Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Reflections of 2020

Happy almost New Year's everyone - wow 2020 was certainly a year that none of us will soon forget - it was pretty unreal year, to say the least. I have to say, however you handled the year, you did great, we got through it! I personally was up and down with how I was dealing, but feel like we managed all right through the year! 

I'm a super nostalgic person and I love looking back a moments in time and remembering how it was and picturing myself back there (this is why I'm a big scrapbooker too!), and despite dealing with a pandemic, there was some really amazing moments from this year! 

Family Vacation in Mexico 


Holy shit, remember when we could travel and can you believe it was in 2020? We went to Mexico in early January and stayed in between Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen! We had an absolutely amazing time - we had a huge house with out own swimming pool, a very close walk to the beach. We had toddlers to entertain, so we alternated days close by the house and outing days. The outings were amazing - Xcaret, cenote swimming and cave touring! It was such a great trip and my first time to the East side of Mexico! 

Damian Turned 15 


I can't believe that my oldest son turned 15 this year - it's amazing how fast he is growing up and 15 feels so old! I say it every year, he is such a thoughtful, kind boy and I am crazy proud of the little human he is! 

I Made Macarons for the First Time! 


I've really been trying to focus on my love of baking for the past couple of years and Damian had a school project to cook something from France, so we macarons together for my first time! (And, then I carried on making these for the rest of the year and even did special Halloween and Christmas ones!)

The Covid 19 Pandemic Hit Canada

While, Covid was being reported in 2019, it didn't really start to hit Canada hard until March 17 in Alberta to be exact - we went in to immediate lock down with schools, daycares and public places closing down for months. The pandemic of course continued all year, with ups and downs at different times. We stocked up on craft supplies and made the best with what we could do. During the year, we were all isolated for varying reasons, however, we are very lucky that ourselves and family did not contract covid - we continued on working in person as jails never close no matter what is going on! 

I also used the pandemic to focus on some hobbies that I love, but have been pushed a little to the side - reading (I read 90 books this year!), digital scrapbooking (I finished 2.5 past years!) and baking! It was a silver lining of being home a lot of just focusing on things I like to do for me! One of the hardest parts for me, was my sister and I planned a trip to Italy with my Mom and we were supposed to go in May - we are really hoping for 2021, however, we may have to wait until the following year. 

Elliott Turned 3


It was certainly weird to have a birthday in the early stages of the pandemic, but we did have some outdoor visits with family and made the best of it - Elliott was full in to Spiderman, so he was happy with just our little family celebration! 

Damian Finished Junior High At Home 

I think the craziest thing about this year was school - Damian had to complete his grade 9 online and certainly struggling with focusing and getting everything done. He did manage though and he did the best he could (I honestly had to keep telling myself, I probably wouldn't have dome anything if I had to do school online as a teenager!)

Things Slowly Started to Lift in the Summer 


Things in Alberta started to slowly open back up in a very controlled way - we were able to go to the zoo, swimming pools, etc. in a pre-booked, less people, mask wearing format and it was good. We were able to stay close, but still see family and friends in our cohort and have a little bit of a Summer! 

We Celebrate 5 Years of Marriage 


I was really hoping that every 5 years of marriage, I wanted to go on a trip - I was hoping San Fransisco, but we had an amazing back up plan, Lake Louise! It's actually so close to Calgary, so we didn't have to travel anywhere, but I had never been before. We stayed at the beautiful Chateau Lake Louise and went hiking, canoeing, and had great dinners! It was a lovely weekend away! 

I Have a High-Schooler! 


School started back up in person for school in the Fall and he went in to High School (way to make my feel old!) School looked a little different - only two classes at a time for 3 hours a piece and masking constantly! Damian was really happy to be back in person, and he has done well in his courses. He did end up being a close contact in class so he was in and out of in person classes, and eventually at the end of the year, High Schools were switched to online again! 

Calgary Had a Beautiful Fall 


Honestly, Calgary probably had the most beautiful Fall on record - we honestly usually finish Summer, have one week of Fall and boom, Winter. So, it was amazing to have nice, warmish weather and we were able to spend a lot of time outside together! 

I Finally Got To Be Sally For Halloween! 


I have been seriously trying to be Sally since my oldest son was little - Damian and Mitch never wanted to be part of my costume, so finally this year Elliott wanted to be Jack Skellington and it was perfect! We weren't able to keep up our Halloween party, we did still safely trick or treat and had a great time! 

I Turned 34 in Isolation


Right before my birthday, my husband was declared a close contact of a co-worker who contracted Covid, so we all had to stay home and not see anyone during that time. Our family is great and we had some birthday drop-offs including a homemade tiramisu! 

Finished The Year Back in Lock-Down 


Alberta's Covid numbers really spiked in November and December - we were reaching thousands of cases per day, compared to the start of the pandemic when it was a scary day to see a few hundred. So, in November, High Schools were all switched in person and by mid-December, all indoor and outdoor gathering were not allowed. So, we were only allowed to see our household for the holidays. Again, it was much quieter, but we made the best of it! 


And, I always like to see what you guys are loving and it's a fun mix of everything. As always, thank you for all the love and support! 

I'm wishing you guys all an amazing 2021 - I'm trying to stay positive. At the end of the year, Canada approved two vaccines and they started vaccinating high priority, so it feels like there is a light at the end of the tunnel! 

2 comments :

  1. Awww, I love your diary! And I'm glad no one in your family has contracted COVID since I know you and your husband have been working FT outside of your home. Same with Damien being in school! Here's to an improvement in 2021!

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    1. Thanks Jayne - I hope you have a great 2021 too. I'm really hoping things will improve slowly!

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