Back to School Virtual Style

Although so many things were different, the first day of school came around like it does every year. This time, however, it is possible the girls were excited to get back to it because they would have some more structure to their days. None of us knew what virtual school would really be like, we just hoped it was going to be better than the last couple of months of the prior year. We had to do first day of school signs, but it seemed fitting to have those signs be on their computer screens because this is where they would spend most of their days.

We had to figure out the new routine as well as work spaces for everyone since the only person not at home full-time was John. Sarah had taken over the spare room as her office, and Callie chose the desk in her bedroom as her base of operations. John created a makeshift desk and workspace in the master bedroom for the days he wasn't on campus. This meant that Reese was going to have a more open concept classroom.

Once she had it set up, Reese grew to love her virtual classroom. She had her beanbag, a lot of area to roam, and quick access to food. She also enjoyed that throughout the day everyone else would drop in for a visit as they needed fuel for their own activities.

The girls had good attitudes and fortunately learned quickly to work independently and not interrupt their parents. We like to say that we cultivated their growing independence by parenting through neglect. It appears to have worked well.

Yatesville Lake

 There was a great deal of anticipation in the Bowes household for camping trip number three. In her research Sarah had found a state park with campsites that were only accessible by boat. Then we actually found a friend we would want to camp with who had a boat. Before you knew it, three campsites were reserved and the plan was in motion. Everything we could control, we had under control. We don't camp light, and so it took a couple of boat trips to drop off all of the supplies. Getting the supplies from the boat to the sites also involved a bit of work, so early on the kids were already a bit irritated with the labor. But we were excited for the next couple of days of camping fun right on the lake. 

Once the unloading was done and the tents were set up the kids got to work enjoying the refreshing waters of the lake. They could use the boat as a dock and were having a great time.

Sarah had to work that day, so she arrived a little later. But she got the full water taxi experience and was able to get to the camp after the heavy lifting had been completed. However, the true work had only just begun. Within an hour of Sarah's arrival, the part of the trip we couldn't control hit us hard. The picture below shows the aftermath of what happened on that Friday night. Usually we are good about taking pictures, but there was no time for it. 

The bottom line is that it started raining, and raining hard. The kids had gone out on the boat, and according to Reese they got pelted with raindrops. The captain, Tony Fields, had a lot on his hands. He had to get Reese and Jack off the tube, console Emerson who had started crying, and figure out how to get back to the campsite in a driving rainstorm. Back at the camp we had just started the fire and managed to get a canopy over it so the flames wouldn't die out. Of course that meant you had a choice - stay under the canopy and deal with the smoke or escape the smoke by getting drenched. Reports came in from the Johnson camp site that one tent had flooded and clothes were floating. This certainly didn't put our novice camper Jessica at ease, and when Emerson got back to the campsite they needed some alone time. Sarah forged on, making dinner while around her we tried to set up tarps and escape routes for the smoke. Needless to say, the first night tested bonds of friendship and survival skills. 

Like Annie sings, the sun will come out tomorrow, and on day two the resilient campers were ready to take on the lake and all that it had in store. After some morning clouds the sun came out and the beauty of Yatesville Lake was there to enjoy.

While the parents sat in chairs or napped in hammocks to recover from a poor night's sleep, the kids got back on the water with Captain Tony and his sense of adventure.

This picture here captures so much of the beauty of the location and why, despite all that happened, we would go back to Yatesville Lake in a heartbeat. The real question is, would Jessica say yes if we asked her to join us? Time will tell.

Random Summer

In the late summer or early fall of 2019, a new family moved into the house on the other side of the Chrisman's. We knew they had kids but we didn't get a chance to really get to know them well. One thing led to another in the Covid summer of 2020, and before too long Reese was becoming good friends with Esther, Avery, Isla, and Evelyn Adams. They are a sweet bunch of kids who love to play and be outdoors. This was exactly what Reese needed to get her through a unique summer filled with no camps. It was only fitting when the Gipe girls came to hang out that they met the Adams and joined in the fun. This lineup shows the range of ages, but those differences didn't stop them from having a blast together. 

Since we didn't have Music and Arts Camp, Birdie and Pop wanted to do something special with all four girls, so they took them for a day out to Shaker's Village for some hiking, lunching, and ice cream eating. These four girls still have a great time whenever they get together, and we love the giggles and ease of their relationship.

