It has been seven months since my last blog post. Clearly, life has been busy—and full of some pretty life-changing events.

Work has been absolutely insane. There really is no better way to describe it. But I finally feel like we have turned a corner, and I am hopeful that things will begin to settle down. Even better, I am excited to be launching a new program for our district. After everything this year has brought, I feel like we are going to finish 2026 strong.

And then there is my health—or, more specifically, my two amazing new knees!

I had my first total knee replacement in April and the second at the end of August. I honestly cannot believe how well both surgeries have gone. Of course, no matter how successful the surgery is, there is still that little thing called recovery. But with this second knee, I was riding the stationary bike and bending my knee to 115 degrees by day six. I was pretty darn proud of that!

There was, however, one small adventure I could have done without.

On day two of recovery, I fell. Thankfully, I somehow managed to land on my tailbone instead of my brand-new knee. The knee survived beautifully. My pride? Maybe not quite as well. The best part was having an ambulance crew come to the house to lift me off the floor.

Nothing keeps you humble quite like lying on the floor with a brand-new knee while strangers figure out how to get you back on your feet!

Somewhere between these two knee replacements, my husband, my parents, and I decided it would be a great idea to take a road trip to Seattle and then board a cruise ship to Alaska. Because apparently two knee replacements in one year weren’t enough adventure.

The drive to Seattle was amazing and allowed me to knock several more states off my list of all 50. We traveled through Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Washington on our way to the Seattle port.

Montana was easily my favorite state of the road trip. The rivers you can see just driving along the highway are absolutely gorgeous. If the scenery from the highway is that beautiful, I can only imagine what is waiting when you get off the main roads and really explore. Montana definitely earned a spot on my “need to go back” list.

We also had the unexpected bonus of being in Seattle while the city was hosting World Cup games. Our hotel was filled with visitors from around the world, and there was something incredibly special about witnessing people from so many different countries coming together. The excitement, energy, and sense of unity were amazing.

Then we boarded our cruise ship for Alaska.

And leaving Seattle was the last time we saw sunshine.

Oh, the irony.

We spent the next seven days cruising through various shades of gray, drizzle, clouds, mist, and what I lovingly came to think of as doom and gloom. We visited Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan, and all three towns were beautiful. Despite the weather, Alaska absolutely deserves a spot on everyone’s travel list. The 49th state is truly something to see.

We also learned something very important about ourselves on this trip:

We are not cruise people.

At least not big-ship cruise people. Give us a smaller boat and a river cruise, and we might be ready to talk.

Our adventure ended with one final plot twist—COVID.

By the time we started the drive home, everyone was either sick or well on their way to being sick. Needless to say, the road trip home was not nearly as much fun as the road trip to Seattle. There was considerably less sightseeing and considerably more, “How much farther until the hotel?”

So, naturally, after arriving home from Alaska, still recovering from COVID, we did the most logical thing possible.

We picked up a puppy.

Meet Maggie, our new Goldendoodle—also known as Calamity Jane.

Because really, what better time to bring a new puppy into your life than immediately after a cross-country road trip, an Alaskan cruise, and a family-wide case of COVID?

Maggie wasted absolutely no time earning her nickname. She came into our lives with all the energy, mischief, chaos, and sweetness you would expect from a puppy. Apparently, our summer just wasn’t quite eventful enough, and Calamity Jane was determined to fix that.

And then, just when we had recovered from COVID and thought maybe—just maybe—life might settle down…

We were in a car wreck.

Thankfully, we were okay, but our vehicle was not. It was totaled.

Because at this point, why wouldn’t we add a totaled vehicle to the list?

So yes, along with two new knees and a new Goldendoodle, we also have a new car.

Apparently, 2026 decided that if we were going to replace things, we might as well go all in.

Looking back, I’m not entirely sure what we were thinking—or if we had much time to think at all. But some of the best parts of life probably don’t make a whole lot of sense while you’re living them. Maggie has added a whole new level of craziness to our house—and a whole lot of joy. The new car wasn’t exactly a planned addition, but I’m very grateful that the accident resulted in something replaceable rather than something far worse.

At 60 years old, I know how incredibly fortunate I am to still be making these kinds of memories with my parents. That alone made the trip special.

But the very best part of my summer wasn’t a new state, Alaska, a cruise, a new car, or even my shiny new knees.

It was time with my three granddaughters.

There is something magical about watching my parents play with their great-grandchildren. Four generations together. Those are the moments that make you stop and realize just how quickly life moves and how precious these ordinary, extraordinary days really are.

When I look back over the last seven months, there has been a little bit of everything—crazy workdays, two new knees, a fall I would rather not repeat, an ambulance crew, thousands of miles on the road, new states, beautiful scenery, an Alaskan cruise, way too many clouds, COVID, a new puppy named Calamity Jane, a totaled vehicle, a new car, and lots and lots of family time.

It has been busy. It has been exhausting. It has been humbling. And at times, it has been absolutely ridiculous.

But most of all, it has been a season full of memories.

And maybe that is the biggest lesson from these last seven months. Life doesn’t have to go perfectly to be wonderful. Sometimes the best memories are mixed right in with the hard days, the unexpected detours, the rainy vacations, the puppy chaos, the car accidents, and even the moments when you find yourself sitting on the floor waiting for the ambulance crew to help you up.

Here’s to finishing 2026 strong—with two new knees, a new Goldendoodle, a new car, a grateful heart, and hopefully no more major life events for a while.

Although with Calamity Jane in the house, I’m probably making that last wish a little too soon.