Looking Back at Christmas and Ahead to 2025

It's almost 2025!  Here are a few highlights of our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and the end of 2024. 

Our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were nice.  Christmas Eve consisted of our usual KFC Christmas Eve chicken dinner and playing the fun new game Uzzle.  (If your family enjoys fun easy, fast-moving games, this one is a sure winner!)  I also baked lots of cookies on Christmas Eve.  At the end of the evening, we followed our family tradition of many years and each of us opened one present.  

On Christmas morning, I got up and made two different breakfast casseroles, and then we opened gifts.  We all got some nice and thoughtful things.  The gift I was most excited about was a new Kindle Paperwhite.  I got a Kindle Fire about eight years ago, but over time, it got super slow and the battery did not stay charged long.  I have been finding, however, that my eyes like larger print when I read, so I did some research and found out that the Kindle Paperwhite would let me increase the print size of the books, so I asked Charly if I could have one for Christmas.  He decided that he also wanted one, so we both got new Kindles and have been enjoying reading with less eye strain. 

Our daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren were in Arizona visiting our son-in-law's family for Christmas, but our daughter texted us this picture of them all ready to open their presents on Christmas morning. 

The day after Christmas, we left for a few days in sunny St. George and we returned Monday afternoon.  We had a great trip which I will post more about in a couple of days. 

New Year's Eve morning, we took Josh to catch the bus he takes back up to his college campus in Idaho.  He texted that he was safely there by mid-afternoon. 

As of this afternoon, our tree and other Christmas decorations are put away, and things are back to the way they were before Christmas.  Although our New Year's Eve will be quiet, we are looking forward to getting together with friends on New Year's Day. That will be fun.  

Now, looking back on 2024, here are some of the things I am most grateful for.

• Josh is almost finished with his Bachelor's Degree.
• Charly and I have stayed pretty healthy this year. 
• We were able to purchase another home in Ivins, Utah. 
• We have been able to see our grandchildren often. 
• I am another year closer to retirement - 12 to 18 months from now!

I ended up reading 75 books in 2024, which was two more books than I read in 2023 and 2022.  I didn't really have 75 books as my goal, until the very end of the year when I really tried to beat my previous records for most books read.    What is my reading goal for next year - probably the same as last year - 36 books.  I will probably read more than that, but that is the absolutely minimum number of books I hope to complete in 2025.  

I decided to make some goals for the year and read one article that suggested making 25 goals in 2025.  Honestly, that sounded daunting, but there are some things I want to do.  I decided to make five goals that I believe I can work toward achieving in 2025.   Here they are:

1. Read 25 minutes 75% of the days in the year. 

2. Write in my journal 90% of the days in 2025. 

3. Read the scriptures every morning or evening 75% of the days in 2025.  

4.  Walk or work out 25 minutes a day 75% of the days in 2025.  

5.  Eat healthy with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables.  Eat less sugar.  Stay on track with daily calorie goal 75% of the days in 2025. 

What else will 2025 bring to me and my family?  Here are some things we are hoping for:

1. Continued good health.

2. Completion of my second-to-the last year of work before retirement.

3. Josh's completion of his Bachelor's Degree at BYU-Idaho.

4. Completion of our kitchen re-do/upgrade project (due to start next week). 

5.  Continued financial preparation for retirement in 2026.

Finally, in today's post, I am sharing my word for 2025 - HOPEFUL. 

Not everything or everyone is the way I hoped it would be as 2025, in my family, in our nation, or in the world.  I know that 2025 will bring good days and bad days, happy events and even sad and tragic ones. Still, I am hopeful that with God in control, things can be better.  We can choose to be better.   I am hopeful that things can still work out in the best way possible. 

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by. 

I hope that you all have a healthy, happy and 

HOPEFUL 2025!

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"Learn from yesterday,

live for today,

HOPE for tomorrow."

~Albert Einstein

New Year's Weekend, Gratitude and My Word for 2023

Friday dawned gray and cloudy.  More snow and rain was in the forecast so I was glad we had made the drive home from St. George on Thursday.  Charly and I took a morning walk and listened to an audiobook we started on the drive to and from St. George. 

Josh wanted to go to the temple with me on Friday, so we went to a mid-day worship service there. 

