November 2020

We have really slacked off on haircuts during this time of social distancing. Max looks so much like a Fullmer boy when his curly hair gets long. 

Zane made molecules out of marshmallows for chemistry class. In pajamas of course because...why get dressed. (He has been wearing his "LEGO pirate eye patch" for several days now.)

Thanksgiving

Both the Fullmer and Hill families decided to forego Thanksgiving get-togethers this year. At home I made ham, rolls, potatoes and gravy, stuffing, deviled eggs and fudge for our dinner. (I missed the yummy Thanksgiving salads but didn't make any since I would be the only one to eat it.) We had fun delivering fudge to Robyn and Marshall and Lauren's family a few days before Thanksgiving. 

We were able to visit over Zoom with the Hill family including Maury and his family. I missed the loud, chaotic fun of the Fullmer Family Thanksgiving but we had recently all enjoyed time together during the 50th Reunion. After 15 years of attending Thanksgiving dinner at Marshall's house with the Hills it was sad to not be with family during the holiday season.

Halloween 2020

Halloween

We skipped the usual Trick-or-Treating and instead invited Abby over and broke a piñata. It was a fun way to celebrate and they ended up with a lot of candy. Most of which they traded for money. 

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Family flu shots

October 2020

We enjoyed a Sunday drive up the canyon to enjoy the fall colors.

James had his camera ready to capture my sweet boys.

Sweet pensive Max

The handsome photographer

September 2020

Beautiful Boys and Burgess Books

When we moved in the boys' room was painted an obnoxious purple.

They picked a fun yellow for the color of the walls. They said it feels very happy!

 

James and Zane put together our new trampoline for our new home.

No dishwasher...no problem.

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Our 2020 pandemic schoolyear looks a little different. Homeschool is comfortable and familiar for us. But we won't be holding Family School this year. We will miss the company of friends and group classes. The boys will be attending a chemistry class online. We have all the supplies to do experiments at home. And of course the necessary goggles.

Getting ready to do an experiment...

and the best chemistry ever; making ice cream (with Abby.)

Max's Tech class this year is Drone Videography. 

He is learning how to fly and take pictures with the drone as well as how to make videos. 

Zane and his K'NEX builds.

2020

The Year of Quarantine...Oops

August 2020

James is 46!

We were so busy packing to move that James' birthday was pushed to the background.
We had ice cream and found him two fun T-shirts.

Moving Truck

We decided to help ourselves out this move and we paid movers. It was so worth it!! They worked so hard and fast. We had the carpets cleaned in the morning and then the movers unloaded in record time. Kate and Mom came and were lifesavers! They worked tirelessly to help us unpack. Mike showed up for a few hours and helped move some of the larger things. It was an exhausting day but we are so happy to be moved. This is a much better home for us and will be a much more comfortable place to spend a pandemic. And hopefully years after it is over.

Library

The boys wanted to share a room and were very excited to make the other room into a "library!"

I surprised them with bean bags for the library and they surprised me by being too big for them.

I returned them but they had a bit of fun first.

Pandemic 2020

With a pandemic spreading rapidly across the world our lives changed very suddenly!

As we listen and watch General Conference the First Presidency sits in an empty tabernacle in chairs several feet from each other. I fluctuate between anxiety and fear as things grow worse and peace and faith as I listen to the speakers. We have been isolating ourselves at home for the last few weeks. Church is temporarily closed and we are having church at home.

In some ways it is an amazing blessing! James is able to bless the sacrament and Max to pass it. Each of us have prepared talks and played hymns. Zane has flourished as he prepares talks and scriptures to share. We are able to bear our testimony and have the sacrament in our home.

It is sad to not be able to invite Grandpa Keith over. We pray that our families will be okay. We stopped holding Family School and I have been putting the lessons online. We don't go to music lessons and have playdates. The boys are a bit tired of not being able to be with friends but they are doing pretty well and as spring arrives they spend more time outside. 

I am grateful for the forced break that is also giving me time to breath and assess. I was really getting burned out; by the school and the friendships that have somehow wrapped around every part of my life. I am evaluating everything; every podcast, book group, friendship, school activity and my own reading life. I have been tired and overwhelmed and am strangely grateful for the forced isolation.