2024 Year Review

 Despite the fact that 2024 had so many beautiful, wonderful things, it was also kind of a hard year in other ways. The kind of ways that you don't usually post on a blog or put out into the void of the world. When I have been looking back on this year, it kind of has this dark shade over it, so I am going to make this post to focus on all the good and to remind myself of that. 

We had so many family adventures!

We got to go to Disneyland in the rain and sun:

 See the monarch migration and the beach,

And explore Death Valley!

We roadtripped to Texas for Spring break and did so many fun things-

 But the highlight was seeing the total solar eclipse! 

We got to go with friends to the small town of Antimony and visit nearby Bryce Canyon NP. 

We got a pop up tent trailer and did several camping trips as well and hikes. 

Buck also took each kid on their own overnight camping trip. 

And we had a big camping trip with Buck's family by Yellowstone. 

And a true highlight for sure was our trip to Hawaii with my family. 

We also went to many plays together with the kids at Hale Center theater in Orem, and we also had the highlight of seeing my dad as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof and my niece Ginny in the Little Mermaid! We also took Hazel and June to Hamiton! 

We got 50% on my year goal of a service project together every month. We raised money for books to Africa, helped take easter baskets to refugees, passed out flowers to strangers at the store, cleaned up litter for earth day, I had the kids help me at an event for my non profit, we left flowers on unattended graves in the cemetery, and then we made dinner and donated it to a local women's and children's shelter. And then.... I fell off the band wagon I guess! haha 

Buck and I also went on a fun trip on a Mexican cruise with other couple friends. 

And we did a weekend getaway for Buck's 40th to Moab and explored Arches National Park. 

We went to all the Hale plays and were contestants on the Price is Right show. 

We enjoyed many game nights with friends

And staying Overnight for our anniversary and breaking things in a "smash it" room- 

The kids did many fun things too! They have been taking horse lessons, and now Rose is taking Irish dance lessons as well as Hazel, who has been doing it for a few years now. Hazel also did a couple competitions. Johnny did basketball and T-ball. June started voice lessons and learned some viola in orchestra. She switched to a charter school in the fall and has been doing great! She got to be on her Shakespeare competition team and got a lead roll for their school play! (but the play happens this year at the end of the month.) Hazel does the school choir as well and they even got to sing the National Anthem at a local hockey game. Hazel and Rose also take art classes from a neighbor. Hazel also took a sewing class from a neighbor for a few months! (that girl loves to learn new things!) Johnny also did some swimming lessons back at the beginning of the year.

We fully celebrated every holiday!

And birthdays!

We lived up the seasons as well.
In the Winter we did sledding and built snow men.

In spring we saw baby animals and went to the tulip festival:

Summer was full with swimming, kayaking, going to Lagoon, the rodeo, the carnival and a drive inn movie!

Fall was packed with a corn maze festival, raspberry picking, and the scarecrow festival.

Winta lived at home with us again for a few months

And Alonab turned two and Haben ended the year with passing her citizen test!

Some personal things for me:

I ventured into the world of winter hikes and really loved it! 

I went skiing for the first time ever and it was really scary but I didn't give up!

I sprained my ankle really badly at the beginning of June, in fact it's still not fully healed. So that made it hard to do as many hikes this year but I still got a few in plus a fall bike ride.

I enjoyed my calling in church as activity days leader for the girls group and I also got called as Girl's camp photographer so I got to spend the week at girls camp with June. I am also now on the activity committee for Relief society. 

I had a few events for my non profit, Your Light International, and that felt really good! I also took a lot more jobs for photography as well. 

I continued to work out every week and I am working on a lot of things to help my Hashimotos and ADHD currently. 

I have enjoyed the year still singing with the Larks. 

I got to go on two different girls's weekends with different friends. And a fun day trip adventure down to some hot springs a couple hours away. 

I also went to my 20 year high school reunion and I don't regret it but I also don't think I'll go again. 

And of course my big trip to visit my friend in the Netherlands! That will be a highlight in life for ever. 

Buck continues to work so hard for the family. He has taken up a new passion for hockey and continues to love games but took new interest in dungeons and dragons this year as well. He continues to dive deep into gospel studies also and enjoys his calling as a Sunday school teacher for the youth. He loves to camp and got to do lots of camping with his new camper trailer this year as well. 

Phew! That was A LOT. We packed in so many wonderful memories and I'll be honest, making this post, as it took me a week of coming back again and again to find photos and finish it, really did lighten the darker view I had carrying over into this new year. There were hard things but holy smokes! It was a wonderful year as well! I am grateful for it all, the good and the bad. I can't even wrap my mind around it all, how so much can be in one year. We are so fortunate and I hope I never lose that perspective and can find ways to give back to others. Here's to 2025- may it be a year of focusing on what matters most!