1. 4 years completed and still happy together. January 9th is our wedding anniversary so each year starts out celebrating our relationship and commitment to one another. And if it isn't a highlight for both of us to still be happily married, given our past histories, then shame on us! We kept it simple and went back to the scene of the crime (Bountiful temple) took in a session (I still think it is a very beautiful temple and was a good choice for us) and then enjoyed an Italian dinner afterwards.
2. A new master bath. Hooray! We bought a fixer upper 4 years ago, and Cindy finally got one of her wishes, the master bath restored. And Dave even let her have the final say on most everything (highly unusual) so it has become a very enjoyable place to be. An earlier post documented the process. In addition, throughout the year, Dave also worked on improving Donna's apartment and the awning/sidewalk area, we finally repainted about 90% of the house trim/eaves and the biggest project was building a small studio apartment above Donna's place, which for now is being used by Dave's cousin, Brent Peterson, who helped put in a lot of sweat equity on the project.
3. The Stecks return from England. At the end of February we were excited to welcome back my oldest daughter, Alyssa, and her family (husband, Kelan, and two daughters, Sierra & Cosette) back to the states for good. We made sure to be at the airport when they arrived and gave them hugs and kisses. There were a lot of smiles as well. They have since settled in Ephraim, Utah where her husband grew up and his extended family live. They have seen a lot of blessings come their way this year. Both have found good jobs, they are working on purchasing a very nice home, and we get to see them on a fairly regular basis. Being grandparents is better when it doesn't involve long distances!
4. Darci changes from a Rhoades to a Stone. At the end of March, Dave's oldest daughter was married to Eric Stone in the Mt. Timpanogos temple. Both sides of the aisle were thrilled, to say the least. It was a fun day with it ending at American Fork High School, where Darci teaches science classes. The reception was held in the commons area and was a very unique affair. I believe an earlier post documented this event as well.
5. Marie graduates with her nursing degree in the spring. Dave's second oldest daughter worked very hard to put herself through school and a very challenging degree to boot. She is hooked on the adrenaline rush that comes from working in the ER at Mountain View hospital and volunteering on the ambulance service for the Payson area.
6. Summer road trip down the coast of Oregon. This was Dave's kind of trip, spontaneous with a very loose agenda. We loved every minute of it. An earlier post also documented this well. We now list the Oregon coast as a potential retirement spot, along with the St. George area, the Pacific Northwest and any other potential spots we've yet to discover.
7. Marie takes the spotlight again in September by getting engaged to Jeremy Cuddleback, a fellow ambulance worker and EMT. They plan on getting married January 25, 2014.
8. Spencer took on the motto, "I can do hard things" and set a goal to compete in a marathon this year, which he did the first weekend in October at the famed St. George marathon. He started training in early spring and set training goals, running in a 5k, and two half marathons leading up to the finale in St. George. And he survived! with minimal recovery time needed afterwards. He now enjoys membership in the marathon runners club. Whether he becomes addicted to the experience and a repeat offender is yet to be seen. Cindy also participated in a mini-triathlon completing a bucket list item of hers and overcoming her fear of swimming in a competition setting. An earlier post speaks to this. It was too bad she was so nervous that she only got a few hours of sleep the night before and had to compete with less than a full tank but she can hold her head up high and feel good about her accomplishment, as can Spencer.
9. Rhoades trip to Lake Powell. Sadly, I've dropped the ball and failed to blog about this event in mid-October. It was a blast! A three day getaway to Page, Arizona and time out on the lake. I did do up a memory book for Dave and presented it to him for his birthday. You can see the book hopefully at
https://davecindyrhoades.shutterfly.com/
10. Dave's Retirement from Unified Fire Authority went into effect November 1, 2013. This was a once in a lifetime event. It isn't every day one retires. It was hard for Dave to wrap his head around it. After spending 28 years as a fireman to no longer be on active duty was a weird concept. Dave has been busier than ever. On November 12, 2013 we finished up our mission papers and they were submitted for consideration. A top goal of both Dave & I to serve full-time missions in our senior (ahem, cough, cough) or not so senior years. We are still waiting to hear what our assignment will be this time around. We are hoping to serve multiple missions as our health, finances and world conditions will permit. But don't worry. We do not plan on neglecting family either. We are looking forward to many, many years of good and happy memories with family together.
Other family members have had good things happen to them this year, despite not making the top 10 list. Jennifer is now an Herbalife consultant and is enjoying that tremendously. We don't see her much but we are pleased that she is leading a productive life that seems to make her content. Emily Rhoades continues to take classes at UVU and work in the marketing department for UVU's catering dept. We enjoy seeing her more often than her other siblings, a bonus when you are basically empty nesters. Bryan Rhoades is in his second year teaching at Roosevelt High school in the science department. He continues to struggle with his health and his young son, Griffin, had a serious burn accident in July that he continues to recover from. Any and all prayers on their behalf are always appreciated.
Dave continues to serve in the High Priest Leadership. The Group leader has expressed that Dave will be hard to replace when we leave on our mission. Cindy continues to serve as the Beehive advisor. She enjoys serving with the other leaders and hopefully helping to light the flame of testimonies in the girls she teaches on Sundays.
10. Dave's Retirement from Unified Fire Authority went into effect November 1, 2013. This was a once in a lifetime event. It isn't every day one retires. It was hard for Dave to wrap his head around it. After spending 28 years as a fireman to no longer be on active duty was a weird concept. Dave has been busier than ever. On November 12, 2013 we finished up our mission papers and they were submitted for consideration. A top goal of both Dave & I to serve full-time missions in our senior (ahem, cough, cough) or not so senior years. We are still waiting to hear what our assignment will be this time around. We are hoping to serve multiple missions as our health, finances and world conditions will permit. But don't worry. We do not plan on neglecting family either. We are looking forward to many, many years of good and happy memories with family together.
Other family members have had good things happen to them this year, despite not making the top 10 list. Jennifer is now an Herbalife consultant and is enjoying that tremendously. We don't see her much but we are pleased that she is leading a productive life that seems to make her content. Emily Rhoades continues to take classes at UVU and work in the marketing department for UVU's catering dept. We enjoy seeing her more often than her other siblings, a bonus when you are basically empty nesters. Bryan Rhoades is in his second year teaching at Roosevelt High school in the science department. He continues to struggle with his health and his young son, Griffin, had a serious burn accident in July that he continues to recover from. Any and all prayers on their behalf are always appreciated.
Dave continues to serve in the High Priest Leadership. The Group leader has expressed that Dave will be hard to replace when we leave on our mission. Cindy continues to serve as the Beehive advisor. She enjoys serving with the other leaders and hopefully helping to light the flame of testimonies in the girls she teaches on Sundays.
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