Since I haven't blogged for the last two years, I don't have a lot to link up to so, without making this exhaustingly long (I just completed our 2020 family book!), here are 21 things that made 2021 memorable for me -- in no particular order
1. This was our Christmas Card photo this year. And, I believe, the only one of all 6 of us taken then entire year. Someone in my family might try to prove me wrong, but I don't think there were any/many at all. I know we didn't get another at Christmas because, "MOM, you got one of all of us at Thanksgiving -- we haven't changed that much :/"
2. Always thankful for our Thanksgivings in middle TN with lots of the Bell family. We were trying to decide this year how many years we've been doing this particular gathering -- more than 10 for sure. Maybe 15? With the pandemic in 2020 only the "kids" got together -- this year the "parents" were with us too. Here we all were:
This was just before the rain hit. The next day was nicer, though, and we kept up all traditions :)
3.
Our trip to Florida in May (and missing Frederick's HS graduation ceremony) to see Uncle Brad and Aunt Kristin. It really is one of our favorite family things to do -- it's generally a short trip but packed full of fun, especially when the weather cooperates. This beach day was the back-up plan -- the wind was too high to take the pontoon boat out as planned. Sunshine-y enough for some time on the beach though!!
4. Robert
Otherwise known as "Thomas" in most of this space. My oldest, who turned 23 this year, graduated from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga with a degree in Civil Engineering, took a full-time job in his hometown of Cookeville and worked and worked on his dad to get a new-to-us boat this year. I really, really like Adult Robert -- he's so connected to his family which is a blessing to all of us.
5. 
One Saturday in February we all toured the campus with a recent graduate that was a coworker of mine. She was showing the Epling twins (in the middle) around -- they were still uncertain if the University of Tennessee was for them (they ended up enrolling and living next door to Frederick and Marie!). Marie had already committed and, at the time, Margaret hadn't made a decision but now, in 2022, all four of these girls will be Vols together. 
Marie. She turned 21 this year, graduated from Pellissippi State Community College with an applied science degree and transferred to the University of Tennessee Knoxville to pursue a degree in Biomedical Engineering. She took a 4 a.m. - 8 a.m. M-F job in the library (!!!) at school (luckily she lives in the building next door) and ran in two half marathons toward the end of the year. She looks the most like me (so people say) but she is a Bell through-and-through. I'm so glad she's ours and I can't wait to see how she changes the world with her care, knowledge, hard work, and heart for Jesus.
6. 
This one thinks she's the favorite. Maybe because she's the only one still at home full-time with us? We get to do so much together and I enjoy her company so much. She has such an incredibly bright future ahead for herself -- finishing up at Pellissippi State Community College and heading to the University of Tennessee Knoxville (but was accepted to Tennessee Technological University too -- kinda hoped for a hot minute that she would share Golden Eagle status with me) to get a degree in accounting. At the end of 2021 she left her job in childcare at our local gym to nanny/babysit/petsit more. She was at that job for almost 2 years but has gotten some good, consistent work with some local families so she's on her own now!! We are super, super proud of her.
7.
The one who objects the MOST to pictures but this was my request for Mother's Day in 2021 -- a picture with each of my kiddos. This one is a WONDER. He finally turned 18 this year -- we have said since he was 4 years old that the only thing holding him back in life is his age!! NOW he can go get that real estate license -- even though he's been working with some real estate guys for almost a year now, he can't do anything but take phone calls and "busy work" without being licensed. He left high school as a college sophomore credit-wise and lives in the same dorm as his sister on campus at UTK. He has embraced ALL that college life has to offer and we are so proud of him and where he is going. I love his confidence, energy, and ability to buy a gift or want to share an experience with anyone. He knows what he wants and the world is too slow to keep up with him :)
8. 
Graduation 2021 - we celebrated both Frederick and Thomas here in Knoxville. It is appropriate to post this picture of Frederick with his golf-playing aunt and uncle because they are the only ones who share in that passion with him! Uncle Brian even gifted Frederick with a golf trip as a HS graduation gift. The beautiful smile in the middle is heading to Liberty University in 2022 and she is sporting her older sister's soon-to-be alma mater -- she graduates in May 2022 with a degree in finance from Elon University.
9. 
I only got to do one Racquet Wars this year but it was a good one!!! We went to Kiawah Island in February and, although we were all bundled up here, we were able to loose layers on the tennis courts. Melissa and Jen ended up winning their division and I, along with my sister's friend from Ohio, Monica, made it to the finals in the consolation round. She had to leave to catch a plane back to Cincinnati so I ended up playing (and winning) with someone that I met in the previous round! 
It was a fun and memorable weekend - especially introducing my one friend (Jen) to Kiawah Island. Her partner, Melissa, has been going there on vacation for many years. Hopefully there will be more Racquet Wars in 2022!
10. Another highlight of that trip was meeting Roy Barth.
He played professionally and then was the first tennis pro to be invited to work at Kiawah Island and was there on opening day in 1976. The tennis facility was named after him 30 years later and he continues to be a presence on the island as his son continues his legacy as director at the Roy Barth Tennis Center where we played our tournament. Now that I've read his book (an autobiography that blends both his time as a player and building the tennis program at Kiawah) I'd love to have another chance to sit down and chat with him.
