Big Project: This year has been very busy! The big project started January…our 2nd level remodel! The “creepy room” (we called it this because it was almost a secret hide-away area in the crawl space) was extended and turned into our media room and spare guest room. This project was completed in April and included all new engineered hard-wood flooring on the 2nd level as well as replacing the carpeting through-out the house.
Visitors and Travel:
· We are starting a tradition of traveling to see the Dahl family in PA/NJ over Palm Sunday weekend. It’s a great way to start out the year as our family is growing! “We” are expecting a grand-nephew from Nils (Tryg’s son) and Amy any day, now!
· In May, my high school bestie, Gail and her family vacationed in Pidgon Forge which is less than 2 hours away, so we had a nice reunion! Gail and Tom then came to Fairfield Glade for a few days and we spent quality time on the boat and a day in Chattanooga for some great sight-seeing.
· In May we also headed to Boise visit our kids and friends for a few days.
· The end of June is the annual “Dahl-fest” at the Jersey Shore, and I drove up for the weekend. The weather was beautiful, and I stayed on Tryg’s boat with Tryg, Marcy, Nils and Amy. It was wonderful spending time with everyone!
· Jessica travelled to TN the following week for July 4th and her visit included golfing, swimming, boating and hiking.
· We hosted a golfer, Suzie Lee, for the July Tennessee Women's Open Championship at Stonehenge Golf Course here in Fairfield Glade. Unfortunately, she had to drop out and head to California for another tournament. It was really interesting learning how these gals work their way to the LPGA.
· August brought our family to TN for a visit! Sam, Sam’s best friend, Chris and his girlfriend Rachel, and Ken flew out from out west for a week of R&R. We were fortunate to have Tryg and Marcy stop in for a couple of fun filled days as well. It was a full house and we LOVED it!
· Kristen Koepsell, one of my dearest friends from Boise visited for a few days in August as well. We packed in hikes, kayaking, and a day-trip to Chattanooga during her stay. It was great seeing her!!
· At the end of August, Tim headed to Myrtle Beach to play in the Mid-Amateur Golf Tournament with a couple of other locals who qualified. He spent 5 days golfing and galavanting in the local area. This is a huge tournament and I’m so proud of him for qualifying and playing!
· Jessica purchased her first home in September! It’s a wonderful townhome in a great location! We flew out to Boise to help her set up, which included taking off the kitchen cabinet doors, painting all 20+ of them, re-installing and putting on new hardware! Her kitchen was transformed! It was nice of Sam to make a quick trip from the University to Boise so we could spend a day with.
· October took me to Indianapolis for a weekend with Marcy to spend time with Amy’s dad & mom (Don & Teresa Altemeyer). Teresa is an accomplished watercolor artist and we specifically went there to see her one-woman art show at the Conner Prairie Museum (a Smithsonian Affiliate). It was absolutely stunning! Teresa is also a well-known and versed Patient Advocate for the Leukemia Society (she has CLL). This was also the weekend of the “Night Light Parade” in which we participated in to honor those with Leukemia. It was a very meaningful weekend.
· The following weekend, we headed to NJ for Eleanor Easse’s wedding. She is Gail & Tom’s eldest daughter and it was a wonderful wedding! We stayed at Gail & Tom’s house, visited with Gail’s parents and brother (who I haven’t seen for a very long time) and even went to a NJ Devil’s hockey game (with box seats)!! It was a great weekend!
· November brought us back to PA for Amy’s baby shower. It was another beautiful, action-packed weekend with the Dahls!
· Finally, it’s December and we are blessed that Sam was able to fly out to spend Christmas with us. He is with us for 2 weeks and enjoying the 60-degree weather (this is not the norm) before heading back for his final semester at college! Unfortunately, Jessica and Ken were unable to come for the holidays, but we look forward to seeing them soon! Who knows if we will be driving to PA next week to see our new grand-nephew while he’s here? Only time will tell!
Tim - Tim keeps busy bringing home the “bacon”. He is working full time for a company called Ministry Brands and he specifically works on their Fellowship One product. This product is a Church management software package and he has been involved in re-architecting and refining the development process. He is an amazing golfer, practices every day and plays every Saturday all year long (in fact he’s heading out for 18 holes as I write!) and plays in a number of tournaments in the local area. Additionally, he bowls and has recently joined the Choir at our church.
Kristin - Kristin continues to work part-time at Better Homes & Gardens–Gwin Realty/Fairfield Glade Rentals/Tennessee Mountain Golf. This is THE place to contact if you want to take a vacation, check out the area, book a golf package with your friends or buy a house! Additionally, she is the Chair of Technology at our church, Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, which keeps her VERY busy. She is also the Secretary/Webmaster of the Fairfield Glade Dog Park and plays in a golf league once a week if the weather is nice (she loves this league), otherwise they go to breakfast! In her “spare time”, she plays in the Bell Choir at our church, has started bowling again, and is outdoors as much as she can be!
Jessica (27) - Jessica is working at the Supreme Court in Boise, ID as the lead Data Analyst. She started this job earlier this year after working for the Sheriff’s department IT group. Jessica continues to instruct at a local Kenpo studio and is taking Jiu Jitsu to further her martial arts repertoire. She continues to competed in a number of grappling events and is really excelling! She recently took first place at a tournament in Las Vegas!
Sam (22) - Sam is a Super Senior at the University of Idaho and will be graduating in the spring with a BS in Actuarial Science with minors in Computer Science and Statistics. He works almost full-time in the math department as the lead scheduler and math tutor, and competes in a number of math competitions.
Ken (20) - Ken is living in Salt Lake City and working at odd jobs while he searches for his life’s passion. He is a smart kid and a very hard worker. We have faith that God will guide him along his path and take good care of him.
Click HERE for the year wrap-up!
Click HERE to view our 2019 Year in Photos!
(Note: As of 1/5/20, I'm still in progress!)