Several times this decade I have reviewed the annual Banished Words issued by Lake Superior State University. Designed by the institution to retire “overworked, redundant, oxymoronic, cliched, illogical, and nonsensical” words, I started writing about the list after a lively conversation with my then-WSU colleagues in January 2022. Since then, I have also offered my two cents about the Banished Words of 2023 and 2025.
That brings us to the 2026 words. Did my writing improve so much over the past 365 days that I no longer resort to “cliched” words and phrases when it comes to this blog and elsewhere? Hardly. But before I identify the words on the list I shamelessly used this past year, let me take a quick moment to address the most cringe-worthy trend of 2025…
Full stop. I learned about the 67 trend from our family priest. During a perfect September evening, Fr. Jeff spoke about the massive trend to a group of us while Sloan helped him fill in the blanks in a very non-demure way. As a way for him to reach out to the students of St. Mary and incentivize good behavior, Fr. Jeff visits each class on a weekly basis. It was during these visits that he learned firsthand about the trend, leaving his mind cooked. This might be my bad, but as our priest spoke about 67 (complete with hand motions), I came to the conclusion that the St. Mary student body wasn’t as gifted as I thought.
When reflecting on this list, I can confidently say that I don’t use 70% of the words on it (Demure? Cooked? Full stop?). However, I do lazily reach for some of the prominent adjectives more often than I should. Apparently I don’t give perfect the prestige it deserves because I often use it to describe the seemingly average from pizza to apps to board games. The other word I turn to is massive—both in speech and writing. Whether to describe my blogging audience or the outpouring of a response, I don’t know if I assign it the true quantity it deserves.
The other word I use from the list is actually a phrase—one that I am sure makes GenZ cringe. Yes, I tend to reach out a lot. Whether it is to schedule a meeting, simmer tensions, or make an acquaintance, those I work with will tell you that I do a lot of “reaching out.”
I don’t know if many of the words on this list agitate me so much that I personally want to see them retired ASAP. However, if you did press me, I would say that cooked needs to go. There have been too many times I found myself at wit’s end listening to the teenyboppers on my children’s YouTube shows saying “cooked-this” and “cooked-that.” Please make it stop.
So that is my very demure reaction to the 2026 Banished Words. If you have any thoughts, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Don’t Blink.
Okay gang, this isn’t just my first Thursday Rundown of 2026, it is my first rundown in more than a month! The last time I graced you with five random topics was on Dec. 4. But the holidays are over and my regular blogging schedule is back so I will let normalcy prevail. I am enthusiastic about tonight’s lineup…
Beau Wins The Pickle – A beloved Reser holiday tradition is finding the pickle in the Christmas tree. It isn’t for the faint of heart. People get pretty competitive as the tree shakes back and forth as branches are pulled and ornaments fall. My parents offer a children competition and an adult competition. When it came to the competition for the kids, Beau dethroned his cousin Mikayla who had found it for multiple years straight. As for the adult division, Zella, the oldest cousin of the family, spotted it first. To the victors were given scratch offs (can someone check Beau’s I.D.?!).
Beau found the pickle during our family’s Christmas celebration. This is him with the pickle ornament and his prize.
Thank You, Shelley – At the end of the year, a member of my team retired. Shelley Stickelmeyer served as our marketing project manager for more than a decade and was instrumental to not just the success of University Relations but to EWU in general. On a personal level, she helped me so much with my onboarding and was invaluable every single day I had the pleasure of working with her. I had the honor of delivering a speech in her honor during our department’s holiday party. I stressed how lucky we were to have someone of Shelley’s caliber who never brought ego to the job as she thrived at some major university responsibilities while at the same time enthusiastically completing many imperative (but not glamorous) jobs that kept University Relations running. It has only been a week and I already miss her dearly.
It was an honor to work with Shelley Stickelmeyer. She served Eastern Washington University as its marketing project manager for more than a decade.
