The Simple Life: 2020 - A Year in Review

As we all know, 2020 brought tons of unexpected challenges. This will quite possibly go down in the history books of our lifetime as one of the most globally challenging years financially, economically, medically, and personally. Families fell apart, people lost their jobs, polarizing views have led to protests and destruction,

I complain about everything 2020 has taken away from us: Time spent with our family and friends, the grandparents seeing the kids grow up, breaks from the mundane of every day life, Oma De Jong's health, security about what the future holds, and some personal freedoms.

As I go through my year of blog posts, I realize 2020 gave us (being my immediate family) as much as it took away, maybe more: Family time (we may never again experience a year where our nuclear family spends this much time together), time to focus on ourselves, perspective as to what really matters, the ability to sacrifice and work together (apart) for the greater good, the power to adapt to significant life changes, new ways to stay connected with friends and family, a baby boom, a new appreciation for our basic freedoms like attending church or going to a friend's house or having a birthday party, family photos (this post has 9 family photos of the 4 of us; more than any other year I'm sure), and so much more.

Looking through these months, I feel like I look genuinely happy and healthy, and reflecting, I think I was (am). I have days where things seem hard, and it's hard to see the light at the end of the COVID tunnel, but it's important to see it as a whole. Perspective.

JANUARY

I started doing Yoga with Adriene

We get a sudden unexpected DUMPING of snow.

We celebrate Gramma's birthday. {Look how close together they all are!}

I help plan and host the President's Scholarship Dinner for the Spartan Foundation.

The Chickalettas plan to take a group photo at church. {Not a significant moment in itself, but in reflection on 2020 as a whole, a very significant moment! Something I very much look forward to happening again}.

We play some hockey in Opa and Oma's demoed kitchen.

FEBRURARY

I make a commitment to myself to be okay to slow down and rest {Oh how little I knew about the year to come!}

We have our last dinner at Bo Bo Moma's house before she is hospitalized and sequestered from all outside visitors for the remainder of the year. {I have seen her once since this day, also in February 2020}

I spend a bunch of money at Stephanie's pampered chef party. {Little do we know it's one of the last times we'll all be together indoors for the forseeable future}

Our dishwasher dies and we get a brand new fancy one!

The kids spend a night at Gramma & Grandpa's {Longing for these days again!}

We go snowshoeing on Grouse with Elissa & Michael and some others, courtesy of our realtors!

MARCH

The toilet paper shortage begins.

The kids and I have the Surrey Museum almost to ourselves - people were starting to get wary due to COVID showing up in Canada.

Sports are cancelled, church is cancelled, store shelves are empty, COVID is amping up.

We have our families over to celebrate David's 29th birthday. {This turns out to be our last big family gathering with no social distancing concerns for the entire 2020 year}.

Let the quarantine begin! We have beautiful weather this spring, and spend a lot of time out front of our house playing. This is a common theme this year.

Dom decides he's ready to potty-train and potty-trains himself in one day!

Zoom enters our lives and we learn to connect with friends and families in a different way.

Everyone is ordered to work from home, or not work at all.

I have a burst of productive energy and decide to paint our bedroom!

APRIL

Sherlock has to have surgery to have a lump removed from his throat/salivary glands.

Introducing: Quaran-team. We are instructed by the Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry, to not gather with anyone outside our household. Since none of us are working outside the home, we decide to join forces and live as one household with Scott & Ashleigh. This becomes our "Quaran-Team" and is definitely a large part of the reason I survive 2020.

We celebrate Easter a little less traditionally. No church, no family dinners, but we do have an Easter Egg hunt.

We take a spontaneous family drive out to the beach in Richmond and to see the planes at the airport.

Uncle Scott & Aunty Ashleigh bring their COVID puppy home! Hello Benny!

Gas is $0.80/L

Gramma and Grandpa bring their COVID puppy home! Hello Hiker! We also start seeing our immediate families outdoors again after 6 weeks of quarantine.

MAY

I am still doing yoga nearly every day, and have been for over 4 months. The results are really starting to show!

Little Miss Emilia turns 2! We celebrate with outdoor, socially-distant family parties.

The kids sleep over at Oma & Opa's because both Dave and I have to be at church filming for a worship service. We take this time to build Dom's new bunk bed, and enjoy the first break from parenting in months!

Our first indoor family gathering since March 14 - Merlot wine tasting in Mom & Dad's new kitchen.

Chickaletta campfire. {We had gone from seeing each other multiple times per week, to not seeing each other for two and a half months}

JUNE

We get grass in our yard!

Our pandemic bubble has officially increased to include our immediate families, but we've created a cozy outdoor space to spend time this summer as well because that is what's recommended.

Our first trip back to the zoo since it opened again after lockdown! {I remember a time in 2019 we went to the zoo with the Chickalettas, and that afternoon Dom developed a crazy fever and got so so sick. I look back at the pictures and cannot believe now that I had him out of the house at all! Think about all those people I exposed to his cold/flu! This year has changed perspective on a lot of things}

The Chickalettas start meeting up semi-weekly at the park again.

