2023 Year in Review

Here's our year in review:

• I read 74 books, up from 48 last year.
• Kids & Kevin had 6 delays and 3 snow days from school. That's the exact same number as last year!
• We went sledding once - better than none the year before.
• Jenna played on both C and JV basketball teams. That meant double the number of games - around 24 games!
• Jenna fractured two fingers playing those basketball games
• February, March (Regional), April (State), May, and December concerts for Jenna and TCA bands. February, March (Regional), April, October, and November DCC concerts for Kevin. Kellen's very first band concert in December!
• Jenna was one of the drum majors for marching band this year and LOVED it! 5 Football game pep band/half time performances. Legend, Harrison, Regionals, and State competitions. 2A State Champions again!! And, countless hours of practice!
• We went to one of Kevin's DCC football games (Kevin had 4 total football games). And, we went to a few TCA away games and some JV football games - all to see Grant play. We also went to a few of Grant's baseball games in the spring.
• Kellen finished elementary school, started Junior High, and started playing French horn.
• Kellen played on TCA's junior high intramural basketball team.
• We were able to visit Ft Collins and Greeley (a few times for band), Orlando (Kevin), Ft Worth & Abilene (Sara), Howard/Salida, Winter Park, and Wichita.
• Jenna went to Summer Excitement and Kellen went to Camp Como again.
• Kellen's gerbils - Sydney and Ivy are still running all around their cage.
• Jenna climbed her second 14ner - Mt Yale.
• We went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo three times. Top Golf three times. We went to Water World and Boondocks. We went to Focus on the Family a few times and did lots of scavenger hunts. We played mini golf many times. We enjoyed some hiking. We had some fun game nights - discovered jackbox.
• We went to an Air Force basketball game.
• Kellen started braces.
• Jenna became an official driver! And we became a 3 car family.
• Kevin and I celebrated 24 years of marriage.
• Kevin finished his first year at DCC and started his second year at DCC and 23rd year overall.
• I completed four years of working in the NICU (7 years at St. Francis) and completed 3 years of school nurse consulting.
• Jenna and Kellen had two piano recitals.
• Kellen and I started our journey to Mordor and completed 32.2 of the 1,780 miles.
• Jenna played in the All City Honor Band, All State Honor Band, and CSU Honor Band.
• Jenna was accepted to the All City High School Honor Band, CU Honor Band, and All State Honor band for upcoming 2024 performances.
• We were mostly well except for the flu and strep that hit Kellen, Sara, and Jenna in December.

Good days and bad days and blessings throughout. We have so much to be thankful for!

Winding up the old year and ringing in the New Year

 

Thursday, December 28th - Jenna and her friend had fun going incognito to spy on/support their other friend on a first date. So funny!

Friday, December 29th - We celebrated Garrison's 20th birthday. So hard to believe he's 20! On the way home, we finally went to see the Windjammer Christmas lights for the last night of their show.

Saturday, December 30th - I had to work. Papa and Kevin watched football together. Mima took Jenna and Kellen to Brush Crazy. Kellen did a new painting and Jenna finished the painting she started over Thanksgiving Break.

Sunday, December 31st - We enjoyed church together, a trip to the store, then lunch. We spent the afternoon doing a few chores and preparing for our snack dinner and game night. We had a lot of fun playing all kinds of games together and a little Just Dance thrown in. Jenna and I wrote the exact same hilarious answer in quiplash - All dogs go to heaven except Snoop Dogg! Kevin went to bed around 10, and the kids and I stayed up to ring in the new year and watch the fireworks on Pikes Peak.

Monday, January 1st - We finally celebrated Whitelaw Christmas! But, that post belongs in the New Year!

Keathley Christmas

Friday, December 22nd - One day delayed, (because of Jenna's strep throat), we drove to Wichita for Christmas. The Floyds had arrived earlier that day (they had to delay their trip too, due to Owen being sick earlier in the week). Saturday, December 23rd - I enjoyed breakfast with my friends Nyleen and Natalie while Kellen and Owen had fun playing together. 

The Texas Keathleys arrived after lunch and the party started! So glad we all made it!

Chili for dinner and then we tried the Dinosaur lights at the Field Station. It was fun that Mom got matching scarves for all the girls. The lights weren't nearly as good as Botanica, but it was much less crowded and fun to see something different.

A little story and quiet time before bed

Sunday, December 24th - It was great to be able to all be at church together. Owen started feeling bad during church and had a fever when we got home. Glad he was able to start antibiotics which brought the total to 4 of 6 grandkids on antibiotics!

Santa's Workshop!

We had a day of resting and tree decorating and eating and preparing for Christmas dinner. Mom surprised us with matching pjs, then we watched The Very First Noel and The Muppet Christmas Carol.

Monday, December 25th - A fun morning of presents.

A delicious lunch

More fun playing. Then Kevin gathered the boys for the chicken footed lady story, carrying on the tradition started by his Aunt Pam.

Dessert for dinner, then pajama pictures! After the littlest two kids went to bed, we had fun playing jackbox games. It was a Merry Christmas!

Tuesday, December 26th - We extended our trip by a day due to snow in western Kansas and Colorado. David, Katie, and Owen had to leave mid-morning to fly home. We enjoyed a quiet day of playing with new toys, building legos, and playing games. Wednesday, December 27th - we all headed home. We took the southern route, which was longer, but also kind of fun because we saw all the small town main street Christmas decorations. It was a good trip!