Ears Pierced – Perhaps the most prized Christmas present for Sloan was a gift card to get her ears pierced. Last Sunday, we went to Silver Safari in the Spokane Valley Mall to get it done. When we got to the shop, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that they weren’t going to charge us for a full piercing but rather just a “re-piercing.” Several years ago, Sloan got her ears pierced but the piercings had closed up over time. Because of the much lower price of the re-piercing, Sloan had plenty of extra gift card funds to spend on new earrings. As for the re-piercing procedure itself, Sloan barely flinched.
Sloan gets her ears pierced at Silver Safari in the Spokane Valley Mall.
Happy Ordination Anniversary, Fr. Mike Kwiatkowski! – Sidney and I hosted the Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter Christmas party last month. Not only did we celebrate a terrific year for the ministry but we also celebrated the 47th ordination anniversary of Fr. Mike Kwiatkowski. When it comes to legendary priests in the Spokane Diocese, Fr. Mike is right up there. He served as pastor at several big parishes in the diocese and oversaw deacon formation for many years. His service to the Engaged Encounter ministry and the many weekends he has given up to minister at the retreats is just another notch on his legacy.
Sloan poses with Fr. Mike Kwiatkowski at the Engaged Encounter Christmas Party. Fr. Mike is holding an ordination anniversary card that Sloan made for him. He was ordained a priest 47 years ago in December 1978.
Holiday Trash – I ate waaaay too much over the holidays. It was tough for me to turn down the many treats that seemed to come my way. But believe it or not, the holiday snack I enjoyed most of all was something I made! A couple days before Christmas, I purchased the ingredients for a very large batch of Holiday Trash. Consisting of peanuts, M&Ms, pretzels, Chex cereal, and Honey Nut Cheerios all blanketed in white chocolate, I first made this irresistible combination several years ago. This year it was better than ever as I substituted plain M&M’s for peanut M&M’s. If you didn’t get to sample any this year, I apologize!
This was the batch of Holiday Trash I made. It was enough to feed an army.
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Lots of good stuff within that rundown, don’t you agree? Hope everyone has a great Friday. I hope to enjoy mine after my 7 a.m. dentist appointment. Don’t Blink.
In 2021, a movement transpired. Fr. Mike Schmitz, a Catholic priest from Minnesota, released a podcast titled Bible In A Year. As you could probably surmise, the podcast took the listener through all 73 books of the bible over the span of 365 days.
After its release, the podcast ascended to #1 globally and was the subject of numerous news stories—catapulting Fr. Mike to fame. But the podcast didn’t flame out after 2021. Every year since, it has consistently ranked #1 in the Religion & Spirituality podcast category. As of right now, Bible In A Year is on the cusp of a billion downloads.
The Bible in a Year podcast with Fr. Mike Schmitz is incredible.
What gives? It isn’t like Fr. Mike was the first person to develop a yearly bible reading plan. However, he was the first person to journey through the bible in such an organized and compassionate way. By reading different books simultaneously, offering heartfelt prayer, and then analyzing the daily readings in such a straight-forward/loving way, he brought God to millions and won over a massive audience. In fact, this audience extends not just beyond Catholics to Christians of all denominations but to people of completely different faiths—including those with no faith at all.
I joined Fr. Mike during the inaugural year in 2021. The experience opened my eyes and brought so much clarity to how the New Testament fulfills the Old Testament. It was such a comprehensive and rich experience that it truly defined my year.
In 2025, I did it again. Realizing I probably waited too long for another very detailed reading of the bible from front to back, I made the pledge to journey with Fr. Mike for the second time. But this past year my bible odyssey was enhanced just a bit thanks to the participation of someone very close to me…
My mom.
Upon deciding that I would do Bible In A Year again, I asked my mom if she wanted to do it as well. There was no arm twisting needed, she simply and immediately said yes. We listened independently and only checked in periodically with each other about the latest episodes. However, knowing she was listening motivated me even more to listen to God’s word with Fr. Mike each day. Even though we didn’t discuss the content on a regular basis, I would find myself during the podcasts thinking, I bet my mom appreciated hearing that or I wonder what my mom thought about that?
This year, the different letters from Paul spoke to me. When reading the different books that he authored, I found comfort in the fact that a well-documented sinner like him could become one of the greatest Christians to ever walk the earth. I guess there is hope for me. From an Old Testament perspective, I tried to listen closer to the prophets. Jeremiah stood out to me and his devastating account of Jerusalem’s destruction in Lamentations made it obvious why he is often referred to as the “Weeping Prophet.”