We celebrate Father's Day at Gramma & Grandpa's with brunch and mimosas outside. Great year to have a yard - that's for sure!

We celebrate Father's Day, Ashleigh's birthday, Opa's birthday, and Jeff & Marta's non-wedding {it was supposed to be June 26, but had to be cancelled}

I start a new (second) job as Medical Office Assistant at the Community Birth Program, the midwife clinic I had both kids through! It's part-time, 2 days/week.

Dave and I get away for our annual weekend without kids to Osoyoos. This trip previously had to be cancelled as it was scheduled in March for a week after restrictions set in.

JULY

We join Gramma, Grandpa, Aunty Rachel & Rebecca at Cultus Lake for some day camping.

I spontaneously decide to go to the zoo with the two kids - just the three of us. We have such a nice time and even ride the train together!

David builds me a new "office" space in the house. I'm back working at the office occasionally, but it's nice to have my own work space in the home now too!

We find out Scott & Ashleigh are expecting!!!

We celebrate Rebecca's second birthday with a socially distanced BBQ at the park.

We have a family gathering at Rocky Point Park in Port Moody. {Man I miss summer! And beer...}

We have some really hot days in July, so spend a lot of time outside and trying to keep cool!

AUGUST

Hockey returns! It was cancelled mid-season in March, so it returned for a qualifying round and playoffs.

We meet Baby Evelyn.

We get ice cream and have Gramma & Grandpa over for dinner for BC Day.

We find out we are expecting again!!

We announce to my family at a family dinner for Adam's birthday that we are expecting. This day was probably my #1 best day in all of 2020.

We get out to the zoo again! Not a lot of places are open, so it's nice to have our zoo passes to enjoy this safe, outdoor activity.

We have a few dinners at Gramma & Grandpa's in the backyard. I'm so grateful for this time in the summer we could see our families, even if there were no hugs, we had to be extra cautious, and it was short-lived.

We go for breakfast at Opa and Oma Gerber's! This is the only time we have socialized with them in any way other than on Zoom for all of 2020 from March on.

David goes away for a week to Wells Gray Provincial Park for some hiking/photography/videography. This happens to coincide with the start of my morning sickness, and I am in full survival mode for the next 5 weeks. Thank goodness Gramma helps out a lot this week that Dave is away!

I get to meet Baby Lucy! This is the first time I've sat in someone's house other than immediate family since March - craziness!!

SEPTEMBER

Opa and Oma take the kids to the beach one afternoon for a picnic and some gelato!

I inform the midwives that I have to step down from my position. With my morning sickness, extra hours at Spartan Foundation, increased needs at home, and starting my full hours at the midwife clinic it became too much. I am sad to leave that brief chapter behind, but it is definitely what's best!

Dominic starts preschool!

We hear baby's heartbeat for the first time at 10 weeks!

OCTOBER

Masks are mandatory in many indoor public spaces as COVID numbers start to tick up again and the Fall season is upon us.

The Chickalettas take on the zoo!

Our last "normal" indoor dinners with our families for Thanksgiving for the remainder of 2020.

We make our annual trip to the pumpkin patch.

16 Weeks pregnant

We dress the kids up and go Trick-or-Treating for Halloween while Dave sets up his Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone decorations!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kldNAyZ-gL8&ab_channel=DavidKimber

NOVEMBER

We celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary with dinner out at Cactus Club! One of our few 2020 dates.

Spartan Foundation has the Complete Champions Corporate Virtual Reception and we raise over $560,000! A new record! We join the VIP Zoom chat and Dave gets to chat with Shane Doan - maybe a highlight of his year ;)

COVID restrictions are back in full full swing again, and we are not allowed to gather inside anyone's homes, or have anyone in our home. No socializing outside your immediate household.

We get our Christmas tree early this year - no regrets. We were ready for some coziness and something to look forward to.

We get to see our baby at the 20 week ultrasound! We decide not to find out the gender this time around :)

DECEMBER

We are done with diapers for 4 months! Emilia decides she's ready to potty-train, and completes this momentous task within a few days!

We start our Advent activities. A lot of quality family time this year, so we had to get creative to stay home for most of our activities!

I win an Instagram giveaway with lots of locally made goodies!

I venture down the slippery slope and start making sourdough bread! Hopped on that COVID hobby band wagon.

We have outdoor hot dogs and a campfire at Gramma & Grandpa's.

We celebrate my birthday with take out Cactus Club at Mom & Dad's and eat across the house from them. This "normalcy" is so good for my soul.

We have our first Zoom Christmas with our Gerber family.

Surprise! Snow!

We watch the Christmas Eve service from home in jammies and sweats.

We have our Christmas celebration on Christmas day, and also have our Zoom Kimber family Christmas!

Dominic turns 4 and we celebrate with individual, social distanced visits. Not a normal birthday, but so good to see everyone and Dom has a wonderful day.