If you prefer the BLUF version, I’ll put it here. If you want the full version with more pictures, keep reading. (Bottom Line Up Front for those not familiar with the acronym.)

BLUF:

January: Matt came home on R&R and we found out we were moving to Hawaii! (Anna turned 8.)

February: Bailey signed a music deal and became a real-life paid singer-songwriter/producer. (Carson turned 21.)

March: We bought Matt’s dream car: A Jeep Wrangler (Bailey turned 20 and Parker turned 14.)

April: Carson and Bailey moved into their own apartment in Brooklyn.

May: Matt returned from Jordan after a year away. We celebrated our 25^th Wedding Anniversary. (Hayden turned 23.)

June: Ballet for Anna, theater for Parker and Anna. Hayden and Mathilda made their engagement official, and we are over the moon excited for them. No date picked just yet. Hayden went to Sweden with Mathilda to wait for his residency application to be approved. (For those who don’t know, Mathilda is Swedish.)

July: WE MOVED TO HAWAII! We spent this month unwinding from the challenging past 12 months.

August: We got our HHGs (our furniture and boxes), and the kids started school. Anna started ballet on Hickam and she’s excited to be in The Nutcracker this Christmas.

September: Hayden joined us in Hawaii since his Swedish residency hadn’t been approved. Parker started Youth Group and loved it. He also attended a school formal.

October: I started work at Honolulu MEPS. Anna was baptized by Matt in the Pacific Ocean.

November: Mathilda, Carson, and Bailey joined us for Christmas in November. So many special moments it’s hard to highlight but they really thought going to the Kaneohe Bay Sandbar was pretty spectacular.

December: Matt is seeing his hard work pay off at the office. People are reaching out to him letting him know that they really appreciate what he’s doing. Though I officially joined Honolulu MEPS in October, I began working nearly full-time this month. I love it! Hayden’s residency application was approved and he moved to Sweden on the 12^th. Carson and Bailey are still working for CYS Fort Hamilton. Bailey is still making music and is pursuing a second recording contract. Carson changed jobs from part-time CYPA to full-time with a different title. Parker is making amazing grades and enjoys playing pickleball with Matt every Tuesday evening. Anna will be in the Hickam Nutcracker Ballet Performance Saturday and is just as outgoing as ever. 

 That’s the short version! If you want to read on, you are welcome to!

Not-So-BLUF-version (with more pictures than I put above):

WHAT A YEAR! I am so thankful 2024 was better than 2023 and that things moved upward as the year went on. If you were anywhere near me in the early part of the year you probably remember a few of the “trials” we experienced. I’ll do a quick recap:

January – Nissan lifted my Truckster improperly, then covered it up, and lied about it when I called. After months they finally admitted it and made the repairs. By this point in Matt’s deployment to Jordan (8-month mark) I was done and this about did me in. Good times: Matt came home on R&R and we found out that we were officially moving to Hawaii while he was home (while waiting for a Broadway show to start, sitting with our NY friends, Jamie and Jeremiah)! Anna turned 8!  

February – Anna tried bravely to let the doctor pull her teeth, but her little body just wouldn’t let her. We had to schedule a procedure where she would be put to sleep to have them removed. Both days were traumatic for both of us. Later that month Anna had a febrile seizure that scared me to death and landed her in the ER.  Good times: Bailey signed a contract and had his music professionally released. I launched Hayden to Sweden for the first time. Matt saw a camel on the side of the road. Carson turned 21!

March – This is when Anna actually had her surgery to remove her teeth. We sold the Truckster and bought Matt’s Jeep. Bitter and sweet. Good times: After months of searching, we found an apartment in NYC (IYKYK) for Carson and Bailey. They love the place and plan to renew their lease. They moved in on Matt’s birthday, April 1^st. Bailey turned 20 and Parker turned 14!

April – April was actually pretty easy. Not too many deployment gremlins. Good times: We bought my car, a QX80. It had a few hiccups that I would have rather had Matt home for, but I really enjoy driving it! Carson and Bailey moved into their apartment and made it a home but came to our house to wash clothes! They were not looking forward to having to use a laundromat! 