When we were ready to go home, there was an icy wind blowing (as you can see in the picture) and a wintry mix of both rain and snow that made me glad that we had come home from St. George a day early.

Josh and I enjoyed the time at the temple together. I love the nativity that was out on the temple grounds and asked to take Josh's picture as he stood by it.  I am grateful that Josh's faith is important to him, and that he tries to live it. 

Friday's dinner was take-n-bake pizza and salad - a favorite dinner for us. 

Saturday was a very rainy day.  Josh had to catch the bus back to Idaho at 9:30 a.m. in downtown Salt Lake City.  We were all running a bit late and we barely got him to the pick-up point in time.   Josh let us know that he was safely back in Rexburg by about 3 p.m.. 

Once Josh was on his way, we came home and I got the birthday gift for our granddaughter in Virginia who is turning six next week, wrapped and ready to mail.  I like to remember all of my grandchildren on their birthdays, even if I don't see them much during the year.  We are grateful that we have been seeing more of our Utah grandchildren this year, and pray that we will get to see the Virginia grands too before long. 

I was feeling a bit down due to Josh leaving and the nearing end of the holidays, so we stopped at a 7-11 and I got my "antidepressant/pick-me-up" of choice - a Big Gulp - diet Coke, diet Dr. Pepper, diet Mountain Dew all mixed up with some half and half added for good measure.  It's my own original version of "dirty soda."  

Later, we got Chinese take-out for our New Year's Eve dinner.  I got my favorite - Mongolian Beef and Charly got General Tso's Chicken. 

We took the Christmas tree and nativities down while watching another episode of Harry & Meghan on Netflix. 

Now all the Christmas things are packed away in the basement storage room.  After putting the Christmas decorations away, I stayed up and watched yet another installment of Harry & Meghan, but when that was over I was too tired to even read before bed.  It was only 11 p.m., but off I went.  Charly stayed up a little longer and read. 

This was the view from my front door Sunday morning.  Saturday's rain turned to New Year's Day snow! The snow is supposed to keep coming down until Tuesday, then we will get a break for a couple of days before getting more snow on Thursday and Friday.  Last week, I heard that our mountain snowpack (what we depend on for our water supply) is 160% of normal, so all of this white stuff is a blessing!  

Because Sunday was so cold and snowy, we went to church then stayed warm and cozy at home the rest of Sunday.  I worked out downstairs, napped and watched more episodes of Harry & Meghan.  Sunday dinner was chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green salad and steamed snow peas.  

Just a quick word about the Harry & Meghan series on Netflix which we finished watching Sunday night.  I am not British and and I am not an expert or even a particular fan of the British Royal Family.  Most of what I know about the Royal Family has come from watching another Netflix series, The Crown.  The recently departed queen seemed to me admirable, but what happened to Princess Diana was deplorable.  I also know that the Royal Family is like most families, including my own, which have conflicts and drama and, too often, pain and broken hearts.  Perhaps, it is what I am going through with my own family that gave me some sympathy for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as I watched this series.  I can't even imagine all the media problems they encountered, in addition to family members on both sides who seem to lack loyalty, compassion and basic decency.  I know that this series is controversial and questioned by many, but I am dealing with enough "family stuff" myself that I feel empathy toward Harry and Meghan.  I wish them well and hope they find the life they are seeking.  The series is quite interesting and I am glad I took the time to watch it all the way through.  

On another topic, I have been thinking about my 2023 word.  I looked over the goals I made last year and realized that I have done a decent job of achieving the goals I set for myself last year.  My goals for this year are similar or the same as last year, and it hit me that my word for this year is CONTINUE.  I want to CONTINUE moving forward in the ways I have last year.  I know that life will always have its challenges, but I want to CONTINUE on the road I am on - in all areas of my life - spiritual, social, intellectual, and physical.  

