Scottsdale!

It was a total coincidence that when it got super cold in Kansas, I left for Arizona. I’m not complaining, although I might be tomorrow when I get home. Mom says it’s going to be super cold this weekend. Yuck.

Jeff had a work conference, but we came a day and a half early to explore a bit. We went to the Sonoran Nature Preserve and Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter camp, Taliesin West. They were both awesome. The scenery here is just unreal.

On Sunday I went for a five mile run, and it was 65 to 70 degrees! The running streak sees another week. I’m up to 28 weeks.

Okay, back to reality tomorrow. Until next time, 70 degrees. We will meet again.

Cacti!

We saw a Drunk Shakespeare version of Romeo and Juliette. It was pretty funny!

Learned a lot about Frank Lloyd Wright. Now I need to visit the original Taliesin in Wisconsin. 

Doing work e-mail isn't so bad with that view. 

A nice paved path, don't mind if I do! 

Bye Scottsdale! 

2026 Goals and Mexico, Segunda Parte

The second excursion we did in Mexico was touring the ruins at Chichen Itza, eating some Mayan food, swimming in a cenote, and doing a little shopping. At the resort, Alex and Daryl’s favorite activity was ping-pong. They were at the ping-pong tables every day. Alex met kids from England, Guatemala, Mexico, and Canada, all by playing ping-pong.

We were also able to reserve time once on the pickleball court and once on the tennis court. The resort also had pools, waterslides, and a great stretch of beach. The unlimited Coca-Colas only caught up with Joseph, who had one rough night three days in. We switched him over to water.

I was a fan of the pina coladas and had one every day until the 1st. I’m doing Dry January because I never have before, and I want to see what the hype is about.

I have finally settled on my 2026 goals. I make personal goals because I want to be the best version of myself. For example, the reading goal is so I don’t just let my brain rot on Netflix and HBO Max. I still watch plenty of TV, but the reading goal makes me feel better about it.

I like goals because they give me something to focus on from month to month that is good for me. With a busy job and five kids, I like to make sure I am prioritizing some of my hobbies and things that are good for my health. I post here monthly for accountability, so you all get to come on the ride with me. I encourage you to set a goal too, and you can tell me how you did.

Here’s to lots of progress in 2026! We’ve got this!

Read 30 Books (up 6 from last year) 

Run 620 miles (down 30 from last year) 

Grow my savings by a number I know (I did hit my savings goal last year!) 

UFO (unfished objects) to be completed in no particular order

    Alpaca Quilt

    T-Shirt Quilt

    2 photo books for Daryl and Alex

    1 knit project from stash

    1 stitched project from stash 

We need to always have matching shirts! 

In spots it was a little rocky and there were cool tide pools, there was also a big section of beach with no rocks. 

Alex and I woke up early to see a sunrise, there was a dumb cloud in our way. It was still nice though. 

I think every January 1st there should be a mariachi band at breakfast! It made for a perfect send off from our resort.

2025 Goal Review, Matching Shirts and Christmas Vacation!

There has been so much fun the last week, this will probably be two posts. The quick version is, instead of gifts this year, Jeff and I took the kids to Cancun, Mexico for vacation. We stayed where the weather was in the 70s and 80s everyday and got off the resort twice to snorkel and to see the ruins at Chichen Itza. 

On our day to the island to snorkel, the family wore matching T-Shirts. They were a hit! The tour guide loved them and the other passengers said it helped them stay with the right group. Even the transport driver got a laugh out of them. The teenagers didn't like the extra attention but it is a small price to pay for a Mexican Vacation. LOL (If you are local, the business that did them for us was Shirts and Such in Overbrook; I highly recommend Kim for your custom gear!) 

I will write more later about some of the other activities we did, but the wildlife kept the kids entertained the entire time. There were what I will call "Mexican Racoons" all over the resort trying to get some trash or just the food off of your plate. There was a petting zoo were Daryl became good buddies with the resident donkey. And in the hotel lobby, a family of monkeys lived in the trees. It kept things interesting! 

Ok, 2025 Goal Recap! 

Read 24 Books 24/24 DONE

Finished three books in December-ish! Instead of missing pickleball with the boys on the resort, I saved the last hundred pages for the airport, and boy was that the right call. We got to the Cancun airport in plenty of time but going through customs and security in Dallas was so long, we missed our connecting flight. I was so thankful I had the best part of my book to get through. :-)   

Let Them, by Mel Robbins is such a great nonfiction book to help reframe where you spend your energy. I understand all the "Let Them" tattoos now, and I might need one. ;-) If you are trying to please everyone at the sake of your own peace. Read this book. 

The Death of Bees by Lisa O'Donnell was one of the books I snagged from the Lawrence Library book sale. So far that haul is two for two, as this was a good book. Sisters growing up in Ireland projects (15 and 14?) find themselves without parents on page two, and how they take care of themselves with the help of a neighbor keeps you reading. I left it in Mexico with a note for the next person to enjoy! 

Book and Dagger by Elyse Graham was my Christmas present from Jeff. It is a non fiction telling of the first intelligence staff during WWII. America was new to the spy game, so they decided to do it their own way with Ivy League professors, librarians and book buyers. There was so much background in the first 100 pages, I was a little worried. But the last 200 pages were amazing things I never knew about warfare. Even if you aren't a WWII person or military person, this book was very interesting and will teach you more about real spies than Hollywood will. The Ghost war chapter was the best! 

Run 650 Miles 652/650 DONE

I ran 42 miles in December and made my yearly goal! Finishing strong this year is only because I joined two friends to run the Salina half, and we did our long runs together. We kept meeting on the weekends and it has helped me not slack off. My weekly run steak is up to 25! I took advantage of the Mexico weather this week and did two miles in 75 degree weather. It was nice! This goal was brought to me by Aron and Laura, thanks! 

Money Goals

Fund 3-6 month ER Fund - Done April 2025! Yay for selling my house! 

Pay off Car - Done April 2025! Yay for selling my house! 

UFOs (unfinished objects) that need Finished 

T-Shirt Quilt (have the shirts)

Alpaca Quilt I got all of the lantern rows sewed on my Girl weekend this month. I am currently cutting out Alpaca pieces! 

Placemats - Done April 2025 

Alex and Daryl Photo Books 2021-2023 Just missing 2023 at this point. 

Will still have some quilts and photo books to make for 2026. Oh well! The 2026 Goal post will be next! 

Our best family picture! 

Showing off our shirts! "Christmas hits different when it's warm!"

My favorite place to read my real life spy novel. 

Monkey!

Everyone had to say goodbye to our Donkey when we left yesterday.

They were cute but I don't think any of us are going to miss these guys!