January
We kicked off 2024 with a simulated space mission as a family—and managed to survive it (mostly). There were a couple of deaths, a dramatic resurrection, and an epic mutiny where we ousted Captain Owen for attempting to make a deal with evil aliens that would have doomed 10 light-years’ worth of settlements. But hey, we beat the bad guys (despite him). The kids built a giant snow cave, got obsessed with making noodles from scratch, and the girls had a blast seeing Six at Eccles. Annie was named Sentinel of the Month, and Isaac earned Diamondback of the Quarter. A stellar start to the year, minus the family mutiny against the birthday boy!
February
The month began with the amazing news that Annie received the University of Utah’s Presidential Scholarship—her fifth full-tuition offer from a Utah university, but the one she was waiting for. Owen’s last elementary Valentine’s Day box was an epic mythical griffin that, upon reflection, resembled a confused chicken. Annie went to Washington, D.C. with her AP Government class, Isaac’s 8th grade ‘We the People’ team advanced to District, and Greg proudly added a new saw to his tool collection and built an entirely new steel stand for it (because why not?).
March
Annie attended her first-ever caucus night (because why wouldn't she be named the new precinct chair?). Isaac’s ‘We the People’ team finished second at the state competition, and Greg and I got to accompany Annie to her scholarship banquet at the Rice Eccles Club. We opened the 2024 Lagoon season and wrapped up the month with a last hurrah: a family Spring Break trip to Cabo San Lucas, complete with parasailing, camel rides, animal feeding, zip-lining, whale watching on the loudest boat in history, snorkeling, endless beach time, and the best tacos we’ve ever tasted.
April
Isaac kicked off April with a Student of the Day award. Annie’s boss and his wife made a surprise appearance in her Spanish class to present her with a scholarship and bring snacks for her classmates (bonus points for the goodies). Mid-April, Isaac, Owen, and I went to St. George with my brother’s family for rock hunting at Glitter Mountain, scrambling over red rocks, and park exploring. Owen and his cousin Bailey competed in the school district’s math competition—Greg’s final year as the Math Team advisor. The girls were busy preparing for Prom. Owen received a Leadership Award at the school’s Leadership Breakfast. Ellie had a scary first ocular migraine that left her with temporary vision loss, but thankfully it hasn’t happened again. Isaac’s ‘We the People’ team was second in State and was recognized at a School Board meeting, and we got Annie’s first cap-and-gown photo, making graduation feel way too real.
May
The girls survived their AP tests (cue collective sighs of relief). Annie’s senior pictures were taken on the windiest day of the year and somehow turned out completely gorgeous. We celebrated Mother’s Day with a family party and a trip to Lagoon. Annie was honored at the Principal’s Awards Reception as one of the school’s top scholars, a Mountain America Scholarship recipient, and one of only two National Merit Scholars in her class. She rounded out her senior year with her best friends at the Senior Dinner Dance, turning 18, and graduating high school with a mountain of honors cords and accolades. Ellie celebrated turning 16 with her first shift at Chick-fil-A with her big sister. Greg and the kids gifted me a family photo session for Christmas, and we took advantage of May’s gorgeous weather to make some memories.
June
Two weeks after school was out, Isaac unloaded his backpack and the certificates he pulled out reminded him to tell me he’d been awarded three different ‘Most Outstanding Student’ awards from his science, math, and Spanish teachers. Ellie was finally able to take her driver's test and became an officially licensed driver. With Annie moving to college in the summer, Ellie moved into the basement bedroom and convinced Greg to start building a new bathroom downstairs. Construction began on June 10th and is now… about halfway done. Annie spent a few weeks living in the dorms for the U’s ACCESS program. June was full of aquarium trips, Lagoon days, and hiking adventures.
July
We celebrated the Fourth of July with crafts, pool time, and family. Isaac turned 14 and continued his upward growth spurt, leaving the rest of us craning our necks to see him. Greg spent several weeks in Chicago for work, falling victim to that big computer outage that upended everyone's travel plans, leaving him stranded not once, but twice. The kids made it out to Causey Reservoir, their favorite summer spot. We headed to St. George, where we explored the Parowan Gap, played in lava tubes with glow sticks, and soaked up the sunshine in the water.
