Rough Ridge Overlook

We had a special visitor stay with us a couple of weeks ago. Sarah's Sky View mentor, Hannah, came to visit us from Oregon. Having never been this far east (in the US at least) and living right near Mount Hood and the Cascade Mountain Range we knew we had to take Hannah to show her the Blue Ridge Mountains on the east coast. 

We ended up hiking a short hike of about .75 miles each way. The hike was pretty much straight up and then straight back down, so Hannah and Bob managed to hike it much faster than Sarah and I did because the path was not smooth at all, but we all got to the top regardless. 

The view from the top of the trail was stunning. Mountains and mountains for as far as they eye can see. The wind was rustling through the trees which added to the awe of the surroundings. 

I was/am super proud of Sarah for making it up and back. As I mentioned above, the hike was not smoothy. It was a bit muddy in parts and it was uneven and incredibly rocky throughout almost the entirety of the trail. She mentioned once that she really hated the hike, but was trying to be a good sport about it so as not to ruin everyone else's time. (Once we got off of the trail though, and Sarah had some distance from the experience, she said that she did end up liking it because being at the top was worth all of the hard work up and down the trail.)

I always enjoy seeing new things and this hike was no different. The cool thing about living in this area is that there are so many options when you want an outdoor adventure. (It is a lot like living out west just on a smaller scale.)

Sarah and Hannah

I have a very real fear of heights. I would not go anywhere near this area, in fact Hannah is the one (I believe) who took this picture because I had to hike on. Bobby, though, loves this kind of stuff and was in his element. (This spot was about 1/2 way up the trail - if my memory serves me correctly.)

I think this was taken on the way up to the top of the hike. Bobby took some of these pics, so I am not 100% certain of their exact location.

The cut out on the mountain to the right of this picture is a road.

Hannah taking in the view.

Hannah also tempting fate on those scary rocks. 

A view from the trail

Hannah helping Sarah at the beginning of our hike. As you can see here the trail was not smooth at all. 

This rock WAS the trail at this point in our hike. Imagine being blind and trying to navigate that. Not easy. 

A view from the top.

 

Cavs vs. Hornets

 We decided as a family at the beginning of the year that we wanted to budget more money towards experiences. We all felt that everyone was at the age where having "things" was much less important to us all than collecting memories together, so money was shifted accordingly, and a family decision was made to plan at least one family activity a month. No one is required to come to any activity he/she doesn't want to. We all know by now that one rotten attitude can ruin everyone's time and no one wants that, so participation is voluntary. 

Bobby has been wanting to go the Cleveland Cavaliers play for a long time in each of the cities we have lived (that offered the opportunity to see them play). Unfortunately, until now, we never made room in the budget or cleared out time to go. When Bobby saw that the Cavs were playing here in Charlotte in February and we hadn't yet decided what activity we wanted to plan for the month, Bobby suggested going to the game. So, on Friday, February 4th, we found ourselves sitting in the nosebleed section of Spectrum Center in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina.

I haven't been to a professional sporting event since we left Ohio in 2014, so I agreed to go along (as did Andy, Josh, Sarah, and Elizabeth). Basketball isn't really our favorite sport, but we thought it would be fun to see a Cleveland sports team in our (for now) hometown here in Charlotte. And it was. We all had a great time. Josh ended up going to the game with some college buddies instead of coming with us. He had gotten ahold of some free tickets that his college was giving away, so we were down a man in our family, but that was okay. I knew Josh was having a good time with his people and the five of us were having a good time together which is all that mattered. 

The Cavs ended up winning in the last second of the game which was really fun. It was also cool to see how many Cavs fans there were at the stadium. One of the nice things about a lot of the places we have lived is that they are considered transplant town/cities. This tends to there being a more eclectic fan base in which you know that there will always be fellow supporters of any team no matter who is playing verse the hometown team. 

In the end, we were all really glad we went and look forward to going again the next time the Cavs roll into town. 

White Water Center Ice Skating

 A few weeks ago, we decided to go ice skating. We hadn't been in years - we think the last time we went was when we still lived in Ohio (which is over 7 years ago). About 20 minutes from our house in Charlotte is the US Whitewater Training Center (it is one of the Olympic training centers for whitewater rafting). 

The Whitewater Center turns part of its rafting/kayaking "river" (it is manmade) into two ice skating rinks in the wintertime. They are pretty big and offer a lot of skating space - with the exception of the entrance where it tended to get a bit crowded I felt like everyone was spaced out enough to not be spreading any potential COVID germs. It was a really cool experience and I would definitely go back again. 