 

The girls did not have a spring soccer season and LFC decided not to hold tryouts. So that meant the girls would have the same teams for the fall season. Reese's teammates were going to be the same, but they were going to have a new coach. What better way to jump in to a new season then with a 3v3 tournament.  

The tournament took place in Elizabethtown on a hot day in August. Thankfully, Jeff Stone, Emerson's dad, was happy to keep the girls in the shade.

By the end of the day, Reese's Trifecta team walked out of there undefeated champions of their age group. It was a great showing and a good way to make a first impression on Coach Tom as they prepared for the fall.

When learned about the the 3v3 tournament we quickly worked with Callie's team coordinator to see if we could get a couple of teams together. We ended up with three different teams in the tournament, and it was fun to watch. Callie's team started off with a loss, but with some good coaching and great efforts by Callie and her crew they turned it around to win their age bracket too. Callie spent a good part of the spring and summer throwing herself into soccer training in the hope of making the Red team. When tryouts didn't happen she was disappointed, but it also fueled her desire to play better every game. This tournament gave us the first sign of just how determined she was. 

Heading into the fall knowing that it was going to be a virtual school year was certainly disappointing. We understood why it was going to be virtual, and we were glad that both girls would have soccer as an outlet, but it still made for strange times. Speaking of strange times, a drive through welcome back to school orientation is not a middler schooler's dream. But nonetheless, we leaned in and tried to make the most of it.

This picture captures a lot in one moment. Everyone from this period of time will have stories to tell, but school kids in particular will have some memories that will stick with them.

Camping Continues at Natural Bridge

When you make a summer out of a state park camping tour, you need to add a couple of new twists each time. For our stop at Natural Bridge in the Red River Gorge we tried to bake cinnamon rolls roasted marshmallow style. The results varied and the girls in particular were not convinced that we should try it again. Oh well, you miss all the shots you don't take.

When we first coordinated this weekend camping trip we invited Reese's friend Zoey and her family to join us. They ended up not being able to stay the night but they did drive out for the day to hike and hang out. Zoey, her brother Archer, and her mom Alexis went on a great hike with us to the top of the Natural Bridge on a pretty hot day. However, the views never disappoint.

Our campsite was actually pretty cool because it was the last one and it had easy access to the creek. The setting was perfect for post-hike cooling off. The parents had a beer and the kids played in the creek.

The parent cooling off session provided John with a very good opportunity to test his generosity. With only one Asheville-purchased can of Wicked Weed beer left he had to decide whether to offer it to Alexis or to pretend it wasn't in the cooler. We are happy to report that he was generous and unhappy to report that Alexis happily took that beer. Guess we need to go back to Asheville. 

Zoey and Reese especially enjoyed the swimming hole that was literally next to our campsite. They didn't have bathing suits but who needs such amenities when you are roughing it in the woods.

These two have been friends since first grade, and they are a fun pair. Zoey is full of ideas and always has a lot going on, and Reese is game for anything Zoey puts out there. We were so glad Zoey, Archer, and Alexis were able to make the trip out for the day. Maybe next year we'll get them for the weekend.

Camping at Nolin Lake

 One way that we thought we would change up the summer was to throw ourselves into camping. Sarah got on top of the reservations when the state parks officially opened, but unfortunately these were all cancelled until the first week of July due to Covid. Then she did some research and found a great spot right on the lake at Nolin Lake State Park for the July 4th weekend. We were so excited, and then we got there...the park told us they had switched us to a new camping site because our reserved site was under water due to recent rains. Reluctant to surrender a great site we asked if we could still take a look. This is what we found. They were right.

The site we ended up at was at the main campground so we didn't get the same private lakefront view. But it would work, and the girls were excited to set up their hammocks as part of the camping experience.

Apparently the theme of our summer was hiking and waterfalls. The hiking at Nolin Lake did not exactly match some of our other treks, and the waterfall were a little lacking in volume as well.

One reason why we picked this campground was because it had a beach where we could actually swim in the lake. However, we arrived to signs saying the beach was closed. We were crossing our fingers that this was only for the day. Otherwise it was going to be a long three day weekend.

State park camping is always a mixed bag and provides various elements of surprise. It's great to be outside, but your experience can be shaped by the proximity and attitude of your neighbors. One of our neighbors was very nice, but apparently had only clothes with bananas on them. From shorts to shirts to bathing suits. Fascinating.

