2020 in Review

What a weird year it has been but despite the craziness we have so many blessings to be grateful for. We have been fairly unaffected by the Coronavirus pandemic and are staying healthy and well in our warm home. In fact, this is the healthiest we have ever been as a family, thanks to masks and social distancing. We bought a camping trailer this year and in spite of all the campgrounds being shut down due to the pandemic, we were able to go camping several times as a family. We are loving our trailer and excited to use it over and over again in the years to come.

Together, Russ and Kylee celebrated 11 wonderful years of marriage and got pregnant with our 3^rd baby in July. This is the sickest of Kylee’s pregnancies yet and she is glad to be feeling better as her pregnancy progresses. We will welcome another sweet baby boy in March 2021 and we couldn’t be more excited to add another member to our family!

Russ started working from home in March immediately after the earthquake that happened in Utah but ultimately because of Coronavirus. We are lucky that his company didn’t skip a beat with the pandemic and instead has been growing this year. Russ doesn’t love working from home but me and the kids love it! We don’t have a return date as to when he will work in the office again but it likely won’t be until a vaccine is available. He continues to work for Cornerstone Fund Accounting as a manager and has been there for almost 1.5 years. In his free time, he has been working hard, along with his dad and brother (Bryan), to finish our basement.  

Kylee is a natural born homebody and doesn’t mind one bit being home most the time. She enjoys having her day and calendar free from activities and appointments and just being home with the kiddos. Being sick and pregnant during a pandemic is ideal because there is nowhere to go and nobody to please. She does miss having parties and get-togethers with friends and family, however. She works one day a week at Families First Pediatrics. Since Russ works from home, he is able to watch the kids while she works. In her free time, she enjoys napping and keeping up on her family blog.

Hallie (6) started kindergarten this year and is excelling in her schoolwork. She is an incredible reader and is reading the first book of Harry Potter! Playing with friends is her favorite thing to do and she has been so patient with not having many play dates this year due to COVID. She loves doing artsy things and enjoys coloring a picture for everyone she comes in contact with. She memorized the entire poem of “Twas the Night Before Christmas” and rehearsed it, word for word, with no help, in front of extended family. She started piano lessons this year and is just the kindest, most thoughtful girl. She’s such a great example and helpful little mama to her little brother(s). Her memory, observance and determination never cease to amaze us. She truly will be successful at anything she sets her mind to do.

Brooks (2) is such an easy-going, happy boy. He has a calm and chill demeanor about him. He is easy to please as long as he has his cars, some food and an occasional snuggle session. He idolizes his dad and wants to wear hats like him, pretend to burp like him, ride in his truck, and have him put him to bed every night. We have loved watching his language develop this year and listening to his sweet voice talk. He’s a ray of sunshine and an absolute joy to be around!

We hope that next year is filled with more family time, snuggling a healthy baby, more camping trips and more fun-filled memories!

Kids

It's safe to say that I am obsessed with my kids! I think they are beautiful/handsome, smart and just the best! I will forever be grateful they were sent to me! There is nothing I'd rather be doing then raising them. They are such good buddies and I love watching them play together!

Interview

I had a little New Year’s Eve interview with Hallie today:

What were your favorite parts of 2020?
H: Starting Kindergarten. Holidays.

What were your favorite movies this year?
H: Onward, Harry Potter, Frozen II

What were your favorite books?
H: Harry Potter and Sorcerer's Stone, Pete the Cat: Rocking in my school shoes

What were some of your favorite memories?
H: playing with friends

What did you learn this year?
H: Coronavirus, how to write better, reading

What is one thing you want to do in 2021?
H: Play with friends

If you could go anywhere in the world in 2021, where would you want to go?
H: Disneyland

If you could learn one thing in 2021 what would it be?
H: learn about Jesus

What are you most excited about for this next year?
H: Having fun

If our family could do anything this year what would you want to do?
H: Talk and play

Hallie

Hallie is such a sweet and thoughtful little girl. We loves to write notes, draw pictures and give little gifts to all her friends. For any family party she will make pictures for all her cousins and most of her aunts and uncles too. She is so creative. She loves to play games! She is killing it in school! She is taking piano lessons by my mom and struggles to practice and take pointers from me but still enjoys piano lessons. Oh Hallie girl, I love you!

Cards she wrote to some of her classmates that were having birthdays

I got a stocking at the dollar store for her to color during quiet time one day. She decided it was "baby's" stocking and hung it up with the rest of the family. So cute!

A little art work she made for me!

Penguin artwork at school. She is in the middle back in the black shirt. 

Ornament made at school that we hung on our tree. She's so stinking cute!

Artwork done at school. This one made me laugh because Hallie named the baby "Owen." 

Picture sent to me from her teacher. She's got the sweetest face!

She still sleeps on her floor every night with her new blanket she got from Russ from Christmas and her unicorn blanket she got from Grandma Becky and Grandpa Joe. Her room smells like sweat every morning but she still insists in sleeping with all her blankets!

Brooks

I didn't take a lot of pictures of just Brooks this month but boy do I love him. I still love when he says, "I no yike that," when he doesn't like something. Russ, when Hallie does something she knows she shouldn't do, usually says "Are you kidding me?" in a not so happy voice. So, Brooks, when Hallie does something he doesn't like says, "Ahyeee (Hallie), Are you kidding?" It makes me laugh every time.  

