Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Growth, Adventure, and Connection

As the year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the moments—big and small—that shaped 2025. This year was a tapestry of personal milestones, professional growth, outdoor adventures, and cherished family traditions. Here’s a look back at the highlights that made this year unforgettable.

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Health and Wellness: A Journey of Transformation

One of the most significant chapters of 2025 was my health journey. Since October 2024, I’ve lost about 45 pounds thanks to Mounjaro, and I’ve been able to eliminate CPAP use entirely. December brought a new focus: building an exercise routine. My goals for 2026 include adding cardio, weights, and even running—something I haven’t done in years. I’m curious to see how my body responds now and excited to take this next step toward a healthier lifestyle.

Family and Holidays: Traditions That Ground Us

November and December reminded me why Thanksgiving and Christmas are my favorite times of the year. From grilling turkey breasts on the Big Green Egg to savoring Mom Shirron’s sweet potato pie, these moments were filled with warmth and gratitude. We gathered in Topeka and Lawrence, shared laughter, and honored traditions—even as we felt the absence of loved ones who couldn’t be with us. Christmas Eve brought its own quiet magic, a time to pause and appreciate the blessings of family and home.

Outdoor Adventures: Nature’s Reset Button

Camping continued to be my sanctuary in 2025. From summer weekends that offered a break from routine to October’s grand finale at C2T Ranch, each trip was a reminder of the restorative power of nature. That last outing was unforgettable—winds gusting up to 50 mph, coyotes calling in the night, and cornhole tournaments under the open sky. These experiences weren’t just escapes; they were opportunities to reconnect with what matters most.

Music and Community: The Rhythm of Life

October also brought the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Arkansas—a two-day celebration of music, friendship, and Southern charm. Perfect weather, incredible performances (Anson Funderburgh was a standout), and shared laughter made it a highlight of the year. It was more than a festival; it was a reminder of how music brings people together.

Professional Growth: Learning and Leading

On the professional front, EDUCAUSE 2025 in Nashville was a standout experience. I dove into networking, led a Braindate on staff upskilling, and explored sessions that sparked new ideas. Vendor events, CIO dinners, and even app critiques rounded out a trip that blended learning with connection. These moments reinforced the importance of community and continuous growth in our field.

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Themes That Defined 2025

• Health and Resilience: From weight loss to new fitness goals, this year was about reclaiming energy and well-being.
• Family and Tradition: Holidays reminded me of the joy found in simple moments and shared meals.
• Adventure and Renewal: Camping and music festivals offered space to recharge and celebrate life.
• Professional Engagement: Conferences and networking fueled ideas for the future.

Looking Ahead to 2026

As I turn the page to a new year, I’m carrying forward the lessons and joys of 2025. My focus will be on building a consistent fitness routine, deepening professional connections, and continuing to make time for the outdoors and family traditions. Here’s to a year of balance, growth, and meaningful experiences.

Thank you for following along on this journey. I’d love to hear from you—what were your highlights of 2025, and what goals are you setting for the year ahead?

Not Working Out, Gaining Weight, and Lost Motivation Since Before Camping Trip in October

I went on vacation and I have not worked out since our trip back at the beginning of November. I worked out one day while we were on vacation and that has been it. I have also completely stopped doing Weight Watchers which is rather disappointing. Going into Thanksgiving Day I had plans to get back on tracking weight this weekend, but the motivation is completely gone.

For three months I did Weight Watchers every day. It worked as I had lost a little over 20 lbs prior to our vacation. I got all the way down to 237. Just a few weeks after my last work out and tracking weight and I am already up to 248. Tough to take off but goes on quick! 

The last time I rode the bike was almost a month ago. So, going camping, vacation, and then enjoying Thanksgiving disrupted my weight loss. I plan to get back to it but taking a break from tracking for now. I plan to not go crazy with eating, but I am not tracking anything I eat. I plan to start it up again in the next week and I want to start riding the bike again too.