Gratitude for 2022:

• Health for both Charly and I
• Salary advancement at work
• Josh's graduation from Ensign College
• Josh's enrollment in and success at BYU-Idaho
• Opportunities for family healing with one daughter
• More time with our daughter and grandchildren
• Several fun and interesting getaways and vacations

Gratitude for this weekend:

• Josh made it safely back to Idaho
• More snow - great for our water supply
• Time to relax 

Coming up this week:

• Monday - no school, lunch with friends planned (weather permitting)
• Tuesday - back to school, teacher planning and training day with no students
• Wednesday - students come back to school
• Friday - our granddaughter Maddie's birthday

That's all for this weekend. Thanks for visiting, I hope that this new year we began today will be a good a good one for all of us!  

Until next time,

😊Deb💖

"Cheers to a new year 

and another chance to get it right."

~Oprah Winfrey

 

Looking Back, Looking Ahead - Good Things, Goals and a Word for 2021

As we look back on 2020, we know about all the crazy, scary, frustrating and anxiety producing things that happened. There were also a lot of good things that took place this year, so I begin this post remember those things.

• Charly got a really bad case of pneumonia in February.  It lasted into March and now really wonder if he had Covid, since this was before there were any Covid tests. I have read that Covid was actually in the U.S. much earlier than previously thought.  Charly ended up in the E.R. for a few hours, but thankfully he recovered at home, even though it took about six weeks.

• Early in March, I fell while out on a walk, and broke my hand and banged up my face and needed stitches.  Even though three doctors told me I would probably need surgery on my  hand to have a normal range of movement, a new doctor looks at the x-rays and said "no surgery!"  I was in a cast for about six weeks, but ultimately healed up well and my hand is as good as it ever was before the fall. 

• The week after I fell and broke my hand, COVID was declared a pandemic and schools almost everywhere were closed and lessons went online.  I am thankful that both Charly and I could work from home and that Josh could finish his college classes online.  Interestingly, we had just purchased a new computer in December and we had upgraded our internet in February, right before COVID became a that would mean we would be using our home technology. 

• On March 18 after being on stay-at-home orders for only a few days, there was a pretty significant earthquake here along the Wasatch Front.  Although there was some damage to buildings west of here, and we definitely felt the shaking, nothing even slide off a shelf here at our home.  

• Beginning in April, I got out my sewing machine and began making masks.  At that time, it was virtually impossible to find masks, so I used fabric and elastic on hand and began sewing masks, first for friends and family and then for pretty much anyone who wanted or needed them.  Before the end of the summer, I had made and given away or donated over 350 masks to friends, family, total strangers, the Navajo Nation and home patrons of the 4th Street Clinic in Salt Lake City. 

• In May, we wrapped up the school year, and Charly and I made the decision that this would be his final year as a classroom.  Teaching during COVID just presents too many risks for Charly because of his age and health condition.   I am grateful that we are in a financial position to have him retire. 

• In June, Charly and I celebrated our 41st wedding anniversary. Josh celebrated his birthday. We walked and hiked a lot.

• In July, after cancelling two vacation due to COVID, we took a road trip to Yellowstone National Park and had a delightful, mostly outside, socially-distanced, mask wearing National Park vacation.

• In August it was back to school for me.  Charly officially begin his life as a retiree.  While going back to school created some anxiety, returning teachers got a raise and several unexpected COVID bonuses.  Charly has help down the fort here at home, doing all the things he usually did and more.  He does a good part of the cleaning and almost all of the grocery shopping

• In October, Charly and celebrated our birthdays, and went on a long weekend trip to Southern Utah where we visited Cedar Breaks National Monument and the Kolob Canyon Section of Zion National Park. It was really a nice trip.  I am grateful we could make it.  The school where I teach has its first COVID closure.

• In November, Joe Biden won the presidential election, and the school went on another COVID online only closure. at the end of the month. We had a nice Thanksgiving - just the three of us.

• December brought the Electoral College confirmation of Joe Biden's victory, and a nice Christmas holiday and break.

As I think back over the 2020, I realized that these are some of the most important lessons I learned.  I hope to remember these things, as we move forward into what will hopefully be a better year - 2021.

• Things can change EXTREMELY quickly and in a major way. 
• Never assume that you know what is going to happen next - you don't!
• Health is a precious thing - don't ever take it for granted. Do whatever is necessary to preserve it!
• Having a lot more time at home is not necessarily a bad thing!
• Going shopping is NOT fun, and money can be saved by shopping online and avoiding impulse purchases.  This is especially true of gift giving.
• I can treat others good, even when I don't feel good!
• Listening, validating and having empathy is important and the key to good communication!
• Moms are NOT responsible for all choices - good and bad- that their children make. 
• Democracy is a precious and fragile thing.
• Every vote DOES really count!
• Having a spouse you actually enjoy spending time with is a great blessing!

