best so far, and for the fantastic support system that has seen him through the chaos and FINALLY to a point where we THINK the bulk of the messiness is behind us.</div>
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In addition to running AAC, Brian celebrated one year of his new venture with my brother, DJ! Last October, they started Ten31 Properties with the goal of buying six rentals in their first twelve months. I am SO proud to say, they succeeded in that, closing on their sixth property just two weeks before their anniversary. They are now up to owning seven rental properties, five of which are currently rented out and the other two not far behind!</div>
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<b>T R A V E L S</b></div>
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Travel continues to be a passion and priority for this crew! We want to go ALL of the places and we're SO pumped that the kids are totally awesome little travelers. We're on the road so often that it feels odd if we go a couple of weeks without one or all of us needing to get out of the state. This year, <u>as a family</u>, we traveled to Tennessee (twice), Kentucky, Texas, Illinois (dozens of times), Wisconsin, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Florida, Boston, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Maine, for a total of well over 25,000 miles! That doesn't include dozens of trips for just the adults (either together or solo).</div>
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The travel highlights of the year are hard to narrow down! </div>
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<li>We got to spend the first five weeks of the year in Tennessee, which allowed for Brian to be in the office, and all of us to <a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2019/02/how-we-roll.html" target="_blank">catch up with the family and friends</a> we love there!</li>
<li>The kids got their first passports and took their first international trip! </li>
<li>I was able to escape for a full week for a baby tour, visiting the two newest additions to the family (Brooke in Dallas & Ben in Chicago). </li>
<li>We crossed off our shared bucket list item of visiting the northeast in the fall - AND got to do it with both sets of grandparents.</li>
<li>We got to spend Halloween in Dallas with and rock a huge family costume theme that included all 6 adult siblings and all 7 cousins!</li>
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<b>W H A T ' S N E X T ?</b></div>
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Well, we couldn't sit around too long without making a major change, so 2020 has a new adventure in store for us! We're waiting til next summer to make the big reveal, but we are SUPER stoked about our current project! Any guesses what's coming?</div>
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Hint: I'm not pregnant. </div>
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B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-51510608919897008342019-11-16T19:24:00.000-06:002019-11-23T19:31:51.445-06:00Buck is Six!<style type="text/css">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Today we got to celebrate six years of life with this awesome kid!! Beckett has recently discovered MARIO and is OB•SESSED, so we surprised him with Mario-themed everything and setting up THREE gaming stations in the playroom. He was thrilled.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Per our tradition, we had one big family day to celebrate. The day started with cake for breakfast, followed by lots of video games (a special treat in our house). We took a break in the middle of the day for lunch at Chili’s - which Beckett chose because we have never allowed him to use the game screens and he knew his birthday would be an exception. Tricky kid.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">After lunch, we headed to Beckett’s first indoor soccer game ever! He had a huge cheering section, which made it a bazillion times more special. He has really come to love soccer, so playing on his birthday, surrounded by family, was a perfect addition to the day.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> Plus, his team sang Happy Birthday to him, which was so sweet to watch. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-family: inherit;">After the game, we headed home for presents, dinner, and Mario themed cookies! </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Five was a great year for Beckett. It started out a little rough, but he has matured so much and has come to be a great helper around the house, a fantastic homeschool student, and a sweet, affectionate son and brother. Parenting is HARD, but we're so honored to be Mom and Dad to this fantastic kiddo. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">This year Beckett had his first international trip, started Kindergarten, and began taking TaeKwonDo! His favorite past times are playing with hot wheels, reading, and spending as much time on screens as mom will allow!</span>B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-82738095003415001312019-11-12T16:20:00.001-06:002019-11-12T16:27:46.251-06:00First Snow of the Season!Today was the first snow of the season, so like any normal children, Buck & Chuck BEGGED to go out in the snow to play. I'm over here giddy for the opportunity to kick them out and have some silence, so I set off to make it happen.<br />
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The kids were THRILLED at the idea of playing in the snow. (You know where this is going, right?)<br />
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I scoured the house for supplies, but alas, there are NO WATERPROOF clothing items in this entire house. I mean, REALLY. What kind of midwesterner am I? I'm failing my children.<br />
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Against my better judgement, we loaded up and headed out. One hour, $60 dollars, two stops, and a fair amount of griping and bickering later, we had the basic necessities for snow play. Of course, during that adventure, my brilliant children realized that winter and snow mean COLD and started whining before we even got home that they in fact did NOT want to go outside and play. Threatening to return their snow play goodies only backfired when they both agreed that that would be the best course of action.<br />
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Whatever man. I'm committed now.<br />
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I told the kids they were absolutely going outside, gladiated potty breaks and artic-worthy bundling, and 20 minutes later, shuffled those fluff-balls out the door. To my surprise, they were actually thrilled to be out there and put their new snow pants to use.<br />
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I checked the time as we headed out, swiped a couple of photos, and scurried back in.<br />
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The kids lasted exactly 19 minutes and honestly, that was about 16 minutes longer than I expected.<br />
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B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-17853379207856816962019-10-18T10:47:00.000-05:002019-10-20T19:58:08.274-05:00A Week in the Life, Day 4 | Play Day<div class="p1">
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<span class="s2"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Lucky for me, my kids are still young (plus they’re doing fantastic academically) so there’s a lot of flexibility in our days. We had planned to do math, Spanish, and reading this morning before our outing. Instead we had a relaxing morning getting ready, doing chores, & having breakfast together. Then we headed to the playground for an epic play date with friends! </span></span></span><br />
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<span class="s2"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Between my sister-in-law (Brittany), my college friend (Stephanie), and her sister-in-law (Missy), we had seventeen kids at today’s play date! I L.O.V.E getting together with this crew. Steph & Miss are actually part of the reason we decided to homeschool in the first place. Their kids are fantastic and we love getting the crews together to play and build relationships. Plus, these ladies are the type of people every momma should have in their lives! </span></span></span></div>
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<span class="s2"><span style="color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255 , 255 , 255 , 0); color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Later this evening, we had soccer! I LOVE soccer nights. Beckett is on his fourth season with the same kiddos and Charlie just started this year (with dad as coach). We would encourage athletics whether we were homeschooling or not, but because the kids are not in a pubic school environment, we feel it’s even more important for them to do sports. In addition to soccer, Charlie does gymnastics and Beckett does gym & TaeKwonDo. </span></span></span></div>
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B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-45364934396953454692019-10-17T10:50:00.000-05:002019-10-17T10:55:22.307-05:00A Week in the Life, Day 3 | RoadSchoolOne of the reasons that homeschool fits us so well is that we are on the road A LOT. We travel a ton and have gotten in the habit of being on-the-go when we're <b>in</b> town, too. Our classroom is where ever we want!<br />
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We are quickly becoming pros at doing school on the road (aka RoadSchool). Sometimes that means taking our bookwork wherever we are (camping, family's house, vacations, etc) and sometimes it just means making use of the awesome technology at our disposal and doing it in the car! Yesterday was a car school day, plus a full day of learning at the children's museum with friends!<br />
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We were able to do reading, Spanish, math, and memory work all in the car. For reading & Spanish Beckett has an app that reads aloud along with a book. It works in both English and Spanish and he follows along as the story teller reads aloud. It's perfect for the car! Charlie uses Teach Your Monster to Read app on her iPad. For memory work, we use our CDs and all sing along. For math, both have apps that are supplementing the content they are doing in their standard curriculum. Easy peasy!<br />