May – This is the month that Matt came home. But first, gremlins. I got COVID. My new-to-me car died on me while I was working at a school and had to be towed. Fortunately, I was in the city and was able to take the train home. Both of these things happened days before Matt came home… I was at my wit’s end! And OH, so ready for the end of that deployment. Good times: Matt came home!  We had a little getaway in the Hamptons where I got to introduce him to Lunch’s Lobster Rolls. Then I had a little surprise for him: a vow renewal ceremony! Our precious NY friends were there and our NC + Jones families came in town to help us celebrate! Parker was the lead roles (yes, roles) of Willy Wonka and Charlie at his 8^th grade spring musical! Hayden turned 23.

June – Even though we were in PCS-PREP mode, life didn’t slow down a bit. Our movers showed up two days early (we were not ready) and they threatened all week to not come to get the rest of our stuff. We started researching how to get our HHGs to Hawaii on our own! God stepped in miraculously and the movers showed up Saturday to get the last of the things: our bed, couch, and a garage full of boxes.

Good times: Hayden and Mathilda got engaged on Father’s Day! Bailey had his first gig and Carson was his drummer! How exciting! Parker and Anna had their spring performance for their Drama Studio. Anna had her final ballet performance with her Bay Ridge Ballet Company, and she gave one last violin performance at school. We said farewell to the Lamsons, our BFFs from NYC. This. Was. Hard. Speaking of good/hard, we took the whole family (including Mathilda) to eat at Hard Rock in Times Square (for Matt… he loves HR!).

Parker graduated middle school with lots of honors and the very next morning Matt, Parker, Anna, and I drove away from NYC. Talk about hard! Leaving a city we love with our big kids behind! We stopped in Virginia to visit Mama Kim and Anna’s other siblings. They’re all getting so big! Of course, we had a blast in NC vising family… hopefully they’ll make it over the pond to see us in Hawaii. This trip was also special because Mathilda and Hayden flew in. This was her first trip to NC and she had a full initiation (see picture… you’ll know it when you see it!). 

To close out our time in NC, Hayden and Mathilda flew back to Sweden and then the rest of us flew to Hawaii. One final challenge… the night before we flew, just before we went to sleep in our hotel, we got word that our 7:00 AM flight was canceled due to the flight staff needing rest. Who do you even call to fix that problem at 11:00 PM the night before!?!? We called everyone we could but finally gave up and went to bed. Just a few minutes after lights out we got a text that we had been rescheduled on a later flight and that they had shifted our second flight as well. We made it to Honolulu only one hour later than scheduled.

July – At this point, the gremlins gave up. I have never had a year where so many hits came one after another. I hesitated to even include them in this newsletter, but I needed to remember how tough early 2024 was to appreciate how nice the end has been.  Good times: We were greeted in Hawaii only an hour later than originally planned on the first of July, so all was well! We were greeted by fellow Chaplain families with fresh lei and warm hugs. They helped get us to the Hale Koa where we spent the first two weeks in absolute luxury. We unplugged, unwound, swam, relaxed, and generally tried to get our bearings.

After those two weeks we moved into a hotel on Ford Island to be closer to where we would eventually be living. Little did we know that from our back lanai we would be able see that little island! (It’s where the USS Arizona Memorial is.)

Mid-July Matt started working (he had been in-processing during the first two weeks). Anna started summer camp at a local CYS program. I attended my first Chaplain Spouse dinner – this group is HUGE compared to the past two duty stations! We got the keys to our house on the 26^th of July and I began wallpapering as many walls as possible!

 August – Good times: Parker started 9^th grade and Anna started 3rd. Both are really enjoying school and have made great friends. Anna started ballet on Hickam and she’s excited to be in the Nutcracker this Christmas.

On the 9^th we received (most of our) household goods We had been on other beds for so long and were so eager to see ours… only, it didn’t arrive! Our HHGS were picked up June 10^th and were delivered on August 9^th… our bed, couch, and a few other big important items arrived a few weeks later, after spending some time lost… somewhere.

September – Good times: Parker started youth group at CHAOS on JBPHH. From the first night he’s had a blast. He also attended his high school formal and looked spiffy in his Carolina blue suit. Hayden arrived in late September. He had to leave Sweden to reset the clock (three months in, three months out) as he was still waiting for his “residency” to be granted. Having him at home was so wonderful! When we said goodbye to him in June, we weren’t sure when we’d see him again.

