The Smiths in 2023

by Jeremy Smith

Being something of photographers in a past life, Hillary and I had already seen a thousand pictures of the TA Moulton Barn that sits in front of the Grand Tetons. As we were accompanying my mother on a bucket list trip up to Glacier National Park a couple months ago, I realized we’d be passing right by it! I knew we HAD to somehow make it our Christmas card. I also think it’s a good memento to a pretty picturesque year. We’ve been blessed to have a stretch of growth without any major bumps or crises.

The kids are finally getting to the age where they can explore lots of new things and acquire varied skills. We tried fencing, but haven’t stuck with it. Tried jiu jitsu, and still going strong. Tried chess, and have stuck with it. The kids and I learned the Rubik’s cube too. Addie is the master, usually completing in about a minute. We all tried skateboarding and rollerblading as well, and have actually even gotten pretty decent at it! Maybe it could translate into snowboarding & skiing skill later on. The kids have also taken up piano, and to my surprise, Logan’s even gotten pretty excited about it. Mom helps polish them off where the lessons leave off… and I’m no help whatsoever. Hillary also continues to break through ceilings in real estate, and amazingly thrive in a market that is really stacked against us right now.

My little math monsters continue to scale new heights. And Addie with puzzles…sheesh! All. Day. Long. We also started a robotics team and have begun learning the basics. The kids have even moved from block coding into java recently! If they could ever stop fighting with each other, they could make a great team. Hands-on Addie can build ANYTHING it seems, and abstract Logan could be her coder. Someday, perhaps…

This year we also retraced some old trails as well, showing the kids more of the nation. Only eight states to go! We of course made our regular pilgrimages to Enchanted Rock, and once was even during a meteor shower! We also made our first trip to a Renaissance Fair, just to make sure we fully round out our nerdiness. In general, I think Mission “Be-open-to-new-things” has been somewhat successful. Heck, I can even get the kids to eat Thai food with me on occasion! Incredibly, we’ve also got them doing laundry and dishes. Not kidding. And my new thing this year? I guess I’d have to say healthy living! It only took me 40 years to finally try this path.

In August we got a REALLY pleasant surprise. Hillary’s sister and brother in law got a job in Austin and moved in four doors down! They have a newborn that we can dote on for a while… and then hand back. It will be fun celebrating the holidays in Austin with a lot more local family gravity this year. We hope you also had some happy trails this year, even if bumpy, and holidays that bring some rest and reflection.