Oops.

I suppose I should probably update this thing periodically, right? I am not sure if anyone looks at it. Most people are using Facebook or Instagram, but honestly I hate to feed Meta everything so perhaps I should post here instead.

Since it has been a while, let's get caught up.

First, N is now two and a half. He's all boy, too. He likes heavy equipment, mud, and climbing up high to jump off of things.

Then there's S, who joined us in 2024. She's crawling, getting her teeth. She's a pleasant girl, generally not very fussy, and she smiles a lot. She's already babbling at us and if you cluck at her she will cluck back at you.

R2 has been doing great. She's going into third grade next year and she loves going to school. She also likes carrying around one of our extremely tolerant cats. I've never seen a cat seem to be okay with being dressed up, put in baskets, and just generally treated like a doll.

Last week was Memorial Day and I took the older three girls on a backpacking trip in the Smokies. We parked at Tremont and walked up to Spence Field. Nine miles and a 4300 foot elevation change was a lot to tackle, but the girls handled it like champs. My Garmin watch indicated we climbed the equivalent of about 320 flights of stairs! After spending the night at Spence Field, we walked along the Appalachian Trail to Derrick Knob for the evening. I was grateful that we were able to get a nice view from Rocky Top and Thunderhead Mountain.

After sheltering at Derrick Knob, we walked back down to Tremont via the Middle Prong Trail. It rained off and on all day, some of it quite heavy. We were pretty soaked by the late afternoon despite wearing ponchos and gaiters. I was getting a little worried that some of the bridges could be washed out after all of the hurricanes last fall, but luckily we only had to ford one smaller creek. I was plotting a path for R (age 10) and myself to cross it when J just stomped right across the thing. I guess she figured she was already soaking wet, why faff about with rock-hopping?

This was our second trip to the Smokies in the Spring, I really hope we can do it again next year (and that I can convince them all to go again with me). I'll try to plan less elevation and mileage next time!

Well, it's been an interesting year. I have been amiss in keeping this updated so I'll have to post a quick summary and hit the highlights month by month.

April

In April we finished up the new house and completed permitting so we could start to move in! J and C both acted in Midsummer Night's Dream with J as Nick Bottom and C as a Peace Blossom and Moonshine. They and their friends did a great job.

J also did a spring outdoor harp concert as well.

May

In May we took our first family trip out to Fall Creek Calls. It's certainly a beautiful state park and one that we will try to get into a regular rotation!

June

In June I ran/swam/cycled in my first triathlon. It was a sprint, so only a 300 meter swim, 12 mile bike ride, and 5k run. A co-worker convinced me to try it. The only thing that really worried me was the swim as I am not a great swimmer (I call it the "redneck splash" - I can get across the river, but I'll be winded when I get there). Over April and May I watched a lot of YouTube videos and practiced a lot at the local Y. By the time June rolled around I could swim 1200 meters without too much effort, and it felt good to get another form of exercise in my tool belt. My goal for the triathlon was to a) complete it and b) not be last in my age group. I accomplished both goals. The only snafu was the swimming part: I jumped into the water without first putting my goggles on, so I had to tread water in the Cumberland River while trying to get them on and adjusted. I'll try to remember to put them on before I jump into the river for my next triathlon in Chattanooga in June 2023!

C and R1 both performed in a summer violin concert. C got in some Irish dancing, too.

C also traveled to Italy with her violin school and performed in many cathedrals and dance halls. She visited Vienna, Rome, Florence, Ravenna, and several other cities. When asked about the coliseum she said it was "dirty" but then later conceded it was "pretty cool."

July

We're not going to sugar coat it: July was rough. A got into a pretty bad car accident that left her in the hospital for nine days. We are very grateful for the very good care she got at our local university hospital, that a 20-week-old Noble was okay, and that the three girls in the car were okay. The man that hit her was speeding and passing in a center lane. Unfortunately, he is unlikely to face any consequences for that decision as he was both under-insured and driving someone else's car.

