Mid-Winter Update

Let's move backwards, shall we?

Last night, Randy and Duncan got home from an incredible trip to Northern Tier Boy Scout camp in Ely, MN. They and six others from our troop did the winter adventure trip—OKPIK: three days of dog sledding followed by a couple days of cross-country skiing, ice fishing, and general fun in the snow. They also camped out in snow dugouts for 3 of those nights (temps down to -35).

My guys

Ice fishing

Much of January was spent getting ready for the trip to OKPIK. Our co-op classes didn't start until January 24, so Duncan spent the first few weeks of the year studying for the ACT, reading, and doing math.  And the biggest thing: he got his first real job! He started working as a courtesy clerk (i.e., bag boy and cart collector) in early January. He's working more hours than I would have liked--more like 25-- but he's adjusting well to it.

Backing up even more…we celebrated Dad's 93rd birthday with his usual apple cake and lots of family. And, of course, ping pong.

Birthday boys: Dad with his great-grandsons, Soren and Rory. They all have birthdays within 2 days of each other.

 

 And right at the beginning of January, Randy and I headed to the Smokies for a couple of fantastic hikes to see frozen waterfalls. It was sooooo cold here, and frozen falls don't happen too often!

Spruce Flat Falls

Grotto Falls

And backing up even more, we were home for the first time in years for New Year's Eve this year. We have always spent NYE with Randy's brother and his wife in Charlotte, but they recently moved to Florida and left us without our traditions! We missed them, but we had an impromptu party which was loads of fun. Turns out that lots of people have nothing to do on New Year's Eve! We ate, drank, and played games all evening!

 

 


And I might as well throw in a few Christmas pictures, too, since apparently I never posted after Christmas. It was a wonderfully relaxing December, filled with family, food, and games. I wish it were December again already!
 

Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit was the favorite game of the season.

I think I'm all caught up now! Our co-op classes are back in full swing. I've just finished Of Mice and Men with my high school literature class, and we're in the midst of Cubism in my art appreciation/art history class. This is my last semester--LAST SEMESTER!!-- teaching high school classes for our co-op. I've been doing this for a decade or more, but next year Duncan will be taking all dual enrollment classes…and I'll be focusing more on BraveWriter. And graduating my last child. Yep.

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