Jenni and the kids have been a part of On Pointe School of Ballet for several years now. They have an annual performance each year and it has been a blessing to showcase the art and gain performance skills.
We had a low-key Mother’s Day holiday as Violet and I have runny noses and my dad is quarantined with COVID-19. We spent the weekend relaxing to our respective hobbies but managed to take a few family portraits to celebrate Jenni.
Jenni is an amazing mom, following in the footsteps of her mother and her grandmother, by infusing so much love and fun into their children. Every day is a miracle watching her creatively take care of needs, fulfilling wants, and inspiring dreams.
We’ve been thrilled that Violet joined her middle school choir. The love of music is something Jenni and I hope to pass to our kids. So we were proud when Violet surprised us with a solo during the final song.
For the kids’ spring break, we planned a day trip up to Seattle and revisit several 10th birthday locations. For Kadie’s 10th birthday, we explored the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass. And for Bruce’s 10th birthday, we enjoyed Olympia’s Hands On Children Museum.
Bruce loved sharing the dry ice fountain with his sisters. We met up with Jenni’s uncle Todd, who lives in Olympia. The kids were disappointed that the sock skating station was no longer there, but we did discover a bench xylophone.
Then we trekked north to see the Chihuly Garden and Glass before riding the elevator up the Space Needle.
Since it had been nearly five years since Kadie and I were last here, I had flashbacks to the trip as we walked through familiar sculptures and sights. I’m grateful for the special trips I get to take my kids when they turned ten.
The Space Needle got some upgrades in the form of glass barriers at the top to reduce wind and provide clearer views. And, they added a glass floor that rotated.
We visited Jenni’s college classmate Paul and his wife Jennifer for dinner before driving home.
I enjoyed created new memories with the entire family while reminiscing the trips I took with Kadie and Bruce prior.
We got to spend a fun weekend with Cory and Arianne up near Mt. Hood. One of my coworkers had a time-share they couldn’t use, so we snapped it up to play in the snow.
Two weeks ago, Kadie came home feeling unwell after school and she developed a fever that evening. We tested her for COVID and the test showed negative. We had a low-key weekend as she recovered, and when Monday came around, her second test revealed a positive result.
As we lit fireworks after midnight, I found myself mixed with emotions. I regard myself as aggressively balanced, so it surprised me to feel both deep sadness and hopeful expectation as twenty twenty-two began. It only became clear after looking back at twenty twenty-one in photos that I realized what I’ll be missing and be thankful for.