Swanson-Bolles reunion
This year had some wonderful family moments. One of the highlights was the five days we visited Kelly’s cousins at their lake house in northern Wisconsin over the Fourth of July week. There were over fifty of Kelly’s relatives there, with more kids than you could shake a stick at, and the fun never stopped. It. Never. Stopped. Whether it was jet skiing on the lake, the swimming, the fishing, the catching up, the incredible conversations, the games, the music, or the laughter, it was a delight to spend those days getting to know my wonderful wife’s family. It was pretty-much unforgettable.
We also managed to skip town for a few days in beautiful Abingdon, VA, at the end of summer, where we rode along the Virginia Creeper Trail again and explored Southwest Virginia. We had a fantastic cottage right at the foot of the Creeper Trail and Travis and I had fun racing out to the busy railroad tracks next door whenever a train would pass by. That’s my idea of a vacation: lots of outdoor time spent exercising and exploring.
We got in another trip over the weekend before Thanksgiving when we met Kelly’s family at Fairy Stone State Park in Virginia. It was chilly outside but the cabins were cozy, the hiking was good, and the company was top-notch.
Outside of vacations, there were other small victories. This year Hallie left Conn Elementary for sixth grade at Ligon Middle School. Kelly and I found ourselves emotional wrecks on her last day. One of the last hurrahs for her as an elementary school student was the trip she and I took to Washington, DC. I had chaperone duties but really was free to see the sights with Hallie. It was a fun time.
At the White House (outside looking in … for now!)
Ligon has been welcoming to Hallie and us as well. After a less-than-pleasant start with Hallie taking the bus to school, I altered my work schedule to be able to take her instead. We’ve both enjoyed the 15 minutes we get to spend together with just each other each day. Hallie is in the school orchestra, too, and it’s been impressive seeing her play with such a talented group of kids.
To top it off, I’m considering stepping up for a role in the Ligon PTA. I figure if I can handle leading the PTA there’s nothing that I can’t do! I hope to catch up with the current PTA president after the holidays to find out what I’d be getting into.
As for Travis, the aforementioned trainspotting during our vacation provided some good bonding time for us. We’ve also spent an afternoon at the airport identifying planes and learning how the air traffic controllers work. Springtime means baseball, though, and once again I got to help coach Travis’s baseball team. Travis has gotten much better at playing, hitting multiple doubles and knowing what to do. Once he improves his throwing he’ll be a tough competitor! I’ve come to really love the coaching part, too. I surprised myself with how much I enjoy being a mentor to kids.
We’ve spent time at the small local amusement park, Adventure Landing, this year, where we hit the race track, laser tag, arcade, mini golf course, and the batting cages during the summer. We came back for Travis’s birthday party, where he had a great time with his closest friends and his school principal, too. That was pretty cool.
The week before I lost my job I had watched my daughter perform in the orchestra and spent a fun afternoon at the airport with my son. My job situation gave me plenty of reason to be depressed but in spite of things, just knowing that I’m still a hero to my family was enough to keep my chin up. That’s something I never want to forget.