We went into 2021 with high hopes that COVID would be improving, and that vaccines would soon be made available. In the meantime, we had to continue to find ways to pass the time. We were starting to do a few more things, but it was clear that things were still nowhere close to back to normal. January can be a very long and boring month! I wanted to try and find a few ways to keep things fun so I arranged for the Kona Ice truck to swing by one Saturday to deliver frozen hot chocolates to the girls. It was a fun surprise and it put smiles on their faces!
Our first official snow fall fell in January as well, so the girls were super excited to get out there and play in it. Sledding, snowmen, snowball fights...they did it all!
It had been quite a few months since Cece had seen Holly, her former babysitter, so we arranged a sleepover. Since Cece no longer needs a babysitter and Holly has since moved on from watching kids, we have to find ways for them to stay connected. Holly is the best and makes a point to spend time with Cece every so often, and it means the world to her. I love the bond they still have with one another.
Despite the pandemic school was still going strong for the girls, and we were so grateful for that. In fourth grade the Science Fair at Canterbury is required. We went through it with Olivia and survived, so we felt a little more prepared to tackle it with Cecilia this year. She chose to do her project on breath mints that advertise a cooling effect and whether or not they can cool down water. She worked hard on it (with some guidance), and presented her project with confidence. I was proud of her for tackling something she was uncomfortable with and giving it her all.
Valentine's Day has always been a fun holiday to celebrate with our girls. We have our traditions, and a pandemic was not going to get in the way of that. We have made heart shaped pizzas for years, since before Cece was born. They have perfected their pizza making techniques and have learned to make some pretty delicious heart shaped pies!
The girls also made time to decorate Valentine's Day cookies with their Nana. The cookie decorating technique has also improved drastically over the years. They love taking their time with each cookie and the end result makes for some pretty and delicious treats!
Each year a bunch of Olivia's friends and their families go to Boyne, Michigan on Presidents Day weekend for a ski trip. The last few years she has been invited to go along and she has learned to become a pretty good skier. Well, this year's trip obviously did not happen because of COVID and she was super disappointed. So, Todd offered to take Olivia and her friend Sara skiing for the day at a different resort.
They had a full day on the slopes and had a blast! It may not have been the big skiing weekend they are used to, but they still got to go and with all of the ongoing COVID restrictions, that was considered a success!
It's not often that all of Olivia's friends get the chance to get together during the past year and a half. One of her friends decided to have a small gathering of just girlfriends for her birthday. These girls were beyond excited to get together and just hang out. They had a fancy dinner at the country club. It's amazing how getting dressed up and spending the evening with friends can boost your spirit.
School continued in person and we were so relieved! There were not as many of the typical events, but Olivia's 8th grade class was able to have their "Touch of Class" event. The kids all dress up and enjoy a fancy meal at school. Usually this is all done together, but thanks to COVID they had to do it in their advisory rooms. At least they still got to enjoy the event. Cece was enjoying 4th grade as well, despite having to wear masks all day. I cannot quite remember what was going on in this photo, but I think it must have been crazy hair, spirit day, or girl power day...who knows! Cece's class also took a photo on St. Patrick's Day. They are a goofy bunch!
Finally the weather was starting to change. We were out of the depths of winter and Easter was right around the corner. To prepare we had our annual Easter activities at Nana's house. First up...egg decorating. The girls have become very good at dying their eggs, with lots of artistic abilities showing through.
We can't have an Easter celebration at Nana's without an egg hunt. I love that no matter how old they may be getting, they still get excited about hunting for eggs. I think the ultimate motivation may be what's inside of the eggs.
Last year our Easter activities at Nana's were all we were able to do because of COVID. This year we were able to attend Easter service once again, but this year it was outdoors at the TinCaps stadium. It was an absolutely beautiful day. The sun was shining and the sky was blue. It was the perfect day for an outdoor church service!
Before the service we were able to walk around the stadium and enjoy some activities. It was such a fun and unique way to celebrate the holiday. I know they decided to do church outdoors because of COVID, but I must admit I wouldn't mind doing it this way every year!
It was obvious that things were slowly starting to return to normal. More events were starting to take place and people were beginning to travel again. This was most evident when my Mom decided to take the girls on a trip to Club Med in Florida during their Spring Break! I can't begin to explain how excited they were about this! After doing so little and going hardly anywhere for the past year, they could not wait for this trip! Spring Break couldn't come soon enough!
