20/20 Hindsight

Now that 2020 is finally over, we can take a look back at how the US compared to my family did in these past 12 months. As the saying goes: hindsight is 20/20, which means: It's easier to analyze and evaluate situations when we're looking back on them in the past, than when we're in the present moment. The word hindsight refers to looking back or reflecting on things in the past, and 20/20 refers to perfect vision. While I'm not going to analyze each situation, I just want to bring attention to the ones that consumed us the most during that specific month. 

JANUARY 2020:

During the first week of the year, tensions between Iran and the US escalated and the president pushed us almost to the brink of another war. Also, the tragic helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and his daughter as well as 7 others on board.

Derrick and I were lucky enough to buy some tickets to see Hamilton live at the TPAC. One of two the only two date nights for us this year. Amelia and her class during the annual school fundraiser run and Elliot's 100th day of Kindergarten: 

FEBRUARY 2020:

On February 21, first responders responded to a bee sting in Texas. While responding, the first responders were attack by a swarm of 40,000 bees. The bees stung a total of 7 people before a beekeeper was able to safely remove the hive. (CNN) Shootings across America continue with the mass shootings in Milwaukee at the Molson Coors factory being one of the deadliest with 5 fatalities. 

The hard work and training paid of for Derrick and his little league basketball team as they won the season 10-0. We also attended a Mother-Son and a Daddy-Daughter dance. 

MARCH 2020:

A series of tornadoes slammed into the Nashville area in early March, leaving behind incredible heartbreak and destruction, ultimately killing 25 people, including 5 children. All the while, the Coronavirus is spreading like wildfires all over the globe. 

Before the first lockdown began in the middle of the month, all the Kindergartner's had their music performance at school. This was the last outing before our our quarantine life at home began on March 14th.

APRIL 2020:

Most of the country is in a lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19; however, the government is downplaying the severity and is not taking enough measures to get the spread under control. 

Unfortunately, first Elliot, then Derrick, and now myself caught the virus (most likely from school) and I spent almost 4 weeks this month trying to get better. It was one of the worst illnesses I ever experienced. 

MAY 2020: 

A long-lived line of thunderstorms, known as a derecho, brought severe wind gusts to Nashville and surrounding areas. The intense storms caused straight-line wind damage along a path that stretched for more than 600 miles, and in Nashville, the winds were clocked at up to 71 mph and leaving more than 130,000 in the city without power. The country was outraged by the violent death of George Floyd and soon Black Lives Matter protests began all over the country. 

We welcomed a new family member: Ella and ended the abruptly shortened school year with a "field trip" to the strawberry patch. 

JUNE 2020:

While the protest get more violent and the government, once again, continues to spew gas in to the fire, the pandemic is far from over even though people are getting less careful and defy government orders. 

We spent lots and lots of hours outdoors (gardening, running, biking, swimming, catching fireflies) that month all while adhering to social distance measures. 

JULY 2020: 
All 50 states issued a warning regarding the suspicious packages of seeds being randomly delivered to homes. With the Trump administration pushing for colleges and schools to reopen, many are worried the reopening could worsen the current racial impacts and exposing students and parents to the virus, making the pandemic worse. 

We celebrated 10 years of marriage by trying on my old wedding gown and celebrating with the kids,  music and a glass of wine on the front porch. We also ventured out and visited Kentucky Down Under, adhering to social distancing, and spending lots of hours at the Y pool and the lake fishing. The children had one week of normalcy, each attending a summer day camp. 

AUGUST 2020:

While the president denies that climate change exists, it can be seen and felt everywhere. From record setting heat in Phoenix (100F+ for 144 days), hurricanes battering the southern States (including Hurricane Laura which made landfall as a Cat 4) and dumped lots of rain on us in TN, and raging wildfires on the West Coast. 

Due to the pandemic, we were not able fly to Germany and attend my father's wedding. The kids started virtual school, which was a huge learning curve for all of us but they preserved and we are making it work between helping them with school and tackling our full-time jobs from home. 

SEPTEMBER 2020:

It is election year and it is a nightmare: between States suing USPS for false statements, the president claiming that mail-in ballots will cause fraud only if he looses the election, and the first presidential debate. It was a disgrace to see a sitting president act like a toddler by interrupting and shouting at his opponent. 

We enjoyed a much visit with some of our favorite people: a quick and safe visit from Uncle Lee and Ryan and a zoo trip with Mrs. Ingham. 

