Christmas 2017

December 2017

Another year has come and gone and I’m not exactly sure what I have to show for it. It seems like the days go by faster and half the time I can’t recall what it is I accomplished in that time. This might be a short letter….haha.

This year started out with Jesse and Justin playing basketball. It was Jesse’s last year playing high school ball. It was bittersweet. She went out with a bang though, as only Jesse can do. She ended up dislocating her jaw in an intense game against Westside. It didn’t stop her from playing though. She literally left it all on the court. Her team came away with the win and we got to go to the ER and put her back together.  One thing about ole “Bess” is, she’s a tough one. We will miss watching her play ball. Nobody can box out quite like her.

Justin had the opportunity to travel to Boise for the State tournament with the Varsity team for basketball this last March. What a great experience! The Bear Lake Bears took State in their division (2A). I was able to travel with them and capture it all on camera. The energy was electric. It was so fun watching these boys give it their all. Our school hadn’t won State in something like 25 years. Even though Justin didn’t get to play I was so glad he was there to experience that once in a lifetime event. Pretty impressive accomplishment for just being a sophomore.

State Championship trophy!

While Jesse and Justin were playing basketball during the winter months, Joe was doing what he loves and does best, skiing.  That kid lives for the slopes. When he wasn’t doing homework at Utah State he was up at Beaver Mountain skiing. He took some awesome footage of his adventures. The kid is crazy, but I love watching him. Unfortunately, his craziness caught up with him just a couple weeks into the new year. In fact, it was about a week after Jesse dislocated her jaw. He got this bright idea to do a backflip over the stairs on Old Main Hill on the Utah State campus. Just as he was pushing off to do his jump he had a binding malfunction and wrecked.  Thank goodness it wasn’t on the cement stairs! He managed to dislocate his shoulder and was out of commission for a couple weeks. Not a good thing since we had a record year for snowfall and some of the best powder days followed his accident. It wasn’t long though and he was back out on the slopes. I think he managed to ski until mid-April this year. Needless to say, he’s hoping this winter will be another epic one.

Spring came and the whole family was able to go to Moab. I was so happy Wayne got to come this time. We had a fantastic time with Michelle’s family (Wayne’s sister). Joe was even able to sneak away for the weekend and come join the fun. We spent a lot of time in Canyonlands exploring and taking in some amazing hikes. Our favorite was the hike out to Druid Arch. What an incredible hike that was. We walked across a lot of slickrock and down many dry washes. The canyon was spectacular and the arch was impressive. On the hike out, our group got separated and we managed to lose Wayne’s sister just before dark. Not a good thing since it was starting to rain…a lot! I couldn’t believe how fast the water came up. An area that was dry as a bone was a raging stream in no time. It was mind blowing! We were starting to worry about finding poor Michelle. It was very tense and scary for a couple hours, but after lots of prayers and intense searching we found her. Joe had found her downstream and up some side canyon.  She had followed some stray cairns and missed the turn on the main trail. She was very happy to see Joe because the thought of spending the night in freezing temperatures wasn’t high on her list. 

On our way to Druid Arch in Canyonlands NP

At an overlook in Canyonlands NP

Justin, me, Joe and Wayne at the base of Druid Arch

The gang having lunch along the 4x4 trail. Peek-a-boo Rock or some such thing on lone dirt road along the Green River just east of Canyonlands NP.

Jesse graduating with Honors

The end of the school year couldn’t come fast enough for Jesse. She was ready to be done with high school! I can’t believe how much she has grown up through high school, especially her Senior year. She graduated with honors and is now attending her first year at BYU-Idaho in Rexburg. She loves it! She is working toward a degree in Graphic Design.

Wayne and I kind of had our first taste of being empty nesters this summer. All three of our kids worked for the Forest Service doing fire this year. Joe was on the engine crew, Jesse was on facilities and Justin was on camp crew. If you watched the news you probably saw that the West was pretty much in flames this year.  It was hard on the forests, but nice for kids earning money for college. Joe spent time on fires in Utah, Nevada, and Wyoming. Jesse went with camp crews to Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana and managed to go on a couple fires here on the local district. In fact, she got to go on a local fire with Joe and her dad.  That was pretty cool. Not very often do you get to do that! Justin spent a lot of time in Winnemucca, Nevada and Phillipsburg, Montana on camp crew. It was a great growing experience for all of them. I think they appreciated their beds and running water a whole lot more. 

