Reflections on 2022 Continued

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January

In January, Jennifer and I celebrated our 25th Anniversary on the 25th with a Silver Platter from My Grandparents (Paw Paw and Mano — engraved while she was still living).

Then, before Cody headed to College Station, we enjoyed our first Axe Throwing outing with “Fun Mom” (as Jennifer’s cap puts it)!

February & March

February & March were filled with Basketball, Baseball, and Dental Improvements! Tanner finished his Freshman basketball season strong, with a visit from my parents (bottom left). Then, he moved on to baseball.

For Spring Break, Jennifer and Cody visited her Mom in Lamesa. At the bottom is a picture of a recent gravestone for Jennifer’s sister, Kim along with her Father (we called him “Pop”).

On the dental front, Tanner had his braces removed on February 22, and Katy had her wisdom teeth pulled on March 4th—just 2 days before her 22nd birthday, when our dental insurance expired!

April – June

As you can see from the pictures above, it’s been a fun 3 months. At the top left, Tanner closed out his Freshman year in basketball. He’s played on a tournament team this Summer. We laughed when opposing fans called him “John McEnroe” for his headband (of course, Tanner had to google him to figure out who that was!).

On May 4 (bottom left), I honored Star Wars Day with my new Darth Vader shirt (“Leadership is about lifting people up”). My former boss and current boss joined me for the photo op in Washington, D.C.

At the top middle, we were able to see Kenny Chesney in concert. That was my 2019 Christmas gift! The tour was postponed a few different times, so it was fun catching the concert in Dallas with Katy & Evan.

On June 6, we celebrated Cody’s 20th at Minute Maid Park with the Astros.

Katy had a fun wedding shower with family and friends on June 11.

At the bottom right, we’re celebrating Jennifer’s new opportunity to coach P.E. at Ross Elementary. Since they’re the Roadrunners, I couldn’t pass up this unique photo op at our church’s Vacation Bible School backdrop!

This was a post, taken from one of Jennifer’s Co-Workers of their last 3-Day Field Day at Weber Elementary in April.  She enjoyed tons of laughs and fun times with Coaches Lauren, Susie, and Sudie.

Tanner’s Freshman Basketball Banquet
Easter & A Blast from the Past!

After several months of driving Tanner’s Nissan Sentra, I needed a truck since he would soon be driving!  I found this beauty that only had 200,000 miles on it and figured that it should get me around Clear Lake for quite some time.  Evan (pictured) & Katy (photographer) took me to pick it up on their way back to Dallas.

For Christmas in 2019, Katy and Evan gave me tickets to see Kenny Chesney in Dallas.  COVID had other plans, but we finally enjoyed the concert at the AT&T Stadium in June 2022!

Cody took this selfie on his 20th birthday.  We celebrated at the Astros game!

Katy had a fun wedding shower in June, hosted by our long-time friends and celebrating with family and friends.  Dad & I (pictured below at the top right) patiently waited to help with the gift haul!

July – The Wedding!

Can you believe it?  They tied the knot!  From dating in the 9th  Grade until July 24, 2022… 

Kyle Wilson (our Associate Pastor of Student Ministries, who served as their Youth Pastor) served as officiant.

What a special day…from my first look at the beautiful bride, to my dance with her (when she asked me to please just stop moving!), to my thank-you speech, it was perfect!  By the way, the picture of the speech really captures life well.  Katy appears to be tuned in while the boys (far right) do not!

And, no, I never took my eyes off those stairs.  It was fun escorting her.  Glad Katy enjoyed herself…I was locked in, making sure neither of us tripped!

Jennifer was certainly relieved…

Then, Katy sent a picture of her and Evan at Lake Tahoe for their honeymoon!

August

Celebrating Tanner’s 16th with his Big Bro…then, what else, but an Astros game & a special photo op with Mattress Mac!

It’s official!  Tanner becomes a licensed driver in August.  Of course, he had to take Mom for a celebratory Sonic beverage…

This was his first day of school, and he’s driving himself…how great is that!

