2024 was a great year.
There were lots of new experiences, lots of memories made and I think a lot of things that happened that’ll continue to build for the future. I’ve grown a lot in my spiritual life this year and we had some amazing experiences to help with that! Our family took a couple large road trips and several smaller trips this year. And all of us kids got to go on a one-on-one trip with Dad. We had a bunch of big, fun times and a lot of little laughs and special moments throughout the year. God blessed me with so many graces in 2024! I look forward to what 2025 brings.
I’m going to be looking back on 2024 and a lot of the fun experiences and cool things we did this year. Since my birthday is near the end of the year it’s also kind of like looking back on when I was 15! It will be categorized into three groups… adventures, family and personal.
Let’s do it!
Adventures
Had a staycation with Grandma and Grandpa Kotecki… and went to see llamas!
Had a W&WS field trip to Jojo’s Shake Bar and to see a Willy Wonka play.
Went to see Nate Bargatze live.
Visited the Green Bay Cathedral and the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion on Mom’s birthday and that night a priest give a speech on Mary at the Shrine.
Mom, Ro and I went to the Midwest Horse Fair!
Dad and I went on a trip to Seaside, Oregon which included good food, visiting Fort Clatsop, Cannon Beach and the Oregon Zoo… and saw a cheetah super close!!
Went on a family road trip to St. Louis which included watching the Union Station Hotel Grand Hall light show, visiting the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, City Museum, going to the top of the Gateway Arch, seeing Budweiser Clydesdales, visiting the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows and going to a Cubs game.
Homeschool field trip to Morning Star Productions.
Went to our cousin’s high school graduation party.
Ben, Ro and I had a super sleepover at Sue and Jenna’s new house! It was our first time seeing it! Included lots of good food, games, disc golf and swimming at the pool.
Visited Holy Hill for the first time.
The National Eucharistic Congress happened and we enjoyed watching videos from that, as well as the pilgrimages that lead up to it. Mom, Ben, Ro and I got the chance to be a part of a little Eucharistic procession with the Marian route while they were at our friend’s church! We went to Mass beforehand, did the procession and then went to a coffee shop with our friends afterward!
Ro and Ben each had a trip with Dad.
Us kids spent some time with Grandma and Grandpa Kotecki while Mom and Dad were at gigs. Included a Tristan Crist show for our birthday!
Did a family road trip to Texas for Mom and Dad’s SENT Conference and for us to spend time with Grandma Joyce. Included visiting the Precious Moments Chapel, good food and going to Twisty Freeze, Dad’s childhood ice cream shop.
Went on a homeschool field trip to Mulberry Lane Farm with the whole family.
Took a family trip to Door County which included lots of great food, visiting shops and art galleries, a hike in Peninsula State Park, mini-golf and go-carts.
Our whole family went to visit Sue and Jenna’s new house, included visiting the Catholic Abbey near their house.
Went to see a Christmas Cirque du Soleil show in Milwaukee, a gift from Grandma Joyce!
Family
Had a family staycation in February, went bowling, out to eat, played games, etc.
Ben and Ro got braces on, Ro also got them off.
Mom and Dad started Sheboygan Catholic.
Ben, Ro and I did the Living Wax Museum as a part of our homeschool group… I went as St. Joan of Arc.
Hosted the Kotecki extended family Easter at our house.
Got a swing set.
Grandma and Grandpa Kotecki gifted us with an electric stand mixer and a band saw.
Ben and Ro performed in the musical a part of our homeschool group “GT and the Halo Express.”
Grandma Joyce moved to Texas.
We watched “The Chosen” season 4 in theaters over the course of several visits. In the theaters we also saw “Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist” and my Dad and I saw “I Am The Immaculate Conception.”
Hosted a Scram Winter party with friends.
Went to Blast with our friends after the last day of our homeschool group.
Watched the ordination of nine new priests on livestream… including one of our new priests at our parishes, Fr Dennis.
Had lots of family beach days while watching the Marvel movies in order.
Got fruit trees planted!
Our parishes got two new priests… Fr. Nick and Fr. Dennis!
Hosted two outdoor movie nights with friends and watched “The LEGO Movie” and “Night at the Museum!”
Got a basketball hoop.
Watched the annual 4th of July parade downtown and fireworks by the lake that night.
Watched several neat movies as a family this year, especially “I Prefer Heaven,” “Mother Teresa,” “Pope John Paul II,” “Mother Teresa: No Greater Love,” “Therese,” “Young Woman and the Sea” and “Fatima.”
Dad had a booth at our local art show for two days.
Watched a BandJoy concert.
Hosted Fr. Nick for dinner three times, including playing a game of “PRIEST” with our new basketball hoop.
Ben, Ro and I started as servers at Mass, Dad started as a Lector and Mom started as a Eucharistic Minister.
Got the legacy trees planted.
Got the house painted grey, the porch and front door spruced up and the porch ceiling painted blue.
Had an epic family water balloon fight.
Hosted Dad’s aunt and uncle to the house, their first time being here.
Had Wondernite and the W&WS Family Reunion.
Visited Sunday Dough for the first time.
Mom and Dad both went on a Cursillo Retreat.
Saw the Northern Lights on our property (mainly just through our phone camera)!
Us kids and Mom started a new favorite series… “When Calls the Heart.”
Us kids started making dinners for the family.
Dad got inducted into the IVCC Hall of Fame.
Went trick or treating! I went as Loki with Ro as Thor.