Fortunately, banana man and his partner had lighter fluid, which enabled us to finally get the damp state park firewood to burn. This was the trip that made Sarah realize we needed a hatchet to add to our growing camping supplies.

Here you can see we now have a full on camping kitchen and we have a system for meal times that works well as long as everyone pitches in. Callie enjoys the kitchen set up and doesn't mind washing the dishes. As long as the water supply isn't too far away we are able to handle it all pretty well. That night, however, we should have brought ear plugs because camping over the 4th of July means lots of illegal fireworks. It was a long night.

Covid has certainly meant more family time across the board. We are all home together, but when we are home we are not necessarily slowing down and taking in the time together. Nolin Lake allowed us to slow down and take that time.

The hammocks are definitely one of the critical parts of our camping gear. And they are extremely comfortable.

As something of a 4th of July miracle, the beach opened for swimmers and Reese could smile again. The girls quickly got on their suits, grabbed their swimming noodles, and hit the water. It was a bit more crowded than this picture makes it appear, so we spent most of our time on the perimeter. But it made our time at Nolin Lake that much better. We do hope to go back and get our lake front camp site one of these days. We just need to make sure it hasn't rained for at least a week beforehand.

Asheville 2020

We had big plans to go to California with the Skoniecznys before everything came crashing down, so all of a sudden our summer vacation mindset had to change. Despite all that was going on we decided to take advantage of the North Carolina mountains and the numerous outdoor activities that Asheville has to offer. We have been there before, and we had some ideas for new things to do, but couldn't pass up repeating some of our old favorites. Tubing down the French Broad River was top of the list of repeat activities. Since we have done this before, we brought our cooler so we could fully indulge in food and beverages on our leisurely float.

It was a beautiful day, and the floating was just as much fun as we remembered it to be. Because travel was up in the air for most people, it wasn't crowded and we even had the opportunity to go for a second float at a reduced rate. We jumped at the chance and spent another couple of hours on the river. It was fun, relaxing, and great to be outside and not in our house.

We rented a apartment that was right over a bakery and some restaurants. Unfortunately the restaurant was closed and the bakery only had to go orders on a limited schedule due to Covid. But that's alright because we weren't planning on spending much time inside anyway. However, it did rain a couple of days so we had to be creative indoors until the rain passed. An artistic photo shoot fit the bill.

We had the goal of trying to hike every day. On the drive down we actually stopped at Big Creek in the Great Smokies to do what turned out to be a really cool one. Our next stop was Dupont State Forest that had a number of great hikes that took us to several different waterfalls.

Tbe hikes weren't all that difficult, and it is always nice to be in the woods in the summertime. 

One of the claims to fame of this particular area is that it is also a place where scenes from the Hunger Games and Last of the Mohicans have been filmed. This picture of us at the Triple Falls should be familiar to those who have followed the life and times of Katniss Everdeen.

Each waterfall gave us something different. Here is Reese at High Falls, soaking it all in. We had to do a little scrambling to get to the base of it, but the effort was definitely worth it. Both of the girls enjoyed any opportunity they could get to do some rock hopping.

As always, Sarah did her best to document the trip so we would know where we had been and what we had done no matter how long afterwards we were looking at the pictures. Out of all of the waterfalls we saw that day, Hooker Falls was actually the least impressive, though we didn't stick around to see what happened to the guy who appeared to be preparing to go over it in a kayak. 

One place we knew we had to go to this trip was Sliding Rock in Pisgah National Forest. On a typical summer day there are crowds of people who line up to experience this natural water slide. If you go at 10am on a cloudy day during a pandemic, however, you don't have a problem with long lines.

First of all, it's really cool and you need to try it out. Second, the water is really cold. Like, really cold. Reese went down only once because it was that cold. You slide down one of three different routes down the rock and land in a natural pool. The hardest part is trying to keep your body straight so that you don't enter the pool backwards. John never mastered that part.

The next day we went on another short hike before we did some white water rafting on a different section of the French Broad River. In this picture the girls didn't know what fun awaited them.

Unfortunately we don't have any pictures of the white water rafting because we were afraid to bring our cameras/phones on the boats. In hindsight, it would have been fine. But we also had a great time just enjoying the ride, which didn't have crazy rapids, but still wasn't the Zen Tubing we had done earlier in the trip.

