Happy Easter!

Today we celebrated Easter with ourselves and then we had the Reagens over in the afternoon for an Easter Egg hunt. Church was online with Lutheran Church of Hope – same as last year. Our traditions include Easter Bunny-hidden baskets (inside), Easter Bunny-hidden eggs (outside), and then a candy Easter egg hunt with the Reagens.

  • Looking
  • Looking
  • Looking
  • Looking
  • Finding
  • Showing
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  • Finding
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  • Finding (45 mins)
  • Hunting
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  • Special Presents

Valentine’s Day 2021

We have had Panera every year on Valentine’s Day since the time Andrew was born. Even with the pandemic we didn’t want to stray from the tradition. It wasn’t quite the same as being in the restaurant, but we manage to make it work.

New Year’s Eve 2020

This year for New Year’s we had the Reagens and the Liesses over for a wild party. The Reagens spent the night.

Hanging out before dinner.
Kids dinner
Mimi & Rose playing a game.
Hope & Mari
Erin and Susan
Rose and Lucia
Memory Game
The Morning
Baking Competition
Finished Products

Christmas Day

Christmas day followed a fairly standard schedule in our house, with some modifications because of the pandemic. The day started at 7:30 when Lucia and Rose woke up. We told the older kids they could sleep until 9 so when Lucia and Rose woke up we watch the newest version of the grinch until 9.

The kids always have to wait in the upstairs hallway together before they are released.
Stocking unstuffers
Chocolate chip pancake breakfast
Lucia was really excited about her new American Girl doll, Joss.
Rose got a lot of new toys and made a whole estate for her new people and horses. Here she is taking a break to snuggle.
Mari made this neat artwork for Susan.
Elliot and Rose
In the afternoon we went for a hike with the Reagens.
In the evening we had zoom sessions with the Liess clan and the Hyland clan.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Decorations

Traditionally we get out our Christmas decorations the day after Thanksgiving. If we stay the night at the Connors’ we usually pick up our tree on the way home on Friday. This year I ran out on Friday morning to get not one, but two trees – one for the front and one for the back.

Christmas mugs
Lucia and Elliot
Lucia
Rose and Lucia
Elliot and Mari
Mari

Thanksgiving 2020

For Thanksgiving this year we headed south to the Connors’. The weather was awesome and they had a beautiful setup in their driveway.

Travelers
Winner of best Thanksgiving driveway.
Luke playing with Rose
Socially-distanced prayer
Dining pods
The Connors
Whipped Cream Accident
The Lieslands

Beggars Night 2020

They Potato and a French Mime

This evening we celebrated Beggars Night, which is basically Des Moines’ version of trick-or-treating – a night early. We do it this way every year. This year was a little different because of the pandemic, but it worked! There were still plenty of trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood and plenty of people passing out candy – social-distanced, of course. Most people had a treat station in their driveway and were either sitting behind it or just in their house.

Lucia and Rose were our only trick-or-treaters this year. Mari, Andrew, and Elliot stayed home to pass out candy and by the end of the evening we were joined by Mimi, Mary, Casey, Erin, and Nate to hang-out around the fire in our driveway.