Closing out 2025

Sitting here tonight watching the Citrus Bowl as the dogs are busy chewing on bones, and I felt like finishing out 2025 so we can enter 2026 with a clean slate.  

The week started with a snowy, windy day.  We started our Monday by taking Skateboard back to his long-term foster after his short stay with us.  After dropping him off, we headed home for a little quiet time while the girls enjoyed a Kong.

I met up with a group for lunch, and then came home and took the girls for a quick 1.25 mile walk around the neighborhood.  It was especially windy, making it extra cold when we weren't blocked from the wind, but it felt good to move and get some fresh air.  The rest of our day was spent quietly at home.

Tuesday morning was spent quietly at home, until we headed out shortly after noon to pick up Vanessa for a day of geocaching fun.  

I had planned a busy afternoon with a goal of picking up as many different geocache types as we could.  This was all inspired by the fact that geocaching had released a special Locationless geocache for 2025 to celebrate it's 25th anniversary.  This cache needed to be claimed before 11:59pm on New Year's Eve and required some creativity to find somewhere unique to take a picture with a number 25.

With only two days left in the year, we were running out of time to claim the cache.   So that inspired our whole trip to Bay City to get a picture of the girls in front of the M25 sign.  And since this is a rare cache type, it gave us the opportunity to find more caches types than normal in one day.   

This adventure didn't require any long walks which made it perfect for a frigid day.  The girls got out on a few occasions for some short adventures, but mostly they were happy to hang out in the warm car watching me and Vanessa as we  jumped in and out of the car.

By the end of our trip to Bay City, we had claimed nine different non-event caches and had stopped at two different events, for a total of eleven different types of caches.  The only non-event cache type we hadn't gotten was the rare Webcam cache.  And as luck would have it, there is a Webcam cache in Alma which had been unavailable for quite awhile, but had recently become available again.  When we discovered that the cache was available, we knew we had to go claim it to give us the very rare ability to finish all of the non-event caches in the same day.

Vanessa and I joked that non-geocachers wouldn't understand, but we just knew we had to do it, and I'm so glad we did.  On the drive home from Alma, the snow really started to fall, but we took our time and made it safely back to drop Vanessa off at home. Then I stopped to fill up the gas tank before heading home ourselves.  The girls ate a late dinner,  went out for their final potty break of the day, and then immediately crashed for the night.  We had found 12 different cache types for the day,  which is quite an accomplishment.  What an exceptional day of geocaching it was for us!  

While we were in Bay City, the shelter had reached out to see if I would be available to take Skateboard back into foster again.  His foster had some personal issues arise and needed to return him to the shelter.  Although, I couldn't pick him up on Tuesday,  I agreed to pick him up on Wednesday afternoon and keep him with us.  He hates being in the shelter so much and I hated the thought of him being there for New Year's Eve and New Year's day.

Wednesday morning, I attended a geocaching New Year's Eve event, then the girls and I ran some errands.  I fed them lunch when we got home and then I headed out to the shelter to pick-up Skateboard.   I made a couple of stops on my way home with him.  It was another snowy day, and I was happy to get home and settled in for the rest of our day.

I made myself some nachos for lunch and prepped some snacks for watching the Citrus Bowl and for our New Year's Eve celebration at home.  

I may have had an audience while I ate my nachos. 

Overall everyone was good while I ate and through the first half of the football game.  But, they started to get ansty after halftime because that is now normal behavior for Peaches when it is almost time for dinner. 

 

I sent them outside for a little fresh air as I prepared their food and then they came in to eat.  Afterward, they all wanted to go back outside, and Mina instigated a game of chase with Skateboard.  He also met Cody, the neighbor's pitbull, through the fence, and the little yippy dogs of my other neighbor.  There was some more playing, until I called everyone inside and I gave him and Mina each a bone to chew.  Now, as we reach the final two minutes of the Citrus Bowl, everyone is sound asleep again.

I'm looking forward to spending the rest of the evening quietly enjoying what remains of 2025.

As we close out another year, I have been reflecting on all that has happened.  2025 started better than 2024, with a lot of hope for brighter days ahead.  It ended without much fanfare.  In between there were losses and changes, things that are all just part of life and the stories that make up this chapter of mine.  

The Kong pictured above saw the end of its life and seemed like a fitting metaphor for this year.  This Kong is one of the first Kongs I ever purchased, making it around 22 years old.  I remember complaining about how expensive it was, but it proved its worth.  All of my own dogs and all of our foster dogs have used it over the years, and while it is a silly inanimate object, it has become part of our lives.  But Monday, Skateboard managed to help end its time with us.  Just another part of the cycle of life, I guess.

I said goodbye to my beautiful Willow Tree this year, too.  Another big part of my life for over twenty years.  

There were other changes, like a new roof and gutters, and other losses too.  It seems like change, upheaval, and loss may have been a little more prevalent this year.  Some people would say that all of this loss and change made 2025 a terrible year. But I'd prefer to remember it differently.

