When Will I Learn?
Maybe the real title of this post should be, “When Will I Learn?”
I spent more than an hour writing this morning and was feeling pretty good about what I had managed to put together. Unfortunately, I was writing directly inside the blog site instead of using Word.
You can probably guess what happened next.
I finished the piece, hit “save draft,” and suddenly a blank screen appeared. Everything I had worked on was gone. Nowhere to be found. I even asked my nerdy, techie husband to rescue it, but it had completely vanished.
Of course, Tracey lovingly reminded me that he had warned me before not to write directly in the blog and to use Word because it autosaves.
Yeah, yeah.
Lesson learned. Maybe.
Realizing We Were Way Behind
As I sat with my hot tea this morning, listening to the rain pour down on the RV, I started thinking about all the adventures we had last year.
Then I opened the blog and realized something.
We are behind.
Not just a little behind.
WAY behind.
Somehow, I left you all in July, and now it is January. Where does the time go? We certainly have not been sitting still, so I decided to use this post to catch everyone up on the second half of 2018.
I do have several individual trip posts started, and hopefully I will get those finished soon so we can share more details and photos from each adventure.
Helping with Cody and Michael’s House
One of the joys of the year was helping Cody and Michael with a few projects at their new house.
The boys took on a tremendous amount of work themselves, often without asking for help, even from people like Tracey who had experience with the projects they were tackling. Watching them learn, work hard, and accomplish things they never thought they could do was wonderful.
They have finally moved in, even without a fully functioning kitchen or bathroom, and they seem to be loving life.
Sometimes a house becomes home long before everything is finished.
Caitlynn’s Skating Season
Caitlynn competed in two ice skating competitions, one in August and one in September.
She finished strong with a first-place and second-place finish!
Even better, she was proud of herself, which does not always come easily during the teenage years. After originally considering stepping away from competition to focus on testing, she is now looking forward to another competition season.
She also took most of December off from skating because of school and finals.
Oh, and she turned 16.
How did that happen?
She received a car for her birthday and is loving her new independence.
We may not be ready, but she certainly is.
Moab with Friends
After Caitlynn’s September competition in Las Vegas, we joined Tracey’s childhood best friend Trevor, his family, and their friends in Moab, Utah, for some RZR riding.
Moab is absolutely stunning.
The scenery is breathtaking, the red rocks are unforgettable, and the adventures are not for the faint of heart.
I will admit that I did not love every part of the riding. In fact, I was scared on some of the trails. I am more of a peaceful trail-ride girl, and this was definitely not that.
Still, we had an incredible time.
The laughter, friendship, and memories made up for every scary moment. I hope to finish that post soon and share photos and videos so you can experience a little of it with us.
doTERRA Convention in Salt Lake City
September also took us to Salt Lake City for the annual doTERRA convention.
Every year, we learn more, connect with friends, meet new people, and come home encouraged. Essential oils and reducing toxins in our home have made a real difference in our family’s health, and we love sharing what we have learned with others.
The convention is always a mix of education, friendship, and inspiration, and it continues to be something we look forward to each year.
A Baptism We Will Never Forget
The final weekend of September brought one of the greatest blessings of the year.
On Saturday, September 29, Caitlynn made the biggest decision of her life and was baptized at Compass Christian Church by Pastor Lisa Spidle.
This was something we had prayed for, and in God’s perfect timing, we were able to witness that prayer answered.
Congratulations, Caitlynn.
What a beautiful moment for our family.
Hunting Season in Arizona
October brought hunting season in Arizona, and Tracey headed north for another elk hunt.
Unfortunately, the elk did not cooperate.
After several days without seeing any animals or even signs of animals, he decided to head home earlier than planned. This was his second elk hunt with friends who hunt very differently than he is used to, and he has decided that style just is not for him.
The good news?
He was able to try out our new-to-us toy hauler, and it worked perfectly for hunting.
He and his brother are already making plans for 2019, which may take them to Nebraska.
Fall Break and Family Time
While Tracey was away, Caitlynn and I spent fall break at home.
