2020 Start

I'm grateful for the pictures to help remember some really fun moments since 2020 began. It hasn't been the smoothest of starts to the year but no complaints. We've had a lot of fun moments and the kids are learning and laughing.  Besides soccer and tennis, Paul is spending a good amount of time trying out sarcasm and air quotes these days. I heard Paul tell Lily that Micky Mouse called and he wants his robe back.....it made zero sense but good effort.  He works hard for a laugh.  Elise treasures any time she gets using the Storyboard and Monument Valley apps, time with her friends, and eating sweets.  Lily is very focused on school, tennis, volleyball, and piano; she is having a rough go of it battling nasty lingering viruses. Feel for her. 

We have fit quite a bit in recently...gosh especially Elise looking at all the pictures.


Fondue family night is a tradition to mark the end of a year and the start of a new one.

STEM Like a Girl workshop at PSU was impressive.  Highly recommend. They had to design a moving sculpture out of the supplies provided.

 Girl Scout Cookie season is no joke.  Marked improvement for Elise's selling skills since last year .  Not so shy this year.

Lily and her friend Izzy co-hosted the school talent show.  They were quite the comedic hams up there with several wardrobe changes.

 Date with Elise getting a behind the scenes tour at the zoo.  Thanks Girl Scouts.

 It has now been a year since Lily and I started our weekly 6am tennis date mornings.  Love that time with her.  Love the sunrise on our way home from the courts.

 Oma and Opa despise the squirrels.  Don't mess with Oma and her bird food.  A couple shopping clicks later and now Paul and Opa enjoy squirting squirrels off the bird feeders with a water gun.  

 Super fun night with friends trying out the sport of Curling.  Definitely recommend.

 One of the most beautiful sunrises I've ever seen

  Nate has been busy taking the kids to the mountain when schedule allows.  Elise is really taking to snowboarding. 

 Presidents Day weekend in Seattle for Lily's 3 day volleyball tournament.  The trip was a total bust due to a nasty virus but Nate, Paul, and Elise managed to escape for a day to downtown Seattle.  

 Drove Paul up to Tacoma to take home a 1st place trophy in a tennis tournament.  Wait - Paul said he would never play this tournament again because he didn't actually get a trophy.  Getting 1st place didn't suffice.  I can't say it enough - playing tennis with any of my kids brings me such joy.

 Elise got to take a friend with Dad to a Blazers game for a belated Christmas present

Moxie has definitely landed quite comfortably into the hearts and laps of Oma and Opa.

Elise has been living it up with Girl Scouts lately.  First Aid lesson with a doctor, tour of an animal hospital, behind the scenes zoo tour, upcoming overnight troop trip at a horse stable, and here powering the water hose at the local fire station.  Elise is living it up and learning lots.