2019 Year in Review

MONEY TALKS – 2019 was another exciting year for the Hoole family. The kids are growing fast and exploring new activities. Carsyn “retired” from both karate & gymnastics and is now heavily involved in a dance program that includes ballet, jazz, tap, and hip hop. Meanwhile Brody continues to enjoy gymnastics and is excited to start ski lessons in January. 

Breckenridge – In March I went out to Breckenridge, Colorado with my brother Jesse and a few friends for a ski trip to celebrate his upcoming wedding. Our timing couldn’t have been better as Breckenridge was having a record breaking snowfall season. In fact, there was so much snow that the ski patrol had to dynamite the snow bowls to help prevent avalanches. After skiing knee deep powder in sunny conditions for three straight days, it’s going to be hard to go back to skiing in New England.  

Wedding Season – After eager anticipation (especially from my mother) both my brother and sister tied the knot this year. Jesse married Laura, a personal trainer, in a beautiful ceremony in Waterville, NH. My sister Casey married Kevin, a firefighter, at a sunny oceanfront ceremony at Endicott College in Beverly, MA. Both weddings went off without a hitch other than an emergency trip to the seamstress to fix my sister’s dress, which she took in stride and ultimately made for a good story.   

Summer Vacation – This summer we took our annual vacation to Lake Winnipesaukee. Brody enjoyed driving the boat around the lake while Carsyn got to experience her first concert by going to see Kidz Bop at the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion. We also enjoyed a day at Castle in the Clouds where we went hiking and the kids got to go horseback riding. As always, there was plenty of swimming and ice cream stops throughout the vacation. 

Nashville – In August, Alisyn and I took an adult vacation to the music city. Nashville was an incredibly fun place to explore. Within hours of arriving, we were at the Grand Ole Opry to see a collection of artists including headliner, Carrie Underwood. It was a hot few days with temperatures in the high 90’s. To beat the heat, we traveled around on their infamous electric scooters while taking in several restaurants, the Honky Tonk Highway (Broadway St), and the Country Music Hall of Fame. The pedal bike tour was a great way to see downtown Nashville up close and meet new friends along the way. 

Florida Vacation – In September we flew down to Florida to spend time with Alisyn’s parents at their timeshare in Kissimmee. While there, the kids enjoyed the onsite water park, although surprisingly the pool and lazy river took precedent over the waterslides. We also truly appreciated being able to visit with extended family that live in Florida when Marleen (Auntie) and Kim, Alisyn’s aunt and godmother, came up to visit for the day. Though we didn’t visit Disney World this time, we did take a trip to Old Town amusement park where Carsyn and Brody enjoyed the go-carts, Ferris wheel, and especially the Star Blaster.

We’re looking forward to a fun and exciting 2020 that will include an extended family trip to the Bahamas. So that’s it. Another year in the books, and what an amazing year it was. We hope you all have a safe and prosperous 2020. Yours truly, the Hoole Family.