2019 Highlights š
I created this 4x6 collage photo with my Project Life app and then opened it in my Rhonna Designs app to add the text. I then printed it at Walgreens near my home. This was supposed to be my Christmas photo this year, since I didnāt create or order a photo card. BUT, all 80 of this prints are still sitting on my kitchen counter and there are exactly ZERO Christmas cards purchased or sent. I did look on Amazon for New Yearās cards but came away uninspired. My goal this weekend is to decideāIām giving myself until Saturday night, to either purchase some kind of card OR throw the prints away, ha!
The thing is, I donāt feel like have a Christmas card photo taken when weāre missing people.
In the meantime, Iād LOVE to wish my blog readers a Happy New Year and recap a few of our 2019 highlights, as pictured above ā¦
Taft, our youngest son graduated from high school. This is a big deal (obviously) for him as the culmination of his public school years, but monumental for me as well because I have driven a well-worn path between my home and Central Valley High School for years. There are so many places that become a part of our stories and then suddenly arenāt anymore. This was an end of an era that began in 2007. Our district is currently building a new high school, closer to us so Addie will attend there. She talks often about 4 brothers who were bears and their little sister who will be a falcon.
Geoff and I celebrated 30 years of marriage. Another big deal. We enjoyed a super FUN trip with our dear friends, Randy & Diane Smith, with whom we traveled to Hawaii in 1999 to celebrate 10 years. Since then we have discussed the amazing places we would go to celebrate our 25th or 30th anniversariesāthe Smiths were married in June, 1989. We attended their weddingāon a date! Anyway, as it turns out Europe or some other exotic destination just isnāt in the cards for either of us right now, so we settled on the convenient and absolutely gorgeous red rocks of Southern Utah. The Smiths drove up from Santa Barbara, CA and stopped to pick us up from the Las Vegas airport.
Trey is currently serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is in the Hermosillo mission in Sonora, Mexico. I LOVE having a missionary out because of the growth they experience and the spirit that resides in our home when we are constantly praying for, thinking about and writing to a missionary. Gratefully, Trey will be home in September!
Addie and I started homeschooling together. I NEVER thought this was something I would doānor did I ever understand WHY someone might choose to homeschool. I just never really paid attention to any of itābut, my sister Darci made the decision about a year and a half ago to homeschool her FIVE children and through her I found myself growing more and more curious. Addie has struggled in school for a long time and in spite of an IEP and the guarantee of great teachers and extra attention and help, I just didnāt feel good about her moving into middle school. I decided last May to go for it and the crazy thing is I LOVE itāand most days, Addie does too.
This family and our complimentary strengths. As my children are growing into adults Iām realizing how truly unique and distinct they are in their personalities. We thoroughly enjoy being together and weāve decided we are really good at escape roomsāitās something about the mix of word and number puzzles and quirky locks and logic and of course the time limit that puts us at our best and allows us to leverage our individual gifts, towards a common goal. Weāve now experienced four different themes or rooms and weāve escaped three timesāonce after we purchased an extra 15 minutes!
We are going to be grandparents. THIS is probably the most exciting highlight of all. In June, when Clark and Lauren came to visitāfor Taftās graduation. Clark walked in wearing a baseball hat backwards. He asked if we had chips and salsa so I ran downstairs to bring some upāwhen I returned, he had turned his hat around and it took me all of about 3 seconds to notice the word, āDaddyā on the front. My reaction was swift and enthusiasticāI AM GOING TO BE A GRANDMA šµš¼ and I couldnāt be more excited. Laurenās due date is January 29th, so stay tuned!
2019 was another year filled with firsts and lasts and too many memories to count. Iām grateful for the BIG milestones and the small momentsāIām ALL in for all of it. This is my TopNine images on Instagram and itās interesting to me how many of the same highlights from in our would-be Christmas care are featured hereāas confirmed by ālikesā on social media.
I think if I had to choose a personal growth highlight it would be starting and sticking with my podcastāI published my 50th episode this morning. Iām teaching online againākind of a dream come true.
Listen to Exactly Enough Time or learn more about my class!
AND, have a š Happy New Year!