October – Life really ramped up in October and writing this on 12/18 (Happy Birthday, Aimee!!), I’m having a hard time believing it’s not still October! Good times: One of the spouse groups I joined hosted a day on a pontoon with 10 ladies. I was inspired to get my boating license so I could take our family out to the Kaneohe Sandbar. For Halloween, Anna was the cutest Moana on the island – her third year dressing as the daughter of the village chief. Parker dressed up and went to Ford Island hang out with his school friends. The biggest news of the month is that Anna was baptized. What a joy to watch Matt baptize her in the Pacific Ocean.

November – Good times: Matt was in the future (Guam) on my birthday so two sweet friends stepped in and celebrated me. One took me for pedicures and the other took me to the North Shore for Thai food and to walk on the beach. Our sweet next-door neighbors stopped by with a homemade chocolate cake… I felt very loved!  The fun didn’t end at my birthday! Mathilda arrived on November 8^th, reuniting with Hayden. People… did you know that Sweden has truffle potato chips? I don’t even really like potato chips, but those things are amazing! Aside from eating amazing snacks we spent time showing Mathilda around…until she burned to a crisp at the beach… then we stayed inside as much as possible. On November 18^th Carson and Bailey arrived and we spent the next five days hitting as many sights as possible. We hiked Diamond Head, saw the USS Arizona and USS Missouri. We decorated for Christmas, played some pickleball, and saw Wicked in the theater. However, the highlight, from what I gather, was the day we went to the sandbar. Such a fun experience and just our family, as I was the captain. I couldn’t resist having family pictures taken, and that turned out to be a highlight for me. It was a fun time and the results are what I hoped for: treasures! Each image is a treasure. Mathilda had to head back to Sweden on the 23^rd and we still had a few days left with our NYC kids. We went on the tree farm’s opening weekend to cut down our first Hawaiian Christmas tree! We rented kayaks and the boys climbed on Mokoliʻi, a tiny island commonly called, “Chinaman’s Hat.” We were able to see Mokoliʻi from the sandbar and it’s also featured in some of our family pictures. Carson and Bailey headed back to NYC on the afternoon of Thanksgiving and then we spent the evening of gratitude at our friend’s house. No major cooking for me this year!

December – And so here we are. Good times: Matt and I attended our first Military Ball since Anna was born.  We saw The Nutcracker – with a Hawaiian twist. And the kicker… Hayden moved to Sweden… officially! While Mathilda was here, they received the news that his application had been approved! Eleven months after applying they got approval! It’s a 25-hour travel day from Hawaii! No fun! But they are together! Bailey has a few gigs lined up and Carson is his drummer. He made it onto my Spotify Wrapped!! My big news is that I’m working more hours here than I was at Fort Hamilton. I administer the ASVAB to people applying to the military and I’m having a lot of fun. I have the potential to travel with this job so I may have a fun Christmas letter next year! Christmas will be very different this year with three of our kids not here. The past several years we thought it could be “the year” when things changed… I recognize how blessed I am that I got a few extra years with all the kids together. I have a lot to be thankful for. Extra thankful that Matt is not deployed this year.

With that I will end this very long Christmas letter. I haven’t really felt like blogging for the past two years so there was much to say! I am so thankful for the Christmas season and for what it means to our family. Celebrating the birth of the Savior is what it’s all about.

Jen Johnston Photography

We have had an eventful year and I’d love to quickly share our highlights:

Matt now has a full year under his belt as a LTC Chaplain. He has enjoyed being a part of a great team here and has led 12 groups of people through a few different courses. He has completed all his classes for his Doctor of Ministry degree and has been working on his culminating project with hopes to graduate in May 2023. He has really enjoyed playing guitar on the worship team at church.

I, Jennifer, started a job outside the home for the first time in 22 years. I am traveling to local high schools administering the ASVAB. This is “play money”… new shoes, more Broadway shows, and I plan to pay someone to convert all my VHS home videos into usable formats…

Hayden (21) finished his Associate’s Degree in Dec of 2021 and in March of 2022 he moved to Europe on a grand adventure. He spent time in England, Scotland, and Germany. He is back here for a short season with plans to return to Europe in 2023 to continue the adventure. He will be working here on Fort Hamilton in the meantime (mama is happy!!).

Carson (19) learned the skills necessary to gain entry into the Production Assistant world. He would love to work on films or tv and thanks to the time he has spent at NYFA he’s ready to take on some contract jobs. He has near-perfect attendance and GPA.

Bailey (18) has completed 1 of 4 modules of his Sound Engineering diploma at SAE Institute in Chelsea. He also has near-perfect attendance and a perfect GPA. He released his first EP this year – just search for his name anywhere you listen to music. And his girlfriend, Ashley, did the artwork. Proud of them both!

