This post would never end if I shared every photo from 2025. And, honestly, that wouldn’t tell the real story anyway.
So, I gave myself a boundary: two photos per month. Not too little, not too much. Just enough to capture the moments that made me pause, laugh, adapt or feel especially grateful.
This is the year in pictures, told with intention. It’s not everything Dan and I did, but the moments that stayed with us as we kept showing up and moving forward together.
Here’s how I remember 2025, one month, two moments at a time.
January
Dan and I kicked off the year with an Indianapolis rendezvous to meet up our besties, including mine from high school, Nora and Johanna, as well as the best man from our wedding, Stacy, and his wife, Heather.
February
Oh deer! Yes, we live on the edge of town, but it never gets old seeing deer in our backyard, especially when there are so many.Because I love moments on the weekends with Dan, especially when he helps me exercise with my arm bike.
March
How could I ever forget that time Dan and I, along with my caregiver Jen, rode in the elevator at the Michigan State Capitol with our State Senator Roger Hauck on his way to introduce a proclamation declaring March 9-15 as MS Awareness Week in the State of Michigan. Read my essay Taking MS awareness to the Michigan Senate—one elevator ride at a time for the full story.I love that Dan captured this empowering moment as he, my caregiver Jen, and I rode with Michigan MS activists Fox and Allie on our way to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to meet with our legislators as part of the National MS Society’s Public Policy Conference.
April
Speaking of besties, when my lifetime bestie Amy calls and says she’s coming into town for an event, of course Dan and I will drop everything to meet up with her 🙂Because most of our meetings at church happen right around dinner time, we often stop by our favorite restaurant, Freddie’s Tavern, for a sandwich and drinks afterward. Dan often takes it as a point of pride when we enjoy the conversations so much we stay until the bar closes. Sure, it closes at 11 p.m., but still. “We closed the bar,” he’ll say with a smile.
May
Talk about incredible: not only did I speak at Older Michiganians Day (which was a huge honor!), but I had reserved parking in front of the Capitol in Lansing. To ready the full story, check out my essay Speaking of & advocating for MI Choice at Michigan’s Capitol.It was such a proud moment when Dan and I were invited to serve as hosts of this year’s Walk MS event in Frankenmuth.I realize this is my third photo for May, but my essay my rules😉 After all, my handsome husband received his MA in Leadership from Wartburg College, but he didn’t make it to his graduation.🥲 Let’s just say not everything went according to plan . Check out his blog postto learn how Wartburg exemplified leadership and adapted plans when he wasn’t able to make it back to campus to deliver our class speech during the hooding ceremony.
June
Dan and I spend a lot of time over the summers at Dow Diamond to watch our beloved Great Lakes Loons, the High-A minor league baseball team for the World Series Champions Los Angeles Dodger. And it was a total win-win when our friend Helen organized an “Orange Out” event at a Loons game to benefit the National MS Society.We’re endlessly grateful for Sam Greenberg and the impact he continues to make through MS4MS. Being invited to spread orange at Fenway Park—with his Aunt Aimee, his mom Wendy, and fellow MS advocates—during Red Sox–Yankees pregame batting practice was an unforgettable honor. To ready the full story, check out my essay From grief to gratitude: Remembering my dad at Fenway with MS4MS.
July
Can you feel the love? Well, it is there, and so is the humor. Because without these moments, like this one during a Great Lakes Loons baseball game, we couldn’t make it.After laughing our way through Nate Bargatze’s show at the Dow Event Center, the parking garage became a standstill. No way to unload the ramp, nowhere to be. So we stayed put and shared the popcorn we’d forgotten all about, turning a delay into a moment.
August
There is nothing quite like a meal with family, and Dan, caregiver Jen, and I were able to enjoy a few of them—like this one with Dan’s parents and his sister, her husband (who isn’t pictured here) and daughter—when we were in Iowa.
And while we were in Iowa, we had to stop and see the Field of Dreams. Bonus: we caught an epic game with the ghost players.
September
I still can’t believe Dan and I have been married for two decades!! ❤️ It is always fun to look back and remember that magical, family and friends filled day: September 10, 2005.
How fun is it that as we were waiting for the Tigers to take the field, my caregiver Jen (who went to Detroit with us) caught this selfie moment?
October
It was an honor to help launch Physical Therapy Month with a Lunch and Learn at Baker College. Speaking there for the first time, we were inspired by the students’ curiosity and compassion. It helped to remind us that empathy is one of healthcare’s most important tools. To learn more about this and other college presentations last fall, check out my essay ACTOMS on campus: Sharing our MS stories with tomorrow’s healthcare pros. We were honored to take part in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Shaping Tomorrow Together event in College Park, Maryland. This was an amazing opportunity for people living with MS to speak directly with the FDA, researchers, healthcare professionals, and life science leaders about the future of MS treatments.
Yes the picture below is the third photo in a two photo series, but once again, it is my essay – my rules. 😉 Caregiver Jen washing my hair in the sink at our hotel in Maryland is important. I needed clean hair, but my shower chair could not make the trip with us. Once again, we made it work. #LifeWthADisability
November
Dan, Jen, and I always enjoyed oceanfront dining while we were in Fort Lauderdale (Dan and I were invited to serve as adaptive clothing models in the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation’s MS Focus on Fashion). When a few steps at Casablanca Cafe kept the view out of reach, the restaurant’s helpful staff searched for their portable ramp and made that beautiful view accessible.Dan had an idea. His runway escort Kimba Schnickelfritz was all in. Together, they turned a quick runway moment into a fun, hands-on demo of how easy magnetic buttons can be to fasten and unfasten — proof that adaptive design can be both practical and playful. To get the full Fort Lauderdale experience, read my essay Fashion, MS and a 28-year moment I’ll never forget.
December
There I was with my boxing gloves on, feeling all strong, and I thought, why not make a dramatic entrance? So, I rolled up behind Dan’s desk, asked if he was ready to rumble… and immediately lost all credibility by laughing 🤣
Worth it. Especially since I pulled off driving my chair in boxing gloves before heading back down the hall to keep boxing with caregiver Jen 💪
Dan and my dear friend Abbie Powell wrote and directed Immanuel Lutheran Church’s children’s Christmas program, A Not so Silent Night. Pictured here are Abbie’s sister, Sophia, as well as the the Three Wise Men: Dan’s friends Gabe and Tony (Abbie’s dad) and Dan. Wonderful performance and great casting 🙂
January 2026 …
I wish everyone the best in this new year and invite you to check back with us on our blog and podcast to see what happens next with A Couple Takes on MS.
