Easter 2020

As I'm sure was the case for many of you, Easter looked very different for us this year. We celebrated at home, just the five of us. Here in Georgia, the weather was rainy and stormy, so we were not able to have our usual outdoor Easter egg hunt. But we made the most of it anyway...

We were still able to dye eggs with a kit that I ordered... I only had brown eggs, so I was not sure how they would turn out, but I actually think the colors are prettier. I will probably do the same thing next year, on purpose. 

The dogwoods in our yard bloomed just in time for Easter!

Our bunnies (remember them?) were very tired out from all their Easter bunny duties.

For Easter brunch, Morgan made this incredible egg tart with asparagus and prosciutto. 

This was the first Easter that Esme was old enough to get in on the action. She was much more interested in the Easter grass than the treats (cheddar bunnies) in her Easter eggs.

For Easter supper, we had our traditional feast - ham, mashed potatoes, herb-roasted carrots, peas, and banana pudding. The ham was a miracle - we got it the day before Easter, and it was the last one. With everything so different this year, I really wanted to uphold as many of our family traditions as possible. I know it sounds silly, but I was so excited about it. And it was delicious!

After supper, Morgan built a fire, and we just sat in front of it. The girls played. Morgan and I watched our church's Easter service and listened to the beautiful hymns that our musicians recorded. As different as this Easter was, we were still able to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord. As much as we missed our families and getting to worship with our church community and getting to be outside in the beautiful spring sunshine, this Easter was sweeter in many ways, and I feel incredibly thankful. 

He is risen indeed!

A Visit from the Tooth Fairy

We celebrated another big milestone in our house this week. Lucy lost her first tooth!

Lucy will be turning 7 later on this month, so she has been ready and waiting to lose her first tooth for quite awhile now. She is so excited to get a visit from the tooth fairy tonight!

Life in the Time of Coronavirus

Since my last post, our county and later our state issued shelter-in-place mandates. Morgan has been working mostly from home, and I have continued to home-educate Lucy and Alice. As I mentioned before, not a lot has changed for our family. We are very fortunate. I know this is not the case for many families, and it has been absolutely heartbreaking to read the news and see the devastation this virus has caused. We hope and pray that the end is in sight.

Until then, we are embracing our new "normal"...

Church on TV... Morgan and the rest of our church staff have been working super hard to record worship services for us to enjoy in our homes. It is not the same gathering in person, but it is certainly refreshing to my soul in these weary times.

We have been spending as much time as possible outside to keep from getting cabin fever. This means lots of picnics and bike rides and after-dinner walks around our neighborhood.

The girls' teachers and coaches have been so incredible, recording lessons for them to be able to practice at home.

We have celebrated some special days together as a family. Morgan turned 32, and it was definitely his strangest birthday to-date. Instead of a big party, it was just the five of us. I still made him his favorite chocolate torte though, so don't feel too sorry for him.

April Fools! For April Fool's Day this year, the girls' lunches had eyes.

Esme has her first pigtails. Be still my heart!

Don't be fooled by this highlight reel - it's not always picnics and smiles over here. There have been a lot of tears (mostly mine) and tantrums (also mostly mine). But we are all healthy and safe, and we are together. I'm so thankful for that. 

Social Distancing

Like the rest of you, we have been following the CDC's guidelines for COVID-19. It is extremely important to protect those in our families and communities who are most vulnerable to this virus and its complications. Some of you might think that, because we homeschool, social distancing is the norm for us. This could not be more incorrect. Our children participate in extracurricular activities almost every day of the week, not to mention play dates with friends and community events. They are social butterflies.

Over the past couple of weeks, things have shifted dramatically. Even though things do look very different for our family socially, we are not in the same position as many of our friends and neighbors who depend on school and after-school programs for their children, so that they can go to work every day. There are many children and families who depend on the public school system for meals and therapies. And, of course, there are others who have compromised immune systems who at this moment are unable to leave their homes without risking their physical well-being. 

These are difficult times. If you find yourself in a fortunate position, and the biggest changes you have had to face are changes to your family's social calendar, I encourage you to think of ways you can serve those in your community who are not as fortunate! 

Here are some ideas of ways you and your family can serve your community during these uncertain and scary times...

1. Stay home! I know it is difficult, especially if your children are not used to being at home for extended periods of time, but there is no better way to protect those in our community who are at risk. To keep our girls from getting cabin fever, we have been taking lots of walks in our neighborhood. Two nights ago, we had a family movie night, and last night, we played some board games. It may take a little creativity, but you can do it. If you find yourself in the position of unexpectedly homeschooling your children, many homeschool curriculum companies are offering free emergency cirriculum right now. Contact me if you need recommendations. 

2. Support your local restaurants and businesses! As I am sure many of you are well-aware, COVID-19 has been devastating to our economy. At a local level, many businesses and restaurants have had to close, or remain open with minimal hours and staff. I know that many of our favorite local restaurants are still taking orders for pick-up / take-out. A lot of our local shops allow patrons to place orders online. As much as you possibly can, help to stimulate your local economy.

3. Support your local food bank! Due to COVID-19, many people are unable to work and feed their families. Most food banks are still accepting food donations, and many offer a drive-thru drop-off option. Check with your local food bank to find out the best way to support them at this time.

4. Send letters, texts, videos, phone calls of encouragement! With social distancing, many people are feeling scared and isolated. Just because we cannot be together physically, it is more important than ever to reach out to others and offer words of love and encouragement. 

We do not know how long all of this will last, but the more we work together and follow the guidelines that have been set, the better it will be for everyone. Do not lose heart. Do not give in to panic. Pray. Serve. Encourage. Stay inside. But reach out. 

Weekend at Camp

This past weekend, Morgan was asked to teach at a youth retreat up in the mountains. The retreat was at a camp in North Carolina called Ridge Haven. The girls and I were happy to tag along...

The weather was chilly but sunny and beautiful!

Lucy and Alice got to sleep in bunk beds, which of course they LOVED.

Esme had so much fun exploring. She is getting so mobile now, and she wants to go wherever her sisters go. She has a very adventurous spirit. There isn't much that intimidates her!

This camp has strong Parent Trap vibes.

We had so much fun at camp! It was nice to get away for the weekend, turn off our phones, and be outdoors. We are ready to go back!

Love Day

We had a really fun and crazy Valentine's Day this year! We started the Love Day festivities with our traditional breakfast - chocolate chip pancakes and strawberry milk!

The girls got to open their Valentines from loved ones...

Here is Lucy annoyed that I wouldn't let her eat her pancake until I had snapped some photos! Ha.

Esme and Georgia love chocolate chip pancakes!

Who doesn't?

At our school party, we had a special guest join us -- Queen Elsa came all the way from Arendelle!

I think this was most certainly the highlight of the day! 

The girls exchanged Valentines with their friends and ate some yummy treats. The rest of the day was spent packing for a little family getaway to the mountains... I'll share pictures of our trip in another post!

Snow!

A couple of weeks ago, we had some snow! So, of course, we bundled up and went outside to play...

The girls were at my parents' house when the snow started falling...

By the time we got home, the snow was actually sticking! The big girls put on their winter coats and mittens and ran out to play. Poor Esme was too little to go out in the snow, so she watched her sisters from the window.

When Morgan got home, he and the older girls had a snowball fight and built a snowperson. Sadly, our snow didn't last long. It melted soon after these pictures were taken, and we haven't seen any snow since - just a lot of rain! But it sure was fun while it lasted.