2025

Here are the highlights of another busy and productive year:

January - Snow Ball at school, Erin performed in the piano ensemble festival

February - Erin toured Meredith, hosted a friend hangout

March - Bob went to Sydney, Bob and Gina went to Gregg and Meghan's wedding in Fort Wayne, Erin got her job at Harris Teeter!

April - Gina went to her grandma's funeral in Fort Wayne, Anna Maria Island spring break trip, Erin's Confirmation!

May - Kitchen renovation project, Erin had her piano recital, Anna's birthday, Anna got her learner's permit!, boat season began

June - Bob and Anna went to Australia! Erin toured CUA.

July - Hilton Head Island family week!

August - Back to school

September - Bob and Gina went to an NCSU football game, Gibbons homecoming game/dance

October - Anna saw Tate McRae, Buddy Walk in Concord, Erin's birthday, Halloween!

November - End of lake season, Thanksgiving.

December - Midterm exams, Christmas!

In addition, Bob had many trips for work, Erin logged many hours working, Anna practiced driving, Anna did a lot of pet sitting and babysitting, both girls had very active social lives, and we all enjoyed lots of fun on the boats at Jordan Lake!  It was truly a great year, and we are looking forward to another wonderful one ahead!

December

December was as busy as it always is, but we got it all (or mostly all) done! We celebrated Christmas Tree Cake Day on the 1st.



Anna had a fun time attending the annual "Silent Night" basketball tailgate and games on the 3rd. The 4 Gibbons jv/varsity teams each play a game back-to-back all evening. On the 4th, she, Bob, and I went to a very exciting football state semifinal playoff game that sadly we lost in a very close game with Clayton. I am happy to report that Clayton proceeded to lose to Grimsley in the state finals the following weekend! Erin had a fun holiday-themed musician's meetup on the evening of the 5th, Bob helped cook with the Knights at the annual Christmas Jam, and I went to a fun neighbor ladies' holiday party that evening. 

Bob and I met up with Tim and his son Patrick for lunch and then a fun basketball game against UNC-Asheville on the 6th. The game wasn't as one-sided as we would have hoped, but we did win. The kids enjoyed two "snow days" on the 8th and 9th with very minimal snow and some at-home exam prep work to do. Erin still had piano on the evening of the 9th. Bob and I enjoyed a much more dominating victory against Liberty on the evening of the 10th. We celebrated Finley's 7th birthday on the 12th!

We had a busy and early day on the 13th; Anna helped welcome 8th graders who took the HSPT at Gibbons, and Erin took the ACT at Broughton. We all recovered from that and had a fun evening at home wrapping Christmas presents. Bob and his friend Dave went to a very exciting Wolfpack/Kansas game that went into overtime but sadly didn't go out way. Anna had a fun Christmas party with youth group on the night of the 14th, including Tropical Smoothie delivery and hide and seek in the StMM academic building! 

After a final regular day of classes on the 15th, they had their fall semester exams Tuesday-Friday that week. The exam schedule is nice because they're only at school from 8:30am-12pm and then have the afternoons to prepare for other exams. Anna enjoyed babysitting for her favorite family, the Lemons, on Monday evening. The exams went smoothly, and they were relieved when they were finished! 

I started a new thing with my scholarship job; moderating group interviews. I had 4 time slots scheduled between the 19th and 23rd, and they all went well (despite taking up a lot of time in an already-crazy time of year). We watched a solid Wolfpack football Gasparilla Bowl game win over Memphis on Friday the 19th. Anna had a blast making cookies and hanging out at Joe's house on the 20th. They went to see Zootopia 2 and had pizza on Sunday, too! Meanwhile, Erin did a little baking after work and dinner out with her parents.

Erin had her 17-year-old checkup on the morning of the 22nd, and it went well. She saw Dr. Lorensten for the first time, and they got along well. Bob and I enjoyed a really fun dinner with Liz, David, Josh, and Kati at the Angus Barn that evening. We had a blast catching up and enjoying the food and holiday atmosphere! On the 23rd, Bob took the girls to meet Ansley in Asheboro for a pre-Christmas sleepover at Grandma and Grandpa's. They had lots of fun, went out to Mexican for dinner, and prepared lasagna for the next day. Ben joined them, too! We had a fun hike with Finley and game night. We headed to Concord on the 24th for a really nice day with lunch, presents, and catching up with the California cousins via FaceTime! 

