Tuesday, December 29, 2020

2020 Recap and 2021 WotY

It's been a year since my last blog.  Because, well, it's been.a.year.

In that last blog, I recapped 2019 and looked ahead to 2020 with the word "Family" as the one that would guide me through.

And, true to its word, Family - my dad, my husband, my children, but also my aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who are so close that they are practically Family - did guide me through what ended up being an overall not-so-very merry 2020.

I had big hopes for this year.  My extended family was going to suprise my parents by coming for Easter and their 40th wedding anniversary.  X was making his First Communion.  We were going on a month-long trip to the Philippines over the summer, where my parents would help show my kids their heritage.  I was finally moving back to teaching second grade and a classroom I helped design.  All was going to be awesome.

And then it wasn't.  Yes, I know that everyone had a pretty terrible 2020 due to COVID and quarantine.  If I'm being totally honest, though, I actually didn't mind most of the shutdown.  We are a family that is usually on-the-go....planning our next vacation or road trip.  This quarantine helped us appreciate life in the home more and helped us realize that there's lots of pleasure to be had in just being present.  The kids mastered their cooking skills (mom even showed them how to make some favorite Filipino dishes), and I tried my hand at bread baking.  (Months later, I'm still trying to get that quarantine weight under control.  Even though we made a point to exercise daily, the calorie intake definitely wasn't proportional!)  We enjoyed more Family time -  played lots of board games, read tons of books, did lots of crafting, and worked on some "quaran-tets".

Game nights became the new norm.


What's more socially distant than camping?

We made it a point to exercise daily.  Family bike rides were always a fave.

To prepare for First Communion, I created a VBS at home.  We ended up having a blast!

So.much.cooking.and.baking!

We did Family Camp at Widji - one of the best experiences, even despite Justin's foot injury.

Chocolate babka

I'm not saying that the quarantine didn't have its challenges, of course.  For a while, Justin slept on an air mattress, had his own designated bathroom, and kept as much distance from us as possible since we were  concerned about exposing my mom.  There was a weekend where the stress got too much for all of us and we ended up camping out at a friend's house who had been spending their quarantine in Florida.  And how can we forget the element of virtual school?  Teaching virtually was something to get used to and was definitely not ideal, and having two elementary-aged children who also were doing their lessons online made things more than just a little tricky, but we made the most of it and actually started to not mind it much at all.  

COVID definitely helped fill the year with lots of disappointments.  The suprise Easter/Anniversary party never happened.  Xavier's First Communion was twice postponed, and he was very upset that it was not the big celebratory event with lots of family and friends that it was the year before when Lissie made hers.  (It was still a beautiful occasion, but it had to be just the core four of us since we wanted my parents to stay home due to COVID concerns.)  Our big trip to the Philippines was cancelled.  Going back to school in the fall was exciting but different in that I had to change rooms twice (first grade to second grade then to the music room to help allow for social distancing) and add in all of the other safety precautions to the standard curriculum.  

My parents' Easter-versary was a much lower-key event than we originally planned.

Xavier's First Communion


But what I will remember most about 2020 is that this was the year I lost my mom.  She had battled cancer for three years, and she did it so effortlessy that most of the time I failed to see its effects on her.  Even to the end when she was weak and obviously in pain, she always exuded strength.  She truly suffered silently, and as I said in my eulogy - I now see how Jesus endured his agony on the cross.  It was all about Faith and the knowledge that there would be pain-free glory in the resurrection and the world to come.  

Of course it doesn't make me miss her any less, though.  Life without her has not been easy.  We may not have been the type to always say "I love you" but we confided in each other always, and I looked for her input in just about everything.  The "firsts" without her have been difficult - my birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas.  2021 will be my first full year without her, and thinking about it that way makes it near impossible to move forward.

Which is why my 2021 WotY is Strength. 

  • Because yes, while life without my mom sometimes seems unbearable, it's definitely not un-doable - I just need to find Strength to carry on.  
  • Because while I want to wallow in self-pity and do nothing but watch Netflix or read, I need to find Strength to move past it and focus on my Family First.
  • Because, quite literally, I need to incorporate more intensive exercise and Strength-training into my life because, well, COVID (and stress) weight gain have gotten the best of me. 
  • Because, in 2021, my ultimate priorities are to Strengthen my spirit, mind, body, and character. 
  • Because of this quote from Proverbs 31:25:


So, bring it on, 2021.  Let's see what you got.  I'm ready for you.

But, before I do, here are some of my bright lights of 2020.

Xavier made his First Reconciliation! 
(This was just practice.)

Before COVID, our church had a trivia night. 
Our team was The Sharpest Crayons in the Box.

Again, pre-COVID, we had X to ourselves for a weekend 
so we took him on a mini-staycation at the Drury.

Pre-COVID, post-tornado: We helped sort donations for Gideon's Army.

Our last hurrah before the shutdown.  
We made it to Destin for spring break literally moments before the world turned upside down.

Family hikes and waterfalls.  And ice cream, of course.

Chihuly at Cheekwood

Wilderness at the Smokies before school started

Spa Day tradition with the best.girls.ever.

We started school in-person and stayed that way for an entire semester! 
 I was also nominated as a Classroom Hero.

My cousins came down for my mom's funeral and we shared a toast honoring her and my grandmother.

Lissie took it upon herself to make masks and scrunchies out of her uniform for donations to St. Jude Children's Hospital.  She raised almost $1,000 for her cause.

We spent Fall Break in Michigan, and the family time was much needed!

