Jonah was in the musical 7 Days, written and directed by his friend Leah Sherwin. Daniel was Sebastian in The Little Mermaid (ODA Musical).
Daniel had mono. Jonah probably did, too.
The power company disconnected our power at church on May 14 and it was out for a few weeks.
Jonah graduated high school! ODA graduation was held at Bannockburn Church. A non-denom church, but they did have an altar… shoved in the corner outside the men’s room. Jonathan Ward flew down for the ceremony. We made a tri-fold science-fair-style display of pictures called “The Experiment of a Lifetime: How to Raise a Jonah”. The next day, a grad party at my parents’, complete with a banner hanging across the garage door.
Lily Baker’s birthday surprise party at Escapeology. Jonah and Daniel drove her around to get her there.
In May we went to the Texas A&M new student conference and had dinner at Saltgrass with Roger Pearce and family. In August, Jonah went to Fish Camp. We moved him to Appelt on August 19, and he forgot the bag with all his clothes in it.
I built a bocce court in the back yard, which involved moving 4 cubic yards of rock from the front to the back with a wheelbarrow over several weeks.
Sept. 10, Charlie Kirk was assassinated. We went to war with Iran.
Schroeders visited in May. (“Glutinous fiend!” –Walter) Karl stayed with us for a week (Monster Mini-golf, Six Flags, Karl volunteered at The Winplace Show)
Firebrand Hackathon in Orlando.
Karianne, Kaeta, and Jonah went to Vernon, TX for a wedding (Kaeta’s TTU LSC friends Ethan and Naomi). Kaeta and Ariela watched all the Studio Ghibli movies plus Good Will Hunting over the summer and ranked them all.
We re-taught ourselves to play Blitz, which we later renamed “You Jerk!” (“Why do I have so many black nines?” –Daniel, when an extra nine of spades was indeed in his deck!)
Kaeta’s one year anniversary with Cooper (10/28). Daniel and Lily Killion dated for 4 months (6/28-10/27). Jonah and Kami went to the Grand Waltz together but are officially just friends.
Daniel went to LVR with Anabelle. Jonah went to Camp Lone Star with Thomas Copeland and Ben Matthys. (There was weirdly a communion service, which they sat out of. I wrote a letter to the director about it later.) We took a group to Higher Things in Grand Rapids: our kids, Thomas Copeland, Lily K, and Anabelle. Stayed at a Vrbo in Kentucky on the way up, so we could visit the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter. Later in the summer, a family trip (with Gus!) to the beach, where Gus met a shark. Spent some time with the Bishops and visited Sue on that trip, too.
We got Tiramisu from the Bakers on July 3, 2025. (Full name: Tiramisu Stevie Winnifred Cosmic Power of the Infinite Shred Machine Kurth)
Daniel worked at Sonic for a while. Then ran spotlights for Frozen and Swing for The Palace (which flooded in January, so Swing was held at a local school). Kaeta worked briefly for Chick-Fil-A in Lubbock.
Daniel, Karianne, and I went to Sue’s 100th birthday party. ULC gathering at our house when the Franks were in town (Franks, Kruegers, Hobratsches, Knoxes, etc.).
I got a pew from church and cut it down to go in our entryway. I edited Pastor Harris’s Genesis commentary. I joined the handbell choir at church. Machamers and Krohns left Trinity.
We hung out more with Jud and Eugenie. VIP tickets to The Arcadian Wild. Went to a speakeasy (the brass peacock). Bocce Hibachi night (we went to Tokyo Steakhouse, then back home to play bocce and drink a cocktail called a bocce ball). Rode to Encantada in a self-driving Tesla for Karianne’s birthday.
Andy taught me how to make an Old Fashioned.
Daniel got his drivers license. Had to reschedule the appointment because we were snowed in!
Kaeta’s sophomore year at Tech. Jonah’s freshman year at A&M. Daniel’s sophomore year (mostly at ODA).
Landscapers put in new grass and flower beds in the back yard, and it looks amazing.
We painted the cabinets! The project took 31 days. Also hung string lights around the bocce court (which took 1 day).
Jonathan Meyer accepted a call to a church in Midland.
I went to see the George Saunders at the LBJ Auditorium. We saw The Screwtape Letters at Bass Concert Hall (tickets were a birthday gift from Mom and Dad, and I ran into the Tiemeiers there).
Church campout. “Mark Young’s Elevated Cuisine.”
The Wards visited from Saturday to Thursday morning of holy week. Brandy Old Fashioneds (state drink of Wisconsin). Visit to College Station. The rounnd rock, Rudy’s, and Kalahari. The Blanton and UT. Golf (!), pickleball, grilled burgers, and the Meyers and Harrises came over.
Daniel and I flew to Chicago, met Gottfried, Karl, and Walter, and drove to Camp Okiboki in Iowa for the Wittenberg Academy retreat. An English country dance. Karl and Stetson wrestled and fell in the lake. We flew back on my birthday.