December 2020

 Well, for our last month of 2020, December continued the trend of this being the year like no other, and a year of firsts. 

We started December with remote learning for both me and the girls. Schools were in a state of having so many students needing to be in quarantine, and the health department was so far behind with contact tracing, that all kids K-12 were in a remote learning setting following Thanksgiving. 

This was my set up in my classroom for the class Zoom meetings

Taylor and I working on some of her google classroom assignments together

The girls came to do remote learning at my school in the mornings for a week. There were parapros from my building who were helping out teacher's kiddos in the library with school, while we did our meetings in our classrooms. My principal bought everyone lunch one day! 

This is how I showed up for an appointment one evening. Kind of represents how my mind was occupied with all the things this month! 

Baby yoda! And Mando ;-) 

Kitties helping me wrap ;-) 

Gingerbread houses, of course

Jovie's favorite spot to sleep :) 

Christmas cookie baking at Mem's house

Comparison pictures from 9 years ago! 

Holiday spirit days once we could all be back in school for 1-2 weeks before the holiday break

Cookies and Kiwi Crates at our house 

A walk in downtown Zeeland with the girlies

Ryan trying out his birthday gift - meat shredding forks from Pampered Chef

The girls playing outside on a warm December day!

One of my favorite things about the kitties - the way they will carry around their little toy balls in their mouth

Jovie and Camryn loving on each other

Got to see my buddies AJ and Hannah!!

A white elephant gift I won from school - a chocolate milk mixer/frother

Playdate buddies - exchanging gifts :) 

Camryn got her hair curled before the Christmas Eve service

On our anniversary morning, Ryan left me a little letter in my car :) 

I made him a cake

New Year's Eve night! Just us, again. This is the girls and Ry all settled in downstairs to stay up until the ball drops - while I headed to bed. LOL! 

Getting our tree early meant it came down before January - starting to lose too many needles - he was a good little tree, though!

And I felt like this summed up 2020. It was a year with challenges and disappointments and frustrations and sadness. Like this tree that just wouldn't stay lit this year. Only half of its lights worked at one point. 

But then the next night they all came on. I couldn't believe it. And it felt like a reminder of having hope, and that things will change, and to be open to finding moments of joy and light amongst the darkness. 

Peace out 2020. Curious to see what 2021 will bring.