It took us a little bit of time to get our legs underneath us, and some of us were better at picking up ice skating again than others of us, but I would say that all of us who went (which included Sarah, Elizabeth, Bobby, and I) had a really nice time. 

I love this pic so much because it sums up their relationship perfectly: always side-by-side, steadying each other, holding each other up when needed. 

Ordinary Moments Week 5 of 2022

We were pet sitting the sweetest dog for our neighbor named Bella. 

This cool little gadget is used to help alert Sarah as to when her cup of hot liquids is about 3/4 full by beeping at her. This allows Sarah to pour her own drinks/soups/etc...without too much fear of burning herself. 

A drawing by Elizabeth.

A drawing/painting done by Elizabeth

A drawing of Elizabeth's. 

Getting ready to bake apple crisp.

 

When She Goes

Sarah and Elizabeth. Elizabeth and Sarah. 

 The very best of friends. Two peas in a pod. Two sisters born 20 months apart destined to become each other's closest allies and confidants. 

Two young ladies who choose to share a room rather than be apart from each other. 

Two partners in crime who bare their souls to one another during their nightly pow-wows staying up together talking long after the rest of the house has long gone to sleep.   

They are the other's keeper of secrets. They are each other's biggest cheerleaders and most honest critics. They show each other the best of themselves and the worst too. 

They are almost inseparable. 

Except....

In just about 18 months Sarah will be attending her freshman year of college. If things stay as they are right now, it looks like Sarah will be living on campus (most likely in another state). As we make the appropriate inquiries into each college of Sarah's choice I have noticed Elizabeth's quietness. As ACT preparations are made, scholarship searches are done, and talks of what is needed for Sarah to be fully independent by the time she leaves for school, I can feel Elizabeth's sadness building in her heart

Elizabeth is so happy for Sarah. She is excited to see where Sarah's life takes her. She wants Sarah to live a full life with all of things that Sarah hopes for for herself. 

And yet...

In order for Elizabeth to see this come to fruition, she must set her sister free, and I know this breaks her heart. My girls are each other's rock, confidant, and best friend. I sometimes feel like they breath from the same set of lungs. Their whole lives are built around each other. I do not know of two sisters who are closer to each other than my girls are. 

I try not to talk too much about college in front of Elizabeth because I know how sad the conversations make her. She and I have had just one private conversation in which tears immediately welled up in Elizabeth's eyes when we spoke about what is to come with Sarah leaving. I could feel Elizabeth's heartbreak, and it broke my heart too. 

I do not want either of my girls to hold themselves back for the other. I do not think that they would want that for each other either, but I cannot help but think that as they each go out into the world will this be the end of their magical friendship? Will the next 18 months be all that they will have to share together in a way that only best friend sisters can? I hope not. I truly hope not. I hope that they will be able to find a way to always maintain their closeness. 

I suppose only time will tell. 

And so, I will spend the next 18 months helping to plan the take-off of my one daughter into the life of her choosing (and very much celebrating that for her) while trying to ease the pain of my second daughter whose heart is breaking as her best friend and sister begins a new chapter of life without her. 

Family Meals - Week 5

 Breakfast

Pancakes

Muffins

Cinnamon Buns

Waffles

French Toast

Bagels/Cream Cheese

Cereal

Lunches

Sandwiches

Leftovers

Dinners

Chicken/Veggie Enchiladas

Lasagna

Sesame Chicken/Rice

Stromboli

Spaghetti/Meatballs

Tacos

Pizza

January 2022 Books Read

 As with the past several years I am hoping to read 52 books again this year.  Because my interests are still the same this year as they have been the last year or two the books I read in January should be of no surprise to anyone; I chose to read an autobiography by a Native American captive (which by-the-way is one I have seen referred to in so many of the other Native American books I have read) and two books about women living in the Middle East. One surprise is that the 4th book I read was about a woman's journey with her own faith. I haven't read a churchy book in several years because of my avoidance with anything having to do with God/faith/church ever since Sarah's seizure in February 2019. 

Anyway,,,all of the books I read were wildly interesting. I am pretty sure I would read them all again and I would recommend them to anyone interested in the topics of Native Americans/Middle Eastern women's lives/alternative faith.

Without further ado here is what I read in January:

 

January Books Read: 4

Year Total: 4