Last week our Christmas travels brought us through our nation’s capital. We normally do everything humanly possible to move quickly around D.C. We travel at strange times. We explore alternate routes that avoid the giant D.C. parking lot, otherwise known as The Beltway. Today, however, we were tourists who lingered. From sunrise to sunset we...
The Heistand family is keeping the tooth fairy busy these days. Haines got knocked at pre-school (I’m sure he helped instigate the wrestling match) and discovered two loose teeth. Clement and Mason tried their best to pull the loosest one, but dad prevailed. As you can see below, Haines is a brave soul to allow...
Dad worked up a great surprise for mom this year: He figured out a way to secretly get all three sons home to celebrate mom’s birthday. Here’s the family meal he pulled off behind her back. Way to set a high bar dad.
Cue the Burl Ives and step into a North Carolina Christmas tradition. We are fortunate to live in the “Christmas tree capital of the world.” Our farmers don’t grow corn. They grow Fraser Fir Christmas trees and export them all over the country. Boone is bustling with vacationers who have come to cut their own...
I’m a breakfast guy. When we lived in Russia, one of the more challenging aspects was the lack of breakfast culture. Tea, fatty meat, and black bread just didn’t do it for me. Mason made the most of last night’s french bread, producing syrupy smiles all around. And yes, I have a sweet tooth.
With the High Country’s first heavy frost came the last of Clement’s soccer games. The boys bundled in cotton layers and took to the soccer field in their modified swarm, always hovering near the ball. The sun finally warmed things up and our boys finished with a strong win. Trophies all around.
48 hrs without kids in Asheville. Thanks Carolyn, Charlie, Sara, Todd, and Jessica for watching our boys and helping us decompress and re-focus on our marriage. It’s funny how walks in the rain are pure drudgery with kids, but when you’re with your beautiful bride…pure joy. Location: Blue Ridge Parkway near Mt. Pisgah
It began with a few Episcopalians selling their crafts and baked goods in a modest apple barn in 1979. The Valle Crucis Country Fair is now a full blown spectacle of 100′s of craftspeople and tens of thousands of visitors. Vendors set up well before dawn and miles of cars begin lining up along Hwy...
Clement turned 8 today and began his birthday celebration with a soccer match. The Animals played hard but were outmatched by their opponents.
It’s raining cats and dogs today, but nothing will keep Haines from his first day of school in Pre-K.