Hearing the accounts of the wars, murders, and atrocities in the Old Testament proved difficult for me at times just like it did in 2021. However, I think Fr. Mike’s commentary stuck with me a little more this time around: The world was broken but God was still present. Things were so bad and people were so evil that progress took time to achieve but God guided the positive steps forward…even if some of those steps were baby ones.
But for as difficult as some of those Old Testament books were, the beauty and promise of the gospels made up for any apprehension that bottled up inside of me. I never tire reading about the incarnation of Jesus, His ministry, and His Resurrection and the way that Fr. Mike presented and preached about these four sacred books were the absolute best days in my 2025 Bible In A Year journey.
Friends, we are just one week into 2026. If you are looking for something to do that will truly make this year unforgettable, give BIAY a try. Simply listen to a couple of the podcast episodes per day for the next week and then you will be caught up and primed to listen to a single episode per day for the rest of the year. Of course, don’t let a yearly goal confine you. The truth is that you can listen to Bible In A Year at your own pace and stretch out the podcast over the course of three years or five years.
However, in the end, the mission should be simple: read the bible. Whether you use a podcast or not, read God’s Word. I have always needed to do a much better job at following my own advice and thankfully Fr. Mike Schmitz offered a helpful option. If you think he could assist you as well, give Bible In A Year a try and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you need support or have questions. Don’t Blink.
It isn’t just tough for kids to return to school after Christmas break. It can be tough for adults to return to work after the holidays, too. And believe me, yours truly isn’t immune to the post-holiday/return to work hangover.
A look at the message I scribbled on my office white board. I tried to allow my employees to ease back into things.
In the past, I have managed to take a continuous two-week holiday break from work. That first day back in the office can be brutal, but from my experience the bark is usually worse than the bite. You see, true gloom arrives the evening before. That is when the anxiety hits and the mental to-do list starts to populate.
However, the return-to-work doldrums didn’t attack me as hard this time. That’s because I handled my holiday PTO a little different this season. Because of the way the holidays fell this year, I took the entire week of Christmas off (Dec. 22 – Dec. 26). I then returned to the office at the beginning of the next week (Dec. 29 – Dec. 31) and then enjoyed a four-day weekend before reporting to the office on Monday, Jan. 5.
Working a few days in the middle of the holiday schedule allowed me to stay on top of things and not lose total sight of what a day in the office entails. It also gave me an even greater appreciation for the remaining time off I got to enjoy after leaving the office on New Year’s Eve. I framed it as a bonus “Thanksgiving weekend” and enjoyed it to the fullest.
But to be honest, even with the time off approach I took this holiday season, there is still always some sadness that comes with returning to work at the beginning of the year. If I can feel it, I know my employees feel it as well. Taking a page out of my old boss’ playbook, I let my team know yesterday that they were under no expectation to move mountains or solve all the problems of higher ed. Instead, I just told them to take a breath and ease back into things. That grace, which I appreciated immensely from my old boss, can go a long way.
Here’s to a successful 2026 for all of us who work for a living. For those who were lucky enough to take time off this holiday season, I sure hope your transition back to the office is going smoothly. Don’t Blink.
That’s the expression that Sid’s dad would always use when the Mathis girls returned to school after summer break. I hope he doesn’t mind me using it in a slightly different—but still very similar—context.
Today Sloan and Beau returned to St. Mary after 16 days out of school. They adjusted decently but probably not as seamlessly as me. I will write more about my transition tomorrow but tonight’s post is to reflect on another awesome Christmas break.
We packed in a TON from the moment the kids were released from school until the eve of their return. Seriously. The Friday evening of their release we went on a Christmas light tour and just last night we were at a birthday party. And in between all of that we kept busy—perhaps too busy. As per usual, I wanted to share 10 highlights from our time celebrating the holidays.
