Hindsight was 2020

Maybe not the most original title . . . 

Last year was a doozy for most of the world. I'm not even sure I know how to sum it up. We were quietly caught up in some of it just by being human but I am sure we didn't feel the brunt of the hardest of it. The pain, the death, the uncertainty, the loneliness, the economic hardships, the surges of anguish and anger over terrible injustices. Our family just tried to stay home and stay out of the way and not add to any of the worries. I'm not sure that's the best way, but that was our way. 

Personally, we did move forward. We were able to use the unprecedented working remotely situation to our advantage and purchase a home. That was a big step for us. I was almost certain we'd spend the rest of our lives drifting and renting. Actually, part of me would kind of like that--especially if it could be in London (yes, I'm still on about that place. Homesickness is real, even for places that I cannot truly claim as my own.). A place to settle down in an affordable location was always in the plans, though. We worked to save and be ready whenever the time might come. I thought that was years down the road! When the world turned upside down, however, we were prepared to make a decision to buy a house in a week and then just do it. Crazy. I still can't believe we are lucky enough to have a home I'm really excited about every day I wake up. More on that in future.

I have folders and folders of pictures backed up and ready to see the light of day on here. For some reason I'm just feeling like saying words today. Maybe in a second I'll see if I can find just a representative two or three. Who am I kidding? I can't just pick two pictures. It'll be five at the least.

Stepping rather gingerly into 2021, I am of the opinion that it'll continue to be a difficult time for our world. I'm prepared to continue to try and keep a low profile and keep mostly to ourselves. We're plugging along on house projects and homeschool and garden plans. Taking one day at a time. Super big dreams for the future never seem to fade entirely from my imagination so they are still there, too. When I take a step back and reflect, wow, my imagination and biggest hopes could never have prepared me for the amazing people who came to me and intertwine their lives with mine.

Our life spanned half in CA and half in UT this year. I was just finally starting to actually like living in the Bay Area, wouldn't you know. (Isn't that just the way with me? Always lagging behind the times and getting with the program just as it's almost over. Sigh.) We started last year expecting to continue to explore and enjoy the beauties of California. Who really saw what the year would unravel to be? I'm grateful we did still get to go outside and wander a little, though far from other people.

We escaped some of the tensions of the pandemic by staying with family. We were relieved to have some relaxing of the rules, though we still tried to use common sense and respect social boundaries. Thankfully the kids played together nicely almost all the time.

Lots of movie nights occurred. Obviously. 

Henry took interrupting school to a new art. We moved house.

The kids still play with only themselves and when others aren't around. My main hope for this next year, with the hope of the vaccine and other things, is that they can make neighborhood, school, and church friends. Still, this time of being 99% just us has been wonderful.

Addendum: I have been heading this direction for a long while. After much thought I've realized that I no longer want to write and share pictures for an audience. I'm ready to take my family journaling private. I may change my mind in the future, so I am leaving this space in case. I think it much more likely that I'll not return to a public forum for this, especially as the children mature. I hope I can keep/rekindle the enthusiasm I have for making this family record. It has been invaluable to remember and reflect. 

Halloween 2018

It may be the heat of summer talking, but I am thinking fondly of the coming Autumn. I love Fall. As I'm going through the backlog of photos (particularly that year of life where I was only really barely surviving, those pregnancy hormones really doing a number on me) I noticed that I never put up Halloween 2018. The kids really rose to the DIY expectation and made their own holiday pretty fabulous. I love seeing their alter egos come out in their costume choices and creations. Without further ado, here is an early/late Halloween photo reel.

Davy as creeper (did I get that right, son? Some sort of important Minecraft character . . . )

Eliza as ghost.

Eddy as Monopoly Man.

Eliza Kindergarten Highlights

Eliza, of course, is now far beyond Kindergarten now being in 1st grade. (addendum--I began this draft when she still was, but now she's a rising 2nd grader in two weeks!) I was pregnant and just barely making it through each day and I feel sad I didn't record more about her Kindergarten year as it went on. I'll walk down some of the happy moments of the year really quickly here. The first few weeks Eliza came home every day with a crown she'd made for the colors and alphabet letters of the day. I took a picture most days and I'm so glad I did. The crowns won't make it in her paper keeping box--they were worn out with play!--but the pictures show her creations and her spunk. Both of which she has in abundance. She went just for the morning time and I loved walking with her home before lunch. She would hold my hand and talk THE ENTIRE WAY. Oh, I just love her chatter (most of the time). Her teacher was Ms Chan and she loved her so much. Her best friends were Aditi and Chloe. Her teacher told me she was inclusive and kind to the other kids, especially one little girl who was very shy. So proud of her golden spirit.

Eliza's 6th Birthday

(And now she's 7--did I seriously never put these up??) Oh, Eliza at 6. Just look at that amazing hair! She was begging daily for a haircut and a few days after these pictures I relented and we chopped off her whole length. There's a picture somewhere in the black hole of digital storage. She is stunning with long curly and short bob and any style in between. She just is. She's a light and a sweetie from the inside out. 

Christmas Video from 2017

Found in the deep recesses of my files. I think I was thinking to send this out as part of our holiday greeting in 2017 but never got around to it. Originally it was just under a minute and mostly generic clips of kids hands playing with nativities. Sweet but not too special or personal. Then I started watching all the clips of the kids talking and I realized there were too many gems to ignore. And the remnants of their accents?! Too cute. I'm feeling nostalgic and wanting all the memories, so here is five minutes of time from a couple years ago. I think it will just get more precious to me the further away from that time we go. I almost cut out all of the parts with my voice asking questions. I decided to keep them after all, realizing that probably most of what my kids will someday have is this. My image shows up rarely in these kinds of things but they'll have my voice--sometimes strained, sometimes laughing. 

Halloween 2019

I just have to move along. My mind doesn't move chronologically, so why should this record of our family?! In that vein here come some stream of consciousness--whatever is most convenient or pressing--posts, beginning with Halloween.

Here was the run down for the ward party: Charlie Brown and co., a pirate (Eddy made his own hat!), and the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet (Eliza made her headdress!). For real Halloween there was a pirate (thanks for being consistent, Eddy!), Anna, Steve Jobs and the other Steve.

It was fun and festive. We all ate too much candy.