2024 Year in Review

2024 was an amazing year!

[The following blog post was simply written for me]

After making it through the longest stretch of the school year: aka Q3, we enjoyed a trip to the East Coast to see our eldest prince and his family over Spring Break.

Always such a wonderful time being with them and seeing what life is like for them there. While we were there, we went into "the city" a couple of times to enjoy some tourist attractions. We ate at some of our favorite restaurants. And, we walked the boardwalk along the Long Island Sound.

Our first adventure took us to the American Museum of Natural History. It was pouring down the rain that day. The line was super long. Everyone handled the weather like champs and we eventually made our way inside to explore more than 40 halls full of interesting exhibits on four floors. The museum was built in 1869 and contains exhibits for science, nature, and history. And, if I am being honest, many areas felt like we were still in 1869 -- and that is not a good thing. However, we did have a great time pretending we were in the movie Night at the Museum, and I snagged a really cool sweatshirt.

We then got to stay with our grandchildren while our eldest prince and his princess enjoyed an overnight adventure in New York City. We had a movie marathon, ate take-out, played board games, completed a gem stone dig, and stayed up way past our bedtime. Always thankful for the one-on-one time!

Our other adventure to the city was simply our eldest prince acting as our personal tour guide to specific sights we had requested to explore. He did an amazing job and we accomplished all of our stops and still managed to catch the train back in time to enjoy our grandson's karate practice.

Our New York City adventure included stops and/or photo ops at the following locations:

• Grand Central Station
• St. Patrick's Cathedral
• Rockefeller Center
• NBC News
• FAO Schwarz
• Nintendo
• Avenue of the Americas
• Fox News
• Macy's (and the wooden escalators to Santaland)
• Carlo's Bakery in Times Square
• CBS News
• Times Square
• ESPN
• NasDaq
• Broadway
• Radio City Music Hall
• Rainbow Room
• 34th Street
• Madison Avenue
• 5th Avenue
• And, the New York Public Library (where I snagged another cool sweatshirt)

My summer this year, although short, was grand. I tried not to count the days, but to make the days count. As a teacher, a summer is a hallowed time of refreshing and recuperating. The wedding festivities of our youngest prince to his princess started my summer a couple of days early. We were able to celebrate the beginning of their life together and enjoy family time, as well.

The Rehearsal, Rehearsal Dinner, Wedding Ceremony, and Reception were planned perfectly. However, a few hiccups caused us to have to pivot on many occasions throughout the wedding weekend. Flat tires, schedules, weather, etc., but everything turned out beautifully.

When I think back to that weekend, I only remember special times:

• Enjoying our four grandchildren all together.
• Watching our four sons laugh together.
• Listening to music.
• Listening to deep conversations.
• Hearing hysterical laughter about nonsensical topics.
• Enjoying yummy foods, smiles, and hugs.
• Adding another beautiful daughter-in-law to our family.

I was reminded once again of the advice given to me by an Elder's wife when I was a young wife/mom:

• "Don't collect things, collect moments!"

After the wedding celebrations ended, my summer began with:

• Reading for fun
• Staying up late
• Sleeping in late
• Taking naps
• Morning walks
• Reading for spiritual renewal
• Watering flowers
• Organizing my home
• Eating junk food
• Trying new recipes
• Reading for professional development
• Enjoying Sawyer and Henry
• Wandering through Target
• Eating fresh vegetables
• Cooking our meals on the grill
• Spending time with God in prayer
• Going on Movie Dates
• Basking in the sunshine
• Relaxing in the moonlight
• Counting my blessings
• Brunch Dates with friends
• Seeing Donny Osmond at the Palace 💖

Then attention was given to all of the appointments a teacher must catch up on in the summer:

• Dental Appointments
• Physicals
• Eye Appointments (which included a laser surgery)
• Scans of all kinds

And, shockingly, for the first time in a few years, all of my appointments had great results!

It was at about this time, the newlyweds returned to town and moved into our second story while they searched for just the right place to call their own home. 

We then traveled to see our eldest prince and his family on the East Coast again.

Halfway into our travels, we ended up stopping in an unexpected destination due to mechanical failure.

• Our vehicle broke down.
• We waited on a tow truck.
• We were towed to a dealership in a quaint little town that provided a Mayberry feel for us.
• Our car was put in for repairs.
• We were shuttled to a hotel nearby that was directly beside a mall and lots of restaurants.
• The weather was absolute perfection: sunny with a slight breeze.
• We walked to dinner, had a restful night, and enjoyed the shopping mall the next day.
• We were picked up by the dealership shuttle and taken back to our repaired vehicle.
• The dealership treated us like celebrities.
• The other customers cheered for us as we packed up to continue on our way.
• It turned out to be a wonderful interruption on our journey that reminded us of the good in the world.

We arrived at our East Coast destination about 9 hours late in the wee hours of the morning. 

We slept for a short while and awoke to the excitement of grandchildren and their parents. And, to their sweet puppy!

After a run to Dunkin', the adventures began.

For as long as I can remember, I have been a NY Mets fan.

On that day, for the very first time (and in all reality - probably the last), I got to enjoy a NY Mets game at Citifield.

We traveled through all 5 boroughs of New York City.

We crossed beautiful bridges and traversed long, dark tunnels (in silence, of course).

