I graduated from nursing school in May and started working full time in July. This was the exact time Kevin hung up the store manager keys and never stepped foot into another Lowes again. We had planned to eventually switch roles of "bread winner", but we never intended it to be so soon. After a long chain of events, we fell into our new roles rather abruptly. No time to plan or think about it... we just switched. Kevin was now stay at home Dad and I became full time out of the house worker. It has taken months for us to adjust and I would say that there are things we are still trying to figure out. The kids have also had to adjust and some days are better than others. It has been hard, but we are trusting in the Lord and enjoying our new "roles".
Carter continues to move up at Home Depot and is very much on the hunt to land an assistant manager position as quickly as possible. He continued to go to school online at Southern Crescent for his associates in Business. Maggie graduated high school in May and worked very hard to obtain all her pre-requisites for the nursing program by taking both summer and fall classes. She found out in November she was in the program and would start January 2022. She also played college soccer for Gordon this year. Jada started 10th grade in the fall. She continued to play varsity basketball for the school. She also got her learners license! Kennedy started 5th grade, I can't believe she is almost in middle school. She is still playing full time travel soccer with her team and she loves them all dearly. Hooper started Kindergarten, He is growing up so fast. He played soccer and basketball for the rec teams this year. Kevin coached his basketball team. He was so cute out on the court!
We truly had an amazing 2021 and I can't wait to blog all about it! Here we go...
We started the year out doing some "day dates". Our first day date was st the indoor skydiving center! We had a great time, although it was much harder than I expected it to be.
Kevin was better at skydiving than I was!
I spent a good portion of the beginning of the year giving COVID vaccines. I think it is safe to say that I administered hundreds of vaccines during clinical in the winter.
One of my best friends was diagnosed with breast cancer, this was our last trail runs before she started treatments.
First trip to Callaway Gardens for the year!
They found flowers.
Dauset trail runs for girls only Sunday Runday
Post run parking lot pics 😎
Kennedy played indoor soccer called fut-sol during the off season.
I was able to get my first dose of the covid vaccine in January and I was very thankful!
We celebrated Annie's birthday with tacos!
We spent a whole lotta nights watching these two play soccer. Maggie was finishing up her senior year of varsity soccer for Pike County and Matt finished up his junior season.
My favorite team captains!
I think this was the day we administered over 650 vaccines to local residents at the Southern Rivers vaccine clinic. It was an honor to help do my part to slow the spread of COVID.
We went on a last minute camping trip for winter break to O’lena State Park and River Rise. I found a little pop up camper on FB Marketplace and decided we would give pop up camping a go. We have had a Class C RV and tent camped for many years, so this was a new experience for us.
There had been a ton of rain the week before so the river was very full and moving very fast.
The trip did not go completely as planned, Hooper woke up throwing up the second night we were there. He then gave the stomach bug to everyone else.. Except Maggie. Somehow she managed to avoid it’s wrath. But we didn’t let it stop our fun!
This is the first time we have visited central Florida in the winter. Usually we go to the springs during the summer time, when the manatees aren’t around as much. So we just HAD to go and swim with them while we were there in February!
The water was the usual 72 degrees, so we dawned wet-suits and took a boat out into the Crystal River/Kings Bay area to find the manatees. We were able to snorkel in the water over about 15 manatees, several of which interacted with us and we were able to touch them. It was amazing!
We brought warm clothes to put on for the boat ride back!
We hiked to the river rise, where the water swirled and swirled and then was sucked down for 3 miles underground. It then pops back up 3 miles down the road. The river essentially flows 3 miles underground! It was so cool to see , and also kind of scary.
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We kayaked the Sante Fe River as well, and it was so awesome! It was a 7 mile route that had multiple spring runs! A lot of the smaller springs were blacked out because of the heavy rains.
We also visited Devils Den, a huge cave spring!
I spent as many Sunday Runday's with Brooke and Annie on the trail. We had a picnic of cheese and crackers after this particular run!
And of course there plenty of study sessions as I finished up my last semester of nursing school.
Watching my girl finish out senior year on the soccer field.
Milktoast celebrated her 3rd birthday!
I completed my last set of clinicals at Navicent in Macon. We all picked up are student parking passes for the last time!
Keke won first place with her team at their first tournament of the season.
I survived my first 12 hour shift at the hospital and I absolutely fell in love with nursing.
Lots of time spent with my sweet friend as she battled cancer. It was such a hard year for her and we tried everything to help her get her mind off of it!
Kayaking at FDR in Pine Mountain
THE BACHELOR!! We love our Bachelor season finale viewing parties!
Maggie signed to play college soccer for Gordon State.
She played
Jada lettered as a freshman in Varsity basketball.
Kennedy enjoyed a muddy soccer game!
Matt and Maggie finally got to enjoy a real prom! They took their photos at High Falls State Park.
