highlight reel 2019
The first year Jeremy and I were married, I started an annual tradition of documenting the year through a “highlight reel” of our favorite ten memories. (Let it be known – this was inspired by Sports Center’s Top Ten Plays of the Day and I have no shame.) It has become something I cherish, loving to look back and reflect on the growth, strength, and tenacity of our family and friends, all while placing a nice proverbial bow on the gift of the previous year’s journey.
I have said it before and I will say it again – this has been my absolute favorite year as a family of four. Building our legacy, pouring into the kids, and living in every moment has been an honor and a joy. Here are our top ten memories in no particular order.
1) Jeremy and I took a trip out to Las Vegas and California. For as long as I can remember, the Pacific Coast Highway has been on my bucket list. When I lived overseas, there were multiple gorgeous coastal roadways that inspired my desire to explore my own country; Australia’s Great Ocean Road and Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way to name my favorites. *If you spend any significant time in either of those spots, definitely try them out for yourself! Jeremy and I spent a short time on the Vegas strip, long enough to enjoy the sunshine, lights, and food (but not long enough to lose any money!). Afterwards, we flew out to California and started our journey in San Francisco. When we were upgraded to a waterfront room at our first hotel, we should have known we were in for a treat! Over the course of the week, we drove from the Golden Gate Bridge, down to Half Moon Bay, Monterey, Carmel, and turning around when we made it to Big Sur. I like to say we ate our way down Route 1 because the AMAZING food was definitely memorable for us. At the end of the trip, we returned back to San Francisco before flying out. The city sights are Jeremy’s favorite so we stayed right by Fisherman’s Wharf, going to see the seals at Pier 39 and taking a tour of Alcatraz Island. I like to think Jeremy and I have perfected our balance of “city time” (for him) and “country time” (for me) when we travel.
2) The University of Virginia won the National Championship in basketball, the Nationals won the World Series, and UVA finally defeated Virginia Tech in their annual football rivalry game! One of the many threads that weave our family together is a love of sports. We enjoy going to the games, following our favorite teams on television, and having a friendly competition during March Madness or Fantasy Football time. Getting to see two of our favorite teams win their respective titles was likely a once-in-a-lifetime for us. These two victories were made even more special – for Christmas, Nana and Papa took Jeremiah to his first UVA basketball game and he was able to see the championship team rack up 100 points early in the season. This summer, we went to our first Nationals game as a family of four before they became World Champions!
3) The four-year journey to my doctorate continues. I finished another year this past summer and successfully passed my Family Nurse Practitioner Board Certification in June. I do not believe there are adequate words for the gratitude I have for an amazing support system. Working and completing this degree has been challenging to say the least, but we have managed and it will be finished in one semester! I am looking forward to the opportunities that will be possible because of the clinical and project management experience I have gained during this time.
4) Our family put an exciting twist on our annual beach vacation to North Carolina with my parents and all went to Florida this year! In the midst of our quality time with Nana and Papa, we managed to sneak in trips to both Universal Studios and Disney World while we were there. We ate seafood, played lacrosse and built sand castles on the beach, caught up with our sister (my sister-in-love) and nephews, searched for the perfect seashell, and relaxed in the evenings together. There were snuggles, soccer competitions, and gorgeous family dinners overlooking the water from our beach house. I think we would all agree we loved the change in atmosphere, but look forward to our tradition again soon.
5) After spending time with the Ponton side of the family, we made our way north to New Jersey for the Fourth of July to visit with the Riveras. We spent the majority of our time outside in the pool, only coming out to watch Toy Story 4, eat, or play board games! There were intense competitions of water basketball and volleyball, slam dunk contests, and sing-offs. Jeremy put on a beautiful firework display while we ate dessert poolside. It was my idea of the perfect summer night – exhausted from swimming, belly full of grilled goodness, surrounded by family and friends, thankful for such a wonderful time together.
Following our adventures in New Jersey, we decided to make a pit stop in Philadelphia to visit friends and show the kids parts of the city. Jeremiah was interested in “Rocky” so we thought it would be the perfect opportunity for him to visualize scenes from the movie and get a feel for running those stairs! Best of all, we got to see our amazing “framily,” Jason, Amiee, Ryleigh, and Zach. For some reason, Chipotle and ice cream tastes so much better in the company of great people who have supported Jeremy and I through the joyful and challenging moments of our marriage.
6) Lilly started Kindergarten and Jeremiah started 7th grade! We are so proud of the kids and how well they are doing both in our home and at school. They amaze us on a regular basis. I would be remiss if I did not say some of my favorite moments this past fall have been the walks with Lilly to and from the elementary school. I love the opportunity it gives for me to personally take a moment to clear my mind and be outside, but even more – the door it opens for conversation and dialogue about the school/work day. This is when I get the scoop from school…if you know what I mean. 😉
7) Celebrating birthdays together! We take any excuse to celebrate and birthdays are the perfect opportunity. This year was a special one because we spent three of them together! We do not take that for granted in our blended family scenario. In June, we got to surprise Jeremiah with a trip to Universal Studios before he’s officially a TEENAGER! We have embraced gifting experiences to the kids and while I believe they still LOVE opening a physical present and finding new toys, etc, they are coming around to the idea of enjoying each other and making new memories. For Jeremy’s birthday in August, we decided on Duck Donuts (of course!) and crab legs. So, while the boys cracked crab legs, the girls giggled and ate our own {easy-to-eat} seafood! For my birthday, Jeremy took me to the mountains and my heart was full for weeks. I love the breathtaking views and open air of the Blue Ridge Parkway. For Lilly’s birthday, she asked for a Toy Story party with some of her girlfriends. She absolutely loves being the life of the party, soaking up her “Happy birthdays…” and social butterfly-ing her way around the house as the hostess. Jeremy and I agree we enjoy watching Lilly’s joy during her party more than the party itself.
8) Mom and Dad Ponton turned 60! This year, my parents both celebrated a pretty big birthday themselves! While the majority of their year is spent serving others in some capacity, my brother Ben and I wanted to honor their lives and their sacrifices for us and so many others. They give of their time and talent to work, church, family, neighbors, and friends – opening their home for gatherings, cooking or BBQing for various events and people, moving their children into new houses, doing yard work for those who cannot, and in general – loving everyone so well. Miraculously, Ben and I were able to get a large group of our family and friends to surprise them at a nice little restaurant in Charlottesville for dinner.
9) The whole Ponton/Rivera clan got together for Thanksgiving! Without a doubt, some of my favorite times are when we gather around the table as a family. I volunteered to host this year and cooked my very first turkey (with parental oversight) from start to finish! We spent the day eating, baking, watching football, and making turkey gingerbread. Jeremiah made his first corn pudding and ate a huge turkey leg while Lilly enjoyed supervising and scoffing down her own share of turkey!
10) We continue cozy-ing our home! I cannot boast about Jeremy enough when it comes to our house. He has done a phenomenal job of making my visions for different rooms come to life. Over the years, he has redone Jeremiah’s room, the laundry room, bathroom, living room, and this year …. completely redid Lilly’s room and managed to do a bit of an overhaul to our dining room just in time for Thanksgiving. The ceiling, walls, lighting, and furniture have all been updated and he is responsible for 95% of it! I can’t wait to share what the changes will be in the upcoming year! I already have some visions and we’ve started on our “list!”
If you’ve made it this far, we are wishing a beautiful new year to all of our family and friends, praying God’s blessing and favor over your each and every day. Until next time…
