"Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning." - Benjamin Franklin
Closing the door on 2024 feels like shutting a mostly organized closet, knowing there is still a pile of "figure-it-out-later" stuff tucked away in the corner. This year brought us a lot of fast starts, big wins, some challenges, and a lot of valuable lessons. I, for one, am grateful for all of them - even the ones I'd rather not repeat.
Soooo, What Went Well?
For us, it was a year of foundational growth. Throughout 2024, we poured concrete. Our business and our relationship grew stronger. Routines brought balance in ways I did not think possible. Life, for me, used to feel like a whirlwind of constant travel, where no two days were alike. Now, anchors of predictability steady our ship. Chaos has been replaced by structure.
Growth, of course, is not free. Time, energy, and some inevitable frustration paid that bill. Those bittersweet moments came with lifelong lessons. Stress and unrealistic expectations (that's mostly on me) have been left behind. Goodbye to those for the year ahead!
Big moments gave us plenty to celebrate:
Brad and I officially launched Next Chapter Partners, building a team and a business we are already incredibly proud of.
We started The Parker Insiders, a generous and mindful way to invest in our community.
A friend and I launched our Ladies of Parker group, a group connecting and empowering incredible women in our area.
We helped 23 individuals/families kick off their next chapter in new homes.
On the personal side, Kade graduated high school, an emotional milestone. His unified bowling team went to state, placing 7th - a highlight that made us all immensely proud! Aracel became a licensed driver (watch out world!) and I'm proud to say she's actually quite good at it. Many great times spent with friends and family are what made our year what it was - wonderful! Our Husker teams played their hearts out and gave us a lot of good memories as we cheered them on throughout the year!
What's in store for 2025?
2025 is going to be our year to ASCEND! Choosing a word for the year takes a lot of thought, but it helps me stay focused. Last year's word, "Hippopotamus" was layered with meaning and forced a lot of self-reflective moments. For 2025, ASCEND feels perfect. Rising higher is our goal - not only for ourselves, but with the people who matter most to us. Growth happens by lifting others and staying grounded in our purpose.
Our focus for the year isn't necessarily about doing more but rather doing better. Supporting our people - friends, family, clients, our community, and the families and small businesses we work with will remain our top priority. ASCEND captures the vision of showing up for the climb and collectively building something meaningful.
Balance and health will be in heavy focus for us both. Overdue steps toward wellness feel essential. The kids' growing independence reminds us to embrace our next chapters. Planning ahead with intention means focusing on what truly matters and taking the steps toward our future.
As always, the growth will be messy and rewarding. The climb won't be perfect, but the progress will be worth it, and we are ready for it!
Let's GOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Bring on 2025!
