No excuses for not blogging in one year. Just none. Thought of it a dozen (or 3) times but never get around to doing it. As I type this, I am sitting in a nice leather chair in front of a fireplace in a rental condo in Banner Elk NC.
Today - my 51st trip around the sun - I went with the family snow tubing at Hawksnest in Seven Devils, NC...not too far from our Chetola condo. Chetola is a resort in close proximity to Boone, ski mountains, and other outdoor activities. I think it's a great place for families like ours. Although it was sub-32 degrees today, and VERY windy, we managed to have fun tubing. The kids braved through it, and didn't want to stop. We don't often get "snow time" so the overall excitement of that was in effect. Mom went down the hill once and headed back inside where it was warm.
Tomorrow we'll attempt snowboarding for the second year in a row. Viviana seems to enjoy the sporting activities more than Ella, who tends to like dance/sing things better. We'll keep Ella in those kinds of classes (they both did "acro-dance" this past year) and Ella likes doing cheerleading. Even today, after we got back to the lodge - we went to the indoor pool. Both kids like being in the pool...but after, Viviana wanted to play ping pong while Ella wanted to paint/draw. So we each did those activities in the common play area. Viviana surprisingly picked up ping pong very quickly - it was awesome to see!
In general, life is great! My business is doing pretty well, and I do my best to spend my waking hours balancing life. I am able to get most of my work done while the kids are at school (2nd grade and K at Grand Oak Elementary), and spend time with them shortly after they get home. Recently it's been yoga classes, basketball practice (I coach Viviana), tennis after school, swim practice, etc. Other months it's soccer or some other activities like horseback riding. I love my girls and enjoy my time with them - as they say, the days are long but the years are short!
Christine has gotten more involved in lactation consulting and even picked up some shifts at the local hospital. She seems to enjoy it, and the added cash flow doesn't hurt either. Sometimes her shifts mean I take the kids to school in the morning, and pick them up afterward. If my work schedule allows, I don't mind - I love being there to help and spend time with my kids while they are young! It was Christine and my 11th anniversary today!
My health has been good - still working out 7 days a week (most weeks) - with two days of basketball serving as my main cardio. I've been invited to play in several different venues and leagues, so it's fun to mix it up while I still can! I am still holding my own. My only health concerns have been dermatologist related and dental-related. But a few hundred (or thousand) bucks later and they are all taken care of LOL.
We are getting an inground pool put in prior to summer. This is something Christine has wanted for awhile, but I kinda held back from. I finally caved...I do think we'll have many good memories out back and the kids will benefit from it the most. I hope to get alot of use out of the hottub, as well as the outdoor shower I am putting in. Also, we'll have a nicer grill area and small fire pit area. Looking forward to seeing it all play out.
We did purchase an older boat last year. We opted to stop with the boat club, and found an inexpensive boat for sale online. We like it, and the kids have good memories. We only get to use it from April to September but so far, we like having it as an option. Lake life near us is fun!
I am going to Park City next month with some of my guy friends, similar to last March. Sometimes it's just not feasible to have the whole family go out there, so an annual guys trip is still something I enjoy doing. A week after I get back, I am going with the family to Fort Lauderdale for a 5 day trip (kids Spring Break). That will be fun, the girls enjoy going back to see their family members.
And with that, I will wrap up. So much happens in a year and it's hard to summarize it all. But I try to do my best :o)
Brandon
