This past year we continued to participate in many of our favorite pastimes and work in a couple of fun getaways as well.
Aside from school, our girls spend more time participating in dance activities than anything else. They are both on competitive teams, and spend several hours every week in practices and lessons. Then many weekends throughout the year have conventions, performances, and competitions both locally and out of town. They really love it and it's amazing to see how what accomplished dancers they have become. Dianne is very involved as a Dance Mom and even takes some classes with them.
Both girls are still in Girl Scouts, and Dianne continues to volunteer when she can. It's not just about cookie sales, they have meetings, go camping, and other outings throughout the year. Cally's troop offered an amazing opportunity for a trip to Colorado for their bridging ceremony. They wanted some parent chaperones so we decided to turn it into a family trip. We didn't realize Randy would be the only male on a charter bus with 49 mothers and daughters (including the bus driver)! We had a fun filled action packed trip that included white water rafting, a zip-line course, sleeping overnight in a mountain zoo, a horseback ride through a canyon, numerous hikes through breath taking scenery, and more.
Cally started Middle School (6th grade) this fall & Lexi is in 4th grade. The previous two school years our girls went to a newly opened charter school not far from our house. We deliberated over the pros and cons of moving Cally back to the local public school, but in the end opted to stay at the familiar charter school for another year. It is convenient to have them at the one school for drop off, pick up, and school functions.
Volleyball continues to be a big part of our lives. Randy and Dianne still play in a weekly competitive league for adults. We have encouraged our kids to try volleyball, and coached two teams in the Spring and two teams in the Fall (one for Cally and one for Lexi). Cally also made the middle school volleyball team. It has been fun to see how much they have improved and all share in an activity as a family.
Randy is approaching the 5 year mark at his current job. With the exception of his first job (10 years) it's the second longest length of time he has worked with any company. He is happy there and plans to stay as long as they continue to treat their staff as well as they do now.
During the Thanksgiving break we took a trip to Big Bend National Park in west Texas with another family from our church. Typical weather would be near 70 degrees, but we arrived in freezing rain, snow, and highs in the low 30s. Our initial disappointment was overcome by the beauty of the ice and snow covered landscape. After two days, the clouds parted, the sun melted the ice, and we witnessed the vast scenic views we had been looking forward to seeing.
Our three kittens Comet, Clover, and Thunder have grown into cats. Our two dogs Murphy and Patty celebrated their 14th birthdays this year. They are hard of hearing, sleep a lot, and definitely are showing their age -- yet they still perk up for a walk around the neighborhood. They have given us a few scares, but so far are still enjoying life!
Best wishes to all for a Happy New Year!
The Hall's
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