March 2020

What a challenge it is to look back on March 2020. I journaled during the beginning of all the covid-chaos, but mostly it was daily gratitude and expressions of overall anxiety. The month started out with all the regular things: contact work for YL in the high school, the Gate River Run, celebrating birthdays with Anthony and my sweet friend Jessica, and then it all stopped. We quarantined & did virtual school. The boys started swimming in March which is usually a bit cold, but boredom and limited options inspire. Looking back at this month is surprising because it felt like EVERYTHING stopped, and we did nothing for weeks on end. Thankfully, I can see that we spent time together. We started a 10 month journey of being at home nearly exclusively. I almost don't believe that is what it was like. I regret not doing these blog posts in real time, because the emotion is lost & memory has blocked out the intensity of my response to our family isolation. I am incredibly grateful for my sons and husband; they brought joy to my days in a way I could never manufacture individually. Praise the Lord for his faithfulness to me & his goodness in every circumstance.

These first two pics are of a new mural in the front office of OPHS- and guess who is in it?? My lovely friend Camryn! I was so excited to see this & share it with her.

Hermione celebrated her FIRST BIRTHDAY! Our sweet pup was the best comfort during our covid lockdown. She was like our own personal therapy dog & knew who needed a snuggle or extra attention. She can tell when I am having a tough day, but in general she loves to be with us and is very affectionate. We love our girl so much!!

Luckily, she had a haircut towards the end of February, and we got her birthday cookie then. We didn't have to go too crazy with her hair during lockdown.

Sweet girl when we brought her home & on her first birthday! Still cute.

My awesome friend Courtney got into Clemson!! So now we're Clemson Tigers forever, basically best friends. This was probably our last YL club for the year, wow. We missed getting to celebrate some really fantastic seniors, and it makes me sad. I had a whole group of girls signed up for summer camp, and it cancelled. Despite the appropriateness of these decisions, I still am sad about what was lost in the spaces that should-have-been but weren't. And that's ok. I trust the Lord's timing in these friends' lives, and He will continue to love them more than I do, forever. I take great comfort in the fact that He cares more than I care, when I feel like I care a lot. Thank you Lord for all the ways you never let us down.

Here we go... Upstairs bathrooms making some progress! We finally were able to have our cabinets installed, and in hindsight, I should have paid extra to have the cabinet people install them. I didn't think it would be that difficult until the workman pushed it all the way against the wall so the cabinet door wouldn't open. It was exciting. So its mostly installed properly, with a little chaos on the side. But the colors look beautiful, and I think Matt did a good job picking these. I wanted neutral wood, but these are a bit more fun. And I got my neutral wood in the mirror frames! haha.

One of the last things the boys did at school was their art walk. So fun to see them proud of what they drew- I never did anything like this when I was in school. I love it.

The piece de resistance of our whole house: our master walk in shower made from Matt's old closet. It started out  a bit rough, and after I pointed out it wasn't square, things moved in a better direction. Mostly fly by the seat of our pants, but can home improvement go any other way? Seems unlikely.

Picking up my race packet & commemorative glass! I love collecting these & probably will keep signing up partly out of motivation to add another to my collection. I think I like them better than the medals, ha!

Our friend group to run- Me, Anthony, Cole & Emma. :-) And randomly, Coutney's dad was standing behind me when I took that 'crowd' pic! haha, I love it when the world feels small.

Matt brought the boys to see the finish, & they celebrated with us. David really liked the medal and jumping in Anthony's arms.

We threw a little birthday party for Anthony at Top Golf with Matt's YL guys & Camryn joined us too. The boys LOVE Top Golf and celebrating Anthony was such fun. He has become such a part of our family, he's like another son. The Lord blesses us through his friendship, and I pray we bless him too.

The OG crew right here. If this were a better pic, we'd frame it. Maybe we should frame it anyway.

Ok, David's preschool pics. I can't. Who can handle these 3 year old Rainbow class gems??

We celebrate Jessica's birthday with a spa day out at Ponte Vedra, and I always look forward to it. These girls are something else, haha.