We drove back later that day and got dressed up for 7pm Christmas Eve Mass at StMM. This year, we decided to do that instead of attend the Tierney party. It was nice to go in the evening and not be rushed the next morning. 

Santa did indeed come to our house that night, even for Finley, and we had a relaxing (and warm!) Christmas with a skillet ham and Mac and cheese dinner. 

The 26th was relaxing; Joe came over to hang out and helped make our taco dinner. Erin and I had a great time at her annual Friendsmas, this year at Zophia's house on the 27th. Uncle Tom came over for a nice visit on the 28th. We also went out to lunch with the McGee ladies (including grandma Donna) at Colletta in Cary on the 29th for Dawn's birthday. We had special visitors, Grandma and Ansley, from the evening of the 29th through midday on the 31st. We had our piano Christmas sing-a-long, and they got to meet Joe! 

Erin worked until 8am on New Year's Eve, and Anna had a fun party/sleepover with friends at Lyla's. 

So, it was wild but lots of fun! We have enjoyed the down time over the holiday break and lots of time together before it's back to reality. Happy New Year!

November

We had a great month of November! It started out on the 1st with a fun lunch at our house with Grandma and Grandpa F. We enjoyed catching up with them! We watched an exciting Wolfpack football win over Georgia Tech from home that evening. On the 2nd, Erin and I bravely attended the BRAKES defensive driving course in Raleigh that morning. It was really helpful and fun, too! 

The girls gave tours to prospective families at school that afternoon at the annual open house. Bob went to Boston on the 3rd, followed by a train trip from there to NYC on the 5th. On the 4th, Erin had her first tutoring session with a freshman that went very well. He's now got his twin sister attending their sessions to get help, too, and she's got another student/client! The girls were off school on the 5th for a teacher workday, which they spent at the dentist, followed by a hair appointment for Anna. Anna had an 8th grade shadow student on the 6th, and I enjoyed spending some time volunteering at the Gibbons school store on the 7th. Bob and Danny watched a Wolfpack basketball victory that evening while the ladies and Joe and I watched the game from home.

Erin enjoyed a rare weekend day off on the 8th; she was originally planning to take the SAT that day, but her schedule ended up changing. We enjoyed a super fun family hike along the American Tobacco Trail that morning. 

We all went to mass at 5pm, followed by a fun dinner at the delicious new Japanese place in town, Arita. Bob headed to Atlanta on the 9th for a few days. Anna and friends spent the afternoon at Southpoint while Erin worked. I went to Adoration at Gibbons on the 10th, followed by a very nice daily mass. Erin went to StMM with Service Beakers that afternoon and had a great time! Erin had her advisory service trip on Wednesday the 12th, which was organizing and helping out at the Boys and Girls Club in Raleigh. Bob and I went to the NCSU basketball game that evening and had a great time! We had a special evening on the 13th for Erin's Junior Mass at the cathedral. It was a really nice mass with Fr. Luke (Gibbons chaplain) and each kid was called up to receive a class ring or other special jewelry item. She got a necklace from Grandma Harvey! 

Erin had the next day off school, but Anna still had to go. Erin and I enjoyed watching She Loves Me, the Gibbons fall musical with the McGees on the evening of the 14th with a froyo stop after while Bob, Anna, and Joe hung out at our house. 

On the 15th, Bob, Anna, and I had a blast at Lyla's family's "Novemberfest", which was a belated Oktoberfest celebration. The food was outstanding, and we really enjoyed catching up with church/school parent friends who we don't see as often now that the kids are in high school. I had a fun book club on the 17th and spent 2 mornings at CPO that week, Wednesday and Thursday. Thursdays are my usual day most weeks, but some people were out of town that week. Anna had another shadow on the 20th, and she stayed after school to watch the fall dance concert with her friends. Her friend Stella was in the show. I had a nice brunch with my friend Gina K. on the 21st. 

The weekend of the 22nd-23rd was pretty quiet, with just Erin working and Anna's youth group. Bob, Anna, and I did a little car research at Carmax on Sunday which ended up being wild when the gray Accord wouldn't start when we went to leave. After an interesting Uber ride back to our house (the driver had her dog in the front seat), Bob picked up a new starter at Autozone and got it replaced quickly on Monday morning. It's better than new! 

I was back to CPO on Monday the 24th. Anna and Bella went to see the new Wicked movie on Tuesday. Wednesday, we ladies went to Concord for a very fun day of Thanksgiving prep and Christmas decorating with Grandma and Grandpa A.! We also got some games in! Thanksgiving was full of delicious food and great family time. 