Parker (12) is now the Photography Chair at his school and has been loving his theater classes. He auditioned for the role of Lumiere (Beauty and the Beast) at school and we are waiting for the results. He has made the A Honor Roll every semester. (Gotta say, as a former homeschooling mom, I’m greatly relieved that all of my kids excelled in the schools they entered after being my students!) He has good friends here and enjoys seeing Broadway shows.

Anna (6) is our most outgoing child. She loves school, has great friends there and on post, and enjoys her after-school program. She loves her friends so much that even after being with them from 8:00 am on, she asks almost daily if one can come over to play. She is incredibly smart and we love just being around her.

We have a bit of a change coming up in 2023 as Matt has been told (word of mouth) that he will be spending a year away in order to stabilize our family. Though none of us are happy to be apart, all of us know it is absolutely the best thing for us at this time. Your prayers are appreciated as this will probably be hardest on Parker. He knows he’ll have to say goodbye to Hayden again, Bailey will likely move out this year, possibly Carson, and now he also has to prepare himself for a year without Dad.

I am so very curious to know what our 2023 Christmas update will look like. Will there only be three people in the house at that time! Could our NYC family size literally be half what it is today? Quite possibly! But we are at peace. We truly know that in all things God’s hand is visible and we thank Him for His provision, His protection, and His providence.

2021 was the hardest year for the Hamricks and the Lord saw us through. Hayden struggled with a bout of depression that made all other problems in our world seem trivial. Depression is no joke and watching my child go through that was the hardest thing I’ve experienced in my life. And when I say the Lord saw us through, I mean that. I believe we were in NYC for a reason. People we met here at church, in Matt’s job, and on Fort Hamilton prayed us through it and prayed for Hayden fervently, joining with our close friends and family in asking the Lord for healing. It wasn’t immediate and life isn’t perfect for any of us but I want to say that I truly thank the Lord for helping my son through 2021. He’s doing great in his grown-up life and has exceeded my expectations of who he has become as a man. I’m thankful for who he is and thankful beyond words that he feels so much better.

I have had a very full 2022 and haven’t taken the time to write. I’ve missed journaling our adventures and have a few that I really want to talk about (one that you’d never see coming in a million years… one that my people are almost tired of hearing about but I’ll get to that later).

Anyway, in order to retroactively share, I’m going to post this here today, September 2nd, and update it throughout as I go back and post memories. I’ve taken the day in rental office space to focus on this because I need the time away from the house and because I really do find journaling our adventures worth my time and energy.

But first… today I stepped out of my house this morning and it was 66*! PEOPLE! I’ve been waiting for this! The shift from summer to fall! Sure, it’ll be 80* by the end of the day, and I am wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt, but I put on a sweater for the ride to the office. I had to take it off as soon as I got here, and I probably won’t wear it again until next week when the highs are in the upper 70s, but I totally loved wearing a sweater!

PS Also because I got to talk to Hayden for about 30 minutes today and he gave me the okay to share the above, I’m sharing a screenshot of him and Anna video-chatting. Because who doesn’t love a big-bro-little-sis-with-lovies picture!?!?

January 2022

• January Snow 2022 Look Back
• January 2022 Look Back
• Anna turns 6!!
• MJ: The Musical (is MAGICAL!)

February 2022

• February 2022 Look Back
• Carson turns 19!

March 2022

• March 2022 Look Back
• Hayden Moves to Europe
• Hamilton and Phantom

She’s the first Black female lead in the role of Glinda on Broadway’s Wicked!

I am very hopeful that by the time Anna is a grown woman we won’t have to make a big deal about this because the arts and education will be more equitable, for now, in 2022, it’s a big deal when a Black female has the lead role!

Brittney Johnson has been in the Wicked ensemble and has been the understudy for Glinda but as of February 14th, 2022, the role was officially hers! Now if she’s not there, someone understudies for her!

I was able to see Wicked several months ago and when I found out that a Black female was to become the lead after February14th I knew I had to make sure Anna saw her in that role. If you’re a long-time reader you may remember when Anna said she wanted to be white so she could be a ballerina. We were ready with books in-hand to show her Black ballerinas – representation matters! She needs to “see herself” on the stage, in books, in her community, and in her classrooms. Taking Anna to Wicked with Brittney Johnson on stage was critical for me, during this season where our family has the privilege to live in the greatest city in the world. The way Broadway goes, you don’t know if the lead will be on stage the night you are there until you are handed your playbill… and I’m sure you can imagine my excitement when I looked at the little slip placed inside and saw that there was no substitution listed for Glinda! OH MY GOODNESS! I was so excited!

