The Year

My Top 9

2025 has been a great year! I probably say that every year, but I have loved all the experiences we've been able to share so much.

-We visited 9 states this year; Florida, Georgia, Nevada for Grammy's birthday, boys trip to Idaho, girls trip to Oregon, visited Josh in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Delaware. Delaware was the only new one I'd never been to before.

-Plus another girls trip to Logan, a sibs trip to Park City and an overnight trip to Salt Lake City with Kyle.

-I went on 14 hikes; Sand Caves 1.2miles, Kanab Dinosaur Tracks 1.2miles, Red Hollow Slot Canyon 1mile, Bridal Veil Falls, Paul Bunyan's Woodpile 1.5miles, Buffalo Peak 1mile, Donut Falls 1.5miles, Stewart Falls 3.1miles, Gloria Falls 2.3miles, Moonshine Arch 1.5miles, Bald Mountain Trail 2.7miles, Munson Falls .5miles, to see the Tillamook Lighthouse from Indian Beach and the Eagle Mountain Prayer Flags.

-We went on  8 temple dates, including the Syracuse Temple open house.

-We went on 6 camping trips; Kanab, Scofield, Flaming Gorge, Uintas, Joe's Valley and Kyle and Kasen went on the deer hunt. Kanab and Joe's Valley were both new places this year.

-I ran 5 races this year, 2 with Kasen AND the sisters 5K that I made a goal to make happen!

-I read 53 books this year, 6 were audio books (not including to the entire series of A Series of Unfortunate Events and Summer of the Monkeys that I've listened to in the car with the kids).

-We saw 6 movies in theaters; Dogman, Minecraft, How to Train Your Dragon, Freakier Friday, Wicked and Zootopia 2. Plus the 2 shows Kyle and I went to; The Prince of Egypt and Michael Jackson One and the John Williams laser light show I took Kasen to see. Tai got to see Cinderella with me and Frozen with Kyle too.

-Kasen, Tai and Kohen all got to play basketball this year, Kohen graduated preschool and started kindergarten and Kolt is pretty much potty trained!

-Kohen got to go to Monster Truck Jam and loved it, Kasen went on the deer hunt for the first time and Tai got to go to General Conference for the first time. The last one President Nelson spoke at before he passed away.

-Kasen did great in the Lion King and he and Tai will both be in Seussical next March. They are both still doing piano, LEGO League, both entered the Reflections art contest and both received awards of excellence for their submissions. Tai moved on to level 2 in her tumbling class.

-Kyle passed his Sergeant's exam and will most likely be promoted next year!

-I gave away 15 loaves of sourdough bread. I always make 2 at a time and most of the time I give the second one away.

-We got family pictures WITH Kolt in them up on the wall. First ones with our whole family together and it makes me so happy to see them.

-We finished reading the Book of Mormon together! Tai also chose to fast every fast Sunday this year and I'm so proud of her.

- I reached the 2025 goals I made to visit Josh, run a 5K with my sisters, camp in a new county, and get family pictures taken. Yay!

And I always learn a lot each year too:

1. Do not set heating lamps on plastic things or fleece blankets.
2. If a toe nail turns purple then it takes about 5 months after that for it to fall off completely.
3. How to make sourdough bread and that inclusions are hard to distribute evenly.
4. Throwing up in the car is not just a sign of mere motion sickness. It is also a sign of the most contagious flu to ever hit Ponderosa Grove Campground. 
5. Unfortunately, it is not illegal to deface man made rock formations.
6. Avocados will ripen in a day if they're put inside a brown paper bag with a banana.
7. It IS possible for my phone screen to crack, but really it's just the screen protector and they are only $10 to replace.
8. We still don't know which sunflower seeds to plant for medium sized sunflowers.
9. Always assemble a Costco shed on a level surface as suggested.
10. Do not continue a water fight in newly tie dyed shirts.
11. A Relief Society Presidency cannot effectively be the service coordinator and activities committee also.
12. How to use Canva.
13. How to manually open and close a garage door, that it costs $456.66 to replace a garage door spring and that both springs have to be replaced at the same time.
14. The joy of having a back deck that doesn't give kids splinters.
15. How to smoke burgers on the Traeger all by myself. 
16. Tai LOVES roller coasters and has yet to find a ride she will not ride twice.
17. What it is like to ride an E-bike.
18. My hiking boots are not water proof.
19. It takes a couple days, but Kasen can get up on water skis!
20. How to tow both a 5th wheel trailer and a boat.
21. A toddler's head is strong enough to dent the metal beading on the corner of a wall, if hit enough times.
22. What it's like to have a kid in full day kindergarten instead of half day.
23. I can find sand dollars at Rockaway Beach, OR!
24. Where you actually have to go in order to be able to see the Tillamook Lighthouse.
25. When Bellatrix gets out of her cage, luckily she doesn't go very far.
26. The wolf dog that lives at 3572 Flower bites.
27. Always start boys haircuts on the side vs. right down the middle, in case you are using the wrong clipper length.
28. Do not try the soften/melt butter in glass measuring cups. It will explode.
29. Crock pots can last almost 14 years before they start cracking and leaking.
30. It takes our family almost 3 years to read the Book of Mormon together.
31. According to Mountain America Credit Union, it is impossible to add a business account to a living trust...
32. Philly Cheese Steaks are not in fact made with Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
33. Riding the Staten Island Ferry is free and going to the top of the Empire State Building makes your ears pop.
34. How to actually be able to see my year in books on Goodreads.

CHEERS to 2025!