2009's Five Questions With The Hills Family

Henry, 7 years old, 2nd Grade
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do with your free time (before school, after school and on weekends)?
A: “Well, what I do like to do is draw. What else? Is to play with my Bakugans and Bionicles. I like to watch TV, like Backyardigans, Inspector Gadget, and Popeye. I also like to play with my string.” (Cat's Cradle)

Q: What are some things you like about school? What are some activities with which you are involved?
A: “I really like Art because we do all sorts of fun activities, like yarn paintings. This week and next week we’ll have an outer space theme in Art! I really like Music, too. I’m involved with Cub Scouts, and Team Kid at church.”

Q: What are some of your favorite books? Why?
A: “I really like “choose your own adventure” books. I’m reading right now You Are Invisible. After I’m done I’m going to write a book just like it. I also like Captain Underpants books.”

Q: What are some of your favorite memories from this past year?
A: “I really liked our class trip “Sleigh Ride Around the World” and my birthday party – making our own pizza in a real restaurant’s kitchen. I also really liked everyone shaking my hand after I told the church I asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins and to live in my heart.”

Q: What would you like to do in 2010?
A: “I’d really like to learn how to become a chemist. I’d also like to go to the Science Center” (in Baltimore, again).


Katie, 4 years old
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do with your free time?
A: “I love to wash the dishes. I love to go on the computer to Wiggie my Pooh.com. I love to watch Princesses and Dora on TV. I love my birdies. And I love my mama.” (Washing the dishes is news to me!)

Q: What are some things you like to do at home? What are some other things you do?
A: “Play Candy Land, I love drawing and drawing nice pictures. I like to go to Team Kid.”

Q: What are some of your favorite books? Why?
A: “My favorite book is Plutis, because I go on the big girl pot now.” (Katie’s talking about Once Upon a Potty. The main character is Prudence, or “Plutis” the way Kate says it.)

Q: What are some of your favorite memories from this past year?
A: “I loved seeing Jessica and Juliana.”

Q: What would you like to do in 2010?
A: “I’d love to go outside.”


Derek, Senior Estimator, PHB, Inc.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do with your free time?
A: Free time? Sorry. Can’t remember what that is. If I really want to do something (like go for a run) I usually have to plan ahead. This past year, I’ve enjoyed quite a bit of running. I’ve been able to slip out for an hour at lunch, and have managed to pull off quite a few super-early am long runs. I don’t appreciate it so much when the alarm goes off at 2:00 am, but it’s a blast about an hour into it.

Q: What are some things you like about life right now? What are some activities with which you are involved?
A: I’m in the calm before the storm. Law school starts next month, so I’ve been doing quite a bit of preparation for that. Looking forward to the challenge, but it’s easy to get anxious.

Q: What are some of your favorite books? Why?
A: I’ve been enjoying a number of great biographies about Jefferson, Washington, Samuel Adams. It’s great to try and re-learn some foundational history when you’re not forced to do so in a high school Civics course.

Q: What are some of your favorite memories from this past year?
A: The recent trip home to Boston was great. Always great getting together with family, and catching up with those we rarely get to see. Completing my first 100 miler was fun. Weird to say that with a straight face. But the whole experience was everything it was supposed to be—perfect weather, lots of great friends, pain, hallucinations. The second attempt was intense…a real challenge. Just glad I didn’t end up bear fodder. Finally, Sue and I enjoyed a weekend in and around Culpepper, VA in August. Perfect weather, great scenery, good company—all around great mini-weekend away.

Q: What would you like to do in 2010?
A: Survive 1L. Seriously.

Susan, CFO, COO, Hills Corp.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to do with your free time?
A: My favorite things to do still include spending time with friends and family. I was fortunate enough to see friends at Good Counsel’s reunion in September, and friends Rebekah, Chris and Kevin in MN in June, and Jenn and Valerie in Philadelphia. We’re fortunate enough to see my folks every other month or so and Derek’s mom twice a year. We had a great time in November with his family.

Q: What are some things you like about life right now? What are some activities with which you are involved?
A: I continue to be involved with MOPS as the finance gal, and I help, however little, in Henry’s classroom and with Cub Scouts. I enjoy being home with Katie and watching her grow. We decided to keep her home from preschool this year since next year will be five half days a week and I’ll miss her - She’s my little helper. Life has been good this year, our family seems strong and we’ll need that with the changes coming up – Derek starting school and me starting to look for some kind of employment…

Q: What are some of your favorite books? Why?
A: Even though I wrote the questions, this seems a little unfair since I rarely read. I have been reading a book Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. He is a thought provoking, put-your-faith-in-action kind of writer. He is able to take non-religious situations or topics and find spiritual insight, allowing us to see Jesus in a new, more personal, ‘God loves us like mad and Jesus came to explain that’ kind of way. I’m looking forward to finishing it and reading more of his stuff.

Q: What are some of your favorite memories from this past year?
A: As mentioned, time with fam and friends: our first time camping in April; My mom’s 70th bday party; our annual pilgrimage to MA to be with Derek’s fam; Henry losing five teeth and starting to get his two front teeth; Katie and I being able to be home; and certainly not least, time with Derek in Culpepper and then his being accepted into law school. Oh, and some fun times with friends and scrapbooking, baby!

Q: What would you like to do in 2010?
A: I’d love to be able to balance our family’s continuing and Derek’s new school needs, and to hopefully land some kind of job that would work with this gotta-be-flexible schedule. Of course, visiting with friends and family are always tops on my wish list. I would also like to be able to live and talk about my faith more freely and from greater personal experience. God is so gracious, merciful and patient with everyone, including me, thankfully! Oh, and to start exercising. Let's hope all that happens. :)