OCTOBER 2020:

Various states reported record-breaking numbers regarding early votes ahead of the November 3 election. The pandemic is far from under control and cases rise to new record braking numbers all across the country this month. Due to not adhering to social distancing measures or wearing a mask, the president and several of his entourage are testing positive for Covid-19. He downplays the severity and continues to put his staff at risk by driving around in a min-parade around the hospital. 

After being cooped up at home for the past 6 months, we needed to get out. Two nights at a cabin in a State Park and a quick visit to Atlanta to renew our German passports was just what we needed. I also ran my first ever half marathon (virtually). 

NOVEMBER 2020:

After several days of waiting for all ballots to be counted, it is finally official: Joe Biden will be the new president of the United States of America. This also makes Vice President-elect Kamala Harris the first female VP, as well as the first African and Asian American to win the title. However, Trump continues to dispute the results, claiming election fraud, despite loosing lawsuits he filed against certain States.

We celebrated Friendsgiving with our "pandemic-pod" (Bettina, Dominik and Evie). This year, we needed something uplifting and started to decorate for Christmas early. 

DECEMBER 2020:

By 12/31 the pandemic continues to escalate and the US officially surpassed 20 million coronavirus cases and over 350,000 deaths. Tennessee is taking over the number one spot for daily new infections per capita. On Christmas Day morning, a suicide bomber detonated a RV bomb in downtown Nashville, TN, injuring eight people and damaging more than 40 buildings; thereby, destroying an ATT data center, causing  days-long communication service outages for many Tennesseans. 

Despite limited advent activities this year, we made the most of this holiday season: watching Christmas movies together, playing games and spending a relaxing Christmas together. After the stress and anxiety of the past few months, we are more than grateful to end this crazy year being healthy, together under one roof and well-fed. After 10 months of being cooped up together at home, we might be a bit (stir) crazy but we still love each other and will be come out of this pandemic stronger than we were before.

What a year 2020 was...lucky for us, I don't think 2021 can beat that. Having high hopes that most of 2021 will bring be health, happiness and some normalcy back to our lives. 

Christmas 2020

While this year has been anything but, we made sure that Christmas is like any other Christmas day...time spent together as family, relaxing and enjoying our food and gifts. Both children were really excited leading up to Christmas Day and all their cheer and excitement is what makes this day so special. I know this is probably the last year Amelia believes in the magic of Christmas as she already seemed to question certain things this year. So I tried to savor every moment and the sparkles in their eyes. 

All the gifts were wrapped and I felt great of being done early this year with shopping so that I could enjoy Christmas Eve without being out and about, especially while we are in another Covid spike here. That was until my little boy loses his favorite football to the drainage pipe the day before Christmas, mommy steps into action and hunts down another one in the freezing cold. Three stores were a no-go but I found the same one he lost at Walmart. Luckily, it wasn't crowded yet. I felt like a kid in a candy store when I saw it. He even wrote a letter for the elves to take back to the North Pole so that Santa knows that he needs a new football.  It is not about the value ($4) but he was heartbroken when he lost it and will be overjoyed to find it in his stocking. Because Santa knows and he still believes! 

While out and about, I picked up some treats for the neighbors..Shipley donuts are the best!

Since we were not able to attend the Christmas Eve service in the barn this year due to the pandemic, we bundled up and took a stroll around the neighborhood in freezing temperatures on Christmas Eve. 

We all watched a movie, fed the reindeers and put out the cookies before reading T'was the before Christmas. And then Santa came. He brought a special photograph for each child too:

Merry Christmas!

We all got plenty of gifts and enjoyed unwrapping every single one:

My most precious gift was a hand-written letter from each child: 

And a charm bracelet from my dear friend, Bettina. The hubby and my parents got me a couple of charms as well and now it tells a story:

Being with each other:

My love:

Our traditional German Christmas meal (duck, red cabbage, and dumplings) was delicious and we all savored it:

While we sat and celebrated, we heard the news that in the morning, a bomb had exploded in downtown Nashville. Luckily, people were warned and "only" 3 people were injured but nonetheless it was an attack and countless people had to leave their loved ones behind to investigate and assist in this matter. Phone and internet services were down for many people and the airport was closed too. It is saddening and hits awfully close to home. Can't wait for 2020 to be over and start off fresh in to 2021. 

We hope you all enjoyed a Merry Christmas. According to our kids, it was "the best one yet."

Merry Christmas 2020

 

Dear Family and Friends, 

We hope this annual Christmas letter finds you doing well, physically and mentally,…one of the most important things in 2020. This year has been a unique year and not what we expected at all. It has been hard ─ and downright scary at times ─ and it challenged all of us in the way we think and operate. And while it temporarily disturbed my views on humanity, it also taught us to be more patient, to love one another for who we are and to stand united against all the unfairness, hate and disasters the world has seen this year. May every one of you know that you are loved and missed dearly! 