11. The Bell and Epling women at UTK
12 - My mom turned 70!
We were able to make it up for a quick celebration -- my parents' birthdays are both in March so we all went out together, but this is time with "just her". . .
So. . .is it stranger to say, "I am 70" or "I have a daughter that is almost 50"?
I hope I get to find out one day :)
13 - Easter Sunday 2021
And, just like that, halfway through my post, I am proven "wrong" -- we did have another picture taken of the 6 of us this year :). We travelled down to Chattanooga (where Thomas was living at the time) with our framily, the Maxwells, to have Easter Dinner out. We rarely all go out to eat together -- we almost always choose to eat at home -- but this was a special treat and a beautiful day. At the time Thomas was working a couple of nights a week at the hospital overnight as an aide, so it was better for us to go to him since he was coming off a night shift. The background was the beautiful house he lived in for the last three years of college.
14 - 
The biggest change for all of us this year (see??? I said this was in no particular order) was the Bells move to East TN. This is the home that they built and lived in for over 50 years. They had been anticipating/planning a move since pre-COVID so it wasn't a mad frenzy at the end, but leaving this much behind was certainly not an easy thing to do. The house hit the market on Friday morning, had a dozen showings plus an open house and 8 offers to sift through on Saturday night. What a whirlwind that was! Everything went smoothly and we are now neighbors :). Nancy doesn't have a giant house to clean anymore and Fred particularly enjoyed not mowing or raking this year (they are renters now).
15 - Work-from-home set-up
Even though my former company sent us all home the previous March, WFH didn't become "official" until April of this year when we had to send pictures of our set up and agree that we had everything necessary to do our jobs effectively from home (even though we had already proven that the previous year!). Even though I am no longer a Training Specialist with this company, this set-up was pretty good, especially with the addition of the buffet from the Bell's home to use as my standing desk :)
I guess this would be the place that I would note that I left this company at the end of September and have been very, very happy kicking around at home since then. I miss working and the plan is to find something in 2022 but for now blogging can take up some of my time :)
16 - GRADUATION!
We have four children with 4 HS diplomas and 2 Associate degrees between them all but have never attended a graduation!! This one, from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, was the first one :). Because of Covid, he was only given four tickets so the Bells attended with us. I can't even imagine getting to watch my grandchild graduate from college. I'm so proud of him and this accomplishment. Hopefully there will be a few more graduations for this family in the future ;)
17- Cedar Lake Camp
Jenni
One last summer for them to all serve together. Frederick was a junior counselor, Marie a counselor, and Thomas the CIT (Counselor-in-Training) boys' director. . .Margaret ended up going over there two different weeks to help out in the kitchen. I love how much they love this place and it will be strange to not have them there in the summer of 2022. Who knew, when we dropped Thomas off as an 8-year-old resident camper in the summer of 2007, that we would grow such deep roots to this place?? What a blessing Cedar Lake Camp has been in our lives.
18 - Florida 2021
My longest, bestest friends. We met as mothers of young children and have moved many times between all of us. We used to go away together once a year but none of us can guess when the last time was we did that. This was a short-notice, "let's go" trip that Amy put together for us! These ladies have taught me so much about friendship, family, forgiveness, Jesus, commitment, parenting, solidarity, and LOVE. I don't have the words to convey they type of joy I feel when I'm with them. I'm privileged to know them and be accepted by them. I am better because of them.
What a terrific few days together this was.
19 - Sectionals!
I have played tennis on-and-off most of my life. When we moved to Knoxville in 2015 I was invited to join this team. I have advanced to State many times with different teams but this is the first time we have hit sectionals together at the 3.5 level. It was a hot weekend in Rome, GA, and even though we didn't make it to nationals, it was a great experience.
20 - Look at how full our life is of family - even those not related by blood but in our hearts.
It has been years and years since these families have met at the lake to vacation, even though they used to do it every single year growing up. There are a few missing here -- Nick, Robert, Kathy, (I'm taking the picture) -- but lake life defines our lives and I am so thankful for these families and their legacy that has bled into our lives. We dragged the boat up to Lake Cumberland for a long weekend with the Hunkelers and made more memories :). These four, pictured below, are as close as siblings could be. . .scattered and living in OH, TN, AZ/CA, UT
Their parents' friendship has brought them together through the years -- how fortunate they are.
21 - 
Another hallmark of 2021 was our "community garden". Fred, Nancy, Tommy, and Barbara slaved over this project all spring and summer -- planting, weeding, tending. . .and we would walk down the street and admire it :). The produce was really good and lots of lessons were learned.
I promised "brevity" and, although some might argue this is too long, I need to end somewhere. I have double this left in me :). There were many other aspects of 2021 I would like to capture and record but will stop here for now.
As for 2022 . . .well. . .I would like to position myself in a place where I have time and energy to serve my family, work on staying healthy, continue learning and growing in the Word and dependance on the Lord, celebrate successes and achievements in my friends' and family's lives and make memories together with others. This blog, these posts, are meant to celebrate the "ordinary" in this extraordinary life. It is meant to record my perspective and my joy in this life. I hope to be here a lot more in 2022!
Love,
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