Reason For The Season – It is only appropriate to begin with the most important way we spent time over the past couple weeks. From Christmas Eve Mass to the Feast of the Holy Family to the Solemnity of Mary (Mother of God) to the Epiphany, we had plenty of opportunities to give thanks to God for the Incarnation.
During the break, we had multiple opportunities to worship at the holy mass. This photo is from Christmas Eve mass at St. Mary (Spokane Valley).
Sleepover! – If you ask Sloan and Beau the highlight of their break, they wouldn’t hesitate to tell you it was the sleepover we hosted for their cousins, Mik and John. Those four have a special relationship and to be honest, Sid and I had a lot of fun having them over as well. They played with Christmas gifts, ate pizza, watched movies, and splurged on an ice cream sundae bar.
Sloan, Beau, John, and Mik enjoy a sundae bar during their sleepover at our house.
Dave & Buster’s – At the beginning of break, I took the kids to Spokane’s brand new Dave & Buster’s. I purchased a play card that gave them unlimited credits for 90 minutes. Sloan and Beau actually got along well as they switched the card back and forth as they played all the games they desired. I was even able to sneak the card from the kids a couple times to play some of the classics while I sipped on $5 beers.
Playing at Dave & Buster’s was actually a lot more fun than what I remembered.
Bowling – When I asked Sloan and Beau at the beginning of break what they wanted to do most, they replied with bowling. Okay, easy enough. On Christmas Eve Eve we went to Players & Spectators for a quick game. Although we did use bumpers, Beau showed progress from last time as he could roll the ball down the lane himself without a ball ramp.
I could have used a photo of Beau throwing the ball down the lane but how could I pass on Sloan’s latest 6-7 reference? The kids had fun bowling at Players & Spectators in the Spokane Valley.
Building With Legos – The item at the top of the 2025 Christmas lists of both Sloan and Beau was Lego sets. They each received a couple and put them together over break. I enjoyed helping Beau build a space shuttle while Sloan needed no help whatsoever putting together complex designs. These build sessions produced some much-needed peaceful chunks of time around our house.
Sloan and Beau both worked a lot with Legos over break as they each received multiple sets for Christmas. This is Sloan during the beginning stages of one of her creations.
Dinner Out – We were fortunate enough to eat dinner at a couple restaurants over break because who doesn’t love eating out, right? The most memorable meal was eating at Outback, my wife’s favorite restaurant, the Saturday after Christmas. We also ate hamburgers at Red Robin with my parents and my sister’s family. For whatever reason, eating at a casual dining chain just seems more special when the restaurants are festively decorated and a limited edition holiday menu is offered.
During the holiday season we splurged by going out more than what we usually do. This is Sloan and Beau at Outback.
State’s Largest Gingerbread House – The Centennial Hotel in downtown Spokane was home to the largest gingerbread house in the state of Washington this past month. I took the kids to catch a glimpse of the structure built from 4,000 pounds of gingerbread and 1,000 pounds of flour.
We visited the state’s largest gingerbread house at the Centennial Hotel in downtown Spokane.
Going For A Ride – I made good on a promise to Beau to let him ride the animal go-carts at the Spokane Valley Mall. The adventure even interested his sister who decided to join us even though she could have stayed home. Both kids had a blast cruising on their carts as mall patrons gave glances of delight mixed with annoyance.
The kids had a lot of fun (and drew a lot of attention to themselves) riding these animal go-carts around the Spokane Valley Mall.
The Library – The best things in life are free. We made a couple trips to the Spokane Public Central Library so the kids could climb on the play structures, mess around on the computers, admire the views of the Spokane Falls, and…read.
Beau and Sloan play on the computers at the Spokane Public Central Library.
The “L” Stores – The library wasn’t the only place we visited over break that started with “L.” At Sloan’s urging, we checked out Lush, a handmade cosmetics store and then balanced it out with a visit to the Lego Store. This combination proved so satisfying that we repeated it a couple days later when we visited both places with Mik and John.
Sloan, Beau, and their cousins were given a special demonstration at Lush in downtown Spokane.
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It was another memorable break, indeed. I missed my kids at work today but was satisfied with the time we spent together. I also counted my lucky stars that I have a job that allows me to take time off during the holidays to be with my family. Already looking forward to next year! Don’t Blink.
