May

We spent most of March and all of April in quarantine due to the COVID-19 global pandemic and somehow found ourselves in the month of May. When I think back on the last eight weeks it really doesn't feel like it's been two months of our lives that we've spent inside the safety of our home. Yes, the days have run together and the weeks have felt repetitious but it really doesn't seem like we've been doing this an entire two months already. I know most people feel very differently and many are having a hard time with the isolation but I've said it once and I'll say it again--I have actually enjoyed it. I've enjoyed all of the extra time I get to spend with Kyndall each day and all of the extra time she has been able to have with Matthew in the evenings. Pre-pandemic she would only see him for about an hour and a half each day due to our school night bedtime routine. Now, we don't feel so rushed in the evenings and we've been able to do things like go for walks or bike rides or even play games after dinner. Not to mention we don't have all of her extra curricular activities pulling us in a million directions. The weekends are slower too. I never realized it but even our days off were always packed with things I felt like we needed to get done. Now that all of this has been taken away it's made me realize that when things do go back to normal, I need to take a good look at our priorities. I don't want things to go back the way they were in terms of how busy we are. I love this slower, simpler way of life. I hate the pandemic but I love what it has done for our family time.

 Quarantine Chronicles—Week 8 

The best part of this week was celebrating Mother’s Day. Being a mother is without a doubt my one true calling in life. There is absolutely nothing that brings me more honor and more joy than having that title. Kyndall is my greatest accomplishment in this life and what I’m most proud of. She is my first thought every morning and my last thought every night. As bizarre as these past eight weeks have been, it has truly felt like a gift to have this uninterrupted one-on-one time with her.

Mother’s Day this year really didn’t feel too much different than the ones in years past. I was treated to breakfast in bed before we had our virtual church time and then Kyndall led me upstairs to where she had been keeping a big surprise for me. She barricaded herself in her craft room the better part of Saturday working on something “very special” so I was anxious to see what it was. We FaceTimed with all of the Grandparents plus my sister. I got to choose take out dinner of my choice and we kept up our yearly tradition of a Mother’s Day picnic. We had to settle for the back patio since all of the parks are still closed, but it was still special! We ended the night with a family bike ride and warm chocolate chip cookies. The only thing that could’ve made this day any better would’ve been spending it with my own Mom. It’s been five months since I’ve seen her which is the longest we’ve ever been apart. 

Our week 8 was basically a replay of the past 7 weeks. Distance learning and virtual school continue to go very well and lately we’ve been knocking out all of her assignments by Wednesday which gives us lots of extra free time for crafting, playing outside, FaceTiming with friends and whatever else we can come up with. We’re getting ready to start our very last week of required school work which feels like an EXTRA special accomplishment this year! 

While much of the world is slowly opening back up and many feel comfortable returning to their usual activities, our family still does not so we are continuing to shelter in place for as long as we feel necessary. No play dates with friends, no eating inside of restaurants, no shopping, no going to the gym, no church, no hair appointments and certainly no unnecessary contact with anyone that doesn’t live in our household. We aren’t fearful but rather just trying to use wisdom and discernment to ensure our family stays safe and healthy.

A sweet Mother's Day gift from Matthew and Kyndall

She brought me breakfast in bed--Not a bad start to Mother's Day!

She couldn't wait for me to open all of the gifts she had been creating

She chose a giant box to throw me off as to what the gifts might be

I loved them all so much!

My favorite was these matching taco bracelets that she made me on her loom. She knows my love for tacos!

She spent a lot of time making all of these cute little creations on her loom

She drew this portrait of me

Loom creations, a portrait, sweet cards and .75 cents. What more could a Mom ask for??

Keeping with our yearly tradition of a Mother's Day picnic, pandemic style on the back patio since the parks are closed.

A plate full of delicious tacos and my favorite girl. What a view!

We've been watching a dove who made a nest in the tree in our front yard. For several weeks we've never seen her leave that nest. On Mother's Day we noticed she was no longer there so we quickly and carefully climbed up and much to our surprise there was a fuzzy little baby bird in the nest!

Baking cookies at 8:30 pm...why not??

A few highlights from week 8 of social distancing/self isolation....

The Blue Angels did a fly over here in Dallas to honor all of the essential frontline healthcare workers

She has really been missing her weekly art lessons but she loves hopping on the computer each day and watching these live draw along tutorials. 

We really don't leave the house at all during the week except on Fridays and that's when we go out and treat ourselves to something yummy! On this day she chose a donut from our favorite donut shop.

Continuing with our "Mommy mandated" weekly spelling tests and shes two for two! Her second test and her second perfect score! I am so proud of her and she is so proud of herself! I'm going to make a good speller out of this girl after all!

Treat #2 of the day--we had to celebrate that perfect test score so we drove all the way to Rockwall for a smoothie from our favorite smoothie shop, Bahama Bucks.

Kyndall's sweet friend Adara has been leaving little surprises on our doorstep

We spend a lot of time in the driveway these days

Wishing all who pass by a Happy Mother's Day weekend!

The artist at work. She says she works best outdoors.

