WHAT
A
YEAR!
Truly. It feels a little overwhelming to try to put into words what this year has been. Transformative, life altering, wonderful, horrible, full of love, full of sadness.....it has been everything everywhere all at once. I will always look on 2025 as the year of tremendous growth, change, and transition for our family. It has been so good for us......and Im not sad to usher it out.
We started this year as a family of 4 plus 2 dogs and are ending it a family of 6 with 3 dogs. New house, new neighborhoods, new schools, new family dynamic.......WHAT A YEAR. The best way to cover 2025 is to just tackle a few of the highs and lows from each month.
JANUARY
Lily started rehearsals for ALADDIN Jr. as the Captain of the guard Razoul.
Both girls tackled their final semester in Elementary and Junior High
We had a lovely visit from our dear friends Anna and Caleb. It was wonderful and too short.
FEBRUARY
Bethany helped lead a one day yoga retreat and continued to teach 3 to 4 yoga classes every week.
Lily performed 5 shows of ALADDIN JR. We loved watching her perform!
Evie participated in Girls on the Run with her bestie Claire.
Bob continued to Golf, work, and find all sorts of work on the house.
Lily performed (and won) with her show choir at the Showdown in the Desert
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MARCH
Spring break brought a visit from our friend Jenna and a trip for the 3 of us girls to the mountains.
Bob spent most of Spring Break on a golf trip with his Dad.
Evie ran her first 5k with her Dad and best friend.
Bethany got a tattoo to commemorate her YTT 300
Lily and Bethany got to experience Fossil Creek!
Bob got to spend his birthday playing golf and hanging with 3 of his best guy friends.
My Mom got the news that her breast cancer had returned and was growing in her bones.
Bob and Bethany started marriage counseling (its amazing, and everyone should do it)
APRIL
Lily and Bethany met Flat Iron Jim!
Bob, Bethany, and Lily all complete Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon. Successfully navigating down to the river and back. It was a huge win.
Mom was admitted to the hospital where we learned the extent of the cancer. She spent nearly 3 weeks there. She had 5 rounds of radiation and we worked tirelessly to get her out of pain and onto treatment. Meanwhile Kathy (my sister in law) moved in with Dad in the mountains.
We decided to move Mom and Dad in with us.
Evie performed in her elementary choir performance.
Mom and Dad made the choice to sell their mountain home.
Bob and I decided to also sell our home and begin to look at a combined property down in the valley.
Lily went to Disneyland on her show choir tour then 2 weeks later went on her big CLOSE UP trip to the east coast. She toured Philedelphia, DC, and New York with her classmates.
I totalled our beautiful white van we had for 4 years. While Mom and Dad were in the car. Everyone was safe.
MAY
Evie went to SeaWorld with her classmates.
Aunt Jayne came for a visit and Bob and Bethany took a weekend trip in Sedona.
Mom and Dad got a contract on their Vernon property. Kathy, her family, and all the neighbors up there packed up Mom and Dad's entire house!
Bethany and Bob completed the MURPH workout. Bethany met her goal of doing it with a weight vest and Bob tackled his first ever!
We put an offer on a large home in Mesa for all of us and it was accepted.
Lily earns most outstanding Honors English student.
Evie auditions for the show choir in Junior High and makes it. Graduates 6th grade in the process.
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JUNE
Bob and Bethany (and a host of other amazing people including my brother and his family) all make the massive move from the Vernon property to the Valley. Thank the Lord for every person who helped us!
Mom and Dad Close on the Vernon property and we immediately sign documents for our new house!
PLOT TWIST......Title company finds a lawsuit on the previous owner at our new big home during closing. After 48 stressful hours, we cancelled our contract, got our money back, and found our current home on CALVIN. But this put our tight living situation another full month away! God is faithful because we saved 100k and our location is SO MUCH BETTER!
Girls attend church camp
We have a wonderful visit from our dear friends the Matthews.
Bob and I steer HARD into marriage counseling amidst it all.
Evie goes to North Carolina for 2 weeks with the cousins!
All four of us head to FLORIDA for a wonderful DisneyWorld Trip and our first experience at STAR WARS LAND!
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JULY
Lily joins cross country and the ATLAS program at our Crossfit Gym.
Bethany and Bob head to CO for a wedding weekend. It was so much fun to take Bob on a photography trip.
Evie stars in Love of Christs "Agape League" musical.
We move into our new home at 2239 N Calvin. It was a massive effort with so many amazing helpers.
Bob and Bethany work tirelessly to get our Ravine house ready for market.
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AUGUST
Evie starts Junior High and Lily starts HIGH SCHOOL!
Mom gets the good news that the cancer is responding well to treatment!
Derek comes for a visit and it was full of laughter, fun, crossfit, and airplanes.
Mike comes to visit and then takes Papa for a week long trip in TX!
Bob decides to rent our Ravine house as getting an offer is proving difficult.
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Evie starts horseback riding lessons!
Bethany trains with her partner Aindrea for the GGRX comp in October.
All of us adjust to new expenses, new settings, and getting our home running smoothly.
OCTOBER
Evie goes to camp with the Junior High church group
Bethany takes 4th place in the Girls Gone RX Crossfit comp with Aindrea!
Bob, Bethany, and Lily take a trip to COLORADO! We saw St. Mary's Glacier and ate at Beau Jos!
Bob takes a fishing and golfing trip with his Dad
Both girls have their 1st quarter concert!
Lily joins Pickleball Club
Memaw and Papa take a trip out to see our TX Family!
Memaw and Papa bring RJ down from the mountains to be at Charity's ranch for Evie to ride!
Our rental of our old house gets halted due to a permitting issue on our back patio! Never a dull moment. Trusting the process.
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NOVEMBER
Memaw gets the AMAZING news that the Cancer is NOT ACTIVE and the treatment continues to work!
Our permit gets approved now we move in our renters at the beginning of the year!
We celebrate Thanksgiving with a visit from Jayne
Bethany and Bob take a getaway to Monterrey CA for a few days.
Evie works Stage Crew for her schools production of Elf JR!
Bethany turns 43
DECEMBER
We made it here and are celebrating Mom improving day by day and beating the odds. What a gift.
This small glimpse into our year really does only skim the surface of what we have been through. We are celebrating the blessing of family this year and the blessing of a Jesus who never leaves. He has continually showed up over and over again. Making a way where there was none.
"Look I am about to do something new; now it springs forth,
do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:19
We are new and can say with confidence that the LORD makes a way.
Merry Christmas
Know that the God who has brought us through this year
can do immeasurably more for you!
LOVE
Bob, Bethany, Lily, Evie, Sherry, Ross, and Gracie, Ellie, and Sadie.
