2014 By City

I didn't travel quite as much this year as I have in the past, however, I like to have a yearly list of places I went. This is a good summary.

Each of the below cities include a one-night stay in 2014. Cities denoted by an asterisk include multiple visits.

• Denver, CO
• New York, NY
• San Diego, CA
• Pinetop/Lakeside, AZ
• Waterloo, Belgium
• Vienna, Austria
• Page, AZ
• South Rim, Grand Canyon, AZ
• Liberia, Costa Rica

Past travels: 2007  2008  2009  2010  2011  2012  2013

Christmas Festivities 2014

This year was my first Christmas of having a nephew...be prepared for lots of pictures of Uriah :)

Mom bought a new Christmas decoration which is a plastic Santa boot (another box to add to the approximately 150 boxes of decorations). Uriah fit perfectly inside of it.

On the Sunday night before Christmas, Mom and Dad had a Christmas open house. This is mom and dad with mom's best friend from high school, Robin, and other long time friends Albert and Anne Marie.

The home school group pic - Mom, me, Jan, Jenn, Jessica and Kellyn.

Taylor Morrison friends - Ben and Dave. I am not usually this close in height to them but my shoes helped me out a little in this pic.

Jenn and I have known each other since 3rd grade - and I'm glad I still know her so well.

On Christmas Eve we started the night at the 4:15 service at church. Brian talked about hot yoga during his message and I was sitting in the same row as Rob and Kathryn and mom and dad so we were all laughing pretty hard. The point of his message was that the message of Christmas must confront you before it can comfort you and how we don't like to be exposed - hence the connection to hot yoga where you practice in a room with mirrors and not wearing a lot of clothes.

The last song we sang was Silent Night and everyone had a candle - it was pretty in the room.

After the service we took some pictures by the wreath.

Rob and Kathryn...

Me, Kyle, Mom and Dad...

Eli, Brian, Bella, Gina and Faith...

and Gina and I.

The Horton Christmas Eve was at Kevin and Jocelyn's so we went there right after church.

Tyler got to meet Uriah for the first time.

Table #1...

and Table #2. 

Santa (aka Rob) showed up. Uriah was the first of the kids to sit on his lap.

I think in a year from now this could be a screaming picture as opposed to a smiling picture.

Chloe was the last of the kids to get her named called by Santa...and she was the first to line up when Santa arrived. Santa played a joke on her when it came to the last gift and told her the gift was for Frank. She looked like she was about to cry but Santa saved the day and told her the gift was actually for her.

A little dark, but a panoramic shot of everyone during the white elephant gift exchange.

On Christmas morning Kyle and I continued our tradition of hiking Camelback, but this year Kellyn joined us. #stillfitafteralltheseyears

#CamelbackSanta

Warming up and feeding Uriah after Camelback. It was pretty cold on the mountain, and coming down it got windy. After everyone was showered after the hike we had a really late brunch (1:30pm) at Mom and Dad's.

Now instead of taking a kids pic in front of the tree, it has become a grandkids pic in front of the tree.

In the end, Mom and Dad couldn't go without the kids pic.

Uriah had fun opening gifts...mostly just ripping the paper.

I found this vintage toy at World Market. We had this as a kid...will be the "landline" phone Uriah will ever know.

Dad made sure Uriah had a basketball.

Grandma and Grandpa and Uriah.

After we finished opening gifts, Kellyn and Uriah left to go meet Coby and go to the Hiatt's. Coby had to work on Christmas morning so that is why he wasn't at our Christmas. I took a nap and then Mom, Dad, Kyle and I went down to AZ Center and saw the movie Unbroken.

It was a good, quiet Christmas Day but Christmas is so different now without Grandma Hazel. We were all missing her.

One Year

Tomorrow marks one year since Grandma Hazel passed away. I got the call from my mom around 1:30am saying she was gone so tonight kind of feels like one year to me. At some times it seems like I should still be able to give her a call - even though her number is disconnected I still have not deleted her from my phone. At other times it seems like this all happened yesterday and yet at other times I feel like I haven't talked to her in a very long time. It's those times and times like tonight when I miss her so much.

I miss getting voice mails from her that always ended with "I love you." I miss going to her house and cooking dinner with her. I miss teasing her about random things. I miss her telling me how young I am and how nice it would be to be young again. I miss driving her around in my convertible and her asking if we can drive through her neighborhood so her friends could see her in my car. I miss going out to dinner with her. I miss hearing my mom update me on whatever her and my Grandma were arguing about (they went head to head on things but the other person was each of their favorites). I miss hearing her say "For pete's sake" and "Oh my word." I miss watching her try to dance and have fun. I miss being able to call someone "Grandma."

At this point we have made it through one of every holiday without her here. Christmas last year was different, and Christmas Day still won't be the same this year. Our Christmas tradition was always going to her house on Christmas afternoon - just this week my mom found my Grandma's au gratin potatoes recipe and we have been joking about how she always had to be in bed early on Christmas Eve so she could get up at 4am to boil and peel the potatoes. I think Kellyn is going to make the potato recipe for us this Christmas. On July 4th we bought fireworks in memory of her. After fireworks became legal in AZ she had bought them for us a couple of times. Thanksgiving this year was difficult because last year she had such a "good" day at Thanksgiving with us. I do specifically remember her saying on Thanksgiving night 2013 that it would be her last holiday with us - and she was correct.

I also wish that she could have met Uriah - and I know Kellyn would have loved that too since she and my Grandma were best friends. I don't know what my Grandma knew about Uriah...she did predict Kellyn would have a boy before anyone even knew.

As this date comes and goes, I am especially thankful for this promise: "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." John 5:24 

I know without a doubt where Grandma is and I know that she has seen the face of Jesus.

I would love to be able to take this picture again on Christmas Day 2014 (this was Christmas 2007), but I am so happy to know that we will have an opportunity again someday.

Miss you Grandma and I love you.

35th Birthday

My birthday was on a Friday this year, so I had an entire weekend of celebrating.

On Friday night, I went out with co-workers to St. Francis for dinner and then to Buffalo Chip for some bull riding and two-stepping. Thanks Dave for planning "the back nine of my 30s celebration" and making it a fun night!

Saturday night Kellyn planned a girls dinner at The Henry. Thanks to Kellyn and to all my friends - I wouldn't want to do life without all of you in it.

And finally on Sunday night mom cooked dinner for a family party. Mom had a "mostly-paleo" meal and she doesn't like to cook so thanks for spending your Sunday cooking for me. The cheesy squash was so good! And thanks for getting the French macaroons from Essence Bakery too.

After my birthday weekend was over I posted the following on Instagram: "What an amazing birthday weekend! Thanks to everyone who made my 35th super awesome. Sometimes I just can't believe that I am blessed with the family and friends God has put in my life." It was one of my better birthdays :)