FlorIDA Hansons

Our weekends are finally feeling "normal" again. It really hasn't been since Virginia that we've had weekends full of shuttling the kids around. In Colorado and Alabama Henry and Vivian weren't super connected to their schools or really to a certain group of friends. I mean, let's be honest. In Alabama they weren't connected at all and pretty much had no friends. Yikes, but true. Life feels different here though. Back to normal. Back to after school activities and clubs and sports and hanging out with friends on the weekends.  On the flip side, normal also means forced family fun! So here's to a Sunday afternoon in Seaside, Florida. Perfect weather, no crowds, lobster rolls and ice cream. Back to normal. Seaside, Florida The Shrimp Shack 

Last weekend Matt and I celebrated the 72nd birthday of the United States Air Force at Eglin's Air Force Ball. It certainly was much different than Air War College's celebration last year - there was no pre-party or after-party, no Oceans 11 sunglasses theme and no 2-day hangover (I have to say I'm thankful for that one!). It was fun though - good, clean Air Force fun where we were home and back in pajamas by 10:00pm. How quickly one year and one assignment changes everything! Camp Pinchot September 14, 2019  Air Force Armament Museum Cheers to the USAF! Aim High!

“If Henry gets Aunt Kiley’s then I should get Aunt Kathy’s car, right??” Over to you, Aunt Kathy....

Moose was the final Hanson to start school last month and his first day of school picture was only three days late and he only looked a small bit of a fool ;) Man I miss this kid!! Lycoming College  14th grade These are the pictures that Matt sent me from move-in... Ideas, ideas... ...and six hours later there was a $25, white pleather Goodwill couch... their prized possession.... ...second only to the portable a A/C unit... Finally, he's working hard AND playing hard... keep doing awesome things, Moose!!

We usually only get together once a year, but we were laughing that this year was A LOT for all of us so we needed a double dose! We got together in February and spent most of that weekend talking about marriages (and a divorce), kids leaving home and the hard, hard job of raising teenagers in a world that doesn't accept different. If February was a heavy trip this one was light as a feather! We had the best time just talking and laughing and drinking and eating, and the views weren't too shabby either. Cheers to our 18-year-old, Austin College freshman selves and 25 years of friendship later! From the airport directly to Boshamps!      Camp Pinchot Chasing dolphins Wicket was loving life too We all agreed... Next year. Same time, same place. 

August was jam-packed. The first two weeks of the month we were getting Henry and Vivian ready for school and then settled into their new routines. Next up was Maxwell. It felt like we had just packed him up from Lycoming and repacked him into the house in Alabama, just to pack that up, move it and repack it into this house in Florida. I suppose it didn't just feel like that. That's exactly what we did. And THEN we unpacked and repacked him to go back to Lycoming. And in the middle of it all, my folks braved the chaos that is usually our house and came to visit. We didn't make any big plans while they were here; they mainly wanted to spend time with the kids. They got to see Maxwell off to school, they got to fully appreciate our excitement about Henry's new school and maybe best of all, they got to celebrate Vivian's 12th birthday with us. On top of all that,  we watched a lot of people and dolphins from the sunroom, we went out a couple of times for fresh seafo