Happy New Year!

Welcome 2026! At the end of each year (for the past three years anyway), Jeff and I take some time to reflect on the fun memories and even mundane moments of the year that we are saying goodbye to. We go out to dinner, review the blog, then head to Walmart where we split up and pick an item that represents something that happened each month of the year (for a total of 12 items). We then meet back together and try to guess what items correspond to which month. Jeff usually wins. He is pretty creative (maybe even borderline obscure) when he picks the items. I guess I'm a little more straightforward. Regardless, I love this little date. I love the opportunity to reflect on the waning year. We have had a pretty awesome year! We welcomed Audrey and Ava into the family, Danny returned from his mission, went on a couple of pretty epic trips, and still enjoyed our traditional family vacations and traditions. This year has also humbled us in different ways. The business wasn't as booming as in past years. We've had to learn how to navigate a growing family with added opinions and expectations. We are acutely aware of our own mortality as our bodies age and our endless dependence on our Savior's grace as we fumble through the mistakes of life. We are also keenly mindful of His guiding love as our children face different choices and struggles. I think I have been more aware of His grace and love in my life. I can't do this life without Him. When I feel misunderstood, I know He gets it. When I feel under appreciated or unrecognized, I know He sees me. When I feel like I am constantly falling short, I know He sees my efforts...and that's enough. 

The days leading up to the New Year were pretty chill. The holiday hustle and bustle was winding down. People returned to work, houses were cleaned, decorations were put away, and Jonas was bored! Haha! He has enjoyed playing the Xbox while I was doing all the other stuff, and I would play some of his board/card games with him when I wasn't working on cleaning or organizing things. Thankfully, he got to cash in on his Mammoth hockey game Christmas gift on Monday, December 29th. Jeff, Jonas, and I got to see the Mammoth play the Nashville Predators. I think I like hockey! There was never a dull moment. The crowd was fun and the game was fast-paced. The Mammoth were ahead until the last minutes in the last period. Jonas was pretty disappointed they lost, but we all had fun overall.

Tuesday, December 30th, I took Jonas to Lowe's Xtreme AirSports. We actually had to go get his allergy shot (only a few more to go!) and this was the incentive for afterward. We spent a couple of hours there as he jumped, flipped, climbed, and expended all his pent up energy. 

New Years Eve landed on a Wednesday. The Irons were FINALLY feeling good enough to join us for our festivities; however, they decided to skip out on the chicken harvesting portion of the morning. Yup...some of the creatures on our property didn't live to see 2026. The boys got to work harvesting 13 chickens. Even Beau helped...well, he wandered around and tried to feed the cows. 

That evening, everyone (minus Dallin and Audrey who spent New Years Eve with her family, but joined us in the evening on New Years Day) gathered for our New Years celebrations. We enjoyed a charcuterie dinner, a little photo shoot, then headed back to the church for another epic Nerf war. This was so fun last year that we decided to repeat it. While the boys battled in the classrooms and hallways, us girls played card games in the nursery room while the kiddos played with the toys. Finally, we headed back to the house where we had an early New Years celebration with sparklers and "crackers". We had a toast with the kiddos then Laurin and Casey headed home and Danny headed to another party. Jacob and Amber stayed the night again and played video games with Jonas and Dad. I, on the other hand, had an unfortunate little injury. I wish I had a spectacular story to explain what happened, but I simply squatted to pick up some toys then twisted to see something when what we now assume was my IT band snapped over my knee. It was excruciating! I couldn't put any weight on that leg. I ended 2025 in tears and desperation. Thankfully, after a very long night of pain and worry, I decided to extend my leg in the early morning hours of 2026. My muscles had relaxed and weren't so guarded, which allowed my IT band to move back into place. I felt a "thunk" and almost immediate relief. I was able to put pressure on it. I was flooded with relief (and exhaustion). I really hope there's not some subtle metaphor foreshadowing what 2026 will be like. Fortunately, the first day of 2026 did not have any pain or desperation. The Irons, Dallin, and Audrey met back up with us that evening and we again returned to the church for another round of Nerf wars, card games, and play. In some ways, I wondered if I needed to have done more to celebrate. Should I have made up some fun minute-to-win-it type games? Should I have had more or different food options? Yet, in the end, everyone gathered anyway and everyone seemed to have fun. Yes, I'm sure those ideas would have been fun, but as long as we're together, we find fun. And besides, sometimes simplicity is the right answer.

Amber, Jacob, and Beau finally returned home on Friday, December 2nd, but the Irons, Dallin, and Audrey came back over to join us for more fun. I think the Irons were done just chilling! They were finally feeling better and wanted to make up for being sick. We even got to break out Carter's birthday cake (which they didn't eat) and sing happy birthday to him. Laurin even made some yummy cinnamon rolls at Jonas's request (like we needed more sugar) then we headed to The Hive in Spanish Fork to play. 

I can't wait to see what 2026 will bring! (Hopefully, no more random injuries!) Each year opens itself up to endless possibilities. I think that's what I appreciate most about the holiday season. It provide me a reason to reflect on all the things I'm grateful for, all the things that have happened, and it brings the anticipation of good things to come. While I hope it will all be sunshine and rainbows, I know hard things will happen. I know there will be disappointments, hurts, tears, etc., but as long as we have each other, it will continue to be our best year yet!