November 2020
2020,  Brayden,  Charlotte,  Family,  Hanleigh,  November,  Vacation

Relaxing, Running, Flips, Friends, & Family

As usual, November was an active month. Hanleigh went back to in-person school two days a week and rode the bus for the first time ever! She was so excited about it (and so were we). Gotta appreciate those rites of passage whenever you can! After a year of planning to take a trip with my 10 other college girlfriends to Barbados, COVID put a wrench in those plans. Our trip relocated to something stateside and the numbers of those who could attend dwindled. Ultimately, Kendall, Tara, Kristy, and I ended up going to an all-inclusive in Key Largo, Florida. This would be the first time I had been on an airplane since February. And, funny enough, I hadn’t traveled in so long that I’ve totally forgot how to turn my phone on airplane mode! Wearing masks for the duration of the time you’re in the airport and on the plane was definitely interesting. And, of course, in 2020 fashion, we were directly the path of tropical storm Zeta during our time at the resort. The place we stayed at was absolutely adorable. The property was scattered with individual bungalows, each complete with their own private courtyard that included an outdoor shower and separate soaking tub. The rooms were beautiful and incredibly comfortable. Our first night there, while we waited for Kristy to arrive the next day, we went to dinner at Bogie & Bacall’s, which was their on-site steakhouse and it was absolutely delicious. We stuffed ourselves! We enjoyed yoga, paddle boarding, dancing early in the morning right next to our beach chairs (while many of the guests enjoyed our antics), running around the property, taking a sunset catamaran trip, and getting to know some very interesting people. It was an awesome experience and we had so many cathartic conversations. The trip was exactly what all of us needed amidst this crazy year! My overall impressions of the resort was that it was extremely high-end and pricy and would be good for a weekend trip if you were a Florida native. 

While I was away, our beloved “Fishy” went to betta fish heaven. Hanleigh wrote her a sweet note that said, “You lived a good life. I hope you are in a better place now.” So sweet! Brayden also changed her sleeping arrangements by replacing her loft with a regular floor-standing bed. Hanleigh continued attending Y Guides tribe meetings and we had dinner at Crunkleton with a former coworker of mine (Joe) and his wife (Whitney) as they were passing through town. They are trying to decide where to relocate on the East coast (from CA), which is so exciting! Hanleigh went to Mila’s house for a slumber party, and Trent kicked butt in a half-marathon that his F3 friends organized. The girls and me showed up as race sherpas and cheered him on a few times throughout the course! We are so proud of you, Trent! I enjoyed lunch at Burton’s with Tonya and Heather, followed by a much-needed massage. Brayden tried out for the Ambush select field hockey team and made it! This entails practice twice a week for a total of three hours, in addition to games once they start up. 

The girls continued taking their gymnastics class where they are working on their back handsprings and back tucks! It is so awesome to see how nimble and flexible they are! We spent a short afternoon at the Whitewater Center doing an obstacle course while Trent and Myers chilled out and watched us. We continued to make slow progress on our kitchen renovation plans by visiting the Sub-Zero showroom. It was super impressive and I’m pretty sure we have been glamored into these high-end appliances since we love to cook so much and will appreciate the features they offer.

Brayden enjoyed Friendsgiving with two of her best friends, Ash and Maddy. I know I’ve said this many times before, but I am so impressed with how great her friend group is! She surrounds herself with positivity and girls that treat each other with nothing but kindness. In a year where everyone’s patience and wills have been tested, having such a solid foundation of friendships is priceless. 

We spent Thanksgiving with Terry, Fran, and Kyle down in Sun City. It was a great afternoon of chilling out on the back porch and eating some delicious food! My mom was supposed to join us, but unfortunately, she had direct contact with someone who had COVID. The great thing is that she ended up feeling fine and as far as we know, never contracted it! The next day, we visited GG & Dadaw (socially distant) on their back porch and it was great to catch up with them! We stopped my friend’s (Julie) new, beautiful home to check it out and wrapped the month up by hanging out with the Whitcombs and Farrells (which included a fun game of Among Us).

Hanleigh-isms:

  • “Myers looks like Mufasa up on the steps (from Lion King). We should call Brayden “Mouve Fasta”…get it?
  • True story: I told Hanleigh one morning that some of the Triple B’s were coming in town this weekend (the trip actually got postponed) and she said, “Are they the best ones?”

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