The Reser Reading Regimen looked a little different in 2025. When 2024 concluded, Sloan was released to read on her own. She was no longer bound to the two-story-per-night structure she thrived at for multiple years. Instead of sitting at my side on the couch, she curled up in her bed and explored chapter books such as Harry Potter and the Boxcar Children.
However, while my maturing daughter surrendered her seat on the right side of the couch, my little boy remained on the left. But that wasn’t the only change.
Beau holds the 284th and 285th books he read in 2025. We read these final books of the year at the Spokane Public Library (Central branch) in downtown Spokane.
So what gave in 2025? Well, a couple things. For starters, the adage that the attention span of boys is less than girls is no joke. Reading two books to Beau a night proved difficult when many times he would be dancing around the living room before we even made it through the first one. During some of the more manic evenings, we stopped after the initial story. But the real game changer came when Beau started kindergarten. Sid and I were not prepared for the amount of homework our 5-year-old son was assigned. By the time we finished his nightly worksheets, name-writing exercises, and sight word practice none of us—Beau included—had the stamina/patience for a book.
In 2025, we had many nights when we just read a single book. Attention spans of 5-year-old boys can be short.
For someone like me who thrives with goals and improvement, our final book total for 2025 is a little disappointing. At the same time, I need to give Beau and myself a little grace. Believe it or not, some perspective goes a long way. The good things from last year’s reading experience include…
A photo of me reading to Beau and his friends, Noble and Aria, in 2025.
– Many “library dates” at the county and city branches. Beau and I sustained our reading supply by going to the library and checking out books. Besides just choosing books, the library was a place where Beau could do crafts, build on the Lego table, and play with other kids. For me, I was able to simultaneously pick out books for my own reading.
– Plenty of quality time for the two of us. Although there were nights when Beau was off the rails, we also enjoyed many other evenings when Beau was either completely engaged or perfectly worn out from the day’s activities. During those instances when Beau sat/laid on me at perfect attention, I relished every moment.
– Beau learned to read…to an extent! Since starting kindergarten, Beau’s teacher has done a masterful job teaching him the basics. By the time October arrived, Beau was helping me read books as he sounded out a lot of the words (it was so cute!).
We had many library dates in 2025. This is a photo of Beau relaxing on one of the chairs at the Spokane Valley County Library after reading a couple books.
With the arrival of 2026, I have two goals for Beau. Now that he has his own personal benchmark (285 books), I want him to surpass it. A goal of 300 books seems realistic. For the second goal, I want to see him continue to progress when it comes to reading. Hopefully by this time next year, he will be reading picture books with little assistance from me. In the meantime, if you have any book suggestions (for Beau or me), please let us know! Don’t Blink.
There was absolutely no debate in 2025. After completing the 1-Second Everyday (#1SE) project in 2023, I wrestled with doing it again in 2024. That inaugural year entailed a significant investment with self-imposed stress and expectations. Could I produce another worthy piece in 2024? With Sid’s encouragement, I moved forward with a second video and found the process to be easier and calmer with an ending project that was just as beautiful as the first. Thus, when 2025 arrived, I didn’t think twice about embarking on our family’s third #1SE video.
I didn’t think twice about creating a #1SE video in 2025…I just went for it. This is our YouTube thumbnail for the video.
The 2025 Reser Family #ISE video was once again a labor of love and thoughtfulness. Although capturing a one-second video every day is firmly ingrained in my daily routine, securing the right clip still takes creativity, thought, and a little planning.
Thankfully, the content aspect of the project is really the only thing I need to worry about when creating my family’s #1SE video. The #1SE app itself continues to be rock solid. It keeps everything organized and offers the music, transitions, and tools needed to make a memorable final product.
I always “premiere” our family’s #1SE video on our living room TV for Sidney, Sloan, and Beau. It is always a very special moment.
