Zoomin' With Friends

We did our first zoom class calls (and just friends hanging out for Mackenzie) during the second week of online learning...the kids were very excited to see their friends! I can tell that Mackenzie is especially missing her friends, because she talks, and talks, and talks, and talks to us.... =0)))))

Jonah got to FaceTime with his buddies, Brightson and Owen one day, and then also with his whole class a few days later. After the class call, Mrs. Crabb posted this on FB "So thankful for technology today - zooming with my first graders! So much fun! And a little bit of crazy! Love and miss them so so much! Praying that I remember this hard time and never take the blessing of being a teacher for granted." 

And here is sweet, shy Madison, on her first zoom call with Mrs. Talley and the girls from her class. Every time she had to do a Zoom call, she would get so nervous. I'm pretty sure she said about 10 words total, on every call combined! 

Sunshine is Good for the Soul

Warm sunshine & our own version of a slip-n-slide was good for all of our souls today!
One thing about the quarantine that I have loved is watching them play together! I am so thankful that they have each other. When they start to fight or complain about each other, I remind them that they should be very grateful to have siblings to play with during this time. 

In My Weakness...He is Strong

At the end of March, I was laying in bed and came across a video on FB of a pregnant lady, who had the coronavirus. She was in the hospital, separated from her husband and children, all alone and fighting for every breath. The video rattled me deeply, and the following FB post was the result...so many friends responded with encouraging words and scriptures that were so comforting to my heart. It's hard not to live in fear and constant anxiety, with things the way they are in our world right now.

"To say that I'm not overwhelmed and anxious about the circumstances in our world, as I'm entering the 3rd trimester of pregnancy this week, would be a lie.

Today has been hard, as I think about the beginning of our first full week of doing school from home. I don't feel good at all...pregnancy is so hard on my body...I am not mentally, emotionally or physically in a good place to be doing this. I just want to go to sleep and wake up with a baby in my arms on June 20th. Instead, I am now a teacher, lunch lady, and custodian, on top of everything else. I already felt like I was failing at being a good wife and mother, before this pandemic began. Everything in me is screaming "I CAN'T DO THIS!" And then comes the quiet whisper..."I know you can't. But I can." In my weakness, He is strong. God, please help me!

I will fall asleep tonight, praying for the lady in this video that I don't know at all...for her children, her husband and her unborn baby...and praying for God's protection for my family, which is so similar to hers. And I will find peace in the thought that God knows exactly what tomorrow holds. He knows what next week looks like, and what the month of June will be like. He is knitting this baby together within me, and I have to just sit back and trust that He is in control, in the midst of the chaos swirling around me.

This also gives me refreshed perspective on WHY we have to stay at home...WHY we have to be so careful...please friends, take it seriously! It's easy for us to brush things off as not that big of a deal, until it personally touches our life. What if this were you? Your family? Stay home...it matters..."

Here are just a few of the sweet words of encouragement I received...

 
 
 

GOSTUDENTS 2020 CANCELLED

Like so many other things being cancelled due to this pandemic, the call was made to cancel all of the 2020 GoStudents trips that were supposed to happen this summer, at the end of March. While Brian completely understands and agrees that this is the right call, its still a major disappointment...GoStudents is such a huge part of what he does & he's been working on these trips for the past 18 months. I feel really bad for him! BUT...God isn't surprised by what is happening around us, and He is still in control! 

And it does seem that our load is being lightened for this summer, with the new baby coming, so that is a praise! We are still waiting for a decision to be made about Falls Creek, so I'm not sure how that will all play out. Brian has been working from home since Spring Break. He uses Madison's desk/room on most days and only comes down to eat lunch and for occasional short breaks, but it's been so nice to have him here! These are unprecedented times for sure...we are just hanging on for the ride.

Brian spent the last of March and the first week of April working nonstop on this Online Mission project.

Brian made this awesome video, sharing his testimony! I admire his bravery and the way he so easily shares like this.

As part of the online mission project, Brian passed out these flyers to our closest neighbors. We got several nice responses, including an elderly lady down the street who has called me several times now and calls me "honey" and pretty much loves me! It's very sweet...like talking to my GG! 

Had to throw this one in there...Brian has kind of taken over Madison's bedroom during the days, so he can work from up there where its quieter. This is a nice look he's got going on...ha! 

Beautiful Moments In Time

After the first few days of distance learning, we all really enjoyed this beautiful evening outside.

Jonah and Daddy have their own strategy...hahaha...something about this doesn't seem too fair! It's too bad Momma can't come play with the girls! 

When I find myself wishing things were different and this time would pass quickly, moments like this make me pause and wish things would never change. What a beautiful moment in time...

These are the moments that are keeping me sane...nothing beats a little driveway basketball game!

We Survived the First "Week"

Day 2 didn't go quite as well as day 1, but we made it! Mackenzie just had a minor meltdown, but other than that, we did okay. There was definitely a learning curve to how the process was going to work, especially for her, working with 4 or 5 different teachers. Here are some pics from the first "week" (thankfully it was only a 3 day first week) of school at home...

Still hoping to be back in "real" school after April 17th...

Time for recess...an extra long recess. #idonotcarewhatyoudo #butiplayaloneatrecess #goaway #andiloveyou

I came across this hilarious video on FB of these baby pigs running circles around their momma...I thought it was the most accurate description of how I was feeling! LOL! 

Day 3 & Jonah was happy about wearing his pj's and comfy robe to school! 

We were sitting there working, and all of a sudden out of nowhere, huge pieces of hail start falling from the sky...I'm starting to think we really are in the end times! It's just crazy around here!

One of the things that Mrs. Crabb always does with the 1st graders after Spring Break is get baby chick eggs to hatch. She decided to still do this from home & this was definitely a highlight of distance learning for Jonah. She would send pics of the eggs & then eventually the chicks as they began hatching. This was Jonah's 21 day countdown to the baby chicks hatching!