Broken Bow 2020......

Yes, we snuck out of town mid pandemic and went on our planned trip to Broken Bow.

We had planned this since last year and after much discussion and right before our cancellation date we all voted it was a go.

Am I ever glad we did.

Our first stop was the Broken Bow Mining Company where the kids all mined for treasure and then identified their rocks on a chart...lots of different treasures in that bag!

                 

A little swim and then time to check into our cabin...

TIME WELL WASTED!

Perfect name for what we are expecting to do...

waste a little time!

 

Lake time.....

Pontoon, tube, and sun!

Party Time 2020!

This years theme, a little 70's fun and even the littles got into the action!

When it rains all day Sunday, you improvise and invent!

You play with bubbles, you paint rocks, play in the creek and take a walk in the rain.

Nothing can spoil our day away!

It was fun, it was family time, it was memories.  The times are few that you can escape, especially during this weird time we are living in.

I am so grateful for all the time we had in one of our favorite vacation spots.

Escape!.....

Yes, we have pretty much stayed in for three months.  Yes, three months of "shelter in place" and only go out if it is necessary, with a mask of course.

Today we broke with the quarantine and drove out to Terrell to visit Ham Orchards.  

It is pretty much out in the middle of nowhere and it was a much needed break from staying in.  This has been tough.  Sara has been home for three months now.  The kids have been away from school and friends and everything normal.  

 So today we picked blueberries and enjoyed the sunshine and each others company.  

It was beautiful out and it was a much needed break.

 We haven't done much hugging in this weird time.  

Today it seemed okay.

It was good.  Good to go out and breathe fresh air, to walk, and hunt for big ripe blueberries...and for a moment forget that this has been a year of events that we just don't want to repeat.

Today was perfect.

Hanging In.....

We are out! 

 Sara and I are headed to Costco. It has been almost three months of lock up, though things are letting up some.  This is not an ordinary occurrence.  

Masks are sit required and it is not fun.  

Knowing it is near 100 degrees and you really cannot breathe, you think twice before you make any unneeded trips.

 We are ready for normal but what is normal going to be?  The infection rate is still rising and we are nowhere near the end....but we are out pretending like everything is fine.

What is going on God?

In a year what will be going on?  In a year how will we be different?

Will we be better or worse?

I m hoping we get it because I know there is a plan.

Celebrating.....

This was our first gathering of everyone since this pandemic started in the middle of March.

We have done social distancing, we have seen one family and then the other but we have not gotten together at all....until tonight.  

It was Gramp's birthday so we all decided gathering was okay.

We have all been beyond safe.  

We have washed hands, sprayed Lysol, disinfected everything in sight, worn masks, and otherwise followed every directive we have been given.  So, we decided we were safe enough as a family to get together.

It was so nice.  So nice to see the joy and hear the laughter of the kids, and see the smile on Jimmy's face.

Thanks to everyone for bringing us joy....boy did we need it!

Happy Birthday to you Gramps.

Covid Thoughts.....

There are so many people posting things as we tackle this virus issue and so many times they speak to me in a particular way.  For some reason this spoke to me he day I saw it.  Someday I will look back and see the reason for the words it says.  Someday........

New Reality.....

Church has reopened.....by reservation only and only on weekdays.There are strict guidelines for attendance and of course, facemasks are mandatory.

This is our new normal.

Truth.....

Only if you have been in the deepest valley, can you know how magnificent it is on the highest mountain.

Remember........

Memorial May...Memorial Day

This year was different.

We are still struggling with the pandemic that is plaguing our nation. Things are slowly reopening but a public gathering was just not going to happen this year.  

Carry The Load turned to a public drive.

We chose to celebrate the day at the lake.  Being out of town seemed like a good idea.

It was not a good idea at all.

 Drew, Heather, and Adeline did the drive.  I am proud of them.

I wish I had been here to go with them.  It was where my heart was.  

It is where I wanted to be.

Tim and family continued the tradition and walked 7 miles in the rain at the lake.

I am so proud of them.

My grandkids get Memorial Day.

They know what it means.

They were on the road two hours and 14 minutes.  That is huge.

What did I do? 

