Thanksgiving 2018

We have so much to be thankful for this year. Over the holiday all five Hansons were under one roof and for those 5 nights, I had the best nights sleep I had in 3 months. Having Maxwell home was easy and comforting. As hard as it was to adjust to him being gone, once he was back, it felt like he had never left. Now the countdown until Christmas break is on...16 more days until I get another best night of sleep.

Vivian was just a little excited to welcome Maxwell home 

Lake Martin

Dadeville, Alabama 

Thanksgiving Day hike on Smith Mountain 

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Hammock swinging, football watching, eating, reading and fishing for the rest of the day...

The boys went back out for an early morning hike the next day...

With grateful hearts, 

Happy Thanksgiving from the Hansons

Turkey Trot 5K

She did it! Vivian completed her very first 5k run this weekend with her Girls on the Run team! She crossed the finish line in 42 minutes and 2 seconds. A HUGE congratulations, sweet girl!!

It was a chilly Alabama morning! 

"Blinging" her bib...

About to take off...

The last straightaway to the finish line...

Vivian and Abby ran it together!

Proud to get her medal!

She was pretty proud of her t-shirt too!!

This was waiting for Matt and  I to open after the race...

A sweet reminder that we must be doing something right

Girls on the Run

Vivian has been a part of  Girls on the Run this fall and it has been phenomenal! GOTR is so much more than a running club. It's a way to empower young girls to strengthen their bodies, minds and spirits. The core values of GOTR put it best...

Girls on the Run honors its core values. We strive to:

• Recognize our power and responsibility to be intentional in our decision making
• Embrace our differences and find strength in our connectedness
• Express joy, optimism and gratitude through our words, thoughts and actions
• Nurture our physical, emotional and spiritual health
• Lead with an open heart and assume positive intent
• Stand up for ourselves and others

For three months now Vivian and her GOTR team have met twice a week to work together to solve problems, talk through life lessons and last but not least, to RUN! They've set goals and crushed them each day all to prepare for the big race - The Turkey Burner 5K in Montgomery next Saturday! Yesterday the team did a practice 5K and it was a blast. Viv finished in 44 minutes and 6 seconds and she only wanted me to run the first half with her - the last half she did completely on her own. She set her own pace and she finished strong!

Vivian, I am so proud of you and I can't wait to be your running buddy in your first big race!!

Warming up 

Viv's favorite sign...she wanted this picture to show the boys!

Her last lap and big finish!

The little girl in the pink was the last one to finish...

Vivian decided to run the last two laps with her 

Good luck on race day, sweet girl!!

Life in October Pictures

Whew, October flew by! The best I can do with the last couple of weeks is to put it in pictures...life is good...

Matt got a couple of cotton field pictures before they were completely picked 

While Hen and I were in Williamsport with Maxwell

Matt and Vivian had a big weekend!

Boo at the Zoo

Fall Festival at Maxwell AFB

Matt and Viv hiking Ruffner Mountain 

Matt and I and Gerry and Clair were invited to

 the Halloween Bash at the Montgomery Capital City Club... 

it was a little out of our league but so much fun!

Happy Halloween!

For the first time in I don't know how 

many years we had a warm and sun-shiny Halloween!

Even Moose got into the Halloween spirit

(and he said this was a looooong night!)

We're lucky enough to have great neighbors who know how to throw a party!

Now on to November...