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Then the rest of the day was spent at the Magic House with friends! We LOVE the Magic House and are so grateful for our membership there! The kids can play (and learn) independently while the mommas talk (win!) and the staff is excellent. In this shot, one of the staff members is working with Beckett on types of rocks, density and mass, using a balance, and some other goodness. They spent a good hour in the science room, exploring topical maps, learning about butterflies, identifying types of consumers by their skulls, using really cool microscopes, and more. And that was just the first room!<br />
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Most importantly, I love that they just get to PLAY so much. That's how small children learn best! Being able to create and enjoy environments where MOST of the day is spent playing, creating, exploring, using their imaginations, and being with friends has been SUCH a gift.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right: Beckett & his friend Jonathan from CC</td></tr>
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B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-16979549886206604452019-10-15T22:22:00.000-05:002019-10-16T08:43:19.536-05:00A Week in the Life, Day 2 | Classical Conversations<style type="text/css">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">It's Day Two of my "A Week in the Life of Our Homeschool" series and today I get to share one of the "staple" days in our week: Community Day! This is our consistent Tuesday routine that we look forward to so much! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b><br />Common Misconception of the Day:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Common Misconception: Homeschoolers are antisocial, unsocialized, or deprived the opportunity to hang out with other kids. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">Our Truth: I understand how this stereotype came to be, but it is definitely not our reality (nor is it the reality for ANY homeschool families I know -- which is quite a few). I like to joke that we're so on-the-go that it's actually the ACADEMIC aspect of homeschool that is difficult to fit in. There is <u>definitely</u> no lack of socializing!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;"><b>What Today Looked Like:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">8:30am - Scheduled departure time</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">9:40am - Actual departure time</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">10:00am - Classical Conversations</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">1:00pm - Playground</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">2:00pm - Home | Lessons & free play for kids. Chores for mom.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;"><b>Today's Story:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Tuesday is CC day! Classical Conversations is a homeschool community and we LOVE it. CC is a classical method of education, which basically means the kids do a whole crap ton of memorizing. The amount of information seems overwhelming, but it’s incredibly impressive how well they do with it!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;">This morning, I got an extra little reminder of why I appreciate the freedom and flexibility of homeschool life when Beckett (usually a 6:30am riser) was still asleep at 8:30am - when we are usually leaving the house! Charlie and I sat ready to go, waiting on him to get up, only for him to take his dear sweet time. I decided that if my five-year-old (who rarely sleeps in) was still sleeping at almost 9am, then his body apparently needed it! </span><span style="color: #444444;">Thankfully, it wasn't too long before he woke up in a great mood, ready for the day, and with no signs of illness (which was another concern). So we headed out the door over an HOUR behind schedule. And it was liberating. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">On CC day, the kids are introduced to their new memory work for the week, study music or art, give presentations to their class, and do a science project. Then they have lunch together and play! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today's Science: Sun Prints</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Throughout the week, we study the same memory work, with the goal of having it mastered by the time we return. Each week (for 24 weeks), we have new information in 7 subjects: Math, Science, History, Timeline, Latin, English, and Geography. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">CC is AMAZNG. They repeat the same information every 3 years through the elementary years, add in writing during the middle school years, and then speech/debate during the high school years — all built on the concepts memorized from age 4. It’s kind of like the alphabet - you memorize it as a kiddo, then use it more and in different ways as you grow! Even better: the whole program is Christ-Centered.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Music Theory: Tin Whistle Practice</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The best part of CC is the actual community! We get together with our friends regularly, and I am SO grateful for the other moms! They are FAN.TAS.TIC and so encouraging. Exactly the type of people I want to surround myself with!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">On the way home from CC today, Charlie suggested we hit the playground. This season is my happy time, so I was all about it. We popped through Starbucks (obviously) and hit a new (to us) playground in the area. I sat for an hour and sipped my coffee in silence while I watched Beckett find friends to play tag with and Charlie find a new friend to play babies with. We could have stayed there forever, except my coffee ran out and we had other things to do. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">As soon as we were home, we switched out our CC whiteboard and reviewed our newest memory work. Below is a little peek at what some of that looks like. Review looks different every day. Often the kids review on their iPads. We also have CDs we listen to in the car, a neat coloring book we're working through, and flashcards (that are mostly neglected).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: small;">We squeezed in a math board game, some learning palette time, and a little reading. Then, the last thing on the list was their iPad time. I don't care what anybody says - I LOOOVE technology in our house and the amazing opportunities it provides the kiddos. I'm amazed at the challenges they take on through their math apps and am SO grateful for the extra independent practice! They use their iPads daily (on timers) for math, reading/phonics, piano, and CC memory work.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beckett (5) is assembling a Times Table and Charlie (4) is working on subtracting from 20.</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Today was a full day, so we didn't finish up with our official checklist until around 3:30. But it was a good, good day!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">Beckett reading & Charlie playing with letter magnets<br />
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B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-46369458168579411212019-10-15T09:18:00.003-05:002019-10-15T09:22:55.988-05:00A Week in the Life, Day 1 | Renaissance Festival<div class="p1" style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">We’re early in our homeschool journey, but already I get a lot of curiosity, questions, and skepticism about homeschool life. I get it, because I was actually extremely anti-homeschool until it came time for us to make the decision for ourselves.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Homeschool fits our lives so perfectly that I couldn’t imagine doing it any other way. That isn’t to say that we’ll NEVER go another direction, but for now, we’re LOVING it. I can definitely say we’re living our best lives! ;)<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This week, I decided to document what our days look like. I'm excited to record it for our own memories, to share with our friends and families what it looks like to do homeschool in our family, and address some frequently asked questions (and concerns ;)).</span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Common Misconception of the Day:</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Common Misconception: Homeschool is a reproduction of traditional school, just in one's home.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Our truth: This has been one of the hardest mindsets to overcome for this public school teacher! Homeschool does NOT mean replicating how a traditional classroom would look and function. It's soooo much more relaxed and liberating than that!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b>What Today Looked Like:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">6:30am - Pretend to wake up</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">7:30am - ACTUALLY wake up. Get ready, clean some, prep for the day, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">8:30am - Math for both kiddos </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">9:00am - Leave (memory work in the car)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">10:00am - Renaissance Festival</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">5:00pm - TaeKwonDo </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><b>Today's Story:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Mondays are usually our sleep-in and stay-at-home day, recovering from crazy weekends. However, twice a month our homeschool community gets together for a field trip (which I get to plan, cuz it’s my happy place) and this week the trip landed on Monday. We started the day knocking out an early math lesson, and then spent the rest of the day at the Renaissance Festival, which aligns with our history memory work for the year (more on that later). <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">One question and concern that I know is often directed at homeschool families is how we know we’re teaching the “right” thing and how we’re sure they’re getting <span class="s1" style="text-decoration-line: underline;">everything</span> they need.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Here’s the thing: no matter HOW your child is educated, they will never learn “everything.” Our goal is not to check all of the things off some magical master list to guarantee success. Instead, the goal in our family is to teach HOW to learn and a LOVE for learning. We want our kids to enjoy new experiences, appreciate science, history, and culture, and (of course) be voracious readers. That way, no matter what they’re interested in, they’ll be motivated and equipped to learn more.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Last week, in preparation for the Ren Faire, we checked out and perused a stack of books on knights and castles, and started reading Magic Tree House: Knights at Dawn, and took notes on what we learned.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;">The Festival was SO much fun. They got they got to attend to a fantastic demonstration on glass blowing, see some incredible acrobats, hear story telling, experience a jousting tournament, visit fairies and mermaids, eat turkey legs, pet neat animals, and more! Dad got to join in the fun too, which always makes everything way better.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;">Beckett's favorite part of the festival was the acrobats. He and his friend Anna just talked through the whole performance about how amazing it was. They were mesmerized and adorable!</span><br />
