I always like to write a post to sum up our last-few-months-in-review. But I never made the time at the end of 2021 because making sh*t happen x 3 on a daily basis is a full time job - to put it bluntly.
My recollection is hazy. Fortunately, I have pics to mark this occasion.
I remember the kids enjoying their last weeks of summer before school started.
This would be their first year back in-person since the shutdown. To be honest, it was a wierd time. It was back-to-school.
But far from back-to-normal.
Masks were still mandated indoors.
Restaurants converted parking lots into outdoor seating.
We carried on.
Held on tight. And like I said, make sh*t happen.
I tried to bring in humor.
Continued with festive traditions.
Hoping to feel some sort of normalcy.
Good news is I can count on guaranteed mood boosters to get me through dark times.
Like watching my Dad get younger as we get older.
My fried dough love affair.
My first themed event at Dodger Stadium via Hello Kitty night!
Adirondack chairs in fluorescent orange.
It's worth mentioning the heavenly black sesame buckwheat toast at Bavel.
Once a year we order greasy Chinese take-out and it totally hits the spot.
There was this one afternoon we got in the car and drove out to Little Tokyo for lunch.
Things just make sense there.
We picked up some greens in Chinatown as if I needed another plant in the my life.
Then went around the corner to buy dim sum as if I needed more MSG in my life. It was a really good day.
In 2021, Air Force 1 went mainstream (my nephew has a great collection of sneakers).
And my niece had an epically, paw-fect party when she turned 4.
It was the year the COVID vaccine was approved for 5-11 year olds.
The Encino Courtyard opened up a Shake Shack.
Portia cut 12 inches off her hair.
Discovering Creme meant no caffeine at Starbucks was a game changer.
And my love for fish tacos hadn't gone anywhere.
Do you remember when everyone was doing the #ModelFace challenge on TikTok?
Presley moved on from golf...
To football...
And to realizing basketball is what he wants to do all year long.
I'm hoping he'll come back to golf one day so Truman can have a built-in playing partner.
Amazon was dropping off polymer clay by the bundles.
All sorts of kawaii creations were being shaped.
She's learned how to take advantage of all the Prime benefits.
We hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our home because my sister was in New York. It was the first time I added streusel to marshmallows atop my sweet potato casserole I've been making it this way ever since.
As always, Christmas was magical.
She's getting good at dressing a table.
I loved the tartan pattern and Christmas tree paper I bought at the Hallmark store and decided then I only wanted to buy Hallmark wrapping paper from now on.
My brother hosted his first dinner on Christmas eve. We were all impressed. It was clearly ALL my sis-n-law!
On New Years eve we drove out to Torrance to have shabu shabu.
Then picked up Randy's to take home with us!
So now we had donuts and cookies(a Christmas care package from our cousins, the Weisners!) to ring us into 2022.
One of my favorite days of 2021 was when my sis-n-law's mother dropped off donuts for my birthday.
What's more is we bought Portia a mini donut maker for Christmas. All you need is love and donuts.
And that's all I have to say about 2021. Signing off with 💙.
See what else we were up to in 2021 on growing up hui!