September

In September, I joined thousands of others in Rice Stadium to commemorate the 60th anniversary of JFK’s famous speech for NASA. Here are some excerpts:

“ …We set sail on his new sea because there is a new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. …Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. But I do say space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made with extending his writ around this globe of ours. …There is no strife, no prejudice, no national conflict in outer space as yet. Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again. But why, some say the Moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask, why climb the highest mountain? Why – 35 years ago – why fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the Moon, we choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one in which we intend to win, and the others too.”

Speakers at the anniversary event included NASA Administrator Senator Bill Nelson (pictured above) along with other leaders I’ve supported over the years, including Bob Cabana (NASA Associate Administrator) and Vanessa Wyche (Director, NASA Johnson Space Center).

Senator Nelson spoke about the next steps for exploration, which include the Artemis Program—with the goal of landing the first woman and first person of color on the Moon then going on to Mars. In July, I was privileged to see the Artemis rocket—comprised of the Space Launch System (pictured below left) and the Orion Spacecraft (pictured below right) in the Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building.

It was one of NASA’s most significant highlights of the year when this rocket launched on November 16th.  The Artemis 1 was an uncrewed Moon-orbiting mission, marking the return of NASA to lunar exploration originally begun as the Apollo program decades earlier. The Orion capsule successfully splashed down on December 11th.

October

My nephew, Taylor (who was born on my 22nd birthday) found someone new to hold his hand!  We enjoyed Taylor’s wedding to Kelsey Priestley on the Priestley farm (Auburn, Nebraska) in October.

We took our annual Texas State Park camping trip with friends in October (below).

Friends at the Johnson Space Center displayed our love for the Astros, following their World Series win.  Pictured below with (L-R): JSC Center Director Vanessa Wyche and friends from JSC’s National Management Association, Kevin Candee, and Ann Paulissen.

For Halloween, Jennifer and her co-workers at Ross Elementary dressed up as Mario Brothers characters (Jennifer was Luigi and her fellow P.E. Coach was Mario) –

For Homecoming, Tanner went with the guys and a group of friends.  He’s pictured below with Mom –

November

We went to an Aggie Football game in November –

December

I was honored to be part of a panel with HR guru, Dave Ulrich, to kick off the month –

Then, to pay off a “bet” with the KSC HR Office—after they achieved nearly full participation in the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey—I sang a duet of “I Got You Babe” with KSC HR Director, Janet Sellars.  Of course, I was Cher; and she was Sonny.  This picture scared our kids.  Katy’s reaction, “That looks like Dad, but what is going on?!?”

Back to “normal” life, we were excited for Evan’s graduation from UT-Dallas as a Mechanical Engineer!

For High School Winter Formal, the girls ask guys to accompany them.  Tanner’s friend, Maddie, asked him to go, so he had to clean up a bit!

We closed out the year, celebrating Christmas in Dallas and Lamesa –

Happy New Year from the Pyle Family (L-R: Cody, Brady, Evan Albright, Katy Albright, Jennifer, and Tanner)!

One Word for 2022 Reflections

We started 2022 by picking our One Word focus for the year.  In Lamesa, I gathered reflections on the year from everyone that are captured below.

Jennifer – Patience

Jennifer noted that 2022 was an amazing year!  She appreciated the joyful wedding event in July, which marked the conclusion of a lot of planning and represented a new beginning for our family.

She reflected, “Patience was a good word.”  On the job front, Jennifer thought she would be a paraprofessional P.E. Aide for a year then move into a P.E. Teacher position.  God had different plans, as she served as a P.E. Aide at Weber Elementary for 3 years, which was a perfect position to serve and be fulfilled.

She was ready to start her P.E. Teacher role at Ross Elementary in August.

She recognizes the importance of continued patience with the boys in school and life.

Jennifer closed out the year with foot surgery to remove some bone spurs and hopefully relieve some pain she feels each day. 

