Favorite 2024 Moments

2024 was a great year and my favorite moments continue to be the times spent with family and friends.  I love the kids' milestones and looking back to see how much they have grown.

I hope that 2025 brings us lots of happy times, a healthy family, and moments of reflection in the midst of the chaos that is life right now.

My favorites in order:

1.  Bringing home a Chiefs Super Bowl victory with the ladies.  It was so fun to watch the girls interested in football and to see the fairytale ending of Taylor and Travis' football season come to an end with a win.  I continue to feel so incredibly lucky to have such a great female role model for the girls to look up to.  Here's to raising strong, independent women!

2.  Spending time with this guy.  We have kept up our tradition of getting away together over the years.  This past year was Washington, D.C. and NYC (in the summer).  It's fun to sightsee, check out new restaurants and reconnect.

3.  Watching Nolan continue to improve his lacrosse skills this past year has been awesome.  His love for the game, his coaches, and his teammates is amazing and we love watching him in action.  This picture was after he scored his first goal on his Hyatts Middle School team.

4.  Sometimes it's the small moments that stand out the most.  Nolan and I did a few morning walks to the beach and Starbucks during spring break.  Having the one on one time to talk was a lot of fun and something that I will always remember about that vacation.

5.  Helping my 11-year-old Swiftie ring in her birthday in the best way possible.  All things Taylor and lots of good friends to surround her with love.  It's a lot of planning and preparation but I would do it over and over again for these kids to ensure that they feel special.

6.  Cheering Mairin on during her soccer games.  She continues to say that soccer is her favorite sport so this may be our future for years to come.

7.  Watching our ballerina dance her heart out at her recital without fear.  She is so confident and accepts challenges and new experiences with ease.

8.  Spending time with Quinn, her friends and her teachers on her last day of elementary school.  She had such a wonderful year in 5th grade and it was wonderful to get to share in her excitement as she said goodbye to that chapter of her life.

9.  Proud of our 5th grade grad this year!

10.  Attending my cousin Jack's wedding.  This is one of my all-time favorite pictures.  It was fun to be with family and I think this picture sums up the joy and the gratitude we felt for getting to take a selfie with your grandparents who are in their late nineties.

11.  Proud of Quinn and her friends for volunteering to work with preschoolers at VBS this summer!

12.  Chasing fairy doors down in Dublin while the boys were at a lacrosse tournament.  It was a day without plans so we took our time, browsed the shops, bought treats and special drinks along the way and had a fun girls' day.

13.  More lacrosse!  It continues to be some of my favorite times as we get to watch Nolan do his thing.

14.  Our annual summer visit to Niles.  This was the last time we saw both my grandparents at home together and I am so thankful that we took the time to visit. 

15.  This friendship.  These boys run around the neighborhood all summer long and have the best bond.

16.  Ringing in SIX with lots of foam!  She was in heaven and I loved watching her have the best time with her friends in the bubbles.

17.  Reuniting with friends and their kiddos.  I am very thankful for the friendships I have maintained over the years and the ease in which we can pick up where we left off.  It is so much fun to see our kids interact with one another too!

18.  Watching these two enter middle school together this year.  

19.  Sending the baby off to kindergarten!

20.  Another chapter closed as it was time to get rid of the swing set.  It was on its last leg and the kids were begging for a trampoline so we decided it was time.  Not exactly a favorite memory but one that stands out as this year brought along many life milestones.

21.  Hanging on to the family traditions that we have been doing since Nolan was a baby.  The pumpkin patch is always fun and even the big kids find ways to enjoy it (when you aren't looking).

22.  I can't leave out the Eras Tour!  Attending this concert is something that I can't really put into the right words.  It's pure magic and something I am so thankful for getting to experience (twice).

23.  Watching the kids get excited about decorating their "kids tree" this year.  We bought all the colorful, shiny things and let them go to town.

24.  Although our Anna Maria trip was derailed, we still had a great time in Turks and Orlando.  My favorite memory from this vacation is the amount of time these three spent together on the water slides.  They weren't fighting, they played, they "worked" the slides with the operators, and genuinely enjoyed being together.

25.  Sharing the life moment of getting my ears pierced with the girls.  So much fun to all do it together.

26.  Continuing those family traditions even when the kids are whining and complaining about it the whole time.  Mairin is still so happy to do all of the fun things while the other two drag their feet.  Doesn't stop us.  These kids will hopefully look back one day and remember that they didn't want to go but they still enjoyed being with their family.