Chinese New Year Cheers!

My intention is to not turn our Christmas letters into… <insert obscure February Holiday> letters EVERY year (actually, last time I intended it to be the only time), but such is the busyness of the last two months of the year combined with adhd. Here we are again, competing with the Year of the Horse.

2025 was a year of flying by the seat of our pants. We laughed, we cried, we peed our pants… the whole shebang. 

Family highlights: Boogie boarding in the ocean and SNOW. Didn’t think we’d experience it living here. Trips to Birmingham, AL to visit friends in March, Myrtle Beach Week with all the Shipleys, and Thanksgiving in New Jersey. Plus many visits to Durham, just because. Callum got BAPTIZED! Visits from my parents and 3 of my sisters, the whole Shipley clan, and meeting our newest nephew Teddy, and niece Nora! And in general, just lots of going to the beach, which doesn’t feel like a “trip” or anything anymore. 

Matt is nothing if not consistent with his familiar story of soccer, art, being the favorite parent, struggling to wake up in the morning, Pokémon Go, and beaching. This year he nearly got banned from Callum’s soccer games for yelling at the ref (by me, because it was embarrassing) But other than that, Best Eleven was pretty much his entire existence this year. Running a Kickstarter and designing a board game takes a surprising amount of “hats” to wear- advertising, social media, photography, videography, reducing package weight, shipping, tariffs and play testing and conventions and email lists and working with influencers… and every time I thought of something that might be helpful for him to do or a problem that needed solving, 99% of the time he had already thought of it and done it ha. He clearly did his homework. It took some convincing to get him on TikTok… and we’re both still feeling a little old because we don’t get it haha. All that to say, I’m extremely proud of this guy for seeing this 5-years in the making project through to the end (aaaaalmost to the end. So very close) Honorable mentions of his time in 2025 include perfecting his fried chicken recipe (he asked me if I mentioned that he got 3rd place at an EQ "meat cookoff" ...wasn't going to say anything, but there you go), desperately trying to get our sad little yard to not shrivel up and die, unclogging a lot of toilets, cultivating his range of voices to read stories in to the boys, celebrating an Eagles Superbowl win, and convincing us all to go on family bike rides.

(Elise) I tried to get Matt to write my part again this year, but he asked if he could just copy and paste from last year… lol he’s hilarious. But then I read last year’s and honestly pretty much everything is the same haha. Mom-ing, cleaning up poop, birding, shell & shark tooth hunting, coaching Zack’s soccer team, cleaning up poop, teaching for BYU-I, sourdough making, audiobook-listening, cleaning up poop, donating hair for the 4th (and final) time, so much chauffeuring all over the place, negotiating with a terrorist toddler, taking some deep, deep breaths, cleaning up poop… New additions this year included a LOT of time spent playing/editing/social media-ing/living & breathing Best Eleven, a calling in Stake YW and a return to humid and hot NC YW camp, breaking a finger, being a semi-permanent sub in sunbeams (and surprisingly sort of enjoying it)  some hard work in the world of EMDR, some “A for Effort” DIY home improvement attempts, and listening to K-Pop Demon Hunters perhaps a bit too much.

Favorites of 2025:

Bird: Mississippi Kite

Book: Actually I can’t pick one ha. But notable favorites were “The Coddling of the American Mind,” “Thursday Murder Club” books 2-4, and Throne of Glass 4-7 (yeah I’m a bandwagoner sorry not sorry)

Listen: K-Pop Demon Hunters

Movie: (may not have come out earlier, but 2025 is when I watched it ha) The Best Christmas Pageant Ever / Wake Up Dead Man

Moment: Callum’s Baptism / Best Eleven being funded!

Person: Matt!

Flex: threatening/bribing everyone to do family pictures for the first time in 4 ½ years

Callum had a growing year (literally- he’s just shy of 5 ft tall 😱) He’s been dabbling in every sport that we have the equipment for, has a deep curiosity for geography and history, and incredible talents in 3rd grade math and burping on cue. This year he started going to activity days and chose to be baptized- we are so proud of him! He was extra pumped about the cookies we had afterward. This year he had “the talk…” it came up super organically and he had questions primarily about anatomy, so I just decided to go for it. It ended in him gagging and traumatizing us both. He also got braces and an expander and they are pretty much the bane of his (and our) existence. If you ever need to know which instant mashed potatoes or kids protein shake are the least bleh, hit me up because we have tried them ALL. He has shown a more caretaking side this year with both his brothers and other kiddos he comes in contact with; making up games and building forts for them, and also teaching them the word fart. He loves Diary of a Wimpy Kid, every “coming of age” sports movie from the 90’s, and playing word games with me on my phone. He keeps us all laughing with his smartassery, grossed out with his smelly feet, and smiling at his tender moments with his siblings.