With all that said, I wouldn’t necessarily say our 2025 video is my best work. It isn’t that I lacked opportunities—we did more cool things this year than 2023 and 2024 combined. Also, it definitely wasn’t the subjects because my stars—Sid, Sloan, and Beau—were as stunning as ever. Perhaps it was just my own critical eye now that I am a #1SE veteran. You see, I thought the clip video quality in some instances was subpar and I also feel like I relied on live photos a bit too much. Additionally, I must have thought highly of Sloan’s soccer skills because clips of her kicking the ball became a bit repetitive.
But I do think these thoughts of second-guessing will dissipate soon. After being so thick in the final stages of the editing process, you become cynical. However, like I said, in a couple weeks I think the critical feelings will lessen in intensity and I will place our 2025 #1SE video on the same pedestal as our 2023 and 2024 versions.
After I show the #1SE video to my wife and kids, I then drive over to my parents’ house and show them on their TV.
Which leads me to your #1SE pedestal. Is it still empty? If so, here is my yearly plea: Do your own 1-Second Everyday video this year. As I mentioned above, the app handles most of the work. You just film the clips and #1SE will do the rest. In my opinion, completing a project like this is the ultimate New Year’s resolution/goal. Not only does it build discipline and promote creativity but it results in such a cool output. It improves yourself while at the same time it creates an endearing and everlasting gift for your loved ones.
I highly recommend creating a video using the I Second Everyday app.
I know it takes a spark and some motivation to get started. I watched my friend publish her #1SE video with amazement and envy for several years before I decided to challenge myself in 2023. I am so glad I did. I know Jennifer delighted in inspiring me (even joking that #1SE should give her a commission) and I can now relate. Multiple people created their own videos in 2025 based on viewing my videos in 2023 and 2024. Watching their final products over the past few days has been so fulfilling. If you decide to create your own #1SE in 2026, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with questions. I would be more than happy to assist and support you throughout the year.
When you mash my family’s #1SE videos together (2023-25), I now have approximately 19 minutes chronicling 1,095 days. What a gift! To have three years of my family documented in such a rich way is simply invaluable. And, just like last year, I kicked off 2026 by jumping headfirst into creating a new video. I hope you will be in it. Don’t Blink.
Last week, my family found ourselves as visitors at a parish on the South Hill.
Although it was our first time attending mass at St. Peter Catholic Church, the priest was an old friend. When it came time to deliver his homily, Fr. Kevin Oiland led with a quote that is still top-of-mind for me.
We attended mass at St. Peter Catholic Church (Spokane South Hill) on Dec. 27 and our family friend, Fr. Kevin Oiland, delivered a homily about family that really hit home.
“The most extraordinary thing in the world is an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children.”
The quote, uttered by Christian apologist G.K. Chesterton, reverberated my ears with beauty and purpose. It made me take notice that my little clan of four might be more significant than originally thought. Perhaps our unit comprised of two parents who work regular jobs and two children who go to normal school and do normal activities could offer more than meets the eye.
A photo of my family with Fr. Kevin Oiland. It was a blessing to hear our friend preach recently.
The first Sunday after Christmas is always reserved for the Feast of the Holy Family. On this day we take special care to reflect on the familial unit of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. While reflecting, it is ideal to challenge oneself to emulate the sacred trio and to incorporate their own holiness into our own families.
The joke is that Joseph must have had it tough being the only sinner in the family. But I guess that allows me to relate to Jesus’ foster dad even more given my status as a serial sinner. However, Joseph’s other traits provide me with the example and inspiration needed to be the best father possible. His words were few (in fact, he doesn’t speak once in the bible) but his actions were powerful. He provided for his family and listened to God. When you boil it down, that pretty much gets to the crux of fatherhood, right?
As we begin 2026, perhaps there isn’t a better resolution than to embrace the holiness that God has intended and expected for families. And like G.K. Chesterton reminds us, this holiness isn’t necessarily reflected by grandiose gestures or trailblazing pursuits. Rather, it is simply an ordinary man and an ordinary woman and their ordinary children doing ordinary things in the name of Christ. Don’t Blink.
It was the first time such a thought ever entered my mind: The other day, I was thinking about the upcoming new year when the realization came to my mind that, hey, 2026 is a pretty big number.
