Goodbye 2022, Hello 2023
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Goodbye 2022, Hello 2023
I can't believe my last post was before Thanksgiving... we have some catching up to do. I have shared some posts on Facebook, so do follow me there for more frequent posts or at least photos. Well, lets get this update going... I will let photos do most of the work. :)
Seattle Fun
We had a couple fun Seattle days at the end of November. One day with Grammy Debbie where we enjoyed the Lightyear themed gingerbread houses at the Grand Sheraton and the themed Christmas trees at the Fairmont Olympic.
We enjoyed a trip to the Pacific Science Center on November 30th. We hadn't been in a few years, so it was all new to Peter. We always enjoyed our membership and look forward to heading back soon as there is so much to see and do.
December Decorating
While we were planning on being out of town for a majority of the month, we did manage to get some decorations out and fulfilled a few holiday season traditions (hot chocolate while decorating). We started off the month with dinner with Aunt Sheena and enjoying the lights in Downtown Redmond.
Julie's 10th Birthday Bounce!
We celebrated Julie's 10th birthday with a visit to Defy trampoline park in Tukwila. It was so much fun and she enjoyed being surrounded by friends. This was our first time at Defy and it has since become a favorite place. Come bounce with us sometime!
Christmas Vacation
While we enjoyed some of our traditions, we decided to enjoy some time away from home this season. Grandma Paulette came back over from Boise and then the four of us started off our adventures by flying to North Carolina on the 11th to pick up Aunt Andrea (my sister) and cousins Gabby (10) and Ari (5) on Fort Bragg.
Florida
Tuesday, December 13th we rented a big Ford Expedition and drove down to Orlando Florida through South Carolina and Georgia to stay at Coronado Springs at the Disney World resort.
Park Day Adventures
We started off Wednesday at the Magic Kingdom.
Thursday was spent at Disney's Hollywood Studios in the morning, followed by Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party back at the Magic Kingdom from 7pm to midnight! It was a very fun and very exhausting day!
Friday was spent at the Animal Kingdom and EPCOT.
Saturday, I took Julie to the two Universal parks to explore all things Harry Potter. This was definitely a highlight for Julie as she is a big fan.
We closed out the Florida adventures with a visit from our Orlando family - the Hodges (cousins) - hanging out at the resort with us.
Raleigh, North Carolina
Back in NC, the kids and I had a trip downtown to visit with an old co-worker and friend for lunch, and dinner with some PNW friends who have relocated. Between the two, we visited the NC history museum which was fun and informative.
Kentucky Road Trip
It was then time to road trip over to Kentucky to visit family. It was so good to see my Grandpa Dave and Granny. Their house was then filled with cousins and their kiddos. It was a very special and memorable time.
Buc-ee's!
We were able to visit two Buc-ee's during our adventures. One in South Carolina and one in Tennessee. If you know, you know. If you don't... definitely stop in when you have an opportunity. Peter described it to his classmates as "a gas station with super clean bathrooms." He is not wrong.
Raleigh Family Fun
We were able to visit the Rhoton family (more cousins) who live in the Raleigh area as well. There was some crazy wind that day which took out some trees, so we had a fun impromptu project.
Christmas on Fort Bragg
The kids loved getting to spend Christmas with their cousins!
Happy New Year!
We were home to ring in the new year. We all continue to miss Steph more each day but enjoy the memories we have and traditions that continue. We are working on getting back into routines of school and house work, but aren't rushing things.
My mom will be heading back from Boise to stay with us again this year, so we are looking forward to having her here again soon! Attempts to look too far into the future continue to be weird. I suspect that will continue for some time. I am learning to take things slowly and remain flexible. Looking forward to what God has in store for us in the coming days, weeks, and months of 2023.
PS: Please be sure to add yourself to our address book if you haven't already.