Sorry this is so late, it's definitely taken me longer to complete than normal. It is kinda long, so you can skip it if you want.
In 2012 I started running . . . blogging, and in January of 2013 I did my first recap post of the year before. Every year after, I've done a recap post, they mainly started as running recaps. Eventually I started recapping my year, and for a few years I did two posts, one about my life and one meant just for running.
2021 was not any better than 2020, in fact, it was worse. I did run 903 miles in 2021, which is more than 2020, but I ran zero races. I have just not had any desire to run a race. That drastically decreased when my Mom died, and then the pandemic added to it.
I will say that 2021 did not start out bad, well, it did start out stressed, but I got over that stress and jumped into new stress.
I started my internship in January and created a desk in a linen closet. I have since gotten a new chair that fits the desk better than this one. I was really stressed out about starting my internship, but I quickly got over that particular stress. I actually really loved my internship and I really miss the kids I worked with there.
Even though we were unable to celebrate Christmas at my dad's house, my sisters and I went to undecorate his house. We didn't do Christmas at his house because my other sister (not pictured here) got COVID (a mild case). This picture was take right after we got done taking all the decorations down. Our feet hurt really bad so we put them straight up on the wall. My sisters are laughing because I kept making weird faces (not on purpose) right as we took a picture. The first picture was the best one I got, and I still look funny. 😊
Asher loved the snow, and this is by far my favorite picture of him. We went for several walks in the snow and he just wanted to pick it up.
In October or November of 2020 I paid for an
online trainer. I was never completely thrilled with her, but I paid her and kept going. I even told her I was unhappy with the whole thing, and she changed it up a little (she never did help me with my food intake) and told me she'd give me several weeks for free since I wasn't happy. Well, even at the end she didn't live up to what she said, she took a different job and quit my sessions early. She did give me access to recorded sessions so I asked my sister if she wanted to join me in doing them on zoom. We got tired of it pretty quickly.
I follow
Beach Yoga Girl on
instagram and she regularly talks about joining her program, I always ignored those posts, but then decided I wanted to check it out, so joined. I asked my sister if she wanted to start doing "yoga" instead of the other workouts and she said yes. So now we do "yoga" 5 days a week. Saying yoga is misleading because we actually have decided we don't like yoga, but the majority of her classes are a mixture of yoga and pilates. Right now we are doing her kettlebell program and I love it. It adds that strength training that I always think I should do. I know, without a doubt, that if it wasn't for doing it every day with my sister, I would have quit a long time ago. I love it, but wouldn't do it without the accountability my sister gives me (and me to her, she has said the same thing). We are going to renew our account there and continue for this year. (We both paid for the same account, 50/50.)
I got my first vaccine shot in February, with a follow up in March and the booster in December. I was eligible to get my vaccine in the second round of eligibility. (In WA they rolled it out slowly, first elderly and immunocompromised, then they lowered the age and added healthcare workers. I am not a medical care worker, but in mental health, and they consider that healthcare, so I was able to get my shot early, although, it was very difficult to get an appt.
In March we were finally able to celebrate our family Christmas. . . outside social distanced (mostly). It was at my sister's church and we were mostly outside, but did do a scavenger hunt inside. We also took family pictures, which I'm really happy we did consider what just 7 months can do to a family.
I continued to run and included this picture because I love it so much. It was taken at my Dad's house while we were there for our Christmas celebration.
Maddox started in person school for the first time in March as well. Only one year after being sent home for 2 weeks to stop the spread. He only did half days, but it was sooooo much better than the online stuff.
I crashed my Dad and sister's trip to Long Beach. It was a really good weekend, especially since I got my own room and didn't have to squeeze in with them in their tiny space.
I moved my garden to the front of the house.
And Maddox and I bought plants, along with his hat and sunglasses for our trip to Hawaii.
In May we had to put Gizmo down. He was 14 years old and was not doing well. He wouldn't eat and one side of his face started sagging, plus he had a lump on his head that the dr who put him down thought maybe it was cancer. :-(
In June Chris and I joined my sister and her husband in Hawaii. It was such a nice trip. A week after we got there Damian and Maddox joined us. Running in Hawaii is the best running! I love it sooo much!
And Damian took me skydiving (in Hawaii) for a surprise.
This particular picture is out of order, but I wanted to point out the moose pillow pet that Maddox is sort of laying on. He got that as a baby from my Mom and has carried it around his entire life. You hear about security blankets? Well, he had a security pillow. On our way home, he accidentally left it in a train at the airport on the way to the car. We were never able to get it back, and he cried about it for a long time. I ended up buying a new one for him, but he still brings up his old moose. Was definitely a downer for the end of our Hawaii trip . . . and especially since we came back the day before his birthday.
Just pictures of my kiddos (well, Asher is my grandkiddo). The bottom picture is at a Mariner's game.
And in August we went to the Lake. We were supposed to only do a weekend, but Chris's work gave everyone 40 free PTO (paid time off) hours if they were vaccinated before June 1. He had been vaccinated since March, so he got the free PTO. I had to work, but we were still able to go for the week.
This is the last time I saw my dad in person. He came to visit my sister and we went down for dinner in August.
Maddox started real school in September, full days in person. I have noticed that this year he has complained a lot less about school than he did pre-pandemic. I think a year of online learning helped him realize school isn't so bad.
Nancy and I were not able to do the official Wine Walk in September because they didn't have it again. But we did go to Leavenworth and did our own wine walk. I think it was more expensive (we had to pay for all the tastings) but it was still lots of fun.
And Maddox's giant carrot from our garden.
And just like that I became an orphan.
A week after my Dad died I finished my Master's degree. I had a dinner party with some friends and my family. It was very bittersweet, I don't think I had a bigger supporter than my Dad and he wasn't there.
Maddox didn't cut his hair, at first we couldn't because the salons were all closed and then he didn't want to. He had such beautiful hair, but he got tired of it in his eyes, so he cut it.
Some of the mess we were left with at my Dad's.
Nancy and I were supposed to go to the Grand Canyon with my Dad. They invited me on their trip as a gift to me for graduating from school. We, obviously, didn't go, so Nancy took me to Long Beach for a weekend. It was restful.
Outdoor Santa and we saw the Wild Lantern Lights at the Woodland Park Zoo, which was really cool.
And we got snow for Christmas. I don't remember a Christmas day where it snowed. It snowed all day, I think we ended up with about 6 inches (for just that day).
And just like that 2021 is done. Here's hoping 2022 will be better.
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