The Duke Family

Kinsley found out that her class was supposed to share something that makes them happy in the beginning of class and she asked me to come wait with her in her room until it was her turn, I waited there while the other kids shared their stuffed animals or toys or ar they had made. It was finally Kinsleys turn and her teacher asked her and she pulled me into the video and said, “My mom makes me happy!” It was the sweetest thing!

Kinsley got her art box with tie-dyed bag! It was a fun activity to do together!

Corbin and mom selfie!

Went on a hike with some friends. We knew the Covid numbers were getting worse in our county and that another extrememe lockdon was eminent so we thought one last hike would be fun!

On our morning walk “to school” I couldn’t get enough of the blue sky with the beautful fall colors!!

Cason and Kinsley painting their clay projects!

We got mistletoe for the first time and were trying to put it to good use.

Cason had a Boys primary activity coming up so his leader did a dropoff of the materials. As I was brining it to him, I noticed a lizard in the jar. At first I thougt it was a plastic toy that was part of the activity but after awhile) and I mean ahwile) we found out it was real! So crazy!

Kinsley put on her Thanksgiving dress for church and Connor and her matched! 

Crepe making!

I love when the kids play outside especailly together!

I took the kids on a hike!

The drive to get to the hike was full of contruction and sometimes the two lane road closed down to one lane which meant we needed a pilot car to take us down. I had never seen this before!

Kids giving hugs, maybe one of them is just getting a hug! 

The tree again with my beautiful girl!

Usually Kinsley does her school meetings in her room but this time she did it downstairs and I thought she looked so cute and official with her setup.

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is to go to the Fantasy of Lights. We usaually stop and eat pizza and then go to the candy store and then go to drive-thru lights, We had to make some adjustments this year but it was still a fun night anway. We picked up pizza and found a place to park and eat in the the car.

Then we walked around some of the lights that were in the park that we ate by.

Next on to Fantasy of Lights. We brought our own candy instead of stopping and getting some from the candy store.

For our neighbor/friend gifts we decided to make cake pops.  It was a bit of a learning curve and a couple of freak outs to make over a hundred but we accomplished it!

I jsut thought Kinsley looked so cute washing dishes in her fancy dress and rainboots!

She loves making lemonade from the lemons in our yard!

Another hike! A funny story. THere was a steep trail off the main path and Cason and Kinsley said they wanted to go up and see what was at the top. So they climbed up and when Kinsley got up there she said “Huh, there’s a pink car.” I thoght she was pulling our leg. Cason went up and said the same thing so Corbin and I had to go see for ourselves. 

On our way home we stopped and picked up a sufganiyah from some classmates in celebration of Hanukkah.

I love color!!

Cason on his last day of school before break! He got to wear his pj’s!

His art project he made!

Usually we get invited to a sugar cookie decorating party at a friends house every year but obviously that wasn’t going to happen this year. Kinsley still really wanted to make some so I agreed and then realized I’m not that kind of mom but since I already said I would, we did it and it actually turned out way better than I thought it would!!

But we definitely did it in stages. First making the dough and then rolling them out and bking them!

We decided to frost them another day.  This night, Connor and thought we should do a get-fancied-and-stay-at-home date. Normally, we would have probably been going to Apple’s Holiday party but this year is different. A selfie with Cason before we banished them to the upstairs!

Sunday before Christmas pictures. Since we weren’t actually going to church, I thought it would be fun to get all dressed up in our normal fancier stuff but then just wear funky socks since we are staying at home!

My daughter thinks she’s a teenager influencer! Haha!

It almost looks like Christmas morning on the afternoon my kids were wrapping their gifts to others! 

Kinsley asked every hour since we baked the cookies if it was time to frost and finally we did it!!

Oh Holly made this beautiful cookie. 

So one afternoon, Connor was finishing up work and then we were going to figure out what to do for lunch, Then all of the sudden a food truck pulkled up in front of our house (for the people who were working on the house next door). We took that as a sign what we should eat for lunch!

Christmas in the Park this year was a drive-thru and the only tickets I could find avilable were just before it got dark. I think it would have been better at night but it was still fun to do it!

For Corbin’s young mens activity they put this nativity together over Zoom. He was so proud of it and displayed it in his room!

Kinsley putting the last countdown marker on before Christmas!

We didn’t go visist Santa this year but I did get some pictures anyway, through technology!

Add in a little Frozen for good measure.

Christmas Eve festivities. As guilty as I felt for gathering together indoors for our celebration, I also felt extremely blessed to be wth family when so many familes were not together. 

We also got a visit from Santa!

The moon had this really cool halo rainbow around it!

Matchy girls!

Setting out cookies and carrots for Santa and the reindeer!

Getting ready to open our Christmas jammies.

This year mom and dad got some too!

Waiting patiently on Christmas morning!

Stockings first!!

What better says 2020 than masks in the stockings!

Cason’s wrapping paper matched his jammies!

Kinsley getting the Judy Moody set!

Legos!

Kinsley got an art easel!

I got a charcuterie board from my mother-in-law and made good use out of it for Christmas brunch!

My mom gave the boys Chrismas surprise balls which were a big hit!!

Two cute cousins!!

The boys playing the new Xbox game Madden. It seriously looks and sounds like a real football game!

We watched the new Soul movie released on Disney+!

Then the kids decided to just have a sleepover downstairs that night!

We had so many treats leftover from Christmas gifts and such that we didn’t even know what to do with them all. They lived in the middle of our counter for while. I thought it was funny us eating breakfast around it all.

Connor had an appointment with the doctor and got his boot off! He felt like he wanted to try a hike with us! He did great!

Connor took the kids the driving range and I got to stay home and have some quiet time. I haven’t had that much quiet over the last 9 months!

New Years Eve! I can’t believe 2020 is finally over! I wish I could say that 2021 has to be better but I think my hope isn’t super high for that! Maybe I’m just trying to mange my expectations better but nevertheless I’m happy to ring in a new year anyway. 

Bike ride in the morning!

Traditional fondue. We did cheese this year too!

Our yearly jar that we add to of happy things is depressingly sparse this year but it also seems fitting for 2020.

Here’s some highlights of 2020 that we added to the jar:

-school x4
-Kinsley is excited to go back to school after winter break
-BYU vs. North Alabama
-Ela’s party
-rollerskating
-home made pizzas
-my family
-going to the condo
-Corbin’s first temple trip with the youth and mom, dad and grandma
-finding mission bells along El Camino
-celebrating Cason’s birthday with friends at Star Wars and with family and steak and strawberry cake
-condo
-fantasy football
-ice skating in downtown Sunnyvale with family and again with friends
-Kinsley makes a cute scrapbook at a scrapbook party!
-Corbin is ordained a deacon
-got home safe from Tahoe after a great ski trip
-Halloween
-Activitiy Days
-Corbin does great job passing the sacrament for the first time.

Happy New Year! We hope for a better 2021!