2013 was a big year for us!
In January, we started a renovation on our house. The house has been in Chip’s family since the 1950s. It was originally a 2 bedroom, 1 bath house with a whopping 879 square feet.
Here’s a before picture:
We made some updates to the existing structure (new roof, windows, paint, crown molding, refinished the floors), and we added on a new living room, master bedroom suite, screened in porch, deck, and patio. We are extremely happy with the results! To answer the most pressing question on everyone’s mind — yes, Chip got his own comic book room. We’ve have been calling it the “Tree House” since we kept the original wood paneling. (The “No Girls Allowed in the Tree House” rule was quickly banished.)
We managed to squeeze in a few fun trips during the year. Beth ran two races in Florida with Jocelyn in the early part of the year.
After the Naples Half Marathon
After the Sarasota Half Marathon Relay
We also squeezed in a day at Disney World during the Sarasota trip — Beth’s first time at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Beth enjoyed her 10 year reunion at Agnes Scott College, and was THRILLED the “This way to St. Agnes Convent” sidewalk was still intact (barely).
We joined Chip’s family for a beach trip in May to Seaside, Florida. Our nieces Annie (now age 5) and Claire (now age 1) loved the beach!
Work took us to Boston for a conference in July, and we had a blast during our down time! Chip waited his WHOLE. LIFE. to see the site of the Boston Molasses Disaster of 1919. (Who knew?) Beth was just excited to spot the headquarters for the now retired Car Talk Brothers, Click & Clack, while walking around Harvard Square. Boston was wonderful, and we really enjoyed walking through the city and seeing all the historical sites.
This fall, Beth enjoyed several sports outings. Chip sat quietly with only minor complaints. We had fantastic season tickets for the Georgia Football games, and it felt like we could reach out and touch the players in the end zone. (We were on the 11th row this year.) Both the Braves and Georgia Football were tough to watch this year. There were such high hopes for both, but their luck just didn’t pan out. It was fun to cheer for both, though!
The year wound down quietly for the most part. We continue to enjoy life in Athens, laughing together, and settling into our newly expanded home.
We hope you all had a wonderful 2013, and we are wish you and your families all the best in 2014!
Happy holidays!
Beth, Chip, and Swiffer