Us kids went to Pizza Ranch and to see “Radiating Joy” in the theatre on our own with a couple of our friends!
Ben, Ro, I and a friend sang in another homeschool group’s choir for the semester.
Celebrated all three of us kids’ birthdays.
Made real gingerbread houses for the first time.
Had Fr. Dennis over for dinner.
Hosted our 4th Christmas recital and party with our homeschool friends and their families. I played “Jingle Bells” (I memorized that one) and “Silent Night” on the piano.
Santa visited our extended family Christmas!
Had a family staycation over Christmas break. We watched the entire “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. It was us kids’ first time
seeing all of it.
Had an appetizer dinner (Ben and Dad used our new deep fryer from our Grandparents) on New Year’s Eve. Also went to 11:30pm Mass that night.
Personal
Went to my first dance… the HEARTH Winter Formal and went out to eat with all the girls ahead of time!
My siblings and I went sledding with friends multiple times.
I helped edit a chapter of “Winnie the Pooh” into a skit, and then performed in our three person performance with my friends!
Had a clinic with Brooke Krutilla.
Competed in Quiz Rally with a new fellow member of our Pony Club and another member of our region.
I rode in a clinic with Joan Leuck-Waak.
Made homemade sour cream onion Pringles with a friend for our Food Science class.
Did a clinic with Kim Lowman Vollmer, and watched Dad change our flat tire afterward!
Made my first ever consecration to Mary through “33 Days to Morning Glory.”
Went to my first mounted meeting in our Pony Club.
Finished working at the barn.
Went through an online Driver’s Ed program, got my temps, had 5 sessions with my driving instructor and worked on collecting my driving hours!
Started working at Culver’s.
Had a great time at the Dune Riders’ Dressage and Hunter Jumper show.
Did a clinic with Brenna Jovanovich… an especially good one!
Read “Three Gifts of Therese of Lisuiex”… and she friended me!
Finished riding at the barn.
I was the youngest speaker at Advent by Candlelight.
Mom and I went to the Day of Recollection at Holy Hill. One of my best days of the year! Also got enrolled in the brown scapular.
Started my new business, Saintly.
What was a highlight of the year (and why)? One of my biggest highlights of the year was the Day of Recollection at Holy Hill. It was led by one of the friars who lives there, one that I had seen on Ascension- which was one of the main reasons I wanted to go. Plus he was talking about Our Lady of Silence which intrigued me. It made sense that was the topic since the next day was my birthday and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
Throughout the day I felt God so much and experienced a lot of nice consolation. I learned a lot from the priest’s talks and it got me inspired to learn more about several areas and work on this inner stillness. I really liked him, he’s very joyful and passionate.
I was also super inspired by being at Holy Hill. And St. Therese kept popping up, who had already been growing into one of my favorite saints and a good friend. I believe she was part of the reason for the great birthday present I received… my mom and I ended up getting enrolled in the brown scapular! That was totally God’s doing and a wonderful gift! I got a couple great books from the gift shop which I think will help me a lot. We also watched the movie “Fatima” that night as a family and afterward we watched part of the transcript from Sr. Lucia’s last public interview which had a lot of stuff that got me thinking.
I was just in this huge state of consolation and I had these desires and convictions which were some interesting clues to what God might be calling me to in the future. The whole day was great and I could feel lots of God’s graces. I would consider that whole day as one of the best of the year.
What was a lowlight of the year (and why)? One of the biggest struggles this year has been the idea of work. At the start of the year I was working at a barn and as it went along it was not the funnest job, I was really dreading it. There had been lots of good experiences from it but I ended up moving on from that one around springtime. I eventually got a job at Culver’s which is very different. I like it but lately I’ve been dreading it a ton too. It always ends up better than I think, but I hate this feeling of hating and dreading work. I never used to have that idea of work but now, maybe it’s started in past years, I’ve started associating work with a negative feeling. It doesn’t help that I’m putting too much of an emphasis on pleasure like I’ll talk about in the next question, although I wonder if that was where those cravings for pleasure and laziness have come from- me not liking work. I’m not sure which came first. It’s definitely something I hope God will change my view on in the future.
What was something you learned this year? I’ve learned a lot this year! But for two big things I’ve learned… how to drive a car! Obviously I don’t know everything I need to know yet, but I’ve certainly learned a lot from going through 30 hours of an online program, having had five sessions with my Driver’s Ed instructor so far and logging over 20 hours of driving with my parents. It’s been a fun experience!`
The other thing was that I’ve learned some key things through the Dynamic Catholic Confirmation curriculum I started recently. The main one being the difference between pleasure and happiness. And also continuing to learn about how I have a real attachment to pleasure, things of this world and sin.
I got a book at Holy Hill when we were there for the Day of Recollection called “The Little Way of Living with Less.” It’s about the letting go of exterior possessions and attachments with the guidance of St. Therese. It’s really perfect for me and has been pretty good so far!
What is something you’re curious to learn more about next year? There’s several things I hope to learn more about in 2025. The biggest though, is to keep learning about the spiritual life. My 2024 was a great start and I think that if I really choose to, if I tried my best and kept learning, I could grow tremendously in this year. I need God’s grace for this, I need Him to give me the virtues necessary for me to actually choose it, to try. More specifically to answer the question, there is so much I want to learn and improve on in order to keep developing my interior life. I’d like to learn more about the Carmelites and their spirituality, and how to overcome the struggles and vices that I’m dealing with.
2024 was a great year! And I think 2025 is going to be even better!
Thanks for reading!
Lucy