My Adventures: The End of 2020

It is almost the end of January 2021 and I have yet to finish the year of 2020. I totally expected with my big girls back in school four days I week I would be able to get stuff done like I use. However, all that their 4 days are showing me is that Heavenly Father was working overtime in my life to give me time, strength, energy, patience, and abilities far beyond my own. As crazy, hard, and overwhelming as it was I was so blessed to be able to do what I did because with more time now, I don't seem to be able to accomplish that much more. It was a blessing I didn't realize I was receiving until now. I was and still am so blessed.

So, the end of 2020. December was a lot crazy. The big girls were doing all online school from Thanksgiving to Christmas break which means all that normal Christmas prep time I have to keep surprises was gone. We weren't able to do our Christmas shopping date together because the one weekend we had Abby come down with a cough--nothing else just a cough, but didn't feel like I should ask anyone. So, for the first time since we have had kids we divided up the presents we needed to get and did it separate. It worked out well, it was just different. A fun adventure that we had is when we took all the kids to Wal-Mart to do their shopping. It resulted in about 2 hours worth of shopping that included a lot of playing in the toy isle especially by Kade and Abby. It was really fun. Crazy but fun.

Now it is February 7th and I haven't finished this post. I wanted to give a play by play of Christmas and New Years, but if I don't get 2020 finished out I will miss too much of 2021.

Here we go with highlights. Christmas was a lot of work, but it was so fun. This year Oma and Papa came on Christmas Eve. We tried a couple new things this year. One was a new sweet potato dish that I think is my new favorite one. We also had broccoli salad and oatmeal fudgies which are not new dishes, but new to Christmas dinner. It was a really good dinner. I wasn't going to fuss with the table this year, but my girls were like aren't we going to set it fancy. Well, I don't have really fancy stuff, but we had them use some fancy plates from my Grandma, and the rest of us had all white dishes. Then we had some fake candles, and a light-up snowflake necklace on a red charger for the center piece. I know it doesn't sound like it, but it look really nice and way fancier than any other meal we ever do. After dinner, we gave the kids there new PJ's which weren't a surprise this year, because I let them choose the fabric for them. Then they also got new pillows. Then we set-up the projector and watched The Christ Child and sang a couple of primary Christmas songs. It was simple and perfect for that night. My parents were pretty tired so they headed to bed after we watch The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Gaupo and I stayed up a little longer, but then went to bed. It had been a long but good day.

Getting PJ's and pillows.

Watching the movie.

Christmas morning we made the big girls wait until the twins were awake and then we did stockings and Santa had brought breakfast. He thought of everyone. There were fruit pies, mini-muffins, bagels, and cinnamon bread no raisins. Oma made us Cocoa which I felt like was perfect. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I am like meh, but this year it was good and I am so glad she made a whole gallon of it. After breakfast we opened presents. It was so fun to watch the twins get into the present opening. I was a little worried we may have gone a bit overboard with presents this year, but really once it was all opened, I thought it was great. They each had there own 'big' gift. Kylee got a bow, Tia a skateboard, and Abby and Kade got scooters. Then they got a bunch of wooden tracks and some trains to share. One of my favorite parts of Christmas was when we went outside and setup some wetboard and targets and shot paintballs with Papa's slingshot. While we took turns with that there was skateboarding and some scootering and just enjoyment of perfect weather. I choose not to cook on Christmas so breakfast from Santa, and leftovers and sandwiches for lunch and dinner. It was great. I believe we watched a movie that night and then sent the kids to bed while us adults talked out the night.

Kylee, Tia, Kade, Abby and their stockings

Oma and Papa and their stockings.

Kade

Abby

Oma and Papa

Tia

Kylee

Tia

Kade and Abby

Oma, Papa, Gaupo, Kade, Kylee

Gaupo and Kylee with their bows

Kylee and her bow

After Christmas, Papa and Oma stayed until late on Sunday. The Saturday after Christmas we rode bikes to the park where we scootered, skateboarded, and played outside. We had gorgeous weather. We enjoyed being together. I can't remember specifics, but we just played and enjoyed a day with no plans. Sunday was Church, games, and visiting. It is always kind of hard to say good-bye to Oma and Papa, but we sent them on there way. It actually turned out good because the next day it did snow here. It was so fun to have them here. Family at Christmas is fun.

Papa getting ready to follow Tia down the slide.

The week between Christmas and New Years I took a mom stay-cation. I read a book, planned simple meals, made and ate delicious treats and probably overate on treats and real food. I didn't cook, project, or help kids read. I just took a week to enjoy not having anything. It was great. New Years is pretty low key, but for maybe the first time ever Midnight came way to soon. We started off the night with mini-hotdogs and mac and cheese. Then we went and saw this house that has its light programmed to a radio station. Then we came home and used some hot chocolate bombs that a friend made me and toasted in the New Year with the twins. After we got them to bed, we played Forbidden Island with the big girls and then we had Martinelli's to toast in the New Year with them. Then Gaupo and I pulled out Fall of Rome Pandemic and learned and played that. By then, it was about 11:30 and so we made a birthday sign, wrapped presents for the twins, and blew-up balloons. By then it was time to toast in the New Year.