What do I mean by that? Well, I mean that we are now in the latter 2020s and that a lot of time has passed since I was born at the end of 1986. When I first became cognizant of calendar years in probably 1993 or 1994, I bet I couldn’t even conceive of a world in 2026.
So I guess the point is that I never contextualized a year in such terms until 2026 appeared on the horizon.
Ready or not, regardless of my internal awe, 2026 is here!
Sloan and Beau are ready for 2026!
As I write every January, even-numbered calendar years always seem to bring more change and disruption to my family. On the other side of the coin, odd-numbered calendar years have always proven to bring more stability and status quo to the Reser household.
Well, we all know the parity classification of 2026 and it definitely isn’t odd.
So we shall see what this latest year brings. If the Reser trend holds true and change is in store, we will be ready—and cross our fingers that it is positive.
I can only guess how many teeth will be lost, how many sporting events will be played, and how many birthday parties will be attended. Will airplanes, achievements, and special announcements be part of 2026? Who will enter our lives for the first time? Will we visit anywhere new over the next 365 days? These are all questions I will attempt to answer in my end-of-year December blog post.
But excuse me, I am getting way too ahead of myself. Did I really just mention December? I should do myself a favor by first focusing on January. By taking it one day at a time with my family by my side and Jesus leading the way, I am optimistic about the potential of 2026. May you have a healthy, safe, and prosperous year. Don’t Blink.
About three weeks ago, I sat down on the couch with the kids prior to school. Usually things are hectic in the morning and I don’t get the chance to hang with them before loading up the car.
I asked Sloan and Beau a question: What is a leader?
“The person who stands at the front of the line,” my son responded.
Hmmm. Not exactly what I was going for.
“Someone who sets an example and shows people how to do things,” Sloan said, before adding, “And brings others closer to God.”
In 2025, the themes of leadership and prioritization emerged (photo taken by Nicole Lynn Photography).
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It has been a good year. As I write in every one of these annual entries, even-numbered years always bring change and disruption to our family while odd-numbered years usually bring more consistency. This pattern once again held true as 2025—although busy and adventurous—didn’t pack life changes or any “rug pulled from under us” moments.
Our 2025 didn’t pack too many surprises…which isn’t a bad thing.
It was a busy 12 months for our family. Compared to last year, we boarded more planes, embarked on more trips, played more sports, and even lost more teeth. Let’s see if I can summarize 2025 in two paragraphs…
During the second half of the year, Sid’s parents came and visited. We had the pleasure of taking them to Montana for a portion of that visit. This photo was at a Griz football game.
Dang, did you catch all that? If you didn’t, perhaps what I am about to discuss next will be easier to digest. As all the fun mentioned above transpired, a couple themes that defined the year developed…
The first theme of 2025 for us was leadership. In January, Sid and I were elected leaders of our Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter chapter. We didn’t seek the position nor expect it, but it has been a blessing (and a lot of work) to oversee such an important ministry. Teaming up with Sid makes it even sweeter. 2025 also marked the first full year in my marketing director role at EWU. As I continue to manage more people than I have ever before, I seized the chance to sharpen my leadership chops. Additionally, Sid volunteered for a 24-hour work innovation challenge and ran point of her squad. Despite all that, Sid and I realized where our leadership is needed most of all: in our family. I feel like we have relished the role God has given us to be the best guiders and examples for/to our children.
Sid and I were elected leaders of the Spokane Catholic Engaged Encounter chapter in January 2025. In this photo we pose with Ric and Cindy Gaunt (former leaders) plus Fr. Ken Krall during an October 2025 retreat.
Speaking of Sid and I, the other theme that manifested itself in 2025 was prioritization. And what I mean by this is placing my relationship with my wife above all earthly things—including our children. The necessity of this became apparent during one of the Engaged Encounter weekends we gave in May. The couple we presented with conveyed the importance of this prioritization and it really hit home. Sid and I have enjoyed a fruitful marriage but I thought forever that I was “doing it right” by embracing a “kids are always first” attitude. We tweaked things after that retreat and things have never been better.
