Top Ten of 2021

I may not have plans for a regular return to blogging, but my end-of-the-year recaps are my favorite posts to write.  I've found it's important to spend time reflecting on the year that was - the miles we traveled, the new memories we made, the growth that occurred, and the lessons we learned along the way.  And then I take all that and use it to launch me right into a new year, expectant and ready to make it something good.  

I declared 2021 my year to delight.  To combat the fear and uncertainty of all 2020 brought (and continues to bring) with my eyes focused on the big and small joy that's all around us and ours for the taking.  And while I have a deep seeded desire to create experiences that spark delight in the everyday, I love the unexpected and unplanned delight that stretches us into something new.  Opportunities to grab this delight is in our midst all the time, but we often miss it because we're too busy, too distracted, or simply filling our lives with the wrong things.  

It's a real fun thing to look at a year and define your top moments.  And then take a look at those moments and see if you can identify some themes.  What made these the best moments of the year?  What did you learn?  What was inspired out of them?  Not only did these top ten moments and memories bring me a whole lot of delight this year, but they were often a yes to something challenging, something unexpected, and something adventurous. 

So without further adieu, the 2021 Jorgensen Top Ten, in no particular order...

1. Finally saying yes to adding a furry friend to our family.  After months of going back and forth, researching breeders, overanalyzing coat types and then asking our breeder questions like, "are his eyes weirdly far apart?" we picked up our little golden doodle puppy on Friday, January 29.  This puppy, affectionately named after our favorite wizard, officially put a spell on our hearts this year and he has been the best added bonus to our fam.  

 

2. Beau and I were fully vaccinated against COVID in April, just in time to travel to Cabo for Beau's first Super All-American trip.  This was one of our favorite trips and destinations yet.  And it has nothing to do with the fact that I got to sing a duet with Flo Rida. ;) 

3. After five years of no babies in the family, sweet Theodore Curt arrived in March. 

     

4. Beau officially turned 40 in June and we went all out.  It was the most epic block party of all time and we celebrated the man who loves music, tacos, and laughter well.

5. We had some fun travel with the kids this year.  We hiked the Rockies in Colorado and the red rocks in Sedona, got stuck in a snowstorm on our way to see the Grand Canyon, explored Boulder and Denver, caught an almost no-hitter at a Rockies game, went white water rafting, and literally stuck our heads in the clouds at the top of Trail Ridge Road.  

6. But my favorite travel memory this year was our Christmas weekend in the city.  We did it big - an inaugural Bears game for the boys and high tea and Broadway's Frozen for the girls, American Girl Store and Lincoln Park Zoo Lights, Butch McQuires, Millennium Park, all the hot chocolate at Ghirardelli's, donuts at Stan's, and deep dish pizza at Lou Manalti's.  It was a Christmas spirit sucker punch and a weekend I will always cherish.   

7. When we attended the kids' fall conferences, we thought it was no coincidence when both kids' teachers shared that they wrote their personal narratives on our special days we had with them in August when a birthday trip to the beach was cancelled due to a tropical storm.  Beau took Cruz to Six Flags for a trip that's been on Beau's bucket list for years.  They left at dawn and got home close to midnight, rode every single roller coaster there, and came home with stories upon stories of their boys day.  And Mila and I?  We shopped 'til we dropped at Jordan Creek, where we tried on hats and perfume, listened to lots of Taylor Swift, and came home ready to head to school in style.

8. I said yes to teaching at BASIC, our church's college based ministry.  I have served with BASIC for a few years, but this was new and uncomfortable territory for me.  My first reaction was a big no, but when Carter said the topic was on Sabbath, I started to think maybe God had other plans.  This set the next six weeks in motion as one of my favorite and most challenging endeavors of the year.  I was mentored by Alice, one of the most gifted teachers at our church, had the opportunity to share my gifts for teaching in a completely new capacity, and spent a lot of time still with God as he prepared my words and my heart for that podium.  It was a beautiful night, complete with some dear friends who showed up to cheer me on.

9. Some long-term goals completed in 20201.  We finished the last chapter of the seven series Harry Potter books, and I cooked my last recipe of Magnolia Table, Volume 2.  That's more than 1,000 pages read and more than 300 new recipes tried.  And big goals like these call for big celebrations to follow.  I cannot wait.  

10. And last but not least, we finally made it to Hinterland and soaked up a weekend of camping, great music, and even better people to share it all with.  We're already planning for 2022 and can't wait for the lineup!

What else did 2021 bring us?  It brought our first year of travel baseball for Cruz, Mila's soccer debut and my coaching debut, pickle ball date nights and girls nights, a fun date night in St. Paul to see Caamp with Beau, a weekend in Des Moines with friends, and a weekend at the lake with the Guess fam.  It brought 25 new book titles, Ripp and Beth and a Yellowstone obsession, new kayak routes discovered, and early morning bike rides with Beau.  It brought Peloton challenges, so many neighborhood nights in the cul de sac, and a fun night with the fam and Maddie Poppe at Sunnyside.  

And here we go with another year on the horizon.  Ready or not, 2022, here we come! 

Easter Weekend 2021

                                      

Our Easter this year looked incredibly different than last year in pretty much every way, shape and form.  Last year, we were at the height of the first wave of quarantine, the weather was cold and rainy, and we didn't get out of our pajamas or leave our house other than to "egg" a few friends and pick up some groceries for our Easter feast for four.  And this year, we were blessed with beautiful sunny and 70 degree temps, a family almost fully vaccinated, and a sweet baby nephew to celebrate!  Taylor and Kate welcomed their baby boy, Theodore Curt, to their family the Monday of Holy Week, and were just getting settled as a family of three.  We all met together at a park to let our kids and puppies run free, hunt some eggs, and of course, all stare a whole lot at our precious little nephew.

Some sweet memories from our Easter week...

Our first Sunday back to church in over a year called for matching outfits with my girl and a picture to document (with our puppy, of course!).  I wasn't prepared to feel so emotional in church that morning, but my goodness it felt good to be back worshiping in community again.  Now we anxiously await no masks, big hugs, and all that lingering in the atrium.  Soon, soon, soon.  

Other than carving pumpkins, I can't think of a holiday "tradition" I loathe more than egg dyeing.  But this year, I may have finally found a technique that is both creative and effective.  Using a tub of Cool Whip, some gel food colors, and some toothpicks, we had fun experimenting with lots of color swirls and scoring some pretty great results.  And the kids' favorite part was definitely the fact that they could lick their fingers when they were done.  Last year's shaving cream, not so much!

One of my favorite things we did last year during Holy Week was our own Good Friday "last supper."  We baked bread together, poured wine and grape juice in fancy glasses, lit candles, and read about the Passover meal.  We did the same this year and even though instead of baking bread together I baked it myself while the kids were at school, we had to start our meal late because Cruz's baseball practice ran over, and our meal and conversation was interrupted by sweet neighbor kids "egging" our house, I wouldn't have changed a thing.  I'm feeling such a nudge to prioritize these family meals as our spring schedule gets busy and know without a doubt they won't always look pretty but they'll give us an anchor at the end of every day.  And hopefully point us back to our truest anchor, who loved sharing the table with his people. 

And a gorgeous Easter Sunday!  So grateful for the hope we can find in springtime, a world opening back up, and most of all, that empty tomb on Easter Sunday.