August
Annie and her best friend, Sarajayne, hiked up to the top of Timpanogos for an overnight adventure. We hit Lagoon, the aquarium, and Isaac and Annie hiked up to Timpanogos Cave with Grandpa Robert. The boys and I attended the Cox family reunion in Fairview, where we admired shooting stars, weathered a couple of wild rainstorms, and marveled at double rainbows. We packed up Annie’s room and discovered she’s a bit of an emotional hoarder with a collection of mementos that could rival any museum. On August 17th, everything changed: Sarajayne was tragically taken from us in an accident. Watching Annie say goodbye to her best friend was heart-wrenching. We’re so grateful for Sarajayne’s parents, who invited Annie, Ellie, and me to say our goodbyes and asked Annie to share photos to display at her celebration of life. Annie started college on August 19th, her first day in an overwhelming storm of grief. The weight of losing Sarajayne made sending Annie off to college heartbreaking and difficult for all of us. For the first time, Annie and I both cried as I took her first-day-of-school picture. The following day, Ellie started her junior year at high school, her first year without Annie and sj. Owen began his first day of 7th grade and loved every second of his new middle school experience. Isaac entered high school, ready to tackle two AP tests while still attending the middle school (don’t ask, it’s complicated). We ended the week surrounded by loved ones, celebrating Sarajayne’s life. It was a month of unspeakable loss, and yet somehow, we all managed to keep moving forward.
September
September was a time of adjustment: Annie away at college, Ellie facing a tough junior year, and the continuing impact of Sarajayne’s passing. Annie found it slow going at first, socially, but has managed to expand her circle as the year went on. She came home every weekend, which was a blessing, though we often wondered how different her first semester might have been without the weight of such a deep loss. She did, however, manage to attend her first football games as a student and endure a season of deeper string quarterbacks that, let’s be honest, didn't lead to our best season. Ellie and Annie had a blast at the Hozier concert, and we welcomed a new baby cousin into the world. Ellie and Greg started their year as Calculus study buddies, tackling problems at the kitchen table rather than asking a teacher (good thing Greg loves math).
October
Annie and her friend Izzy went up to the canyons for fall pictures—just like they did last year with Sarajayne. Ellie headed to Homecoming, with her oldest friend, Kate (sj's sister), as part of her group. We spent an afternoon visiting Sarajayne’s final resting place, which Annie and her friends have gone back to visit multiple times. The kids and I took a trip to Brighton to soak in the autumn colors and snap photos. Owen and I both got our first sets of glasses (spoiler: we’re not the best or most consistent glasses wearers). We went comet gazing and managed to get some awesome pictures. Star and I attended a Jazz pregame in the SelectHealth suite, and I got to meet many of her coworkers. Annie’s fall break didn’t line up with ours, so she flew down to Aunt Lacy’s for some cousin time. We celebrated another major milestone as Annie voted for the first time. Ellie and Annie had a blast at a Haylor Night with friends. With Annie back at school, the rest of us took our fall break later in the month and visited San Diego for boogie boarding, whale watching, and SeaWorld rides. We squeezed in one last trip to Lagoon with family and ended the month with Halloween. Oh, and Annie fractured a rib and Greg tore up his cornea (not ideal), so we ended the month with some big medical bills.
November
November hit us hard. Between the election, cabinet picks that keep giving ‘people-I’d-least-trust-my-daughters-with-and/or-oligarchy’ vibes, plus the ever-growing feeling of loss of community and belonging, and then the permanence of Sarajayne’s loss, I think we all felt a lot of emotions this month. The girls managed to create some fun memories, like going to the Sabrina Carpenter concert. Annie aced her third Calc 3 midterm with a perfect score. We saw Wicked to celebrate Star’s birthday, Lacy’s family came for Thanksgiving, and we got some beautiful cousin pictures. Greg’s eye continued to recover, I passed out for no reason, and Isaac’s lymph nodes swelled up to the size of a tennis ball overnight. November felt like a month that wouldn’t quit.
December
Annie’s freshman year wrapped up, and we spent a lot of time at the Festival of Trees, both due to it being one of our favorite traditions, and to admire the Christmas Tree in honor of Sarajayne. It was tender to be there as a family at sj's tree and feeling the loss and love felt there. Ellie celebrates six months of driving, which means she can now legally have passengers and is excited to head out to Winters Ball with friends. We are looking forward to Annie being home for most of December, celebrating Christmas together, and leaving right at the new year for another San Diego trip, this time with all six of us.
As we look back on 2024, we see a year marked by incredible achievements and dramatic changes. We celebrated milestones like Annie’s graduation and her transition to college, watched Ellie and Isaac reach new heights academically, watched Owen flip and cartwheel from one side of the house to the other nonstop, and we experienced the joy of family adventures and travels. Owen made amazing progress in his gymnastics and that's been so much fun to watch him grow into his natural talent. But we also faced unimaginable loss that shifted our perspective, deepened our grief, and fortified our gratitude in ways we never expected. Sarajayne’s absence left an unfillable space, but her memory taught us to hold on tighter to each other, to cherish the small moments, and to be grateful for the love that surrounds us. This year was a reminder that life’s greatest joys are often accompanied by its greatest challenges. There were moments that tested our trust of, and made us question, the world around us, yet through it all, we discovered that our family remains our greatest strength and our greatest joy. No matter how dark the world may seem at times, and despite grief and loss, whether of loved ones or a sense of community, I’ve never felt more at home or more loved than when I’m surrounded by those who mean the most to me.
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
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