Fire fighter Joe

Even I got to go out on a fire assignment this year! I decided if I was going to get myself my dream lens for my camera I was going to have to earn some money. I got the chance to go on a fire in Montana and do the maps for the incident.  The last fire I was on was back in 2000 and I can tell you that things have definitely changed since then. It was a great learning experience for me. It was high stress and pretty intense, but I was able to get my Canon L-Class 70-200mm lens!! It was TOTALLY worth it. Would I do it again? I’m not sure.  I figure it’s kind of like giving birth… You forget after a while how painful it really was.  We’ll see if I manage to forget.  Poor Wayne though, there was a week in August where the only one home was the dog. Wayne was all by his lonesome. The rest of the family was out on fire assignment and he was stuck at home with Roscoe. I hope next year he gets to go out on assignment. It’s nice to break up the normal work routine.

This Fall we got Jesse sent off to BYU-Idaho in Rexburg. She’ll be finishing up her

Jesse and Justin at Fire School

first track mid-December. It’s been so fun to watch her grow and learn through the experiences she’s had so far. I have enjoyed her occasional FaceTime chats between classes. She’s made some great friendships with her roommates. She’s even joined an intermural basketball team thanks to one of her roommates. She asked Jesse if she wanted to play with a friend of hers and Jesse said sure. Unbeknownst to her it wasn’t just a random pick-up game it was the real deal. It was something she would have never had the courage to do on her own.  Aren’t roommates great?  Jesse has had so much fun playing… even though she got whacked in the jaw again, so we’re dealing with that once more. My poor accident-prone child.

Justin started his junior year this Fall. He played football again this season. Our poor Bears didn’t quite have the season we were hoping for. We struggled but it was still fun to watch. And I got some sweet action shots with that fancy new lens of mine!  Justin received Honorable Mention again for Offensive Line for the 5A District in Idaho.  We were proud of him. He loves football. Now we’re on the basketball. Thankfully we only have to go to one kid’s ball games this year, although I miss watching Jesse and Joe play. My back end is getting older though and I think it’s also getting a little less tolerant of bleachers!!

Justin on Offense in Declo

Joe decided to work through the Fall this year to earn some cash. He was thinking of going to school for the winter, but is still trying to decided what to do.  It’s hard being 20. I liken it to going into the library and trying to find a book to read. There are so many choices it’s hard to figure out what one you want to pick. He’s trying to decide what he wants to do still. He has an amazing talent for photography. I would love to see him capitalize on that while still working for the Forest Service or something along those lines. He loves the outdoors. If he could find a job that paid him to ski, look for antlers, scout for deer, hunt or take pictures, he’d be in heaven. In the meantime, we’re just going to hide and watch and see what happens.

The big excitement this year was the trip Jesse and I took to Europe in June. It was remarkable! We had been saving for over two years. It seemed like the day would never come. Those ten days were just like a dream. Our tour group and guide were so much fun! We flew into London and spent two days there. We saw the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, went on the Underground, visited Platform 9 ¾ and saw many double decker busses. We also had the chance to see Les Misérables at the theatre. We were able to see Stonehenge on our way to France. We were there the day after the summer solstice. Apparently, there were over 13,000 people there the day before. Crazy! It was smaller than I thought it would be. It was neat to see, but not as cool as I thought it might be. It was just a bunch of rocks in the middle of a field. Maybe I just need to find my inner Druid… It was still cool to see though.

At Stonehenge with Jesse

 Jesse and I rode a ferry across the English Channel to France. I loved France. The countryside was gorgeous and I loved the old buildings. I wish we could have spent more time touring around Normandy. I spent my birthday visiting the American D-Day Cemetery near Arromanches, Normandy. THAT was beyond words. The feeling there was so sacred. We saw the bulwarks out in the bay when we were in Arromanches. That was so cool. They’re still there after over 70 years. It was just surreal being there. And I had the best ratatouille at a restaurant there!

