What a year it has been! As we look back on the past twelve months, we’re grateful for another season filled with family fun, new adventures, and plenty of laughter along the way. I continued to watch our granddaughter Lily a few days a week at our house, and we’ve loved building such a strong bond with her and watching her grow. And our grandson Jax had a sleepover at our house every other Friday, which meant we got to play all the same games we used to enjoy with our sons when they were little. From the big moments to the small everyday joys, 2025 gave us so many memories worth celebrating, and we’re excited to share a few of our favorites with you.

January

January brought plenty of snow, which kept us close to home—but it also gave me the perfect chance to break in the snowshoes I received for Christmas. I led two hikes for my local women’s hiking club in the brisk 10-degree weather, and, believe it or not, I had several brave souls join me!

February

We celebrated Donovan (29), Justin (31), and Richie’s (33) birthdays at Top Golf again this year. Lily also had her first sleepover at our house. I think she was getting jealous that Jax got one every other weekend!

March

I finally took Lily on her first hike this month—followed by many more. I also treated Jax to his first visit to the National Children’s Museum in Washington, D.C. He had such a great time, he told me he wanted to go back every day.

April

Lily took her first steps during the first week of April at just 9½ months! We had a wonderful Easter celebration with the whole family. Jax enjoyed showing Lily how to hunt for eggs. He is such a sweet big brother.

Sean & I continued our quest to visit all the Virginia State Parks with a trip to Williamsburg and nearby favorites: York River, Chippokes, and Machicomoco. Sean and I also returned to running, and both placed second in our age groups at the Third Winchester Battlefield 5K.

May

For Sean’s birthday, we enjoyed a getaway to Charlottesville to tour Thomas Jefferson’s historic Monticello estate. We spent the next day biking and hiking at High Bridge Trail State Park, where the path crosses an old rail line high above the river. Later that month, we ran a beautiful—though very hilly—6K at Barrel Oak Winery, winding through the vineyards.

June–July

We celebrated Lily’s first birthday with family and friends. She had a pool party and loved the water and her birthday cake. Jax also graduated from Pre-K. Throughout the summer, I took both Jax and Lily to splash pads, pools, playgrounds, and out for frozen yogurt.

Sean encouraged me to keep running through the heat, and we tackled a 5K at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in June—where he placed first in his age group—and another 5K in July at hilly Riverbend Park, where I earned second place in mine.

August

Our annual beach trip to the Chesapeake Bay was extra special this year with Richie, Agata, Jax, and Lily joining us again. Jax couldn’t get enough of the inflatable bouncy pad, and Lily absolutely loved the water. They later cheered us on at the Burke Lake Park 5K, where I ran my personal best time of the year.

September

We went pumpkin picking with Jax and Lily. It’s such a joy to compare photos from Great Country Farms year after year to see how much they’ve grown.

Unfortunately, I broke my foot in four places later in the month, which meant no hiking and missing the Dulles 5K Race on the Runway. I still made it to the sidelines to cheer for Sean, who ran his best time of the year.

October

Although I couldn’t hike to see the fall colors at Shenandoah National Park, I did drive up and sit at the overlooks just to enjoy the beauty. I also joined Sean on a business trip to Atlanta. While he was in conference sessions, I explored the city—via sightseeing bus and, thanks to my crutches, a rented mobility scooter at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Sean ran the first 5K at the National Zoo. They hope to make it an annual event, so if we’re able, we’ll both be there next year. And of course, I enjoyed ‘trunk or treat’ at the kids’ daycare. As you can see, this year the theme was Super Mario.

November

We headed back to Atlanta for another conference, and this time Sean was able to sneak away one afternoon to visit the Carter Presidential Library and Museum—our sixth presidential library so far. While he worked, I went hiking! It felt so good to get on the trails again. I chose Amicalola Falls State Park, Springer Mountain (the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail), and the Fernbank Museum’s old-growth forest.

By the last week of November, I was able to start jogging again, and Sean and I completed the Bluemont 5K at Henway’s Hard Cider. I also finally remembered to get a photo of our three sons together.

December

We’re excited to celebrate Jax’s fifth birthday on the 14th. He’s such a smart boy! Just the other day, he informed me that 8,000,000 + 8,000,000 equals 16,000,000. When I asked if he knew what 16,000,000 + 16,000,000 was, he thought about it for a few seconds and answered correctly. He loves his “homework,” puzzles, and mazes.

I’m taking him on a special day to Washington, D.C. We’ll go see the Botanical Garden’s model train display, then play at the National Children’s Museum.

And of course, we’re looking forward to celebrating Christmas with the whole crew: Justin, Donovan, Richie, Agata, Jax, and Lily.