We rang in the New Year quietly at home, trying my hand at a southern crawfish boil. We survived the Arctic Blast of 2019 and experienced lows of -35F actual temps! We were thankful for no issues like frozen pipes or a broken furnace during the blast.
February
Chinese New Year fell on February 7 and we welcomed The Year of the Pig. Minnesota received record snowfalls in February, nearly burying us, but
March
March was a big month for the boys. Super C started the classroom portion of Driver's Ed and Super E went off to his first youth group weekend retreat at the end of the month.
April
We stayed home for Spring Break and didn't do anything special for the week off. Super C finished the classroom portion of Drivers Ed and began the Behind-The-Wheel portion. The boys and I wrapped up the bulk of our 7th year of homeschooling. And on the 30th, Super E turned 12 years old. He's now officially taller that me too and he loves to rub my face in that fact.
May
May brought a major household project -- having a rotting exterior French door replaced with a sliding glass door. May ended with Quiet Tiger's 7th Gotcha Day Anniversary. We actually celebrated a bit this year, which I immediately regretted since the celebration is too much for her to handle.
June
Over Father's Day weekend we attended our annual Edward Jones Summer Regional up on Gull Lake in Brainerd. Jay was recognized for his work with the Region's Leadership Team as well as winning the Eagle Award and the Jim McKenzie Award. This was probably the most enjoyable Summer Regional yet, as our RAD daughter will often try to sabotage the big weekend away. She actually did okay this time. We ended June with our first trip to the cabin. Thanks to the Polar Vortex, the water on Windigo was still quite cold and we only boated and jumped in the water to say we did it, but got out quickly.
July
We celebrated Independence Day at home with my brother and my mom and stepdad who came up from Chicagoland for the long weekend. Quiet Tiger turned 9 years old on the 22nd. Jay and I ran off for a quick overnight to see Jimmy Buffet in concert. Quite the craziness with all those Parrotheads! The highlight of July was our number 1 son being accepted to Northwestern University in St. Paul for PSEO (dual enrollment) in the fall. Our high school junior would be taking a full course load of college classes in the fall!
August
School started early this year for the boys. We began early because we knew the next month would be slightly choppy for our school schedule. Super E began 7th grade. Super C started PSEO online as a high school junior. Jay and I celebrated our 18th wedding anniversary on the 18th.
September
This has always been a whirlwind month for us. High highs and low lows for us this year. First of all, Quiet Tiger began 3rd grade, returning to the charter school she attended last year. Both boys kicked up their schedules with church youth groups again. Super C turned 16 years old on the 16th, making it his Golden Birthday. Sadly, he didn't get his drivers license on his big day because he hadn't met the minimum of 6 months on his learners permit. Then sadly, quickly, albeit not necessarily unexpectedly for an old dog, we had to put our beloved American Eskimo Juneau down and send him across the Rainbow Bridge. And late that month, Jay and I escaped together to another earned TAP trip through Edward Jones and we enjoyed 2 days in Brisbane, Australia (at our expense and choosing) followed a week with fellow "Jonesies" in Bali! Highlights were river rafting, our own plunge pool and the amazing views of Rodney Bay!
October
My Rover.com pet sitting business slowed greatly this fall with clients passing dog care to their pre-teens, re-homing dogs, moving away, etc. Hard to say good bye, but a lighter schedule felt good too. Jay turned 47 on the 21st and I turned 45 on the 27th. For Halloween, just Super E and Quiet Tiger decided to trick-or-treat. Super C stayed in. Quiet Tiger was BatGirl and Super E wore a "Scream" mask for Halloween this year.
November
Super C passed his drivers exam and earned his license! Simultaneously, the old lemon of a minivan I had been driving for 9 years started acting up for me, but not our mechanic. With a new teen driver, we decided it was not a safe, reliable car for our boy to be driving, so we replaced it with a 2008 Kia Sportage with Four Wheel Drive. Super C loves sharing it with me but he continues to save for wheels of his own. Thanksgiving was spent at home enjoying the quiet and a week off of school while gearing up for the busy holiday season ahead.
December
Holiday parties kept us busy early in December, both with event planning and hosting. Jay ended the year with 7 years working for Edward Jones as well as climbing to a Level 7 Adviser. Lucky 7's for Jay this year! Christmas will find me busy with Rover clients who are traveling for the holiday. But we will be home enjoying a quiet holiday in Minnesota and looking forward to 2020 adventures.
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| Carson (16), Ethan (12), Lauren (9) |
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| Mack & Reese |
Sending you much love and a
very merry Christmas
from our family to yours!
Luke 2: 8-14
