2016-2020 [Cliff's Notes]

Well, five years ago, life got busier. Ha ha. I will try and go back and fill in some of the gaps over time. 

In 2016...

• The kids and I finished our year with Acton Academy and went back to homeschooling. We learned some great stuff through Acton, but we were glad to be back to just us.
• In the summer, we took a trip up to South Dakota and saw Keystone, the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, and so much more! We then drove over to Estes Park and spent a week there in the Rockies with my family. It was a great trip!
• In the fall, we piggybacked on to a business trip Aaron was taking to Arizona, and we did Phoenix, Las Vegas (just for a night), then Zion National Park (ask about the big fight someday), and the Grand Canyon! We still haven't really seen the Grand Canyon as a family because it started snowing big time about 10 minutes after we showed up!
• We became very close friends with the Drumm family (who also homeschooled) and they were such a gift to us for a couple of years. We had dinners together every week, and went camping (in below freezing temperatures) at Mo Ranch in December. It was crazy cold, but so fun!

In 2017...

• It was a great year of homeschooling! The kids were at such fun ages, and we had a great time!
• In the Spring, we went to Big Bend National Park with the Drumms and camped for several days. It was beautiful there!
• We went to Mexico in September and explored the Yucatan Peninsula! We started in Cancun, went to Merida, then circled back to Cancun by way of Tulum and many other beautiful places. There were ruins, cenotes, great food, and more. Coming back from Cancun, we scheduled an overnight layover in Mexico City, which we loved. And then--within a few hours of arriving--we were in an 7.1 earthquake. It was a very eventful last couple days of the trip, so that will need to be it's own post as well.
• Abby turned 13 and made a new best friend, Danielle. They had such fun together!

In 2018...

• We took a trip to New York City on a whim and had a great time! That should also get it's own post one of these days.
• We finally decided to take the leap and sell our house on Sierra Trail to move out toward Bandera/Pipe Creek. It was all a bit of an ordeal that included backing out of a house we'd planned to buy, moving out of our house in tons of rain and mud, and living with our best friends, the Sizemore's for 3 1/2 weeks. Additionally, it included falling in love with a house we couldn't afford, and then over a month or so the price dropping until we kinda sorta felt comfortable and put an offer on it. They accepted our offer, but then... everything went wrong over the course of the deal and it looked like it might fall through on multiple occasions. However... finally, we got the house (and at a price we felt 100% comfortable with because of our negotiations after all the issues)! We couldn't be happier with our little piece of heaven out here in the Hill Country. I'll make it its own post sometime.
• At the same time, the kids decided to go back to public school and started in the fall of 2018 at Bandera ISD. Carson was starting 7th grade and Abby was a freshman in high school.

In 2019...

• We went to Boston + Portland in the dead of winter because we had some travel vouchers and the airfare was cheap. It was one of the best trips, and we all had such a good time over the four days we were there!
• In June, our friends Shannon + Ana (Shelby's brother and now sis-in-law) asked us to come to Oregon with them so they could get married there! Aaron officiated, I photographed, and Shelby played the music. That was it! It was just the five of us at this remote waterfall we had to hike to (and nearly died). It was such an amazing four days (except for the danger hike), and I'll never forget it!
• In the summer, we took our longest road trip to date and explored the Midwest. Aaron had business in Indiana, so the kids and I drove up to meet him in Fort Wayne and then we all travelled from there. We did Detroit, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Nashville. We were gone 2 1/2 weeks! We had some good times, but it was a bit of a moody and stressful trip too. Lots of fun memories though.

In 2020...

• We took a Spring Break trip to Atlanta (Abby's request) and had a really fun week there! We saw Stranger Things sites and then stumbled upon two real life shoots! (We were really geeking out.) Also went to Coca Cola, the ballpark, and lots of other fun stuff. Then on the way back...
• We started hearing people talk about this Coronavirus thing. We were so confused. People were starting to freak out. There was talk of the kids school closing the following week. WHAT?! It all sounded crazy. We were coming back on Saturday, so we decided to stop at the store on our way through Mississippi to get hand sanitizer for the church and they were ALL OUT. We stopped at multiple stores across several states. No sanitizer or cleaning products anywhere. Then it is confirmed that, yes, the kids school will be closed the week after spring break.
• We got home in time for the kids and I to drive to Dallas to visit Nanny who wasn't doing well, and she sadly passed away on Monday. Abby was the sweetest and was there with her all Sunday night and all day Monday, and it was a truly beautiful thing. More on that later too. We didn't really get to have a funeral due to COVID, just a small graveside service where none of us could really hug or stand close and it was all very strange and sad, especially because we are such a close family.
• To unpack the rest of 2020 up until now with COVID and politics and racial tensions would really take a whole lot more space than this, but until I write that down, the history books will well document this season.