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Charlie's favorite part were the fairies. They were allowed to search the garden for small shinies, and trade them in for a "big shiny" (basically fish tank rocks & sea glass) and the kids were sooo entertained. It was magical!<br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-converted-space">It was a very fun day, and the perfect blend of learning and adventure! The kids were exhausted, but intrigued. Beckett read up on Castles all the way home! Charlie read for a little bit and then crashed hard!</span></span><br />
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B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-45975103443634397672019-09-08T18:33:00.000-05:002019-09-08T18:42:05.122-05:00Opening Weekend + Charlie's First Soccer Game!<style type="text/css">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">A year and a half ago, the whole family converged to cheer on Beckett in his first ever soccer game. We decided to replicate that awesomeness and invite the whole crew to cheer on Charlie for her first game ever! Nana, Papa, Papaw, Uncle D & Aunt B, Eli, and Avaya all showed up to cheer this girl on. WE ARE SO GRATEFUL for our family!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Charlie only turned four two weeks ago and is still the oldest girl on the team, so our expectations were extremely low. However, we were pretty impressed with how well 5 of the 6 girls played! It was fun to watch.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #444444;">Wanna know about the 6th girl? The one that was just kinda totally stubborn and stinky? </span><span style="color: #444444;">Of course... That would be my child.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">She basically just pouted, groaned, and acted totally uninterested. This was a total bummer because she has been excited for MONTHS about playing soccer like Beckett, and I was excited too! I even made bows for the whole team (it’s how I roll). Of course, when the time actually came to play, she was in a MOOD.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Actually, to be honest, she’s been “in a mood” for a couple of months now. Four was my hardest year with Beckett, and so I keep joking that she’s looking to out-do him. So far, she’s a total over-achiever. She has MASTERED stubborn, sassy, and opinionated. I don’t know WHERE she gets that from!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">What’s even more fun (we thought) is that Brian is coaching Charlie’s team! He’s PERFECT at being patient and fun with a bunch of 3 and 4 year old girls. He’s doing great! And those five out of six girls are responding impressively well! (Ha!) We think Chuck is partially jealous to have to share her dad. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Figures.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">He's so cute, though! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Thankfully, Charlie did have a couple of promising moments. We could tell she WANTED to get into it. I don't know what her little four-year-old emotions were doing to her, but we're hoping to see some more excitement & confidence as the season progresses! </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The second game of the day was Beckett’s! It has been SO FUN to watch his progress since game one. It’s also extremely encouraging to remember how much of a difference a couple of years makes — maybe Charlie is not doomed!</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Beckett LOVES playing soccer. He is giddy and happy and totally energetic when he’s out there playing. He’s improved on focus and following instructions (although he still needs work, for sure). I can see him loving this sport for a long time.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">We love that he has been with the same great coaches and sweet team for four seasons now. It’s suuuuch a sweet blessing to see them growing and improving together, and so awesome to know the boys and their parents. I pray that they continue to play, grow, and bond together.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The weekend was supposed to have two games per team, but today’s games were rained out, so we decided to just grab a few pictures while they were suited up. In true Charlie fashion, she was a stinker. Luckily for us, Papa caught these perfect depictions of current life with Charlie Grace on camera.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Finally, we resorted to bribery. (Thanks in advance for not judging)</span></div>
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B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-32733818643768364892019-08-19T17:06:00.001-05:002019-08-19T21:46:36.107-05:00Our First Day of Homeschool 2019! <div style="text-align: justify;">
Today was our first day of Homeschool! We officially started homeschooling last year, but both kids were in preschool and we had a very relaxed year. This year, we're kicking it up one small notch with a little more structured curricula! </div>
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A couple of weeks ago, Beckett started talking about how excited he was for school to start. He asked about it multiple times a week and marked it on his calendar. All I could think was, "oh boy.. pressure is ON." I wanted to match his enthusiasm! So today, we had a very special first day of school.</div>
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We started the day with special breakfast, gifts for both kiddos, and prayers for the school year. Brian joined us for this part of the day, which is extra special because he is a big fan of being at work EARLY in the morning! We loved having him! Once we were done with breakfast, we got started on our school day!<br />
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I've been planning for WEEKS, and knew Beckett would appreciate my organization. He loves lists and schedules as much as I do! That photo above to the left is him previewing the plans for the day. Luckily for me, being able to check the little boxes is just as motivational for him as it is for me!</div>
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Those next two are them working on their math planners. Charlie is drawing what comes to mind when she thinks of August (popsicles) and Beckett is filling out an "All About Me Page," which made me love him even more:</div>
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Something he's good at: Reading</div>
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His favorite season: Winter</div>
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His favorite place: "Wherever all the people I love are"</div>
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Beckett is a Kindergartener this year! He says he's most excited to learn Spanish (wish me luck, ya'll) and he's very excited that I'm his teacher. I was worried that he would feel some disappointment that he wasn't going off to school like his cousins, but he's been proudly telling anyone who will listen that he gets to do school at home and that his mom is his teacher! We'll see if he still feels that way in a few months (or even years). </div>
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Admittedly, I have not worked nearly as much with Charlie as I had with Beckett. By Charlie's age (3), Beckett was already reading independently, among other impressive skills. So, I'm particularly excited to work with this little ball of spunk and sass. When I HAVE taken the time to sit down and really work with her, she's been SO INTERESTED in learning, incredibly attentive, and picks up on new concepts quickly! She tested ready for a Kindergarten math curriculum, which she started today! She says her goal is to learn to read this year (again - wish me luck!). </div>
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We spent a big chunk of today kicking off our unit on the Revolutionary War in preparation for our upcoming trip to the northeast! I am SUPER giddy about spending the next six weeks diving into study units that will complement and enrich our travels together. We'll also study crustaceans and how leaves change. Nerdy mom alert!<br />
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My absolute favorite part of our day will likely be the same all year. That is when Beckett read aloud to Charlie and me. Today it was the story of Noah's Ark, which he studied in Sunday School yesterday. I LOVE hearing him read, and love being able to spend our days talking about whatever we choose, including studying scripture.<br />
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We ended our homeschool day with lunch at Beckett's FAVORITE restaurant, IHOP! Again, Dad joined us because it's a super special day and he's the best dad ever! Blair and Alex (Charlie's babies) joined us too, of course.<br />
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People ask me ALL OF THE TIME why I chose to homeschool. Really, I could write a whole blog SERIES on the reasons I love and am grateful for homeschool, but the primary reason is just these two kiddos. I'm so grateful and excited to do life with them.<br />
