Our Year in Review - 2023

2023 brought some big changes - the biggest of which was the transition to all four kids in school for the first time. This also started our golden year of all four kids at the same school for the only time ever. Chris continued his hybrid work schedule of two(ish) days home and three in the office and started and finished a certificate program related to his work. I started working part-time in September which has been a great fit because it's from home and flexible. I also became a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA). Eleanor is enjoying her last year of elementary school, and still enjoys a pretty wide variety of activities at various points during the year including chorus, Battle of the Books, flute, and sports. Jane's primary loves are sports and the arts, ranging from painting to crafting to dancing and she is thriving in third grade. Ben has turned into quite the class clown and loves school and being silly but is mostly well-behaved. Rosie is finding her stride in Kindergarten, is bright and loves learning, as well as doing all the things her sisters do, but also loves to just play at home with Ben.

(For past years, click the following links: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008.) 

January: We celebrated New Year's with friends and a polar plunge, the twins were cute, as always, school pictures happened, lots of artwork was produced, and Eleanor had a chorus performance.

February: We started some one-on-one kid dates, went to a W&M men's basketball game, the girls did the Pinewood Derby through scouts, the marina in our neighborhood was dredged, we celebrated Valentine's Day, and had a cool sleepover at the Virginia Living Museum.

March: The kids had several field trips, we spent time down at the marina and in CW, celebrated St. Patrick's Day and nephews' birthdays, Shug and Rachael came to visit, I got to visit my grandparents in Texas, we and the girls wrapped up their first full basketball season.

April: We took a Spring Break trip to visit the National Parks starting in Arizona at the Grand Canyon, then heading to Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, and then a failed trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, but a successful visit to our family in Colorado! We visited Jamestown Settlement, the girls found a new passion in lacrosse, we saw Bluey, did more kid dates, I went to see Taylor Swift at the Eras Tour in Florida, and we celebrated Easter.

May: Eleanor had a spring chorus concert and was John Brown in a wax museum, the girls ran the DOG 5k together, talked a lot about Papa Laser on the anniversary of his passing, celebrated Mother's Day, and lacrosse season ended. Ben and Rosie had a field trip to the Norfolk Zoo and finished preschool. We had several visitors from California, and celebrated Memorial Day.

June: Uncle Eric came to visit, Ben got to see a cool plane, we did more dates with the kids, and the girls finished school. More artwork was made, we took a trip to Wintergreen, swim season was fully underway, we did a day trip to Virginia Beach and went blueberry picking with cousins.

July: We celebrated the 4th of July, Chris (and the girls!) did a triathlon, we spent time at Busch Gardens, and the swim season officially wrapped up (top times). We did VBS at church.

August: We took our family vacation to Grandma and Dave's house, Eleanor had a birthday, turned 10, and got her ears pierced. I took her to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for a special trip together. We did weekend getaways to Cape Charles and Young Life Family Camp before school started back up again - Ben and Rosie officially started Kindergarten!

September: We celebrated Labor Day, Jane had a birthday and turned 8, and we got to join family at Emerald Isle for a few days. Rosie got her hair cut for the first time and learned to rollerblade, we did more kid dates, the kids had a walk-a-thon at school, and we checked out Buckroe Beach.

October: The kids had a random day off school, Hurricane Ophelia blew through, Ben learned to rollerblade, Rosie lost her first tooth, and I took the girls to the Eras Tour movie! We also celebrated Halloween, had a soup potluck down at the marina, and Rosie and Ben had their first field trip to a pumpkin patch, and all four kids participated in a literary pumpkin contest at school. We did more kid dates, too!

November: Jane had a Veteran's Day performance at school, Ben and Rosie turned 6, and we celebrated Thanksgiving with family. Eleanor ran for SCA office and the kids played soccer. Ben also went golfing for the first time!

December: The kids did a Christmas pageant during small group, we decorated for Christmas, did the Christmas parade, and had the first kid ornament exchange (thanks to Chris). We went to Christmas Town, and wrapped up our year of kid dates, went ice skating in Colonial Williamsburg (thanks to Gaby), enjoyed the beautiful wreaths, and walked through the live nativity at our church. Eleanor had a chorus and band concert at school. We celebrated Christmas and it was lovely. 

We wish everyone a happy and hopefully healthy 2024 ahead.