There were mini projects, lots of skating, and plenty of shopping.
Maybe that is the real reason Tracey came home early!
We also enjoyed dinner with friends who live only a few miles away, even though our schedules rarely seem to line up. It was wonderful catching up with Mark and Susanna and sharing plenty of laughs.
Celebrating 60 Years of Marriage
October also gave us the chance to celebrate something truly special.
Tracey’s parents, Jerry and Ellie, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.
We hosted a surprise anniversary dinner, and Tracey’s sister Melanie prepared and served a beautiful multi-course meal. Tracey paired each course with a special wine from our collection.
Jerry and Ellie’s longtime friends, Tom and Marg, flew in from Nebraska to celebrate with them. Having them stay with us was such a blessing, and the whole family enjoyed catching up.
We hope to get Jerry and Ellie back to Nebraska in 2019 to visit Tom and Marg, along with other family and friends still there.
A Pathfinder Summit at Church
The final weekend of October, we were blessed to attend a Pathfinder Summit at our church.
It was incredible to reflect on how long we have been part of this church family and to see how far God has brought us.
When I think back to where the church was more than 20 years ago, where it is today, and where it is heading, I am overwhelmed with gratitude.
We are not just watching from the sidelines.
We are part of it.
And that is a beautiful thing.
Love God. Love people. Share Jesus.
Las Vegas with Friends
In November, we found ourselves in Las Vegas with our BFFs, Robert and Michelle.
I am not sure they knew we called them our BFFs, but they do now.
We do so much life with them. We travel together, laugh together, and walk through both the good and hard parts of life together.
The guys headed to Vegas first to play in an In-N-Out Burger golf tournament. They had already played in the Phoenix tournament, and along the way to Vegas, they stopped in Bullhead City to play golf with Michelle’s dad.
After the tournament, Michelle and I joined them for a few days of rest, relaxation, fun, and friendship.
Thanksgiving at Home
We spent Thanksgiving at home with some of Tracey’s family…..We ate, drank, played games, and laughed. We are so blessed to have family close by and to be able to gather together.
The rest of the weekend was spent trying to get ahead on Christmas decorating.
Of course, no matter how early we start, we still seem to end up asking ourselves, “Is it even worth putting these up now?”
The final weekend of November, we attended the wedding of our dear friends Robert and Chrissy. It was a beautiful ceremony, and we were honored to be included.
December Surprises
December brought a mix of changed plans and unexpected blessings.
We had to cancel a planned trip to Sedona with Robert and Michelle due to unforeseen circumstances, but we are sure it will make its way back onto the calendar eventually.
Tracey and I also ran off to Mexico mid-week to check on the remodel of our condo. We loved what we saw and cannot wait to share the finished result.
Pictures will be coming soon.
We also enjoyed an impromptu breakfast with our friend Laura, who was visiting from Napa for her niece’s wedding. We were grateful to steal a few hours of laughter and catching up with her.
Christmas with the Hayden Family
On Christmas Eve, we hosted the entire Hayden family, along with two of our kids.
The house was full, with ages ranging from a few weeks old to family members in their 80s. We celebrated the Hayden family tradition of soup night, enjoyed drinks, sang songs, played games, and laughed late into the evening.
After everyone headed home, Cody and Michael stayed, and we exchanged gifts together.
We love having the kids around, even if it sometimes feels like only for a minute or two.
Ending the Year in Texas
We ended the year celebrating a second Christmas and New Year’s in Texas with Chris, Rachel, and the girls.
As we look back, one thing is clear.
Time with family and friends matters most.
We did not manage to get Christmas cards out this year, and we cut back on gifts. But we are learning more and more that time together is the greatest gift we can offer.
We would love to spend time with each and every one of you. Do not let too much time pass. We never know what tomorrow may bring.
Looking Ahead to 2019
As we look toward 2019, our travel radar already includes Virginia, Nebraska, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, Mexico, and of course, many trips to Texas.
If we cannot make it to you, know that our door is always open, even when we are not home!
We love having company, and we love when the people we care about join us on our journeys.
God bless, and we hope to see you soon.