My word for the year 2025 was memories. I knew there were significant life events on the horizon and had hoped to do all I could to make the year memorable.
I believe it was a success. In the midst of all the memory making there was a lot of hard work.
I drove Ruth to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia 17 times. She went to the Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic 10 times. Medical and dental appointments for everyone else were a total of 70 appointments that I had written down. That doesn't include any trips to Patient First of which there were a few.
In February we celebrated 100 days of School! It was my 12th year homeschooling!
In March, our niece, Emma, got engaged and we broke ground on a much anticipated addition.
In April, Ruth turned 10 and had a birthday party with friends. She had one of many transfusions and ate a restaurant called GuGu (which was her Chinese name!) and started playing soccer.
Abbey turned 16, bought an iconic car that I wished belonged to me, and had a party with friends. Anne went to Kenya for 10 days in April.
Our addition quickly took shape that month.
In May Anne went to formal with her friend, Adam.
I got to enjoy the first bath in our new tub in the addition that month.
Our nephew, Hunter, got married.
Anne graduated high school!
June was epic! Caroline had her ballet performance. I took Anne "home" to Green Gables. The kids had a whole hosts of "firsts" during Ruth's Make-a-Wish trip. For many it was their first plane ride, for all of them it was their first time in Florida, first time snorkeling, first time on a boat, first dolphin experience, first Escape Room, and so so much more.
Our beautiful dancer.
Prince Edward Island with Anne for her graduation trip was wonderful!
July we tried to slow our roll. But we still had Anne's graduation party with so many friends. We were tickled that Trent's brother and sis-in-law drove in from NJ for it. Anne, Abbey and Maggie drove by themselves up to Tioga County to stay for a weekend at the cabin. Trent has rarely been more proud. We camped at Muddy Run with the Parmarters. And we moved into our addition!!
Grad party for Anne!!
In August we saw Sarah and Jessee again! We drove to NJ for a pool party with Todd & Sarah. Maggie started high school and played soccer. Heidi started first grade with a new confidence gained from her previous year's experience. Mary got cuter.
September was full of soccer runs. Heidi got her first pair of glasses, a little orange cat that Hans named Bob Cat found us, Ruth, Trent and I spoke to about 200 people at a golf event benefiting Make-A-Wish, and Mary continues to be super cute.
October was even more soccer, Ruth learning to sew, our niece Emma got married, Hans discovered a love for Calvin and Hobbes and Mary got cuter.
November, after a season of losses, Ruth's team won the tournament! Anne turned 18 and took on a third job. She got hired as a long term substitute art teacher in addition to dolce vita and Giant. Heidi turned 8, I went to see Dwight Yoakam with my mom, Martin and Audrey (Stacy just had surgery so couldn't be there), Abbey got her license, I rediscovered my love of convertibles during Trent and my anniversary trip to Florida, had the best time with the love of my life for that long weekend, and enjoyed Thanksgiving with the Hesses.
In December Hans turned 4, Caroline turned 12, and Trent and I officially celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Ruth was Mary and Carrie was the narrator with significant lines to memorize in the Christmas play. We got matching Christmas PJs for the first time in 8 years, had a magical tree that lost every single needle, and played in the snow. We had a Hess Christmas and a Parmarter Christmas. 
Wow! What a year! When I'm struggling with the weight of raising a large family, homeschooling, and managing the medical needs especially of Ruth, it's easy to lose sight of it all. This recap of 2025 has been such a beautiful reminder to me that, although it feels like the medical needs have overshadowed it all, we have lived so much life this year. All glory to God!
