This Christmas finds us at home. Oh, wait. We're all stuck at home and we've been stuck at home for 9 months trying to flatten a curve and end a pandemic.
Let's not speak of that.
2020. It was horrific for some. To those of you who suffered this year, you have our love, support and prayers. For us, although difficult at times and lonely almost all of the time, our year was actually fairly good.
Before the world shut down in the spring, Jay, Ethan and Brooke enjoyed an Edward Jones Travel Award Program (TAP) trip to New Zealand in February! It was Ethan's first time crossing that invisible International Dateline and equally invisible Equator. We stayed 2 nights in Auckland before a week stay in Queenstown. While all TAP trips are quite impossible to compare, New Zealand was very likely our favorite and we long to return with Carson because he'd love it equally.
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| A jet boat ride on the Dart River New Zealand. |
We came home and kept quiet for a couple of weeks, just in case we picked up any bug overseas. We have been healthy throughout the year, thankfully!
Two days into Minnesota's shutdown at Eastertime, Brooke broke protocol by going out for a non-essential item. Gasp! Knowing we'd need a little joy during an uncertain, unnerving time, Brooke planned a surprise for the family. Enter: Derek the Parakeet. Named for the goofy character Derek on The Good Place (one of the many shows we binge watched this year), he took a couple of weeks to warm up to us. Today his personality and vocabulary shine and grow daily! He's a bit of a misogynistic bird as he imprinted on Brooke and follows wherever she goes and calls to her if she leaves the room. As for the men in the house, well, he likes Jay and has been investigating him more and more these days. He tolerates Ethan (and Lauren, we should add) when absolutely necessary. He hates Carson with a passion. While we wish he loved the whole family equally, oh, the joy he brings a weary mom is sometimes what gets Brooke through the long days.
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| Derek perched behind our chamber door. |
Distance Learning with Miss Hu Jing began this spring, along with the rest of the country. Her school did a fantastic job in the transition, although the event planner in Brooke thinks they could have sped up the process seeing as we knew a shutdown was very likely. Miss Hu Jing knocked our socks off by earning Student of the Month during one of her final months of 3rd grade at her charter school! Singing her praises doesn't come as often as we ever hoped or dreamed as parents, so this accomplishment was enormous! She attended every Zoom meeting with her teachers and staff, she was quick to learn conference call etiquette (that all important Mute button) and raising her hand when she wished to speak. She completed all assignments with little difficulty and basically rocked the world that month and entire final quarter!
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| Miss Hu Jing receiving her Distance Learning shirt for her 8th Gotcha Day. |
This summer when state borders opened up again we found ourselves without any more TAP trips on the horizon due to Covid cancelling our next planned trip to Ireland. So we went back to our (read: Jay's) love of camping. Okay, we didn't camp. We have grossly outgrown our pop-up trailer. We loaded up the Tahoe with gear, snacks and an absurd amount of hand sanitizer and drove out to some of our favorite locales -- Mt. Rushmore and Yellowstone, spending a couple of nights in very sanitized and limited access cabins. While in Yellowstone, Jay's best friend and his family were shockingly right down the road in their RV. We social distanced at their campsite. As we wrapped up our trip, our curiosity for RVs was peaked.
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| Jay and the kids at Wall Drug in South Dakota. |
Thanks to a boring weekend at home instead of the cabin later this summer, we found a local family selling their 31-foot 2003 Class C Shasta Motorhome. We went to look at it and we became "that RV family." She may be old, but what she lacks in modern décor, she'll make up for in memories for years to come. Besides, while budget inhibits us to renovate our 30 year old, outdated home in mere few months, Brooke is pretty certain she can bring the dated beige and blue RV décor into more modern times fairly easily and inexpensively in 2021. Our first inaugural trip in Treat Yo' Self -- a shout out to another show we binge watched, Parks & Rec -- was to Door County, Wisconsin and Pictured Rock, Michigan. Being fully infected with the RV bug and the knowledge that camping is a fantastic social distancing getaway in our own tenement on wheels, we took off again on camping trip #2 with stops in Union, Illinois to see family and friends around a campfire and then to Mammoth Cave, Kentucky.
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| Treat Yo' Self aka Big Chungus |
Not to forget the woofs, Mack and Reese sure do love camping! We just may need to try a bark collar for Reese as she barks at everything that moves at our campsites. Everywhere we go, fluffy Mack gets all the looks and attention from passersby. But our dogs love hiking trails and walking campgrounds and lounging in the RV. When we get back home they sleep more soundly than we've ever seen and it's quite comical. Both mutts would love to eat Derek the Parakeet, so we have to rotate who is out and about inside our home at any given time.
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| Mack & Reese |
After summer came to a close, Carson began his second year of PSEO at University of Northwestern St. Paul for his senior year of high school. The fall semester 2020 was one of his favorites! He is long distance dating a wonderful girl in Illinois, the daughter of one of Brooke's best friends. We can't say that's not a bit awkward as we fear one day feelings may get hurt that could put Brooke's friendship with one of the dearest women on the planet in danger, yet we think Carson has excellent taste and we love his girlfriend and try to help arrange calendars so the kids can see each other despite the miles. Although he remains unsure of what he'd like pursue as a career, he's hoping that the University of Minnesota will be his next stepping stone after high school graduation in Spring 2021.
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| Carson's Senior Photo Age 17 |
Ethan continues to do homeschool as an 8th grader this year. We still use Sonlight Curriculum and have really enjoyed our learning so far. We have a lot of laughs as we find that many of our lessons can be tied into our favorite binge-watching NBC shows, The Office, Parks & Rec, The Good Place. Ethan continues to be Brooke's sidekick, quick to help in projects of many kinds. This year he has become familiar with pole saws, chainsaws and an axe as we continue to try to clear out an acre of thick buckthorn from our suburban yard. He also installed a new kitchen faucet in the RV as ours broke in Kentucky. He looks forward to the spring when our RV is out of storage and he can learn more about RV set-up, care and maintenance.
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| Ethan fishing on a quick weekend to Chicagoland Age 13 |
In the fall as schools reopened in our area, we elected to stick with Distance Learning for Lauren due to the uncertainty of future school closures during the pandemic. Our girl has never handled change well and staying home would keep up some good consistency for her. Sadly, this fall, we have had the exact opposite experience with the school and their distance learning program. We found ourselves with a child who was struggling immensely and that refueled the fire on all of her Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) behaviors. It has been a joy stealing fall and winter around here and we struggle to help her cope. Prayers are always appreciated!
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| Lauren Hu Jing ready for a day of distance learning Age 10 |
On the job front, Jay has reached Level 8 with Edward Jones and continues to serve his clients and the small town of Zimmerman with all that he has. He loves the company, his coworkers, clients and his Branch Office Administrator who works her tail off to keep the branch office running smoothly. Brooke, on the other hand, has had her tiny pet sitting business on Rover.com shrink immensely due to Covid. In fact, right now she only has 1 regular client that she attends to 2-3 times per week. When the world returns to normalcy, perhaps pet sitters will be in more demand again. Until then, the demands of our RAD child are so great right now, that a lighter Rover calendar is a blessing!
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| Jay and Brooke at the Skyline Queenstown Gondola Queenstown, New Zealand |
We hope and pray that our family and friends are healthy this holiday season. We miss people greatly and long to be able to gather again soon with all of you! Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Jay, Brooke, Carson, Ethan & Lauren
Mack, Reese & Derek too