Our playroom floor and windows were all done. New fans & new rug. We tried having the video game and tv in the opposite corner, and the boys loved it. I took these pics because I enjoyed the view, haha.

We went with Mimi&Grandpa to a Wild Game dinner in Keystone, but I don't remember what day. It may have been the day before schools closed. It was sweet to be together, and we didn't see them for almost two months, which is unusual for us.

Bathroom countertops! hip hip hooray! We were all sharing one sink: downstairs hallway. It was exciting.

We also had them swap the top on the hallway bathroom counter. The first one had odd spotting, so we replaced it. Thankfully, this counter top guy did it for us quickly and cheaply.

No sink, but counter top! and light fixture! and mirror!

Before they closed all the parks, and before they tore this particular park down to rebuild it, we took a trip with a new friend who is also our neighbor. Zac came over during the beginning of covid lockdowns, and he came over every day until the state issued the 'stay at home' orders for April. The boys LOVED having him to play with, and it kept our days from feeling too lonely. He literally would spend the entire day at my house, and I'd feed him, and he'd borrow a suit to swim. It was almost like having another kid, but one I struggled to find an appropriate way to discipline. It was a bumpy road, but a beautiful one where the Lord brought me an extra child to care for&about. You never know what the Lord is up to, and I ask Him for willingness to do what doesn't feel comfortable but what does feel needed & worth doing.

Look Mom, a sink!!

Homeschool lessons to keep us from being too bored. This one was identifying herbs, haha!

Progress in the master bath, it was a slow crawl. Started on tile & then got some grout! slowly but surely.

A moment of thanks giving. Flowers & brownies & wine. Something in the oven & pop tarts on the counter. Thank you Lord for how you provide.

Soaking in some sunshine. It's good for the soul. And David? I'm not sure what he was doing- nerf battle tattoo on his cheek, sunglasses & bandana. A laser gun and a screwdriver as accessories. It was a good look.

Hayden made some kind of robot helmet. And they complain about being bored. Boredom is a gift to usher in creativity.

I had saved these from when the boys were in preschool, but they are a bit cumbersome for long term storage. I had left them on the sink in my laundry room, but decided it was ok to not keep them forever. I decided commit them to image and memory book. Thank you for these sweet flower pot gifts for Mother's Day boys. I love your precious little faces.

I really don't know how this came about, but David started tying knots. The boys started building forts all over everywhere, and one was in the top of our tree house structure. They used the cushions from the outdoor sofa, and made a comfy spot to snuggle the kitty. David's knots were just a little added touch.

Outside reading time.

Laundry room sink! I am so glad we decided to square the room and move the sink to the corner. It is so much more functional, and I love how it looks as well. Same tile as the sunroom!

New light fixture in the kitchen & the bay window seat all finished.

Me taking David&Hermione's picture, and James sticking his face in front of the lens. I couldn't help loving both images.

We sent baby Evie a bunny as a part of her baby gift, and I wanted the boys to show her all their bunnies! They are all the same except different colors, which the addition of one snowshoe bunny in Hayden's hands. Hermione thought she should also be included in the picture.

My beautiful bathtub!! I was so excited about this tub y'all. These pictures are him asking me how close to the wall it should be, and me trying to guess the answer.

Daily pool time & sun shine soak.

And one last beautiful view from the jack&jill bathroom upstairs. Matt&I used it while the master was being renovated. I really did enjoy it!

Oh March. Doesn't the saying go: 'in like a lion, out like a lamb'? March 2020 was reversed. 'In like a lamb, out like a lion'. We had and still have all kinds of space for thankfulness. Despite all that didn't go according to plan: our spring break trip to Disney and to go camping at Hanna Park. We all stayed healthy, and we had all of our basic needs met. It was a forced slow down, and continued to slow us down until it felt like was had put the brakes on life in general. March was disconcerting to say the least, but it started a journey that has been transformative for so many in different ways. Lord, use the circumstances of our lives to transform us & make us new. Teach us new things about yourself, & I pray we would know you better as we draw near to you in our weakness. Amen.