We had a fun visit with Tom, Jimmy, and Danny on Friday the 28th, including a yummy Mellow Mushroom dinner. Saturday, Bob and I had a fun time at the Kavanagh's Michigan/Ohio State party while Anna shopped at Southpoint with Bella and Erin worked. We watched the Wolfpack beat the Tarheels that evening! Sunday was Christmas decoration day, whew!

It was a busy month but not too crazy. We enjoyed lots of family fun and worked hard, too! Bring on the hoildays!

October!

October was busy! Anna started out in the first by having her first "shadow", an 8th grade student who is applying to Gibbons follows her around for half of the day. She enjoyed it and is looking forward to having more shadows soon. Erin had her first shadow of the year the following day. I got to hang out at Gibbons for an hour of adoration that afternoon as well. We went to the JV football game at Felton Grove that evening, which Gibbons won easily. Felton Grove is a new high school that just opened this year, and they only have 9th and 10th graders this year. So, they were treating the game like a varsity game, complete with marching band, smoke cannons, and a giant banner that the players ran through. Their stadium is really nice, and we liked having our own visitors' concession stand! Friday, I finally got to volunteer at the school store (which cost me quite a bit of money in shopping), Anna babysat for the Lemons, and we had Liz and David over for a Butcher's Market dinner. Erin took the SAT on Saturday morning, which went well, and we watched a Wolfpack win over Campbell that afternoon.

Sunday, Bob, Finley, and I enjoyed a nice morning out on the lake. That was our only visit in October; sometimes we can squeeze in one more warm day in November (fingers crossed). 

Erin worked, and we all went to youth mass followed by Anna's youth group that evening.

I had my annual training for Duke on Wednesday, which I enjoyed quite a bit. It is so nice to feel like a grown-up with a "real" job for a few months per year! Finley got a clean bill of health from his liver value blood draw on Thursday, so we can finally end the twice-daily meds with food. He's probably missing his extra chicken and rice, but my life is easier now! We went to the JV football game at Holly Springs on Thursday, checking out another stadium for the first time. It was nice, but sadly there was no visitor concession stand. Gibbons won solidly again. Friday, Erin went to the varsity game which was another big win, while Anna and Joe opted to eat chili at our house, walk to Smoothie King, and play a little football and volleyball in the backyard. The 11th was quite busy: Erin worked, Anna went bowling with Lyla, Bob cooked at the parish picnic (which was sadly a bit rainy and cool), and I did yard work for the first part of the day, and then the girls, Joe, and I went to see the Sound of Music at the DPAC that evening! We also had dinner at Luna and did a little walking around the area (with a stop at the Milkshake Factory). It was lots of fun, and the show was great. Happy early birthday to Erin! After the parish picnic, Bob watched an initially-hopeful but then sad Wolfpack loss to Notre Dame.

The girls had a nice mini-break from school the following week that coincided with the end of the first quarter. Erin got her ears re-pierced on Monday at Ulta, and it went well. 

I hosted book club that evening. Tuesday, Anna took the PSAT at school and I attended a very nice parent prayer breakfast at the same time. Anna then went to Defy (now SkyZone) with friends in the afternoon, and Erin had piano in the evening. Wednesday was Erin's turn for the PSAT, and Anna went to Lyla's to bedazzle their Tate McRae jerseys for the upcoming concert. Thursday was back to school, but Anna had a fun field trip to Elon with her Journalism class for J-Day (high school journalism event). We watched Gibbons JV beat Middle Creek that evening at home. Friday, Ansley and Aunt Leslie came up for the weekend! We had chicken chili and then all went over to Middle Creek for the varsity game, which was successful for Gibbons. Saturday morning, Anna and Ansley got some school work done, then Grandma and Grandpa A. came up for a yummy Bojangles birthday lunch for Erin. It was a lot of fun! Ansley had a swim meet in Chapel Hill, so after the lunch, Grandma and Grandpa went home, Erin went to work, I took Bob to the airport, and Anna and I went to the meet, followed by a Mexican dinner. What a fun day! 

We girls all went to mass on Sunday morning, and then Erin worked and Anna caught up on school work. Bob spent the week in Goeteborg, Sweden, for work. The trip went well, and he enjoyed the Swedish food and seeing a new city. Erin was inducted into NHS on Monday evening in a very nice ceremony. 

I cat-sat for Liz and David's newly-rescued Pepper that week; he slowly got used to me. Thursday was Erin's actual birthday, which was a fun day (post HERE). Bob returned from Sweden just in time for presents and cupcakes!

