Goodbye 2020

2020 has been a tough year. Not just for us, or our friends, or our country, but the entire world. But as tough as it's been, we've learned a few things, and still had some good experiences this year. I don't want to leave 2020 without pointing out some of the best things to happen to our family this past year.

Top Ten 2020 List:

1. Aubrey Nash Thompson was born in January. He is by far the BEST thing to happen to our family in 2020. He is so sweet, snuggly, cute, calm, happy and fun. He has two big sisters who adore him, and we are all so happy to have him in our family!

2. Come Follow Me has been great this year, both with our family, and with our CFM empty nester group. We're so glad that this program was put in place already and that we knew how to study at home before everything got shut down.

3. Maple Springs is so good to Grandpa Mike. We are so happy that he is settled there and well taken care of. It's been a challenge to try to maintain contact with him. We do lots of phone calls and window visits. But we love having him close and we're not worried about him because we know they are doing everything they can to keep the residents safe.

4. We felt a sense of unity this year, with each other, with friends and family, and really, with the whole world. It was comforting to know that we were all in this together and everyone understood because everyone was dealing with it as well.

5. Bras. Kori and I discovered the satisfaction of having a properly fitted bra. Thank you Bra Fittings By Court. You changed our lives immensely this year.

6. Our Bear Lake trip this year was just so fun and so nice to spend time together after we'd been trying to isolate and be careful.

7. Clint was able to be home the entire holiday season. His school went completely online after the Thanksgiving break, and so he just moved home and spent the end of November, all of December and the beginning of January with us. It was great!

8. We learned how to use Zoom, both for church and with each other. I had a few friends who started a once a week Zoom book club where we just shared whatever we'd been reading. It was so fun to stay in close contact with a few friends that way. We are grateful for the technology that keeps us close to the grandkids too. 

9. Our house in Garden City got started just at the right time. We got in before the lumber prices skyrocketed. We were able to get all of our concrete and other supplies needed to build. We feel super blessed and are so excited to move in during 2021.

10. We learned to simplify and appreciate the little things and the most important things. Things like travel and going out to eat and going shopping went out the window, but those things were replaced by time spent together and an appreciation for our closest relationships.

Farewell 2020. Bring on 2021. We hope this year will bring an end to the pandemic as well as some much needed peace after the election season. But whatever life brings, we know we can count on our Savior and on each other and that we can appreciate the good things that happen in our lives.