What a year....2020

 My posts these days are few and far between.  Maybe it's because life is busy.  Or because I'm working more.  Or because, as always, I find it hard to keep up with all the moments that I want to etch in my memory and so I get overwhelmed trying to document them here.  Or maybe, just maybe, it could have something to do with 2020 being an absolutely wild and unprecedented year!  Despite it all, we are thriving, still smiling, still laughing, still fighting (I guess a lack of fighting would be cause for concern among 3 kids, right?), and we are definitely still counting our blessings.  My friend Julie and I say multiple times a day "Jesus take the wheel."  :)  

Spring 2020 quarantine couldn't have been more awesome.  The weather was gorgeous, the kids were thrilled to be home and playing outside, and we spent almost everyday clearing out our woods, burning (my favorite past time, as many people know), and golfing in our yard and at the course.  Ben spent hours on the four wheeler, blazing the trails in our woods that had long been covered up.  Paul was home for 2 weeks, furloughed and "unessential" and we loved every minute of the family time.  We spent almost every single day with Joe, Hannah, Dutch and Meadow Hannig and we pretty much became a family of nine for 6 months.  It was wonderful.  The runs, movies, happy hours, bonfires, lake days, pool days, and meals together became standard.  Below are some pictures of our 6 months together.

Some notable items (mostly for us to look back as a family and recall timelines):  

*Luke got in a few baseball games, despite covid restrictions, and had an awesome year.  He led the team in batting and continued to lead the team behind the plate, catching most games.  In the Fall he played flag football through Willmar Community Rec because his 6th grade tackle football season was cancelled due to covid.  Paul coached Luke's team and we had games every Tuesday/Thursday nights.  It was a blast.

*Ben skipped swimming in our pool and any lakes all summer long in order to preserve his arm sleeve that he worked so hard to keep fresh.  We went through $39.50 worth of sharpies, ruined a set of sheets, found black smudges all over our white walls and bathtub and chairs and interior of our cars, and a lot of other places.  It was a battle at times....to balance letting Ben be Ben, and allowing his arm some time to heal from the constant ink, and keeping mom sane as she discovered more sharpie all over the house.  After a month of coaxing, he cleaned it off for good at the end of September.  And just like that, the tattoo stage is completely done (per Ben).  He started tattooing his body when he was 4 or 5 years old.  It makes me slightly sad, but not that sad.  :)

*Paul won the 2020 Club Championship at Little Crow Golf Club in August.  Luke was able to be his caddy and it was such an amazing day and experience.  

*Meredith got her ears pierced in August.  

 

*School started in September and all of my kids (k-6) were in person everyday.  A huge blessing that we did not take for granted.  Despite being out of school for 6 months and going back with tons of restrictions (including wearing masks all day long) they LOVED being back in school and back with their friends.  The structure/routine was something we all needed and they continue to thrive with both, as does mom.

*We traveled with Paul on a work trip to Knoxville, TN over MEA break in October and visited the Great Smoky Mountains.

*Our sweet sister-in-law and best friend and auntie, Hannah, lost her precious dad, Jay Tornquist, to an unexpected heart attack on November 9th.  There are no words to describe the shock and hurt that Hannah and her family are experiencing.  Jay was a dear man that touched more lives that we will ever know.  We are grieving with her and her family, and grieving ourselves for the hole that will be left in our own little family's lives.  Jay was loved by Paul, me, and our kids.