Grateful for 2025: Personal Joys, Big Projects, and a Wonderful Year with Clients

Somehow, 2025 is already wrapping up, and I’m still trying to figure out where the months went! This year brought bigger projects, deeper focus, and plenty of growth, and I’m so grateful for every bit of it, and for my clients who made the work meaningful.

With fourth quarter taxes on my to-do list, I’ve been looking back at the year as a whole, celebrating wins in both my personal life and my business. Here’s what I accomplished: 

Personally: 

• My wife and I celebrated 25 years of marriage this year. The years have truly flown by! To celebrate, we traveled to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, where we originally honeymooned. Ironically, we didn’t remember as much as we thought, but we had fun exploring Victoria, seeing orcas and sea otters in the ocean, and trying different delicious restaurants. 

• I was able to paddleboard, my new favorite hobby (thanks, Jane!) through the end of October. I love paddleboarding; it brings me peace and relaxation when I’m out on the water, and I enjoy searching for critters–birds, turtles, and fish. 

• We had a good camping season. We started in May at Rifle Gap State Park and visited Rifle Falls. Our dog, Lucy, enjoys camping, and she enjoyed her trips too. We took our nephew to Trinidad State Park–and Lucy–where I taught him to paddleboard, and he had a chance to explore the southern part of our state. 

• Each year we look at our “Travel Bucket List” and choose a place to visit. This year, it was Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks. Those were amazing parks, and I highly recommend seeing them, if possible.  

• I became a father-in-law as our son Josh married Taylor, our lovely daughter-in-law. They had a western-themed wedding in Kiowa, so I was able to wear my cowboy boots and hat. 

• I learned how to country dance, a feat I never thought possible. I enjoyed it, and I’m hoping to find some time to take my wife dancing. 

• I joined our parish’s Knights of Columbus chapter, and I was elected Financial Secretary. I’m still learning the job, but I’m working with some great guys, who are also figuring out how to run the KofC. 

• As a Knight, I’ve volunteered at our parish fish frys during Lent. I also became the “burger king” during our parish picnic as I flipped burgers for hundreds of folks. 

As for my business, I tackled a lot of projects. Here’s what I did in 2025:

• Bathrooms=7

• Kitchens=2

• Basements=3

• Other jobs (including decks, laundry rooms, big doors and new windows)=12

It doesn’t seem like a lot for 12 months, but some were 3-4 weeks long. 

I had other jobs too, like starting and stopping evaporative coolers, blowing out sprinklers, and basic repairs and maintenance. 

My easiest job this year was changing a garbage disposal! Super easy, in and out!

My most challenging job was a whole floor renovation, including a new kitchen. It took a lot of time, including taking out and moving walls, adding supports for the second story, plus adding a new pantry, new cabinets, tile, and flooring. 

One aspect of my job that I enjoy is being creative. Whether that’s drawing a dream kitchen, or creating a neat tile pattern in a bathroom, I enjoy using my creativity to help deliver a space clients relish.

Of all the tasks I handle, drywall is one of the most frustrating. It’s messy, dusty, and I always end up going home covered in white dust. So when I can, I bring in a drywall specialist. He does great work, and it makes the whole process much easier.

This year I added about 25 new clients in addition to my current client list. I always feel blessed that you trust me in your house and with your projects. 

Just like this year, as this blog post comes to a close, I want to express my gratitude to all my clients for trusting me to do work in your homes and for recommending me to your friends and family members. I look forward to working with you in 2026. 

Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!