A new quiet...

December was quiet, our calendar was pretty empty. I don't think it was just because of Covid, but because of where we are in life right now.  The kids had two weeks of finals and school projects. They were so invested in their studying and learning, it seemed at times that all this Boyen Bunch of mine had going was school! It paid off...they all received great grades. 

Lorelei loves working in the reading room. She is such a hard working student. She has all Pre-AP classes and 3 high school classes this year as an 8th grader. 

Savannah had an outstanding first semester at UT Austin! She made straight A's! She told me she would and she did! Bailey had a successful semester too. Jonas is working to be top of his class...although rankings are not out yet, I know he will be. His current GPA is a 101.8 out of a possible 102!! I love how these guys push themselves and set their own goals. I promise I don't care what grades they get, as long as it's their best work. Their intrinsic motivation is what drives them. 

My mom had a health scare this month, which was not Covid, thankfully, but still required a hospital stay. During my visit one cold, Saturday in December, the girls Facetimed her and decorated her tree for her. Such a simple gesture made such a difference. These girls are quite a riot! 

Lorelei had her 8th grade pictures, Covid style. We drove up to the school, they completed a health screener, took their temperatures, wore their masks till right before the photo was taken. She looked so grown up. I had to snap a picture at home. 

Christmas break started with a visit to Lorelei's favorite doctor, her sleep specialist. She still struggles with sleep and anxiety. After a lot of thought, we are finally going to try anxiety meds. I proud of this girl and hopeful for some relief for her. 

We grabbed some Freddy's after, then headed to Trader Joe's for some Christmas goodies. 

We had some holiday preparations like:

Baking with Nana. 

Fresh haircuts!

Crafting homemade gifts.

Food of course! Homemade tortillas for Taco Tuesday!

Christmas Eve was quiet for a bit...until "Savanta" made an appearance! Savannah was a hoot as our Santa tradition continued with a new twist!

Warning: Photo overload! 

Here comes SAVANTA!!!

Christmas morning calm...

This year we tried something new and only bought for one person in the family. It worked out GREAT! Each person put so much thought and love into the gifts. No one was disappointed or overwhelmed. I helped each one shop, but they used their own money. We all loved it so much. 

Lorelei nailed the gifts for Savannah, with her love of The Office.

Jonas find just the right gifts for Lorelei and she loved each one. 

I had Jonas and filled his closet with trendy new clothes. Despite his face, I promise he was quite happy with his new things. 

Bailey and John had each other and exchanged later in the day...didn't grab a picture though. 

We made a nice breakfast. 

Round two with family.

Second year in a row of homemade sushi for Christmas dinner! Strange but yummy for us!

This girl is a pro at rolling sushi! And kind enough to make everyone's rolls. 

We capped off the night with the latest drink trend, hot cocoa bombs! Cheers!

John and I "celebrated" our 24th Anniversary on Monday. I should say it was more of an acknowledgement! He bought me some new pots and pans, and an electric popcorn maker. We rarely make a big deal out of our anniversary, and that's okay. Next year though...25 years! I might need to get more creative. 

The rest of this week has been lovely and quiet. We've had eye appointments and selected our new glasses. Jonas' got contacts AND started practicing driving! It's weird to think another Boyen is ready to drive!

It's time to say good bye to 2020. I think it really was a successful year, even if Covid changed the way we do things. The best part of the year...all the extra time I had with this Boyen Bunch of mine. 

Here's to 2021! Happy New Year Friends!