 I walked.  I walked on Sunday and it was hot.  I walked today and it rained.  I did not care.  This Memorial Day was harder than most.  My heart hurts.  I miss my son.  

We have been so blessed.  People have cared so much.  The community has always acknowledged my son.  Carry the Load has honored him in a way that is just unbelievable but no matter what has been done in his honor...I would rather he was here.  I miss the person he was and the joy and humor he always brought with him no matter where he went.  He truly believed the world was a beautiful place.  I want a few minutes with him again.  Just a few minutes to hug his neck and tell him what a great kid he was.  Just a few minutes to ask him what drove him to succeed like he did.  Just a few minutes to ask him what we did to deserve a kid like him.

I will be okay tomorrow because I always am but today I am crushed.  My heart is broken and I know it is okay.  It is alright to be sad for awhile.  It is fine to have moments of self pity and be a bit mad at God for not giving Matt more time.  Someday I will understand all of this and I will have all the time I need with my son once again.

Today I am sad and I am broken and that is fine.

Mother's Day......

Mother's Day in a pandemic is not your usual.  

The need to have family gatherings and to hug and hang out like in years past just did not happen this year...but it was special in spite of the restrictions.  It is all what you choose to make it.

These cuties brought me my favorite things each day...diet cokes, blizzards, nothin bundt cakes, and a peony bush which has always been my most loved flower.

We spent Friday sharing pizza and snacks and visiting from an acceptable six feet apart!

And Adeline in all her sweetness got me a card and a new weighted blanket for summer.  

Happy face!

Love my weighted blankets pretty much above all else.

We shared Sunday with snacks and Babe's chicken for dinner.  It was a beautiful day and if we have to be sheltered in place, God has blessed us with beautiful weather.

This was not a typical day or weekend but it was good.

We are safe, we are well, and I am blessed.

Sara and Jimmy brought breakfast and we had a beautiful morning to enjoy it outside.

We will all remember the occasions we celebrated doing this pandemic years from now.

We would never wish this to come again, but while it is here we will make the most of it and understand that God does have a plan for good when this is all over.

Beautiful Reflection........

There have been so many beautiful reflections during this time of shelter in place.  I have not felt confined, claustrophobic, or particularly miserable.  I miss my grandkids and kids but honestly the ability to back away from the many obligations and commitments and given me time to recharge.

I am ready now to get out.  I am getting a bit antsy.  I am still fearful and will stay put a bit longer, but I am fine until we see signs that it is safe to go back to a normal that will all be new.

Looking Up......

At a time when things have been looking bleak, when people are finding little to get excited about...the Blue Angels came to the rescue!

 In an amazing move of support for all first responders, medical workers, and those on the front lines of this pandemic the Blue Angels came to the metroplex.  

It was the ultimate high for all of those (and there were many) who came out and parked in fields, on highways, and empty parking lots.

The skies were an amazing shade of blue and there was not a cloud anywhere which was just perfect for all waiting with eyes upward at 11:00 am.

These were some of the precious faces that loved the opportunity to get out and and enjoy the day.  Online schoolwork can be put off just a bit because this was not an ordinary event.

Thanks Blue Angels because for a little while things looked a bit normal and at the end of about six weeks of lockdown a little positive is good!

Too Soon?.....

The governor has started the reopening process.

Starting Friday movie theaters, restaurants, libraries, and retail shopping can open as long as they are not at more than 25% capacity. We had the most new cases of Covid 19 reported today. So how is reopening flattening the curve?

I think we are all unnerved and afraid.  We are sick of being in, but fearful of going out.  We have struggled for 5 or more weeks to social distance, we have worn masks, deodorized everything in sight, and washed our hands until they are raw. We have personally taken every precaution known to man and the numbers continue to grow.

There are those that are moving freely about seemingly without a care in the world. Do they not watch the news or do they simply not care at all.

This is political.....what does that means?  Do people really think that some politician wants to put people in the unemployment line, cause companies to go under, drive every individual to mentally struggle with what is happening world wide?  I cannot see it.

Tonight I am confused. 

 I want life to be normal, I want to see my family, and I want to go to church. I just do not want to do this before I know we are safe.