But our fun wasn't done. To bring our trip to a rousing conclusion we left Asheville and headed to Black Mountain to meet up with the Abrahams. Kelly was already there with Ella, and Kirk and Claire were on their way down. We were excited to spend a couple of days with them exploring Montreat. We did get one cool hike in to Lookout Point before we met up.

Much to the girls' chagrin, our planned activities involved more hiking. But at least this time around they got to be with Ella and Claire, which tends to make everything better. We never get tired of taking pictures of this foursome.

In between our hikes we stayed at the Assembly Inn in downtown Montreat. Because of the pandemic we were literally the only guests there. We took over the lobby like we owned the place. It was quite an experience.

When all was said and done, our trip to North Carolina did just what we needed it to do. It got us outside and out of Kentucky. And between the family time with just the four of us and the quality time with the Abrahams it recharged our soul.

Reinvented Summer

 One thing that the girls have looked forward to most summers is summer camp. This is especially true for Callie. Callie's favorite camp by far is Cathedral Domain, which is a one-week overnight camp. When her and her friends found out that this was not going to happen this summer, they sprung into action and developed their own plan. Each girl would host a night of fun at their house. They came up with food options, activities, and even a detailed schedule for the parents to follow. When it was our turn we were ready.

We were assigned a scavenger hunt for the activity, make your own dessert bar, and tacos for dinner. Breakfast was also planned out. For the scavenger hunt we developed an activity based at the Henry Clay Estate right by our house. We divided the girls up into two teams and they had to take a photo or video as described on their assignment sheet at different locations on the grounds.

They are a great group of girls, and are both goofy and competitive. They were also kind to include Reese in the activities and she of course loved being a part of it. We had a great night with all of them.

Holland a day at the reservoir planned out. Maddie had a camping theme, Addie had game night, and Lydia had a movie extravaganza. All the parents were impressed with the level of planning and it was a great way to spend a week during a summer without so many planned activities.

Callie also got the opportunity to head to the lake for the day with the Fletchers. She and Addie have become great friends over the past couple of years, and certainly complement each other well. They even started a book club for two over the summer where they would go the local park and read in hammocks.

Biking also became a regular activity where all the girls would get together, bike to a new location, have lunch, and then bike home. The pandemic certainly forced the cancellation of a lot of activities, but it also led to unexpected developments. For Callie and her friends it was a newfound independence. And it actually was true for Reese as well. She and Callie spent a lot of time biking around by themselves, something that we don't know we would have allowed them to do if the circumstances were different.

Fun with the Johnsons

As virtual school ended and summer began, it was all about trying to find activities to keep everyone entertained, safe, and connected with friends. Local parks were restricting numbers and you had to reserve a time to go and hike. We managed to arrange a reservation for one Saturday in June to go to Raven's Run with the Johnsons. It was a beautiful day and everyone was so excited to be out of their respective houses.

There's always fun stories involved when we get together and this time was no different. We learned on the hike that Mason would not be removing his hat because he had attempted to cut his hair since barbershops were closed, and let's just say this won't be a profession he will pursue in the future. We managed to be good and not knock "by accident" to see what the damage looked like.

Emerson charged into the open space like a penned up thoroughbred let loose in the field. Reese was right behind him, and we constantly had to make sure they weren't leaving us all too far behind. The whole hike was a good reminder of how nice Raven's Run is and how much we enjoy spending time with the Johnsons. The only drawback to the day was that our reservation was only for a two-hour block which meant we couldn't just lose ourselves in the day. We had to return to our car by a certain time, which added some unneeded stress to what typically is a care free hike.

Although we didn't get to spend a lot of time with the Johnsons at Raven's Run, we did get to have a whole week with their two cats. They were getting out of town and needed someone to feed and love on Charlie and Greta. Reese and Callie said yes before the request was even complete, and we stocked up on benadryl for Reese so that the love affair wouldn't lead to a swollen face.

Overall it was fun having the cats around, though it had some drama. Our hamster Charlie was not necessarily a fan of the intrusive guests and we soon moved him out of the living room. The cat Charlie, meanwhile, was not sure what to make of this house. He disappeared for the first 24 hours until John found him in the crawlspace under our addition that he had managed to crawl into and couldn't find his way out of. Ultimately he spent most of his time in the rafters of our basement. Greta barely had time to breathe because Reese wanted to hold her every minute of the day. With a cat fix like this we would avoid getting a pandemic pet of our own.

