Big Money

 My my! Look who is getting her very first back account? She got herself a job at the Berry Patch and she needs someone to keep all that cash she's bringing in. 

Naturally I sneak a picture.

She's feeling pretty proud to be the youngest Hufford yet to get a job! 

The Feeling of Freedom

 This girl is SO READY.

She's been practicing in parking lots since she was in 6th grade. 

Hours?

Oh. 

She's got her hours. 

And she passed with flying colors.

Sweet Phoebe

 I think it's safe to say we have fallen in love with AJ's bird. 

We can't get enough of her cute little ways. Climbing up the laundry basket, basking by the fireplace, finding her favorite basket, giving free manicures and snuggling in behind your hair. 

Welcom to the family, Phoebe B. Tweety!

AJ and the crew. Teenager at long last.

 I don't know how to say this, I feel like AJ has been a teenager for YEARS already. 

Now she's official.

Legit.

Bonified.

And she's celebrating with her crew of friends: 

Mateo, Mick, Chris, Harper and Rebecca

We had ROKC passes to burn and I was definitely looking for an activity that could burn off some of that teen energy. Rock climbing for the win!

We grabbed some Little Ceasars on the way back home and had some of AJ's birthday cake. She decorated it herself and she went all in with her love of orange!

Happy 13th, AJ! Since you are already a seasoned teen...just THINK how good your teenagering is gonna get over the next 7 years!

Homeschool Life

 When the lessons stretch out before you and the red leaves are poppin... What a privilege to run out the front door and be a part of it!

Girls Camp...a retrospective.

 I don't think I have the energy to describe camp in any kind of detail. Anna had her own experiences. I was a leader and both enjoyed my time there, as well as felt 4 days of brutal heat and overscheduling. It's the girls camp way!

Here are the few photos I took and it will probably give a pretty accurate picture of how it went -->

Any woman anywhere that has attended girls camp as a leader knows deep deep in her bones the simultaneous love/hate relationship we have with this experience. I want everything for my girls. I want them to sing and do crafts and stay up late talking and go to classes and have the faith walk and all of it. And, by dang, if that means I go too, then so be it!

Lipstick

 I truly never know what to expect around here. 

Mean Girls

Anna joined a musical! And she's on stage!

It was so fun to see her singing and dancing and having a good time. 

It all about the orange

Homeschool Life

Homeschool has its upsides and it has its weird sides. 

 

Mr. Rogers, the math teacher, is Anna's fave. Especially that weird smile he does at the end of every lesson. 

We could do without Paget Monet.

"Sometimes you just need to go play basketball because it good to do. So just do it!"

Express yourself

 Oh, they do. 

Anna's turn to fly

I love having this one on one time with each kid. I love watching them see the world.

We went straight to Grandma's. And Ethan came straight over after work to visit us! Grandma stopped him at the door with a broom. Gotta brush the snow off those boots!

Anna fell in love with the snow. 

We went to visit Heidi and her pups. She has a new little girl, Gretel. She was so nervous and piddly! But she got brave with a few chunks of cheese in the right hands. 

Heidi and Anna had plans to repair her hair. Anna has had a busy year of hair bleaching an coloring. I has left her hair a bit damaged all she wants is her original color back. Heidi knows what she's doing!

I volunteered to hold Gretel...it was a sacrifice!

And check it out! She loved her new (old) hair. Sometimes it takes a journey to appreciate what we already have. 

We popped over to the aquarium to see the fish and I somehow only got three pictures: 

We spent the rest of the day visiting and making dinner plans. Mom hasn't been feeling well lately, so mostly that means picking somewhere to eat out. The smell of cooking doesn't help her stomach. These two are always down for fast food! And mom loves a Frosty. 

Our last day, AJ got to hang out with Jim and Ameli. She's been texting back and forth with them and they invited her to spend the day skating and feasting on treats. They are the funnest! I dropped her off with Jim and Mom and I went to have breakfast with John and one of his favorite spots. I had the most delicious french toast with raspberries and sour cream. Sounds weird, but it was heaven. 

Back at the airport, Anna did her best to assert her independence. She went on long "walks" up and down the moving sidewalks. I would start to panic when I hadn't seen her in while and just as I felt like I better call the police, there she would be....

The flight back was the worst of my life. The turbulence was relentless. And it wasn't the bumpy, shaky kind. It was like free falling over and over. My stomach was on the verge for over an hour. I truly considered using the barf bag. Sweet Anna was experiencing the same flight, but she was a trooper. She was rubbing my back and asking me how I was doing. I've never been so grateful to land in my life.