We have some very sweet and creative friends! The Blaylock family stopped by to drop off this little bundle of water balloons and freeze pops!

Our next door neighbor is out of town for two weeks and she asked us to watch her pool and also gave us permission to use it. This is making us even more excited for our own pool, which should be ready in about six weeks!

Saturday night out--Sonic in the car for dinner! 

Look at those long legs. She can propel herself for miles on this thing!

The boys hang out in the back of the car while we do our yard work

Family bike rides with our new bike lights

 Quarantine Chronicles—Week 9 

This week brought about some serious excitement when Kyndall completed and submitted her last assignments EVER for 3rd grade! Hallelujah, thank ya Jesus we did it!  This distance learning stuff hasn’t been as bad as I thought, and in all honesty we had gotten into a pretty good routine each day, even completing all of the required work by Wednesday or Thursday most weeks. Even still, we are happy to have it behind us and excited to start summer break! 

School will officially be out this coming Friday so this next week will be a “virtual fun week” since that’s typically what the last week of school is anyway. This afternoon her sweet teacher stopped by every single one of her students’ homes to say hello and drop off the supplies they’ll need for their week of fun! 

I had to venture out to the orthodontist as well as LabCorp earlier this week, both of which made me lose some sleep. They are each places I normally go every four weeks like clock work and without hesitation but after being in strict isolation for two months, it was scary diving head first into the cesspool. These two outings were absolutely necessary but aside from that we will continue to heed the warnings and stay put. It just feels dangerous, reckless and unwise to jump back into life acting as if this is all over. Our church began holding services again today and our gym opens up tomorrow. But just like play dates and hair appointments and eating in restaurants and birthday parties and traveling and shopping, these things can all wait. We miss them as much as everyone else but the desire for those things does not even begin to compare to the desire to keep our family healthy. Perhaps it’s the type 1 enneagram in me or maybe just strong discernment but either way it just doesn’t feel right. Not yet. As my nine year old says...”the virus did not go away...it’s just that they now have room for you in the ICU.” She’s not wrong! While much of the country is exercising their constitutional right to spread COVID, we’ll be right here.

On Monday May 18th they started excavating our backyard for our new pool, which was VERY exciting!

Finishing up her last few school assignments of the year, with the help of Huckabee

Anything goes these days, including eating "breakfast" in the playroom at 11:30 a.m. while watching the live penguin webcam at the San Diego Zoo

My church girlfriends and I started a new Bible study this week. We meet up on Zoom and make it work!

Within just three days of breaking ground, our pool had gunite!

I found Cam sleeping on one of the little dog pillows that Kyndall sewed for them

I was pretty nervous to go into LabCorp for my monthly lab draw

Kyndall has picked up a new crafting hobby--Looming. She has made some of the coolest creations!

She made this apple for her teacher

A bracelet for me

A music note for her music teacher

A schnauzer puppy

Like I said, anything goes these days....

We planted some flowers because Kyndall loves to take care of things. Be it animals or pets, she loves to nurture and protect.

Showing off some more of her loom creations

Warm chocolate chip cookies and ice cream at 9:30 pm--Why not??

One of our friends from back in Jackson, TN sent us this Jackson version of Monopoly and we had a blast playing it!

Kyndall's sweet teacher stopped by each of her students' houses on Sunday afternoon to deliver the necessary supplies for their last week of Zoom meetings, which would all be fun activities since the real work was done!

Kyndall's friend/neighbor Katie dropped off some sweet surprises on our porch which included two of her favorite things--Pokemon and sea turtles

Just hanging out in her mask

She returned the favor by making a craft for Katie and then we dropped it off on her porch

School is officially OUT for summerrrrrr!!! We (yes I said we) did it and today marked the closing of another exciting chapter in Kyndall’s book of life! Her 3rd grade year will certainly be one that she always remembers and I hope that as she looks back on it she only recalls the GOOD things like the sweet friendships she made, the amazing teacher that she had and all of the wonderful memories she created. 

On Wednesday we picked up Kyndall’s belongings at school which her sweet teacher had so lovingly collected and packed up for each of her students. Everything was just as they had left it when they eagerly rushed out of the classroom for Spring Break on Friday March 6th. As I was sorting through her bag of belongings I came across a stockpile of neatly folded “lunchbox notes” that I had sent her throughout the year. Apparently she had saved every last one and stashed them in her locker for safe keeping. We tease her about being a tiny hoarder, many times holding onto useless trash that has no significance but at that moment my heart smiled as I realized just how much my simple gesture had meant to her. 

Also tucked neatly in her bag of belongings was a certificate for a character award that she earned for being “Really Respectful”. Kyndall is a great student and makes excellent grades, but our excitement over her academics pales in comparison to our pride over the amazing little human that she is. We could not be more proud of our girl! 

Yesterday evening the teachers from Kyndall’s school organized a “farewell car parade” through the neighborhood which was SO much fun! It was great to see all of the sweet familiar faces that we have missed so much these last nine weeks. But as much we we smiled on the outside, I was also crying a little on the inside over the fact that we were robbed of a proper goodbye. 

