Whew—another whirlwind year in the books!
Since adopting Finn last year, Cole was adamant that he needed a sister. We finally decided we’d be ready to explore options after returning from Kauai in July. It seemed like fate when I received a text from Finn’s breeder as we were packing up to head home, saying they had a new litter and asking if we were interested. One look at Poppy and we were sold. While they share the same parents, that’s about where the similarities stop—Finn is cool, calm, and collected (a bit of an old soul), while Poppy is more of a bull in a china shop who gets what she wants when she wants it. They love each other dearly and can usually be found either playing or snuggling.
We traveled to Arizona in February with the Barth family for some sun and Mariners spring training, and to Kauai in July with the Reeders. Jackson was lucky enough to spend the week prior on the Big Island with my parents. Corey and I celebrated our birthdays in Napa, and I enjoyed a moms’ trip to Palm Springs with Lisa in the spring. The boys loved camping with Grandpa Kent and each went on a solo backpacking trip with him.
Both boys began new school adventures this fall—Cole moved up to middle school (6th grade), and Jackson started high school (9th grade)! Both are loving school and excelling, and each earned Student of the Month/Quarter awards this fall. Cole chopped off 15 inches of hair earlier this year (donated to Locks of Love) and looks like a totally different kid. He’s taken up the violin and loves orchestra, joined a competitive dance team, and we’re excited to see what competition season brings. He plans to run track next spring.
Jackson ran his first half marathon in March with a time of 1:26—an incredible accomplishment, especially for a 13-year-old. He participated in track in the spring and completed his first season of high school cross country this fall, improving his 5K time by almost two minutes over the course of the season. And somehow, he’ll be starting to drive in just a few short months!
Corey and I spend much of our time in the car, shuttling the boys to and from school or activities. HMG continues to keep Corey busy and I've been enjoying splitting my time at The Orderly Space between project management and organizing.
We attended lots of concerts this year, including Benson Boone, Tate McRae, Dua Lipa, Jessica Baio, Emei, AJR, and Miles Smith.
Most importantly, we were able to spend lots of time with family and friends throughout the year, including some we hadn’t seen in ages.
Here’s a photo recap of this year’s highlights—shoutout to Jackson for creating it for the second year in a row!
You can check out our prior recaps here: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.
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