Now on to my goals. Here are my goals for 2020 and a quick look at how I did at achieving them:

• Read the scriptures every day - While I did miss a few days of reading, I would guess that I probably read the scriptures about 75% of the days during the past year.  I also finished my Come Follow Me study. 
• Make a gratitude list every day - I would estimate that I made a gratitude list first thing every morning about 90% of days during 2020.
• Post on my blog at least once every week - Yes, I did this. Most weeks, I have posted twice.
• Read at least 25 books - I read 47 books in 2020 - a new yearly reading personal best for me. 
• Go to the temple at least 15 times - Temples were closed in March because of the pandemic, so sadly, I could not complete this goal.
• Index at least 500 records - I indexed over 1200 records this year.  Being home on lockdown during the spring and summer allowed me to spend much more time than usual doing this. 
• Lose 10 lbs. - Nope.  I lost five pound at the beginning of lockdown, but promptly gained it back.  I weight about the same I did last year at this time. 
• Eat fish at least 1-2 times per week - Nope.  I simply don't like fish, so I quit trying.  Charly has been eating a lot more fish though and he is eating it at least 1-2 times a week. 
• Have weekly positive communication (talk, text, email or one-on-one time) with at least one family member other than Charly - Yes, I have done this - I think, but honestly, I will say that I didn't really keep track. 

After giving it a lot of thought, these are the goals I decided on for this year (in no particular order).  You will notice that many of the same as last year.

• Read the scriptures every day.
• Complete the 2021 Come Follow Me Scripture Study.
• Index at least 500 records
• Reach out in a positive way to a family member who does not live with me every week.  This can be different family members - including siblings, cousins, aunts, children and grandchildren.   This can including calling, texting, emailing, or sending a card, gift or letter.
• Continue to post on my blog at once every week.
• Reach out to a friend (other than work associates) once a week - call, text, email, card or letter.
• Eat healthy - fruits and vegetables with every meal. Limit sugar.
• Continue to count calories - strive for 1500 or less.
• Exercise every day.
• Limit time on social media - FaceBook and Twitter to 15 minutes a day. 
• Read at least 30 books this year - 15 of those books from personal existing "to read" book stash.  Aim for 30-60 minutes of reading time each day.

That brings me to my word, my focus, for 2021. My word for this year is STRONG!

I will admit that sometimes, I do not feel strong. Sometimes, I feel like I am a weak, hot mess.  Still, I know that I am strong, that I have been strong, and that I can be strong when that is needed.  I want to continue to be strong and get stronger physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I have done hard things in the past and I can do hard things again. 

This past year has been hard, but I got through it.  I learned new things.  I did things I never imagined I would have to do. When I felt at my weakest, I prayed and relied on the strength of God. 

With Him, I am STRONG and getting STRONGER with each passing year.  

Prayers for 2021 to be a good year for all of us, that we can all stay strong, and look to the light and hope of the world when we feel weak. 

Happy New Year to all!

The Best of 2019 and My Word for 2020

I was gone from blogland for a good part of 2019, but I am so happy to be back now.  This post will be a recap of the best parts of 2019 for me and my family, and it will also be my Catching Up - Part II post.  If you missed the posts explaining why I was absent from this space for ten months of this year, click here.  If you missed my Catching Up - Part I post, click here.

Ok, let's get started on the Jones Family best of 2019!

• Moving

We moved to our townhouse in February, 2019.

It is proven to be an excellent decision.  We really like it here in our new neighborhood.

• 40th Anniversary

Charly and I celebrated our 40th Anniversary in June of 2019.  Even with the ups and downs of marriage, I am proud and grateful to have been Charly's wife for over 40 years!    I sure do love him - he is a great blessing in my life.

• Hiking with my family

We enjoyed hiking in the mountains nearby this year.  Here are some of my favorite hikes:

Donut Falls - beautiful hike about 30 minutes from our home.  It is a popular hike around here, but it was a new one for Josh and I.

