Almost Valentine's Day

February 11, 2026

It's nearly Valentine's Day, and although we have plans out on the actual day, I decided to pick up this cute heart-shaped pasta tonight to make for Rafe and me. There's nothing wrong with a little whimsy and romance! I'm exactly the audience they make these kinds of things for.

50 Down, 50 To Go

June 14, 2017

There are a lot of people, women in particular, who have a funny sort of relationship with their birthdays.  Like a number of other women I know, my mother celebrated her 29^th birthday several times from—well, her 29^th birthday—until she passed away at 29 (plus 33).  Honestly, I’ve never really understood the trepidation with which Mom approached that annual date on the calendar.  I love my birthday, and I’ve never been shy about proclaiming my age.  It’s a number, after all—a marker indicating another year of family, friends, laughter, experiences—both good and bad, and insights.  And, as the saying goes, having another birthday certainly beats the alternative of not having another birthday.

So here I am at 50.  The way I see it, I’m halfway through this life. (I’m an overachiever—I’m planning to live to the century mark.)  I used to think 50 was old, but it really is true that old age is way more about a state of mind than the year you were born.  Yes, I’m a little (a lot) softer and squishier than I used to be, and there are wrinkles and hairs where there didn’t used to be any.  And you know how some young adults outgrow the awkward phase and develop into stunning beauties? I think I’ll stop holding my breath for that now.  That’s okay though;  I don’t feel old, and I think it’ll be a long time before I hit that mark.  What keeps you young is watching your children grow and seeing them build their own futures and families, laughing and loving with friends, traveling and seeking out new adventures, continuing to read and learn, making new connections and seeking new perspectives.  I’ve got lots of places to go, books to read, and people to love in the next 50 years.  Starting right now.  Here’s to the next leg of the journey!

Late Christmas With the Mayes and Gaetje Families

January 2, 2017

Schedules were pretty tight this year, so our Christmas with the cousins happened after the New Year.  It doesn't matter to us; celebrating Christmas is about getting together with family no matter when it happens.  Here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip:

Stealthy Birthday Wishes

August 26, 2015

Danielle's best friend Megan's birthday is tomorrow, so we went out on a mission late at night so that Danielle could decorate her window and leave her a little surprise on the door step.  I texted Megan's mom to ask her if it would be okay, because I had visions of Danielle not quite being able to carry out her middle of the night ninja mission and being loud enough for the Kroeker family to think someone was trying to break into the house!

Fun With Backdrops

January 4, 2015

Last November Doug and I went to our friend Rick's wedding.  One of Rick's good friends is a photographer, and she did not only his pictures, but offered fun sittings for the guests as well.  Last night we finally got to see the end result:

Welcome to 2015!

January 1, 2015

2014 was a pretty good year for me personally and professionally, and it's been a great year for Doug and all the kids, too.  This coming year, with a couple of graduations on the horizon, we are looking forward to even more celebrations.  Doug and I spent our New Year's Eve at Capo's with friends, having great conversation over dinner and then listening to Max Headroom play 80's music until midnight ushered in 2015.  It was a beautiful night!

Happy 2014!

January 1, 2014

The New Year--January 1st, specifically--is the time of year we all tend to make promises to ourselves that we ultimately fail to keep.  So why do we keep doing it?  Why set ourselves up to fail?  Well, because it's hard to get somewhere if you don't have an idea of where you want to go.  Now, if I don't make it all the way to my goal, or even if my goal changes in the course of the next year, that's okay.  I can't beat myself up about it if I don't reach the end of the line, so to speak, or if my road takes me down a different path.  As long as I get started in the right direction, I can feel good about the progress I've made.

So here we go. 

Yes, I'm going to make the obligatory resolution to lose weight/eat better/become more fit.  I've got some tools in place to help me track what I'm doing via Fitbit, and some plans in place for Lisa and me to encourage each other on this path.

I've used this blog in the past as a means to express my philosophies and observations, but also as a place where I can record family events and memories for posterity, including photos of family and friends.  I've gotten away from that purpose somewhat, so I not only want to keep up with that here for this year, but I want to back up and post previous events and photos that I've missed this year.  Every six months prior to this year I have had Blog2Print create a hardback copy of all of my entries as a permanent record--I want to update and then have those published from 2013.

I want to continue to pursue photography in new ways, as well as explore other artistic formats.  In 2013, I did some photography work for a friend of mine, and I dabbled in painting (in oil and acrylics) and even sold my first painting.  There's definitely more in those fields I want to explore.

I intend to continue to be mindful in how and why I teach, so that I can continue to grow and guide my students to the best of my ability.

Most importantly, I want to continue to work at being fully present with my family and friends, and be the best wife, mom, sister, and friend I know how to be.  The traditions and memories we are building now are the times my kids will look back on in their future, and I hope they are memories of love that they cherish.

To that end, our first pictures in the new year are of our traditional pizza night with my family, Lisa's family, and some good friends.  We've also got pictures from the Lutjens-Smith/Gaetje family Christmas gift exchange.  I'm so thankful Lisa was able to bring her kids (and a couple of their friends--Tia and Kimberly) up on the train today to spend the first few days of the new year with us.

Wedding Bells For Anthony and Tiffany

July 27, 2013

My sweet nephew Anthony married his sweetheart today--his high school girlfriend--just a couple of months after they both celebrated their graduations.  This is a very big year for them, and I wish them both well as they step into the next stage of their lives.  They'll be getting jobs, setting up a new home together, and starting college.  I hope they are each others' best friends and biggest cheerleaders in the years ahead!  I so wish I had been able to make the trip to Idaho to celebrate with them.