We went to Mont St. Michel which is a monastery on this little island. It looked like something right out of a fairytale. I think they said the monastery was built in 900 A.D.  It was crazy to behold something that old with your own eyes. We also went to castles in Chenonceaux and Versailles.  I can see why there was a French Revolution. These royal folks were over the top, especially Louis XIV. That guy was nuts. I can’t even begin to describe the ornateness or the excessiveness of wealth that was used. It was mind blowing. It’s no wonder the French people revolted, but wow, it was so amazing to see! I didn't dare mention that my family has ties back to French royalty, although really I wanted to wear one of those great big Victorian dresses complete with the powdered wig and walk around the vast halls and manicured grounds of those amazing gardens. Oh, that would be so fun!

Jesse in the monastery

Mont St. Michel Normandy, France

Jesse was a little tall for the maze at the palace

Jesse and I in Versailles

Me and Jesse under the Eiffel Tower

Our last stop before heading back to the States was Paris. We spent a couple days here seeing so many things I thought my eyes were going to bleed. The history in Europe is so vast. Jesse and I were at sensory overload after spending over a week touring northern France and England. When I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time I couldn’t believe I was actually seeing it with my own two eyes. I never thought I’d ever see the day when I would see that landmark. It was pretty cool. Jesse and I got to go up it our last night in Paris. The view was spectacular with all the lights twinkling all around. The best part was going down all the stairs.  That was dizzying but so fun. Paris was neat to see, but I’ll take Paris, Idaho over Paris, France any day. Less rats, less people, less traffic, more cows and lots more open space!!

Needless to say, this year was crazy busy. I’m sure 2018 won’t disappoint either. I am hoping to run a couple more half marathons next year. I only did one this year. All that travelling was a bit hard on my poor old body. I ended up tearing my calf muscle mid-July which really bummed me out, but it didn’t keep me down for long. I’m back at it and am running better than I was, I think. I hope I can keep it up.  I enjoy how it makes me feel. I can tell when I haven’t run, it sucks.

Wayne and I have been enjoying watching our kids begin to fly the nest. It’s been a bit hard to adjust to the quiet, but we’re managing. I look forward to the time I get to spend with my best friend. It’s been so fun snuggling on the couch and watching a show on Netflix… just us, no interruptions. It does make those times when all the kids are home that much more precious. I love to hear the kids laugh with one another and talk about this and that. I am so thankful for the relationship that they have with each other. Family is everything. Time is a precious commodity and it seems like we just don’t ever have enough of it. This coming year I hope I can use the time that is given me to make wonderful memories with my family. Time and memories with family are the things we need to treasure. You can’t buy that. There is no price you can put on things like that. I need to do better at writing down the day to day things that happen, not just the big things. I know I could have done better as my kids were growing up, but life gets in the way, you know how that goes.  But those little things are what I love most and I think when I am old and senile (yes, it’s coming sooner than I’d like to admit) I can look back and read about those experiences and relive those precious times once again. Like I said, Family truly is everything.

I hope that this Christmas season you are able to spend time with your family and create wonderful memories. And I hope that it continues throughout the coming year. We are so blessed, there is no doubt. We have so much to be thankful for.

Merry Christmas!

From us Becks here in Ovid, Idaho:

Cheryl, Wayne, Joe, Jesse and Justin

The Becks - Hurrah Pass near Moab, Utah

Christmas Greetings 2016

One of Joe's photos from this summer

I’ve decided that our family has spent this year going about Mach 5. Apparently it went so fast, my brain can’t even fathom what it was we’ve done! I guess the biggest thing I’ve noticed this year is the lack of anyone being home all at the same time. Joe spent last winter and this spring being a ski bum and looking for antlers. The rest of the family was quite jealous. He truly got his money’s worth from that season ski pass. I think he told me he went almost 60 times. That was definitely money well spent. Once April came around Joe was back to work on the engine crew at the Forest Service. He spent a lot of time on the end of a chainsaw thinning trees.

