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2020 Year In Review

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2020 was the year of spending lots of time together and more time outside. Since the pandemic started we discovered more places in nature.


January
Our favorite winter festival the Winter Kite Fest on Lake Harriet.

It's always one of our favorite.  A nice walk through the snow. Hordes of happy people.


February
Our first international trip as a family. Mexico City and Guanajuato.

We were really lucky to get this trip in before the pandemic. We had so much fun eating and exploring our way through two Mexican cities.


March
Before the world would change. Spending my birthday weekend at a cabin in Duluth.

We got in our last visit to some our favorite Duluth restaurants in person.

April
Meadow found her love for baking during the lockdown.

She briefly became an internet sensation every time I posted one of her videos. Yup, she made her own cooking videos on the iPad.

May
We added swings to our garage.

This was still that moment when no one went anywhere. We got to playgrounds again, but this was a great little add to our condo life.

June
The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis brought protests around the country.

The riots that followed were scary, but we also saw our city come together and push for police reform.

July
Canoe camped with Blake and Daniel on the Namekagon River.

This was a great paddle. The current kept us moving along and we ended up finishing a day early.

August
Backcountry camped at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

The absolute highlight of our summer. We traveled carefully and enjoyed solitude and breathtaking views with Funcle Blake.

September
Stayed at our family's log cabin.

We've seen Brooke's parents only a handful of times this year, but this weekend was loads of fun. Got in some ATV riding, archery practice and caught a bunch of fish in the little pond.

October
Found new places to explore in the Nicolet National Forest.

It was much longer than we expected,  but one of the prettiest hikes in all of Wisconsin.

November
Found waterfalls in Upper Michigan.

Brooke became addicted to waterfall chasing. Not every waterfall  on our list was found, but we had a lot of fun trying.

December
Northwoods New Years of course.

Meadow became a Kitty Cat expert. Can't wait to get back up and speed across the lake.


Things We Hope to Accomplish in 2020

Brooke
1. More sewing and less buying. I didn't do as much sewing as I'd have liked. Spent many hours making masks instead. I did manage to make a backpack, fanny pack, cosmetic bag, camp pillows, linen shorts and a skirt for Meadow and her doll.
2. Reduce our plastic intake. COVID kind of ruined this. 
3. Eat less sugar. I guess I'm going to give up on this as it will never happen. 
4. Go on a backpacking trip with Meadow. We didn't go any trips just the two of us but we did do an epic trip at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
5. Touch my toes while standing or sitting. I don't know that I'll ever accomplish this.

Scott
1. Meadow says I need take the prettiest pictures ever. Oh, it was done.
2. Bikepack with the whole family. Coon Rapids has a park that would be perfect for this. No bikepacking, but we did get some serious backpack and canoe camping in. 
3. Increase my business revenue by 20% year over year. Ended up matching my 2019 revenue, which was astounding after COVID tanked business in the first half of 2020.

Meadow
1. Read Harry Potter. Read the first book as a class in school.
2. Be better at rollerblading. "I don't remember going rollerblading this year"
3. Learn how to draw the Northern Lights. "I didn't get to it. I forgot about it"


Things We Hope to Accomplish in 2021
1. Fitness. With working from home I've started working out or going for walks before work. In the summer I'd like to swim in the mornings.
2. Get in 5,000 steps a day. It seems like it would be easy but when it only takes 30 steps to walk from one end of our unit to the other, I don't take many steps in my normal day.
3. Do 3 sewing projects
4. Knit something for myself
5. More time outside

Scott
1. Get vaccinated.
2. Finish Zelda: Breath of the Wild
3. Get my mom moved in to her new condo. From a distance.
4. Go camping even more

Meadow
1. Make the best dresses on Animal Crossing
2. Read a whole chapter book by myself

Theo
1. Poop on the toilet.
2. Play with another kid my age. 

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