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Recently, I've been reminded too many times that life is short and we should be spending our time wisely. In this particular chapter of my life, I'm confident this is where God has led me, and overwhelmingly grateful for this crazy homeschool life. </div>
B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-16116155282445306342019-03-24T22:24:00.000-05:002019-03-24T22:24:28.644-05:00American Girl AdventureGrowing up I was never an American Girl person. I didn't really even know it was a thing until I was older, and then I mostly thought it was silly. I have mommy friends who are AG obsessed and I definitely just humored the conversations that I naively assumed I would never be part of "that" world.<br />
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You guys.<br />
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I was so. wrong.<br />
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On Friday, Brittany and I loaded up the girls for our very first girls only road trip!! I have been WAITING for this day! We love that these cousins are growing up together and taking a trip to Chicago for Avaya's 7th birthday was EXACTLY what I call perfection. <br />
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We pretty much started swooning the moment we walked into the GINORMOUS store. It's amazing. Both girls got to pick out a doll. Avaya chose a doll that resembled herself (beautiful, obviously), and Charlie chose the doll of the year, Blair, whom we all adore.<br />
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We're all obsessed with Blair. She's a stinkin' cute farm girl. Charlie is straight up obsessed with her farmhouse & restaurant. She spent as much time as she could manage playing with it in the store. I definitely called Brian asking if I could buy this ridiculously expensive doll house.<br />
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I got an emphatic "NO." (But it's officially on the wish list).<br />
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After we shopped, we ate at the most adorable cafe EVER. The dolls had their own seats and place settings!! What?! Avaya got a stinkin cute cake and we ate an amaaazingly delicious lunch. It was a FANTASTIC DAY!!<br />
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Brittany and I MAY have been just as entertained as the girls. We're so grateful for a chance at this super fun girls' day! </div>
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B and D Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16165038675653521766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-52486413984734268252019-02-17T22:12:00.001-06:002019-02-17T22:12:46.481-06:00Our First Family Symphony!We had our first family symphony experience tonight! It pretty much went how I'd expect the symphony to go with my 3 and 5 year old. And we loved it.<br />
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The St. Louis Symphony has a special Family Series that we now know is absolutely fantastic! For the hour before the performance, they have special activities for the kids. Today's performance of Cinderella called for visiting with a "real" prince and princess (which Charlie was not totally convinced of & required daddy's escort), decorating a fairy wand, and their awesome instrument playground!<br />
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It would have been way cooler without the chaotic long lines, but it was VERY neat that the kids got to check out the instruments up close, hear them played, and try them out for themselves. The flute girl insisted I try - which was more entertaining than you might imagine.<br />
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During the performance, the kids were a bit less entertained, but still did well. Brian and I tought it was FANTASTIC - and it was only 45 minutes so a perfect timeframe for introducing! At various points, it definitely entertained and kept heir attention, but overall, it was a good thing we brought a stack of books! Beckett loved using his orchestra book to identify the instruments he saw. :)<br />
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Regardless, we'll definitely be back! It was such a great experience. Beckett has even decided he wants to play the violin.<br />
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<br />Denise Hill http://www.blogger.com/profile/07728137707367593224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-46911522872444945602019-02-14T19:57:00.000-06:002019-02-14T20:07:58.470-06:00My Magical Valentines<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="dar6" data-offset-key="6p6fg-0-0">
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You know those days where you are totally overwhelmed with the crazy? Maybe just want to move out, leave everything behind, and start all over? Those days where everyone around you </span></span><span style="background-color: white;">(aka: the little people)</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"> are doing anything they can to make it so. much. worse? And you're so overwhelmed you feel like you want to jump out of your own skin?
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</span>That was our day yesterday. This momma was not coping well with our transition from one chapter of crazy chaos to another. The house was a holy mess, the Christmas decorations are STILL UP, I cleaned all day only to make things worse, and the kids were on MISSION to make the house significantly more </span>disastrous that it already was.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">And I had an </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">epic </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">melt </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">down.
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">But today is a new day, with fresh new mercies, and I was determined to make Valentine’s Day full of quality, enjoyable togetherness.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">We started the day with coffee (obviously) and stack Valentine’s Day themed books. Breakfast was Greek yogurt piled with strawberries, blueberries, and almonds. It's a go-to breakfast in our house, but served in a purple bowl, over a Valentine’s Day themed tablecloth, it was extra magical! The kids were thrilled. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">After breakfast, we gussied up in all of our best PINK and headed to the library for story time. We are SO LUCKY to live in a county with a fan.tas.tic library system. There are a plethora of classes to choose from. Our favorite is the story time at the library closest to us. The librarian is PHENOMENAL and manages to keep a room of toddlers and preschoolers on task and engaged for the entire experience. She's magical. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Next came an </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">unscheduled</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> stop at the playground. Where did this magical weather come from?! (And how many times can I use the word "magical" in one post before someone hands me a thesaurus?). We played for a long time, and I nearly cried when I realized my kids are officially big enough to push ME on the merry-go-round. What is happening?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">In our house, pancakes seem to be the food of special occasions. I'm not sure why, but they're... magical (couldn't help it). For lunch, we worked together to whip up some pancakes, find all of the red foods we could muster, piled them on a plate, and called it our super special Valentine's Day lunch. We read some more books, talked about the people we loved and why, and just enjoyed having a less-than-exhausting morning together! </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Christmas decorations are still up, and as I type this I'm still very ready for bedtime to be here, but we had a good day! And for that I'm super grateful! </span></span></span></div>
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Denise Hill http://www.blogger.com/profile/07728137707367593224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-11949322230718558512019-02-12T19:45:00.000-06:002019-02-12T19:45:52.698-06:00How We RollRecently someone who I know just through Facebook asked if Brian and I were gypsies. I'm not even entirely sure what that means, but I was thoroughly entertained. While we wouldn't label ourselves as gypsies (we have a legit home, ya'll), we sure do live a life that is very much on the go.<br />
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People tend to ask how we do it. WHY we do it. Insist that they couldn't or wouldn't. Wonder if we're crazy or if we prefer a life that has no semblance of routine. So I decided I'd share some thoughts. Don't get too excited. This is not mind-blowing.<br />
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First, let's talk about WHY. The only reasonable answer I can think of is: why NOT? I think the reason we seem to be on the go so much is because we just tend to look at opportunities and think, "sure! why not?" At no point have we ever thought, "LET'S FIND 27 PLACES TO VISIT THIS YEAR!" or "let's see if we can travel 22 straight weekends." It just happens. It's a combination of work, family, friends, and just travel for the sake of travel. It's how we roll.<br />
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If you follow our crazy journey, you know we've been visiting/living in Tennessee for the last five weeks. We headed there the first week of January and stayed until yesterday so that Brian could get work stuff done (actually, he's still there for another week). During that time, while we were living in a temporary home, we HOSTED people (as in lived in our house with us) for 13 total days and then one or both of us traveled out of town for 12 total days. Almost four out of five weeks INSIDE of our travel weeks were spent hosting or traveling. I legitimately don't know how this happens.<br />
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So how?<br />
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Well, we've gotten REALLY GOOD at going with the flow. Taking it all in stride. Giving ourselves a whole lot of grace. Because WHY NOT?<br />
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Sometimes we figure out how to cook regularly. Sometimes we eat out WAY TOO OFTEN and gain weight and blow the budget. Sometimes we're on the ball. Structured and routine and on it. Most of the time though, we miss goals we've set. Are months behind on sending holiday cards. Leave our Christmas trees up until Valentine's Day...<br />
