The beginning of 2026 brings winter weather AND we have an "adult" in the house now!

Whew.

It’s been another LONG stretch between posts.  Oops!

It is just A LOT doing both jobs and the family stuff!  I’ve also been required to run an after school club that is taking a ton of time as well.

In early January, we got the kids passports - as Mercer will be taking a big trip this summer.  They were told no glasses... and not to smile. :/ They look like mug shots! (In fact, Mercer snapped a picture of this extra photo and - through AI - turned it into a mugshot! It was pretty convincing!) :/

Later that day, I drove up to the North GA mountains to go to the women’s retreat again for adoptive moms.  I stayed in a different room this trip - I have been in all of the rooms upstairs at this point. I didn’t do too much (which is sort of the point). One of the days, I met my friend Cindy just across the border in South Carolina and then I went to one of my favorite places up in the north Georgia mountains: Mark of the Potter. This place is so serene.

Another day, I travelled to a neighboring town to see the monks who were walking across the country (from Texas) in the name of peace. I was following it from Alabama and all through Georgia. 

I don’t know why I wanted to go see them. It was not a big deal / I didn’t feel any peace, per se.  (I found a quiet space to wait - across from a quiet pond - but as the monks got closer, it got really crowded.)  I guess I’m glad I went. I would have always had a space where I would have wondered what I would have missed if I didn’t go.  (At this writing, their walk is over.  They made it to Washington DC and went back to Texas)

Photo dump… there were so many good photos all over the internet. 

Unfortunately, the monks were met with some haters claiming here in Georgia (possibly other states) that the monks were trying to convert people to Bhuddism… but overall, the majority of the accounts were positive. The messaging they posted was refreshing and insightful. I found someone who was a Christian pastor who wrote about how all religions could benefit from their messaging.

It went through South Carolina, then North Carolina along the street where mom lives (she could see them from her front door!!) continued into Virginia. Their final destination was Washington D.C.

The beginning of the new year brings a new semester at KSU and starting back up (with my same classes) at MHS. At KSU, I am FINALLY in the architecture building! I am teaching the same thing I taught last spring, so hopefully it will be much easier!  

Isabella and I did something different - we went to a classical production featuring two popular groups .Imagine Dragons vs Coldplay.  (on a school night!) It was pretty powerful with the music and the illumination. (The production is called “Candlelight Productions” and the show was at a beautiful venue/ event space in Downtown Atlanta) - This was an “experience” Christmas gift that we got her. 

We served again at the MLK service that’s held in Marietta for the Cobb County NAACP.  Our pastor spoke too. Mercer didn’t go this year because he had baseball tryouts on MLK holiday.  

He made the team. We're hoping that he has a better season this year -- stay tuned!

We had a snow day (but no snow), MLK day, and then I had a conference in January.  I did not have a “full” week all of January. That's a nice way to ease back into the year!

The conference was in Columbus GA.  We stayed downtown and holy-sow it was awesome!  Columbus sits on a river – across it is Alabama. There are rapids and apparently lots of kayaking when the weather is better.  There are these power stations along the water.  And great industrial buildings… lots and lots of industrial buildings along the water.

The conference center is historic too and had a great renovation (old warehouse building(s).

The conference was just “OK” but the town was fantastic. I was so happy to check it out!

Here are some other photos too from the trip. ANOTHER photo dump!!

When we went to visit colleges last year, Columbus (out in the suburbs) was one of the campus visits. This is the college that Isabella says she wants to go to  Yes - sign her up!  (it’s a state school so tuition would be reasonable) but also, I would enjoy hanging out downtown for parent weekends and such!