To be continued...

Spring Break Beach Day

Spring Break hasn't been anything special this year. Aaron and I have still had to work. The kids have been mostly home, with Bella and Abby having a fair number of sleepovers here or there. So when Abby asked if I'd take them to the beach, I thought it sounded fun!

We left early on Friday so that we could maximize our time at the coast, and we drove to Port Aransas, our favorite little Texas beach town! We swam (a little at least--the water was COLD!), built our drip sand castles, ate and lounged. Carson begged me for a kite so I left to get one for him. He had the BEST time with it--until it flew away 20 minutes later! But we watched it for ages as it drifted far far away, and we found even that to be entertaining. 

All in all, I'd say it was a really nice day--slow and unhurried. Thankful for the time I had with these kids. They're pretty awesome.

 

Homeschool Status

When we began this homeschooling journey, I wasn't sure what to expect. I had significant doubt as to whether or not we could pull it off and whether it was truly the right thing for us. But as I sit here eight months into it, I can honestly say that I'm loving it, and the kids are too. They have never once asked to go back to school.

That's not to say we don't have some really rough days here and there... because we do. (And let's be honest, we've always had those, no matter where they were going to school.) But for me, it's been a soul filling, exciting endeavor. I've seen my kids grow and change in the coolest ways. I've gotten to know them better. We have fun together. And I am learning so much. Education is so much more fun and interesting the second time around!

In addition to our regular curriculum, we've had to chance to get out there and do a lot of hands-on learning, which has been amazing. Things just stick so much better when you learn that way, right?

Homeschool Day at Sea World

Dissecting a cow heart with our Greenhouse friends (co-op)

We now have more time with good friends than ever before

And more time to just be together.

In February we took part in Saturday Morning Discovery at Southwest School of Art, and we all loved it! So many new skills learned!

Screenprinting at the SW School of Art (Love-mine, Stars-Carson)

Learning with our Greenhouse Co-Op friends

A trip to the San Antonio Symphony with our Greenhouse peeps

...not to mention the flexibility and freedom we've been given with our schedule and the incredible trips we've been able to take. There is still progress to be made in many areas, and ways that we can all grow, but it's been a great year so far.

San Francisco [Day 3]

Now that I think about it, there wasn't a single day of this mini-vacation that we didn't hit the ground running. Day three's itinerary included the Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands, and Little Italy.

We started off with a big breakfast at Home Plate upon the recommendation of one of the locals. It was excellent fueled us up for what was to come. We then went to catch a bus that would take us across the Golden Gate to the Marin Headlands. We sat there. And sat there. And finally asked a passing bus driver who informed us that the bus that goes across the bridge only runs on the weekends.

Great.

So we hopped on a different bus that would at least take us to the Golden Gate Bridge. When we arrived, we decided that, hey, let's walk this thing! It's not that long. I mean, we can see the other side. Well, it was quite the trek. 1.7 miles each way, not to mention the hike up to Battery Spencer once we got across. It was beautiful though. And we felt very accomplished once we finally arrived back. 

Golden Gate from the Marin Headlands

Aaron at the Marin Headlands

Golden Gate from Battery Spencer

Kids playing at Battery Spencer--it's like a giant playhouse!

Aaron, Abby, & Carson at the Marin Headlands

Sea lion playing in the water looking down from the bridge

The afternoon led us to Little Italy/North Beach for pizza at Tony's, play time at the park, and a trip to an Italian bakery. This was probably one of the only times where we really just sat with no agenda, and it was nice. Aaron and I sat on a bench at the park and watched the kids play with a sweet dog they met for probably an hour. The view was beautiful and so was the weather. And the kids were in need of some time to run and be loud without us hushing them.

The kids loved playing with the dogs at this park

By the evening, the exhaustion had caught up with Carson, so he and I stayed back a the hotel and watched a movie while Abby and Aaron went souvenir shopping and to Ghiradelli Square.

All in all, I was really amazed and happy with all that we were able to fit into our three days in San Francisco! It is a fun and unique city with so many experiences to offer. This was probably the first "urban" vacation we'd done as a family, but our kids enjoyed it and handled it like rock stars. They were great with public transportation. They really appreciated all the food, architecture, and the people. And I do need to just give a shout out to the people of San Francisco--they were so incredibly friendly. I can't tell you how many times people stopped to help or give advice or to recommend good places to eat--sometimes without us even asking. The people made us feel right at home here, and it made a huge difference. We will definitely be back, San Francisco!