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STRIDE.<br />
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Sometimes we haven't done school in days. Haven't left the house. Haven't bathed our kids. Have to buy socks and underwear because we've run out and can't bear hauling the laundry somewhere to clean it...<br />
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GRACE.<br />
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I've also gotten REALLY GOOD at self-care. At saying NO when I just NEED to say no. At scheduling CHUNKS of time that are absolutely off-limits so that I can just decompress. This is CRUCIAL for the introverts in our crew (Hint: NOT Brian or Charlie).<br />
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Also?<br />
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We just REALLY LOVE IT. We love being on the go. We get to see SO MUCH. Our kids have hard days and sometimes they're over it but MOSTLY, they are all in. They don't know a difference. I honestly don't think Charlie knows where she lives anymore, but the kid is CLOSE to her family. Her brother is her bestie. And we LOVE that.<br />
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The kids can make friends anywhere. They're great in public and in restaurants and in the car for HOURS. They'll make anyplace home. Sleep anywhere (often preferably together). And they LOVE to learn. We get to make every experience a learning opportunity! Our lives don't look like the traditional suburban fam, but we're cool with that.<br />
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During this last visit, we got to spend time with MANY sweet friends and family. We didn't even capture pictures with them all, but here are some of the highlights.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhgX1-0SKwZBfGCKdqKYuJBsRVSfp6-rRCfx0ZCRTWziRbURMpGD2zX1s8L6Nyv5q8e0d0BD3Z678PunN9iQd7DbNrINosiHVuURdRBfSnJcSrVTALXCiTciWP8pFURRLny18RYu2lAF0/s1600/Untitled+design+%252853%2529.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhgX1-0SKwZBfGCKdqKYuJBsRVSfp6-rRCfx0ZCRTWziRbURMpGD2zX1s8L6Nyv5q8e0d0BD3Z678PunN9iQd7DbNrINosiHVuURdRBfSnJcSrVTALXCiTciWP8pFURRLny18RYu2lAF0/s640/Untitled+design+%252853%2529.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top Row, L-R: Charlie with Penny Frey, Buck with Cousin Nate, Me with Book Lady Friends Paige & Bethany, Buck & Chuck with Cousins (who visited us) Eli & Avaya at a winery<br style="font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Bottom Row, L-R: Chuck with Cousin Parker, Brian with his nerd-buddies playing Cash Flow, Kiddos with Addie Fowler</span></td></tr>
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<br />Denise Hill http://www.blogger.com/profile/07728137707367593224noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-58778331039841057922018-12-31T22:27:00.000-06:002018-12-31T22:36:07.942-06:00We Loved You, 2018<div style="text-align: center;">
I am absolutely obsessed with this crew. On a regular basis, in our ordinary old day-to-day lives, I find myself swooning and melting with affection for each and every one of them. Deliriously happy is an understatement. </div>
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2018 was not particularly ground-breaking. It was actually a bit of a chill year compared to the last few, but it was a year full of adventure, family, and gratitude for this life we've built and love.</div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">L I F E I N S T . C H A R L E S</span></div>
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We just celebrated ONE FULL YEAR back in our home in Saint Charles. Remember we <a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2013/07/moving-to-nantucket-drive.html" target="_blank">moved here</a> five years ago, then <a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2015/09/hill-party-of-four-plus-one-bit-of-news.html" target="_blank">moved back to Tennessee</a> for what we thought would be six months, and then finally made the "official" move back last December (two and a half years later). </div>
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We LOVE this area. We love the environment St. Charles provides for raising a family, we love the new church we've found (seriously, I'd move here all over again just to attend this church), and we LOVE LOVE LOVE being close to family! My brother and his family live just over four miles away, which is AMAZING. The cousins have gotten super close, and adults have each other to lean on! We're raising kids together - among other adventures (more on that later!)</div>
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Brian's family is only 35 minutes away, which means the kiddos are close to their grandparents, we have free child-care, and we get to spend plenty of time together. We particularly love camping together, and finally got our very first camper this year, which means MANY more family camping adventures to come!</div>
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Things with Brian's company continue to change and evolve. There have been a lot of overwhelming and discouraging moments, but even more moments of progress and gratitude. (We finished a 3-year law suit last month!!) Being a business-owner is nothing short of HARD WORK, but he takes it in stride and manages to prioritize family life better than I'd ever expect a human being with his work load to manage.</div>
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In addition to running a company and studying for other hobbies and ventures, he's also partnered up with my little brother to start their own LLC (so now he gets to work with TWO of his brothers!). This was a big deal this year! These boys have been talking about getting into rental property for EVER and on Halloween, they finally took the plunge and bought our very first property. I'm so proud of them and their hard work!</div>
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I am still really loving <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/BuckAndChuck/" target="_blank">being a Book Lady with Usborne Books & More</a>. I get to work part time and on my own schedule sharing these awesome books and leading a team of book ladies - and I love {almost 😉} every single minute! </div>
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Book lady life has helped cover some major expenses (mostly travel 🙌), blessed us with a ginormous library of truly wonderful books, kicked up the book-obsession in this house quite a bit (growing two avid readers), and introduced me to an empowering and inspiring network of people. With the combination of fantastic books that we love and the amazing women that I've met, this journey has had a GINORMOUS impact on a major decision we made this year... which brings me to my next point:</div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">H O M E S C H O O L</span></span></div>
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EEK! Yep. This year, we made the huge and <b><u>extremely</u></b> unexpected decision to homeschool! We're still kind of in shock (and awe), but simultaneously feel liberated and empowered and so so excited.</div>
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See, I was a public school teacher and (to be honest) pretty anti-homeschool. I'm a BIG fan of public schools (mostly of the teachers who work SO hard) and always expected my kiddos to attend. We actually moved to this neighborhood with the local school in mind.</div>
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I won't get into the story behind the decision (we'll save that for another extra-long post), but I can tell you that we believe so deeply that this is the right decision for our family, and we are so thrilled to have the option to learn and grow together as a team, and to have our family unit be so close-knit.</div>
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What makes the decision EVEN. SWEETER. is that Brittany is homeschooling her two as well! The kids attend a Classical Conversations community together and are learning all of the same material there. We get to journey through this together, and our kids get that much more opportunity to learn and grow as a family. I do not have the words to express the depths of how precious this opportunity is to us. We are in love!</div>
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These two kids are w o n d e r f u l. We are smitten and grateful and overwhelmed that we get to be their parents. They get along incredibly well MOST of the time and sincerely love being together. They both love hot wheels, legos, playing with babies, being outside, wrestling with dad, reading, being with their cousins, helping in the kitchen, and {home}school! Brian and I agree that their current ages are our favorite yet. They're old enough to be independent in a lot of helpful ways, but not old enough yet to cause toooo much drama. 😉 </div>
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Beckett turned FIVE this year and had a super fun transformers + nerf war party (<a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2018/11/beckett-is-five.html" target="_blank">check it out here</a>). This year he is in pre-k. He started <a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2018/03/becketts-first-soccer-game.html" target="_blank">soccer</a>, took swim lessons, ran his first <a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2018/08/beckett-is-spartan.html" target="_blank">Spartan Race</a>, and (among other awesome academic accomplishments) graduated to reading chapter books (!) completely independently.</div>
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Charlie <a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2018/08/charlie-grace-is-three.html" target="_blank">turned three</a> this year! She started tumbling classes (and loves them), attended soccer camp, and started talking up A STORM. Her vocabulary is way ahead of where Beckett was at this age, so we're continually amazed. She's also incredibly sassy!</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">T R A V E L</span></span></span></div>