I am lucky to have such an awesome wife; we had a wonderful 2025. #Prioritization
With those two unique themes defining 2025, the big three values I pinpoint each year continued to be critical in our lives…
Let’s start with family. The prioritization theme I just finished explaining contributed to the positive dynamic in the Reser household this year. The truth is that when the husband/wife bond is placed before all earthly relationships, everything else—children, extended families, friends, in-laws—will seamlessly and orderly fall right in line behind it. With Sid and I taking more time for each other—even hiring a babysitter at times—we set the necessary foundation for solid family life. It was a blessing to spend time with Sloan and Beau in fun spots like the Caribbean, Orlando, and Leavenworth but we continued to make memories inside our own home. Perhaps some of the best bonding time occurred when we had movie nights centered on “classic” films that Sid and I watched as children. My parents’ home continued to be a haven for my siblings and our respective families to gather for birthdays, holidays, Sunday dinners, and special events. We were blessed to see Sid’s parents three times this year—South Carolina in January, Florida in May, and Washington in October. Perhaps I should add “Montana” to the October meeting because a true highlight of that trip was taking “Gami and Dada” to Big Sky Country for their first time when we spent a weekend in Missoula. The Florida excursion was especially meaningful because in addition to my in-laws, Sid’s siblings and their families joined us as well.
Welcome to the Reser family Thanksgiving table! We had a lot of good times around my parents’ dining room table in 2025.
Our faith was in action in 2025. Thanks to our election as Engaged Encounter leaders, we spent lots of time nurturing the ministry through planning retreats, running meetings, hosting social events, and doing the behind-the-scenes work to keep our chapter healthy. Sloan and Beau finished and started school years at St. Mary Catholic School, attended Catholic Summer Camp, and showed up for as many Family Faith Nights as possible. It was a big year for Sloan and the sacraments. She made her first confession and started prep for the Sacrament of Confirmation and the Sacrament of Holy Eucharist. Sid and I mentored two couples for marriage, gave two Engaged Encounter retreats, and became Godparents again. Other highlights included hiking to a sunrise mass, attending the Easter vigil, joining a Catholic young family group, continuing my membership with the Knights of Columbus, and worshipping as guests at some beautiful Catholic churches across the country. For the second year, I made it through the entire bible. We mourned the death of Pope Francis and cheered the election of Pope Leo. We celebrated the ordination anniversaries of Fr. Ken Krall (54th), Fr. Mike Kwiatkowski (47th), Fr. Pat Kerst (35th), and Fr. Jeff Lewis (14th). It was a faithful year that can best be described in four words: Thanks be to God!
Me, Sidney, Fr. Jeff Lewis, Fidela, Neteyam, and Dylan pose for a photo in the St. Mary sanctuary after the baptism on July 6, 2025. Thanks be to God! (Photo courtesy of Dylan/Fidela/Family).
Our careers continued to progress thanks to the supportive family and strong faith I just highlighted. Sid earned her company’s national In-Synch Award, traveled to Orlando for special recognition, and was promoted to underwriter. I enjoyed my first full year at Eastern Washington University as I grew our team, marketed our academic programs, generated community pride for the return of commencement to Cheney, and produced the 2025 EWU holiday video. But my proudest accomplishment in 2025 was writing a successful proposal that funded our marketing program and enabled the launch of a major brand awareness campaign. The key to our professional success in 2025 was the support we gave each other. Whether it was visiting each other at our respective offices, attending one another’s work events, or just being a cheerleader/open ear, there was never a doubt that we valued the workplace growth of each other in the same way that we value our own.
It was a good professional year for both Sid and me. This photo shows me with my colleagues in November 2025 with communications director Linn Parish on the left and digital marketing supervisor Ginny Baxter on the right.
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My apologies, these year-end blog posts always run long. As I prepare to sign off, I want to mention those our family knew who passed away this year: Ed Galloway, James Gibson, Rob Heacock, and Susan Yarborough. May perpetual light shine on them all.
Although it has been a good year for our family, we did lose some really good people. This photo was taken on Christmas Day at my parents’ house.
Thanks to everyone who entered/remained in our orbit over the past 365 days. We thank God for his many blessings and hope to use the lessons learned and the experiences gained throughout 2025 in the years to come. Don’t Blink.
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