True North | 2025 in Review
This year, True North didn’t just grow, it bloomed.
It became more than land and walls. It became a promise we all made to the future. A place chosen on purpose, meant to hold generations, laughter, grief, healing, and everything in between. Walls went up, paint went on, and one big open living space turned into the heartbeat of the home, where everyone naturally gathers, where stories overlap, and no one ever really has to leave.
Ashlin continued to feed us in the most sacred way, with flour-dusted hands, full plates, and a kind of love you can taste. Her baking didn’t just fill bellies; it wrapped the house in warmth. Currently she is baking our little princess! We will be welcoming our newest little member of the family next year. We are all preparing to spoil her! Little Jon remained the go-to muscle and the quiet yes. Always ready to help move something heavy, fix a fence, or chase down Ernie, our determined little escape artist with big freedom dreams. The littles grew in all the ways that matter most: confidence, curiosity, joy. Those boys are so smart and give us all a run for our money with their math and science facts. Getting to see them grow daily has blessed us all. They bring laughter and joy to the property.
Joseph shows up with quiet strength and deep loyalty, the kind that doesn’t announce itself but holds everything together when it matters most. With his steady hands and skilled heart, Joe helps us create the family gathering space of our dreams. Grace stepped into a new chapter, her gift for event planning leaving us all in awe proof that when you walk in your talent, the world makes room.
Bailey brought her signature light and laughter, the kind of warmth that lifts a room without effort. We all secretly (and not so secretly) love watching her tease Papa John. Cheyenne remained the calm center steady, thoughtful, and grounded. He has welcomed all our crazy shenanigans and teasing.
Eli coming home was the highlight every single time, a joy that never dulls, never quiets. He is embracing new work responsibilities on his shoulders and a brand-new puppy tugging at his heart, proof of the life he’s building and the man he’s becoming. Jocelyn took brave, beautiful strides and graduated college, a moment worthy of celebration in every sense. Papa John and Gigi flew out to cheer her on, soaking in the pride and joy of that milestone… and, of course, spoiling their new little grand pup along the way.
Iain and Aimee celebrated two years of marriage this year, growing not just older together, but closer. The kind of love that deepens instead of loudens. Rooted, patient, chosen daily. Watching them build a life side by side was a quiet reminder that real love doesn’t rush; it stays, it learns, it grows more sure with time.
Between Zoom calls and deadlines by day, floor time and wild make-believe by evening, and dirt under her nails from digging holes for all the plants and trees she could fit in the car on weekends. Gigi somehow held it all this year. She slips away whenever possible to steal donkey kisses and soak in the kind of love that refuels the soul. In between it all, Gigi and Papa John spent the summer roaming and exploring from Colorado down to Texas, chasing open roads, wide skies, and any animal adventure she could find. John has so far been able to keep her alive, no matter how often she says she speaks animal. Papa John stayed the steady protector, the keeper of safety, showing love through presence and action, always there, always reliable, always choosing family, and always ready to throw Gigi over his shoulder when she misbehaved… which, if you know her, is often. Proof that magic doesn’t disappear when you grow up; it just learns how to multitask.
Grams, our living bridge between past and future, held the stories and the traditions, the quiet reminder of where we come from and why family always comes first. Papa celebrated eighty years of wisdom, sacrifice, and devotion. Because of their foundation, True North stands strong not just as a place to live, but as a legacy meant to endure.
There was healing this year. Real, hard earned healing. The kind that arrives when peace becomes familiar and joy stops feeling borrowed. Old wounds softened. New confidence took root. Strength showed up not as armor, but as calm.
We grew in every direction emotionally, financially, spiritually. Dreams stopped feeling distant and started feeling deliberate. Safety became the norm. Love felt steady. The future felt possible.
True North isn’t just land or a house.
It’s a promise.
It’s choosing each other, again and again.
It’s building something that says, you can always come home.
And as we turn the page, we do it the way we always have:
Grounded in Love, Guided by Purpose, and Always Leading Us Home
May the year ahead bless you with strong coffee, sturdy fences, full hearts, and laughter that echoes through your home. May you be surrounded by your people, protected in all the ways that matter, and reminded often that joy can be simple and love can be steady. From this Gigi and the crew at True North, wishing you a blessed year, with a little magic sprinkled in for good measure.