Our Old Ways

The Terrys and Smiths have other plans, so we aren't going to be the pickleball version of ourselves. We're going back to the grazing and pajama versions. Our friends were supportive of the move. 

I would do a play by play, but we really did just eat and laugh and talk. The kids had fun playing games with Todd. 

I'm grateful to have friends that do not require us to entertain. 

AJ and Rebecca

New Year's countdown

Kids near and far...Kassie and Ethan celebrating in Utah

Mathew in Arkansas

Miranda and Anna under the table eating 12 grapes to bring luck for the new year. 

And a surprise visit from Evie, Anna's sweet friend. She walked in the middle of the night, because Anna's phone privileges were revoked for the day. I won't get into it. But I thought that was pretty lovely. 

 Happy New Years! 

Polar Plunge

What better way to start off the new year than with an audacious leap into a wintery lake??

The crazy crew!

   Cheri Knighton, Ross Terry, Carol Gregg, Mark, Faith Higgins, Lauren Terry, Lauren's neighbor & her daughter, Leah Terry

I was happy as a clam holding towels and taking the video!

Can I walk you to the door?

Hey, 2023!

We aren't that sad to see you go. 

You were kind of ...ALOT 

2 car accidents, a knee surgery, 4 car purchases, saying goodbye to Tootsie. 

It wasn't all bad, we weathered some choppy waters with the resident teens, survived our first year as gym owners, somehow managed to by 4 cars without going in to debt, went to our first Crossfit games, Megan started college,  Mathew got a great job, Ethan proposed to Kassie....

We'll celebrate all of that AFTER we kick 2023 to the curb. 

BYEEEE!

Year two of pickleball at the gym!

Megan stopped by for a few minutes before heading over to celebrate with friends. She's all grown!

The adults waned and tried to pretend that it was acceptable to celebrate with New York.

But the young ones were not havin it. 

After we cleaned up the gym, we headed home and poured a glass of sparkling cider just in time to count down for real.

Huzzah!

And somewere in Idaho Mathew rang the new year in with Damian and his family. 

Megan with Wyatt and Devon...

And Ethan with Kassie in Provo. 

oh fine....maybe 2023 wasn't so bad after all. We've got a lot to be grateful for. 

Oh yeah! We own a gym!

If you had a large space all decked out with fun stuff to do and a recently donated pickle ball net, you'd have your New Year's party there too!  No cleaning of the house required.

A fitting end to the year. New stuff with old friends. Happy New Year!

75 Hard

It's not that we don't know better...we really do. a

and yet....

we find ourselves with this

I'm not gonna lie...that looks amazing.

But it doesn't feel amazing. 

So the day after this photo...I walked into the bedroom and Mark said... 

"I just told my brother Mat that I'm going to do 75 hard"

When Mark tells anything to his brothers, it automatically doubles its chance of success. Sisters are supportive. Brothers are brutal...in a supportive way. 

So after mulling it over for the most of the day, I decided to join him. 

My reasons were:

1. I don't like to be left out of things...even sucky things

2. This takes a pretty hefty time commitment. More time together!

3. I'm supposed to meet up with some old friends in March, right about the time this is over...great timing!

4. My jeans are cutting off my circulation

So....for the next 68 days (we're 7 days in!), we will be sticking to a nutrition plan, drinking a gallon of water a day, doing two 45 minute workouts (one has to be outside), reading 10 pages and taking a daily selfie.

The timing was less than ideal..January?? We have been taking a daily frozen walk and visiting this fortuitously placed porta-potty frequently, due to our intense water intake. 

I'll update on our progress later! I have faith in us!

In with the new!!

Mark loves me. 

And so does the universe. 

Because today was one of those perfect days...a summer day in December. And Mark went out and built me a greenhouse bed for my garden. 

The kids mastered the balance beam.

And I planted seeds in the middle of winter. 

Fingers crossed!!

Oh....and we fried up some mozzerella sticks, wrapped bacon around some lil' smokies and said goodbye to 2021. 

See ya!!

New Years 2019

First things first.

Get the bacon wrapped sausages into the oven....

Next...help the youths get ready for the dance.

The three amigos are going as Harry, Ron and Hermione...a decision only reached after much agonizing and dozens of "helpful suggestions" provided by their super smart moms.

Mathew decided on a classic tux look...he can be whoever you want him to be! James Bond? yes! Fred Estaire...you guessed it.

The rest of us settled in for a puzzle. We actually completed this one. That's a first!

We always celebrate Regina's birthday...it can be a real bummer to have your birthday over New Years.

The Guenthers and Flynns were chaperoning the dance, so we had to settle for red party cups instead of their fancy plastic champagne flutes we use every year... so it really had that kegger feel.

Goodbye 2019!!