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Travel is a passion and priority for this crew. We want to see EVERYPLACE, domestic and abroad, and try to be intentional about saying YES to opportunities to just GO! This year, we visited Chicago (five times), Wisconsin (a couple times), East Tennessee, Florida (twice), Michigan, Texas, Southern Illinois (a dozen or more times), Indiana, Arkansas, Jamaica, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cayman Islands, Panama Canal, and Kentucky for a total of more than 18,400 miles traveled as a family! That total doesn't include three girls trips (including another cruise) and a few work trips for me, or a couple of boy trips and many, many work trips for Brian!</div>
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The highlights were getting to spend a TON of time with all of our fantastic family (including welcoming my sweet new birthday twin nephew!), spending 10 days on a cruise to the Panama Canal with my mom & her side of the family (<a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2018/09/oh-hey-vacay.html" target="_blank">see those highlights here</a>!), and taking the kids to Disney for the first time!! Apparently I forgot to document Disney here on the blog, but the jist is: it. was. MAGICAL.</div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white;">T H A T ' S A W R A P !</span></span></div>
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For our family, 2018 has been WONDERFUL. The fact that the same is not true for all families around the world is NOT lost on us. We are indescribably grateful for the sweet life we live and actively look for ways to share joy and bless others as well. </div>
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This new year already looks wonderful, and we cannot wait to see what God has in store.</div>
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Happy New Year!</div>
Denise Hill http://www.blogger.com/profile/07728137707367593224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-92065442974251606432018-12-10T18:33:00.002-06:002018-12-10T18:33:45.904-06:00A New Christmas Tradition<div style="text-align: center;">
Brian and I have slowly been building on Christmas traditions for our little family. So far our traditions have included Advent activities every year (although this year I'm way behind), a birthday celebration for Jesus on Christmas morning (complete with cinnamon rolls and candles), the same Eggs Benedict and mimosa breakfast, stockings stuffed with individually wrapped gifts, and new Christmas jammies. </div>
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We've chosen to follow the "want, need, wear, read" pattern to gifts and then choose one more traditional, "old-school" gift to be left out and unwrapped under the tree. This is our gift from Santa, even though we have yet to actually ever reference him in our home! (Biding our time on that one).</div>
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This year, at the recommendation of Brian we decided to add in a new tradition! Yesterday, we loaded up on the ingredients for brownies and four types of cookies (confession: the pile included boxed brownies and two types of break and bake cookies) and we spent the entire afternoon baking! There were messes and Christmas music and kids licking (and then washing) their hands 1 billion times, and all of the chaos and goodness you would expect of a Christmas Baking Day with two preschoolers.</div>
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This was also a really excellent opportunity to talk about giving. It's a hard, hard lesson for a three and five year old to comprehend when we intend to give the cookies we're baking away to someone else. Yes, there were tears - but I think it ended up well! </div>
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Today, we loaded up the kids' gator (which worked out super well) and knocked on the doors to seven surrounding houses! Three of the four neighbors we talked to we were meeting for the VERY FIRST TIME. These are people who live 35 yards from us! </div>
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Brian had coached Beckett on how to introduce himself with a handshake, ask questions, and wish the neighbors a Merry Christmas. He did a FANTASTIC job. Brian and I both thoroughly enjoyed watching him work (he's definitely his father's child). </div>
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For those who know me, you know that neither baking or knocking on people's doors and making small talk are in my wheelhouse of talents. Both give me anxiety (and spoiler alert: Charlie is a chip off the ole block). However, I was pleasantly surprised at how much Charlie and both I enjoyed this project and I'm sincerely looking forward to getting to know our neighbors better! This is definitely a tradition we'll aim to keep for many years to come!</div>
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Denise Hill http://www.blogger.com/profile/07728137707367593224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-68928966649508885762018-11-16T21:58:00.000-06:002018-11-23T22:08:24.755-06:00Beckett is FIVE! <div style="text-align: center;">
Beckett is FIVE. Five YEARS old. It's insane. I feel like it happened over night, but at the same time feel like it suits him SO. WELL. Brian and I are both just ENAMORED by this child and unbelievably grateful that we get to raise him. The weight of that blessing is not lost on me (as I type with tears in my eyes). So, this week, we celebrated this awesome kid.</div>
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Beckett continues to be mostly chill (although he did try his hand at pushing boundaries and throwing tantrums this year), very kind, and incredibly smart. This year he played both spring and fall soccer and took Ninja Warrior courses. He's not a natural athlete by any means, but he's learning to respect his coaches & be a team player and is having a ton of fun in the process! </div>
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He loves cars, transformers, reading, math, building, problem-solving, wrestling with dad, playing with his sister & cousins, and any type of screen! He's super proud of himself as he becomes more independent - getting himself ready in the morning, reading books on his own, helping around the house, etc. He can even cook scrambled eggs {mostly} on his own!</div>
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Beckett hasn't had a "big" party since his <a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2014/12/becketts-first-birthday.html" target="_blank">First Birthday</a> so for five years it was time to do it up right! When it came time to plan this party, he knew immediately that he wanted a Transformers party, and I knew immediately that I didn't want it in my house. So a gymnastics + Nerf War party was born!<br />
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Hosting it at a gymnastics gym was basically the best decision I've ever made. All I did was provide some cupcakes and Nerf darts, and VOILA. Epic. Party. We invited family, friends, and the kiddos from soccer and our homeschool community class. We ended up with thirty-one kids celebrating with us - which is more kids than I realized we knew! It was SO MUCH FUN to have the gym to ourselves. The coaches led them through all of the equipment and let them play for over an hour. The entire time, Mom & Dad got to just hang out, watch the kids have a blast, and take a few pictures - it doesn't get much better than that!<br />
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After the organized equipment play, came the part that I'm pretty sure every single one of the 31 kids showed up for: NERF. WAR. Yes, it's as awesome as it sounds. I was a little bit jealous that I wasn't out there with them!</div>
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The coaches set up boundaries and barriers, split the kids into two teams, and then the kids just went Nerf Berzerk! I was actually pretty surprised at how well the kids all handled gun malfunctions, getting shot in the face, and the rest of the general chaos. I was concerned that the coaches only allowed for fifteen minutes for this part, but the obviously knew what they were doing - it was definitely enough. </div>
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Once the kids were good and worn out (who am I kidding?), it was time for cake! To be honest, listening to our huge, awesome community sing Happy Birthday to my five year old was significantly more emotional than I care to admit, but it's just true. I am so grateful for all of the people who cared enough to show up and celebrate this kid!</div>
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One special thing we did with this party, that I'm so hoping we remember to do in the future, is encourage our guests to skip the gifts. Beckett has SO MANY TOYS and anything else he could possibly need, so we took this opportunity to let him practice giving instead of receiving. We talked to him in advance, and he agreed it would be super-cool to give all of his guests a gift instead of opening presents at his party. Each family received a gift bag with a few of Beckett's favorite things: a [robot-themed] book or two, plus enough hot wheels and play dough for each kiddo in the family. He got to hand the gift bags out as his guests left, and thank each of them for coming. It was INCREDIBLY HEART-WARMING to watch him be such a big kid!</div>
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After the party, the whole family crew headed back home for dinner and PRESENTS! With such a big family, Beckett still had MORE THAN ENOUGH gifts to open once we got home. The major themes of this years gifts were legos & building, coding, and transformers!</div>
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Even better than having a ton of friends at his party, was having a ton of FAMILY at his party. Brittany, DJ, Eli, Avaya, Devin, Katie, Jack, Will, the Hill Grandparents, the Uhll Grandparents, Grandma Beth (Brittany's mom), and Grandma Irene (Katie's Mom) were ALL IN ATTENDANCE. This is why we moved. We are so indescribably grateful for this amazing village.</div>
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Denise Hill http://www.blogger.com/profile/07728137707367593224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-53340908114325079712018-09-30T11:15:00.009-05:002018-11-12T14:45:54.738-06:00Fall Family Challenge<div style="text-align: center;">
Fall is my absolute favorite (until Christmas rolls around, but more on that later). The season rolls around every year like clockwork, but every. single. year. I cannot even handle how magical and fabulous it is. And I commit to making the absolute most of every moment of its goodness.
