Easter

 *Chris' parents came down and we were finally able to celebrate Christmas. Wayne made each one of us a personalized sign, which I just loved!

*This is the only picture I have from Easter. We had my family over and it was the first time we all ate a meal indoors together in months!!

*The kids have been able to have a couple of slumber parties with my sister's girls. I can't believe they leave in only a couple of months already (they will have been here a year)!

I 

*I've had a recent realization that all these years, I've said I love to cook...and I really don't. Baking? Yes. Cooking, not so much. I've tried a few new recipes over the last several weeks and they all have been met with so-so reviews...which hasn't really done much for motivating me to try more. I won't list my regular rotation of meals because it would be a tad embarrassing/pathetic. ;(

*I am now required to go in to work for two hours most days of the week. I otherwise can continue working from home.  I know I will never be able to work from home like this again. Oh, how I have LOVED it. I have gotten into such a great groove in the mornings. After sitting down with my coffee, I allow myself 1-2 minutes of watching this screensaver. So weird, I know, but it relaxes me as I start my day. I also have loved how it has allotted me the time for my morning walks. A couple new podcasts I'm enjoying:

This one just came out with a series on Hitler and it's fascinating!

*On this one they interview famous couples who have been married a long time. Really interesting and fun to listen to.

hiking, shopping, and walking

Passing the year mark of quarantine life was pretty weird and I'm also so thankful that things are looking better with more and more people getting vaccinated. Here are a few things we've been up to:

My dad was unable to make this hike, but this served as Kendall's longest hike to date and she did awesome! This is one of my all time favorites, Murray Hill. The weather was perfect and we had such a fun morning.

The kids were able to attend a one day winter camp with church. I knew they would have a great time, but I didn't know quite how amazing they would claim it was. They both said it made them feel so "normal" with getting to be with friends and do all the winter activities.

A teenage boy's appetite is no joke, however also not a joke is Cam's insatiable appetite for Honey Nut Cheerios. It is very common to see him walking around the house holding the Costco-size bag, snacking as he goes. :)

We went on a really pretty nature walk/hike in Indian Canyon (Palm Springs) with the whole family.

Lauren, one of our cousins, came over to spend the night. She and Kendall slept out on the trampoline, baked, and talked, talked, and did more talking. ;)

We went shopping one afternoon with my sister, her girls, and my mom. Kendall had such a fun time  that she has requested we go again for her birthday. :)

Yesterday we attended a Beaumont 5K. Cam ran and the three of us walked. It was FREEZING starting out, but luckily we quickly warmed up and we had a great time.

still more outside!

 Not much has changed since I last blogged in that all of our family get togethers have continued to take place outside. We are hopeful seeing the numbers go down a little as well as the fact that both my parents (since they are 65+) and I  (since I work in education) have been able to get the first vaccine. We continue to make the most of what we are able to do.

A few nature walks...

A hike with just myself and the kids...

Joshua Tree to celebrate my niece's birthday...

A pandemic will never keep us away from our beloved Cheesecake Factory. We got our order to go and had such a nice lunch out in the desert.

The kids were so excited in the days leading up to our snow. It may not have been much, but for us it was pretty magical to watch...

This is one of our favorite and most unique hikes. It's quite a ways away and I always find myself wondering as we drive, "Is this really worth it?" But it never disappoints...

Outside and more outside

Our Christmas break ends tomorrow and has looked so different than in years past. Over the past several weeks, I often thought of the thousands of hospital workers who were/are so inundated with patients and scrambling to find room and staff to help them. The thought of how much they are risking for us has driven us to take our part in attempting to be safe a little more seriously. So while we haven't been perfect, the theme in our outings or get togethers with family has been outside. Lot's of outside. ;) Because of that, I've  been reminded of how grateful I am that we live in a state in which our weather has allowed us the ability to still have so much fun over the break. 

We spent our Thanksgiving break camping with my family in San Clemente.

We introduced my sister and her girls to one of my all time favorite hikes in the desert, Murray Hill. My dad joined as well and we had a great time.

We made the very not fun decision of not going up to my in-laws as that was when the numbers were increasing SO rapidly. We were all incredibly bummed, but we were still able to have a nice Christmas. Here is one of my favorite gifts Chris gave me. I wear it all the time!

Freezing temperatures will never stop a good game of Among Us!

The kids and I had a super fun time scootering around Newport.

We introduced the cousins to it the following week. :)

Using a Cold Stone gift card from Christmas!

This next admission makes me feel very old, but my new FAVORITE activity is to relax in front of a good screen saver (there are tons on Youtube). One of my favorites is simply a Hogwarts castle setting, with rain sounds. It is sooo relaxing to sit and either read, or just watch while I drink coffee. My favorite time to enjoy it is in the morning when it's dark and I'm the only one up. I am often teased by my sweet family, but I really don't care. ;) 

in person assessments

 *We had a fun evening celebrating my niece's 16th birthday.

*Halloween this year looked different, but actually not all that different. During the day, we helped out at our church's Trunk-or-Treat by decorating our car and handing out candy. My sister and I decorated our cars the same, which made it a little easier. :)

*Initially we weren't sure how many houses would participate in trick-or-treating, however we were pleasantly surprised, as were the kids considering how much candy they came home with! We made sure they put their masks on when they went to each door and many people seemed happy that kids were knocking at their doors. :)

*I recently started doing a few in person assessments. There are a lot of safety procedures involved, both before the actual day of testing as well as on the day! 

*Last weekend we visited my in-laws. It was a quick trip, but fun to have a break from the daily routine! Lots of Hallmark movies, baking, and relaxing!

On one of the nights, Debbie made us a homemade pizza bar. We created our own pizzas, which included choosing from 21 toppings!! :)

*I continue to LOVE my early morning walks. This morning's sunrise was especially pretty. You can't beat a cool morning where the streets are quiet and you feel like the only one up. 

*On my way back, a home had placed a bunch of stuff on the sidewalk to give away. I couldn't believe they were giving away a huge bag of assorted gift bags and wrapping paper. Luckily the house was nearby because it was heavy!

*Yesterday we decorated for Christmas!! :)

coffee

 *Chris and his brother took the kids to the beach a couple weeks back. Here are Cam and Craig hanging out.

*Kendall joined us on our last couple of rides. She really liked them and I find myself secretly hoping she continues to. I would love it if she also started joining in from now on...especially since having her along on our hikes has been such fun.

 

*After a couple weeks of working from home full time, my neck started to feel the effects of constantly looking down at my computer. Chris was able to connect my monitor to the TV, which has made a huge difference!

*A highlight of every morning! I've switched from my usual flavored creamer and now just use plain cream along with a flavored coffee.

*I have had a lot of reasons over the years for not being on social media. This show touches on several. It's a very good watch.

*I have zero pictures from this past week and the various ways we celebrated Chris' birthday. But one way was making him a batch of his all time favorite cookie: