Happy NYE 2024... to be 2025..

 I can say that I'm not looking forward to all of what's to come in 2025. What I am looking forward to is Logan graduation in May, Summer camping/trips and one year closer to paying off our mortgage with then a year to go! 

Some fog filled photos from yesterday. We are on the warm side of the weather right now. Soon to drop temps to single digits right after the new year. 

Jimmy Carter died. He was the first president  I really remember from my childhood, other then Ford, who always looked mean to me. 

My resolutions for 2025:

No alcohol January

Weight loss journey begins.. once again

Gym 5 days a week

Pay off debt(House/Auto loan)

Camping/Trips 

Work/Adv/ build up clients

Read more books

Limit news for mental health! 

 

That pretty much covers everything for the new year. 

Where we were in 2024?

Logan is a senior in College lives off campus in Milwaukee in a apartment

Celina got a permeant job with benefits, working full time from home. Still lives at home with her BF. We like having them here as it keeps us company. 

We did a road trip/camping and traveled to Texas in the spring to watch the Eclipse and visit friends

Lots of camping trips in MN and Wisconsin. 

Always at Sauk lake (property) camping on Memorial Day, 4th and Labor Day 

Boating, kayaking, hiking and biking are our fun activities along with going to new wineries and breweries

Made some home improvements:

Mulched the entire back yard

Painted the deck

Took down some trees/branch removal

Tar the driveway

Added some new light fixtures inside (office/mudroom)

Replaced kitchen cabinet hinges with soft close

fixed up Mud room and created hooks for jackets 

Went to Milwaukee, Duluth, Grand Marais, Door County, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Ozarks. 

Did not get a chance to cross country ski at all in 2024 due to not enough or any snow cover! 

Christmas Photo dump

 

Merry Christmas!!

 Merry Christmas 2024!!

Stockings are open.... 

Christmas Eve....

2024 is coming to a close.

 We are wrapping up 2024. The year seemed to fly by as all do. Life is speeding up faster and faster. I have to go back through my snap chat clips to remember all we did this last year. Here's to hoping next year will be okay. We have 4 years of who knows what! We haven't even switched over yet and there is already turmoil. I want off the crazy train, but here we go again. Not sure we will ever be allowed to move on either after 4 years. I guess we will wait and see. 

As of right now, life goes on as normal. We are thankful for our clients to keep supporting our businesses last year and to come in the next year. 

All our family members are still with us for the most part. I always make foods to remember my dad, his pepper steak, Stuffing and peanut brittle. 

Steve's parents at 86 or are they 87? Are still doing great. Only eye issues and slowing down a bit more while walking/moving. In all really good for their age. They have stopped driving to anywhere other than the grocery stores close to home and over to our house. Otherwise, Steve and Tim take turns driving them to the doctor, or anywhere else they need to go. Steve has taken over clearing the driveway of snow and mowing with Logan doing that too. 

Logan will graduate from college this spring. Fingers crossed he finds a job and close to home. He is willing to move anywhere and wants to be independent. 

Celina has a good job working from home and loves her flexibility during the work day to workout, or go to the store, etc..  She continues to live at home and save money. Don her BF also has been living with us since Covid and too is saving and investing by living with us in our lower level. We enjoy their company as our house would be too big for the two of us and we'd be pretty lonely without them here. 

We all did a lot of camping together. We all go to the lake/Sauk for the summer holidays and have a big group of their friends join us. It's some of the best times of the year. 

Kendra is still at the same job from grad college, Paul is going great too expanding his job to include sitting on a board. Evan is 11 and a great kid. Madelyn turned 5 and loves anything cats! 

Our plans for the future include paying off our mortgage in full in 2026, probably not retiring since we both like to keep working part time and have a purpose and somewhat of a social life. We would like to buy land and build a one level house, and a cabin at the lake in 3 to 4 years. I'd like to travel and see the country and Europe in a built out van eventually. Rent out our house and cabin for 1 year to have passive income while we travel. Continue to camp and do outdoor activities. Finish our house projects. We have a few to do, Paint the lower level, and finish the trim. Re do our master bathroom tile and shower. Add more soft close cabinet hinges to the bathrooms and a few drawers to the kitchen. 

We continue to go to the gym at least a few days a week, lift weights. We'd like to try playing pickle ball this winter. Plus, if we get snow, do some cross country skiing. 

This spring we will travel to Milwaukee for Logan's graduation  and not sure what after? Maybe South Dakota and yellow stone the end of August. I'm sure we will go to the lake a few times too and other camping trips in MN, and Wisconsin? 

Happy 9th Birthday Zoey!!

 It's your birthday, Zoe bird, Boo..boo! 

We could not imagine our family without you. You are the center of attention. Reminding us when you want to be fed with a low growl. Love to bark at the delivery trucks, goes from one door front to the back to be let out. Loves the squirrels because they drop food from the feeder for you. Your favorite thing to do in the morning is to charge out at the bunnies on the side of the house. Won't sit outside alone and will only stay out while we are there. Loves to be chased in the back yard around the fire pit. Belly rubs are your favorite and also all your big stuffed animals. You don't love kisses, but put up with them and occasionally give them back. 

It's begging to look a lot like Christmas, minus the snow!

 Here we are Dec 9th and no snow on the ground and its going to be in the 40's again for the 3rd day in a row! 

I finished decorating for Christmas. I was going to put up all the lights and decorations I had accumulated over the years, but there are still a lot I didn't use. It's just too much to put up! 

Here's one of the 6 trees of various sizes we have up around the house. The main tree in the front window. 

Someday I'll replace that corner chair with a nicer one with a small round table next to it. I keep looking!! 

It's the little things that make a huge difference sometimes! One of my clients gave me a great idea to switch out the back mud room light to a light on / off sensor. No more turning on and off the light! It was a somewhat easy install and now when we go into the mud room it lights up! We should have done this years ago! A $35 dollar quick fix! It would make a nice gift to do that in some rooms for his parents. Maybe a light sensor for their garage too. 

I now want to change out some cabinets and drawers to soft close hinges. They are about $5 to $8 per hinge and we pretty much need one per cabinet/drawer. This will be on the todo after the holidays or maybe this week? A gift to me and Steve! Again a little thing that doesn't cost a whole lot, but makes a lot of difference in every day convince/ life! 

Logan comes home from college on Saturday for Winter break! End of semester and then will go back to school mid January. A nice long 5+ week break at home! Only one semester to go and he will graduate in the spring!!