I will remember it as the year that Peaches celebrated her 13th birthday surrounded by friends.  And I completed the Hike 100 challenge for the 10th year in a row, and that the girls joined me for all 100 miles.  Or that I enjoyed Jack O'Lanterns Unleashed and the Hines Drive Christmas lights with Fiona.  That I visited San Diego for the first time and Mina first visited Iowa.  That we had adventures and enjoyed sunshine and spent time with friends.  And that we spent a wonderful summer week in the UP.  That we helped save dogs through fostering and transport, and that I helped make some shelter dogs lives better by ensuring that they got time away from the shelter and a nice walk.  And that I spent so many hours just talking to my dad and sharing stories and learning things about his life that I somehow never knew.  There was so much light and love and beauty and joy...that's what I want to remember about 2025.

For the first time in my life, the next chapter starts without my dad.  While his last few months were difficult. I will be forever grateful for all of special moments we shared.  As the cycle of life moves on, I know there will be more challenges ahead.  More change, more upheaval, and more loss.  But there will also be more joy.  If 2025 has taught me anything, it is that life is too short to not focus on the good.  

Wishing you all a safe, happy, health New year.  See you in 2026!

Wrapping up the Holidays

After a slow start to our day last Sunday,  the girls and I got out in the late afternoon for our first winter outing of the new season.  It was cold, and I wasn't feeling up for any big adventures, but we needed to move and get some fresh air, so we made a quick stop for a walk in REO Town.  It felt great to be outside and we had a really nice 1 1/4 mile walk.  

Then we headed over to Old Town for part two of our walk.  We got in another mile, mostly along the river walk, and I forced the girls to sit for a picture at the Turner Dodge house.  I could tell we were all getting cold at this point, so it was clearly time to end our walk.  As we drove home, I decided to stop for one loop around Durant Park so we'd hit 2.5 miles for the day.  

I had the day off on Monday, which afforded me the opportunity to get out to the shelter to take some of our shelter dogs out for some fun.

I used this time to take Roller Skates out to the Sniffspot that we have available to us on Monday afternoons.  She loved the car ride and did well at the Sniffspot, but didn't seem to have much interest in exploring, so we made a short visit, and then headed back to Mason for a walk around town and a visit to the Maple Street Mall.  

She enjoyed our walk and did so well in the Mall.  She enjoyed meeting people and just seemed very content to be out around town.  I spent about 90 minutes with her before heading back to the shelter.  I had planned to take Frisbee and Magic 8 Ball out to the Sniffspot too, but Frisbee got adopted and Magic went into a foster home while I was there, so I headed home to get the girls out for a run.

We made it to Soldan Dog Park about 30 minutes before sunset.  I wasn't sure how conditions would be with the recent changes in our weather, but I wanted to see for myself.  Some areas were severely icy, so we limited where we went and stayed off the main path through the park since it was solid ice.

Mina found a tennis ball so we played a bit of fetch, she found a friend to chase her for a while, which she really enjoyed, and we made slow progress through a small portion of the park.

We didn't go very far and it was slow going, but we still enjoyed our visit.  After about 40 minutes, we were back in the car to head home for the night.  I felt pretty happy with a successful afternoon of fun for both my girls and Roller Skates. 

I worked Tuesday morning, but had the afternoon off since I was still trying to use up some vacation time.  We had planned an afternoon of geocaching near Maple Rapids with Vanessa, and I was looking forward to it.

We had a very successful afternoon of geocaching some backroads, then stopped in Fowler to get the girls out for a walk and pick up a couple more caches along the Fred Meijer Trail there.  The weather was mild and we had a really nice 3.25 mile walk on the trail.  And before leaving town, I grabbed a couple of pictures of the girls with the Fowler holiday decorations. 

Peaches was pooped from such a fun day of adventures and passed out on the drive home.  I'm so glad Vanessa captured this adorable picture of her.  

I couldn't resist stopping downtown at the Capitol for a really quick walk to enjoy the festive spirit of the holidays as we drove home after dropping Vanessa at her car.  I also made a couple last minute stops for some finishing touches for Christmas Eve.  Then I spent the evening finishing my gift wrapping and starting some food prep for Christmas Eve.  It was a really nice day.

Christmas Eve arrived, and Peaches had me up shortly after 5:30am.  I'm never up that early, but I couldn't fall asleep, so by 6am I had grabbed my laptop to start my final workday of the year.  

I worked until about 9am and then decided to take a break to get more prep done for our Christmas Eve meal.  I started the crockpot, made 7 layer bars and puppy chow, and got the dates stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in bacon, and wrapped the pineapple in bacon too.  

Between meal prep and work, I didn't take a break for lunch until nearly 1:30.  It had been such a productive morning for both work and party prep and I was exhausted.  I sat down for a bit to relax, but I was soon back to finish work for the day.  Since I had started early, I was able to end the day early too so I could get a couple of loads of laundry started before getting the girls out for a walk.

We just stayed in our neighborhood for our walk, which we all enjoyed very much.  It was good to stretch my legs and get some fresh air.  Then, we headed home so I could do another load of laundry and vacuum before our guests arrived for the evening.  Boy did I have a productive day.

The girls were so excited when Nicol,  Tyler, and Fiona arrived.  Mina followed Fiona around trying to give her kisses.  She loves Fiona so much!

