2023: A Full Year, and Everything In Between

It’s the first week of 2024, and as I look back through my photos, I keep thinking the same thing: this was a full year.

Back in July, I wrote about how the YouTube channel and the farm were going. Honestly, keeping the channel going takes more time than I expected — filming, editing, and keeping up with it all. Something had to give, and a lot of the time it was this blog.

So this is everything else — the parts of life that don’t always make it into a video.

And if you want to see what we’ve been up to on the farm, the GFY Farms page is the best place to start.

Chris’s Boys and a Busy Calendar

Chris’s two younger boys kept us on the move this year. There were wrestling tournaments, football, soccer, and a morning or two of trout fishing. I loved all of it.

There were also Royals games…

Selfie of Deb and Chris at a Royals game

View of the field from our seats at Kauffman Stadium

Outfield bar area at Kauffman Stadium with the Blue Moon sign and a full moon behind it

and motorcycle rides including one to escort a family who was traveling to scatter a loved one’s ashes, making it a ride with a little more meaning than your typical afternoon on the road.

Selfie of Deb and Chris wearing motorcycle helmets

Selfie of Deb and Chris while out on a motorcycle ride

Shadows of Deb and Chris riding a motorcycle on the road

Between the kids’ activities and everything else going on, there wasn’t much sitting still.

Preserving the Harvest and a New Tractor

Fresh cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden laid out on the kitchen counter

Preserving season came around again, and we put up as much as we could. There’s something satisfying about seeing the pantry fill up with food we’ve grown and put away ourselves, even if the process can make for some long days.

We also brought home a new Kubota tractor, which has already changed how much we can get done around here. Farm projects have a way of multiplying, so having the right equipment makes a difference!

New Kubota tractor on the delivery truck

Out With the Old House

This was also the year I got my house ready to sell, and it closed right before we left for Key West.

Getting a house ready to sell means going through just about everything you own. I’ll admit, I found a lot more than I expected — including my wine glass collection. Apparently, I had accumulated over 40 wine glasses. I’m not sure whether that says more about my love of wine or my inability to pass up a pretty glass!

Several dozen wine glasses lined up on a kitchen countertop

I was still working downtown a couple of days a week during this time, too, so there were plenty of days when I felt like I was trying to be in two places at once.

It was a lot of work, but it was also another big step toward this next chapter of life.

Good Times With Good People

In September, Guns N’ Roses played at the K, and it was one of those nights when you stop caring how loud it is and just enjoy the music.

Selfie of Deb and Chris at the Guns N’ Roses concert

Close-up of Axl Rose performing on stage at the Guns N’ Roses concert

Guns N’ Roses concert stage view during the show

Women gathered in a circle around a bonfire at ladies' night

I also spent an evening around a bonfire with the ladies from church, which was exactly the kind of slow, easy night I needed.

A little bit of everything — big concerts, good friends, and time to just enjoy being where I was.

Thanksgiving in Key West — With Chris This Time

Right after the house closed, I took Chris to Key West for Thanksgiving. He got to meet my aunt and explore Key West for the first time.

We did a jet ski tour, stopped at all the usual landmarks for the obligatory photos, and took our Christmas pictures at the pier.

Selfie of Deb and Chris with the beach behind them, taken from the balcony at my aunt's house

Deb and Chris in front of the lighted Christmas tree at the Key West pier

Key West house with Christmas lights wrapped around the palm trees

Chris tucked inside the big root system of a ceiba tree

Selfie of Deb and Chris at the Mile Zero sign

Selfie of Deb and Chris near the Southernmost Point monument

Selfie of Deb in the water off the jet ski with Chris behind her

Selfie of Deb with her cousins and parents

Then Chris flew back, and I headed north with my parents to visit my cousins, eat as much Puerto Rican food as I could, and have dinner with my dad and friends at Friends in Flagler.

It was a little bit of everything — family, familiar places, new experiences for Chris, and some much-needed time together.

December: Trying to Run Again

Selfie of Deb in Chiefs gear with her run stats: 2 miles in 28:59, a 14:29 per mile pace

It had been months since I’d run, so in December I decided to try to start again.

Honestly, the hardest part has been finding the time. Between work, the farm, family, and everything else, fitting in a run hasn’t been as easy as I’d like.

But I started, and that’s something.

I also finished the year the way I like to — at a Run-DMC/Jackyl concert. Definitely not a quiet way to wrap up December!

Looking Ahead to 2024

I’m not sure what 2024 holds, but I know I’m heading into it with a lot to be thankful for.

There have been plenty of changes, a few unexpected adventures, and more than enough busy days. And while I don’t know exactly what comes next, I’m looking forward to finding out.

Here’s to another year of making the most of whatever life brings.