Stationary Lessons

2020~The Beginning

It’s been five and a half years since Jim and I stepped into this chapter of our lives, two backpacks and a shared belief that there was more out there waiting for us. Since then, our days have been filled with canceled flights, beautiful cultures, train derailments, breathtaking sunsets, questionable street food, and unforgettable experiences we never could have imagined for ourselves. We’ve hiked Machu Picchu, stayed in a floating hut on the Amazon, conquered our way to the turquoise waters of Kelingking Beach, crawled through the Cu Chi Tunnels, paraglided over Lake Atitlán.... the kind of moments we once only dreamed about.

Machu Picchu

Amazon

Kelingking

Cu Chi Tunnels

Lake Atitlán

But 2025 was different. It was an adventure, just not the kind we would have chosen or carefully planned. It didn’t come with plane tickets or bucket lists. It came with pauses, pains, and plans that unraveled.

A year ago, last February we left the beautiful beaches of Aruba after a long three months of mishap travels and flew to El Paso. After thirteen long years of chronic back pain, Jim was finally scheduled for surgery at the end of the month. For months, even while we were traveling, he had been coordinating appointments and locking in dates. When we landed, everything was lined up. We had it all planned out and hopeful for a future of pain relief.

We soaked up a few sweet days with our El Paso crew before loading up the Yoda and heading west. We gave ourselves four days to make it to Weed..that is fast for us. Normally we build in slow stretches so we can move enough to make the next day manageable, this was a rough trip.

To have some fun we decided to play a game: who could book the cheapest hotel each night. Once it was booked, no backing out unless we both agreed. I won. Though one particular booking had us both briefly questioning what we were doing.

We arrived ready, on time, hopeful and excited! And in that single appointment, the plan unraveled. Surgery was off.

There’s a particular kind of silence that follows news like that. It just settles in and sits with you. We had built our next months around that surgery date. We had already circled July for five months in Asia. And most importantly, we had already begun imagining life on the other side of pain; instead we found ourselves back at the beginning.

So we did something neither of us do well, we stayed still, taking it one day at a time. Jim focused on managing pain and advocating for next steps. I found myself watching my oldest grandson finish his senior basketball season, coached by my oldest son, his step dad. I watched their team win the North Section. I sat in the stands at his All-Star game. I helped with his senior project. Reminding me, these moments I don't get back.

There were afternoons at my dad’s house, (my forever home 💚), filled with yard work, deep cleaning, wood stacking and his ever-growing “return home” to-do list….along with lots of laughs and late night poker games. Unforgettable moments.

Jim was navigating the pain and uncertainty by pouring himself into baking. New recipes filled the kitchen with warmth, as the snow fell outside. The house constantly smelled like a fresh bakery in the morning and deliciousness in the evening. Hope sometimes looks like flour on your hands.

March came with freezing cold baseball games for our six-year-old grandson and my dad’s 78th birthday. Jim began seeing a new doctor and making real progress toward surgery, but July was looming. Japan had been carefully planned for months. Cancellation deadlines were closing in.

We canceled the trip.

Japan Planning

It was a difficult decision. But once we made it, something lifted.

April carried on with bitterly cold baseball games, but it also gave us beautiful reasons to celebrate, our middle son’s 32nd birthday and our sweet daughter-in-law's 40th. We ended the month with a wonderful Easter gathering at Dad’s, surrounded by the kids and grandkids. I made the bunny cake, just like the one I so fondly remember my mom making when I was growing up. Recreating that sweet tradition made the day even more special, it was a beautiful way to cherish both old traditions and new memories.

Turned out nothing like my mom's

In May, while our youngest son was away at training, we surprised our daughter in law and three grandkids with a visit to El Paso. The look on each of the kiddos’ faces was priceless. Their sweet eyes wide with excitement, bright smiles spreading from ear to ear, and pure joy shining in every expression. It was a sweet, heart-melting moment I’ll never forget. My sister-in-law and mother-in-law joined us in spoiling the grandkids that week and we were all spoiled by Jimbo for Mother’s Day.

