Oh The Places We Went-2025

When I look back on 2025, I don’t see a year defined by one single moment. I see a year shaped by movement—across miles, across seasons, and sometimes just across the driveway. We traveled (a lot), we gathered, we celebrated, and we kept choosing to show up for the life in front of us.

These photos don’t capture everything. They hold the feeling of the year—and that feels like enough.

January - Hawaii

APRIL - WILLIAMSBURG

In the spring, we explored Williamsburg as tourists. We brought Sue & Bob with us. Walking, learning, noticing details. I’m drawn to places rooted in story, and this one reminded me how much I love wandering through history and imagining the lives that once filled those spaces. I look forward to documenting this trip in a scrapbook. 

It was great to spend time with Eric, Ange, Emmy, Logan, Conner and Owen while we were there. 

JUNE - CAMPING 

Early summer was about family. Since Elliott and Ethan had never gone camping (and we didn't want to get to a campsite and find out they hated it) we decided to have a campout in the driveway. It was a perfect way to get them acclimated and they LOVED IT! 

This driveway campground was followed by camping at Yogi Bear's Jellystone in Indiana. These memories created with fun and laughter are the kind that take hold without much effort. So blessed!! 

JULY - ALASKAN CRUISE

This was our 50th wedding anniversary year and after 2 other failed attempts at an Alaskan Cruise, this one took hold. 

Alaska was awe in its purest form. Glaciers, water, vastness, wilderness, just everything larger than life and completely unconcerned with us. It was humbling and grounding all at once. Easily one of the most powerful experiences of the year (if not my life). 

VANCOUVER

We always fly into the port where our ship will sail from, the night before. Loved Vancouver and wouldn't mind spending more time there. It's beautiful!! 

SETTING SAIL

When in Alaska you have Baked Alaska! 

INSIDE PASSAGE

We've been so lucky with out dining room seat assignments. We saw whales out the window! 

JUNEAU

ICY STRAIGHT

We did some whale watching. 

SITKA

This is a beautiful town!! 

SKAGWAY

Thankful I brought my National Parks Passport

HUBBARD GLACIER

SEWARD & ANCHORAGE

DENALI

Because of the weather, only about 40% of those who visit Mt. Denali get a view like this. Wow, did we luck out!!  

HEALY

This clear top train ride was one of my favorites! Amazing views! 

Downstairs was the dining room. Food was delicous.

Everyone is downstairs eating. 

CHENA RIVER

Our last day before we fly out of Fairbanks. We took a riverboat cruise down the Chena River.

FAIRBANKS

Got to see the Alaskan Pipeline. 

HEADING HOME

At the airport and can you believe it's 11:00 pm? 

SEPTEMBER - WILLIAMSBURG again

We returned to Williamsburg in September, this time to watch Emmy play volleyball. We've never seen her play and that was a treat! 

I had the privilege to help Angela paint the cement ball outside the school she teaches at. I painted a tiny bit and while I was back in Ohio, she finished it. It turned out beautifully! There's an art teacher for ya. 

Ange is so talented! 

LAS VEGAS, GRAND CANYON AND THE WIZARD

October brought a contrast, the energy of Las Vegas followed by the quiet, breathtaking scale of the Grand Canyon. Man made spectacle beside natural wonder..such a fitting way to close out the year of travel. 

Jim & Linda came with us. We're fortunate to have the Hilton Grand Vacations Club access to places all over the world. We got the same room I had when I took my friends and Linda and I were just as blown away as the first time we visited The Elara. 

On Paul's birthday we took a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon.

We went out on the Sky Walk and Paul got some cake for his birthday inside. 

We visited the outside of the Hoover Dam

Seeing The Wizard of Oz inside the Sphere...spectacular!! 

The view of The Elara from the Eiffel Tower inside the Paris Casino

IN BETWEEN

I could have given each and every trip it's very own post but I just wanted to share my fun adventures without writing a book or playing travel agent here. Or, bore you to death with hundreds if not thousands of photos. If, and I'm really hoping, I blog continually throughout 2026, I can post individual trips. 

Woven through the months were girlfriend visits and a weekend getaway. Moments of connection and conversation that didn't need a destination to matter.

In August Paul and I took the ferry out to Kelley's Island and spent the day with Molly, Bev, Joanie, Kathy and Lisa.