3 Quotes of the year:

C: You got to eat your grapes Finn- just put them in your mouth, and then they’ll go to your es-cough-agus, and then to your liver, and then to your stomach, and then to your small intes-tints, and then to your large intes-tints, and then your butt.

Z: To your butt! To your butt! To your butt!

C: There’s a bunch of bad spots on my banana- can you bite them off for me?

E: I don’t think so, we’re in the car right now and it's kind of a hassle

C: What's an ass-ole?

C: (after “the talk” happened) wait… dad, so you had to do that 3 times?!

Zack attack graduated from pre-k and started kindergarten this year! Sending my little active/fidgety/anxious buddy was terrifying for me, but he lucked out with the most amazing and patient teacher, and he loves it. Especially the really annoying letterland songs he sings to us. Everything I’ve been trying to unsuccessfully teach him about letter sounds the past 2 years all of a sudden clicked for him on day 3 of school, so I guess the problem was just with his mom/teacher! He is a cuddler, a craft lover, my “sous chef,” and wants to be a “builder” when he grows up. He has the highest of highs, and the lowest of lows, and we’re all just learning to ride the waves of big emotions. He loves doing puzzles, wordsearches, and playing any board game he can get his hands on. Zack has an ear for music and remembers lyrics annoyingly well, as well as tell me what movie a song is from. Ok that’s only sort of true. He typically remembers the lyrics but with his own inserted words. (Ex: “Let me down! Let me down, b-beaver! B-beaver! (Believer by Imagine Dragons) “Jesus wants me for a ZOMBIE” ) He is a fish and can’t stay out of the water; picked up boogie boarding surprisingly quickly this summer, acts like he is the inventor of “six seven,” and is highly motivated by freeze-dried strawberries. We love this giggly snuggly dude. 

3 quotes of the year:

Z: (On a walk in the woods and Zack needs to pee) I’m trying not to pee on those ones (plant A), I’m just trying to pee on these ones (Plant B) because I want them to grow!!

Z: Mom! What’s your favorite animal?!

E: Kangaroo

Z: No it can’t be a kangaroo, you can’t pick something brown

E: But my favorite animal is a kangaroo

Z: No it can’t be- pick something not brown

E: ok… giraffe

Z: NO! Not that either!

E: I’m confused

Z: It has to be a zebra

E: Ok… my favorite animal is a zebra

Z: FINALLY

Z: Mom, guess what- I ate all my pears!

E: Great job buddy! Are you telling the truth?

Z: *Nodding vigorously* Yes!

E: Ok great! I’ll have dad just go double check!

Z: Ok but not in the trash can.

Finn, Finn, Finn…in the words of The Dark Knight’s Alfred Pennyworth, “Some [three year olds] just want to watch the world burn.”  bro is WILD. This year, he started preschool in the fall, much to Elise’s relief, and stopped napping, much to Elise’s grief. His favorite things (in no particular order) include: Listening to “Bye, Bye, Bye,” and “The Hamster Dance,” hitting people for no reason, Gatorade, z-bars, dum-dums, & “Milk in it” (raisin bran crunch with milk) or “Milk in it crunchy” (raisin bran crunch without milk), Paw Patrol & Spidey, making and eating muffins,, playing with magnetiles, playdoh, & markers, (not necessarily creating things himself per se, more just bossing an adult to build/make/draw him something), hissing at people, jumping off of tall things, scootering at the speed of “how have we not had an ER visit yet” mph, asking Elise “Am I still 3 today?” asking if he can check inside of his dirty diaper, cuddling with dad (NOT MOM), Buc-ee's, and watching out the window for “BRUDDERS” to come home from the bus stop. His giggles and smiles melt our hearts and remind us why we just can’t get enough of him even if he just threw a handful of Lego into the toilet. Also of note, he experienced snow for the first time in his life and loved it.

3 Quotes of the year:

F: This is what a sad face looks like (makes a sad face)

E: Ok, what does a mad face look like?

F: Callum.

F: Look dad, I have a cookie!

M: A cookie! Can I have a bite of it?

F: No it's MINE!  You can get one from the chicken!!

No context statements about body parts:

You can’t see my butt

Mom, do you have a penis?

Mom, I don’t want you see my penis?

Can you see my penis?

Dad have a penis? Brudders?

2025 was wild, but we are grateful for all the growth, fun, and love we experienced. Especially grateful for all the support we received with the Kickstarter this year- we still feel incredibly lucky to have the best team of friends and family cheering us on. Whether you are near or far, we love you and hope for good things to come in 2026!

Much love,

The Shipleys