Friday, we all went to Friday Night Lights at Gibbons, which was a bit chilly but otherwise fun. Saturday was another busy day with everyone going in different directions: Erin to work, Bob to Erik's surprise 50th birthday party, I to a moms' dinner in Cary, and Anna and Lyla to Tate McRae at the Lenovo Center! This was her first time going to a concert without an adult, and it went very smoothly. Lyla's parents dropped them off in the designated drop-off area near Carter-Finley, they navigated the merch stand and found their seats without any problems, and I picked them up after my dinner. Other than some congestion in the parking lot, it went great and they had a great time! 

Sunday, we all went to church in the morning and then Erin worked in the afternoon while the rest of us went to the Buddy Walk in Kannapolis, which was lots of fun! 

Erin went to Cathedral with Service Beakers on Monday, and Anna checked out a new club, Women's Empowerment, on Tuesday. Wednesday was the JV football team's last game (they won and ended the season undefeated!), and Friday was a half day of school for Halloween. Erin had a blast with friends at Vera's house that evening, and the rest of us, plus Joe, enjoyed neighbor Karen’s annual party and seeing trick-or-treaters.

So- we got a lot in this month! It was busy and fun with lots of fall and birthday excitement. We are looking forward to November with a little bit of time off, amazing weather, and holiday excitement!

Erin is 17!

Erin turned 17 yesterday! She had a fun 3-part celebration, beginning with seeing The Sound of Music at the DPAC on the 11th. It was great! Then, Grandma and Grandpa A., Aunt Leslie, and Ansley came up for a birthday lunch on the 18th, combined with Ansley's swim meets in Chapel Hill that weekend. We had a fun Bojangles lunch, cake, and presents! Finally, she had a day of her favorite foods on the 23rd (including Mexican for dinner complete with singing, and cupcakes at home after) and took cookies to school to share with her friends. 

She has had a BIG year, and we could not be more proud of her. The biggest change this year is driving. She has successfully learned how to drive and how to navigate these crazy roads around here, and she is 100% independent in getting herself to/from work, to/from piano (with passenger Laney, who is in the same piano club), and to/from school (with Anna). This is a huge accomplishment, and we are extremely proud of her. She is good at driving at night, in the rain, in the never-ending road construction, and (possibly the worst) in the sun! She likes driving the white Accord; it's comfortable, gets good gas mileage, and has good visibility. She also likes the safety sensors/cameras. She often makes detours from her route to get gas or make a treat stop at some of her favorite places. Independence is wonderful!

Also this year, Erin has taken the SAT twice after completing a 10-week summer prep course, and she did great! She's taking a difficult course load at school, including 2 AP classes, this year. So far, everything is going well. She continues to enjoy piano lessons; this year, she is taking lessons with Ms. Cheryl because of scheduling. She continues to be involved with the Service Beakers club at school where they plan and carry out science lessons for local elementary schools. She's one of the leaders of the club since she's been involved with it for 3 years now; she gets to present the lessons to the kids, which she likes a lot!

She loves working at Harris Teeter as a cashier; she's been there for over 7 months now! She's been recognized several times for having outstanding customer service (she gets free food each time!), and she's got several regular customers who seek her out when they shop. Learning to deal with the boss/scheduling, the interview and training process, and job tasks was a lot, but she has done amazing (and has saved a lot of money)! 

If it isn't evident already, Erin works VERY hard. She is truly an inspiration to us, to her friends, and to everyone around her. She never gives up, and she always gives her very best effort, even in doing something that is difficult for her or something that she doesn't want to do. She isn't afraid of challenges like driving, taking honors English, or applying for/interviewing for/learning a brand new job requiring dealing with the public. She's currently working on a lengthy application for Governors School, which includes at least 3 essays, one of which is in Spanish, and a video of herself speaking Spanish! These things are not easy, and she does an amazing job of budgeting her time, keeping at it, asking for help when she needs it, and seeing things through. It is not uncommon to see her studying on weekends for tests the following week between work shifts. She's been doing an independent bible study on her own all year, reading the bible every day without fail, just because she wanted to. On top of her diligence, she is incredibly organized.

Erin is also a wonderful friend. She has kept her closest friends from grade school and has made many new ones. Her friends often go to her for help with homework, scheduling, and other problems. She is caring, trustworthy, and loyal, and they can see it. 