He also spent a lot of time on fires this year. It was a really dry year. Not so good for the forest, but good for the pocket book. We figure he only took 3 or 4 days off the entire summer. All that hard work paid for his first year at Utah State this fall. Wayne and I were so proud of him. I didn’t think I’d cry when he loaded up his truck and headed off to college, but I did. He has become a fine, young man. Wayne and I couldn’t be more proud. He plans to work for the Forest Service again this summer. He has yet to really decide what he wants to study. He’s got a real talent for taking photos. So maybe he could get a job as an extreme ski photographer…I think that would be his dream job. If you’re on Instagram look him up. @whynotexploremore  and @thee.real.jb

Our little Jesse has had a busy year. She finished up her junior year and started up her last year of high school this fall. Where has the time gone?? She spent most of July and August on fires as a member of a camp crew. She was in Colorado for a while and then was on the biggest fire in the nation, the Pioneer Fire, near Idaho City. She sent me a text one evening with a picture of trees torching and the whole hillside on fire. Her comment was “you could say the fire was close”. Not exactly the note a mom wants to get just before bed. She had a lot of fun out on her fires though. She even had a chance to have her artwork displayed on the front of the daily Incident Action Plans. She’s an amazing artist. Her plans are to study graphic design, animation or something art related after high school.

Justin got his first taste of being an only child this summer with both his brother and sister away on fires. I don’t think he minded it much. He was at various basketball camps the first of the summer and then he scored himself a job at the local hardware store, so we didn’t see him much either. He was working 40 hours a week! I played him Merle Haggard’s “Working Man” song after his first week. I’m not entirely sure he appreciated it. He’s saving his money for a car since he got his driver’s license in November. Justin started his sophomore year on the JV team for football this fall, but soon found himself on Varsity as the Right Offensive Tackle. The school did an awesome thing this year for the team. It’s called “Heros on Helmets”. Each player picked a name of a fallen serviceman and put their name with the American Flag on their helmet. Their task was to learn about that fallen hero on their helmet. Justin’s hero was a young man by the name of Senior Airman James A. Hansen from a small town in Missouri. He was in the 46^th OSS of the US Air Force. He was killed in action in September of 2010 at the age of 25. This program is such a neat way to get the boys to think of something bigger than themselves. Their team motto this year was “Champions Play as One”.  And that is exactly what they did. For the first time in the school’s history they won the District Championship and qualified for State. I truly believe it was because these boys had their heroes with them every step of the way to help them play as one. With the help of a Google search or two, I found the parents of Justin’s airman. I thought it would be neat to tell them how well the team had done and that their son had not been forgotten. Justin was able to call them before the quarter-final game. It was an amazing, emotional experience. I hope it is something Justin never forgets. Airman Hansen’s parents were so nice and let Justin know how much it meant to them that his son was with him on this journey. I wish I could put into words the feeling that was in the air when he spoke with them, it was priceless. Justin’s team won that quarter-final game and made it to the Semi-finals. They played an undefeated team from St. Maries, Idaho (up near the Canadian border). It was tough game. Those boys played their hearts out, but couldn’t quite pull it off. They lost 14-20. That team had some big guys and they were fast. Justin told us the guy he was hitting on the line had a full beard! After the game, some parents told us that our team was the first real competition they’ve had this season. That made us feel a little better. We listened to the Championship game the following week. They won 31 – 8.  The guy that Justin was defending made three defensive touchdowns, one of which was a 99 yard return!  He didn’t make one while Justin had him. Justin shut him down. I consider that a win. Justin received an Honorable Mention in the Idaho State 5A District All-Conference Football Team. An impressive feat being just a sophomore!

Our family is chasing around to basketball games now that football season is over. Jesse had her best game EVER last week. She was on FIRE! She got 14 points and 11 rebounds. She couldn’t miss, it was crazy! They even double teamed her and she still got the ball. There are perks to being a six foot girl. Justin is on the JV team this year and has started out strong. He looks pretty ominous down under the hoop being 6’ 5” and weighing 220lbs. The other team knows it when Justin boxes them out. They go flying. We’re looking forward to a great season for both of them.

