Welcome 2017!

To all ten of my faithful blog followers I know that you must be anxious as to why I didn't make a blogpost for November OORRRR December.  I've had a steady once a month production for quite awhile now.  I'm a creature of habit, and when there's a kink in the system it can throw me off.  I typically upload my photos from my phone once a month to iPhoto via my nine year old MacBook.  Back around Thanksgiving I found out that iPhoto will no longer talk to my phone, technically iPhoto is now dead, and the fact that my computer is still alive is a miracle.  I was put into a complete tailspin.  What do I do with the years and years and years of photos I have on iPhoto and backed up to a hard drive?  What am I now going to "store" all of my photos on?  Will I make a break with iPhoto from my last  backup and simply start storing photos somewhere else?  What the hell is iCloud?  How do I access iCloud?  What about Google Photos?  I'm telling you what.  While most folks were dealing with the fall out and shock from the election, I was over here reeling from a monumental and seemingly overwhelming dilemma.  I still haven't quite solved my problem, but I'm making headway.  My plan is to back every piece of our digital history and anything new to Google Photos .  As I was making sense of this change and adapting to the new routine, the boys got a GoPro from my mom for Christmas and then I was sent into another mini-tailspin.  I don't do well with new technology.  .  .

To rewind and recap the last two months brings tears of happiness to my eyes.  Both boys were Citizens of the month at school and the teachers spoke about their responsibility, but more importantly the kindness they show to others.  Maybe not to each other, but to others.  .  .  yes.  Thanksgiving was grand.  Another successful Turkey Trot and both boys ran the three mile race.  Carter placed in his age group.
We gathered with family and were truly thankful.








That weekend we made our annual trek to get Christmas trees with the Hiltons and it was, as usual, quite the adventure.

School resumed for a few more weeks and the kids participated in various holiday activities including writing their letters to Santa, building Gingerbread houses, donating toys, performing in the bell choir in the annual Fort Jones Christmas parade (FJE got first place three years running - whoot, whoot) and the school production.  Mom and dad hosted a staff Ugly Sweater Party and then attended one in which Joy placed second in the sharpshooter BB gun ornament shooting contest.

The boys kicked off break by participating in the Ugly Sweater two mile run.  Their legs were warmed up and ready for four days of skiing/boarding during break.  We baked and decorated Christmas cookies, and enjoyed a fancy holiday meal in Ashland followed up by touring fantastic light displays in upscale neighborhoods, Christmas was celebrated with friends, cousins, the Isbell family, and a day at home with my mom.   Thinking we had accomplished it all, we made a last minute trip to the Medford Mall to meet up with Santa at Miles' request.

I truly don't think that we could have packed any more Christmas activities into the season.  While I was secretly high-fiving myself and patting my own back with each event and memory created (all while keeping my cool without copious amount of alcohol or Xanax), the most treasured moments of the season came without my prompting or planning.

On Christmas Eve the boys received a box of individually wrapped and decorated Christmas sugar cookies.  Instead of digging into them, the boys independently came up with a plan to leave the box of cookies on the porch for the FedEx and UPS drivers.  They even wrote a kind note on the top of the box thanking the drivers for all of their hard work.  Another day they continuously created gifts for each other, wrapped them up, and placed them under the tree.  Gifted brother trinkets included hand drawn SF Giants logos cut out and colored, Lego creations, and random items found around the house.  A little Aunt Bethany of them, but they wanted to give and give they did.  No amount of synchronized holiday activities, or matching holiday pajamas, could compare to the Christmas spirit shown to others.

We rang in 2017 with good friends and our families complete with pyrotechnics and a 35 pound fair turkey.  The first day of the year we spent as a family of four shredding the deep and powdery slopes of Mt. Ashland.

As we look ahead to 2017, I always like to celebrate the milestones and achievements of the last year.  In no particular order, but equally celebrated here goes:
- Bradley's planning, design, and construction of our backyard swimming pool.

- All of us enjoying the Giant's postseason, 14 inning win, over the Chicago Cubs IN PERSON!

- Carter being bat boy for his cousin's baseball team, water boy at any EHS football game they'd let him, and rocking second grade.

- Our family spring break trip to Cabo San Lucas!

- Joy traveling to Alaska to run the Skagway Marathon and placing as the top overall female finisher. (She also did her relay and a 30K)
- Miles entering Kindergarten, winning over the hearts of many, and steadily mastering his sight words.
- Joy, Miles, and Carter adventuring to Silver Bay to spend a glorious week with the Stockmeyer clan.
- Bradley catching many beautiful local fish in scenic spots with friends and family.
- Carter and Miles attending summer day camp for the first time.
- Bradley shooting another monster mountain buck and stocking our freezer with meat.

- Carter and/or Miles joining mom in running her annual runs: the Mike Schweitzer, Turkey Trot, Ugly Sweater, YMCA Cross Country Series, Mt. Shasta Fourth of July, Ugly Sweater Run, and the Mt. Ashland Hill Climb run.
- Bradley planting heritage grape plants which will yield Tempranillo grapes in the years to come.


In summary, 2016 was another great year for our family.  We are healthy, eager for adventure, love each other, and are happy, even when our photo documentation process takes a detour.  Luckily, 2017 has already proven to be a year full of resolutions.  Thank you Google.