It's going to be a great year ahead: continuing the college search (in addition to everything else that she does, she's already toured 5 colleges officially in the past year, visited many others, attended college fairs and lunch seminars at school, and done countless hours of research on her own) and keeping up with her growth in so many areas. We are proud of her, are inspired by her, and love her so very much. 

September

We felt the full ramp-up of the school year this month! It was a busy and great one. Labor Day was on the 1st this year, and we celebrated with a beautiful morning out on the lake with the McGee ladies. It was a little chilly for swimming, but we all enjoyed hanging out on the boat and snacking on our feast. Erin started her piano club for the year on the 2nd. Ms. Margaret opened a new studio this year in the first floor of a storage unit building, and Erin is taking her lessons there with Ms. Cheryl for the first time (that time slot worked best with Erin's schedule). So far, it's going great! Erin, Laney Tierney, and two younger boys are in the piano club, and Erin is enjoying getting back in the swing of piano. We had a few windows repaired this month after I realized that they wouldn't stay open when I was washing them. We are now fully operational for fall weather, so now, it just needs to cool down for good!

Anna babysat for the Lemons family on Thursday night, the 4th, while their parents went to a concert. Bob enjoyed an afternoon on the lake with Justin on Friday, and then we all (plus Lyla and Bella) went to a Gibbons football game that they won! Saturday, the 6th, Bob and I had a fun time at the NCSU vs. UVA football game, including tailgating with breakfast burritos. It was SO HOT, but the Pack managed a win in typical stressful fashion. 

Anna babysat for new clients, the Rooks, that afternoon, and Erin worked. I had my first piano lesson of the year on the 8th and am happy to be back at it. Anna went to Joe's football game on the 10th which was another win in the so-far undefeated season for the JV team. We ladies got our flu shots on the 11th, and Bob decided to make use of the mail-order flumist option this year. It showed up in a giant cooler with 6 ice packs! Anna babysat for the Koesters that Friday night and enjoyed getting to see them again. Bob, Finley, and I had a nice morning on the boat on the 13th.

Lyla stayed over with us on the night of the 14th while her parents were out of town, and Anna and Lyla went to their first meeting of The Way (youth group) for the year. This is their second and final year of Confirmation prep, and unfortunately the parish is now requiring everyone to attend weekly, regardless of if they're getting theology instruction in school or not (eye roll). We can make it to April!

The week of the 15th was pretty much normal, including a book club night on the town, checking out a new wine bar in downtown Holly Springs. We ladies hit the nail salon on Thursday ahead of the big Homecoming dance on Saturday! The homecoming football game was Friday, and for some unknown reason, Gibbons was matched against a really tough team from Charlotte for the big game and came up short. It was a hard fight, though! Bob worked the Oktoberfest dinner at StMM that evening while we were at the game, and that was a big success.  Saturday, Erin worked from 11am-5pm and then took herself to her friend Mady's house to get ready for the dance and have dinner. She had a blast with her friends, both at Mady's and also at the dance! Once they finally made it through the long line to get in the door, they danced all night and were some of the last ones to leave! Anna went to Lyla's to get ready with Lyla, Bella, Marisa, and Grace. After a few hours of prepping and pics, she went home to meet up with Joe for dinner at our house and the dance. They also had a really great time and enjoyed getting all dressed up! Bob and I watched the Pack fall to Duke on TV between all of the dance festivities.

Sunday was some recovery time from the dance as well as church, work for Erin, and youth group for Anna. Erin had a meeting for Service Beakers on Monday and Anna went to Joe's game that evening, which they won again! He plays tight end. Erin had her annual dermatology follow-up bright and early on Wednesday morning and got a good report. Bob and I had a busy evening at Back to School Night on Thursday, where we got to meet the girls' teachers and get a feel for their schedule. All of the classes and teachers seem to be really great! 

They were off school on the 26th for a teacher workday, so we took advantage of that to visit UNC Wilmington. It was a great day, and we enjoyed learning more about the school. It's the biggest school that Erin has toured with about 15,000 students, but is still much smaller than a lot of the state schools. It's also nice that they have nearly every major that she is considering, so if she ends up wanting to make a change, it would be easy to do so there. It's a strong contender, and we like the in-state tuition! 

Saturday, Bob worked at the Knights BBQ and Erin worked. Sunday was more church/work/youth group. Erin had a trip to The Raleigh School, walkable from Gibbons, for her first Service Beakers trip for the year. 

