I’ve already recapped 2025 in terms of blogging and books (my top ten fiction reads from the year, along with my top ten non-fiction). I’ve written plenty about our Christmas (gifts, treasure hunt, general recap).
Now it’s time to reflect a bit on our adventures and other memorable experiences from 2025.
When I first started looking back on the year, I found myself feeling a bit… stagnant before a friend helpfully reframed it as something akin to dormancy.
Over the holiday break, I sat down to start pulling together our 2025 photobook. And, wow. We did a lot this year. Despite sometimes feeling lazy or stuck, the photos tell a different story. The kids didn’t spend the entire year as couch-bound blobs watching movies (though there were plenty of movie binges along the way).
I did exercise. I did wear real clothes.
(I suspect it goes without saying, but this is very much a Highlight Reel kind of post that glosses over the less pleasant things that happen over the course of a year.)
TRAVEL/ADVENTURES
- We went to Paris for March Break. It was epic. From surprising the kids with a trip to Disneyland (this will be a core memory from their childhood), to visiting Palais Garnier after hours for a Phantom of the Opera tour, to eating incredible pastries up and down the Champs-Élysées, it was the adventure of a lifetime. As a happy bonus, I got to meet up with blogger extraordinaire, Suzanne!
- There were also two trips to my parents’ house on a lake in New Brunswick; once as a family, and the second time I took Belle and Indy plus two “surrogate” cousins. Both visits were a lot of fun.
- I took two solo trips to visit my parents: once in the spring, and again in the fall. I really look forward to these special times with them. When I visited in May, I spent most of my time deep-cleaning their garage, clearing out dozens of bags of trash and donations.
- John and I went to the Tangled Garden for the first time!
- We climbed Castle Rock as a family.
- We went surfing!
EXERCISE AND MOVEMENT
- It has to count for something that for the first quarter of the year I was still going to the gym, right?
- I also (fairly) regularly attended yoga classes at a local studio.
- There were lots of walks, including daily adventures with the Cool Bloggers Walking Club in April and October.
- I went skiing with the kids.
- I went skating with Indy (and his friends).
- I went sledding multiple times.
- I went swimming at the lake.
- I went bridge jumping. This was a first for our family and it was such a hit. The kids loved this activity and asked to go regularly, often with friends in tow.
LIFE HAPPENINGS
- In August, I quit my university job after nearly 17 years. No regrets!
- We spent a lot of time drinking coffee on our deck and it was the sleeper hit of the summer for me.
- Belle graduated from middle school… got her first cell phone… and started high school!
- I read some books out loud to Indy.
- Indy started playing club soccer and participated in his school’s cross-country program.
- I read a lot of books! (The final tally is 157.)
- I printed off our annual photobook. It’s a labour of love, but also always worth the time and effort.
- We participated in our church’s Live Nativity. I volunteered at the summer Vacation Bible Camp. I also led some Ladies Bible Study sessions.
- John and I had almost a whole week to ourselves in the summer when both kids were at camp. It was BLISSFUL and I wish I could snap my fingers this very second and transport myself back to that week. Sleeping in, a clean house that actually stays clean (!!!), uninterrupted conversation, romantic adventures!!! It was my favourite week of the year, even topping our time in Paris.
- Belle was a bridesmaid for the first time!!!
- We were able to visit remnants of the Berlin Wall, right here in Nova Scotia!
- On a whim, we started playing pickleball in November!!!
- We ate a lot of good food. Sometimes it felt like I was subsisting on sub-par junk but in reality I did not. There were plenty of nutritious (and delicious) meals in the mix!
- There were some great desserts, too…
HOSTING/FRIENDS
- My brother and sister-in-law stayed with us for over three weeks at Christmas last year… and that visit spilled into January!
- Also in January, my sister and her oldest daughter (who has since birthed the world’s most adorable baby, no offence to my own kids) came to visit from South Carolina. My parents (and Belle and Indy) had no idea they were coming and it was THE LITERAL BEST surprise. I will treasure Dad’s reaction for the rest of my life.
- In June, my father-in-law flew down from Ontario for a week. (I took THREE pictures the entire time he was here. FAIL.)
- In September, Birchie came to visit. We did ALL SORTS OF THINGS. We went to Peggy’s Cove (obviously), wandered through a field of sunflowers, watched cool movies, went out for ice cream, climbed formations at Medford, hiked to Cape Split, played Scattergories with the kids, and enjoyed coffee at my favourite cafe.
- In October, Kae and SHU came to visit. We also did ALL SORTS OF THINGS. In fact, we did most of the same things noted above (minus the sunflowers); we added in lunch at a vineyard and supper at a fine-dining establishment.