There were many days in 2020 that felt too hard to comprehend and to see the good that this year brought. From too many fires on the West Coast, to the continuation of unnecessary police violence and the resulting protests, the racism and divide our country experienced, the Tornado that came flying thru Nashville right before Covid hit, the multiple hurricanes that hit the Gulf Coast States, a faltering economy, a heated election year and on top of that the consequences the Coronavirus brought with it. 

While Covid-19 affected three of us directly in March/ April and had me in its grip for 4+ weeks, I’m grateful to have escaped it with only minor long-term effects. Moreover, I am even more grateful that my family and friends, near and dear to my heart, have so far escaped this deadly virus. 

But 2020 also had its good sides: While the year started off hectic with lots of work, school assignments and Elliot’s first basketball season with Derrick as the team’s coach, these two had a great time practicing and playing together. Even though Elliot was the youngest on his team, he also was one of the three superstars and the one that played with the most heart. It was a great season for them and Derrick led his team to a 10-0 win. In February, Elliot and I went to our first Mother-Son Dance and the next evening, Derrick took Amelia to their first Father-Daughter Dance. Two nights of dancing and spending some quality time together are priceless memories. We also welcomed a new member to the family in May: a kitten named Ella. She rounds out our pet circus and is a joy to have around. 

During the pandemic, as a family, we went on countless walks thru our neighborhood and the local park and visited the zoo every few weeks. The hot summer days, we spent mostly at our local YMCA pool, which adhered to all the safety measurements and was astoundingly empty on most days. Both children attended safely one week of summer camp: Elliot and three other boys from his K class went each day to his teacher’s big property and had a blast together while Amelia attended her annual art camp and loved using her creativity to make things. Derrick worked tirelessly on fixing up the backyard by lugging in tons and tons of dirt to flatten out the terrain while I focused on my vegetable garden and indoor decorating. The boys played lots of tennis while the girls worked on their endurance. Amelia now runs easily a mile and I go running 4-6 times a week to get some me-time and keep my sanity. I completed my first ever half marathon (virtually) in October and I am very satisfied with the result of accomplishing it on my own, no racing atmosphere, in 1:44:44. Next to his regular job, Derrick also works on his contracting license with the government (lots of studying and test taking at night) to provide him with future job opportunities. Derrick and I also celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary with a backyard DIY photoshoot in the wedding attire and a lovely home cooked family meal. It was delightful and perfect!

As part of a cost saving initiative, my company furloughed me to part-time back in April and while it was not what I wanted, it did work out well for our family as I had enough time to work with the children on some homework assignments, play together, go to the pool and be there for them. It allowed me to be focus on my mom role during a time where we are all stuck at home. Since September, I am back to my full-time status and while working from home provides us more flexibility (next to staying safe), it makes it harder to distinguish between working hours and home life as work is only a step away. 

While we wished for more time together, we never expected in March, when the first lockdowns began, that we would be all home together, 24/7, for the remainder of the year. For over 9 months now, all four of us have been working/ schooling from home and while some days are harder than others, we make it work. The children adapted well to their virtual schooling even though it was quite an adjustment and a huge learning curve for all of us in the beginning. I am so proud of how well our children adjusted to not going to school, not playing with their friends, spending all summer at home instead of going from camp to camp or being on vacations and wearing a mask without complaining. While this year has been hard on us, it must have been even harder on our children and we often forget that. Amelia and Elliot truly embraced this new situation and they are lucky to have each other as playmates and best friends. 

Due to the pandemic, we were not able to travel to Germany this year as we had planned, which was quite upsetting as I missed being by my father’s side as he got married to his wonderful bride. We did go for one day to Atlanta to get our German passport renewed and also spent a couple of nights in a cabin during fall break to get away from the routines we have fallen in to and to see something new. The getaway felt refreshing as we spent hours outdoor hiking, fishing, and kayaking all while staying away from other people. 

This year has brought the four of us closer together and we enjoy spending so much time together as a family. We are looking forward to the holidays, some holiday cheer and joy, and praying that 2021 will bring back some normalcy to all of our lives.  

May the magic of the Christmas season fill your home with joy and peace. Sending lots of love to your family, and looking forward to the day we can see you again. Take care of yourselves and stay safe!

