The Year of Yes….thank you 2025
2025 was epic. As the boys disease progresses, I am filled with anxiety that we won’t be able to do the things we want to do, so I just said yes. Some may say that will turn my kids into spoiled brats, and they probably aren’t wrong, but damn it was so much fun. My leadership coach turned therapist asked if I could make the Year of Yes into the Years of Yes and continue the fun into 2026……that’s up for debate. My husband and our bank account might say no, but the boys smiles and my desires to make these boys the happiest kids in the world while they are here with us may argue otherwise.
So what did we do? What didn’t we do? I’m excited to bring you on this journey.
Traveling with the Boys
Dunky and Sabrina Carpenter concert in Pittsburgh.
Dunky and me with auntie Krissy and cousin Vernie make our way to LA for 2 days of Universal Studios. Dunky has been wanting to compare Universal in Florida to the one in CA. Yes, Dunky, yes.
Caleb with auntie Krissy, cousin Vernie and me make our way to a Duchenne Conference in San Antonio where we made memories of a lifetime. This involves getting Kris and Vernie from Seattle to Minneapolis so that I have help on the airplane with Caleb. I haven’t sat next to my sister on an airplane for many, many years. It was SO fun!
Disney Cruise. We brought Minnie along to help and it was the absolute best week. Our room was huge and managed 2 wheelchairs and a hoyer lift with all 5 of us with no problem. Yes to the Concierge level service so that we had our own space, own bar, desired seating time for dinner, own breakfast, own everything. Thank you to those that said this was a Must Have. I couldn’t agree more.
Mid-summer trip to Florida with the four of us. Bonita Springs, where my parents winter, is like our 2nd home. It’s comfortable for the boys and our happy place. I would be surprised if we didn’t end up living here one day.
Family trip to Florida for Christmas. A special time where all six of us got to be together and we got to spend time with Minnie and Papa. It is getting exponentially harder to travel with both boys via airplane, but I keep trying because the experiences are something I don’t want to give up. Sunshine is so good for the soul.
Dunky/Mommy trip to Seattle to visit Auntie Krissy and Cousin Vernie. The stress that ensues when we sit on the tarmac for 90 minutes and your non-ambulatory kiddo has to poop before we even take off is not for everyone.
Fueling Our Marriage
Beach vacation with my hubby, we love you Jamaica. Grateful for Auntie Krissy and Cousins Vernie and JJ who flew from Seattle to Minneapolis to make this happen.
Run the Nationwide Half Marathon in Columbus with a few of my favorite people. The most meaningful race in the country and my favorite race of all time. We collectively raised more than $10k for The Flanigan Lab who wants to Kick Duchenne just as much as us.
Couples trip to Columbus, OH to run the race that was the most amount of fun I have ever packed into 36 hours (we have not done a couples trip in ages)
Fueling My Soul
Mother/Daughter weekend in Taylors Falls, MN. We got to stop at shoe store and a Farmers Market on the drive there because we were not on a timeline. We had the cutest VRBO, some great food, a few drinks a lot of mindless gem art time and laughs of a lifetime.
Girls trip to Sonoma. Leaving your significant other to care for both kids for an extended period of time is no small ask, but time to refuel is so important so that I can be a better mom, wife and friend.
Golf. I got asked to sub so often for a Thursday league and I tried to say yes every time and it was SO fun.
I took a girls trip to Columbus to support Austin’s Hope with a few of my favorite people that I only know because of Duchenne (hidden blessing). It was an emotional night, but I was so grateful to be able to share my story with the supporters and grateful for this org that helped us get a 2nd hoyer lift in our home. Always say yes, even if it’s just 24 hours!
Just Because
We got a Kitty. Perhaps the biggest yes of all.
Got a hoyer lift. We’ve needed this but didn’t want to admit it so we kept lifting and hurting, until we said yes.
Got an elevator in our house. Another thing we didn’t want to admit we needed.
Let the boys pick out their own paint colors for their new bedrooms.
Brought the kids to the Olive Garden. It’s their favorite restaurant but not my first (or 100th choice). But yes, yes or course we can go to the Olive Garden.
Caleb/Mom concert in St. Paul to see Boy With Uke with a St. Paul Hotel dinner and an overnight stay at a nearby hotel.
Yes to revoking myself from the promotion pool. I learned mid year that I was making decisions I wasn’t proud of. I was prioritizing work over my family because I was in a promotion year. The pressure was getting to me so I made a decision to pull myself from a possible promotion at work.
We said yes to a PCA. Evan was the biggest blessing of 2025.
Rode the KKD Gravel with Dunky in tow. We loved bike rides as a family but our trusty Burley’s were not cutting it anymore. Quickly after, we said yes to the Electric Bike and Special Needs Trailer and have loved using it this year.
I’ve always wanted a girl, but that wasn’t in God’s plans. But then I realized that my kids have friends that are girls that I love so I leaned into that. I arranged a Starbucks and Sephora date with Dunky’s best girlfriends and it was so fun to watch the joy it brought to the girls, but it brought me even more joy.
Yes to Crescent Cove, a respite home that watched our boys for a night. Dan and I had a night at the Four Seasons and it was more than we could have asked for.
Yes to a new car. It sounds silly, but we don’t have time to test drive a new car, but when the boys were at Crescent Cove, we had the opportunity to do just that.
Our family is good at seeing the light through the darkness. Although I hate Duchenne and how it’s progressing through my boys, I’m grateful for a life that allows me to say yes. I have a career that I love that helps me to say yes, as husband that is supportive of all of my ambitions, a sister that I’ve gotten to see more than I ever have because although she lives in Seattle, she is also prioritizing seeing the boys and helping our family. Thank you to all for those that have been involved in our year of yes.