That pretty much rounds out the month! It's been busy but great. The kids are settled into their school routine and are adjusting to classes. Both are finding that this year's classes are more work and more difficult than last year, but I think they'll be ok. Anna is taking AP World History, which is definitely lots of work. She is enjoying it, though. October is looking great with a few special events, plus Bob gets to travel again - to Goteborg, Sweden! 

August!

Just like that, summer is over! August started out slow and quickly picked up pace. Erin worked a LOT before school began, racking up the hours and the money! We are proud of her for handling more shifts, as well as driving herself to/from work and also managing a few shift swaps (one that she initiated, and a couple that she picked up to help other people). Anna had a marathon cat-sitting job from the 2nd to the 9th, but Bo and Meadow are fairly easy. Bob, Erin, and I enjoyed a nice morning on the lake on the 3rd. 

We prefer mornings in the summer because it's not as hot, not as crowded, and also has less risk of storms popping up. 

Anna had a couple of babysitting and dog-sitting jobs over the week of the 4th, as well as hanging out with Juliet on Tuesday and shopping with friends on Wednesday. Bob and I enjoyed a nice anniversary dinner at Caffe Luna on the 6th (they catered our wedding reception!).

I hosted neighborhood Bunco on the 7th while Bob went to a Knights anti-meeting (an exclusive group of guys boycotts the meeting and goes elsewhere at the same time). Anna and I had simultaneous hair appointments on the 8th, which worked out very well. Saturday, Bob and I were back to the lake in the morning, then Erin and I went to an open house for her piano studio before Erin headed on to work. Margaret opened a second studio to accommodate her growing number of students, and it is beautiful! Erin's lessons will be there this coming year, starting in September, with Ms. Cheryl for the first time. We enjoyed seeing the space, checking out the new pianos, and participating in fun activities. Even better, we entered the raffle and won a month of free lessons! So exciting! 

That evening, Anna babysat for the Wagerle girls, Bob met his friend Colin at a brewery, and Erin was working. Finley and I held down the fort.

Sunday the 10th was a super fun day in Concord for Grandma A.'s 70th birthday! We went to mass at St. James with the cousins, then to lunch at a Mexican place near their house, and back to Grandma and Grandpa's house for cake, presents, and visiting. It was wonderful, and we are thankful that Erin happened to have that day off of work! The girls ventured to school on Monday afternoon for a meeting for the annual Freshman Welcome Day, which now they were both helping with instead of experiencing as a freshman. Tuesday, Erin drove herself to her friends' joint birthday party while Anna had an eye doctor appointment. Anna also babysat for her buddies, the Lemons boys, 3 times this week, in addition to a couple of other times this month. Anna had Sophomore Welcome Day on the 13th and Erin had Junior Welcome Day on the 14th; both were much less exciting than Freshman Welcome Day. They had mass, a class meeting, and walked their schedules for a quick intro to each class. Friday the 15th was a holy day, and the 4 of us all went to mass that evening. Saturday morning, Bob and I went back to the lake, Erin worked, and Anna babysat. Sunday, Anna checked out Mad Splatter paint room in Apex with friends Bella and Evan, and we all went to St. Michael's evening mass after Erin got off work.

Monday the 18th, the girls went to help at Freshman Welcome Day and I went to book club that evening. Tuesday was the first official day of school for everyone. 

They have a complicated driving/parking situation this year; juniors don't usually get a parking spot on campus, but they can bypass that by sharing a spot with a friend. So, Erin and Olivia are sharing a spot that each gets to to use half the time. On their "off" days, they park at the satellite lot at Carter-Finley across the road. So far, it's going well and they're ironing out the kinks. Classes seem to be starting off strong as well! 

Anna watched cat friends Louis and Lilly for 5 days over that weekend, and Erin took the SAT on Saturday the 23rd. She worked really hard to prepare, taking a weekly class via Zoom for 10 weeks with Olivia and Vera over the summer. Sunday, Erin worked and we were back to the lake, enjoying beautiful weather post-Hurricane Erin (which did not hit us; she cooperated and stayed out in the Atlantic). Monday, the girls went in early for an Admissions Ambassadors meeting, of which they are both a part. They also had an all-school mass to start the year, and Erin had a meeting after school for her Service Beakers club. Anna had a Cooking Club meeting on Wednesday. The clubs are gearing up for a great year! 

Bob enjoyed the first Wolfpack game of the season on Thursday night against ECU with his friend Dave. The Pack won after blowing a solid lead early in the game. 

