The beach, the dog, sports, Fortnite, their own rooms, middle school, independence…
This photo of Emily with the boys was on their last day of school from this past year. We think it will remain a favorite for the rest of our lives, as there is a lot of significance behind it, as it’s the last time the boys will be in the same school until Logan is a senior and Vaughn is a freshman in high school. Even then? We don’t imagine that they’ll want Mom picking them up that day, so this is it!
But it’s a wonderful sign of the times…
Logan is in middle school now, loving the change and the increasing independence that it brings. He’s doing great and really taking responsibility for his work and his grades. So far so good!
He’s already pining for Summer again and rolling with his crew, mostly back & forth to the beach. This last Summer, he started to learn surfing and loved it! He’s still playing soccer and, this past year, he played baseball again for the first time since preschool…since t-ball! He did great, and he’s looking forward to the upcoming little league season which starts-up soon!
Vaughn almost made it through another year without breaking a bone, only to suffer a small buckle fracture in his left arm a couple weeks before Christmas. Fortunately, it was after his flag football & soccer seasons ended. We’re mostly “in-between” sports at the moment, with basketball just starting-up and baseball about a couple months away, so this really is the “best” time to have a clipped wing!
Clipped wing = Fortnite? Not necessarily, but let’s just say that Logan & Vaughn have fallen victim to the Fortnite bug in 2018. We realize they’re not alone, but we also realize that – right now – they’re probably, “…in the middle of a round.” Anybody else? While it is not how either of us grew-up, we also realize it is a super-social game that they absolutely love playing with their friends.
And they get to play in their own rooms now! Both of the boys had started to want their own rooms this year – especially Logan – and we finally made it happen for them in November. They love it! We think it might actually help them miss each other a bit (eh hem, or, perhaps better said, argue a bit less!).
Along with our annual summer trip to Indiana to see Emily’s family, Emily got to take a bonus trip for a really special reason. Her dad, David, was inducted into the Southeastern Indiana Music Hall of Fame, recognized for a lifetime of contribution to the local music scene. She’s so proud of him!
This year, Emily had the opportunity to paint a mural for Logan’s graduating class from elementary school. Her first time ever painting a mural! The theme was “Endless Summer,” and you can see it in our video, along with a picture of our Summer-blonde-eyebrowed Logan! A wonderful project, and Emily really enjoyed it. It’s motivated her to launch a new website with her artwork, havetocreate.com.
Eric’s company is wonderfully (even more) local, and he’s enjoying the short 8 minute commute, all the while, staying within ¼ mile of the beach. While shown in Dodgers gear here, and with both of the boys playing little league now, he’s taken this year to really (really) get back into baseball caps. He even has some that no self-respecting Los Angeleno should ever wear (but it’s all for the kids!).
In putting our annual video together, we’ve realized that many of the pictures were taken by others, not by us. We’re seemingly with our kids’ friends & families every day, and it’s wonderful. We’re so grateful to have this village – this circle of people – who we get to call our friends. We hope to see all of you even more in 2019.
Happy New Year, and please enjoy our family video.
Love,
Eric, Emily, Logan (12) & Vaughn (8 ½)