They went to prom with their good friends Livi and Victor
A beautiful Easter Sunday with the family!
We all had a wonderful Easter meal at Mema and Papa's house.
We decided to have some graduation pictures taken! I absolutely love them and I am so happy we had them made.
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The champagne pictures were my favorite!
Jada turned 15 and we celebrated her day at Ponce City Market!
She also got her nose pierced. She had been begging to get it pierced!
It looks so cute on her!
She also got her learners license, although it did take her a couple of tries...
Day trip kayaking the Flint River with Brooke and Annie!
Maggie celebrated her 18th birthday!
Soccer for the birthday girl!
Maggie got a tattoo for her 18th birthday
We played LOTS of soccer!
Maggie's senior soccer banner!
And then... I turned 40! Mom surprised me with a banner in the yard.
We spent the weekend in the mountains on a girls trip! We had so much fun!
Thecabin we stayed at in Brasstown Bald had the best view!
We had matching shirts for dinner, and I was decked out in gold, a crown and a sash!
And then someone dared me to jump in a cold lake and rescue a water trike... so I did of course. HA!
At the top of Brasstown Bald!
All my favorite peeps!
Carter turned 20, we all had lunch together in Peachtree City
More varsity soccer for my senior, this was at the elite 8 game!
Moving on to the Final 4!
The varsity girls are decked out for the boys final 4 game.
Keke and her teamates were the best ball girls all season!
Maggie was so cute for the boys game.
For graduation/18th birthday, Maggie really wanted a puppy. She picked out the cutest little golden doodle from a local breeder. This was when Jersey 2 weeks old, Maggie could not bring her home until she was a little older.
We enjoyed watching our sweet girl head to another Final 4!
This was the first time in the history of the school that these girls right here made it to TWO final fours. They all made the team as freshman and continued to play together through senior year. Three of them even went on to play college soccer together at Gordon State!
Mother's Day at church with my sweet babies.
We had such a good time dressing up and supporting our girls at the final 4!
BIG HEADS!
The ball girls
We ended up losing out in the final 4, but we were so proud of our lady Pirates!
Maggie and I both received our cap and gowns! We took a pic wearing each others gowns!
Graduation Day! I really did not want to walk for graduation, but pretty much every single person I know wanted me to participate... so... I did!
I was so blessed to have such a great group of friends to go through school with.
And then there were graduation parties! First Keri's
Then Chloes's
Then...
MEXICO!!!
We took an all inclusive graduation trip to Cancun to celebrate! I even parasailed for the first time, it was absolutely amazing.
The day finally came to bring our sweet Jersey girl home!
She was so tiny!
Senior Day for Maggie at church.
Maggie and Maggie during the senior walk at the primary school, such a sweet tradition
Photo shoots were kind of a thing...
Hooper's last day of Pre-K
He had a great year with Mrs. Colodo
Maggie's last soccer banquet.
She won the coaches award. She loves Coach O'steen
And then Maggie's graduation party!
We had a wonderful time celebrating Maggie with friends
Graduation Day! Maggie's graduation was held at the Atlanta Motor Speedway and everyone attended.
We even snuck Jersey in
Our graduate, Class of 2021
Lots of fun at Callaway all summer
Little Jersey was fitting right in!
Hooper and Kennedy attended soccer camp at Gordon State College, and Maggie worked the camp as well!
All the girls had a sleep over one night during camp.
And lots of summer fun at Crystal Springs Pool
Brooke and I took a quick get away to Chattanooga to run some trails!
This was my first time on look out mountain!
Summer officially began with Maggie's senior trip to Panama City Beach! And of course we took our Jersey with us.
One of our favorite things to do in Panama City is to rent a pontoon for the day and hang out on the beautiful water!
Kennedy celebrated her 10th birthday! She had an outdoor sleepover on the trampoline with her friends.
We took up pickle ball! The whole family really enjoyed playing pickle ball and we played all summer.
Kevin and I took a day date to play disc golf- we were not so good at it!
My first official Coosa Loop- although I have been on this trail many times, I have never really done the whole loop. Annie had just recovered from chemo and surgery and really needed to prove to herself she could do it! So went spent the day running a Coosa Loop and had an amazing time
Jersey just kept growing!
At the beginning of July we took our annual trip to Manatee Springs State Park to camp with our friends.
We took our friends to Devils Den!
We hiked at the campground to the sink holes
Night time fish chasing
We rented pontoon boats to enjoy the waters of Crystal River. This turned out to be quite the adventure... I will just leave it at that. Ha!
It was all fun and games until the monsoon lightening storm...
Early morning hike up the spring run
Kennedy's actual birthday was the last night of our trip.
We kayaked at Silver Springs State Park and it was just beautiful!
There was swimming at Nay-Nays house
And lots of fishing!