He is such a pleasant and happy boy to be around. I love having him as my little buddy to go anywhere and everywhere with me. He loves to help. He helps me do the dishes almost every day. He loves to help vacuum. He loves to help me clean the bathrooms (which mainly consists of him spraying the bleach spray WAY too many times on any surface). He loves to help his dad or his grandpas in the basement while working. He has a special place in his heart for his Grandpas. He loves both Grandpa Joe and "Grandpa Stan" (as he refers to him) and gets super excited when they come over. 

I don't think he could ever have enough cars but particularly loves cars that pull trailers or connect to trailers to pull. He plays with his cars for hours a day

Christmas 2

Before we could finish opening presents, we had a Zoom call with my family to open presents and talk. Afterwards, the kids played with their toys and Russ and I exchanged gifts. It was nice to have some peace and quiet while they played.

Russ got me some new hoop earrings. Not sure why I thought it was so funny but I really like them!

The Hiding Place. This is a book I have been wanting to read for some time. Hopefully once the baby comes and we adjust to that, I can get back to reading again. I really enjoy it. 

Boots!

A new curling wand/straightener. Hopefully I can figure out how to use this well. 

A thing to make milkshakes. Unfortunately, it doesn't work all that well. 

I went crazy with gifts for Russ this year. He wanted really expensive things for Christmas and I wanted to get him some additional surprises and so he got both!

A phone holder for this truck

A meat slicing knife. This thing is SHARP! I can't believe it didn't come with a protective case along with it. I wouldn't even let Russ open it much until we had a case to put it in. 

A portable phone charger

With how many boxes we get delivered to our house on the weekly, we were overdue for this gift. It is an electric box cutter! It works rreally great. 

A hymn book for me to use to practice the piano

This was probably my favorite gift this year from Russ. He made a bunch of cards with typed out reasons on them of why he loves me. It was so thoughtful! 

                                                                          New joggers

Russ says his office in our house is freezing. I bought him this "cozy toes" platform for him to rest his feet on to keep him warm. 

A multi-purpose charging station for him to put on his nightstand. 

His big surprise! A new I-pod!

We sure are spoiled and so lucky to be able to afford such a fun Christmas! It was a good one.

After Christmas mess!

 

Christmas

We had a fantastic Christmas this year! Brooks and Hallie were so excited, which made it all the more fun. Due to the fact that Brooks didn't nap at all on Christmas Eve, he slept in until about 930 AM today! It was great for Russ and I to sleep in too and we just had Hallie come in our room when she woke up (about 730-8) and she watched a movie. 

We all walked downstairs together to see what Santa brought! Brooks wanted to play with each individual present before moving to the next. It was the best! He was so happy with everything he was given, which was a ton of cars. I can still hear his cute little gasp he had every time he opened another present. Hallie loved her presents as well but is at a tough age where she compares a lot and there is never enough presents for her. I found that we gave too many presents though this year. We gave about 9 presents per kid and I think it would have been perfect at around 5-6. I'll have to remember that for the next year. It is hard, though, because I just want to buy them everything!

COVID made it unique in that we didn't go anywhere for Christmas and stayed home the entire day. The kids played and played with their new toys all day long! We did a zoom call with my family and opened presents from my parents on the zoom conference call. I'm not going to lie, it was nice to just relax and stay home all day.

Santa came!

Stockings are first! Hallie was so patient waiting all morning for Brooks to wake up. So, she opened her stocking stuffers first. It was full of bubble bath, a bath bomb, puzzles, a coloring book and candy!

Hallie was wobbly with her rollerblades at first but, just like everything else in her life, she learns quick and excels. She didn't take her rollerblades off once today and rollerblades all throughout the house on the daily. She's a rollerblade master now! I really think that she will be successful at anything she does in life, as long as she is the one instigating it. 

Brooks got an electronic toothbrush (he wants to use Hallie's every day). He also got white chocolate candy, a bath bomb, and some cars!

And I got a ton of white chocolate candy and some tanning drops!

Russ got candy, drinks and a can of black olives!

We planned to take turns opening presents but decided to have the kids take turns opening their presents and then Russ and I opened our presents to each other in peace while the kids played with their new toys. 

Hallie got some scratch rainbow art. She loves this kit and makes something for someone else pretty much every day!

                                                                         An art easel 

Stamp kit. Can you tell this girl is artsy?!? Haha!

Sushi Go! This girl loves playing games!

Brooks got an art easel as well. I thought the kids would like it but it ends up that they both don't really care for it. 

A drill and screw set. He loves this thing! 

He's definitely a lefty!

Hallie got a Panda piggy bank

An art project that has you put individual (sticky) jewels on the provided outlines to create a picture. 

Sticker art

This present I was pretty excited about. Russ and I gave both kids their very own book where each page was recorded with Russ and I's voices to read to the kids. I thought it would be special to have our voices recorded reading the entire book to them. Hallie got the book Cinderella. I think Hallie may have been a little too big for this present but Brooks loves his!

A bag full of mini dodge balls!

Cars, cars and more cars!!

Lining up all his new cars! He's obsessed with cars!!

We gave both the kids this swing rope thing as an additional thing to hang up on our swing set. It is a fun idea but it's too long for our swing set and therefore doesn't work as well as we would like. We could probably take it camping, though, which would be fun for the kids.  

Brooks' personal book, Jack & The Beanstalk. He LOVES the "Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum" part and so where Russ and I wish him a Merry Christmas and that we loved him at the end of the book!