Continuing Healthy at Home

Sunday family Zoom calls were something we looked forward to as we began each week with some good family connection. We tried to continue the theme of dressing up with items we have in our basement and were able to keep it going for a little while at least. Even our costume bins weren't prepared for how long this was going to last, which is saying a lot.

Mother's Day also looked a little bit different this year, but it certainly hit the spot. Since the girls had taken up riding their bikes around the neighborhood a lot, we decided to take a family bike ride down town. Sharon and Chris let us borrow their cool rides and we packed a lunch and off we went.

After having lunch at Triangle Park downtown we cruised around a very empty University of Kentucky campus. It was strange to see it so quiet, but also fun to have so empty paths to bike on. We had a great time and certainly enjoyed getting to see Lexington in a way that we don't normally see it. 

We weren't the only ones taking advantage of the quieter surroundings in Lexington. One afternoon we looked out our back windows to see a wild turkey roaming around our backyard. He was perfectly calm and just appeared to be out for a stroll. He hopped up on our back patio to check things out and we had to call out the Chrismans to make sure they didn't miss the show. And then just like that he walked out our driveway just as he had walked in. 

Spring was strange to say the least. The girls continued to go to school through their NTI and didn't have any real interaction with their teachers. And there was not any end of year celebration like normal. However, Cassidy teachers did put together a collection of online field day activities/challenges that at least got Callie and Reese outside having some fun. 

The school year may have ended but the cooking certainly did not. With no soccer, school, or summer camps, the girls had to spend their days in other productive ways. We had hopes that they would take over dinner responsibilities, but like so many kids around the country they were all about the desserts. 

This particular cake was a shared creation. Callie took on more of the baking responsibilities and Reese led the decorations. Neither of them really maximized the eating responsibilities, however, so many of the baked goods ended up growing stale on the counter. We ate enough macaroons, cheesecake, and other goodies to be polite, but we had no chance of keeping up with what was being produced in the kitchen on a daily basis.

Thankfully the girls also had their respective reading obsessions that gave them a break from the kitchen every now and then. Reese made up her mind to tackle Harry Potter, and it was so great to see her excitement with how the story unfolded. And we celebrated each finished book by rewatching the movie version of that book as a family. Amazingly enough, she completed the series of seven books in three months. It was impressive to say the least.

The days were long and you can only read so much and bake so much before you have to come up with new ideas and challenges. One day the girls decided to have a 24-hour tent challenge in the living room. Guess it's a good thing we never really furnished that room. They set up the tent and began transferring all the items they would need to last the whole length of the experience, beanbags and all.

 

And yes, they even took advantage of the small refridgerator we had acquired from the Chrismans. They plugged it in, and all of a sudden their 24-hour journey was going to include chilled beverages and other goodies. They had a lot of fun and we even all shared one meal together inside their accommodations. They slept their one night, but the tent stayed up for at least a week. Truth be told, they fell short of the full challenge by about six hours, but in the midst of early quarantine it provided a good distraction.

Even in the midst of a public health crisis we managed to get in our annual physical for the girls. Clearly they were willing to ham it up while waiting for the doctor to show up. Callie grew three inches over the year and, at 5 feet 2 1/2 inches she was on the verge of passing her mother. Reese grew 2 1/2 inches over the year. But the big difference is in that year Callie added 14 lbs to her frame while Reese packed on a mere 3 lbs. Reese's motor burns hot and nothing much sticks to her frame. But the key thing is they are healthy and strong as ever.

Early on we made a decision that the Abrahams were going to be in our Covid bubble for the duration of the pandemic regardless of what it brought. We spent a lot of time outside, an experience made even better by outdoor movie nights and firepits. A big thanks to Kirk for all the work he had put in to their outdoor patio the year before. 

Although our wine club took a hiatus, we couldn't let the first 50th birthday pass without celebrating. For most of us this night marked the last time we ate at a restaurant for a long, long time. We wore masks walking in and felt a bit strange since these mandates had only just begun. It was a wonderful evening celebrating Tracy's big day and a good memory to hold on to in the months that followed.