What is Gods plan in all of this?  

Please let us all hang on until the time is right.  We have worked so hard and we want to reach the finish line as soon as it is safe.

DAY WHAT????.........

I really do not know how many days we have been in quarantine.  It is over a month and honestly I do not know what I have accomplished.

I am in the middle of a Bible Study...did I say that before?  

It seems like I have spent an enormous amount of time with Sara, and that is not bad!

And what has Sara done?  

 PUZZLES!!!!

 Oh my goodness, this girl loves her puzzles and she is good at it.

She has patience like I have never seen.  Sara sits and works so focused on an area that with a 1000 pieces laying in front of her, she finds the piece she needs.

My attention span is horrid!

 So, with puzzle #??? complete it is time to choose a new one.

I am just so very glad that I had the insight to order what I could find when they were still available.

I am positive that more puzzles have been assembled in the last month than in the previous two years combined.

Flip flops anyone?

Yes, when we don't puzzle we paint and that is fun too!

Just really not sure what part of the house to hang this in!

Gratitude in a Pandemic......

In the midst of this pandemic while we are all waiting for the time when we can "break free", 

we tend to focus on all the things we feel cheated of while we are confined to our homes and distanced from those whom we love and are patiently waiting to HUG.

*I am grateful for the time I have had to walk each day around the neighborhood.  I am not a walker, but the need to be outside has driven me to pick up my headphones, find some praise music and walk.  I have noticed the spring flowers, the other walkers, the clouds, and the wildlife.  Small things that I have otherwise ignored.  I am grateful for this "time out" to be more aware.
*I am grateful that we have a home, that our income allows us to pay our bills, buy food, and exist with no financial worries until we can get through this terrible virus that is plaguing the world.
*I am so very grateful for our church and all of the religious communities that have given us a way to worship via TV, internet, Facebook live, or other means so God can remain at the forefront of our lives even in these shelter in place days.
*I am grateful for the opportunity to sleep late, stay in my pajamas as long as I want, drink coffee and read my bible outside in my beautiful backyard on the nice weather days.
*I am grateful on this Earth Day that our quarantine has helped the earth restore itself.  The bodies of water are clearer, the smog has lifted, the animals are free to explore their natural habitats, and we have just generally made our planet a better place.  Can we learn a lesson and make moves to keep it this way?
*I am so grateful that my sons, daughter-in-laws, and grandkids live close and we can do a drive by when I need to see their precious faces.  Distancing is not fun but I am so blessed that though I cannot hug them I can see them in person.  Such a gift!
*I am grateful for all the celebrities that have come together to do concerts from the confines of their home, donating all money to charity so that although no new productions can be done we have new and interesting things to watch.
I know there are many more things,  but for now just know I am grateful that we will survive this and be much better people because we did.

Someone Else's Thoughts.....

Posted multiple times on peoples Facebook pages....we will see how this plays out!

The official lockdown started March 23 and will likely end May 1st. That is EXACTLY 40 days. 

The Latin root of the word "quarantine" is "forty".
So what does the Bible say about 40? 

The flood lasted 40 days.
40 years Moses fled Egypt.
40 days Moses stayed on Mount Sinai to receive the Commandments.
Exodus lasted 40 years.
Jesus fasted for 40 days.
40 days for a woman to rest after giving birth.

Optimum number of weeks for human gestation is 40.

A group of theologians thinks the number 40 represents "change”. It is the time of preparing a person, or people, to make a fundamental change.
Something will happen after these 40 days. Just believe and pray. Remember, whenever the number 40 appears in the Bible, there is a "change".

Please know that during this "quarantine" rivers are cleaning up, vegetation is growing, the air is becoming cleaner because of less pollution, there is less theft and murder, healing is happening, and most importantly, people are turning to Christ. The Earth is at rest for the first time in many years and hearts are truly transforming.

Remember we are in the year 2020, and 20 + 20 = 40.

Also, 2020 is the year of the United States Census. Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, was born during a census.

Lastly, 2020 is perfect vision. May our sight focus on the Lord and living according to His perfect vision for us knowing He holds us in the palm of His hand.