Merry Christmas!
Ummm… 2020. What a year.
The good, the bad & all the in-between, it has definitely been a year of learning and going with the flow. Sometimes not by choice but all in all the Lancaster’s held on tight and did the best they could through such a crazy time!
We are still standing, healthy and happy, so we would like to share what our 2020 pandemic year was like.
DAN: He was our constant happy through the entire year. We wouldn’t have survived without his calm reasoning keeping us all from going into complete panick. We are always so grateful to have him around. Dan is continuing his hard work as a Geologist at Pioneer Natural Resources. He got to spend most of the year at home, and even though his work environment of being home with constant little interruptions was definitely a learning curve, he handled it like a champ and the fam loved having him home! When he wasn’t stuck in his make-shift office, Dan spent his time crafting more of his skills in woodworking! He has made some amazing things and continues to impress us with his creations. Dan recently was called into the Young Men’s program in our church and is working with the 11-13 year old boys. It has been great so far. Dan is continuing to make us laugh and simply make our life all that much better. We are so grateful for him!!
LESLI: She survived.
No, just kidding. It definitely was a year that she will never forget. It was crazy but this year also made some amazing memories for Lesli. She got to play teacher for a good portion of the year, and continued to mother the heck out of our kiddos. Lesli is still loving being able to teach yoga and even during the pandemic she was able to continue to teach virtual yoga classes. She is so thankful to be back in the gym now, teaching in person. She is still in Primary at our church serving as the music chorister and created her first ever virtual Primary Program. Lesli continues to bring the joy, fun and chaos wherever she goes but does it in an organized fashion that keeps our household running smoothly. She doesn’t stop and we all wonder when she sleeps, but we are grateful for her constant love and always making our house filled with cheer and an upbeat spirit.
JUNE: Our sweet June bug is always our peacemaker and we love her compassion and sweet personality that she brings into our home. June turned nine this year and is in the 3rd grade. This year has been filled with challenges for June but she has always come through with a positive outlook in any situation. Earlier this year June started her go with skiing and ended up loving it. Though we live in Texas we definitely plan to get back on those snowy mountains soon. She was a natural! She also started her first year of Cheer with the Bobcats. We had a lot of fun cheering her on and now she is constantly yelling cheers and doing kicks and cartwheels all over the house. June is always outside jumping on the trampoline or riding her scooter around with friends. At home we find her either curled up with a book or playing Mine-Craft with Owen. She enjoys spending time with her family and playing games. She also has become quite the little baker in our home and is always whipping us up some yummy treats! It’s a win win for everyone. Despite all the mess this year, June has had a fun and active year. We love her and all she does for our family.
OWEN: Nothing could stop this little man from his constant playing and artistic ways. Owen didn’t skip a beat when it came to virtual school learning or going back in person. He has taken everything with stride and we are so proud with how he has handled all the craziness that has been thrown his way. Owen turned seven in October and is in the 1st grade. He loves school and loves math the most. He pops numbers in and out of his head so fast. It’s amazing. This fall Owen started his very first season of baseball and loved it. It was so fun supporting him and being at his games. We loved being at the baseball field and cheering on his team. Owen can’t wait to play again this upcoming spring. He did get to have a special trip up to Canada this year before the boarders closed and got to play in the freezing north snow. He had a blast. We love how active he is with his friends, but he also enjoys his alone time too. He kicks all our trash at Mario Kart and can outplay any of us on the switch. Owen is our passionate little boy and his smile can do no wrong. We wouldn’t have nearly as much fun if we didn’t have Owen in our lives and we are so grateful for his personality and love that he brings to us all.
KATE: Our little Kate is a fire cracker. A fierce little fire cracker that sometimes you don’t know if you will survive. She definitely keeps us on our toes and rules this house. Kate turned four this past January and goes to preschool a few times a week. She loves being with her friends and doing crafts at school. Little Kate is obsessed with animals and has zero fear of touching any creepy crawling thing. She wears her heart on her sleeve and definitely lets you know how she feels. Kate finished her dance year strong with a unique dance recital and then started doing gymnastics later on this year. Kate plays hard and seems to never want to sleep. She would play all day and night if we didn’t force her to lay down and go to sleep. She is so full of spunk and fire and brings so much fun and laughter into our home. Kate is our go getter and we are just a long for the ride. We love all she brings into our lives and all the funny and sometimes awkward situations she gets us in. She is amazing!
RANGER: Another year for Ranger and this year seemed to be his most favorite yet. He loved having us all home all day, every day and when we were finally able to go places, he was not the biggest fan and would run after us. The pup still loves to go for car rides and hates going for walks. He is the snuggliest little pup when he wants to be, but is also the grouchy old dog most people know him as. Ranger still loves to escape from our back fence and roam the neighborhood until we get a call from one of the neighbors, letting us know he’s out again. Thankfully we have the best of the best neighbors who keep track of him. We love Ranger and all his crazy that goes along with him!
OUR FAMILY IN GENERAL: We got to spend A LOT of time together this year which had its bad moments but also the very best moments. Some of our travel plans were canceled this year but we still were able to make it to Idaho and Florida, Arkansas plus a few trips up to Oklahoma. So we did get out a little bit. There was a lot we learned this year and we are grateful for those experiences, even though some of them we hope to never re-live. We will always look back at this year with memories of crazy, fun and tender mercies that were constantly surrounding us.
We really wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We love you all and we are so grateful that you are in our lives, both near and far.
Love,
The Lancaster Family