And of course lots of time at Callaway Gardens!
Kevin spent a lot of the spring and summer coaching his AAU basketball teams. This was the last event of the year at the GWCC. We came up to watch his 17U team play
Lots of running at Dauset Trails with Brooke
We celebrated the 4th of July with the Connell Family!
We took our usual few days to camp at one our favorite place, FDR State Park
We met friends at Callaway Gardens
We also met a group of friends at The Liberty Bell Pool!
Summer nights always involve campfires and marshmellows
I took the kids to the top of Pine Mountain, Dowell's knob
Training runs!
That one time Arabelle forgot her shoes and ran in my busted Adidas work shoes.. ha!
And then the day finally came.. I got my big girl job!
There was nothing more rewarding than being able to do what I love, care for people. I was so happy to take a position at Fayette Piedmont in the Emergency Room as an RN.
Jada spent the week in Colorado with the youth group and Journey Church
Always time for lunch dates with special friends.
Still growing...
I continued to train for Grindstone 100
No matter the weather conditions, I put the time in!
More lazy days of summer
And time in the lake at Callaway
And more running on the trail...
Walking Jersey girl!
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And right about the time I started working, the Delta surge of Covid hit. This was after 12 hours of N95 wearing.. |
We spent the weekend at Vogel state park while I ran H9. It was just Kevin and I and Kennedy and Hooper. We had a lovely weekend away!
First day of school 2021- Jada 10th grade, Kennedy 5th grade and Hooper started Kindergarten
Fall season of soccer started back up with a tournament at MOBA for Kennedy
And we watched Maggie play her first game as a Gordon Highlander
First Place at the tournamnet
This was Annie's almost last day of chemo treatment. It was a hard day for her, but we ended with lunch at Ponce and had a great time.
We spent Labor Day weekend in Hilton Head enjoying the last of the warm weather.
Maggie went fishing with Matt at the lake and caught this huge catfish!
Weekday runs with Laura!
Still getting bigger..
Annie finally started feeling better! We took advantage of good running days!
Hooper signed up for rec soccer and we just loved watching him play. He was so cute on the field!
Sunday Runday! No boys allowed!
Soccer was in full swing for the Hawkins family by mid fall
We really enjoyed watching Maggie play soccer at the college level
We took the little kids and the camper up to Fort Mountain State Park for fall break
We fished...
and hiked...
And took in the amazing views
Jada and Ivan attended the HOCO dance together with JJ and his girlfriend
I ran for the first time at Cubihatcha and had a great time!
Lunch date with my fave RN's!
Halloween came!
This year Keke wanted to join her friends trick or treating!
Of course we had to dress up Jersey and take her!
And before we knew it.. deer season opened!! Maggie and Papa both came home with a deer opening week!
Carter took a new position at work and we were so proud of him!
Little soccer cuties
Hooper celebrated his 6th birthday, and of course he wanted to have a Christmas birthday!
He also wanted another nerf gun war!
And then there was dancing..
Hooper celebrated Thanksgiving at school with a play and a feast. He was a pilgrim in the program.
Jada continued to play varsity basketball, her 2nd year
Sunrise runs on Pine Mountain
I could never thank this girl enough... she taught me so much in our time together in the ER. This pic was from her last day at Fayette Piedmont. I was so sad to see her go, but happy that she was happy! I will forever be thankful and grateful to have had the opportunity to work with her.
The only picture I got from Thanksgiving... sadly. I enjoyed spending time with family and getting to see my cousin.
We enjoyed decorating Christmas cookies with Crumbles and seeing Santa!
Hunting with my daddy is always a great joy!
Maggie got her vaccines for nursing school
Carter got a couple of deer this season too!
Hooper also played recreation basketball this season. Kevin coached his team. Hooper was so precious to watch on the court.
Angie and I watching Jada and Madelyn play basketball!
Sunday Runday!
Before Christmas we took a quick family vacation to Chattanooga. We started the trip off with Spiderman in the IMAX!
The next morning we all went to the Tennessee Aquarium
Ice skating at the Choo Choo is a must!
Our annual ladies Christmas party at Tammie's house!
Christmas Eve at Mema and Papa's house.
I had to work Christmas Eve, but I was able to celebrate with everyone before I left.
Christmas in the elevator at work was a first!
Luckily I made it home in time for Christmas! The kids were all still asleep and snuggled up in their beds.
Santa was very good to Keke and brought her a phone!
Jersey got a Christmas haircut
And just when we thought Covid had settled down... here comes Omicron. And back to wearing an N95 for 12 hours.
Kennedy and Hooper both got their vaccines so we can go on a cruise!
We had such a wonderful year and we are so incredibly blessed! We thank God every day for another moment together to love Him and love each other. Looking forward to another wonderful year in 2022!
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