Stephanie & Jeremy’s 2024 Xmas Recap

On January 26th Steph celebrated her 40th birtday!! To mark the occassion, with help from Steph's mom, I organized an early suprise party. We successfully kept Steph in the dark all the way up to the reveal, and we had an incredible turnout (thank you to everyone involved!).

For her birthday weekend, I booked a secret getaway to Prince Edward County. The AirBnB had a lovely fireplace and hot-tub, and we enjoyed a really nice dinner at The Royal Hotel on Picton's Main Street.

Like everyone else in The Zone of Totality, on April 8th we donned our x-ray specs and watched the sun disappear behind the moon. My parents set out a nice spread and the dogs entertained themselves — mostly by begging for food.

We didn't get a single eclipse photo that was better than a blob. But our sister-in-law, Sherry, managed to capture the moment.

My brother Tyler and his wife Moraa welcomed a baby girl into the world — the first neice across either side of the family!

Against seemingly insurmountable odds, Layla Nyarinda Jeffery was born on May 1st to great fanfare and perhaps some relief. I was certain that the unbroken streak of boys would continue but Steph was rewarded for keeping the faith.

In what will hopefully become an official tradition, in February we enjoyed our second annual Mattawa Ski Trip. I managed to stay on my skis (for the most part) and Steph stayed cozy in the chalet.

In mid-June we took a drive up to Calabogie to go climbing with our friends, Elizabeth and Jelle. Steph and I are extremely green when it comes to outdoor climbing — or outdoor activities of pretty much any variety — but fortunately our friends have both the gear and the know-how.

We were lucky to have excellent weather and enjoy some lovely views.

No summer is complete without a week at our unofficial cottage on Charleston Lake. Kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming, fires and marshmallow roasts — all the good things that come with lake living.

As an added bonus, all my bones remained intact this year so there were no trips to the Brockville ER.

As an obvious top candidate for Highlight of the Year, in October we crossed the Atlantic for a hiking adventure in the Azores (along with a few days in Lisbon).

This was our first time trying an organized travel tour — and it turns out we really enjoyed it. We had a very nice group of fellow travellers with a pretty wide range of ages: 16 people in total; 9 from Canada (ourselves included).

Our tour was split between the 'main island' of Sao Miguel and a smaller island called Terceira. The tour was 6 days with 4 days of hiking along/through different parts of the islands. The hikes ranged a bit in difficulty but nothing was too intense. We also experienced some pretty wild swings in weather, including a sideways-rain, to-the-bone soaking as we hiked along a mountain ridge!

In the evenings we enjoyed several really great meals of both local and international varieties.

Before heading home we spent a couple of wonderful days in and around Lisbon, including a visit to the palaces of Sintra.

The small dogs keep getting bigger (in age). Jasper turned 11 and Jet is now 8, but they both maintain their youthful exuberance and borderline panic levels of excitement when Steph brings home a Timbit.

This summer Steph and I hit the 'middle-mark' in our relationship: 7 years pre-marriage, 7 years post.

Wishing you all a joyful, restful holidays and a very happy new year!

– Steph & Jeremy