Aiken

With the cooler temps of fall finally here, we couldn't wait to go camping.  Ashlyn wanted to go with us, but it would have been a 4 hr drive just for her to join us in the mountains. Instead, we agreed to meet in Aiken, SC.

There's just something about getting away for the weekend to hang out with family and the smell of a campfire.  It's good for the soul.  Ashlyn brought along her suture kit since she was still in her surgery rotation.

Right beside us was a 3-mile hiking path.  We couldn't resist.

The next morning as we drove around the city, we came upon a park with another walking path and trail.  There was not rush to get home, so we stopped.

And played....

And played...

And played.  Yes, they are 23 and 13.

Then we found a rock wall and I had to get in on the action!  

One last brief hike on the city trail before we leave.  Aiken is such a beautiful city!

Fall 2020

With school now in session all 5 days a week, things are starting to feel like fall.  I couldn't wait to decorate!  But as we pulled out the decorations, our scarecrow needed a fresh coat of paint.  That was a fun morning project with my little one.  Next year we'll need to do the butternut squash, too.

And speaking of school, one of the few sports we can still enjoy from both the participant and spectator perspective is cross country.  Our little one has really stepped up her pace this year.  She's run on varsity every meet.  Here are the runners just after the gun start.

About halfway in the race, she's trying to catch up and pass to these two in front of her.  Her PR (personal record) so far in the 5K is 24:02!  Way to go!

Vaccine

As a mother of three and the director of a special needs organization, I'm very familiar with the vaccine debate.  It's unfortunate that so much misinformation is spread on social media and within parent circles.  I, for one, advocate for the protection of our children and the human race from debilitating and/or fatal diseases caused by viruses that can be prevented by vaccines.

So, when given the opportunity to participate in a COVID-19 trial, I jumped at the chance.  It's the Moderna mRNA vaccine.  I was given two injections 30 days a part and had a 50/50 chance of the vaccine vs. a placebo.  It's a blind study, so I wasn't told which injection I'd receive.  They gave me a thermometer and ruler to monitor my vitals and an app to document my symptoms.

After the first dose, I had very little reaction.  There was a slight redness and tenderness at the injection site and a little muscle soreness in my left arm.  It reminded me of a tetanus shot.  To remedy, I used 5 lb weights to do some arm exercises so that the serum was distributed quicker.  

After the second dose, the reaction was a bit stronger.  Again there was a little redness and soreness in my arm, but I was expecting that.  Around 26 hours after injection, I experieced a slight fever that never got higher than 99.8℉ with minor chills.  But instead of lasting for days, these symptoms lasted only about 4 hours.  Without taking any medication, I slept fine and woke up feeling great with a normal (for me) temperature of 97.5℉.  No further temp issues or chills were noted.  By the end of Day 2, I felt one of the lymph nodes in my neck was enlarged.  This was a normal reaction for a human body that's exposed to something foreign, but still worth noting on my app.  I'm now convinced I received the vaccine and not the placebo.

Despite the few discomforts experienced with this vaccine, I would much prefer these brief symptoms than 14 days of pure agony that many people have to endure with COVID-19.  I didn't have to miss a day of work, I didn't have to miss a hug/kiss with my family, and I won't have to bear the guilt of exposing (unintentionally) an immunocompromised individual to this devastating virus.  For those reasons, I'm so happy to have been selected to participate.  

While the study is still not complete, early indications give me confidence that this vaccine (or a similar one) will soon be able to protect our loved ones who are most vulnerable.  In the mean time, I plan to continue to wear my mask in public because (1) others don't know I've been vaccinated, and (2) the efficacy of the vaccine has not been finalized.  Prayers for all who have suffered so much from this disease. 🙏

COLA Walk

Before we left Columbia (COLA, for short), Ashlyn and Luke told us about a river park in town.  Ashlyn used to run this with her UofSC running club, and Luke's ROTC unit does their 12-mile ruck here.  We were eager to ditch our masks and get some fresh air.

The morning weather was really nice and perfect for a 4-mile stroll after breakfast.

This sign surprised us a bit, as we're pretty far inland.  Maybe in Charleston, but not Columiba?!!  Keeping our eyes open just in case.

The family seemed to put up with my contstant pictures quite well.

The Spanish moss was gorgeous!

As I tried to capture Ashlyn doing the leprechaun, I also captured Luke pushing his little sister.  Lovely.  

My heart is with these four, and I'm grateful for them every day.

Best way to spend a long holiday weekend...family time.

COVID School

The fall semester is finally underway, albeit quite different than anyone expected.  Our youngest is on a hybrid schedule of 2-days virtual, 2-days in-person.  This cuts the number of students in the school by half so that class sizes are less and the desks can be spread out 6' a part.  Here's her first day of in-person school.

Our oldest started back August 1st with a rotation in family practice.  Instead of going straight to surgery for her second rotation, all med students must quarantine for a week.  So, she got to come home and hang with us.  Here's a nice lunch date with my two sweet girls.

While home on her break, she brought her suture kit to practice her stiches and knot technique.  We all thought it was fun to try, too!

Missing our son, we decided to take a weekend trip to Columbia for family time.  His roomate has all virtual classes this semester, so Luke spends most of his time working out or doing ROTC activities when classes are over.  He welcomed our visit and was happy to play a bit of golf with Eric while the girls did some shopping.

We also stopped by Ashlyn's place in Orangeburg to meet the lady she's renting a room from.  Ms. Patsy is a sweet 90 year old and my new inspiration!  I'd love to have her same energy, conitive ability, and independence when I reach that milestone.  And boy does she love having two med students live with her!  It's a win for everyone!

Bats!

With entertainment options still quite limited, we found ourselves easily amused with our neighbor's bat problem.  At 8:10pm sharp every night, we'd come outside for the show.  

The bats come out of their roof gutter just above the view over our hedges.  

Now in view position, it's show time!  This is our mini-version of the bat cave in Austin. 

The first bats begin to emerge.....  Look for two fuzzy grey blobs along the white siding.  My camera doesn't have a shutter fast enough to capture a clear image.

Two more can be seen here in the sky.  At our peak estimates, we counted 64 bats!

A hawk finally noticed this evening ritual as well, and it now perches atop the roof to catch its prey.

Here's a brief video if you want to watch the live action...

Army ROTC

Our son decided to try Army ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) during his sophomore year at UofSC.  He ended up loving it.  So this week, he committed to serving with the military upon graduation.  

His first choice for a career path is Financial Management and his second choice is Aviation.  The actual career assignment is determined by a ranking system and of course, need.  His performance in acedemics and physical fitness will contribute to an overall cadet score that ranks him among all other cadets across the nation.  The higher your rank, the better chance of getting your first choice.  But with the Army, you still have the possibility of a combat tour or two, so training is essential.  

Some of the requirements before he could commit included a medical evaluation, a basic training camp, and passing a physical fitness test.  Here he is packing the night before his basic training camp.

During the camp, they didn't sleep much.  All cadets had to rotate on night watch.  His time was 1am-1:45am.  Below he's pictured with his "watch" buddy.

With his official signing, I figured it was time to get a shirt and show my support.  His actual deployment(s) in the future will be rough on me, but I'm looking forward to seeing where this leadership opportunity takes him.  

After earning his bachelors degree in finance, he will be sworn in as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army.  Thank you for serving, Luke!  You make me incredibly proud.💝