We all had a blast at the first Gibbons home football game on the 29th; they beat the top-seeded team out of Virginia and snapped their 3-year winning streak! Erin worked over the weekend (thankfully, Harris Teeter hasn't scheduled her during the week for the first few weeks of school, allowing her time to adjust to her school schedule and driving). Anna went shopping for homecoming dresses with Bella on Sunday. 

So, we are back at it! Everyone is adjusting to the girls driving themselves to/from school (my days feel so much longer without the 2 hours in the car each day), and Erin is doing a wonderful job with it. It's going to be a great school year!

July

July was hot, hot, hot! We started out on the 1st with Anna shopping with Bella, and I had book club that evening. Anna added a new babysitting client, the daughter of one of the book club girls, and had a fun evening with her. Erin and I went to CPO on Wednesday, and Anna joined me there on Thursday. Friday, the 4th, we had a fun evening at a Salamanders game, then home for sparklers with the help of the blowtorch. 

Saturday the 5th, Anna and I met up with Aunt Leslie, Logan, Ansley, and Grandma at UNC for a walking tour and lunch, then they came back to our house after. We all went to visit Erin at work, Anna and Ansley went to the pool, and we had dinner before they headed back. It was a really fun day!

 

Bob headed to Sunnyvale on Monday the 7th for a manager meeting, and he got to stay at the infamous Google-owned hotel on campus. Anna had her 3-year checkup with her cardiologist, Dr. Robinson, that morning. They did an echo and verified that the device is still in the correct place and all is well. She is good to go for 3 more years! Finley was back to the vet on Tuesday for bloodwork, which the vet reported to be "great", but said that he needs to continue taking the liver meds for 3 more months. After that, the girls and I checked out the NC Botanical Gardens in Chapel Hill, followed by introducing Erin to (newly-discovered by us on Saturday) Raising Canes for lunch, which she proclaimed to be in her top few favorite restaurants now. 

Anna drove me out to the country for a little driving practice that evening. Anna helped Bella's family move to their beautiful new house on Wednesday while Erin and I were back at CPO. Thursday, Erin and I returned to CPO while Anna recovered from the heavy lifting from the move. We tried to go to the lake on Saturday, but it was closed due to high water levels from runoff from Tropical Storm Chantal the week before.

Bob got back on Friday evening only to head back to the west coast, Seattle this time, on Monday. Finley had his long-awaited dental cleaning that day as well, and it went smoothly. 

Bella slept over on Wednesday, and I had a fun dinner with friends Diane and Michelle that evening as well. Anna and I volunteered at CPO on Thursday. We girls had a pre-beach nail appointment on Friday afternoon. Anna drove me to school on Saturday afternoon to scout out parking spots. Erin stayed busy with lots of work shifts this week, as well as all month long (when she was in town).

Monday morning, we all (including Finley) hit the road for our family beach week! We stopped at Buc-ee's in Florence, SC, and it was less intimidating than last time we went, perhaps because it was a Monday. We arrived in Hilton Head around 3:30pm, made a quick stop at Publix, and camped out near the house until it was ready just after 4pm. We all settled in, unpacked, and started our week of fun with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents! It was a wonderful week! We enjoyed the pool at the house, the beach, rented bikes, took a boat ride on Wednesday afternoon after a rainy morning, and had lots of other family fun! We were in a 6-bedroom house, including 2 kids' bedrooms on the third floor. It worked out great!

We returned on Friday, got unpacked, and had a pretty quiet weekend other than Erin working. We tried to go to the lake on Saturday, but they were not allowing swimming due to increased bacteria levels due to runoff from the storm a couple of weeks ago. It was too hot to go if we couldn't swim! I visited Erin at work on Sunday morning. 

Anna had her 15-year checkup on Monday, and all went well there. Erin was back to work (6 out of 8 days!) that evening. She continued her SAT prep class on Tuesday; she has 3 more sessions before she takes the test on August 23rd. I volunteered at CPO on Thursday, and that pretty much rounds out our month! The last week of the month was another heat wave; it was even too hot to go to the pool!

So, it was a busy and also not busy month, but overall was a good one! Anna has been practicing driving quite a bit and is doing very well. We are looking forward to school officially starting on August 19th, but they each have a "welcome day" the week before. Class schedules come out on the 5th, so they are eagerly awaiting that. Otherwise, we are hopeful for some cooler weather on the horizon!

June!