San Francisco [Day 2]

We hit the ground running on day two in San Francisco. We got up early so that we could make it to the Alcatraz ferry by 8:30. Well, at this point, we I didn't really have a very good handle yet on the bus system, which resulted in us (with the assistance of one of may incredibly helpful locals) hopping a different bus and speed-walking/jogging throughout much of San Francisco. But we actually made it with a couple minutes to spare.

Hurrying to the ferry terminal

Alcatraz in the fog

Arriving at Alcatraz

Alcatraz ended up being one of our favorite parts of the trip. Not only was it fascinating from a historical point (there was even a guy there who had been a prisoner at Alcatraz back in the day), but the island itself was beautiful with stunning views. If you go to San Francisco, don't miss it.

The kids in the "yard" at Alcatraz.

Our little criminal.

The cell of one of the escapees complete with fake head.

 Once again, gotta get those Junior Ranger badges!

Being sworn in as Junior Rangers at Alcatraz

On the way back from Alcatraz, Aaron and the kids made friends with the ferry captain, and he invited the kids to come up and drive the ferry across San Francisco Bay. This was easily the other favorite for these guys. They were giddy with excitement!

By that point, we'd worked up an appetite, so we headed over to Chinatown to explore and find something good for lunch. Chinatown was an experience--it was like walking into a foreign country. We had lunch at House of Nanking, which we'd highly recommend, visited a fortune cookie factory, and walked the streets. It was great!

Best lunch in Chinatown! Hello, onion cakes and sesame chicken!

Chinatown!

Our 50 cent picture.

The alley where we found the Fortune Cookie Factory. See it? :)

After a couple hours in Chinatown, we headed over to The San Francisco Maritime NHP to tour some of their ships, learn a little history, and (you guessed it) earn some Junior Ranger badges!

Touring an 1800's merchant ship

Junior Rangers!

We then hopped on a streetcar over to the famed Pier 39 to see the sights and the sea lions (mainly the sea lions). It was touristy and hot, but still a fun place to walk through. We rested our aching feet by watching a magic show for a while. The sea lions were fun to see, just lounging around.

Fun at Pier 39

Sea lions at Pier 39

We packed a lot into our day, and when it was done, we all crashed pretty quickly!

Worn out at the end of the day

San Francisco [Day 1]

A few months ago, we just happened upon an incredible deal on airfare from Houston to San Francisco. It was not a trip we'd been planning, but we felt like it was a deal we couldn't pass up. (Bonus points that it just happened to be my birthday week!) 

So, January 12th we got up early early early to board our 6am flight in Houston. The kids were excited/nervous for their first flight.

Ready for their first flight! (Well, Abby flew at 18 months, but...)

When we landed, the pilot let Abby and Carson into the cock pit, which they thought was awesome, of course.

 Abby gets to check out the cockpit after the flight!

Carson gets to check out the cockpit after the flight!

We landed in San Francisco and took off! We hopped on a train, and then on a bus (we decided not to rent a car while we were there), and then we parted ways. The boys had booked a tour at the Giants' ballpark just after lunch, so they got off the bus and headed for the park, while Abby and I dropped all of our luggage off at the hotel and then went to go spend some girly time together. We walked to the Marina and then to Ghiradelli Square, where we had a huge ice cream sundae for lunch. (Why not?!)

Boys at AT&T Park (Home of the SF Giants)

Boys at AT&T Park (Home of the SF Giants)

Girlie time at Ghirardelli Square! Yes, that was our lunch.

Boys at AT&T Park (Home of the SF Giants)

We met up with the guys after their tour and walked over to the Ferry Market (deemed a sort-of food court for foodies) for a bite to eat. It was a really nice place with lots of good eats.

Ferry Market Building (It's like a food court for foodie's!)

After going to the hotel to regroup/refresh, we headed over to Fisherman's Wharf for the evening. We enjoyed playing tons of old games at Musee Mechanique and then went to get some authentic sourdough from Boudin's Bakery. (I had clam chowder in a sourdough bowl--how's that for San Francisco?!)

Musee Mechanique

Musee Mechanique

Musee Mechanique

Watching them make Sourdough at Boudin Bakery

Day one in San Francisco was really nice. I may or may  not have put us on the wrong bus (or the right bus going the wrong way) a few times, but we sort of got the lay of the land and had a wonderful time!