We were able to take our friends Jamie and Joy and it was Joy’s first time to see a Broadway production as well. The show was wonderful and the their excitement melded with ours to make it an perfect experience!

{The following information may be boring for some audiences.}

Anna is a bit young for this show as it can be loud and some of the characters are scary. I prepared her in advance by showing her videos of the monkeys getting into make-up and costume. We also went to a small production of Beauty and the Beast before which was a workshop with the actors. The actor who played the Beast was fun and interacted with the kids and said, “In a few minutes you’ll see me on stage and I’ll be dressed in a pretty scary costume, but you’ll know it’s me because you’ll recognize my voice.”

That was stellar! And Anna did recognize his voice and told me so during the performance (sorry to the people around us).

Knowing I wanted Anna to see Wicked I used that experience and the videos of make-up and costumes to prepare her expectations for the scary monkeys.

During Wicked she held my hands and tensed up most at the voice of the Wizard. My prep worked paid off because she enjoyed watching the monkeys and didn’t seem too scared of them.

Anyway, on the way home Anna and I shared Airpods and watched several videos of Brittney Johnson. Two of my favorites include her first night’s curtain call when Lindsay Pearce was so excited for Brittney that she forgot to take her own bow and an interview Playbill did with Brittney. I’ll link to both below but be sure to watch the clip of the first curtain call AND look at the picture on CNN’s article. There are two different links: one for the video and one for the photo. In the CNN link you can watch Brittney’s first entrance in bubbles and her opening line says it all: “It’s good to see me, isn’t it?”

Yes, it is, Brittney! YES, IT IS!

Also, because I know you’re dying to know… Anna does have a favorite number: “What is this feeling.”

Brittney Johnson’s smile and the excitement on Lindsay Pearce’s face brought tears to my eyes in this clip:

Interviews of Brittney Johnson on her new role:

‘Wicked’ Star Brittney Johnson: ‘Black History Is Happening Right Now. I Am Living Proof’

How Being an Understudy Prepared ‘Wicked’ Star Brittney Johnson for Her History-Making Role

And now for some pictures and a video from our Girl Date:

1 & 2: On our way to start our GirlDate!
3 & 4: Before the show.
4: With the stage in the background… girl can’t keep that mask on her nose and she was happy to be there, I promise!
5: I videoed Anna clapping and then snatched a quick picture of the cast at their final bow.
6 & 7: Anna waved at the Krispy Kreme guy so he brought her up to the front of the line and gave her a free donut to eat while we waited in line. Krispy Kreme donuts make me this happy, to, baby girl!

Her face when she looks up at me! I think we have a theater-lover.

Dinner before the show at Viv. A great Thai place nearby.

The show was amazing even if Melissa and I were on the literal back row of the Majestic Theater.

Beautiful, iconic chandelier… which I took a picture of because it was beautiful and iconic, but also to show that we were at eye level with the chandelier!

There were bits and pieces of the story that I totally didn’t remember. When you only know the parts that are sung, you really can miss a lot! I enjoyed this show and I especially loved that I was able to go see Emilie Kouatchou, Broadway’s first Black Christine.

I love that Anna can see so many Black female leads on Broadway! Glinda, Christine, several of the Hamilton actresses!

Speaking of Hamilton…

I GOT TO GO! I will admit, I did not enjoy the music back when the boys were really into it. I vividly remember running on Fort Hood, trying to listen to it. I got to the first rap battle and quit. I figured there’d just be some things I wouldn’t enjoy along with the boys.

Fast forward to when Disney released the Broadway version and I was able to listen to the music, read the words, and watch the choreography simultaneously, and it all fell into place for me. I fell in love with the entirety of it.

Then we got orders to New York City and you KNOW I had to see it!

I expected to be a little disappointed that I wasn’t going to be seeing the original cast on stage. I did keep my eyes open to see if any of the OGs were still around and noticed one! Thayne Jasperson is the only OG who has been around continuously!

