Holiday Odds and Ends

End of the fall semester, celebrations, pick up soccer, long drives, and a big day for Lee and the Special Olympics all make up the last odds and ends of 2024.

Catalina

All dressed up for her biggest presentation of the semester - and she killed it, getting funding for her new company.

Lee and Nick spent the fall training a Special Olympics athlete for a powerlifting competition and he had a great meet!

Lots of sleep over Thanksgiving break.

Back with NWC besties.

Sporting besties reunite over Thanksgiving break.

I drove more than 50 hours in less than a month - beginning the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and culminating on our round trip to New Hampshire on Christmas Eve.

Dinner in the hotel lobby - soccer tournament style.

The roads around Potsdam are always snowy.

The rest of Elizabeth's college classes are online - she is not happy, but at least she graduates a year early!

Morning runs in the snow and cold.

Hanging out with Kathleen and Peter while Peter recovers from knee surgery.

Lots of pick up soccer over the holidays, even thought the weather was always well below freezing.

When Elizabeth does something, she does it at 100%. Starbucks' Partner of the Quarter for the last quarter of 2024.

Christmas 2024

We were happily able to celebrate Christmas with both of our extended families. At my family Christmas, which was missing Meghan and Peter, we had a lovely afternoon of food and conversation. I'm so grateful to Joe and Karen for hosting every year. On Christmas Eve, we headed back to New Hampshire and celebrated first with Grammy and then with Lee's extended family. It was so wonderful to see everyone. We then spent a low key Christmas Day at home, just the way we like it.

Annual sibling photo.

I know that someday they will grow out of this, but I love that they still sit at the top of the stairs, waiting to be called down to open gifts on Christmas morning.

November Lacrosse

Elizabeth played her final lacrosse games of the fall season in November. New Haven lost to Quinnipiac and CCSU, both D1 schools with large and talented club rosters.  The Quinnipiac game was fun to watch, as the teams were evenly matched, although New Haven could not find the back of the net. The CCSU game was a nail biter - Elizabeth had a great night of lacrosse, scoring 7 goals in a 9-8 loss. CCSU had to call a time out at the end of the game to figure out how to hold the lead and despite that, Elizabeth caused a turnover that might have tied the game, if time had not run out. It was really fun to watch her in her element and to be surrounded by teammates that really enjoy playing with her.  Best of all, this is such a stress free experience for her. 

Clarkson Soccer - November 2024

Clarkson soccer played two games in November - one in near freezing temps and one on a gorgeous fall afternoon. I drove up to watch them play the first Saturday in November and spent almost half my drive navigating heavy snow showers - which was a bit unexpected, as it was 85 degrees the day before! Game time was 36 and overcast - pretty tough spectating conditions, although not bad to play in. The team got a 0-0 tie, which was all they needed to make the Liberty League conference tournament. 

Emily's final start of the season. She had a rough go of it the final few games - struggled mentally which meant that she didn't get a lot of playing time.

Tournament bracket

The following Tuesday, the team traveled to Vassar for a conference tournament game. Having tied Vassar earlier in the season, hopes were high, especially when Clarkson scored in the first five minutes. But it was not to be, as Vassar clawed its way back, taking a 2-1 win and heading to the next round. Clarkson never gave up, and Emily gave an inspired performance, finding her confidence and fighting hard for each and every ball. She earned every minute she played in this game and we were so pleased to see some of her fire and creativity return.

Roommates

Last visit with Beau until Thanksgiving.