Jesse and I got to go on a trip together this past June. It was a school trip back east like the one Joe went on when he was a junior. It was an amazing whirlwind week, let me tell ya. We flew into New York, drove to Washington DC and spent a couple days at the National Mall. We saw Arlington, Mount Vernon and Gettysburg. Then we went and toured the Amish country. We went and watched a Phillies game. We also dropped in and saw the Liberty Bell at Independence Hall. After that we drove back to NYC and saw Lion King on Broadway and spent a day touring around the sites of NYC. Times Square is nuts, just so you know. We spent a day at the 9/11 Memorial Museum. That was incredible and emotionally draining, but definitely worth going to. We ended our trip with a visit to the Statue of Liberty. We saw so much in such a short span of time. I’m still trying to sort it out. It was such a fun trip. I was glad I had the opportunity to go with her. Next June, Jesse and I are taking a trip to Europe. We’ve been saving for two years. I can’t wait!!

The kids and I snuck away for a week during Spring Break to Southern Utah with Wayne’s sister and her family. We visited like four or five National Parks that week. A great time was had by all. The boys loved riding mountain bikes around Moab. We hiked all over and did a lot of exploring. Not bad considering Jesse got her foot run over the week before by an SUV. She didn’t break it, amazingly enough. She got out of the rig before it stopped and it ran up the side of her leg almost to her knee. She very calmly told the driver to “Back up. You’re on my foot.” Of course, the driver (her friend’s mom) totally freaked out after she realized she wasn’t kidding. It was pretty swollen, but luckily Jesse is one tough cookie. She recovered beautifully.

All five of us took a trip to Yellowstone for a weekend in May for Jesse’s 17^th birthday. Wayne and I figure that is probably one of the last times we’ll be able to all go somewhere as a family. It was a great weekend. We saw lots of critters and the weather was pretty nice. It’s nice living so close to Yellowstone. I need to get there more often than I do.

Wayne kept busy this year, but when is he not? He had a few fire opportunities this summer too. He even got to be the Acting District Ranger at a fire near our local ski resort. It was fun to listen to Joe and Wayne talk shop this summer when they were both home, even Jesse would chime in. What can I say, we’re a Forest Service family through and through.

In August, my mom and my Uncle Ed from Nebraska came up for the weekend. Jesse and I took them out to Grand Teton National Park since neither of them had ever seen the Tetons. It was a fantastic trip!

I made a couple work trips to Alaska this year. That was fun.  It would have been more fun had Wayne come with me and we went fishing, but it was a work trip. I did get a chance to sneak out and go put some crab pots out with my coworker and her husband. That was a lot of fun! The crab was to die for. I felt guilty not sharing with my family. I sent them a photo to let them know I was thinking of them.

I ran a couple half marathons this summer with my running buddy. I wasn’t sure I was going to be in shape enough to do it with all the travelling I’ve been doing, but I did it. I was really loving running in Ketchikan at sea level. I had some sweet times! Nothing like a little lack of elevation to get the oxygen flowing. I am hoping to get a couple more half marathons in next summer.

I’ve decided that I’m not so sure I’m going to be liking this empty nest stage that will soon be coming our way in the next couple years. There’s nothing I like more than to listen to my kids teasing each other and talking smack. I love the sound of their laughter and the conversations we have. Our house is going to be mighty quiet, but that isn’t all bad either. Wayne and I can sit on the couch and watch old Star Trek Next Generation reruns together. That sounds quite wonderful, actually.

We hope that this season brings you joy, laughter and maybe a little bit of quiet solitude. Enjoy those times with family. It seems that our time is a most sacred gift anymore. Use it wisely. Tell those you love how much they mean to you. Hug your parents, grandparents, kids, dog, cat, hamster…whomever you consider family. That’s what this season is about…Love. May you truly feel the Spirit of Christmas this year.

2015 - Year End Summary

December 2015

Merry Christmas to you and your family! I’m having a hard time believing that it is already the end of 2015. This year seems to have been a blur. I’ve been trying to piece together all that has happened this past year and it has left me in a mental whirlwind. (Of course, that doesn’t take much as of late, it seems).

Well, I guess I’ll start from the beginning, since that is always a good place to start.  January and February we spent skiing at the local ski resort, Beaver Mountain. It is so wonderful to be able to spend time as a family outdoors. It is one of our favorite things to do and I am so thankful for the ability to do so. We tried to get up there as much as we could between Jesse and Justin’s basketball games.  