I am grateful that A's mom, Juju, came out to help us in late July. Our church and neighbors also came through to support us with food, prayers, and even delivering supplies we needed. It was a rough month, but we also had so much to be grateful for.

August

In August, R2 started kindergarten! We were nervous to see how a kid with special needs would be cared for at our local school, but so far it has been great. R2 is a very social girl, so she has made many friends and is beginning to recognize letters. The school is close enough to us that we can walk, but more often she rides in a bike trailer.

R1 and C started at a classical school, which they have enjoyed. Our nieces came to visit and help out while A continued to recover, for which we are grateful.

September & October

We went to some concerts, including the Schermerhorn to see the Nashville Symphony. We also made a weekend trip down to Atlanta and hit up Six Flags. Everyone did at least one roller coaster (except for A, of course, being pregnant). C busked at a street festival in Marietta and made a killing.

November

We had more violin concerts and more trips to parks. The highlight of the month came just before Thanksgiving - Noble joined us! The girls fight over holding him, and R2 was so happy to have him join her on a walk to school one morning so she could show her new brother to classmates and teachers.

December

And that brings us to this month, which still isn't over, but has been a pretty quiet month with lots of music concerts, baby-time and medical stuff. J, C, and R1 all played at the Cool Springs Galleria during the month.

Happy holidays, merry Christmas, and a happy New Year.

Last week we took the girls to NYC. It was J and C's second trip (they last visited in March 2019) and both R1 and R2's first trip.

Highlights for me:

• Visiting a different neighborhood every day
• Spanish music on the very Spanish jitney taking us from Times Square to Weehawken every night
• Asking R1, "What do you think of the [subway] trains?" Her answer, "Well, they're running!"
• So. Many. Hamentashen. (Purim was Wednesday, March 16th.)

One of the lovely things about NYC is that you can almost "travel the world" by visiting different neighborhoods. When we lived in NYC (2006-2009ish) we lived in a very Greek neighborhood close to LaGuardia Airport, Astoria Queens, so our first order of business was taking a taxi to Ditmars Boulevard and grabbing lunch at Taverna Kyclades, an old haunt of ours. The interior was recently redone, and it was nice but lacked the old-world warmth that we loved the place for. On the way to Taverna Kyclades we were able to point out our old apartment to the girls, and they were decidedly not impressed. "It looks dirty!" Yeah, kid, all of NYC has that scruffy sheen. In the immortal words of my middle brother, all of NYC "looks beat to hell."

When we first got to our AirBNB in Weehawken I was a little discomfited by the sign at the front door. It ended up being a fairly nice place, if a little out of the way. Traveling with a large family means we needed a lot of beds, so it was either stay in NJ or pay out the nose. We chose NJ. The apartment had a nice window where one could watch the street-happenings. It was also located in a very Hispanic neighborhood with lots of lovely Colombia pastry and coffee shops. It was amusing, however, when we got on the jitney from Manhattan and were often questioned, "Are you sure you know where you're going?"

One fun part about being a tourist in NYC is doing all the tourist-y things that we didn't do while we lived there: touring the Statue of Liberty, seeing Broadway shows, etc.

We had lots of good food, of course. We had Greek, Italian, Israeli (at Miriam), and dim sum (Golden Unicorn). It was fun getting to see an entirely different neighborhood each day. The Jewish Children's Museum in Crown Heights was fun to visit with the girls; they had lots of fun Jewish (and biblical) history.

We also hit up a few other museums, including the Met. We walked a lot. We rode a lot of buses. We rode a lot of trains. Sometimes R1 and R2 went into "overload shutdown" as a safety measure.

We enjoyed the trip, but I think I speak for all of us when I say we're glad to be home!

I hope you all had a great holiday season! This winter has, thus far, been unseasonably warm and we've had ample opportunities for outdoor shenanigans. However, I will say that I am very happy that the Winter solstice is behind us and days will be growing longer now. Darkness falling not long after 4pm is a real drag for everyone.

