December 2020

First day of December gifts.  The kids get pajamas (sometimes... Sadie and Kaden didn't need new pajamas) and books.

We decided to try a lot of Christmas treats this year, including divinity!  It's a little tricky but we got it.

Covid couldn't stop us from visiting Santa!  He just had to hide behind glass, lol.

Kaden and Sadie sure like Kylee.

We were able to participate in some service this year, by singing Christmas Carols outside the windows at an assisted living facility.  We are not sure how many residents actually heard us or cared, but we had fun as a family.  At least one lady talked to us through her window.

Christmas morning!  We got quite a few big sports games.  And Kylee got a new snowboard.  Plenty to do in our basement now, just in case we get quarantined again, lol.

We had to try out Kylee's new snowboard right away!  And Sadie got new boots awhile ago.  So fun!

Kaden started indoor soccer again with Jason.

Kylee and Dylan participated in the 3v3 tournament over Christmas break.  It's a fun tournament.  Kylee's team dominated and got to play more players from their normal team in the final game.  Her team won, and Willow and Micklee were not happy about it (you can tell by their faces, haha).  Kylee and Averi were on different teams and they both got chosen as the "good sports" of the teams and got jamba gift cards!  Dylan played with Mitchell and Lucas and David last minute.  They lost pretty good the first day, like three games.  And the next day they played the team that was in the lead (these smaller boys with great short-game) and they game in ready to fight!  They ended up tying them and ended in "penalty kicks" which was just them kicking it to the small goal with no goalie or anything, from the half way line.  It was really quite dumb.  None of the boys on the other team missed.  So it didn't really matter what we did because they were already ahead of us in points so they would go to the final.  But David did miss his shot.  He was really upset.  I let him know it really didn't matter and I think it helped.  I was so proud of those boys!  They came back after getting beat pretty good by this team and ended up tying them!

Snow shoes were on sale at Al's so I got some for myself and Sherri got new ones too so we needed to use them!  We met Sherri and Kariesa in Island Park and went on the trails behind Kariesa's cabin.  It was so pretty!  My thoughts are that I would rather run than snow shoe, haha.  And that Island Park is really pretty far away so I doubt we will be doing this a lot.  But I did want to use my snow shoes somewhere closer, and maybe in fresh snow.  We did get to see Kariesa's beautiful cabin though, and Jen and I sat with her in her hottub for awhile and that was fun.  

Jen and I, always up for a challenge, signed up for something called "Bad Ideas of Winter" put on by Dan Beck, who is full of bad ideas.  The first one had to be done over Christmas Break and it was 90 minutes on the treadmill while watching a movie.  Technically, the real challenge was done at the crossfit gym and only a limited number of people could do it- but it was step ups for a whole movie.  That sounds pretty awful.  But the treadmill is not a challenge for me so I compromised by doing 90 minutes on the stair stepper.  Considering I could barely do 30 minutes without dying usually, this was a good challenge.  I lasted the first 60 minutes pretty well, but the last 30 were rough. I had to slow my speed and eat something.  But I got 'er done!

Family Bingo party at Sara's house for New Years Eve!  

We exchanged cousin gifts (they had drawn names).

And played games and had a lot of fun with cousins.

And I let my kids invite friends over for a little New Years party.  I feel bad that I'm usually such an early-to-bed mom on New Years.  I was feeling generous I guess.  So I figured I just needed to provide some food and we had our new games set up downstairs.  I think the kids had fun.  Even Kaden had Porter over until after 11.

There you go, we survived 2020!!  That is a reason to celebrate.  What a crazy year it has been.  Covid, presidential election craziness, riots and unrest in the streets due to more cops killing black men (specifically George Floyd this time).  It's a crazy world we live in folks.  I don't know how to fix the world, but I hope I'm raising my kids to be smart, inquisitive, strong, faithful, informed and able to form their own opinions and stand up for what they believe.  And also avoid unnecessary conflict.  Wish me luck!