New car and a road trip to Atlanta!

2020 = the year of Cosmas

A little bit of merry in an overall un-merry year.










Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Year End Recap and My 2020 Word of the Year

Image result for 2019 to 2020 images

Well, we did it!  Just a few more hours left in 2019, and we're getting ready to ring in not just a new year - but a new decade!  This year, the kids are determined to stay up until midnight to ring in the new year.  Last year they fell asleep at 11:50, so we'll see.  So far, we've spent the day riding bikes, making an elaborate feast (braised short ribs, brussels sprouts, lobster and shrimp pasta) and ginataan, playing games, and watching movies.  We'll see how long they last!

I tried my hand at a Word of the Year in 2019, and it really helped me stay focused on what I wanted to achieve.  My word was Memories, and I really do feel that I had done my best in creating a year full of moments to remember.

Our big Christmas gift of 2018 was in the form of monthly letters that included family experiences - some big, some small - for us to enjoy.  My kids loved them all so much that they begged us to do it again next year....something that I gladly obliged!  

Here are some of our "big" family moments of the year (with a link to the corresponding post):

August and September: Atlanta trip and camping
October and November: Gulf Shores and camping

My 2020 Word of the Year is similar.  My word is Family.  Why?  2020 is the year we are planning our big trip to the Philippines to introduce the kiddos to their heritage and meet relatives they've never even known.  2020 may also bring the wedding of Lissie's godfather (date hasn't been determined, though).  I want my kids to know their family - not just me and Justin or even Lolo and Lola, but the huge extended family that I know and don't get to reconnect with often.  And, with the continuation of our monthly family experiences, we will continue to make the memories that I also long to create!

Happy Happy New Year!

December 2019



December, as always, is a busy one.  This year, the majority of tour time was spent with basketball practices and games and Santa sightings.  Mom spent some time in the hospital for an inpatient chemo treatment which left her weak for a good chunk of the month.  The kids were good about letting her heal, but it was difficult to see their Lola struggle.  Luckily she regained her energy in time for the holidays, though!
Xavier's patron saint's feast day!  We celebrated with extra prayers and a pokemon cupcake.
Feast of St. Nick!  He forgot to put treats in their shoes they left out by their bedroom,
but he sneakily snuck into the garage instead!
Santa visit at a gingerbread party.  X had requested a multiplication book.
Their results of the gingerbread party!
The Franklin Christmas parade.
Visit with Santa at our church St. Nick breakfast.
Lissie's first basketball victory!
Dicken's Christmas Festival


Xavier ended his Fall Basketball Season - can't wait for the Winter session next month!
They insisted that I keep the tradition alive: matching homemade PJs to wear on Christmas Eve!
The season of giving - helping me donate some items for the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital Holiday House
Donating leftovers from school parties to Nashville Rescue Mission
Our "big" family experience was a trip to Cincinnati to visit with old friends.  We had so much fun catching up with friends who just moved back from a stint in Germany, learning how to play gaga ball, and then checking out the zoo lights with some other friends who moved from Nashville to Cincy in tow, as well.  Unfortunately, I could see that Xavier was slowly fading....only to spike a huge fever overnight which cut our visit short.   We quickly stopped at Xavier University for his obligatory picture before heading back home with a pitstop to the pediatrician who confirmed a case of the flu.  Since we are actively always trying to keep mom as healthy as possible, we decided to dose up on Tamiflu and get a hotel close to home to get the contagious germy germs out of the way and for Xavier to heal up in time for Christmas.  Thankfully with Tamiflu and our previously administered flu shots, he was up and at them in just a few days and we had a wonderful family Christmas.
We stayed at an awesome hotel that had a fabulous pool!


Can't go to Cincy without a visit to IKEA!

Our friends had leftover snow!
Despite not seeing each other for a couple of years, they hit it off again right off the bat!
So many children!

Mesmerized by the zoo lights!

Skyline Chili -  yum!
Obligatory Xavier shot
Confirmed flu - poor kid.
After our unexpected hotel stay, we only had one more day to get ready for the Christmas festivities.  The bulk of the cooking fell on me this year, as mom hasn't felt up for doing much in the kitchen.  Luckily Lissie was a willing helper in the kitchen!
Dessert made!
On Christmas Eve, we made our gingerbread village and cookies for Santa.  We opted to not go to Christmas Eve Mass (although Justin did play the violin at our church service) as we wanted to go as a family when Xavier was totally fever-free.


Health mask didn't stop him!
Our feast of lasagna, ham, salmon, and calamari. 
Santa came!
A school set for her American Girl doll!
New kindles!




Christmas Dinner: Brussels sproutes, prime rib, daddy's mac and cheese, and leftover ham and salmon

We didn't have time earlier in the month to do our surprise Christmas light adventure, so we did it on Christmas!  
After the Christmas festivities, we continued to enjoy our break with Xavier's half birthday, Lolo's birthday, a trip to the zoo, bike rides, and a trip to the Frist Art Museum.  Thank goodness for a mild winter so far!
Xavier's half birthday!  Working through his multiplication book that he requested from Santa.


We didn't see the Zooluminations at night, but they were still super cool during the day!


Happy birthday, Lolo!

I wanted to check out the Eric Carle exhibit at the Frist since I'm going on a field trip in February, and they were willing helpers!



Helping make the New Year's ginataan with Lola.
 Despite our "busy-ness," December was full of lots of family memories.  And for that, of course, I'm always grateful.  It was a great last month of the year!




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