Friday Flashbacks -- Alexandria, VA to South Bend, IN

I think I've got a month worth of "flashbacks" to post, so bear with me.

We left Alexandria and headed to Okoboji Lake, Iowa via South Bend, Indiana, then headed to Ames, Iowa and then here to Aurora, Colorado. We covered around 2,000 miles with two vehicles, about 500 lbs worth of luggage, 3 very patient kids and one dog who was much less patient and somewhat pukey, but still along for the ride. Forced family fun? Maybe a little but fun nonetheless!

We were ready and waiting for packers to show up for two and half days...

They were really, really late but they got it done

You know you have good friends when they show up with 

their own chairs AND wine just to sit with you on the driveway

Our last family selfie before we hit the road

First stop...

South Bend, Indiana

Home of...

Matt and Maxwell went out to get food for everyone when we got to the hotel...

about 15 minutes later Matt texted me these pictures

 Call me crazy but this doesn't look like a drive thru to me

Maxwell couldn't pass up this opportunity

and (shocking!) just happened to have his stick with him

Next stop...

Okoboji Lake, Iowa

Letters Home

Oh, Vivian.

Viv is the queen of letter writing. She's had some doozies in the past -- to the tooth fairy, to Henry, to the "evil" ice cream man.

This one I found when we were packing out of TLF last week...

Technically, not a letter, but still a glimpse into her little soul

And this one she wrote to her one of her bestie's back in Virginia...

Oh, Viv. Be still my heart. 

Mile High Hansons

Early in our marriage a new assignment meant a new baby....

Hallelujah, now it just means a new blog!

Six years...I've been blogging now for six years. Not to toot my own horn, but my first blog, The Good, The Bad, The Wurst, was toot, toot! We had just moved to Kollweiler, Germany and were having the time of our lives traveling the world. Our three years in Germany was filled with once in a lifetime experiences and stories of seeing the world through the eyes of my children.

Three years ago we moved to Alexandria, Virginia and Bolling For Hansons was born. We moved from our little, Germany farming village into a world of beeping and buzzing and constant motion. Together we discovered things like smart phones and Instagram. The kids started traveling in packs, my Volvo was traded in for a minivan, and our adventures became ones in our own backyard.

And that brings me here. Here to our new assignment. Here to our new adventures together. Here to our unknown certainties. Colorado...let's do this.