Sons Out Puns Out

The New Year is upon us. Many of us are making lists of goals or resolutions for 2022. While every new year brings aspirations for a fresh start and a better year than the last, it definitely seems like people have been more excited than ever to bid adieu to the past year in 2020 and 2021.

I get it, these last two years have been rough, and at times, they’ve downright sucked. We’re in the middle of a global pandemic, mental health issues are on the rise, there is social injustice, rampant racism, a political divide, and relentless disagreements about vaccinations, mask mandates, government involvement, taxes, global warming, the list goes on and on.

I’m not here to take sides or to talk about politics or any of these hot-button issues. We have countless news outlets for that. I’m also not one to turn a blind eye to everything that’s going on in the world. But when we look at the world around us with this type of mental filter, it can actually cause higher levels of anxiety and depression because we’re only focusing on the negative issues occurring at a macro level. This can also cause us to forget about some of the wonderful things that are happening right in front of us.

Some may say this is me demonstrating my privilege because I can just turn off the news and escape reality. I’m not here to argue, but for the sake of this post, I’m simply operating under the assumption that what I focus on gets bigger and acknowledging my heartfelt, sincere gratitude for the many blessings and positive experiences over the past year. If you’re up for it, I challenge you to do the same.

Here are 35 positive things (big and small and in no particular order) that happened in 2021:

1. D and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary.

2. Little L started walking.

3. We got to get all the cousins together when my brother and his family visited from Chicago.

4. Little L, aka Hulk Smash, turned one. We died his hair and painted him green (with kid-friendly face paint of course, which is why it faded before he even got his smash cake. But it was pretty damn funny).

5. Did some big, challenging hikes with my friend Karen, including Mt. San Jacinto and Mt. Baldy.

6. D’s parents came down twice this year and we also got to see them before Thanksgiving.

7. We tried indoor skydiving.

8. L & L got to spend quality time with my parents.

9. The hiking group (we need a new name) celebrated our 9th Friendiversary on the Fourth of July.

10. Big L turned three and had a dinosaur birthday.

11. Speaking of dinosaurs, we took the boys to see some big dinos at Jurassic Quest. Big L loved it and Little L slept through the entire thing.

12. We went strawberry picking with some of our friends and one of L & L’s best buds.

13. Fara’s birthday hike at Torrey Pines; check out those matching outfits!

14. DJ Jazzy Jeff hosted my work’s Zoom holiday party.

15. Zoom birthday celebrations and girls’ nights! Thanks, Amy J for the 80s swag!

16. D and I finally got to try Fogo De Chao (to celebrate the next two items).

17. I got a promotion.

18. D got a new job.

19. Took the boys to see the best Xmas light displays. We’ve done this before but this is the first year Big L really knew what was going on and it was so fun to witness his reaction to the lights and all the character decorations!

20. Went rock climbing with some awesome friends and decided this will be one of my new hobbies in 2022 (see next item).

21. Got some new rock climbing gear from my Secret Santa (who broke the rules of the game and went way over the budget. But hey, I’m definitely not complaining).

22. My boys started a new tradition and baked me a Mother’s Day cake.

23. We got to celebrate D’s cousin’s wedding.

24. Took the boys trick or treating for the first time!

25. Big L. got to see Santa Claus and let him know he wanted a sandwich and a Rice Crispy treat for Christmas.

26. The boys got to see some cool airplanes at the aviation museum with one of their best buds (and yes, I made my family wear matching flight suits).

27. Got to see D’s sister for the first time in two years.

28. Celebrated my four-year anniversary with my company. Grateful for a steady job working with amazing people at a company that understands family comes first (pretty amazing if you ask me).

29. Got an article published in Scary Mommy.

30. D and I committed to consistent workouts (the boys joined in at times, too).

31. I did a pull-up for the first time in my life!

32. Made it through another year with two toddlers, both of us working, and D in school full time. He also got really good grades!

33. Our friends who we haven’t seen since 2019 moved back to Southern California.

34. I finally started my blog! In the 11th hour, but hey, it still counts!

35. We are all healthy and happy #blessed But really, this one is no joke.

And there you have it; some pretty amazing things happened in 2021. Thanks for reliving some of these experiences with me! 

Now it’s your turn. I’d love to hear from you. What were some of your favorite memories of 2021? Let me know in the comments below!