Over President’s Day weekend our family drove out to Nebraska for my dear, sweet grandma’s service. We were so sad to lose Grama Janak, aka “Great Grama Polka”. She was an incredible lady full of spunk.  While we were out there we met up with aunts, uncles, cousins and more cousins. I met folks I didn’t even realize I was related to! It was a fun gathering despite the circumstances. I was thankful the kids and I were able to travel out there last summer for her 90^th birthday celebration. We all will miss her terribly but it does my heart good to know she’s finally reunited with my Grandpa after 40 years of being apart!

Spring Break brought a new adventure for our family. We were able to go on a Caribbean cruise with all of Wayne’s family!! There were twenty-five of us that went. It was the first time our kids had ever been on a cruise. And I’ll just say they are hooked!  It was such an amazing time!! We went to Honduras, Belize, Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico.  It was incredible!  The snorkeling, zip-lining, cave tubing, Mayan ruins, deep-sea fishing and jungles were breath-taking. It was so wonderful to spend a week with family without cell phones and all the other daily distractions. The memories we made will be cherished forever. Thank you Kay and Marv for such a great experience and thank you, Mom for being willing to hold down the farm while we went adventuring.

We didn’t have much time to relax once we got back to the States.  It wasn’t very long and Joe was graduating from high school. Crazy how twelve years of school can go by so quickly. I am so proud of my Joe. He’s a great young man and I can hardly wait to see what sort of crazy adventure he sets out on next!

Speaking of Joe, after graduation he got a job on an engine crew here at the district in Montpelier. Despite all the fires we had out West his engine was always in the wrong place at the wrong time. He didn’t see much action. He did get to go out to Oregon a couple times on assignment. It was a great experience for him.

He worked until November and now is enjoying being laid off. Right now he is taking full advantage of all the snow we recently received. Let’s face it, Joe knows how to have fun.

He was earned his Eagle Scout award in March (just barely making the deadline). Due to our busy schedule he had his official ceremony this summer. It was hard work, but he pulled it off!

Joe is hoping to go to Utah State in the fall of 2016 and plans to fight fire again this summer. Exciting times are ahead! 

Jesse had her share of excitement this year too. Not only did she turn 16 and get her driver’s license, but she bought herself a car! She is the proud owner of a cute little white VW bug! She loves her little car. It’s her pride and joy. I have to admit, it’s been nice having an extra car around. We now qualify for the fleet rate with our insurance! Haha! Jesse got a job this summer with the Forest Service too. She was on a camp crew. It was a great learning experience for her. I think it really helped her with her self-confidence. We have seen a whole new Jesse since she got back from her fires this summer. Jesse also has been saving money to go on a New York trip with her school this coming June. Proud of that girl and her drive and determination! Jesse made the high school basketball team again. Being six feet has its privileges. Playing center can take its toll, though. The poor girl has broken her nose two times this month.  She’s a toughy. She told us we can deal with it after the season… guess we’ll see how that goes. Despite the nose, this year has been a great year for Jesse.

Justin is fourteen and started his freshman year at high school. He made it to the 6’4” mark and I think he’s still growing! He was on the JV football team as a defensive and offensive tackle. He enjoyed himself. He also found that he enjoys lifting weights. He had Wayne take him over to the high school every morning at 6am this fall so he could lift. It was good to see that dedication. This summer he had the opportunity to attend a basketball camp at Utah State University. He really enjoyed it. It must have helped because he made the freshman basketball team this year. It is impressive to see the improvements that he has made in his game. Needless to say, Wayne and I are proud parents. We have great kids!

This year has been a year of health/lifestyle changes for Wayne and me. Don’t worry, we’re both doing excellent! Last fall my neurologist suggested that maybe I ought to start running if it helps with my functional movement disorder. I didn’t think too much about it until Wayne’s sister asked me back in March if I wanted to try running a 5k this summer. So I started training and found that I really enjoyed it. So I ran my first 5k in June and by September I was running my first half marathon with my running buddy, Maryanne.

Then I ran another half with my niece, TJ in October. I’m hooked! It has helped so much managing my twitches. They aren’t near as bad and most days I don’t even have them! Needless to say, I’m going to keep running!  I am signed up for a half marathon in Jackson Hole, Wyoming the first weekend of June. Can’t wait! 

