2021 felt a bit like 2020 extended, but we made the most of it!
We took family trips to Scottsdale and Maui, Corey and I enjoyed an adults' weekend in Vegas with the Reeders and Barths, and I joined some of my besties in Palm Springs.
The boys stayed active and busy, and most importantly are back in school as of February (Cole) and March (Jackson). Jackson is now in 5th grade and is over five feet tall. He enjoyed track, cross country and mountain biking this year. He continues to love reading - he read over 70 books this year, totaling more than 18,000 pages! He loves to cook and bake, and has been a big helper around the house making dinner all by himself and helping fold laundry.
Cole is in 2nd grade and ran track, played baseball and soccer, and recently resumed gymnastics. He's very into styling Barbie hair and searching for, buying and making holiday decor (our house was literally covered in homemade crafts, and we even ended up purchasing a 5' tall Santa just before Christmas).
Professionally, this has been a big year for me! I had the opportunity to join my manager and co-worker in a Project Management certification course, and after hours of studying and an exhausting exam, I'm happy to report that I am now a certified Project Management Professional. And earlier this month, I was promoted from a Sr. Program Manager to a Group Project Manager.
This year Corey spent a lot of time on his bike and I'm proud to report that he completed his 2021 resolution to ride 1,000 miles in 12 months (though he overdelivered, completing this in just over 9 months). For one of his last rides, the Reeders joined us for a fun ~30 mile ride from our house to Mark Ryan Winery in Woodinville (and back). It was a fun way to log some miles and enjoy the last of the summer sun with friends. Corey also learned to snowboard and proved himself to be a natural. As a family, we made good use of our first-ever season passes to Snoqualmie.
From a COVID perspective, Corey and I received our vaccines in the spring and our boosters earlier this month. And the boys are now fully vaccinated as well. Feels like we are finally taking some good steps forward.
In some sad news, on December 1, we lost my grandma at nearly 99-1/2 years old. She truly was one of the kindest and classiest women I know. The boys adored her and I'm so glad they were able to see her so frequently over the years. She and Cole had an extra special bond, and we'd often find him chatting with her in her room when we visited my family. I will always remember a special summer in college, when I had the pleasure of living with her during an internship I had in California. She was so special and we will all miss her dearly.
We're all eager to see what 2022 brings. But in the meantime, here's a quick look at our year in photos. Happy 2022, friends!
You can check out our prior recaps here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.