We survived our first month of summer! It was a good month with lots going on! Anna and Bob spent the first week on their epic Australia adventure as a part of his biannual work trip to Sydney. They went to a zoo, explored 2 beaches, and tried some new foods in Sydney...On Wednesday that week, they flew up to Cairns for a Great Barrier Reef adventure! They took a one-day tour that visited 3 parts of the outer reef and had an amazing time viewing the reef and sea animals. Also in Cairns, they explored the town, enjoyed the resort, and did a little shopping. From there, it was back to Sydney for their return home. It was a successful and memorable trip!

While they were adventuring, Erin stayed busy with 5 work shifts in 9 days and also got her Level 3 driver's license. We both volunteered at CPO on Wednesday, and I went back on Thursday while she was working. We also supervised the finishing touches on our kitchen floor (the final step in the project), hit the pool and the gym a few times, and had a cat-sitting job. The travelers returned on the evening of the 7th and jumped right back in to reality with a fun 2-family dinner with the McGees at Colletta's on Sunday, celebrating Erin's and Olivia's Confirmation! 

Anna hung out at Lyla's pool on Monday the 10th while I had a nice lunch and catch-up with my friend Denise. Tuesday, Bob, Erin, and I had a really fun day trip to DC, where we toured the Catholic University of America! We took a 10am flight on American from Raleigh to Reagan, metro-ed in to town, had a nice Chipotle lunch across from campus, visited the Basilica of the National Shrine (adjacent to campus) prior to the presentation and tour of campus. The tour was great! It's a beautiful campus and seems to have great programs and facilities. After the tour, we hopped back on the metro for a quick walk through the Mall, Capitol, Union Station (here was where we discovered that our flight home was delayed, so we attempted to catch a train unsuccessfully), dinner, and back to Reagan for our flight that was a couple of hours late, but we got home by about 11:30pm. It was a really good day, and Anna and Finley managed just fine at home.

The girls volunteered at Gibbons Gateway on Wednesday and Thursday that week, leading groups of incoming freshmen through activities to help them acclimate to Gibbons. Anna had a 5-day cat-sitting job at the end of the week, I was back to CPO on Thursday, and Anna visited Sky Zone with Bella and her sister on Friday. We had a nice family dinner at Noodle Blvd on Friday after Anna came home raving about the ramen in Australia. 

Saturday the 14th, we hit the lake while Erin worked. Bob had a nice Father's Day on Sunday the 15th, including homemade tortellini by Anna and me for dinner.

Monday the 16th, Anna swam at Juliet's pool until it started storming. Bob and I cashed in a gift card to Outback for dinner, which was yummy! Erin started her 10-week SAT prep class via Zoom on Tuesday with her friends Olivia and Vera. So far, she's finding it to be helpful. Anna had a babysitting job on Wednesday and helped me at CPO on Thursday before babysitting again, this time for a new family, the Overtons. It went well! Bob enjoyed a night out at Topgolf with David and Josh that evening. Saturday afternoon was back to the lake while Erin worked again (sorry, Erin!). Sunday, Bella came over for some pool time, and Erin's friends also came over later in the afternoon after she got off work. They had fun hanging out at the pool and having some pizza and sides for dinner! She and Bob went to the Cathedral for 7pm mass that evening. Erin was very busy that day!

Bob headed to Denver on the 23rd for 4 days of work meetings. We had a girls' dinner at the new ramen place in Apex on the 23rd.

We ladies did more of the usual that week - Erin had her SAT class, Anna caught a movie with friends, I had a dentist appointment, and Anna went back to Juliet's pool on Wednesday. Anna started her 3-session AP World History prep class on zoom on the 25th while Erin went to Gibbons Gateway and led the presentation on Compassion. Both kids were back to Gibbons Gateway for the final session on Thursday while I was at CPO.  Bella slept over on Friday, and Bob took his friend Jeff M. out on the lake on Saturday morning. Saturday, Anna began her week of 3 pet-sitting jobs: Luna the cat for 4 days, the Hansen cats for 7 days, and a new pet, the Weaver bunny, for 8 days! All went smoothly. Erin and I tried a new mass, the 5pm on Sunday at St. Michael, as she's had a lot of weekends with Saturday afternoon/evening and Sunday morning shifts at Harris Teeter. It was great, and we all attended it the following week! 

That rounded out the month! Anna has been practicing her driving, and otherwise we are staying busy and also trying to relax and enjoy the summer. Bob helped me set up our supposedly squirrel-proof bird feeder. After some initial issues, we think it is now fully squirrel-proof. 

We are really looking forward to a fun week in Hilton Head with cousins and grandparents coming up in July!