2020 in review

 Wow - already time to say goodbye to 2020, although it feels like this year was SO long in the middle, the holidays made the end fly by. Here are some of our highlights from this year (and lowlights - let’s be real!) 

January - Tom turned 33! Everyone but Elliott got the stomach flu at the same time. It was awful. I ended up at the ER for fluids.. I was so miserable. Should have known that 2020 was going to be a crappy year the way it started ;)

February - Elliott Samuel and Molly turn ONE! We had a small family party at my parents house with just the closest people to us. It was a great day... till Molly threw up all over my dad after the party and a few days later we found out she had Influenza B! Poor girl was so sick! We went to the mall of America for their birthday (prior to them getting sick - that’s probably how she got it!)  and each of them got a build  bear. 

March - ahhhh the beginning of covid. Weird time as we weren’t really sure what was happening/ how long everything would last. I was supposed to go to the Jason Aldean concert and that was cancelled the day before. We were all trying to make sense of the quarantine. 

April - Elliott started walking! He was the first to walk.  Tom went back to work for the season about two weeks later than usual because of covid. We celebrated Easter with just the 5 of us at home. Tom had made the kids and me homemade bunny Easter baskets and they turned out so great! 

May - Samuel started walking! Mother’s Day, we finally saw my parents in person after about a month of not seeing them. Tom gifted me a little concrete plaque that we have the kids footprints in. 

June - triplets first plane ride! We headed to Florida for a week with my parents, Matt and Kira. First time swimming in a pool for the kids.  Molly was super close to walking on her own! We attended a wedding - I was a bridesmaid - for our neighbors and close friends. It was a fun afternoon at their house and they’ll have a do-over full celebration next year! Celebrated Fathers Day at Tom’s parents and on the way we got a flat tire in the van, such a bummer! I was selected to be interviewed for a panel that would help other families with infertility / miscarriage and though I didn’t make it to actually be featured -  it was pretty cool to tell my story on camera. 

July - sadly, we lost a great woman this month. Toms grandma Reinke, who was such a wonderful, caring woman passed away at the age of 89. We were able to be able to have a small family funeral for her and were glad to see the Reinke’s we don’t get to see often, but miss grandma dearly. 

August - went to Top Golf with our tribe of friends for a birthday in the group. The zoo finally reopened and we went there with Amanda and Charli. 

September- 6 year wedding anniversary! Spent the day together in Redwing. Hosted a tie dye Labor Day bbq with our tribe of friends. I had a three night girls weekend with Amanda, Janel, Courtney and Jenny. We had a wonderful time and the break from everyday life was so needed! Competed in a Survivor competition that my mom hosted with games challenges and a vote for the winner. Tom came in third place. Tom went to a bachelor party. 

October - Halloween with our three blind mice. We did a trunk or treat hosted by the Moms Of Multiples group with our neighbor triplet friends! Samuel had several tests at Children’s to determine the next steps for his kidney disease. We went to an outdoor small wedding for Toms good friend, he was a groomsmen. 

November - I turned 32. Samuel scratched Tom in the eye and he went to the ER to find out he had a corneal abrasion. He said it was the worst pain he’d had in a long time and got drops and some medicine. Molly fractured her wrist and elbow on election night! Elliott started getting testing/assessments to get him started on speech therapy. We found out Samuel would need kidney removal surgery. Our friendsgiving celebration with our tribe was cancelled. Spent Thanksgiving just the 5 of us at home and ended the night he with a holiday light drive thru. 

December - Samuel’s kidney surgery on 12/8. Got his stent out on 12/18. We got some snow!! Tom plowed twice in December. Spent Christmas Eve with Toms parents and brother, sister-in-law and niece and nephew. It was a small gathering but really nice! Kids were excited about all the presents. Christmas Day at my parents. NYE is tonight and we had Chinese for dinner and are having some drinks and playing Monopoly once the kids are in bed. Low key but ready to say goodbye to 2020! 

So I tried to keep this as positive as possible, but definitely there was so much missing this year. We missed so many  traditions with friends and family,  the Randolph chicken BBQ, the Dakota county and State Fair, other random events that would have been super fun to take the kids too. We are thankful to all be healthy but are hoping 2021 brings a lot more normal for us all!