- We made the decision to temporarily relocate, which means John will be on the same continent as his work for the first time in years. We’ll be travelling around Europe for ~3.5 months later this winter/spring/early summer. (I will try to post a planning update soon!)
- More generally… we hosted a lot of people for meals and playdates. Our home is a revolving door for our kids’ friends. Sometimes they come for an hour, sometimes they stay for most of the day. Sometimes there is food involved (okay, usually there is at least SOME food involved), occasionally there are sleepovers.
- My father-in-law came to visit again over the Christmas break!
Phew. That feels like enough highlights or, worded differently, anti-stagnation activities for one year.
Now it’s your turn:
- What’s your favourite memory from 2025?
- If you were making a photobook of your year, what would the cover photo be?
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Your summary is such a beautiful mix of travel, family, and those quietly perfect everyday moments.
That week with John while the kids were at camp sounds absolutely blissful! A clean house that stays clean, sleeping in, real uninterrupted conversations, and romantic adventures. The fact that it even topped Paris says everything. Those pockets of time together are pure gold.
You’ve inspired me to create a photo album of last year as a gift for my parents. I think they would enjoy seeing their memories laid out like this – you’re right, it’s a lot of work, but so worth it!
It is incredible how much neater the house stays without kids in it – haha.
What a lovely summary! I’m also preparing my 2025 photobook and though it’s time consuming, I’m always grateful as it brings back all the memories from the year.
It is a lovely walk down memory lane. Lots of work, as you say, but it helps tweak my memory to all the things we’ve done!
You did so much – how can you even think you stagnated? I think you have a skewed perspective of what other people do. Most people don’t travel, let alone go to different continents or lake houses. Yoga, pickleball, skiing- so active! I think this photo book is a good way for your pessimistic side to see what really happened.
A cover for my photobook- I took so few pictures this year- let’s say my cats. I think to reflect the year it would need to be a more moody gray landscape, but cats are cute.
Yes, I AM a pessimist. And a perfectionist. And I do, though the highlight reel doesn’t make it look this way, struggle with low energy. Perspective helps but some of it is definitely my glass-half-empty and I’m-not-doing-enough self coming through.
Yay for cats!
Lurker finally popping into make a comment! Looks like a great year!
I also went to Paris this year! I went in February with my mum. Other trips included going to Sweden and an island called Hven for a day trip, which was beautiful.
I enjoyed Christmas at home and spent New Year’s with my best friend of over twenty years 🙂
Yay for Paris!!!! It really was such a wonderful trip and the kids had so much fun which made it even more special. To see these iconic places through their eyes was such a treat.
WHAT A YEAR!!! Oh my goodness. You guys are really living your best lives, and so much of that is thanks to you making (many) of these things happen for your family. I love how well balanced your life is- you guys do so many different things, from school sports to friends to travel to hosting to church to local adventures and more. What a fun recap to look back on!! I’m so glad I got to be a real, live part of your 2025!! That trip was such a incredible highlight for me, too.
In summary it looks like SO MUCH, though there are some days I feel like I am dragging myself through the days (I really do HAVE to get my deep sleep sorted in 2026).
I am SO glad you and SHU (and Birchie) were able to come to Nova Scotia in 2025. Such a massive highlight in my year.
You had a great year! The Paris trip was before I followed you, but it does indeed look epic! I tend to count trips as a successful year and we had two wonderful week-long adventures as well as a couple of overnight trips and one day road trips. I had two things I wanted to accomplish last year: make a few new friends and find a place to volunteer and I was able to do both.
I remember a few years ago one of my specific goals was to make a new friend! What a wonderful goal and very satisfying in many ways to “check” that off! Especially as an adult it can require a lot of intention to make new friends.
Wow, such a great year you had, Elisabeth! I love how you highlighted big and little things – so many sparkles!
It was very sparkly <3
This is amazing. You really did so much. I don’t think I knew you and Suzanne met in Paris. That’s wild.
My fav part of the year was probably Tank’s college graduation. Curly, Rae, and Kay were not there- but we had a blast. The top photo of the year is probably the adoption day in the courthouse. My parents were there. All the older kids attended. The girls had lived with us for over 2 years, so it felt a little ant-climatic or something- but it was a big milestone.
It was a blink-and-you’ll-miss it rendezvous (about an hour; she arrived the day before we left) but it was wonderful.
You’ve had such a big year! Adoption is HUGE and I know it has not always been a smooth ride so this is a monumental milestone for everyone involved.