Katy – Grounded

Katy’s year was marked by several transitions.  As a full-time Graduate Student, she tutored 3 students in reading this Spring, confirming her reading emphasis for her Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction.

She wrapped up her tenure as Hillcrest Baptist Church’s College Intern, where she learned about discipleship and leading her peers in faith.

Katy attending 3 different weddings in May, while feverishly planning for her own in July.  She moved out of her apartment home of 3 years and had to live alone for two months—a move she called “adulting”!

She greatly appreciated her bridal shower in June, provided by Mom’s friends, who have supported her since birth.

The wedding in July was “better than I even imagined”!  And the honeymoon in Lake Tahoe was a special start to married life.

Katy was blessed to serve as a Reading Specialist Intern, where two mentors were both Christian teachers.  In November, she was awarded a perfect score in the defense of her degree (she later learned that she and her maid of honor, Lauren, were the only 2 to receive perfect scores!).

In October, she started a gluten-free diet, which has improved her daily wellness. 

In December, she completed her time (3 years) working in Dallas Baptist University’s College of Education.  Many of her professors gave fond farewell messages and continued to encourage her with DBU’s theme that “you’re missionaries cleverly disguised as teachers.”  Professor Oldenberg, who was her primary sponsor encouraged Katy, “Always be on the lookout for the one kid who may be the reason you’re where you are.”

That was confirmation for Katy’s calling…and to remain Grounded in Jesus Christ.

Evan – Stewardship

Evan started his full-time job at True Velocity in May and saw God’s hand at work in providing for him as he prepared to transition to life as a husband. 

The word Stewardship has been a good reminder for him to steward what God has given him—not being eager for more (in a previous post, I explained a similar idea. Whatever our income level, it never seems to be enough. At the root of the world’s view of success is the insatiable quest for more.  Affluence is defined as “an abundant flow or supply.” Many Americans are inflicted with “Affluenza,” which can best be described as a painful, contagious, socially transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety, and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more.  We now work more hours each year than do the citizens of any other industrial country, including Japan.  In fact, 95% of our workers say they wish they could spend more time with their families.”).

Evan graduated with his Mechanical Engineering Degree from University of Texas-Dallas in December.

He and Katy have joined Park Cities Baptist Church’s Newlywed Class—a 12-month program to partner with other couples in getting their marriage started right. 

I appreciate Evan’s Stewardship—not only of the talents and gifts God has given him but of my daughter too!

Cody – Growth

Cody’s 2022 has been marked by growth this year.  He reflected that the year has lived up to the word—he’s learned from both successes and mistakes this year.

He has now completed a full year at College Station and continues to make good progress towards his goal of transferring to the main campus at Texas A&M next Fall.

As he put it, “I’m growing toward the man I want to be.”

Tanner – Dedicate

Tanner believes he is getting better at focusing and less distracted in life.

He reflected, “You can always do better with dedication to Christ.”

He had a good year in academics and athletics, closing out his baseball career and learning lessons in basketball. 

Tanner set a Freshman record on his High School team with 10 three pointers in one game.  As he started his Sophomore year, he had two games with 8 three-pointers; and Coach pulled him up to varsity this month. 

Brady – Faith

What a fun year of reflections!  Katy’s wedding was certainly a highlight and a great celebration with family and friends alike.

My year at work was a mixed one.  In May, we received some tough feedback about changes that were needed in HR.  My boss and I shifted some responsibilities and developed a different plan of action.  Some of my direct reports were not happy, so this year has been more stressful than many.  Focusing on my Faith in the midst of that has been needed.

On the church front, my service with our Executive Council has started to pay off this year.  We welcomed a new Senior Pastor in April, and some other staff changes have us poised for a great year in 2023!

On the blogging front, I was pleased when this blog made it into Feedspots Top 100 Leadership Blogs! 

The Hebrews 11 “Hall of Faith” focus was fun this year.  For quick reference, here were the posts:

My prayer is that this review of the men and women of faith from Hebrews 11 strengthened your own faith in 2022, as you continued to shoot for the stars!