Wayne is the one that has changed the most, I think. He has dropped 35 pounds since April. He was absolutely miserable most of the time and he was tired of it! He was dealing with migraine-like headaches on a daily basis. His body hurt all the time. He told me on more than one occasion that he wished he was dead. It was not a good scene. After numerous trips to the doctor only to be told nothing was wrong with him, he decided to do his own research. After hours and hours of research looking at different ailments, he decided that he was suffering from an overgrowth of yeast in his body. It is called Candida and if it gets out of whack it can start growing in places where it shouldn’t. Over time it can create this hard layer that won’t allow the body to break it down. And being a yeast, it grows in response to sugar. So the more sugar you eat, the more it grows and makes you miserable.

I’ll admit I wasn’t exactly on board with the whole idea.  Let’s face it, it is a bit crazy what you can find on the internet. But what he found made sense to him, so he decided to take a leap of faith and did a 45 day Candida cleanse. He eliminated sugar from his diet, reduced the amount of carbohydrates he ate in conjunction with some medication he had to take over the 45 days. The hardest part was giving up his Diet Pepsi habit. The difference it made was incredible. I have my old husband back. He smiles again. He laughs again. He doesn’t hurt all the time. He has energy again! Heck, he even went running with me and ran 3 miles cold turkey!  I was impressed! It has been a great thing.

Wayne and I had a chance to go to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for the National Society of American Foresters Convention. Wayne had to earn some credits to keep current on his Silviculturist qualifications. We had never been down South. It was neat to see the southern forests. We stayed at a hotel next to the Mississippi River so I would drag Wayne out for daily runs along the river. We walked all over the city and had the chance to check out the campus at Louisiana State. We also experienced the biggest raindrops we had ever seen in our lives. I have never seen so much rain! It was a great trip. We also had the chance to meet up with an old college buddy and some colleagues of mine from the Tongass National Forest while we were there. It’s always nice to finally meet people you work with.

Which reminds me, I got a new job the end of June! I am now an official Tongass National Forest employee. I work out of my house still, but my job is out of Ketchikan. I’m still doing the same stuff I was doing, but now I get paid more. J  I’ll miss my buddies in TEAMS and working on forests all over the country, but it is nice to have a little stability in my life.

I took a backpacking trip with a couple girlfriends of mine in the Uinta Mountains this year. I was a little nervous going without Wayne. I didn’t know if I would find myself miles from nowhere and twitch-out with no way to get home. Wayne was really nervous, but he told me to go have fun. He offered to pack my stuff in for me the night before we left so I didn’t have to. He is such a sweetheart. It was an incredible trip! We hiked up 11 miles to East Red Castle and made base camp. While we were up there two of us did a 16 mile day hike to the highest peak in Utah at 13,500 feet. I called Wayne from the top to let him know I was alright. He told me he was about ready to come and find me just to make sure I was okay since he hadn’t heard from me. It’s nice to be loved! I am such a lucky lady! It was an incredible week to say the least. Gorgeous views and great memories.

My mom and uncle came out in August for a visit. That was a lot of fun. We climbed Paris Peak.  It is a 9,500 ft mountain just up the canyon from our house. I had lived here for over 12 years and never climbed it. So we decided to git ‘er dun.  I was so proud of my mom.  Not everyone can say they’ve taken a summit selfie with their mom.

All in all 2015 has been a great year. The kids are growing up so fast. Wayne and I thought maybe after the kids graduate from high school that our lives would slow down a little bit, but we came to the realization that isn’t going to happen…then our life will be surrounded in weddings and grandkids.  Yikes!!  That is a bit scary to think about. I’m not old enough to be a grandma yet!!!

We hope that 2016 will be a year of joy and love for you and your family. The world is taking a turn for the worst, it seems. Take a moment to find that ray of sunshine amidst the chaos. I think it’s God’s way of telling us He’s watching and is aware of us.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love, Cheryl, Wayne, Joe, Jesse and Justin Beck

At the Ruins in Mexico

Jesse and Justin after an off-road adventure

Jesse shoots for two

Joe with his Mahi-Mahi caught in Cozumel

Justin in the Gulf of Mexico

Justin and me after his last football game

Wayne snuggling with a sloth in Honduras

The Beck boys

Joe and his deer this year