For A's birthday, we went canoeing (per her request!). The high schooler that helped us unload the boats said, "I thought y'all were crazy for reserving canoes today, but it has turned out really nice!" The temperature was over 60 degrees. Most importantly, no one fell into the Harpeth River! It was neat to canoe it in late Fall because the river was much clearer than it is in summer. We were told that the cold weather kills the algae. Indeed, I saw more fish (and some rather large ones!) on this canoe trip than I've ever seen on our multiple summer canoe trips.

What with the early sunsets, we've gotten plenty of nice golden-hour photo ops.

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My brother finished up his Marine tour of duty and was able to visit us on Christmas weekend. We were really glad they made the drive out and enjoyed hanging out and walking the pedestrian bridge. C busked while we walked around Lower Broadway and earned her rent for the month (just kidding).

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On Christmas Day we hiked Stone Door to Big Creek Gulf with our friends Bert and Alicia. The only thing better than hiking is hiking with friends!

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Getting all of the recital videos out in one go!

R1 had her first public performance this year and performed a solo. C and R1 both got to play solos and then did a group recital around Thanksgiving. Those videos are below.

https://youtu.be/cKUgj4_otuo

https://youtu.be/qQ_rtjNxhwA

For their group recital around Thanksgiving I only took video while they were rehearsing. C got to play with some of the big kids, but they all got to play in the larger group songs (including dancing!).

https://youtu.be/qkm65ExPyMU

https://youtu.be/D_OzKM_jl9Q

The grand finale was a coordinated dance number that R1 really got into! I expect the studio to post more videos of this event on YouTube later. They should be available on the SuzukiStrings page.

https://youtu.be/2T3s4a04dB4

J played a few of her piano pieces for her fellow students and families. She's gotten really good at playing Christmas tunes.

https://youtu.be/G4lLTh9XXRs

She did a great job! I love how this kid just puts her game face on and makes it look easy.

https://youtu.be/3MAibxSQewo

In September we took a four day weekend and camped at Frozen Head State Park. We've day-hiked a trail there before and it's been on our "to do" list for a year or so. It's a beautiful park with many trails, a creek to play in, and great facilities. We will definitely go back!

We also made a trip to Foster Falls (a stop on our way back from a weekend in Chattanooga). Foster Falls is a great swimming hole. We weren't dressed for swimming but the water was so tempting we got in anyway. Those of us who couldn't reasonably strip to our skivvies just dried off in the car on the way home.

Earlier in the summer we made another trip to Pickett State Park, another annual favorite. Tennessee has so many great parks! I feel silly posting all of the pictures.

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We also made a trip to Orlando with A's sister and family. We hit up Disney World and Universal Studios. Harry Potter's Diagon Alley was a highlight. J rode her first serious roller coaster - the "Incredible Hulk." C tried to get on but she was an inch and a half too short. Next time!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3InITpjHSrA

This year's concert was a bit of a Big Deal since the studio did not do anything in 2020 (due to COVID-19). It was wonderful to see all of them play, and R1 even got her first on-stage time as part of the group! They are still posting videos from the concert and adding them to this YouTube playlist.

It's amazing to see C's progress.

https://youtu.be/TFt5XkAGAK0

April showers...

Brought some flowers...

One of the highlights of April was our first overnight backpacking trip. We did a 7 mile loop at Savage Gulf State Natural Area. It was threatening to rain and storm over the weekend. We decided to take our chances and I'm glad we did! We saw a few threatening clouds but only felt a few raindrops and the weather was absolutely gorgeous.

Our camping spot was one of my favorite spots: on the edge of a canyon with an incredible view; a waterfall down below us could be heard all night (close enough to hear it but distant enough that it did not overwhelm everything else). We saw many wildflowers and fiddleheads emerging from the winter.

The girls did a great job hiking. J carried an old backpack that a cousin of mine used twenty years ago.

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I really enjoyed dusting off of all of my old hiking gear and I hope that we can do it again soon!

R1 has been enjoying a weekly day school at Bell's Bend Park: she gets to explore with a group of friends. It's the only day of the week that she nearly explodes out of her bed with excitement when we get her up in the morning!