Saturday, December 31, 2022

2022 Year in Review by Marc

1. My wife is so smart.


2. Find yourself a mechanic that will adjust your daughter's car's Rudolph nose so that it is centered after working under the hood. Then you know you’ve got a winner.


3. My dog is so mischievous. Also, I have a sneaking suspicion that my dog had something to do with the freeze on business travel at work.


4. A raptor is not just a slow-moving Velociraptor. Also, vests that are marketed to protect little dogs from coyotes and raptors actually aren't a joke.


5. We slept through a bomb cyclone. Also, bomb cyclones really take the luster out of both bombs and cyclones.


6. Sometimes the most accessible firewood isnt the wood that'll burn best. Also, the variation in flammability of wood is amazing - some burns like dry leaves, and some burns like a pile of rocks.


7. Hanging bicycles on the garage ceiling will really turn your perspective upside down.


8. Pickleball isn't just for people more mature than me. It's also for our family. Let's pickleball, y'all!


9. My work mom used to tell me that parenting toddlers is physically tiring, but parenting teenagers is emotionally tiring. She was right! Worth it though.


10. Professional lumberjacks are still a thing. I think most of them work at a lumberjack show in Maine. Yo-Ho!


11. Senioritis is real but so far not contagious.


12. If you live in a house of 4 females that don’t like bugs, screening in a deck is worth whatever it costs.


13. Painting yourself into a corner is the direct result of not planning ahead. Next time, wear clothes that'll be ok when you lean against a wet wall.


14. I may have a doctorate of philosophy, but I was not trained to teach a middle kid to drive.
15. Sometimes the encouragers need encouragement.


16. Don’t go through life using a chainsaw with a broken handle. Similarly, when food comes out of the oven it’ll be too hot to put directly in your mouth for several minutes.


17. At the beach, the "keep out - venomous snake nesting area" sign is much more effective than the typical "help us protect our dunes" sign.

18. Playing a competitive game of kickball against a bunch of teenagers sounds fun, unless you are 43 and plan on walking the next day.


19. I had to replace two tires that only lasted 20k miles instead of 75k miles, all because the wheel alignment was off. Similarly, make sure that your heart and life are aligned with God's direction for you so you don't wear out your own tread.


20. I have more fun watching my teenage daughters coach a soccer team than I do coaching myself. And watching them referee and hold their own with coaches who are grown men - amazing!


21. Each day matters. You can impact those around you today – one way or another.


22. Shibumi is best translated as you-paid-too-much-for-a-pole-and-a-flap-of- fabric-but-now-you-can't-stop-raving-about-it.


23. When your 12-yr-old daughter has to substitute in as goalie, feigned confidence trumps experience. And apparently posing in the goal with flexed muscles keeps the opposing team on the other side of the field.


24. You actually can prevent flu from spreading in your house if you stick the flu-ridden kid on the back porch for three days.


25. I hope my girls find themselves a husband one day that'll happily re-paint a laundry room to be a different color so that it matches a new washer and dryer. That's some aspirational stuff right there.


26. This year, the UT football team beat 6 of the last 7 national champions. You UGA fans must be proud though that this year you beat next year's national champion. Yeah, I said it.

Wrapping Up 2023

 We had a warmer day and we decided to get some pickle ball practice in.



Laziest dog. Kayla was trying to take her outside before going to bed for the night. Riley clearly had no interest. 

The girls had the opportunity on New Year's Eve to perform at the Battery outside of the Atlanta Braves stadium. It was a super fun experience.








We made it back home in time to ring in the new year in our pajamas.  That's the way we like it best. Good-bye to 2022, and hello 2023

Sunday, December 25, 2022

Christmas Day 2022

 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6





Looking for the pickle.









After a wonderful, slow-paced morning, we went to my mom's for the afternoon and Christmas dinner.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Christmas Eve

Because school got out later this year, we weren't able to get much Christmas baking done.  We managed to squeeze in some goodies, though. We also always enjoy preparing for our annual Christmas Even brunch. Everyone has their favorites, and we look forward to this time with family.











Christmas Eve service is always our favorite.


We found this picture at my mom's house and we were all surprise at how much Brooke looks like me.


Thursday, December 22, 2022

More December Fun and Cousin Time

Kayla received her acceptance to KSU. No surprise there, but it's still exciting to get a confirmation in the mail. 


We had a small window of time when all of the Dutton cousins were in town for Christmas. 


Our school got out a little later, so when everyone was in town we still had some days of school left as well as a Christmas dance program. 


We sure do enjoy spending time with family, though!




Saturday, December 10, 2022

December Events

 The girls joined their clogging team to walk in the Ballground Christmas Parade.  Marc and I set up our chairs, grabbed some dinner, and prepared to watch the parade. Then we were asked to bring up the rear with the group to make sure everyone was okay and stayed together.




The girls also performed at a Northside Hospital Christmas community event.

We also volunteered with our church to assemble and serve meals from our local Italian restaurant.


Macy taught herself to crochet.  Her test strip turned into the perfect scarf for Riley.


Whataburger finally opened and we waited about an hour to grab dinner. We got in line fully aware of how long it would take, so we made an evening of it before going to look at Christmas lights. 


Brooke got her braces off right before Christmas, and she was so excited. 


The first thing she wanted to eat after getting them off was a caramel apple. 

It's been a busy month already full of fun!