10 weeks in

Joel has enjoyed new freedom on his bike with friends these last couple months. They have discovered a couple "forests" nearby and have had fun exploring in the woods. We confirmed that it is indeed public, city land they are exploring and not someone's private property. :-) Greg and I went for a long walk one Saturday morning and documented our entrance into both the kids' forests.

what we imagine to be our kids' bike tracks in the forest

For her birthday, Mom M. decided she wanted our family and Eric and Leah's to come over, swim, have Miller tacos, and sing karaoke with the new machine Dad had gotten for his birthday back in February. Leah and I refrained, but everyone else prepared some songs to sing and performed for our entertainment.

Mother's Day gave us sunshine and time to relax. My kids showered me with lovely cards and words, hugs, and a gift of money to spend on whatever I want. Greg contributed, but they pooled their own money, which was very sweet. They know I like to shop online. After lunch the kids rode their bikes and Greg and I walked over to MD Arnold's house. We visited on the patio while the kids played in the hammocks that they rode home to get. Kari drove them back in the car. I didn't get a photo of my mom and me, but I did give her a Mother's Day hug, the first hug we'd shared in two months. We decided we are done physically distancing. It was a very nice day!

Other happenings: 

• We picked up the kids' belongings from the schools (drove through and received brown paper bags).
• The girls and I got "illegal," backdoor haircuts. (Shhh!) I'm doing my third round of covid cuts on the boys later today. 
• I installed a ceiling fan in Aubrey's room (another newly learned skill). 
• Kids continue to slog through distance learning. It's gotten easier, but I still have to help Grant quite a bit, and he still has tears now and then. I sat with him for an hour and half yesterday, trying to figure out how to do what he was supposed to do. 
• Kari finished her AP US History test! 
• I learned how to embroider and am working on embroidering tea towels like Great Grandma Carrie used to do. 
• The girls have been working on finishing up their songs for Junior Festival. 
• Kari has been spending time with friends this last week, as all her close friends' families have given the ok to hang out together. 
• Aubrey has been participating in baking club with Shauna, and we have been the lucky beneficiaries of her efforts--blondies, no bake cookies, lemon cookies, blueberry muffins.
• Kari decided she wanted to clean up all our cookie sheets and spent hours scrubbing them. They haven't been this shiny since they were brand new!
• I pumped my own gas for the first time in my life without help. (I did it once before when I visited Jane in CA to refill the rental car, but I had to ask a kind man for assistance.)
• Grant and I finished reading The Golden Goblet, and now I'm reading Pippi Longstocking with him. She sure is funny. Grant laughs out loud, and I love it. Our reading time together is sweet.

The last couple weeks have been pretty ho-hum. Our days at home are much the same. The weather turned more rainy this last week, which didn't help. Some stores and shops are starting to open, but our county isn't expected to officially open for some time. I'm trying to focus on the blessings and have a good attitude, but I admit this last week has been a struggle. My to-do lists are done. I've pulled all our weeds, planted my flowers and vegetable seeds, finished all our puzzles, completed all our home projects, baked lots of yummy stuff (and eaten too much!), and cleaned everything in our house. Yes, there is always more laundry and household chores, but this life of nothing on the calendar and nowhere to go is getting a little old.  God is still God, and while our circumstances have changed in a lot of ways, he has not changed, and our goal in life has not changed. Our purpose as believers on this earth is to glorify God in all we say and do, to serve him with our whole hearts and lives. When I keep that perspective, my attitude is a lot better. It keeps my eyes off myself and helps me see outside my little world. He will help me choose joy when I ask, and each day is a gift from God. I have to choose how I'm going to use that gift. Sometimes glorifying God is sitting patiently with Grant for an hour and a half while he struggles with distance learning (if only the links would all work and the instructions would all make sense!) and listening with empathy when he cries and says it's hard. Sometimes it's serving my family by grocery shopping and cooking them meals and food that they like, even though it feels like that is ALL I ever do. Sometimes it's texting with friends and encouraging each other or sending a note. Sometimes it's praying for my husband while he is on a series of difficult webex work conversations. One day this last week, I kept my nose in a book so my grumpiness wouldn't affect my family too much. I'm not always succeeding in glorifying God, but I'm trying and asking the Holy Spirit to help me on the good days and the bad.