Year in Review 2020

I always like to do this post on December 31st of every year.  It's a look back at what we did this year and all of the highlights!  While this year was different in a lot of ways, I'll be forever grateful for the time I had at home with my children...time I never would have had if it weren't for the corona virus. A truly special time as a working mama and I will cherish it forever!

January - my bestest Kelly visited and Grady got allergy tested and there were no allergies. 

February - we had some friends over for the Superbowl, celebrated Kevin's birthday twice and we went out with friends to a comedy show!

March - Daddy/Daughter Dance, our last weekend of freedom at Great Wolf Lodge and family pictures 

April - we had the best Easter Eve and Easter Day together, front porch pictures and I took the kids golfing

May - Grady turned two, I started going back to my office and my parents came Memorial Day Weekend after not seeing them for 5 months

June - we hung out with our neighbors a lot, pool was open, Mills had surgery, Molly Anne went to her first camp, first and last day of school pictures

July - Molly Anne's birthday party, Pawleys trip for the 4th, at the pool constantly, Maryland trip and a day at the beach

August - Grady started school, Molly Anne started Kindergarten and Mom's 70th Birthday

September - went to our first concert since corona, fun Labor Day Weekend with friends, great weekend and Grady's new class

October - Pumpkin Patch visit, Molly Anne got a new teacher and Halloween

November - Mountains Trip Part One and Two, Oyster Roast and hosted Thanksgiving

December - Seeing Santa, another Festive weekend and Christmas #1 and Christmas Day!

Happy 2021 to all!  I hope you have a wonderful time celebrating and CHEERS to you!

Days Since Christmas

These are some pictures of the rest of the time we had with Nannie and Poppa here!  We love our breakfasts with Poppa - scrapple, cheesy eggs and pulpy OJ! 

Mom and I looked at some fabric samples for curtains we are having made in our dining room and kitchen area. These are from Martha and Ash!





Grady, Dad and I went to the dump which was very exciting and I took a pic as a joke with my neighbor.  We got rid of so many boxes!


On Monday we played outside and chatted with neighbors that walked by. Grady got really good at his scooter! And he is a pro at his tractor of course..!


Blue eyed beauty!



Mom told me that Grady said he was hungry so she went to the outside freezer that he had opened and gave him an ice cream cone.  Pros of having grandparents around!


Mama!


Lucky children to have their Nannie!


Dad!



Grady and Nannie reading!


Tuesday was a sad morning when they left for their haul back up to Maryland! This is what they said when we came back inside from waving bye:

Molly Anne - “my eyes are getting a little bit watery”

Grady - “Nannie Poppa all gone”

The three of us stopped by Onward Reserve to make a couple returns then headed to my office and found a zillion gifts on my desk from very kind co-workers and other colleagues! They always stop and get candy at Ms. Wendy's office!



Hope everyone is having a great week in between Christmas and New Years! I've been in major purge mode.  I got a couple of drawers cleaned out that have been nagging me and I redid our bookshelves which felt really good to do! I needed to look at something different haha!  

Christmas Day

Christmas is so magical with Molly Anne and Grady being 5.5 and 2.5!  They both get it and have so much fun. The excitement of Molly Anne every morning finding our Elf was SO fun. Grady even got in on that too.  I got her on video a few times over the month of December when she was telling me what the elf had done.  

I knew Christmas morning was going to be WHOA for them!

Daddy always walks them down.

Grady wanted a big tractor from Santa and Molly Anne wanted Sandy Slime. He came through with both!  I love this picture of Grady pointing at a little blower his size. Kevin is always blowing our driveway off and now Grady can help!


All of the Jojo and another highlight was getting the Wellie Wisher Camille!


He loves some monster trucks that he calls Mont Trucks!



This toy was a HUGE highlight.  Probably his favorite!











Dad was excited with his solo stove that my brother, SIL, Kevin and I got him!



Grady loves his new scooter!



Chatting with the girls next door Christmas morning about what Santa brought everyone!



Christmas afternoon, Kevin took Molly Anne to see Kevin's parents while Grady napped.  Dad and I hung by the fire and when Grady woke up, he and Mom watched some cartoons together and played with his new toys!



Some Christmas Day pictures!













We had our typical Cream of Crab soup and I skipped the homemade biscuits this year and did some Sister Schuberts instead. 


Mills and his twin pillow! I took so many doubletakes this Christmas season on Mills sitting in a chair when it was only this pillow!




All of the trees I've collected over the years.  I get a new tree every year - some are from CVS, some are from Hobby Lobby and some are from nice boutiquey places!


It was a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve morning I scooted over to the Butcher's Market to get some prime rib for our Christmas Eve dinner! I certainly wasn't expecting a line like this but I think everyone had the same idea! 

Sweet boy and a Christmas tree!

Dad, Mom and I had some bloody mary's while Kevin wrapped up work. 



Best buddies


Appetizers on the porch with a fire!

Molly Anne and Dad checked the temperature of the cookies she baked for Santa and of the fire. 

Dad and I working on the huge hunk of meat! We couldn't mess it up!


MASSIVE 12.5 pounds!


It came out perfectly!  We had it with baked potatoes and caesar salad.



We toasted Uncle Mac whose birthday was 12/24.  We miss him so much but know he was happy we had a drink in memory of him!



We scooted out after dinner to look for Rudolph's nose!  It was so cute and magical and they both loved it!





Putting out the reindeer food!  You haven't lived until you've picked up wet oats from your driveway to make it look like they ate more than they did! 



Putting out the milk and cookies...Santa needed two plates evidently!  She couldn't decide which plate to use...so duh, use both!



Cuties on Christmas Eve! In their matching pajamas! Boys // Girls



Saying goodbye to Achy until next year!

And to all a good night!