Paul stayed and visited with Molly while I went with the rest of the girls in town to the festivities. 

In September, Bev, Lydia and Lisa came to visit me. They stayed the night and we had a ball. We went to the Hollywood Casino and gambled, I took them to a Salt Cave, Tony Packo's!! They absolutely loved spending time with Ethan, Elliott and Ensley too!  

Later in October, Bev planned a weekend getaway to Lakeside. It was a wonderful weekend. She had 2 houses and I got to spend the weekend with Lisa and Lydia. 

I brought cupcakes to celebrate Bev's birthday. The whole weekend was LOADS of fun!! 

YAY is an inside joke

I'm grateful for all the trips last year, big and small. 

As always, thanks for stopping by. 

After the Decorations Come Down

 The decorations and trees are put away now. The house feels simpler, a little quieter, and to be honest, empty. Not in a negative way..just less.

This is usually the part of winter where I pause and ask myself what I want to do next, not in a big, sweeping way, but in the small, everyday sense. What do I feel pulled toward? What do I miss when I don't make time for it? 

I have so many things I love. Writing. Storytelling with pictures and words. Documenting the ordinary before it slips past unnoticed. Reading. Knitting. Making something with my hands just because I can. Sometimes the wanting of all of it makes me feel momentarily still, like I'm waiting for the right order or the right mood before beginning. 

This year, my one little word is Release, and I'm starting to understand it less as letting go of things I love and more as releasing the pressure around how I love them. Releasing the need to do everything at once. Releasing the idea that there's a correct way to tell my story. Releasing the feelings of being scattered and stuck. Those feelings are a result of the pressure I put on myself when it comes to time. Not time management, as I have none of that. Instead of choosing one creative outlet at a time, I'm trying to hold them all at once, instead of giving myself permission to choose and pace myself. 

Easing into it feels like the easiest place to begin. No perfection. No setup. Just noticing and letting the story unfold as it is, not as I think it should be.

Today I have an appointment with my rheumatologist because my right hand is swollen and I'm in a lot of pain. Not sure why, but I'm attributing it to cutting and knitting. I made my friends and their spouses, bowl cozies for Christmas and since each one has 2 pieces of material, 2 pieces of batting and I made 8 total, I  cut out 32 squares and didn't really give any thought to arthritis. 

 My hand was not bothering me at all until Christmas day, when it was slightly painful. At first I thought it might be because I made a December Daily page and I did A LOT of cutting. What I wanted to use my Cricut and Canva for, turned into a muddle mess and stressed me out since I'm not an expert in either of those tools. My page was about the Jacquie Lawson Advent Calendar I get every year and day 15, Licorice Allsorts was a big part of the calendar which happens to be a big part of my childhood.

I cut each photos and each tag both inside and out. 

So, it felt good to play with paper again but my hand didn't appreciate it at all. Plus, I've been trying to finish Elliott's sweater, which I only have the collar to do now. 

Ensley trying on Elliott's sweater. She was fascinated with the knitting needles. 

So, this is me in the after. After December. After the decorations. Making space for creativity and storytelling by releasing the standstill and choosing gentle forward motion instead. More thoughts, more noticing and more releasing the pressure I put on myself to either do it all or nothing mentality. 

As always, thanks for stopping by. 

Hello again,

 I've been quiet here for a while, not because my life has been empty, but because it's been full in ways I needed to rethink how I share.

Over the years, this space has held so many pieces of my story. Lately, I've been learning how to tell that story a little differently, more carefully, more intentionally, and with deeper respect for the privacy of the people I love most.

Some of the moments that shape my days are no longer mine to show visually, and I'm honoring that. The experience of those moments; the feelings, the lessons, the quiet joy, the way they change me, all still belong to me. And that's what I want to return to here. 

This blog is shifting toward words, (hello One Little Word,) reflection, small and big adventures, and my inner life that keeps unfolding. It will be less about documenting everything and more about noticing what stays with me. The in-between moments. The growth. The letting go and the holding close.

I don't know exactly what this next version of my blog will look like yet, and that feels okay. For now, it's enough to say, I'm still here, I'm still paying attention and I still am wanting to tell my story. 

Thank you for being here too 😊