Mick did a wonderful job with lights this year which were voted “Most Whimsical” in the Town of Eagle’s Christmas Lights Contest.

And so, another year draws to a close. Although it was not the year we were hoping for after the challenges of 2020, we still have much to be thankful for. We hope you do too, and like us you are really looking forward to a fresh start in 2022.

This year, once again, travel restrictions prevented us from visiting the U.K. However, we were able to escape the Colorado winter for the month of February, renting a lovely house in Surprise, Arizona. The weather was gorgeous; we were close to hiking trails, played pickleball a few times, and had two sets of friends join us for a few days. Such a great time that we’re going back again in March!

One thing Arizona doesn’t have to offer is the beach and, as you probably know, “This Author” loves the beach. That was rectified in May when we rented a beautiful beachfront condo for two weeks on Marco Island in Florida; we loved that Lisa and Bud MacAulay joined us for a few days. Again, we had such a great time that we’re going back in May!

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In June our friends from Idaho, Linda & Bob Miller (see above), came to visit. They saw Colorado at its best, including Sylvan Lake State Park, a short drive from our home. Two weeks later, fire ravaged much of the park, coming perilously close to the beautiful lake. The smoke was clearly visible from our house. It took 800+ firefighters to get it under control.

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Some “adventures” happen at home. In June while on a walk, Mick and Annie, our Golden Retriever, came across this poor baby elk, its leg trapped in a barbed wire fence. They ran home and he returned with wire cutters. Once released, the baby took some time to recover, before heading off into the sage.

By way of contrast, here are some healthy, happy deer who often come to visit.

In July we flew to Texas to attend the wedding celebration of our young friends, Brianna and Brandon, who were married in Jamaica earlier this year. We spent a few days visiting our friends, Dallas and Veta, in Austin, and then headed north to Dallas/Fort Worth to meet with some of our Juice Plus+ Partners. As we lived there for 11 years, it almost feels like going home!

By August, Sylvan Lake was once again open for visitors, so we were able to enjoy our annual family camping trip. This tradition has changed somewhat over the years. These days, Kevin, Erin and family have a super pop-up camper, the older boys prefer tent camping, while these old folks enjoy the (relative) “comfort” of a rustic cabin – with three dogs!

Then in October, after a 2-year hiatus, we attended our live Juice Plus+ Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. How wonderful to see so many of our Juice Plus+ friends again from around the country! Our business remains strong, as many people around the world continue to turn to whole-food nutrition to support their immune systems in these troubled times. We also saw the launch of a brand new product, Juice Plus+ PERFORM: our plant-based, protein powdered shake mix.

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There were also several milestones this past year. July saw Mick’s 75^th birthday. Three days later we celebrated our Golden Wedding Anniversary with a wonderful meal in Vail, together with our sons and their wives (adults only!) Kevin even arranged to pick us up in a limo, played old family videos on the DVD, and provided bottled water and chocolates at each seat!

However, the real celebration is happening immediately after Christmas when we’re taking the whole family, including our seven grandchildren, to an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, Mexico. While there, Ben’n’Jen will be celebrating their Silver Wedding Anniversary – are we really that old?!

Our grandkids are growing up fast. Owen (19) is now a Junior at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. Gavin (17) is driving and is a 3-time Spartan competitor, Asher (13) is quite the artist and becoming an excellent golfer, Levi (12) a fine soccer player and golfer (like Asher), Selah (11) is a beautiful dancer, Jesse (10) also an amazing artist and incredible gymnast, and Josiah (7) well, Josiah is Josiah, very smart, a bundle of energy, always making us laugh.

Annie, (aka Lady Anfield) is now 18 months old and, although still disobedient at times, is an absolute joy. She loves the snow!

So, that’s about it from the Dalys this year. Let us close by sending you our best wishes for a blessed Christmas and a Happy, Healthy New Year that extends all the way through 2022.