First event of January was "Sibling Fun Day". The boys drove down to Provo to thrift-mostly for records, go to dinner, and take a spin at the indoor racetrack. 

Darin has been tinkering & making, creating things I don't understand very well, but if your kid is studying Sound Engineering apparently Darin is a big resource.

Took a weekend trip to Scofield with some dear friends. Hiked in, sled, hiked, ate killer food and had a book exchange. Pure bliss.

We tongue in cheek call ourselves the Hottie Hikers because something we did quite a lot-before everyone but me went to school and started careers - was hike every week. We keep in touch through Marco Polo, reading discussions, and some weekend get togethers. We've been through so much together.

Centerville delivers with the sunsets.  Still desperate to get some good snow dumplings. The weather is delightful but it's hard to enjoy when the whole state is in a drought. 

One benefit of the too warm temps is that I did some gardening last week and found the key I had lost 4 months ago! So happy I found it and it works.

 Byron and I toured U of U and he seems pretty settled with his decision to go there. He is powering through Senior year: working in school, working at his job, hanging out with friends as much as possible and getting sick every other weekend.

Soren is now working on Footloose for Centerpoint Academy and Little Women for Viewmont. Just this weekend he found out he got into Fiddler on the Roof, so he will add that to his schedule, along with school work and Drivers Ed. 

Miriam is interviewing, and shadowing, and volunteering trying to figure out her next move toward her future. She'll graduate in May, and still works full time as a Pharmacy tech.

I have been subbing 2-3 days per week, working 1 week and Mikey's Place, while looking into other jobs. It would be nice to have something that brings $ in for the summer. I've been working on the PTSA at Viewmont we are still trying to figure out how to make $ for all the programs we provide at Viewmont. 

Book read in January:

Hamnet 

Elisa 2025

2025 Report

 My friend Danielle talked me into being on the PTSA at Viewmont High, I'm over membership.

It's a good cause, the PTA provides so many good things for the school; teacher meals, Battle of the Bands, Reflections, the Senior Party and the Student Service Club. Jnette, Danielle and I put on a Winters Dance "Dancing Through the Decades" to earn $4000. We earned $1500 but had a great time and put on a uniquely fun dance for the high schoolers.

Second annual Christkringlemart trip. 

A few weeks before Something Rotten performances started, the director asked if I would step in with hair and makeup. Of course I did because Danica the director was running around with too much to do...I had to help where I could.  Fun as always working with the kids, but this year I made a plan, bought all the things we needed, and turned it all over to the high schoolers and a few Stage Managers to be in charge. 

Saw the northern lights for the first time! I thought I would need to travel to Alaska or Iceland to see them.

7th year Darin and I finished Coffenuering Challenge.  We earned our bandages and had a lovely time riding around this Fall. My favorite ride was 20 something miles to Kaysville to watch Byron race Cyclocross and back. 

Danielle's annual Halloween Party. Viral Instagram video was the inspo for our costumes. Jnette did all the work and gathered all the supplies - we made them 1 hour before the party started (and were an hour late). I was ready to go as ghosts with sheets, I thought it couldn't be done. Never underestimate Jnettes plans.

Since Byron's State NICA race was in Cedar City again I had to book the lodge up at Brian Head. 

Byron and I couldn't hike around Cedar Breaks because of icy paths, but I ran up on Friday night at twilight and caught some amazing photos.

As usual, I planted cherry tomatoes, and harvested the raspberry bush, but this year I planted pumpkins. I am an organic gardener, and a chaotic gardner. Because of that it was a ton of work keeping squash bugs at bay, and fighting the dusty fungus.  I harvested a lot of little beauties, just need to figure out how to make them bigger.

Weekly walks in the hills with Orion.  Meditation walks on Sundays, and then quick trips walking along Firebreak Rd on weekdays. I am more in love with Orion than ever. I didn't even know I was a dog person.

Shelly and Peter shared the gondola tickets that come with their season passes again this Fall. 

This early snowfall was one of the only snow storms we have gotten.  Very wet October, dry November, drizzly rain throughout December but we are woefully lacking in snow. 

Our adventure day trip was soooo rainy but we drove to the top of Farmington Canyon anyway. We did not get in the pond to float this year, way to cold, but the colors were amazing!

Fall Equinox hike with Sarah up to Elephant Rock in Muller Canyon.