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This year I’ve vowed to get the whole family on board the fall-obsessed bandwagon, so I’ve challenged the family to marking off every item on our Fall Bucket List. We’ll record our adventures here! </div>
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<b>August 15 | Apple Dessert + Leaf Project</b><br />
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I know. August is early. But this crew was hecka excited about fall in the air so we jumped on in with a Fall Themed play date. These cheesy fun, chaotic days are my FAVORITE. We had a combination of just letting the kids play and having organized crafty times, including a leaf craft and apple decorating + eating!<br />
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<b>September 29 | Baking Pumpkin Pie</b></div>
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Beckett thought it would be cute to buy a pumpkin and make a pie from scratch. I don’t have the energy or patience for that, so we went the good ole three ingredients and a pre-made crust method. It didn’t disappoint.<br />
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<b>September 30 | Pie for Breakfast </b></div>
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Last night’s pie wasn’t ready until too close to bedtime, so the logical choice is to wait and have pie for breakfast, right?! I very rarely allow sugary breakfasts so I thought this would be a fun, magical treat (apologies to the church nursery staff). Beckett was thoroughly entertained. Charlie refused to eat hers and requested a banana instead. Weirdo.<br />
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<img alt="" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglWetoSrUywyyzTYCOaJQGH1KQLim4ARTf2W3JPvoqtyTEg1qAHIdSfcRV3aZuk37jJg5F5onnYcYJeui8yZEZqYqNfMTIIv2-I16MurYVTAIN5MfOyLgtbujZAoUKdbF8ZVQEz2ticfA/" width="640" /><br />
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<b>October 3 | Buy Pumpkins</b><br />
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Yes, I know getting pumpkins from the patch is cute and all, but Walmart is cheaper! Tonight, we took a trip to grab a fun variety of cuteness for our front porch! Don't worry, we'll hit up the patch, too!<br />
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<b>Oct 4 | Pumpkin Pancakes</b></div>
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I’m a big ole fan of grocery pickup, but this week it totally failed us and skipped our chicken, bell peppers, and salad. I didn’t even notice until I went in the fridge tonight to start our chicken fajita salads. I TRIED to be healthy, y’all... but instead we checked <a href="https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/pumpkin-pie-pancakes/4d7d2da6-3b95-4cf3-a516-2cf73125ef95" target="_blank">Pumpkin Pancakes</a> off the Fall Bucket List. I've never had Pumpkin Pancakes before, and honestly was only trying them because it made for a cute Bucket List item... but Oh My Fall-ness they were sooooo good. There will be an encore performance.</div>
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<b>October 9 & 16 | Nature Walk</b></div>
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Two weeks in a row, we went for a nature walk with our co-op. It's a perfect time of year to study leaves! It's also pretty crazy the difference in clothing we saw in that week! The kids enjoyed looking at the leaves, and Beckett is particularly enthralled with the bright colors. </div>
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<b>October 20 | Family Flannel Day + Pumpkin Fest + Pumpkin Carving</b></div>
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An old family friend (the Brooks) hosts Pumpkin Fest every year, and this is the first year we've made the drive home to attend! She had fun games, a bounce house, candy, a piñata, a TON of food, and pumpkin carving! We're hoping to make this an annual tradition! Mom, Curt, and DJ + Crew jumped in on our Family Flannel Day, which made it that much more epic. </div>
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<b>October 21 | Rake Leaves</b></div>
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Today we visited Grandma & Grandpa Montgomery. Aunt Sally was there helping with some chores, and she was SO gracious to patiently allow the kiddos to "help" her with the task of raking leaves. They grabbed rakes (and brooms) and went to work! </div>
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<b>October 21 | Visit a Pumpkin Patch + Take a Hayride</b></div>
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We BARELY made it to the pumpkin patch this year. Between our crazy schedules and the weather not cooperating, I thought it wasn't going to happen. We managed to squeeze in an hour at Krolls, which is a pumpkin patch near Nana & Papa's and quickly becoming an annual thing! It was cold, but fed animals, played in pumpkins, took a hay ride, and enjoyed perfectly sweet family time!!</div>
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<b>October 31 | Trick-or-Treat</b></div>
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Denise Hill http://www.blogger.com/profile/07728137707367593224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-35882401563991991752018-09-28T17:34:00.001-05:002018-09-28T17:47:08.755-05:00Oh Hey, Vacay!<div style="text-align: center;">
Brian and I live pretty crazy lives. We've had a lot going on the last several years, and it's been absolutely exhausting (much more for him than for me). Fortunately for us, one very stable part of our lives is our marriage. We truly are best friends and just really love being together. When we got married, we promised we'd always travel together - without the kiddos - for a chance to have something that is JUST ours, and a chance to spend quality time keeping our relationship our top priority.</div>
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As we write this, we're on our way back from our ten-day Princess Cruise to the Panama Canal (I know, right?). We promised ourselves we would document the trip as we went, but we were too busy living in the moment to bother with writing about it. So here we are, jotting down a few of the highlights.<br />
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<b>Friday | Embarkation Day</b></div>
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We started the trip off strong - being dropped at the WRONG terminal and having to drag our luggage about a mile (although it felt like more) through the lovely Florida heat. Welcome to vacation!</div>
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We made it though, and it was totally worth the walk. We spent Tuesday getting settled into our new digs, hanging out with the family, and trying to navigate this ginormous ship. (Spoiler alert: Mom & I left the ship ten days later, still not knowing our way around - grateful for our navigation expert husbands!).</div>
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<b>Wednesday | Sea Day</b></div>
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Wednesday was the perfect official start to a vacation. We were at sea all day, so we spent time playing trivia (my personal favorite cruise activity), hanging out with Chris (our favorite bartender), and making the most of our balcony. This was our first formal evening of the cruise, so we got all gussied up and ate some fancy foods! </div>
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<b>Thursday | Jamaica</b></div>
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Our first stop was Falmouth, Jamaica. We didn't book any excursions for this one, so we just hopped off the boat and walked around the local port & town. It was one bazillion degrees and there wasn't much to see in the area, so we didn't spend a ton of time, but we did get to visit a local market and check out some neat foods, grab a Red Stripe beer, and buy a souvenir or two.</div>
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We spent the rest of the day making the most of the on-board activities. We dominated in an egg-drop competition where our little team was given 6 minutes to construct a device that would protect our raw egg from cracking during a two-story drop. We were the only team to prevail! GO TEAM YOLK-LO! </div>
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<b>Friday | Sea Day</b></div>
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Brian isn't a huge Sea Day fan, but I LOVE.THEM.SO.MUCH. The highlight of this one was the wine tasting we attended - most specifically the Norman's Love chocolate that was served with the reds. I'm officially obsessed. We also got into the evening game show, Yes/No, where you're asked a series of questions for three minutes but are not allowed to respond with any version of yes or no. I'm proud to say I made in the whole 3 minutes and earned myself a bottle of champagne! (Wahoo!) Brian and Curt also tried... (we'll leave it at that).</div>
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<b>Saturday | Columbia</b></div>
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One of our Bucket List items is to visit every continent on the globe. Today, we got to step foot on South America for the first time ever! We definitely want to go back (because can you really cross it off after 6 hours?!) but we thoroughly enjoyed our taste of Cartagena, Columbia.</div>
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We visited their Old City, which was absolutely gorgeous. We spent the day walking around, taking in the beautiful buildings and balconies, and having a drink or two. I'm a sucker for street vendors and the limeade they were selling on every corner did NOT disappoint. </div>