Planting the clues..

Pranking mom at the airport....

In late May, we did more surprising, visiting mom in North Carolina and helping her get settled.

June was split between Houston and Weed..graduations, fishing trips, Open House, and a proud-mom visit to our oldest son’s middle school classroom. Jim and I got away for a simple camping trip in the Yoda, dreaming a little about what might come next.

How Uncle Jimmy walks around the streets of Houston.

Best Crawfish

And then finally, Jim was connected with a highly recommended surgeon. Surgery was scheduled for October and after surgery a minimum of six months of recovery.

It wasn’t the timeline we planned. But it was a hopeful plan.

July brought our second annual “Camp Hufflepuff” with our grandson....tree climbing, dirt bikes, s’mores, scary stories, and the kind of snuggles you realize won’t last forever. I watched him stand at the edge of the rope swing, fear written all over his face but determination in his eyes. With his uncle there guiding him….he jumped, and surfaced grinning from ear to ear. In that splash, I saw courage take root… and felt my heart stretch right along with it…along with a few more grey hairs.

The Fourth of July took us back to El Paso, our son’s first as a military family, followed by Colorado for our nephew’s engagement party; along with an early surprise birthday celebration for me, complete with a long-awaited visit to Estes Park.

Denver welcome by SIL &BIL

But my real birthday celebration wasn’t a gift or a destination. It came at the end of the month, while at home, with everyone I love gathered at my dad’s house. The kiddos drove from El Paso with three kids and a dog. All my boys. All the grandkids. My whole heart in one place.

I sat watching while parents fired water guns at the kids, while their uncle tossed them in the pool. My 78-year-old dad joined the chaos. I sat there watching it all, knowing Jim was finally on the right medical path, and I felt something I’ll never forget…one of those rare once in a lifetime moments, where your whole heart knows it’s exactly where it’s meant to be. We would have missed this if everything had gone according to “the plan.”

From August to the middle of September we went on an adventure and put some miles on the Yoda.

From Mountains to Mexico: The Yoda Rides Again

Time to Recovery: The Yoda Rests

In October, we made our way back to Weed for one final pre-op appointment. When we heard the surgeons say that everything was in place for the next week, it felt like exhaling after holding our breath for eight months. It was exciting news.

Surgery happened. Recovery began. Slowly, steadily, Jim grew stronger. And once he was strong enough, we headed to our new home on the coast to recover.

Doing the heavy lifting for Jim.

Almost Home

Lots of stops and walks....

...even with visits from Javelinas

Now, as I sit on the rooftop terrace watching the sun slip gently into the Sea of Cortez, I can’t help but smile at the irony, the quiet wisdom, this past year has given me.

Strength really does grow in the places we never planned to stay. The hard seasons shape us. The waiting refines us. The slowing down reveals what truly matters. Looking back now, last year feels softer than it did while we were living it. What felt heavy now feels purposeful. What felt like delay feels intentional. I see strength in both of us that I didn’t fully recognize at the time. I see grace woven through disappointment. I see how the pause protected moments we were never meant to miss.

And I’ve learned that growth doesn’t always come from chasing the next adventure. Sometimes it comes from staying still long enough to see the beauty in what’s already there.

Through all of it, we somehow found ourselves in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico…a place that has quietly captured my heart and reminds me that when plans change, it doesn’t mean you’re lost. Sometimes it simply means you’re being led somewhere you’re meant to be.

This place has it all, the sun-soaked weather, endless stretches of golden beaches, and warm, welcoming people. Every day here is full of possibilities: games on the sand, exciting activities, live entertainment….there’s never a dull moment. And the food! With so many incredible restaurants and flavors to explore, you could spend a whole year here and still be discovering new places to eat. I can’t wait to share it all with you!

I am deeply grateful for the many blessings last year revealed. May this year bring blessings to all of us. May we find courage in the unplanned, strength in the chaos, and grace in the waiting. And may we keep choosing to live fully, one day at a time, and present for every messy, beautiful, fleeting moment.