Mueller Park Trail - a good trail above Bountiful  I remember hiking here as a child.

Ensign Peak -  with its pioneer history and beautiful views of the Salt Lake Valley.

Holbrook Canyon Trail  - also above Bountiful, near the Bountiful Temple and a beautiful new hiking spot for Josh and I.

• Sacramento

We went to Sacramento in June. We had a great time.

The highlight, of course was seeing and spending time with our oldest son, Alex and his wife, Jess.  I enjoyed being with those two.  We love Alex and Jess and are very proud of both of them.

• Southern Utah and Colorado

At the end of July, when Josh was between semesters at school, we had a family vacation to Southern Utah and Colorado. We stayed in Moab and went to Arches National Park - one of my favorite National Parks. 

We stayed in Moab and went to Arches National Park - one of my favorite National Parks. 

In Colorado, we stayed in one of our family favorite places - Pagosa Springs.

We enjoyed going to the Pagosa Hot Springs...

...and of course, doing some hiking.  It was a good family getaway.

• Performances

Charly and I have always enjoyed plays, but went only rarely when the kids were little, but we decided that at this season in our life we have the time and means to go to a few more permanances, so we started doing more of that this past year.

We even bought season tickets to the opera.  

We also gone to the Hale CentreTheatre for performances of The Addams Family...

Dicken's classic, A Christmas Carol, and the fun and fanciful Seussical.  We have really enjoyed these date nights out at the theater.  

• Volunteering

Charly and I have also enjoyed volunteering at St. Vincent De Paul this past year. 

Helping others and giving back is always a positive thing, resulting in positive feelings.  I am grateful for these opportunities to serve. 

I am also a volunteer indexer for Familysearch.org and do data input of microfilmed historical records, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, military records, land records, immigration and slavery records.  I look at images of the actual records, some going clear back to the 1600s, and do my best to interpret and type in the relevant information so that all the historic information is preserved digitally and can be accessed by those who want to know more about their ancestors and family history.  I enjoy indexing and have been doing it for years.  This year, I indexed over 500 historic records - mostly WWI draft cards.  As a history buff, I feel that preserving historic information about individuals and families is extremely important so I am glad to be able to serve as an indexer. 

• Temple Time

I love going to the temple and this past year, I was able to go 14 times in 2019.  That is down quite a bit from what I have done in years past, but I am still grateful for all the time I can spend there.  Being in the  temple brings me peace.

For Latter-day Saints, temple worship is special and in addition to our regular Sunday services.  I am grateful to have several temples not too far from our home.  I hope to be able to attend the temple even more in the coming year. 

• New Job

After two years of teaching junior high with some amazing women like the two pictured with me here, I applied for and got a position teaching English at a high school which is only about ten minutes from our home. 

Since I taught high school for 16 years in Arizona, I am super excited and grateful to be back working with students who are little older and more mature (at least some of them) than the junior high students. 

I began my 18th year of teaching in a new classroom at a new school and so far,  I like it (most days) and am grateful for this new challenge.  

My new job, which is teaching English and AVID.  AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination.  The entire purpose of the program and the classes I teach is to prepare students for success in college.  I love teaching these classes.  My new school sent me to an AVID conference in San Diego last summer to prepare.  It was a fun trip where I learned a lot, spent some time in a beautiful city, and got to know my new colleagues.

• Moving Forward

Josh has been making great strides moving forward in life.  He has attended two semesters of college at LDS Business College, where he is working on his Associate' Degree.  He really likes this college, and it is working well for him.

Josh also has a job he likes at Sherwin Williams. He started there in June and worked at one of their retail stores for several months, but he is now in their warehouse, where he works as many hours as possible while attending school. 

Overall,  even with ups and downs and challenges, 2019 has been a good year, and I have much to be grateful for.  

My word for 2020:

I chose the word Intentional as my word for this year.  I want to be intentional - meaning that I want act consciously and with thought in all things I do and say.   I do not want to react, but to intentionally choose peace, love and positivity.

That then is my recap of 2019 and my word for 2020.  I know the next year will have, as all years do, ups and downs and challenges, but I also hope to be able to intentionally seek the good and love my life.

Have an amazing 2020!