Today her class had their very last Zoom meeting, in which they all shared the traditional last day of school picnic that everyone always looks forward to. It may have been behind a computer screen this year, but it was no less sweet and memorable than years past. We celebrated the last day of school the way we always do, with a treat of her choice. This year she chose an Icee from the gas station and french fries from Cane’s.

Welcome, SUMMER! We can’t wait to sleep late, relax, be super lazy and have no schedule! Oh...wait... 

I wanted to take some cute last day of school pictures on the porch but in reality, this is what the morning of her last day of school actually looked like! Ha!

Last day of school picnic with her teacher and classmates via Zoom

One last "fun Friday" experiment with her teacher

Saying goodbye to her teacher....She was definitely holding back the tears. She always cries on the last day of school!

Our traditional last day of school treat!

She also requested hot fries from Cane's

It kills me that we didn't get an official last day of school picture with Mrs. Bailey but I'm thankful that we have this one from last week. The picture on the left is from meet the teacher night back in August.

Ready to see her teachers in the "farewell parade"

Here they come....

On Wednesday we picked up her belongings from school

So proud of our girl!!

Just a small sampling of the lunchbox notes that she had been saving in her locker. This made my Mama heart smile!

Quarantine Chronicles—Week 10 

More of the same this week—We are still social distancing in every sense of the word and although it’s mostly for my own protection due to my immunosuppression, I feel like even if that wasn’t a factor we would still do things exactly the way we are now. I did allow Kyndall to go out in public for the very first time this weekend but it was only to Lowe’s and she and Matthew took their masks, stayed outside in the garden section and got in and out as quickly as possible. 

Though I don’t understand it, the great mask “debate” of 2020 continues to be a hot topic, sparking strong opinions and often bringing out the worst in people. It’s strange (and sad) to me how something so simple has brought about such division and such ugliness from both stances and has caused people to ultimately feel like they must pick a “side”. What a time to be alive. I keep hearing a lot about “rights” and “freedom” but the mindset of Christ isn’t consumed with rights. The mindset of Christ is the very nature of a humble servant. The Christian witness is all about generous behavior towards the other, especially the vulnerable other. “...Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 2:3-5

Some highlights from our week—Kyndall finished 3rd grade and we enjoyed some great family time thanks to the Memorial Day weekend. Although Kyndall and I have had more than our share of quality time lately, Matthew has been working harder than ever so we were thankful for an extra day with him at home.

We’re officially on summer break now but I don’t anticipate our days feeling much different than they have for the past ten weeks. We are anxiously awaiting the completion of our pool which should be finished in the next couple of weeks and I’m hoping that will break up our days a bit and give us something to look forward to since we’ll be home this summer. Normally we would be heading home to Tallahassee around this time so that Kyndall can attend Vacation Bible School at my parents’ church just as she has every June since she was tiny. Not surprisingly it was canceled this year so we are staying put. I also normally make my yearly summer trip to Nashville for my transplant check up at Vanderbilt but I’ve opted for a virtual check up instead. That’s kind of disappointing because as weird as it sounds, I always look forward to going back and seeing all of my doctors and nurses and they really enjoy seeing us as well. It goes without saying that this summer will definitely be different in just about every way, but we are choosing to see the positives and make the best of it! 

We are thankful for a sweet neighbor who allowed us to use her pool the past two weeks while she was out of town

The last week of school was all about FUN! Kyndall's teacher conducted an experiment with the kids via Zoom

Still looming non-stop! She figured out how to make a sea turtle!

Pool progress! We have tile and coping!

Can you find Cam? The dogs are both really unsure about all of this!

Friday night fishing with Daddy at the neighborhood pond

Kyndall's first time going out in public in ten weeks!

More pool time at the neighbor's house

Her Lowe's finds. This girl loves taking care of living things--be it plants or animals, she loves to nurture and protect and I just love that about her!

More looming--this one was a gift for me!

It takes a special person to trip going UP the stairs

Quarantine boredom is real! I was itching to paint something! Just a small change but it quenched my need to get out a paintbrush!

The quarantine boredom sometimes leads to bad things, like all the weight I've gained from trying out new recipes! This was my first time making an eclair cake and it definitely won't be my last! It was so yummy!

I have to brag on Matthew a little bit--He leaves for work in the mornings before we're even awake, works an eleven hour day and then comes straight home every single evening and asks Kyndall what she wants to do. Lately, it has been fishing at the neighborhood pond and bike rides. It really doesn't matter what they choose to do, it's the quality time that they spend together and the way he invests in her life that are leaving lasting impressions while making lifelong memories.

Kyndall and I got up much earlier than usual one morning for our very first adventure of the summer! Blackberry picking at Ham Orchards was the perfect way to get out of the house while still maintaining our social distancing measures. And as everyone local already knows, their homemade peach/strawberry ice cream alone is worth the drive so of course we treated ourselves before we left! 

Comparison picture from our last visit. You can tell how much taller she is by looking at the word "cobler"

May was a month filled with lots of changes and lots of adjustments, just like March and April had been. But, we are looking forward to what the summer months may bring!