Year in books - 2021

From the Goodreads app, they provide this cool snapshot for the year.  Always nice to see a retrospective :)

51 books was a good amount of material but I am determined to to a better job getting they more non-fictions in 2022 than what I did this year.

I think 8 of the 51 were non-fiction out of this list- so, definitely a year of enjoyable reading more than anything else.

Jacob is 17

 

I love that we do a plate for each birthday. - I kind of wished we had purchased 20 plates from like a dollar store and done 1 for each birthday and then give them back to the kids for memory keepsakes.

Jacob being 17 is crazy and while I know he didn’t get to spend it how he would have liked…he did still get to sleep in, open presents, play games, eat Chinese food and brownies….and even got to have socially distanced time outside with his girlfriend today.  So - hopefully still a great birthday.  

Covid Christmas

 Trying to maintain some social distancing within the home during Christmas does NOT make for good pictures or for the best family time.

Jaden and Jude shared this couch area to open their stuff

Kristen made a beautiful tree - though very frustrating that Christmas morning one strand went out right in the middle of the tree creating a dark ring.

This is Jacob at the very top of the stairs, Jaden and Jude 2/3rds down so that I can be at the bottom to take the picture…not being too close to Jaden and Jude…while making it look almost like Jacob is near Jaden and Jude…

Jacob in his corner of the living room

Mom in the middle of everything handing out the gifts

Uncle and Aunt - again

 Welcome to the family Lyra!

Kristen is ridiculously excited and already planning her trip to visit this little angel.

Dec 23rd - what else would we be doing?

 

Jacob and I are at the urgent care awaiting Covid testing.  We got here at 7:45, stood outside in line to check in for about 30 minutes- it was coldddd!.  Came in the building and checked in, which was probably 15 minutes?  Waited in the car for about an hour, came inside to the waiting room for another hour, to finally see the nurse around 10:40.  Quick questions and testing to wait the 15 minutes for results.

Leaving at 11:00 - sadly we are positive for Covid and have to now quarantine for 10 days.  Happy holidays indeed :(

Wicked Good Challenge

 

The 18th and 19th had Jacob at his first Club volleyball tournament.  

Jacob’s team played pretty well on Saturday and won 2 of 3 matches.  I went nice and early with him…leaving the house at 6am to get to his first game…and spent till about 2 following him around to his games with Katherine and Katherine’s mom, Melissa, joining me in the sideline watching.

Sunday…while Jacob had Mom, Jaden and Jude to cheer him on, the team did not fare well.

They lost the first match in 2 sets…to the eventual champion and then played a consolation match and won that one 2-0 to close out the tournament.

Award miles

Just a fun memory

Jaden called tonight as he was working on travel plans for his January break from school.

He called about using some miles he had accumulated for signing up for a card - “I have 3,000 miles…my flight is for less than that…how do I use those miles?” 

It was just one of those things that you never have to deal with until you do…so when would you ever learn that 1 mile of award miles doesn’t equal a mile of a flight?”

Well…Jaden was today years old when he learned :)

Jude 14-14-14

 

Today Jude turned 14.

As part of his birthday plans, he wanted to bowl…so we went to PINz and enjoyed some time together.

We ended up on lane 14.

So he turned 14, on December 14 on lane 14 :)

With as badly as he bowled, I wondered if he would hit 14 on that as well…but no such luck :)

Katherine dance recital

 

Amazing to watch Jacob’s girlfriend at her recital tonight.

Many more pictures and videos over the 45 minutes…but fun to get to watch those around us participating in something that they love.

Christmas cookie time

 Kristen made some cookies and did a good job getting the boys to decorate a few.  

2021 birthday

Thank you to my wife, kids and friends for a nice birthday.

Dinner and dessert at home the night of.

Presents

And the next night, a fun night out with friends at a comedy club.  Good memories.

November running goal - check

 Janelle posted that she was going to do 90 miles in November as a fundraiser for ALS in memory of our mom.

We donated, but separately I told her that I would try to run 90 miles during the month in support of that goal and so that she would have company/support, accountability :)

Well, despite the difficulty of missing days for our trip to Colorado for her memorial, I did hit it today!

That was spot of running and I am happy to take a little rest.  My goal is to keep

Running a couple times a week and work on some speed…cause that is SLOW.  But I also want to work on some other training-strength-as I feel I have lost a lot of muscle mass and strength in the last year.