Love, 

Derrick, Fran, Amelia and Elliot

Birthday Celebration

We started off the birthday celebration for our favorite 7 year old on Friday at lunch. Both, Derrick and I, took the afternoon off so that we can all go on a family walk/ bike ride on a beautiful day. Elliot wanted to bring his "early" birthday gift along and ride it while we were out. He received a new bicycle in the end of summer as he outgrew his old one. It was part of his birthday gift as we knew that in winter time he wouldn't be able to ride it so he got it a few months earlier. 

It was a great 4 mile walk where we saw quite a few deer and a couple of bucks.

On the way home, we stopped by and picked a delicious pizza and finished the day off with a family movie. The next day, I baked a 3-layer chocolate ganache cake, decorated with smarties, as per the birthday boy's request. It might not looked that fancy but it tasted oh so good. 

He wanted a Dinosaur theme birthday, so the night before I decorated appropriately. Ready to celebrate our boy!

Happy 7th birthday!!!

His favorite team are the LA Rams, so he was overjoyed to get a Rams helmet and matching uniform. 

Working on his Lego gifts:

Battling his sister with his new Lego NINJAGO Spinjitzu Burst:

My boy:

Due to Covid and a cold and wet afternoon, we were not able to go out and do something fun for his birthday. Therefore, I got creative and set up a Dino-Cave in the living room so that he can have a fun movie date: 

First time ever watching Jurassic park:

According to Elliot, it was one of the best birthdays ever. It is not about the gifts or the big party but who we celebrate with to make this day special. And he loved every single minute of his special day. Thanks to all of you who congratulated him, sent gifts and thought about him. 

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY, ELLIOT!

 Dear Elliot, 

It’s your seventh birthday today – not that you needed reminding since you have counted the days, hours, and minutes these past few weeks till your big day! –  and I can't believe how fast these past 7 years have flown by. I look at you and I still see the tiny baby you were. But I also see the growing boy you are now. And I can glimpse the fine young man I know you will become.

Here are just a few of the many things I love about you:

1. I love that I can see the best of both your father and I in you. Our shared love of sports. His brains, problem-solving ability and determination. My love for books and learning. You definitely get your arm and eye coordination from your daddy, but your heart?  Your heart and sensitivity come directly from me (you wanting to go to bed with me every night at 7pm to watch Hallmark Christmas movies – best part of my day!)
2. I love your thoughtfulness and sensitivity. You have an amazing capacity for detail and thinking through the logical implications of things. But you also have this wonderful empathetic quality – yes, you’re polite and kind, but you’re also not afraid to show your feelings and always quick to provide a comforting arm around the shoulder or a few supportive words just when someone needs it, even if that someone is one of your parents.
3. I love your intuitive grasp of modern technology. Adapting to virtual learning has definitely been a learning curve but you took it on like a champ and every week, you figure out some new program or assignment on the computer without needing our help. 
4. I love all the little things that have given you your individuality over these past seven years. Your great ability to take on any sport and become really good at it. You train hard but you also put lots of effort and heart in to it. The fact that you are super smart (currently teaching yourself multiplication and division) but that you are not above anyone else and participate in your 1st grade class just like the rest of your classmates. Just don't ever forget that smart is cool!
5. I love your creativity –Legos is your jam. While the room may look like a tornado blasted right thru, the structures you build by yourself are amazing and so detailed. You also apply this creativity to your writing and while it is not your favorite subject, you love telling stories and are getting more elaborate with each story. 
6. I love that your sister is your best friend. You two were there for each other during this crazy year of 2020 and the only playmate you had to interact with for several month. I hated that you missed out on the ending of your Kindergarten year and that you and all the other kids were not able to attend summer camps, play together and had to switch to virtual schooling but thru all this, you had your sister by your side. You argue, you complaint and once in a while there are some mean words exchanged but in the grand scheme, you get along super well and love playing together and having each other. You are best friend for life!

I love all these things about you – and so much more (tantrums, anyone?). Yes, there are a few things about you that could be a little better. But let’s not dwell on those. Let’s celebrate the good stuff.

My goal has always been to be the best Mommy, the best teacher, you could have.  I realized quickly that being BEST is impossible and not what you need. You need me to try my hardest in loving you, caring for you and teaching you the ins and out. Forgive me, when I fail often but I'm learning just like you as we go along on this journey together. I learn more from you and your sister every day than I could possibly have imagined.  You allow me to see the world from a different height, through open, honest eyes.  You love purely, you give unconditionally and play hard with all of your heart. Never lose those traits!

And the outtakes:

I want the world for you, Elliot, and every passing year brings you a little bit closer to having it.

Happy Birthday, Dude!

We love you to the moon and back, 

Mom and Dad