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Brian loved Cartagena so much, it's officially on our list of places to visit again. This is saying a lot, considering we have a general "no visiting the same place twice" rule. There's just so much more to see, and our tiny taste of the culture was just not enough.</div>
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We spent the evening whoopin it up on the boat! I won a t-shirt (which I was probably a little too proud of) for playing a silly matching game, and then we wandered around until we found the very front of the boat. Silly shenanigans from here on out. These moments are what vacations are made of.</div>
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<b>Sunday | Panama</b></div>
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It's time for the main event! We pulled into the brand new Agua Clara locks of the Panama Canal early Saturday morning. Our ship passed through the locks on the Atlantic side, which was absolutely incredible to experience and learn about. Once through, we headed off on an excursion to the old locks. We got to drive through the rainforests, learn about the history and impact of the Panama Canal, and then pass through the original (Mira Flores) locks, this time in a smaller boat and on the Pacific side.</div>
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A ginormous car-carrying ship and tiny catamaran passed through the locks with us, which made the experience even more interesting. We experienced the boat being lifted through, and got to touch the inside wall of the Panama Canal (which apparently guarantees we'll be married for life).</div>
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<b>Monday | Costa Rica</b></div>
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Monday was another LONG day! We got off the boat early and headed for a very long and VERY bumpy ride through Limon and to the rainforest. We learned about cacau (what chocolate is made of), saw sloths (my personal favorite part of the day), and zip-lined through the BEAUTIFUL rain forests of Costa Rica with my aunt Deb and uncle Dave! </div>
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We LOVED Costa Rica. We dream of living in various places around the world and this one could definitely make the cut of places we could stay for a year or more.</div>
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<b>Tuesday | Sea Day</b></div>
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After a few long and exhausting days, even Brian was ready for a sea day on Tuesday! In addition to a couple of rounds of trivia (officially my favorite ship-time activity), we also partook in a paper airplane contest. We were not as victorious as we were with the egg drop, but it still made for a good laugh. </div>
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<b>Wednesday | Cayman Islands</b></div>
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I was nervous that Grand Cayman would be a disappointment compared to the other places we'd visited, but I was so wrong. The island & waters were gorgeous. We took a short drive through town, tasted a couple of local goodies, visited Hell (yes, really), and took the most epic (i.e "all you can drink") rum tour ever. We are officially BIG fans of Seven Fathoms Rum. Do yourself a favor and go look it up.</div>
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When we got back, we headed to the spa (because it isn't a true vacation until you hit the spa) and spent 75 minutes soaking up hot stones and deep tissue massages. We finished off the evening with a movie under the stars. </div>
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Let's recap: all you can drink rum, 75 minute hot stone massages, and movie under the stars in the middle of the caribbean. It was a good, good day.</div>
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<b>Thursday | Sea Day</b></div>
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Our last day on the ship was perfect. We did a lot of relaxing, catching up on sun we didn't get in the rainforest, and talking about how much weight we'd gained in ten days. I also won a prize in a basketball shoot out! Are you impressed? (Would you still be impressed if I told you the cruise staff just felt bad?).<br />
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The highlight of the last day was FINALLY catching the sunset I'd been hoping to see. It's hard to catch on camera, but it was stunning, and the perfect ending to a perfect adventure.<br />
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<b>Special Thanks</b></div>
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We'd like to give an extra special thanks to Grandma & Papaw, Carole & Larry, who kept our kids for TEN WHOLE DAYS and even kept up with their soccer, gymnastics, co-op (and crazy hair day), school work, & field trips! We are SO VERY AWARE of how blessed we are to have you guys. THANK YOU for being amazing grandparents to our kiddos!</div>
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Denise Hill http://www.blogger.com/profile/07728137707367593224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-42755881393006855632018-08-24T12:55:00.001-05:002018-08-24T12:55:56.019-05:00Charlie Grace is THREE! <div style="text-align: center;">
Charlie Grace is three today! We love this little girl with a vengeance, and cannot even believe she's three already. This morning, I went back and read about her <a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2016/08/charlie-graces-garden-party-first.html" target="_blank">first birthday</a> and <a href="http://banddhill.blogspot.com/2017/08/charlie-grace-is-two.html" target="_blank">second birthday</a> parties. It's times like these that I'm ultra grateful for taking the time to record these milestones. I love looking back and see what's changed, and what's stayed the same!</div>
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Here's what you need to know this year about our stunning little girl:</div>
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<b>She loves:</b></div>
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art | babies | gymnastics | carbs & cheese | her family</div>
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<b>This year she:</b></div>
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had her first trip to Disney World | became fully potty-trained | started tumbling</div>
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<b>She's not a fan of: </b></div>
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falling asleep alone | driving Beckett's gator | tomatoes, grapes, or avocado</div>
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<b>This year, she will:</b></div>
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do preschool at home with mommy | use her passport for the first time</div>
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Today, we're actually headed to Indiana for Nicole's wedding! The kiddos are staying behind with the grandparents, but we wanted to celebrate our favorite girl before we headed out, so we got up early and made it happen! She woke up to a pile of presents and the most epic unicorn balloon a 3-year-old could wish for. Her reaction was perfect!</div>
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We opened gifts first: both gymnastics-themed. She got her very own wedge mat so she can practice at home, and a new leotard to go with. I'm pretty much obsessed with little bitty leotards, so the fact that I kept it to just one is a pretty big accomplishment. </div>
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After present opening, we made breakfast with all of her favorite foods: carbs, sugar, strawberries, & sausage. Pancakes with sprinkles and candles?! YES, PLEASE. She called it her "special food."</div>
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Tonight, Grandma and Papaw plan to do it up right, and celebrate with some of our friends and family. We'll actually miss our daughter's birthday party (whoops!), but we know that they'll shower here with all the love and celebration she deserves!</div>
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Happy Birthday, Charlie Grace! We love you!</div>
Denise Hill http://www.blogger.com/profile/07728137707367593224noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8949634560186057121.post-21201025857805560172018-08-11T15:35:00.000-05:002018-08-11T15:35:32.680-05:00Beckett is a SPARTAN!Today, Beckett completed his first Spartan run! It was a total hoot to watch, and we can't wait to do more! We love any opportunity to promote athleticism, work ethic, and adventure - and this event totally fit the bill.<br />
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We were a BIT disappointed (ok, so totally annoyed) that the race was advertised as a mud run, and was actually not, but it was still a really interesting and fun activity for the kiddos. The dads got to join in on this run too (since the age is so young and may need help) and all I can say is I was soooo glad I wasn't out there running those stadium stairs!<br />
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Beckett has been taking Ninja Warrior classes while Charlie does gymnastics, and it's so fun to see his adventurous boy side come out (it's definitely not his default). Beckett had a total blast. He couldn't care less that he came in far behind all of the big kids. He's ready to go again!<br />
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Of course, the cousins (and aunts and uncles and grandparents) were all there too, which makes it a bazillion times more exciting and special. We love this family-filled life! Plus - these kids together just crack me up. Check out their fierce warm-up moves. 😜<br />
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<br />Denise Hill http://www.blogger.com/profile/07728137707367593224noreply@blogger.com0