Memorable moments 2020

As 2020 is coming to an end, I am going through year long photos. Although we didn’t travel as much as 2019, it was still hard to pick up only 20 memorable moments. We are extremely lucky to have thrived during this pandemic. Our jobs were not affected, if anything, my job became even more important. We didn’t get sick, although the early stress of working from home with two kids doing online school and the work pace gave me stomach issues. But overall we remained healthy and learned to take care of our body even more, including mental health. As a family, our ties and trust to each other grew and became stronger. If we could survive a pandemic of this scale, being stacked at home 24/7 for over 100 days, we can survive anything. It was a year for personal growth too. I started meditation, journaling, blogged everyday during the peak of the pandemic, learned to slowdown, appreciate joys from ordinary days, read 60+ books, got closer to my girls, and so much more.

Now into memorable moments

1. Celebrating Chinese new year. Girls love traditions/celebrations and this year we made sure to celebrate every occasion possible.

2. First outing with our runner group kids, just before the pandemic. 

3. Celebrating Lizzy’s 4th birthday with just 4 of us as it was hard lockdown in April. We still had a lot of fun!

4. Lizzy’s first dentist visit, all by herself in the room, and even remember to ask for two gifts to share with Sofia. 

5. All the books Sofia read this year, becoming a book lover, and all the afternoons and evenings that we read together. 

6. Sofia learned to ride a bicycle, just a matter of minutes!!! 

7. All the crafting we did together, testimony of our bounding time and conversations. 

8. Working from home for six months and doing media interviews in my bedroom. 

9. Celebrating Sofia’s 8th birthday with her new friend’s family

10. Card games on Sundays. Family activities are the best. 

11. Our first trip in 2020 to Boracay.

12. All the morning jogs with Sofia and seeing her getting stronger. 

13. Spontaneous Thanksgiving dinner because we had so much to be thankful this year. 

14. Forming new tradition with the girls to give back

15. Husband’s birthday, the best one I’ve organised to-date

16. Sending gift packages to our old helpers. Hard lesson for the girls but eye opening. 

17. Best island/beach trip EVER to date!

18. Best birthday day for me to-date! 

19. Finishing 40km on my 40th birthday.

20. All those moments of silliness of Lizzy, making us laugh so hard!!! They are precious. 

10 questions for the end of the year from one of my favorite podcast in 2020. 

1. what will you remember the most? Joys of our ordinary days as family. Conversations, walks, a spontaneous laugh, meal times, lazy Sundays. 
2. who were your people? My family, no doubt. 
3. what was the best entertainment? books.
4. what were the most important conversations? with my boss about my career, with the girls on giving back, with my BFF about her mid-life crisis. 
5. what was the biggest surprise? that we thrived during the pandemic, came out stronger than we started. 
6. what was the most consequential decisions? starting to blog regularly again, journaling, slow down so I could become more conscious in all aspects of my life. 
7. what have you learned? 40 thoughts.
8. what has changed? my attitude to work, family, relationships. I know… so much change in one year. it was possible because I made space for it by slowing down.
9. what are you leaving behind and make space for? the need to do more (fast pace life) and focus what’s more important to me and what I can add more value, SLOW DOWN!
10. what do you more of next year? family time, books, conversation with the girls, solo time with husband, connecting with my mom and extended family.