I half thought about waiting to track again after December ends, but I think that is too long and it will make it all that more difficult to start it again in January. My goal is to lose about 40 lbs at this point which will get me down to my target weight. To get to my target weight, I need to adjust how I eat. During vacation, and a few times since vacation, I can think of a few times when I ate so much I was full. If I could adjust and keep food to eat later or the next day, this would help a lot. I am happy that prior to going on vacation I lost 20 lbs but now the work needs to start again to continue to my target weight.

Hopefully next week I will have an update of at least getting back on the bike. No plans currently to track food this week, but going to try for moderation of what I eat which can be tough at times.

Until next time, have a great week.

Exercise, Weight Watchers, and Journey to Healthy Weight After Two Months of Weight Watchers

I started Weight Watchers back on August 14, 2022. I have been consistently tracking what I eat each week even when I knew it was going to be well over my points for that day. I have had a few days where I have gone way beyond the points for the day. I laughed because when I started Weight Watchers my daily points was around 42. After the first week, that dropped to 32 a day. I am enjoying the process and I think it is going well.

Here is history of my initial week through this weekend.

Date	Weight	Change	Since Start
10/28/22	236.8	-.6	-20.4
10/21/22	237.4	-1.2	-19.8
10/14/22	238.6	-4.2	18.6
10/7/22
10/1/22	242.8	-4	-14.4
9/25/22	246.8	+.4	-10.4
9/18/22	246.4	-5.4	-13
9/4/22	249.6	-1.2	-7.6
8/28/22	250.8	-2.4	-6.4
8/21/22	253.2	-4	-4
8/14/22	257.2	0	0

Overall, I have lost 20.4 lbs since my start. I am happy with the progress but still a long way to go. The only week I did not weigh in was the week of October 7. We had just returned from being out of town and did not get weight tracked that week. I am happy overall with how I have done after two months. Only one week where I gained week at weigh-in time, so not bad. I want to lose about another 30 - 35 lbs.

I was doing my day to weigh-in on Sunday morings, but realized if I moved my day to weigh-in to Friday morning, that might look a little better. Actually, this is a recent change where I started to do my weigh-in on Friday morning. The largest weeks to lose weight were August 21, September 18, September 25, October 1, and October 14. I am not sure why those days I lost more weight than other weeks. I know at some point I will have a period where I will gain weight or not lose anything at all. I am prepared mentally for those to occur and will not be discouraged.

I like how my clothes are fitting and I feel great! It is amazing what losing double digit pounds can do for my own internal image. It makes me feel great and I do not want to go back to the weight I was previously or how I felt when I was larger. I told someone recently that the largest I have been in my life was during 2020/2021 as I did nothing at all during that time except work, eat, drink, and sleep. I knew I had to do something when we started going back into work and my work clothes did not fit. Things had to change!

 So, I am off to a good start and a long way to go. I am enjoying exercising and I have things that keep me motivated. For me, that’s what it takes to keep me working out is to have motivation for the workout. For me, I like having an Apple Watch that tracks my workouts, heart rate, etc., so I can see that mapped out on my progress. The Weight Watchers app that tracks my weekly weight and let’s me know how I am doing also helps to keep me motivated. As I mentioned, I know that at some point I will have gains but hoping the losses are larger than the gains. I have to keep the motivation and encouragement to myself to keep this going.

As we move into winter months and it continues to get colder, I want to make sure I can run at least once a week. I am thinking about joining the Student Rec at Washburn again, but then I feel bad when I go months without using the gym. So, I am still thinking about it on whether I would want to join the gym just to be able to use the treadmill or weights. It is making sense to me and the cost is low, so I might do it at some point.

I will post another update around December/January, so hoping to still be positive and good news about my weight loss the next time. Until then, I will keep my bike riding, running, and walking to stay active.

Enjoy your workout and until next time, keep the workout going…