As I sit down to reflect on the year 2020 I am struck with remembering how excited people were when the year began, to the dramatic shift in how people feel about it now. We started the year with 2020 vision. Memes were every where about vision and starting fresh in the decade. It’s funny how things can change so quickly. And yet in the midst of the chaos, the hurt and the struggle that was this year, I found more to be grateful for and learned how to communicate better with all of those around me. So here is our year in highlights…

1. Jack learned to walk, run, talk and now bike and scooter this year. It was so fun watching him grow and change and experience new things. He has developed such a fun personality this year and even makes little jokes with us. His most recent feat is that he can now crawl out of his crib and loves to walk right in the living room 4 or 5 times after we put him to bed. He also visits us quite frequently in the middle of the night just to give us hugs. We love the affection, however we would prefer it at a later time than 3 a.m. He turned two in December and we have decided that this is the most fun and most challenging stage yet but we love the extra time we have had with him this year.
2. Some of our favorite people beat cancer this year and it was such a highlight. We are still praying for one more to beat it but overall, our family is healthy and thriving.
3. We grew together as a family this year! Andrew and I both worked from home for the majority of the late spring and summer. We loved the extra time we had together. We both found that quarantine made us a stronger team.
4. This year spending so much time at home, we learned to love our home even more than we did before, especially the outdoor spaces, driveway and neighborhood. When you don’t go anywhere it is so nice to be able to walk around outside and love the area. We waved at neighbors and said hello from afar. It reminded me of the old days I have heard about where your neighbors were friends and you spent time on your porches.
5. In 2020 we grew closer in our relationships with friends. Whether it be through zoom calls, swim nights, Thursday night big brother watching or 6 feet socials, we learned if you are going to keep friendships you had to be intentional.
6. In July we took a family trip to Destin with my mom and stepdad. Originally we were going with friends but unfortunately last minute they had to cancel. Luckily my parents were able to go and help with Jack and we had a great time enjoying the beautiful water and seeing Jack love the water…not so much the sand.
7. In July we also traded in my Rav4 and upgraded to a VW Atlas. It is my dream car and I love driving it. It had everything our family needed including rear air which is the main reason we made the switch.
8. In December we celebrated my 30th birthday. It was a small celebration with a few close friends but special none the less. We are hoping to celebrate big this summer when Andrew turns 40.
9. In January we sold our home in Van Buren after 5 months of double mortgage. It was such a relief to have a little bit of wiggle room but it also taught us a valuable lesson in how to budget our food and eat out of our freezer. We learned how to shop more sustainably and it prepared us for going into quarantine in March. I’m so grateful to God that he always provides for our needs.
10. One of the biggest highlights of this year has been connecting with all of you on this platform and through facebook and instagram. We love sharing our life, recipes and decorating with you guys and nothing makes us more happy than when someone tells us they tried a recipe we shared and loved it. It is so cool and we hope to continue and to grow even more this next year.

Thanks so much for being on this journey with us. Here is to year 2021. May we all learn to feed and be fed.

-Rachel