This year, we enjoyed the journey — literally and figuratively.
We started the year with the return of the B52s to Athens for a concert and a celebration for the back-to-back National Champions in college football. This was followed by family and friend trips this spring to Seaside, Las Vegas, Zion National Park, Valley of Fire State Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Amelia Island. We also celebrated Beth’s “Barbie Birthday” with family in St. Augustine this summer. We rounded out the year with weekend trips to Nashville and Swannanoa/Black Mountain, and we enjoyed a family 5K to support the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. It was all a lot of fun and felt like we’d earned back some of the adventure time we’d lost the last few years.
We also travelled several times for work for the first time in several years. Beth started a new job in April that sent her to Washington, D.C. twice (May and December) and to Chicago in October. She also presented at a conference in Savannah in October and was invited to speak at Indiana University at Bloomington in late November/early December. We were fortunate to be able to travel together to Savannah and Chicago. In Savannah, we squeezed in lunch at The Pink House and a quick visit to Wormsloe, home to the iconic live oaks draped in Spanish moss. We also had the dining experience of a lifetime at The Grey for our annivesary dinner. These were all firsts for Beth despite many trips to Savannah over the years. In Chicago, we got to eat deep dish pizza, see much of the Art Institute (both firsts for Chip), and catch up with Beth’s former roommate, Jamie, and her family.
Gidget celebrated her first birthday in June. She passed her Basic Clicker Class this spring — miraculous considering she started out in the first class being anything but the star student! She is such a sweet girl who loves sunbathing, snuggling under the blanket, and occassionally stealing a rock from under the fence just to make sure Chip’s paying attention. She’s learning to enjoy riding in the car and experience new adventures at her own pace.
We look forward to 2024 and celebrating the small pleasures together with you all!
Happy holidays!
xoxo,
Beth, Chip, & Gidget