You did so many fun things during the year! What a lovely recap. I would say that you lived life to the fullest and experienced many wonderful adventures. I’m excited to see what this year will bring to you!
I have a feeling 2026 will be even more hectic and full of adventure! But I will also maybe have to increase my naps to compensate 🙂
Wow, what a wonderful year you had! I am glad it was filled with so many amazing memories and great family time. And you saw so many bloggers!! And you retired from your university job (reframing quit to retired because why not!).
Ugh. 2025. There were good parts but mostly I don’t even want to think back on the year. But the best parts were going to Mexico with Phil and 2 other couples, meeting my nephew Calvin during a work trip to DC, seeing my ex-SIL in June for the first time in over 5 years (the rest of the trip with Will was pretty challenging so it wasn’t exactly a highlight overall…), and seeing 2 of my best blogging buddies during a work trip to Boston!
RETIRED! I love this. I mean, I did it for a long time. I don’t miss it at all, either!
2025 was a really hard year for you. Onward and upward in 2026, my friend <3
Looks like a banger of a year to me!! And I’m already excited for your 2026!!!!!
Me too! The deeper I get into planning for the coming months, the more excited I’m feeling about it all!!
No stagnation for you this year! When I hear the word “dormant” I always think about the Christmas Cactus that my mom passed on to me. As soon as I got it, it stopped blooming. Then I found out that you’re supposed to keep them in a cool, dark place during the warmer months. So I stored it in the basement and then it started blooming like crazy for many years. Now obviously you did not spent 2025 in your basement, but you get what I’m saying==>the blooms are on the way! Hello 2026!
I get it!!! And yes, it does feel like I was preparing in a way. Exciting things happened but also… A LOT of naps and plenty of time mulling over big decisions.
2026 feels like a great time to blossom.
You really had an eventful year! So many wonderful memories with family and friends. I want to marvel over what a “people person” you are- my first thought is that a lot of my favorite memories of 2025 would be more solitary pursuits- but then I wonder if that’s really true. Maybe the things that really stand out are the times spent with other people HMMM! Something to ponder as I look back through my year in photos (the only way I’ll remember the year is by going through my iphone.)
You’re so right – I think my favourite moments all involve people BUT to enjoy those moments, I need a lot of solitary time. I am such an introvert at heart, and need to nurture that side of me to allow me to really embrace time with those I love!
It looks like an amazing year, Elisabeth. What a beautiful life 🙂
Thanks, Jean <3
There is something immensely satisfying about making a list AFTERWARD. It’s so easy to just push and push and push, without enough time to reflect or bask or just float in the afterglow. The review session is a good way to do that while patting oneself on the back. You have inspired me to revisit all that I accomplished in 2025. I like this better than making a list for the coming year and then getting all pressured to git-‘er-dun.
One of the things on my 2025 list is getting to know you! If your life wasn’t so jam-packed, I’d probably be emailing you more often, doing the 30-yer-twin comparisons. After just reading The Correspondent, I realize that I am an awful lot like the main character, always writing to people. The book didn’t say if people wished she’d stop writing so much, but I had a friend tell me that one time. So I try to control myself. Too many words flying around my brain sometimes… However, I never have written rude letters like she did! Wow, to be so blunt and honest would probably feel pretty good.
Agreed! Sometimes in retrospect it’s easier to break it down into component parts AND it’s intensely satisfying to cram all the good things in one place. It helps crowd out some of the less-fun parts of a year.
I am HONOURED to have made a highlight reel from your 2025 <3
Wow, you came up with a LOT of great memories from 2025. Besides awesome trips with your family, the meetups with some of our Cool Bloggers must have been a real highlight! No, we’re not all just weirdos on the Internet, we’re real people! 🙂
I love how active you were last year – and you did a lot of different things. Please tell me you just posed in front of the 40 lbs weights though .I need to up my game LOL
Ha! I did have one exercise I did with really heavy weights, but mostly I was down in the 15 lb range 🙂 Now I’m in the ZERO. San, my lack of exercise lately has been so bad. But I am recognizing things are seasonal for me and I’m kinda okay with it. The weather is horrible and cold and I’m in hibernate mode. I know I will be walking A LOT in Europe, so I’m taking comfort in that 🙂
You had an incredible year! Great travel, bloggers coming to see you, and finalizing plans for your four-month adventure. And 2026 definitely won’t be a stagnate year for you.
My favorite memory from 2025… hmm, that’s tough because it was a hard year for me. Probably London! Even though there were lots of speed bumps with that trip, there were still a lot of good moments.
2026 is going to be epic and will also include my first trip to London!