20200401.1023-IMG_9576-Welcome_Grace
Allyndreth's 17th Birthday! All she wanted was to stay in her jammies all day and watch movies. When your birthday falls on Spring Break which falls during shelter-in-place, that birthday plan is totally doable!
20200401.1023-IMG_9576-Welcome_Grace
20200401.2004-IMG_9431-AMS_COVID_Birthday
20200401.2004-IMG_9435-AMS_COVID_Birthday
20200401.2006-IMG_9447-AMS_COVID_Birthday
20200401.2007-IMG_9456-AMS_COVID_Birthday
We've included our Easter prep and family egg hunt in this COVID-19 album but truth be told, it was almost the identical celebration we would have had any other year.
20200411.1603-IMG_9638-Easter_Egg_Dyeing
20200411.1611-IMG_9540-Easter_Egg_Dyeing
20200411.1613-IMG_9563-Easter_Egg_Dyeing
20200411.1611-IMG_9531-Easter_Egg_Dyeing
20200411.1648-IMG_9712-Easter_Egg_Dyeing
20200412.0953-IMG_9723-Easter
Allyndreth's hommage to The Avengers.
20200411.1711-IMG_5114-by_AMS-Easter_Egg_Dyeing
Easter Hunt Riddle-and-Seek 2020
20200412.0954-IMG_9725-Easter
20200412.1058-IMG_9737-Easter
20200412.0958-IMG_9728-Easter
20200412.1105-IMG_9760-Easter
20200412.1103-IMG_9754-Easter
20200412.1139-IMG_5490-Easter_Egg_Hunt
20200412.1105-IMG_9761-Easter
20200412.1136-IMG_5444-Easter_Egg_Hunt
20200412.1136-IMG_5445-Easter_Egg_Hunt
Clues could be anywhere!
20200412.1130-IMG_5401-Easter_Egg_Hunt
Grace, who had only been with us a couple of weeks, wondered why everyone was invading her space on a Sunday morning.
20200412.1153-IMG_5536-Easter_Egg_Hunt
The 24-7 art table we had set up as a shelter-in-place activity zone hid the final treasure basket perfectly.
20200412.1119-IMG_9777-Easter
We kept the 24-7 art table up through the summer until it was evident that COVID sequestering was going to go on forever and we kinda wanted our dining table back to normal.
20200412.1153-IMG_5540-Easter_Egg_Hunt
20200412.1121-IMG_9788-Easter
20200412.1155-IMG_5556-Easter_Egg_Hunt
20200412.1158-IMG_5574-Easter_Egg_Hunt
Though Tyrian was 1000 miles away, we were still going to get our Easter family pictures!
20200412.1247-IMG_9799-Easter
20200412.1247-IMG_9807-Easter
A typical photoshoot, whether all children are in the same space or not.
20200412.1248-IMG_9827-Easter
20200412.1248-IMG_9825-Easter
20200412-Easter_Family_Picture-crop-IMG_5577_2
This is the one Easter modification due to shelter-in-place: Rather than having an Easter meal with Grammie, she sent us a full Easter dinner so we could celebrate "Together At Home."
20200412.1904-IMG_9850-Easter
A socially-distant birthday gift drop-off for Christina's 48th birthday.
20200420.1419-IMG_9891-CE_COVID_Birthday
The bakery we enjoy for birthday cakes was closed due to shelter-in-place restricitions so Matt tackled Christina's all-time favorite, Black Forest Cherry Cake.
20200420.1742-IMG_9894-CE_COVID_Birthday
20200420.1806-IMG_9908-CE_COVID_Birthday
It was a fully-functional birthday treat!
20200420.1956-IMG_5396-by_AMS-CE_COVID_Birthday
20200420.1959-IMG_9630-CE_COVID_Birthday
20200420.1959-IMG_9639-CE_COVID_Birthday
Yum!
20200420.2001-IMG_9665-CE_COVID_Birthday
20200420.2014-IMG_9685-CE_COVID_Birthday
The smiley-face package was hiding a very special gift from Karen and Pete. Years ago, Christina wrote a poem about cold Wednesday night swim meets. Grampa Pete saved it and took a photo to illustrate what the poem describes and made them into art.
20200420.2022-IMG_9792-CE_COVID_Birthday
Matt gave Christina an addition to our exotic animal farm - a peacock!
20200420.2029-IMG_9888-CE_COVID_Birthday
20200420.2031-IMG_9906-CE_COVID_Birthday
Mother's Day marked our first day out as a family in 2 months since shelter-in-place orders began. Our mission was to surprise the grandmas.
20200510.1129-IMG_0145-COVID_Mothers_Day
First stop, Grammie's. We left flowers at the door...
20200510.1200-IMG_0042-COVID_Mothers_Day
...and left ourselves socially-distanced on the stairs. FaceTime on Allyndreth's phone brought Tyrian to the celebration.
20200510.1201-IMG_0056-COVID_Mothers_Day
"Hi, Tyrian!"
20200510.1200-IMG_0047-COVID_Mothers_Day
Historic pandemic picture.
20200510.1210-IMG_0076-COVID_Mothers_Day
Then later that day, we set off to bring flowers to Gra'Karen.
20200510.1626-IMG_0146-COVID_Mothers_Day
Surprise!
20200510.1558-IMG_0080-COVID_Mothers_Day
Thanks to Allyndreth, Tyrian came to this celebration also. "Hi, Tyrian!"
20200510.1557-IMG_0079-COVID_Mothers_Day
Another historic pandemic picture.
20200510.1604-IMG_0091-COVID_Mothers_Day
A quiet Father's Day at home, just how Matt likes it.
20200621.1050-IMG_0566-Fathers_Day
20200621.1051-IMG_0568-Fathers_Day
20200621.1051-IMG_0570-Fathers_Day
20200621.1052-IMG_0576-Fathers_Day
Springbrook Pool was open for small groups to gather, one family to a lane, by the time Gra'Karen's and Grampa Pete's June birthdays rolled around. We met them for a COVID-compliant, outdoor ice cream birthday indulgence and a swim.
20200627.1529-IMG_0693-ERS_AMS_KPS_birthday_swim
Two weeks later, it was Grammie's birthday and we prepared for another COVID-compliant party. Evya made her newly famous Angel Food Cake, soaked in lemon syrup and smothered in lemon whipped cream.
20200709.1639-IMG_0749-ERS_Grammie_birthday_cake
20200709.1647-IMG_0754-ERS_Grammie_birthday_cake
Who says socially-distant parties can't be elegant?
20200709.1724-IMG_0758-Grammie_COVID_birthday
The kitchen crew making shrimp linguine with lemon sauce.
20200709.1725-IMG_0759-Grammie_COVID_birthday
The big finale!
20200709.1834-IMG_0763-Grammie_COVID_birthday
Evya's 11th birthday!
20200714.1031-IMG_0805-ERS_COVID_birthday
20200714.1015-IMG_0782-ERS_COVID_birthday
20200714.1012-IMG_0780-ERS_COVID_birthday
Whoo-hoo! A new computer for distance learning!
20200714.1033-IMG_0833-ERS_COVID_birthday
It was a dancing-with-myself kind of birthday.
20200714.1040-IMG_0500-ERS_COVID_Birthday
Birthday game-playing.
20200714.1052-IMG_0836-ERS_COVID_birthday
Our favorite bakery was open again. This is the same flavor combo as Tyrian's famous birthday yule log cake, except round. We're on to you, Le Gateau Elegant!
20200714.1941-IMG_0837-ERS_COVID_birthday
20200714.1943-IMG_0844-ERS_COVID_birthday