Happy 2026!

Happy New Year! Wow, 2026 already—how did that happen? I hope 2025 treated everyone well and that New Year’s Eve was calm and safe. Ours was definitely low-key; we actually slept right through it. Those big parties are a thing of the past for us. Instead, we spent the evening in our recliners finishing the 1923 series—great show, though it could have done without quite so many "F words".  

Our 2025 was a whirlwind! We kicked it off in Arizona, woken at midnight by someone’s fireworks, and spent the next four months soaking up the sun, relaxing, crocheting and knitting, and enjoying time with our Arizona friends. In mid-April, we took a leisurely two-week trip home, visiting family and friends along the way, and pulled into Springview on April 27th after being gone five and a half months.  

Every spring seems to sneak up on us, and even though there’s no way to start earlier, we always feel behind. We planted our garden, set up the lawn chairs on the porch, and settled in to enjoy summer. The garden had its challenges, but since it’s more of a hobby than a necessity, we’ll just make some improvements for next year.  

One of the highlights of summer was our granddaughter Rachel’s wedding to Spencer. We celebrated with family in Akaska, SD—a place we’d never heard of before but will always remember for the wonderful time we had there.  

As we get older, unexpected events can throw us off, but we surprised ourselves by joining friends Mike and Kim for a spontaneous road trip to northeastern South Dakota and western Minnesota. It was the most spur-of-the-moment thing we’ve done in years, and we enjoyed every bit of those two days on the road visiting and exploring together.   

Our fall always seems to kick off around September 1st, which happened to be Labor Day this year. I started the season at a craft fair in Teri's hometown of New Castle, NE, before heading to Lewis and Clark Lake to meet friends for a week of camping. The second weekend brought our ladies’ retreat at Camp Witness, and by the third weekend, we were at our Fast Draw Shoot in Valentine—pretty worn out by then.

This year I also joined the local farmer’s market on Saturday mornings, marking the start of my cottage food business. I even used it as a venue for a craft fair, selling some of my Prairie Star Creations.

One of the year’s best moments was a trip Heather and I took to Oklahoma and Texas, starting October 12th. Our first stop was Pawhuska, Oklahoma, home of the Pioneer Woman. We stayed at the beautiful boarding house, admired its décor and service, browsed The Mercantile, toured the Lodge, and enjoyed lunch at her pizza shop. The only thing missing was meeting Ree Drummond herself—no doubt busy baking, photographing, decorating, or blogging.

Next, we headed to Oklahoma City to visit Heather’s daughter (my granddaughter) Emily. We saw her that evening and again the next day, explored the city, and visited the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial—an emotional yet fascinating experience.

That afternoon we drove south to Waco, Texas, home to Chip and Joanna Gaines of Fixer-Upper fame. We had breakfast twice at Magnolia Table, browsed the Magnolia Marketplace, toured “The Mansion” and "The Hotel, two properties they renovated, and explored Waco. The only thing that could have topped it off would’ve been meeting Chip or Joanna, but they were probably tied up with their next big project.

In mid-November, we were so blessed to attend the wedding of our grandson Caleb and his beautiful bride, Katie. Young love never fails to warm my heart!

We decided to skip winter in Arizona and instead enjoy (endure) it in Nebraska. Still, we made a quick trip to the desert Southwest, spending two weeks catching up with friends at the campground and meeting up with our Fast Draw pals. We celebrated Thanksgiving with fellow campers and honored the life of Stewart, one of our campground hosts who passed away this past summer. Before we knew it, it was time to head home and gear up for December’s activities—a reception for Caleb and Katie, my Prairie Star Creations open house, decorating for Christmas for the first time in years, and celebrating the holiday with family.

Along with all these activities, Mike managed to squeeze in several Fast Draw Shoots. He was a little off his game this year, but he’ll improve. Sometimes I tagged along on the trip, and other times I let him go on his own while I did something else.

As 2025 wraps up and 2026 begins, we’re reminded of the many blessings God has given us—family, friends, His provision, and good health, to name a few. Most of all, we’re grateful for having each other, something we’ve come to appreciate more deeply in recent years.

Wishing you all a healthy, happy and prosperous 2026! God bless!