Merry Christmas - 2020

Christmas 2020   

Dear Family & Friends,

The calendar tells me that it is time to work on our annual Christmas letter and cards. As we all know, the concept of time has been thrown out the window this year. So, if the calendar says it’s time, then it must be time!

2020 has been a very difficult year – seems to be the general consensus. We have been trying hard to stay positive and focus on the blessings.

In March, the kids all came home to learn. It was a huge adjustment for all of us. I’m so thankful that the kids are old enough to know the technology and that they are able to keep track of their grades, assignments, etc. We were expecting to go back to school before the end of the school year, but in the end, Moline Schools kept the kids home. The 2020-2021 school year started with a hybrid learning structure. We opted to put our kids back in school – they attended class Mon & Tues for a ½ day of classes. They were then home Wed-Fri with remote learning. While they struggle with not seeing friends, wearing masks during school, no lockers, no lunch or extra-curricular activities, we are thankful that they are able to attend in person. They learn so much more and enjoy the interaction with other people. Unfortunately, they are home (again) for full remote learning until the end of Christmas break due to the higher Covid numbers in our area.

Matt & I have both continued working through the pandemic. I celebrated my 10^th year with Chick-fil-A in July. It’s been a wonderful job! Matt wondered if he would be furloughed for a short time this Spring. His patients weren’t going anywhere so they weren’t needing supplies or oxygen refills. Luckily, business was steady enough that they were able to keep their office open at full staff all year.

Speaking of jobs – we have two more workers in the house! Kaitee started working at Hy-Vee grocery as an online shopper in August. Alex also got her first job and is working at the Chick-fil-A in Moline (not at my store) in October. Both enjoy the work, their co-workers and the paycheck!

Kaitee (18) was impacted the most from the pandemic and quarantine. All Senior things were postponed or cancelled at the end of the school year. No senior graduation, no prom, no skip days, no yearbook signings, nothing. It was heartbreaking. Our neighborhood hosted a “drive by” party for the graduates – that was so nice to see friends and family, even from a distance. She started her college classes in August and will be finishing the semester this upcoming week. Everything was online. She definitely wants to get back into the classroom as soon as possible!

Alex (Sweet 16) was fortunate to finish her driving hours over the summer and was able to get her license last month. Having another driver is a freedom I never thought possible! She auditioned for ILMEA (flute) and was selected – a huge honor! She also auditioned to be a sectional leader (saxophone) for Marching Band and was selected. With the football season postponed until Spring, we are hoping for more of a Marching Band season at that time.

Will & Maddie (14) "graduated" from middle school and are now freshman at the high school. Both missed saying goodbye to their favorite teachers, not going on their music trip to Adventureland or attending their 8th Grade Recognition. So many "traditions" that didn't happen this year.

Will has joined the chess club and robotics team at the high school. They have had virtual meetings but nothing in person at this point. He’s hoping to join the Bass Fish Team in the Spring. He attended Band Camp this summer and hopes to participate in Marching Band this Spring during football season. He & Matt drove to Shawnee National Forest area in October for his 9^th grade trip. They zip-lined, hiked, explored and letterboxed. They both enjoyed their time away.

Maddie continues to be very involved in volleyball. The high school team had conditioning, practices & weights throughout the Summer into the Fall. It fills up our calendar quickly. Once their season was postponed to Spring, we signed her up for a program on the Iowa side to keep her active and challenged. Last month, she made one of the teams for Platform Elite Club Volleyball in Bettendorf. The program was shut down for 2 weeks because of new state mandates with Covid. We are hopeful that she will play in some tournaments, starting in January. We aren’t sure what is going to happen with the IL High School season. If all goes well, she will tryout in February. We will see. Matt took her on her 9th grade trip as well (September). They drove to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was easy for them to fall in love with the landscape and enjoy their time together!

After much prayer and discussion, Matt & I decided to take the summer vacation we had planned. We were gone 16 days and traveled from Illinois to Oregon (to visit Matt’s family for a few days) then south to California and headed home. We visited 14 states, 12 National Parks/Monuments and drove almost 6,500 miles! It was a wonderful time away – visiting family and seeing God’s endless imagination in the beauty of America! Even though the trip was different in many ways, because of Covid, we are so thankful for the time we could get away and spend with family.

We’ve fit a few day trips into our schedule this year, however, not as many as we usually do. Matt has been working 2 weeks on call and 1 week off. His schedule combined with the 2 older girls working has made any family activity hard to plan! We are thankful for the rare days when everyone is home.

We come to the end of 2020 and pray that 2021 starts to resemble the old norm that we are used to. While we don’t see that happening for a while, we are thankful for many things – family, health, jobs, financial security, church, food, shelter, internet (shopping, school, friends, church) and the time we had together this year. We know that this year has been a struggle for everyone. We are humbled to serve a God who hears our cries and knows the deep desires of our hearts, even without our voicing them. We’ve held tight to those truths this year. We pray that His peace – the peace that passes ALL understanding – has helped you through this difficult year as well.

We send love and prayers to you.

Merry Christmas!

Matt & Becki Hart

Kaitee, Alex, Will & Maddie