We ate yummy foods, walked lots of steps, and laughed long and loud.

Memories of that day will last a lifetime!

• Beautiful breezy day
• A grandson who cheered for my team
• A granddaughter who danced her way around the stadium
• The excitement and kindness of NY Mets fans
• Delicious stadium food
• Fun souvenirs
• Photos in iconic places
• My family who made sure this day occurred

Early the next morning, another adventure began ... we headed to the Statue of Liberty.

We traveled to Liberty State Park in Jersey City, New Jersey to catch the ferry. 

Before we boarded the ferry, we stopped to see the memorial to the Twin Towers. 

The memorial is entitled Empty Sky. It was hauntingly beautiful. It has twin walls that gently 

slope up a path that points to Ground Zero.

We then went through security to board the ferry to begin our adventure to both Ellis Island

and Liberty Island. To get to security, we had to go through the Central Railroad of New Jersey 

(CCR-NJ), now simply known as Communipaw. This name comes from the Lenape and means big landing place at the side of a river. The Lenape were indigenous people from the Northeastern Woodlands or Delaware People.  It is estimated that around 10.5 million people entered our country through this station during the era of massive immigration.

The ferry ride was very enjoyable with beautiful views of the skylines of both New York and New Jersey. Our first stop was Ellis Island. We toured the National Museum of Immigration. There were photographs, authentic baggages, and many stories told from 1550 - the present time. We stopped at the Gift Shop and had lunch there before boarding the ferry for the Statue of Liberty. We did not tour the Hospital Complex side of the island, but the architecture of the buildings was a magnificent sight.

The ferry ride across the Hudson River (also known as the Upper New York Bay) to the Statue of Liberty was about 15 minutes long. Seeing the Statue come into view as the ferry made its way around to the landing was almost overwhelming, but at the same time, actually the best 360* view of Lady Liberty.

We disembarked the ferry at the back of the island and prepared to walk around the island to eventually be able to look up and see the face of Lady Liberty. Along the walk, we stopped in the Statue of Liberty Museum which exhibits the original torch, among many other historical pieces. 

While in the museum, my grandson had the opportunity to complete a Scavenger Hunt, of sorts, in order to become a Junior Ranger with the National Park Service. He did an amazing job completing the activities and then taking the pledge to receive his badge. His sweet little sister received a badge sticker to wear since she was not old enough to be a Junior Ranger.

Then we continued making our way around the island until we were able to look up into the face of Lady Liberty. What an amazing monument! We did not enter the pedestal of the statue, nor did we choose to walk up the 162 steps to the crown of the statue. Both of the areas have very strict ticketing regulations. The walk around the island was an exciting enough experience. The size of the statue cannot even be fully described. It truly was an experience I never expected to have in my lifetime. 

And, of course, we didn't board the ferry until we stopped at the souvenir shop for the obligatory sponge Lady Liberty crown.

The next few days were simply fun days hanging out with family. Morning movies, craft time, yummy lunches, rest time, reading time, snack time, board games, and general merriment. One special trip was to the neighborhood McDonald's where we ordered The Cookie Tote from their secret menu. These were absolutely delicious.

On the 4th of July, we headed out on our final big adventure. We drove to East Rutherford, New Jersey to explore the American Dream Mall. The 2nd largest mall in America. This mall is less than 5 years old and features a Nicklelodeon Theme Park, a DreamWorks Water Park, and the Big Snow American Dream ski slope, along with over 400 stores and restaurants. It was such a fun day of exploration. The highlight was crossing the George Washington Bridge under the world's largest free-flying American flag in honor of America's birthday.

Once we were home, preparations for the new school year began. Q1 was pretty smooth and we headed right into Fall Break. Fall Break was spent resting and relaxing and exploring a few southern Indiana locations, along with accomplishing a Graduate Course for my Teaching License.

A few highlights included:

• French Lick
• Paoli
• Amish Country
• Voted Early
• Huber's
• Madison, Indiana (specifically Hinkle's)

Q2 (aka my very favorite quarter of the school year) began and life got super busy again.

My second Graduate Course began and there was no time to spare.

We enjoyed a wonderful Fall Spiritual Retreat which helped us refocus and set new goals.

And, right in the middle of Q2, our newlyweds found the perfect place to live. We helped them pack up the first 5 months of their lives together and move out of our second story.

Holiday Season arrived in full force. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Break that prepared us for the Christmas Season. We transformed our second story into a guest room and a TV room in anticipation of overnight visitors.

As we read through the book of Luke, Q2 ended and Christmas arrived bringing gifts and family. All of the children and their families were all with us to celebrate a milestone birthday for our eldest prince and Christmas.

We also enjoyed:

• New York Cheesecakes
• Gifts
• Exchanges
• Cookies
• Decorations
• Christmas Lights
• Candies
• Ugly Sweaters
• Board Games
• Movies (White Christmas on the big screen at the theater)
• Marathon Sleepovers with the grandchildren

December and 2024 ended with a quiet New Year's Eve.

2024 can best be described as a Year of Experiences.

My word for the year was Positivity. It served me well.

I am beyond thankful for God's guidance and my many blessings.

I am eagerly looking forward to the Eddy Adventures of 2025!

If you made it this far, thank you!

Love, 

Jan 💖