December

December rolled in beautifully. Well, until we had to leave the house anyway. But I took a moment to appreciate the crisp white contrast to the long grey days.

So, soup made me cry. This meant so much.

Snow Day puzzle. This one had me muttering bad words.

Ty and I had some errands to run the evening before an overnight winter storm rolled through. Ty suggested we make buckeyes while snowed in. That kid has some pretty solid ideas sometimes.

Oliver allows anything Ty does. He barely tolerates the rest of us. 

December 11th provided our second snow day and we weren't at all mad about it. 

Greg and I slipped away to tour the local botanical garden light display. It was the first opportunity we had awake together in two weeks. Life, when you are in safety at Amazon this "most wonderful time of the year" is chaotic at best. It was pretty cold and a gentle snow fell while we walked so we leaned into one another for warmth. The lights were gorgeous and we both loved listening to little ones excited about all they were seeing. Kids, even those we don't know, certainly make the holidays special. As the wind picked up, we elected to head home for warm beverages and drove through a real life snow globe. It was gorgeous. However, we are grateful we chose to leave when we did. Patrons visiting just an hour later were met with slick roads and much colder temperatures. 

No thank you.

My office was covered by employees from other Immediate Care Centers so we could gather as a team for a holiday party at Top Golf. Prior to the event, the only golf club I'd ever touched was at Putt-putt with less than stellar results. Somehow I won two games. I still literally have no idea how. When asked what I was aiming for, I honestly answered, "the ball. I'm just trying to hit the ball." 

I volunteered in Makenna's classroom for the first time to assist with the Christmas party. When Makenna told her class I would be coming, her most devious, but deeply loved student said, "good. I got some things I want to talk to her about." I had a great time putting faces with stories from third grade. They are a spirited bunch and Ms. Baughman has her hands full. She spent the week hosting an underground spirit week for the staff. The kids had to figure out the theme as teachers dressed like students, gave each other the cheese touch, yelled 6-7, threw fidgets and dressed up. Makenna was at one point, met with a pie in the face. She is meeting the challenges of teaching a tough class with a lot of humor. She is also quite relieved to have a two week break to recover from first semester. 

My Bible study group has been down to three of us for a couple of years. We actually call our time together, "B.S." and offer no further comment to curious inquiries. Lana invited me to join her and Laura at a Broadway musical mashup. I asked no questions and agreed it would be a lovely excuse to go downtown to see Christmas lights and enjoy a show. It wasn't until several days later when I asked what everyone was wearing, I learned there would be costumes and middle aged women singing and dancing in the standing room only show. I was WAY out of my element and wanted to find a polite way to bow out. But I decided to stretch myself and went dressed as me, the who will be asking more clarifying questions moving forward. As it turns out, the costumes were only worn by the cast and all ages were represented. It was an absolute blast. We danced for hours and sang along to so many awesome songs from a variety of shows. At one point, the DJ asked if anyone knew High School Musical and I laughed. I was the only one in my group who knew every word. I have my daughters to thank for this. PS. My feet and back ached for days. It was worth it. 

Ty passing the torch. Austin can now also make pizzelles. However, he doesn't like them so he lost interest quickly. 

Christmas Eve Eve and it was 60 degrees. Austin and I hung out while his mom and Dean got the keys to their new home. On a whim, they then rented a U-Haul before Dean went to work. Sisters rallied while Austin and I hiked, toured Christmas lights and rounded up a picnic dinner to consume on the bare dining room floor. The move was completed just after midnight. Sometimes we create our own Christmas miracles. 

On the day Ryan should have turned 22, I covered a shift for a young coworker. I was surprised by my tearfulness throughout the morning yet somehow Kate knew to inquire about my mood. I was honest so my sweet girl grabbed Lauren and came to have lunch with me. Coke and pizza in hand they arrived with laughter and hugs. It was the best distraction, especially when Lauren exclaimed, "oooh germs" on her way into my urgent care center. 

This one requested Ramen with his crab legs.

The hot cocoa bar was a success. 

Countless games were played.

Another handmade gift from Erin. 

At the risk of being considered crazy, I decided to gift everyone with a new pillow this year. Every one of them text their thanks the first night with their bedtime upgrade. It was a good call and fit our "Comfy Cozy Christmas" theme perfectly.

365 days ago, Erin took home Riley's "ruined painting" from our pass the painting game last Christmas Eve. She immediately wrapped it so she could gift it back to him this year. We all roared with laughter at his playful reaction.

Erin made almost all the gifts she gave. This was a beautiful mosaic pencil container for Makenna's classroom.

Erin made a barn quilt for Lauren and Dean's new home.

These two together are a hot mess. Evan brought a fart machine to our Christmas Eve because he knew Austin would love it. Of course he did. Apparently the ape on the shirts is from a YouTube show they watch together. Also, I don't think I've ever seen Evan smile this big for a photo.

The tee shirt represents Truth in Advertising 

We played four rounds of Scattagories on teams and laughed a lot. 

Kate and Riley helped Lauren and Dean move until after midnight on the 23rd and then resumed assisting at 8am on the 24th. They all freshened up in time to make it to our dinner. Everyone was wiped out but Riley was able to sleep through the chaos. 

A Christmas Day walk. No jacket required. Yes please.

Sukhino is my favorite place to escape the stress of my world. I typically just pop in for a half hour in the pain targeting station but extended my visit with the quiet room on New Year's Eve. That blanket was so yummy and the peace? Amazing. 

In reflection, 2025 presented us with so many rich encounters. Dream vacations to Africa, Alaska, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Utah and Hawaii were all taken by different family members. There were job changes for a couple, the loss of pets and both Greg and I lost an uncle this year. We've navigated some health scares and a frightening mental health episode. Therapy was started for a few of us. Relationships both ended and blossomed. A daughter is now engaged. Another just moved into a home with land begging for gardens and livestock. 2025, like all years, was rich with blessing and challenge. When Greg and I note how quickly time has flown, we say, "and then we blinked." This seems fitting as we reflect the events of the past year. There were certainly days that felt long and tough but over all, it's hard to believe how quickly it's gone. We are optimistic 2026 will also stretch us. By contrast, we also know it will give us ample opportunities to experience joy.