Category Archives: Hughes Family

Hey! You haven’t really posted anything in years- what’s going on? Sorry guys & gals, Hughes Family posts are private now. If you want access (and we know each other) just drop me a line and I’ll get you in :D

Happy New Year! 2026!

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Welcome to 2026!

In 2025, I went back to work full time. It was both satisfying and challenging in the best way. I want to be useful,  to make a difference and I believe that work done with care matters, even when the results aren’t immediate. Some seeds take time to grow, and I’m learning to trust that process.

In 2025 I watched my daughter get married. It felt like a transformation – caterpillar to butterfly. Around the same time, she and my oldest son moved out of our home. It was a season of proud, bittersweet change. Watching your kids step into their own lives is one of the greatest rewards of parenting, even when it stretches your heart in new ways.

With less free time, I had to be more intentional about how I spent it. My car hobby took a back seat (car pun FTW!), and I leaned into collecting instead. If you know me, you know what I collect. If you don’t, let’s just say most of it rhymes with “toys.”

I don’t know exactly what 2026 will bring. There are signs pointing toward exciting opportunities, and others that suggest real challenges ahead. But I’m stepping into the year with optimism, energy, and a genuine sense of curiosity about what lies ahead. Let’s go!

Here’s to 2026 🥂

I Can’t Believe It!

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We’ve lived across from an empty lot for well over two years. It’s been an eyesore as well as a constant source of noise and debris (it serves as a concrete truck clean out). Lo and behind the Ivory gods are shining on us. Last week we heard through the grapevine that Ivory was building a spec home on the lot. A few days ago they marked it out and started digging the hole for the the foundation. I’m not certain what their timeline is like (I’d guess 4 months) but it will be wonderful to have a home across from us instead of a dirt field. Maybe we’ll get a little bit of the mountain wind blocked as well. Hopefully our new neighbors won’t suck (so far all of our neighbors are great).

Blue Apron Spiced Pork Competition

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Like many people (it seems) Fran is subscribed to Blue Apron. It’s a fun way to try out new “high end” cuisine. It doesn’t come ready to go though- you still have to cook it yourself. For a lot of people, like my wife,  that’s part of the fun. Blue Apron recently held a video contest where they invited people to film themselves cooking their Spiced Pork dish. We decided it would be fun to give it a shot. Even though we didn’t win (I still can’t figure out who did) it was enjoyable to film and edit my wife’s entry (although like all my personal videos it was a “rush job”).

Happiness Anyone?

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4/30/2017 – This post is part of a large release of “DRAFT” entries. Many of these these entries were never finished (and may still not be) or were composed but never published for one reason or another. If you run across one of of these in a strange spot or out of chronological order that may be one reason.

Hughes Family: February 2015

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February came and went in much the same way it always does… begging for more time, making desperate promises- that kind of thing.

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We were so American this year. We hunkered down and watched the Super Bowl in all of its ballesque glory. Mike is a mega-football fan and rooted enthusiastically for the Seahawks so we rooted along with him (“Just… stop talking! Be quiet!” he told us multiple times). A good solid game.

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Every since we went to Nickle City Gabe has been talking about the Transformers game they have there. I decided we should go back and see if we could finish it off. By the time we were done Gabe’s could barely lift his arm and we were $10 deep but we polished it off. Then I showed Gabe who was boss with a game of air hockey. And of course he won some tickets and bought crap. Love this little guy.

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We went to Walmart to get Chloe a real bike (to replace one of those scooter-bike hybrid abominations). Chloe is so particular about what she wants. After carefully going through all the bikes (including test drives) she selected one with the Eiffel tower on it (how fitting).

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Fran and I took a trip to the Hale Center Theater to see “Barefoot in the Park.” It’s always fun to get a little culture at a live play. I really enjoy live performances because there are no cuts- it’s like a movie with very long takes. Actually it’s better than a movie- there’s a heightened intensity and additional skill required when there are no second chances. Maybe it’s time to get season passes.

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For Valentine’s Day we did something a little different this year: Ramen! We made a bunch of different variation and even whipped up some scallops for good measure. We finished off our meal with some chocolate dipped strawberries and sparkling cider.

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What would winter be without snowmobiling (quieter?). This year we headed out toward Heber to a little place called The Aspen Moose (it’s located in a  gated community called Timber Lakes). Overall it’s a nice place to stay for a few days, but the Daniel’s Summit lodge is much nicer. Snowmobiling trails are comparable although I liked the Timber Lakes trails a bit more as it was easier to ride through trees and the landscape was more varied. 

Marble Run Fun

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The other day Gabe made me an awesome little cardboard house (below, left). He told me it was for marbles and proceeded to roll one inside. I asked him if we could build an even bigger marble run around the house and he eagerly agreed.

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We created the runs using regular 8 x 11 sheets of paper. It’s pretty simple. Just cut the  paper into fourths (long ways). Fold a section in half (you can use tape to keep the edges together) and then fold the edges up on both sides (make sure your run is wide enough to accommodate your marble).

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Decide where you need turns and cut out triangles in your run. When the cut out sections are folded and taped together they will create the angles (adjust as needed by cutting out more or less triangles). Add runs as desired and tape your new run under your old runs. You can use the same sections of paper to create structural supports. Always make sure your marble runs angle down enough to maintain momentum.

Here’s what we ended up with:

Not too bad! Maybe one day we’ll build something a little more aggressive.