The last blog post I wrote was a bulleted list of life happenings and a statement of my intention to get back into a habit of routinely blogging. The one blog post I wrote in 2016 is evidence of my failure in bringing that idea to life. My July 2016 post was actually a great prelude to this post as it shared some great memories that we made from the beginning of 2016. As we wrap up the year, here's what I want to remember about the last 6 months of 2016...
- Our whole family made it through the year staying relatively healthy, minus Dave spending the last few months wearing a boot due to pain in his foot. It's getting better and hopefully the boot will go away soon.
- Dylan became a working man and worked all summer as a pool lifeguard. He ended the summer with money to pay for his insurance for a year, plus some. He worked so hard, never complaining except for the time he worked 10 days straight and asked me to look it up to make sure that was legal, HA! I was so proud of his work ethic and attitude.
- Zoe attended her first, overnight and away from mom, summer camp when she attended the University of Maryland Gymnastics Camp. She spent three nights at the college park campus and while she was pretty nervous she ended up having a blast.
- Dave and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary! We visited St. Michael's where we got married and then took a leisurely drive home exploring a couple little towns between there and home. One of my favorite days of the year!!
- I began my 13th year of teaching and my 2nd teaching an accelerated program. I went Pinterest crazy with a Harry Potter and Hogwarts theme in my room.
- Dylan began 10th grade and says it is his favorite year in school so far! He is enjoying being part of Project Lead the Way, the engineering pathway at his high school. He took drivers training during the first marking period. Honors history is his favorite class and he loves to share what he's learning in the class. He was also recognized at a district ceremony for his academic achievement in 9th grade. Lately, he's been checking out colleges who have an aerospace engineering program as that's what he is interested in majoring in.
- Zoe began middle school and was thrilled to do so! She is kicking butt in 6th grade. She has some of Dylan's teachers and likes all of her teachers. She enjoys Spanish the most because she says everyday she learns something new. During one marking period she will be able to take an art class and she can't wait. On the flip side she also has to take one marking period of gym, which is her least favorite thing to do in school. Yes, the gymnasts hates gym!
- I was accepted into a doctoral program at Wilmington University and successfully completed my first two courses with A's. Definitely a learning experience both academically and emotionally, but very excited to have the opportunity.
- Zoe turned 12 and celebrated with a zoo in our house! A local animal preserve brought a baby kangaroo, coati, python, sugar glider, and tortoise to our house and everybody had a blast holding and playing with all the animals. She still wants to be a veterinarian as of now.
- The family went to Hallow-Scream in Busch Gardens in October and had a blast. Everybody is tall enough for Coasters now so it was a great day of rides. At night the park changed over to haunting grounds with multiple haunted trails. Way out of my comfort zone, but I was brave and enjoyed family time, even if it was the first time Dylan said he heard his mom say some bad words! Zoe was not a fan of the trails and ended up sitting out for most of them, but we did talk her into joining us for two.
- In November, Zoe got to perform in the opening act of the Kellogg's Tour of Champions in Philly. The tour showcased the US Gymnastics Team (who kicked butt in the 2016 Olympic Games) and she did a dance with other local gymnasts while the athletes came onto the floor.
- The fall was filled with Dylan performing with his high school band at Friday night games and many Christmas parades.
- Dylan turned the BIG 16 and got his driver's license. He is doing an excellent job driving minus the bush that won't be written about, but will provide a great story later!
- The holidays were spent with family as the west coast and southern Tuttle's came for Christmas. It is always fun when everybody can get together. My parents and little brother went to visit my other brother and his family so it was strange not being with any Lightfoot's, but I enjoyed seeing their visit through pictures on Facebook.
So that brings us to 2016...
All in all, it's been a good year! There's much to be accomplished in 2017 and I know many more adventures are to be taken with more memories to be made.
Here's to hoping I write about some of the adventures as we go and not just another bulleted list in the year!