Kissing 2023 Goodbye

Sitting down to write about our year is the reason our cards are late. We have had an incredible year - incredibly challenging, incredibly adventurous, and incredibly family-focused. To say 2023 was full of love wouldn't be giving it enough credit. As a family, we have learned so much about each other, our abilities and strengths, our weaknesses, and how to always stay together as a team. 

Our year started in our new home (moved Aug. '22) nearer our extended family, and with a new family beside us: our neighbors. We quickly learned at the end of February when Charlie was hospitalized (for a month in D.C.) how much we were going to need our extended family and our neighborhood - they were the reasons our family made it through such a challenging season. We can't thank you all enough -- you know who you are. 2023 continued on and we were able to spend time at our family farm in WV ("The Lodge"), a week at Lake Anna, and trips across the state line to see Emily's mom and sister. 

• Travis started learning the art of Jiu-Jitsu at the beginning of the year and spends 2 to 4 early mornings a week at the gym (this has become a special joint hobby with Izzy); he competed in two Jiu-Jitsu competitions in 2023, bringing home a gold and three silvers.  Travis established the first highline over the Potomac River in Shepherdstown and continues to surprise (or not) all of us with his hobbies and interests.  In February he will celebrate his 5th year with Keylogic, where he continues to apply geology as a senior scientist. 
• Emily... is exhausted. She was promoted at work, and in January will celebrate her 3rd year at DTS.  She continues to keep a household full of kids, dogs and cats, Travis, and herself happy, healthy, well-supplied, organized, and mostly on-time to all their various appointments.  Emily has channeled her parents' skillsets and done a lot of work turning a new-build house into a beautiful and functional home, both inside and out.  Emily is working on a children's book in her spare time.
• Izzy also started Jiu-Jitsu at the beginning of the year and spends 4 or more days a week at the gym (2 of the days she helps coach the younger classes). She competed in two competitions, bringing home three silvers and a bronze). When she's not kicking butt, she loves fashion, hair, makeup, and nails. 5th grade has been a fun one for her and she's already starting to plan her entry into middle school next year. Like her mom, she's also working on a children's book (more to come in 2024)
• Ellie began her 3rd grade year and she continues to expand her art repertoire and sense of balance. Art projects range from beautiful recycled trash pieces to painting with nature, and she adores putting LEGOs together. Her culinary skills are improving and she excels in decorating cakes she's made. Now that we live on a less steep road, she enjoys skateboarding, rollerblading, biking...anything with wheels. She dabbles in Jiu-Jitsu too from time to time. 
• Charlie started the year with a visit to the ER for a rash, which quickly got much worse, and turned into an ICU stay at Children's National Hospital in D.C. -- he was released three weeks later and has been recovering really well ever since.  Charlie entered Kindergarten this year (wow, all 3 in Elementary school)! He is a strong, brave little boy who can be found climbing tall trees, tree forts, and anything with a good foot-hold. While he's inside you can find him singing (with all the lyrics memorized), building LEGO projects, and playing with his sisters. Like Ellie, he dabbles in Jiu-Jitsu, but when he's there he's making quick friends of his training partners.