Another year has come and gone. New milestones and moments have been accomplished and created. Meals have been shared (LOTS of meals), laughter has lifted us up, and jams have been definitely kicked out (see video above). As we look back on 2016, it is impossible not to remember the incredible moments with friends and family. We cherish all of the people in our lives and we pause at this time of the year to remember all of the special moments that we have shared with you.
And, as is our tradition, we remember these incredible moments by challenging you to a quiz! This year's edition of Troxell Trivia returns to a multiple choice affair. To uncover the correct answer, simply rollover ('move your mouse on top of') the image and the correct answer will be revealed! Also, the images may provide some key clues to the answers, so pay attention! No grades will be submitted this year. Nathan is working on getting that figured out for the next big exam.
Good Luck!
Alex , Andy and Megan joined Nathan on a work trip / birthday celebration trip at the end of April (Andy turned 4 on April 28 and Nathan turned 36 on April 30). During this trip, the boys discovered their love of chocolate covered bananas, enjoying one every afternoon either on the beach or at the hotel pool. Where were we?
- Ligonier, Pennsylvania
- Tahiti, French Polynesia
- Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- Marco Island, Florida
A. #ABOUQUETFROM2GENTLEMEN
In continuing the tradition of personal goals, Alex and Andy had a combined goal to deliver flowers to their family and friends every month of 2016. The boys learned a lot of good lessons and even got to discover their teachers' favorite flowers through the process! What was the name / hashtag that Megan used for this goal?
- #abouquetfrom2gentlemen
- #stealingflowersfromtheneighbors
- #isitmothersdayyet
- #flowersfromalexandandy
Three years ago, Megan started a new family tradition of serving a weekly family dinner for the Troxells and Oylers living in Pittsburgh. Every Wednesday night she prepares an incredible meal for our family and the boys' Aunts and Uncles. Each year the dinner has had a theme. The first year was Noche De Tios ("Uncle Night" in Spanish...this was before most of the uncles were married) and featured Mexican food and fresh guacamole every week; the second year was Notte Di Famiglia ("Family Night" in Italian...the expanded name hints at the evolving martial status of the uncles during this year) and featured, you guessed it, Italian food. This year, we had a new, even more ambitious theme. What was it? (Read more about it here! Megan is famous!)
- Outer Space Delights
- A Tour of Scandinavian Cuisine
- The Incredible Edible Egg
- Fifty Family Feasts (50 meals for each of the United States)
D. FIFTY FAMILY FEASTS
B. LAKE POWELL, UTAH
We enjoyed an incredible trip out west this summer with Megan's parents and two of her three brothers and their wives. Luckily for the group, we all enjoy one another's company enough to rent a houseboat and spend 4 days in extremely tight (and sometimes tense) quarters. It was an epic journey, one that will surely be repeated again in the future. On what body of water did we set sail?
- Flathead Lake, Montana
- Lake Powell, Utah
- Crater Lake, Oregon
- Big Bear Lake, California
Here are a few additional photos from this incredible trip. If you're looking for a houseboat captain and on-board chef for your trip to Lake Powell, Nathan and Megan are available for hire!
C. SLIPPING DOWN A HILL WHILE HELPING FRIENDS MOVE
Just in time for the Memorial Day weekend and summer vacations, Nathan suffered a high ankle sprain. He was like many of you who likely thought a high ankle sprain was just a simple 'rolled ankle'. However, he came to find out that there are various grades of high ankle sprains, of which he suffered a Grade 3 with one completely torn ligament and one partially torn ligament. He spent the end of May, all of June and half of July non-weight bearing in a boot and on crutches. He did get a pretty sweet knee scooter in time for summer vacation travels! How did he injure himself?
- Scoring the winning goal in his soccer league championship game
- Running an ultra-marathon (100 mile race) in Death Valley
- Slipping down a hill while helping friends move
- Attempting a triple axel while ice skating
A. LOVE SHACKS FOR VALENTINE'S DAY
Alex and Andy enjoy doing crafts and projects throughout the year. Coming up with new craft ideas to keep two little boys interested can be a little challenging. This year, we discovered a perfect 'secondary use' for the Gingerbread House Kits we purchased on discount after Christmas last year. What did they become?
- Love Shacks for Valentine's Day
- Haunted Houses for Halloween
- Colonial Settlements for Thanksgiving
- Tequila Factories for Cinco de Mayo
C. PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Megan and Nathan reached a milestone in December – our 10th wedding anniversary! We've spent an incredible decade together full of many "firsts" – first house, first pet, first (and second) child. We're excited to see where the next 10 years takes us! To celebrate, we went on an extended weekend getaway. Where did we go?
- Ligonier, Pennsylvania
- Tahiti, French Polynesia
- Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- Marco Island, Florida
B. BOWLING
Alex and Andy discovered their love of a new sport this year thanks to a number of birthday parties where this activity was enthusiastically played. Luckily for the adults, we were invited to play as well! What sport was it?
- Mixed Martial Arts
- Bowling
- Trampolining
- Gymnastics
C. REHOBOTH BEACH, DELAWARE
In June, we took our third annual beach trip with Nathan's family. We have enjoyed visiting the same beach over the past few years and are becoming 'regulars' now with our go-to spot on the beach, favorite ice cream shop and nightly trip to Funland (the boardwalk amusement park). This year, Alex, Andy and cousin Harper developed a new way to keep time on the beach. There is "French Fry o'clock", "Ice Cream o'clock", "Pizza o'clock" and so on. Where did we go?
- Daytona Beach, Florida
- Virgina Beach, Virgina
- Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
- Outer Banks, North Carolina
B. DAVID SMITH OYLER V (DAVY)
We were excited to welcome a new member of the extended family in July this year! Alex and Andy have a new cousin and Megan and Nathan have a new nephew. Megan's brother David and his wife Justine even made the long road trip from Colorado to Pennsylvania for Christmas so everyone could meet the little guy. What is his name?
- Hiram Williams Oyler (Hank)
- David Smith Oyler V (Davy)
- George Washington Oyler
- Andrew Brooks Oyler
A. LIGONIER, PENNSYLVANIA
Alex is a perceptive little boy. Megan and Nathan noticed this particularly this year when asking Alex how he wanted to celebrate his birthday in October (Alex turned 6 on October 25). We were expecting a theme or an activity - like his LEGO birthday party last year or a bowling party. He surprised us when he said he wanted to go on a trip for his birthday since Andy had two years of back-to-back trips to Florida for his birthday. So, we put our heads together and came up with a quick, last minute trip that included a hotel with a pool (requirement, of course), colonial fort and amusement park! Where did we go?
- Ligonier, Pennsylvania
- Tahiti, French Polynesia
- Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- Marco Island, Florida
B. NINJAGO
Alex and Andy are singlehandedly keeping the LEGO Group in business. They have clearly inherited their father's love of LEGOs and their grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends have helped to enable their addiction. From putting together Nathan's old castle LEGOs that Gram kept all these years to curating their own collection, they love everything LEGO. They are even quoting their favorite lines from the LEGO Movie. Which LEGO theme is their favorite?
- City
- Ninjago
- Star Wars
- Marvel Super Heroes
A. LIGHT-UP CHRISTMAS POOH BEAR DECORATION
As many of you may know, Andy loves Winne the Pooh. His "Pooh Bear" stuffed animal goes pretty much everywhere with him. And, even though he has received many different Pooh Bears over the years from friends and family, there is only one REAL Pooh Bear. But that may have changed this Christmas as Grandad passed down an extra-special Pooh Bear that has been in the family for years. Which Pooh Bear was it?