November Highlights

November was filled with some very special things this year.  We kicked off the first weekend of the month with Bean & Poppy's visit.  Both Luke and Leah had their last regular season soccer games that weekend, and it also happened to be WFU Homecoming.  After cheering for our favorite soccer players, we took Bean & Poppy to campus to see Festival on the Quad, where we played lawn games, enjoyed some chess, and greeted the Demon Deacon.  

There were also giant bounce houses with slides that the kids love every year at Festival on the Quad.  It's a sure sign that Luke is growing up, as he came down the slide and commented to us, "It's not as fun as I remember...".  Sniff Sniff.  At least Leah still loved it!  

On Sunday morning, Mark and I drove to Charlotte to see Hamilton.  Hamilton tickets were my special 40th birthday present from Mark and we'd been looking forward to it for months.  We've been listening to the soundtrack and were familiar with the story behind Lin-Manuel Miranda's incredible creation of Hamilton, but the actual performance blew our minds.  We found it to be a genius piece of musical theater, which deserves every single award and bit of critical acclaim that it has received.  More than just a Broadway hit, Hamilton is an important cultural revolution about the power of peoples' stories to change the world.  The spirit of Hamilton lies in its beautiful message about diversity uniting us, and it is told in the form of a historical drama.  Hamilton reminds us that our country's strength is that it was built on people who came together to make positive change.  I feel so strongly about this message right now, at this fractured time for our nation, and it was a reminder of hope that I believe is so important for everyone to embrace.  I couldn't have asked for a better birthday gift, and it was such a privilege to be able to attend Hamilton on its second national tour:

After the performance, we checked in to our inn.  We stayed at the Duke Mansion, and it was the most lovely and elegant B&B:

Breakfast Room.

We enjoyed cocktails in the Grand Hall.

While we were being pampered in Charlotte, the kids stayed busy with Bean & Poppy.  They had a full morning of church and Sunday School, and played at the Town Park in the afternoon:

She wants a pull-up bar for Christmas this year!

Life is so much more fun with grandparents, who got the kids off to school on Monday morning with no trouble.  This allowed us to have a leisurely drive back, which included an impromptu lunch at Childress Vineyards on the way home!  Such a great way to start the week, with a mini-getaway! 

The next Friday was Oak Ridge Elementary's annual Mother-Son Night, which includes over 200 moms and boys from our school.  We take over SpareTime for laser tag, arcade games, pizza, and bowling.  This is SUCH a fun evening each year, and I can't believe it's the last one for Luke and me.  We had a blast, and Luke & Aiden were in their element:

Look at how much these Three Musketeers (Maxim, Luke, and Aiden) have grown up!    

Mother-Son Event 2018.

Mother-Son Event 2015.

The weekend also contained a special opportunity for Leah.  Mark coached the Oak Ridge Girls' U8 All-Star soccer team, and the girls played in the Adidas Clash tournament on Saturday and Sunday.  Oak Ridge Youth Association had all-star jerseys made for the players and several of Leah's best friends were also nominated for the team:

"Though she be but little, she is fierce!"

Leah, Gracyn, and Josie Kate. 

We were SO proud of these girls.  They played with their whole hearts against travel teams that were older, had more experience, and who have been together all year.  The weekend was eye-opening for us in terms of the level of commitment, cost, and time that is required for this level of a sport.  Kudos to Mark for giving his time to the team, and for being such a positive influence and great coach for the girls.  We felt lucky to have the opportunity to form this team (which includes so many dear families and friends of ours), and it was a special experience for Leah:

Right after Leah's last tournament game on Sunday afternoon, I joined a group of church friends for a Ladies' Wine and Paint outing.  This was completely out of my comfort zone (almost as much as WFU football camp!), as I am not artistic at all, but we had the BEST time!  These women are so much fun, and I am so thankful that these busy mamas find time to do things like this together!

In mid-November, we surprised L&L with special news about Thanksgiving break.  The kids knew that we were flying to Florida to see Beanie for Thanksgiving, but they did not know that we were going to Universal Orlando Resort on our way to Fort Lauderdale.  The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at two of Universal's theme parks (Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure) has been on our bucket list for a couple of years, and we had some very special messengers join us on the morning of our departure.  Luke and Leah each had their own Hedwig deliver the news that they were admitted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry:

  

Coming soon: Pictures and a summary of our magical November trip to Universal!