December

December - the month of Joy. The month the kids finally got to go back to school. The month when Keaton FINALLY learned how to tie his own darn shoe! :) HA 

No, we love December and were pressed that come hell or high water, this Covid year was NOT going to steal our December sunshine. We would find new things to enjoy, there were lights to see, presents to buy, food to make -- and we did it all. We hit up the We Care Park in Kokomo, which, we found out, is in it's last year......to see/walk through their light display. The kids had actually seen this on TV on the Great Christmas Light Fight -- that's how they learned about the display. We took Grandma & Grandpa Hall along for the trip and really enjoyed the park! The weather was actually perfect too - chilly, but not ridiculous cold! 

Jason did a LOT of trapping in the month of December. Like, I think that's all he did. Work and trap. But, he did happen to take Emmalyn and catch both a coyote and this adorable girl in front of a gorgeous sunset, so it wasn't all boo hoos! 

One Friday evening we ventured down to the new place on campus, Wolfie's, and enjoyed dinner as a family, then took a walk on the Myers Pedestrian Bridge to see the lights there -- though, it was misty so we didn't last too long. Dad likes to think he's made of sugar and will melt in poor weather. Unless he's hunting, then any weather counts! 

Keaton and Ava posing before Christmas Hat day at school! 

Grandma Mandy and Keat came with me and Em to finalize her Christmas outfit while Jason and Colton did more trapping and hunting. 

Colton spent a lot of time with Cole Nantkes in December -- hunting deer, coyotes, trapping.....they had a really great time together and I was thrilled when he shared this photo he took of the sunset and his gun. He knows his Momma loves a good sunset! 

On the Wednesday before Christmas, we kept David for a few hours while Aunt Stef ran some last minute errands with her Mom! We loved having him around! 

Christmas was different this year, in a lot of ways. What hasn't 2020 changed for us? The week before Christmas was a constant battle of if we are getting together, no getting together, getting together but for a shorter time, getting together but masked. We found out Thursday before Christmas that Matt's family was still coming to Grandma & Grandpa's, but they'd all be wearing a mask so that they protected themselves and could spend time with Calvin & Pam who were being very careful. Brad & JAcki went from getting together with each family, to getting together masked, to only porch dropping gifts......

 But, honestly, it wasn't all bad. On Christmas Eve, Church was a little earlier than normal. No Christmas pageant. No singing/caroling. It was short & sweet, but still helped us celebrate the reason for the season -- Jesus birth. We got back to Grandpa & Grandma's and ran through our normal slew of pictures....

Then ate and settled in to open gifts. Once again we were blessed with nice things, lots of laughter, and memories to last forever. 

When Matt was little, he and Dad had matching black and white zebra striped pants that Aunt Marsha got them called Zubaz. Guess what popped up on Amazon this year, and were a MUST buy?

My kids ditched their dress clothes pretty fast and Colton's becoming too cool for pictures with Mom, which makes me so sad.....but thankful for this gem and more importantly, thankful for him! 

Santa came to our house this year and was so good to the kids. A Hoverboard, hoop for the trampoline and a cattle show set for Keaton. The kids each picked out gifts for each other that were perfect hits and they shopped well for DAd and I too. 

Christmas afternoon, Grandpa and Grandma Stockment dropped by to drop off gifts and wound up staying for awhile, but masked. We were so thankful they chose to stay around -- it just wouldn't have been Christmas without time with them. Masked or not, didn't matter to us -- we were just glad to have them here. Covid stole alot this year, but it didn't steal everything! Because of the masks, I didn't get many pictures, by request, but we had a great visit. Uncle Jacob and the kids wound up coming over for Christmas trapping & dinner since Aunt Makayla had to work. It was a great end to an odd, but good Christmas day! 

Early Monday morning, after Christmas, we got a text that Sacred Heart was on fire. My heart sank, but in the midst of all that was going on, I didn't think too much of it, and when I didn't hear much, I assumed the damage wasn't too bad. By afternoon we learned the basement was ruined. The fire had started in the ceiling in the electrical, and had spread quickly through the basement, but thankfully, not much of the sanctuary was harmed. Granted, smoke harmed -- but not physically burnt. I think by the time we found out the extent of the damage, it hit me. For 38 years (minus a few early on in our marriage when we went to other churches) that building has been a second home for me. A place we gathered every single Sunday. With cousins, Aunts, Uncles, my grandparents. We've had weddings, funerals, and fellowship in that building. Our kids have been baptized and received their first communion there. Some memories are milestones, some are etched forever -- but Sacred Heart will always be home. We are so thankful that it wasn't worse. The rebuilding process will begin and we will be back home in Remington within the year. But for awhile, we'll have to find a temporary home. 

To round out the rest of Christmas break, we had a little fun. We went to Monster Golf one afternoon, worked cows alot, and I tried to work where I could. Keaton got to go to Brook's for a playday, and Emmalyn and Addi spent some time together. 

For New Years Eve, we went to church, then to Mom & Dad's for games. I thought it was going to be just us 5 and them, but both of my brothers and their families were there, so that turned out to be a nice evening. We laughed and played some more -- then home by 10:30 or so. As we counted down to the new year, Colton and Jason spied a coyote out the upstairs window -- where they'd been baiting them at the bottom of the hill. Next thing we knew, there was a rattle of the house and a shot out the window. Colton shot one, and they saw blood but they couldn't see where/if it dropped. So, when the ball struck midnight, they were on a coyote chase, while Keaton, Em, Wrigs and I cheered in 2021! 

Overall - we are GLAD to see 2021! We ushered out the bad year, and opened our front door to welcome in a new year. We look back on this trial of a year and think not of things lost, but of things gained. Of ways to do things -- the way the kids adapted so fast to online platforms for learning and how they will dive in to a random virtual day with ease. They talk about zoom meetings like it's no big deal, when 12 months ago -- zoom meetings were for the elite doing business over long distance. They have worn masks to school without a complaint, because it meant they got to go to school. They've had two first days of school - once in August and once when they finally got to go back in December after Quarantine. They've hung there heads for a minute when things were cancelled, taken away, rescheduled -- then raised them up and founds ways to overcome. We've made new memories. Most of all, we've made it. We didn't get 2020 and all the crap it threw our way win, and we know when it's all said and done, God's got this. And thankfully, we've got each other. Much love, 2020 -- it's been real. It's been fun. It hasn't been REAL fun. Anxious to see what 2021 has up her sleeve for us!