end of 2020- start of 2021

 Okay I haven't really been doing this.  Because.  

2020-2021 was Eva's senior year.  We did some college tours.  This involved us just walking around campuses on our own due to covid, and attending virtual campus visits with other people. 

But eventually, she chose the University of Illinois in Chicago.  She chose this on about April 28th, and May 1st is the deadline.  It was stressful.  She loved Madison and U of M Minneapolis campus also. But UIC offered her a yearly scholarship, as well as a spot in their GPPA (guaranteed professional program admission) program.  The catch is that she has to maintain a 3.5 to remain in the program for pharmacy: Oh the pressure!

School year 2020-21 started out in a hybrid model, with half the kids attending school in person 2-3 days/week, while the other kids learned asynchronously at home.  There were constantly kids out quarantining from exposure and having covid.   Masks had to be worn at school.  In November 2020, there was approximately a month when 10-20 North Dakotans were dying per day of covid.  We Hansons quarantined and masked carefully; Certainly all did not.  When people were dying at an alarming rate, a decision was made to hold-off on school sports for a month.  Parents nearly died at the thought of their kids missing one minute of their kids' sports for them to relive their glory-days through, and sports continued.  We spent Thanksgiving alone, just the 6 of us. We spent Christmas alone, just the 6 of us.  It was very challenging because not everyone quarantined in the same way we did.  My parents and brothers' families all got together for the holidays.  It was a very isolating time both physically and emotionally. 

This is a graph of the death rates in ND.  

 

In Jan 2021, Joseph Biden was inaugurated as the new president.  There was also an insurrection at the capital on Jan 6, 2021 to "stop the steal," as then President Trump said the election counts were a lie. But a great picture of Bernie Sanders wearing a very similar outfit at the inauguration emerged, and Kristin Andrist knitted me a pair of the same mittens.  

We grew our hair really long. 

I was able to get vaccinated in Feb 2021 with the healthcare workers, and Chris soon after with the media.  Eva got vaccinated when she turned 18 in March.  Vaccinations were approved for 16-18 year olds that spring as well, and Travis was vaccinated on his birthday.  At the end of May 2021, the vaccine was approved for 12-16 year olds, and Luke was able to be vaccinated. I took Luke the first day it was approved for his age group.  It was fun to be there with all the professors and physicians and their children...all of us dummies together in one place. Marie was vaccinated in Sept when she turned 12. 

Chris got so bored during the year-long quarantine, that he became an ice fisherperson.

Eva cut bangs, and her hair. And we celebrated her 18th birthday. In quarantine.  We spent a second Easter home together alone as well. 

We were so bored during fall 2020 quarantine, that when Leo the cat was unexpectedly run over, we got another cat.  We wanted to name him something that signified the time we were living in.  I thought maybe covid or corona....Luckily Chris saved the day and we named him Fauci (Dr. Anthony Fauci was the chief medical advisor to the president at this time.)

Lois married Bob in a WWW event!

We attended virtually.