I took photos for Soren's Homecoming group. I don't feel like I am the best photographer but these photos turned out well.  I did a good job on location and time. 

Byron's final NICA season. It's been so fun to visit biking locations all around Utah. I've loved cheering Byron on, and volunteering to help with the food. 

Last Spring Miriam, Soren and I hiked up to 5ths Hot Spring. We got the full experience, nudist and all!

Very fun icy trail, 8 miles since the gate to the trailhead was closed for winter.

Jnette and I paddle boarded to see the Salmon Run in September. It was delightful paddle out, a muddy slog for half of the hike, but the salmon were delightful as always and we used our well earned GPP muscle to paddle back in huge wind gusts.

I took Byron, Soren and Zoe to a working weekend at the cabin.  Soren helped G'ma with landscaping around the cabin, Byron and I stained the siding of the cabin on the upper deck. I'm naturally messy when I work but this took the cake.

August 27th marked 49 years on this pale blue dot.

On the weekend we make our annual pilgrimage up to Pettingil's for peaches, fresh fruit shakes, and hand shucked corn. 

Soren was in the musical Hunchback of Notre Dame this summer at West Valley Performing Arts. It was a sneak hit of the summer. Darin and I saw it multiple times, G'ma and G'pa Rasmussen, Aunt Gwen and Uncle Damon came, lots of Soren's.  My friends came and made a night out of it, going out to dinner, seeing the show and then talking afterwards. 

Peter bought us tickets to see Drop Kick Murphy's at the Union. The concert was way more fun that I had imagined and I always have fun at concerts!

Darin and I loved our season tickets to the Ogden Twilight Concert Series.  We didn't take photos except of the kids at Modest Mouse.  Top picks for me were Flaming Lips, Head and Heart, and Modest Mouse but honestly all the concerts were so fun, even the DJ sets which aren't really my thing.

Jnette, Robin, Shelly and I ran away to Idaho Falls for a paddleboard weekend.

Some of us went a day early, paddled Heart Springs, and stayed the night. Robin joined us the next morning for the paddle to Shashone Falls.  It was incredible. I want to take the rest of the family for sure.

Byron and I got in one last hike with Fielding and Stacie before Fielding left for his misson in Oregon. These two boys have been on so many adventures together, and will hopefully go on many more in the future...but it will be 2 years before that happens. 

Miriam and I hiked 7 miles up to Kyve Peak.  It was glorious, the views were incredible.  We had a solid date and plan to hike Timp in the late Spring/early Fall.  The one big snow storm we've had hit early and we had to cancel.  Top goal for 2026.

No photos, but there was another trip up to Mirissa adorable cabin up by Smith and Morehouse. No paddleboarding this year, just small hikes and lots of chatting. 

The bulk of my time and attention of 2024/25 was earning $ and reading books for our trip with the boys to China. I earned over $16,000 to be able to go with a Jensen-Makay tour group to China for 11 days. 

Miriam went to Italy when she was in ninth grade, we wanted each of our kids to experience international travel like she had.  China was top choice because of their years in the  Chinese Immersion program.  The only school trip available was with the boys least favorite (understatement) Chinese teacher so we looked into a trip of our own.

We did it! All my income went straight to the vacation fund while Darin's income kept our home running. It was an epic trip. The first time Byron, Soren, or I had ever left the continent. 

Miriam was competing with the UVU ballroom team in England at the same time.  She and Will explored England around the competitions, and then spent and extra week exploring Portugal. Although Miriam has traveled internationally, the is epic for her because she did it without a tour, just her and Will figuring everything out. 

WORK

I held a 6 week yoga series at GPP

held a yoga class at a women's retreat.

Worked with Kelly Jones to put on a few corporate events. A two day Best of biohive event, two events for Recursion, and two events for DOMO. This is by far my most fun and highest paying job.

I worked at Mikey's Place starting summer of 2024, once or twice a week. I have taken breaks here and there but currently work Mondays and sub when the Ostlers go on vacation.

I have been subbing for Davis School District going on 3 years. Mostly for Centerville Elementary in the ASC classrooms. 

Books

For the China trip I read so many books, but I can't remember which ones I read in 2024 and which in 2025 but I will list them anyway:

Oracle Bones by Peter Hessler

A History of China by John Keay

Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

Normal People by Sally Rooney

The Shipping News by E. Ann Proulx