After eating our delicious Cuban dinner, it was time to open presents.  The girls loved their special treat from Nicol and Fiona was busy unwrapping a whole stack of gifts from grandma.  It was so much fun.

Peaches decided all of the excitement deserved a nap, but Mina had to be in the middle of the action all night long.  Watching the two three year olds play really made my whole night.  The giggling and games of chase were priceless moments.

I wanted a picture of the girls in front of the Christmas tree, but instead we had Fiona climb up next to Peaches to capture this memory.  Fiona loves her Peachy.

And before I knew it, it was time for the kids to head home.  But we had such a wonderful evening.  I decided to do some clean up after they left before heading to bed because I knew I had another busy day in store.  I went to bed on Christmas Eve feeling accomplished, happy, thankful, and relaxed.  

We started our Christmas morning much differently than I normally would by traveling out to Mason for a Christmas morning geocaching event.  I figured it would be a good way to get the girls out of the house before they would be stuck home alone all day.

I arrived and Ed, the host of the event, handed me a homemade loaf of bread and then offered me homemade baklava and a chocolate chip cookie.  What a wonderful Christmas surprise.   We visited with the other cachers for a little bit before we all headed out for the rest of our Christmas celebrations. 

I stopped and picked up a couple of caches on the way home.  Then I gathered together everything I needed to take to my mom's for Christmas, loaded the car, gave the girls their Kongs, and headed out the door.

I had a nice quiet drive to mom's for our holiday celebration.  The whole family was there, and it was nice to have us all together.  We had dinner once we were all there, and then we all enjoyed gift opening.  

Fiona and Sidnee played so many games of Don't Break the Ice, and Mason, my mom, and I all joined in for a few games too.  

We had such a nice day together, and we finished the day attempting to get a picture with the grandkids and great grandkid in front of the Christmas tree.   Fiona wasn't happy that they were going to leave and was sobbing inconsolably, so she refused to look at the camera because in her words "my face looks weird" from crying.  So we did our best.

After Mason walked away, Fiona turned around, and we tried to sneak a picture with her looking, but she realized our trick and started crying again.  

On my way home, I made a stop at the cemetery to visit my grandma and my dad because Christmas just isn't the same without them.  I know we all missed my dad a lot this Christmas.  

Then I enjoyed a beautiful sunset and it's after glow on my drive home.  I really believe this was a gift from dad.

When I finally got home, I got the girls out for a drive to the gas station, and then we stopped for a walk on our way home.  We enjoyed some festive lights on our walk which made a nice end to our Christmas day.

The forecast for Friday was for rain and freezing rain.  We had the potential of poor road conditions, power outages, and just overall bad weather, so I was glad we were prepared to spend an entire day at home. 

The day started quietly enjoying the Christmas tree and the yule log on TV while the girls each had a Kong. The day remained quiet while the rain moved through. The girls napped and I read and did some puzzle books.  By early evening, the weather had improved, so we took a quick trip in the car and picked up a pizza for dinner.  With the dishes and laundry done and the house clean, I was able to relax all day.  It was a good break from the busyness of the previous couple of days.

Friday night, Vanessa reached out to see if we were up for a little geocaching on Saturday.  After a quiet day at home Friday, we were definitely up for an outing.  We met her at her house at 1pm Saturday and headed out for some fun.  We had a nice afternoon of geocaching and finished the day with a walk around downtown Mason.

Before taking Vanessa home, we stopped at the shelter to pick up Skateboard.  He currently has a foster home, but his foster had to leave town unexpectedly for a couple of days, and I volunteered to keep him with us while she was gone.

He is an in-your-face, happy-go-lucky boy, which makes Mina crazy.  She growled at him and grumbled at him most of car ride and made sure he knew that she didn't like his crazy energy when we got home too, but he just looks at her like "I don't know why you're mad at me, but let me apologize by wiggling my way into your heart."  She is all grumbles and won't hurt him, and he reacts well to her corrections, so we'll be okay for a couple of days while he's here.  She will also grumble less as time goes on, she just needs him to know he's an idiot.

Everyone slept well Saturday night, and we had a quiet start to our Sunday morning.  

By mid-day, I knew I had to find a way to get everyone some exercise,  but it was raining and nobody wanted to go outside.  I decided to take a drive and we ended up at Lowe's.   

This was the perfect spot to get in a walk.  There are lots of new smells, plenty of people to visit, and employees with treats.   Everyone loved our visit.

After leaving Lowe's, we drove to Preuss for a quick visit.  I took Skateboard in by himself first, and he loved it!  We even ran into Lane (who works at the shelter) and her pup, Miller, as well as Vanessa,  while we were there.  Then the girls got to go into for a visit as well.

Finally, we headed home.  We'll be spending the rest of our Sunday snuggled up as the rain continues to fall.  It should be a quiet evening.   And tomorrow Skateboard will head back to his regular foster home.  It sure was nice being able to help.him for a couple of days.  I'm sure he'll find a home quickly.

I have the next week off to enjoy what remains of the holiday season.  I always love the quiet and peacefulness of this final week of the year.  But it sure is hard to believe we're only 4 days away from a new year.