The cast I saw was phenomenal. Sure, I would have enjoyed seeing the creator of the show on stage but Miguel Cervantes was incredible! I was so very impressed and glad I saw it when I did…. especially since I’ve since learned that the history is not accurate and that the author who wrote the book the musical is based on got a LOT wrong. Oh well. If you want to dig into that, you will find a whole lot to unpack. Knowing how off the history is does take a little of the joy out of the show, but I still rate this as a phenomenal display of talent and genius.

Cupcakes: I thought these turned out so cute!

Money! The bigs work(ed) at the commissary for tips. I save their cash until they have earned $500 and then I take it to the post office and buy a money order for easy digital depositing. (USAA has no physical branches to deposit cash.)

Girl dates are so fun! This time Melissa and I tried several kinds of pies from Four and Twenty Blackbirds, then took Citibikes from 4th/9th to Prospect Park.

Violin: Anna was given the opportunity to take violin lessons at school this year. Is this not the cutest violin you’ve ever seen??

Anna’s hair: When she’s staying home, sometimes Anna does her own hair, most of the time I do it. She’s getting pretty good.

Leprechaun Day (and a discussion about starting afterschool care). Several of Anna’s friends get off the bus at the CYS building where Anna used to attend preschool. She started asking me if she could go to afterschool with them and at first, I brushed it off. I don’t work, after all! But she kept asking and I couldn’t think of a really good reason to say no. We looked into it and she was able to get in. She was ready that day but didn’t get to start for about a week. I’d say that was the longest week of Anna’s life! (And as I’m writing this on 9-2-22 I can let you know that Anna absolutely LOVED being in afterschool care. She’d sometimes get home and ask if one of her school friends could come over right then! She loves people so much! She ended up doing five weeks of Full-day summer camp at that location and is registered for Afterschool for her first-grade year.)

Third Hand: Anna cracked me up… she heard the clock ticking but noticed there wasn’t a hand moving with the pace of the tick. I told her that it was counting the seconds but there isn’t a second hand on our clock. She got really confused and said, “Yes there is. There’s a first hand and a second hand but no third hand.” Well, she’s not wrong, I guess.

Written on 9-2-22 and backdated to 3-30-22.

I wrote a three-part series documenting the details of this experience, but they were super sensitive and raw, and also I was trying to be respectful of Hayden’s privacy, so they are password protected. In this post I am sharing just the highlights.

Since time has passed and he’s doing so great, I’m going to look back on that time and share how we managed to get through launching our first baby. And not only into the adult world but overseas!

Hayden has always loved adventure and he spent five and a half very important years of his life in Germany. He made many good friends there and missed Europe when we moved to New York. He and his friend Madi (who lived in New Jersey but he met while we were still in Germany) decided to launch into adulthood all the way across the ocean!

We did a few farewell things for Hayden:

We went to Chuck E Cheese’s.

We went bowling: I loved seeing Hayden taking pictures of his siblings just before he flew.

Our pastor prayed over him in a special prayer time before church started:

We gave lots of hugs and snugs.

The morning of I posted this to a very small audience:

We took one last family-of-seven picture.

We all rode to the airport to say our goodbyes in person.

We arrived with five kids and left with four. The “small audience” comment is because I had posted those images privately on my social media.

I stalked his plane and cried when it turned toward Europe. Note the arrows pointing to his plane and to our home. It got real at that moment.

And then he landed… He was reunited with his best friend, his person, and all was right in his world again. I am writing this on 9-2-22 and I got to talk to him for 30 minutes this morning. He’s doing great, rocking the adult life, and about to shift into his third European home since March. His plans are going along very well. He lived in London, England for a while, then in Scotland, and is moving to Germany very soon… What a time to be Hayden!!

I will conclude by saying that I know I was fortunate to have my son (sons, really) stay home a bit past 18. I love having my kids home and I loved every extra day we had with Hayden, but we also know it was the right time for him to launch… and Europe was the right place for him to land. Our hearts miss him very much. Anna even says that looking at pictures of him makes her sad, but we do know he is where he is supposed to be and doing what he is supposed to be doing!

(If you are reading this and happen live in Wiesbaden… Hayden and Madi will be looking for jobs as soon as they land. If you have connections or even an extra spare room or two, let me know! They are hoping to make Germany home for the long term and are willing to accept any help you can offer. And yes, this is the city where Parker was born. Hayden’s going back to the place where we lived three of the most special years of our lives so far!)

Written 9-2-22 and backdated to 3-22-22.