Blended family time
Adam Reynolds
Before the rising sun cuts through autumn’s morning chill the Hale household is abuzz with activity. Everyone has somewhere to go.
Steve and Andrea are off to work. Their daughter, Annika, bundles her two girls, Audrey and Adeline, for pre-school and day care, then heads into Elizabethtown for a day of work and study.
All too brief, this gathering is one of the rare moments during the week the family is together.
Urged by her parents, Annika moved in to their country home in Meade County allowing her to study and work part time. With her full schedule there are days when Annika doesn’t return home until after midnight.
Fortunately, Annika’s parents have been there at every step, supporting her and looking after their granddaughters with all of the doting affection expected from grandparents.
On Saturday morning the family once again gets together. Now they are able to relax and share each others company over a leisurely breakfast. Naturally, it’s their favorite part of the week.
“My girls need the world,” Annika declared.
Adeline's morning routine involves lots of hugs and kisses from her mother, Annika Hale, and a good deal of prodding to get her up and ready for the day.
At such an early hour, getting her daughters to pre-school and day care is a neverending challenge for Annika Hale.
Annika Hale's two daughters attend the Storyland Day School in Vine Grove while she is working and studying in Elizabethtown.
One of Annika Hale's duties during the second shift at the North Hardin Health and Rehabilitation Center in Radcliff is delivering dinner to residents.
Annika Hale assists Anna Matthews, a resident at the North Hardin Health and Rehabilitation Center, into her bed.
Annika Hale is a student at Elizabethtown Technical and Community College where she is studying to become a nurse. On top of classes, she works part time as a certified nursing assistant at an assisted living home in Radcliff and is raising two young daughters.
Annika Hale is a student at Elizabethtown Technical and Community College where she is studying to become a nurse. On top of classes, she works part time as a certified nursing assistant at an assisted living home in Radcliff and is raising two young daughters.
The Brine sisters, 4-year-old Audrey and 2-year-old Adeline, play in their grandparents' backyard.
Annika Hale's German-born mother, Andrea, far left, makes sure the family is well-fed every Saturday morning with a traditional German spread.