Looking back at 2025

Posted: January 17, 2026

2025 was a challenging year, but also a very rewarding year in a lot of ways...

_{Looking into Linville Gorge from Wiseman's View.}

Some of the year's highlights:

• Over the course of the year we walked many miles of Charlotte's greenways.
• I was a sponsor for a candidate joining our church at Easter.
• We became great friends to the sweetest family that moved from far away to be in Charlotte, and have helped introduce them to this wonderful city.
• We took Anna's niece to the North Carolina Zoo, which is incredible! I'm looking forward to going back this year to see the new regions they have been constructing.
• We played many hours of board games.
• We went on a trip to Blowing Rock NC, and visited Wiseman's view looking over the incredible Lynnville Gorge (called by some the Grand Canyon of the East Coast, which I think is an apt description! Just imagine the depth of the Grand Canyon, just with a lot of trees)
• We went with Anna's family for a beach vacation.
• We went on a conference/vacation to Disney World (Anna's first time there)
• We went to the Outer Banks with my mom, sister and brother-in-law, over Halloween to honor my dad. It was the first time in a long time I'd been back with my family. And while there got to go back to the Collington Cafe and Millers on the Sound, two of my family's favorites. I'm sure my dad would have loved seeing us there together.
• We visited my sister's new home after Christmas, spending time exploring her town, and also spend a day going back to the Met Museum in NYC where we met up again with my nieces and their husbands.
• My family had a great Christmas time together which reminded me of some of the good old days. This year my mom's Christmas talent show/contest was one of the best I can remember, and I'm reminded that I come from a very talented family!

Accomplishments

• We started our first garden (and had much success) in some raised beds I built in the back yard.
• I learned a good deal about WordPress (creating a website for friend's business) and Eleventy (creating this very site you are reading).

_{Our garden really took off this summer!}

In particular some of my favorite moments this last year include: seeing Anna experience the Magic Kingdom for the first time, having a wonderful dinner at Bistro Roca near Blowing Rock, visiting my sister's beautiful home for the first time, taking Anna's niece to the zoo, and spending time with all our family and fiends over the year. I am so grateful for all those moments and the lives that have made such an impact on mine.