December

 December was a mellow and cozy month. A great end to a crazy and different year.

This is the first batch of fudge. It turned out just right. All the many other batches did too. I think I have decided it turns out best when made with a partner. Very clearly one of the best parts of December. 

In December Tyler and Callie both have their birthdays a week apart.  We shipped their gifts directly to Arkansas. We bought them a cat carrier backpack. Otter LOVES it! It is so incredibly cute! Now he asks to go out on walks all the time.

It was a mellow December with all events being cancelled due to Covid.  No Christmas work parties. No ward Christmas parties. It made the month different, but it was still great. We spent way too much on a real tree, but it was worth it. I got this fun ornament from a coworker—just right for this year.

Nathan and I made the sad decision that it’s finally time for us to stop going to art class. Nathan has been going to art with Bev Keyes for about 8 or 9 years. I’ve been going for more than 5 so it’s was hard to make that decision, but I think it’s the right time. Nathan quite often has work on Thursday nights and, since I’ve become principal, I’ve just been so exhausted that driving to the other side of town to do art has just been too much. Nathan has been working on a colored pencil drawing of a singer he likes, Tame Impala, for awhile. He brought it home to finish it. Here it is-still a work in progress, but still quite impressive. He came up with his own color scheme just keeping it in the same hues as a black and white. He has some crazy talent with colored pencils! 

Before we left art Bev made a black and white copy of his drawing to see how closely he was sticking to the right hues- very well as it turns out. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product. 

Celebrating the  holidays at work was great. We organized an ugly sweater day, Paul and I gave out Great Harvest cinnamon rolls to everyone, we visited class parties, and helped Santa pass out candy canes before all the kids left. However, the best part was that I was able to pass out surprise bonuses to everyone. Not large, but unexpected so that made it nice for everyone.  

Ugly sweater day

I even got to visit with some former students that were helping in their brother's classroom. The Redd twins! I barely recognized them, especially with the masks. I love visiting with past students!

The Hatch family Christmas party looked a bit different this year. Not the crazy house full of people. Just us and the screen. We did the party over Zoom. We found a way to exchange gifts by family and Matt and I delivered treats to all the family that live in Utah. We exchanged gifts with the Ruppers. We were able to steal gifts within our own family. Not ideal, but better than nothing. It was nice though because those that live out of state were able to participate and the clean up was much easier. 

On the first day of winter break I celebrated by having a colonoscopy (welcome to my 50's !) and taking Miranda to the spa. The afternoon message and facial were much better than the morning activity

Tyler and Callie were able to fly in and spend the 22nd-29th with us. It was so nice seeing them again.  This allowed Tyler to continue the tradition of having a birthday get together with the gang.  Many of these kids are repeat offenders--Joe first showed up to this party in 2007, Cole and Tayio made their first appearance in 2009. It's been so fun watching these boys grow up to be men! This year they had to keep things COVID friendly with masks and spending most of the evening outside around the fire pit instead of in the basement with video games, but they still made it work

Kitties being lazy and enjoying the sunshine

Christmas Eve celebrations were great. It was wonderful having the whole family here. Tristin joined in for our dinner like usual. Since he is roommates with Jacob we figured he's a part of our germ pool anyhow. I made Miranda stand in front of me for the photo because I was wearing bulky cozy clothes that made me look fluffier than normal. Also somehow she is looking taller than normal these days. She might have grown or I am shrinking...we'll have to measure soon to find out.

Dinner was delicious-ham, cheesy potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts and asparagus, homemade rolls, and deviled eggs. All types of yumminess!

Then there was game playing and movie watching. Even the cats had fun!

Christmas morning was wonderful as usual.  With 7 of us it took a bit longer to open gifts and a bit more mess, but a lot of fun.

Nathan got some Legos, of course, and some Prisma Colored Pencils so he can finish his art project at home now.

So many great gifts were given this year.  Now that the kids draw names they do such a great job of buying/getting  gifts for each other. One of the best gifts this year was the charcuterie board that Nathan made Miranda in his woods shop.  He put a lot of work into it and she loved it. 

Christmas night we were able to do a zoom call with all the Sant family. It was so fun catching up with them and seeing cute Brooklyn ride her motorized unicorn. 

And, of course, the kitties got their favorite gift-a can of tuna! 

On the 26th Tyler and I got to enjoy one of our gifts- AJR's One Spectacular Night Concert.  Callie, Miranda, and Sarah watched with us. It was great!  Maybe not as great as an in person concert, but it still made for a very enjoyable evening. I really enjoy their music. They are great performers!

On Monday the 28th we had our family day.  One last hurrah with everyone before Tyler and Callie headed back to Arkansas. We started with a yummy lunch at Zupas.  Then we bundled up and drove to Park City--well Kimball Junction and spent a few hours tubing at Woodward. It was cold but fun. It had been a few years since we had been up there. They have made quite a few improvements.

Hot cocoa in the lodge after tubing was a must.  After that we headed home so Matt could prepare Dad's Dinner Town.  Yep, we brought back an oldie, but a goodie-complete with Kraft Mac n Cheese. The kids enjoyed living that dream again. Maybe we'll make it a new tradition :)

Another new tradition we might start is making homemade doughnuts for New Year's Eve.  That is what we did this year and it was delicious. It was my first time making homemade doughnuts and they tasted great. Too bad Matt, Jacob, and Nathan were the only ones around to taste them.  We had a pretty relaxing evening though.  Nathan and Jacob got the night started off with going to a movie-At The Theater-special event.  Matt and I stayed home so I could get the dough rising and so we could be lazy. Miranda spent the new year in St George with friends and Tyler and Callie were back in Arkansas celebrating with their cute cat Otter.

After eating yummy doughnuts we played the new game Jacob bought me, Sagrada, until midnight when we went out and gladly cheered 2020 away with a few fireworks.

So, this crazy 2020 year has now come to an end.  I believe we fared better than most, but I am still ready for a new year to begin. I am ready to get the COVID vaccine. I am ready to travel again. I am ready to have my game nights back. I am ready to not quarantine my students. I am ready to be done with this pandemic. So here's to 2021. May it be the year we all need and want.