January

I entered the new year drowning in congestion; my expectation of winter rest fulfilled. I slept through the first four days of the new year yet craved movement as the fog lifted. So I copied my friend Anne and ordered snow pants for warmer winter walks. Game changer. But while I slept, Greg, Makenna, Kate and Ty visited Greg's parents. The laughter from their road trip landed in my room upon their return. It is unanimous, the Baughman grandparents are far more entertaining with a little dementia. This sounds harsh, but it's so true. They have dropped their guard and have also apparently lost their filters too. Jaws were dropped and giggles escaped as Grandma popped off and Grandpa confessed to childhood shenanigans. Everyone loved their time together. The more serious side of the changes in both Dale and Carol means some tough decisions need to be made in the near future. Due to proximity, this has been predominantly shouldered by Greg's brother. We are navigating how to be more supportive without stepping on toes. So Greg and I slipped back up there a week later because I also needed to hug Kristin. Her accident gave us the perfect excuse to check back in on them so soon. Kristin is quite the team player. In all seriousness, she is recovering well and our visit opened the door to some additional communication between Greg and his brother. 

Due to illnesses in both of our homes, it took a few weeks but we got to keep Austin for an afternoon. Greg won the slot car track at work last month and couldn't wait to build it with our favorite human.

Erin resumed Soup Sundays. Having all my girls and their significant others gathered around bread and warm bowls makes my heart so happy. The stories shared often shock, usually entertain and sometimes make me wonder where the heck I was during their teen years. Somehow we have entered the age of unlimited confessions and I'm not sure I love it. They clearly like watching my face as they fess up to adolescent behaviors. I am somewhat grateful Ty decides to remain at home most Soup Sundays. He needs none of their dialogue. 

Excuse me, sir. Why does the guest bed look like we have actual guests sleeping here?

Ty reached out one morning about a teacher texting under the giant note he'd written on the board, "NO PHONES ALLOWED." Typically I see Ty as being about 99% his father's child. But then he surprises me. That observation is absolutely the kind of thing that amuses me. He knew who would appreciate the irony. 

We were having some feelings about the weather.

Greg lost his job on the 480th day of January. There simply are no words. However, the next morning, my first patient of the day told me his wife died thirteen months prior and I cried; the line between empathy and crazy clearly crossed. I excused myself and asked my manager for a moment. She met me with grace and sent me home to regroup. I'm grateful. I did not handle this particular blow well. I met it with childish demands of "enough already" for several days before pulling myself together. I didn't want to be strong, resilient or optimistic. I just want it to stop. But here we are, none the less. And once again, I am putting one exhausted foot in front of the other while analyzing our finances and trying to hold our family together.

Third grade is brutal, ya'll. However, she fully embraces the joy of it all. Here she is celebrating the 100th day of school with her work bestie.

My sweet friend, Kristil is moving to southern Indiana! I was able to join her on the final tour of her favorite houses and then introduce her to the area. In February, she will live within twenty-five minutes of me for the first time since 2006. 

My dad worked on a new shot for a few weeks. This one blew me away. Check out his blog, if so inclined. But seriously, how impressive is this?

My parents have been given the opportunity to serve the unhoused in their community every Thursday. Upon hearing about their new friends, I started knitting scarves for cold weather comfort. I hope they feel seen. I asked a fabric and yarn collecting friend for donations and she came through big time. Snowy weekends and quiet moments at work have been met with the click of my needles. Busy hands settle my noisy brain.

A winter storm rolled through most of the country. Grocery stores were cleared of all essentials and people once again lost their collective minds. I took a nap instead of joining the mayhem and Diesel fully approved, especially when I moved so he could get more cozy.

I used the guest room for calming breaths during a snow storm and watched a neighbor care for others as he cleared one driveway after another with his snowblower. It was a visual reminder that while it feels as if the world is imploding, there are still very decent humans on the planet making a difference.

The kids missed school the entire last week of January due to the weather. They all have makeup days coming in the spring. So far, our family has no complaints. Greg and Ty were cozy at home and I was miraculously scheduled around the severe weather, so my commute was no more challenging than usual. It was stupid cold, but the roads I traveled were clear.

All pets love snow days.

A breath prayer for this season:

Inhale: Hope can see in the dark.

Exhale: Give us eyes to see what is good.

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.