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36

Cheese crackers have become our new salty snack.

Michael has been coming up to me at random times and asking for hugs. 

Introvert and extrovert siblings can sometimes have a hard time finding a happy medium of recharging.

Daily walks have been a sanity saver for me.

I have mixed feelings about everything that has been going on.  I'm valuing the time of being at home without the hustle and bustle of outside activities.  I didn't realize how much I would miss our weekly routine when every day becomes the same. 

Playing outside has become the new activity.  

10 days of school left!

I've been upset lately by fear mongering and not just from the news.  People trying to make others afraid of the future that God has under control.  It's not right! 

I did our grocery shopping yesterday at two different stores.  I was starting to feel like I needed to get back out there (JP and Tera had been doing our shopping around work.)  and be around random people.  I wore my homemade bandana mask and kept my social distance from others.  The stores felt eerily quiet.  I tried to make sure the workers that I normally see knew I was smiling at them from behind my mask.  

Michael has the stay-at-home blues or the end-of-school blues or both.

I have never enjoyed a spring more than I have this one.  I spend a couple of hours outdoors every day--sitting and reading, walking.  

Daily allergy meds have made being outside enjoyable.  

It has rained for months here in Tennessee--staying at home would have been so much less enjoyable if we couldn't go outside.  Sunshine rocks!

It's nice to see the end of curriculum--all finished and complete.  Some we put aside until next year, but we have finished math, and almost finished on science and history.   

Daniel is almost finished with his senior year.  We've almost made it!!!!

Graduation has been postponed until the end of July. 

Tera is working hard to finish up her second semester of college.  Papers, projects, tests, reading. 

The boys REALLY need haircuts!

Michael finally got the real version of Minecraft--he's been playing the free version that came with our computer.  

I don't think we will see "normal" for a while even after they are scheduled to "re-open our state" in about 9 days.  

We need to order Daniel's graduation announcements.  

Daniel has a lot of changes coming this summer--getting a job, driving, transitioning into college.  

Thankful that the state parks are re-opening.

My life is a lot slower paced now.  I still have the same to-do list everyday that I had before.  I'm just not having to get it all done around the outside activities and chauffeuring duties.  I have mixed feelings about it. 

Still amazed that Daniel got a full-tuition scholarship in music renewable for all 4 years of college.

Tera is so ready to be back to her normal working schedule.  Although she is an introvert, she is truly a people person and missing her co-workers and clients.

JP is back to work.  Not as much as before all this happened.  He would regularly work 10-12 hour days.  We have enjoyed having him home more and all the work he has done to make our yard look awesome!

JP and I have been very faithful to take a date night every week over the past year.  Since all the restaurants have closed to dine-in customers, we've been ordering take-out from our favorite local Mexican restaurant.  We set up a little folding table upstairs and have a quiet date night to ourselves.  We've also been watching a couple of Alfred Hitchcock movies from a box set I received a few years ago.

Exercise improves your mood, your outlook on life, your self-image and your health.

I'm so tired of other people telling the world at-large how they should be feeling right now.  "You're too optimistic!"  "You are not pessimistic enough!"  That's not the exact wording, but that's the gist of their meaning.  But if I told them to "Just be quiet already!", would I be falling into the same trap?

The last three dinners I've made have gotten two thumbs up from Michael. (Everyone else has loved them too!)  The second night, he exclaims, "Mom, you are really outdoing yourself!"  Ham and spinach quiche, chicken enchilada casserole and Zuppa Toscano soup (his all-time favorite!).

I found my mom's recipe for macaroni and cheese today--I know what I'm making this week--just because!

For the past couple of days, JP has come home right when I was putting dinner on the table.  He had no clue when we were eating, but just happened to arrive at just the right time.  (I never know when dinner will be done--it's done when it's done!)

Dessert sounds really good right now.

Tera truly makes the BEST bread of anyone I've ever known!

Is it only Tuesday?  I think it is!

33

33 days--that's how long I have been home (except for limited essential trips).  I've had a half a tank of gas in the van for almost a month now.  The boys have been home longer than that.  

Positives things I'm thinking today:

We have 12 days of school left!

So glad I know how to cook and bake.

Two Bible studies--I am doing two different online (through email) Good Morning Girls Bible studies with two of my friends.  This has been one of the best things that has happened during this quarantine.

Thankful for my mom mailing us a care package with multiple treats and boxes of Girl Scout cookies.

Sunshine!  After months of rain, so thankful for sunshine most days.  

Walking every day around the neighborhood is sanity saving.

Our yard looks better than it ever has--JP's been working limited hours and with the beautiful weather, we've all had time to do a lot of things outside.

It's nice to have a new refrigerator that doesn't sound like a helicopter landing in your kitchen.

So-so things I'm thinking today:

Boxes of Girl Scout cookies don't last very long around here.

How did pioneer woman have time to make everything from scratch?

JP found out that his pay will be cut this next pay period.  So thankful for his job and realize how blessed we are that he has a job in this weird time in our country.   (Also, thankful that we are not overextended and living well within our means at this point in our lives.)

Wouldn't it be nice to have the metabolism of a teenage boy?

Negative things I'm thinking today:

Not happy that I kinda freaked out yesterday when our new fridge was delivered--I watched delivery people I didn't know in my home touching what felt like every surface on their path through the living room, dining room and kitchen.  I mopped and wiped down everything they touched (or might have touched) with bleach/water.  

So, I decided that I needed to start doing our essential trips to the stores again.  I need to get out (with my homemade face mask) and deal with the world that I have no control over.  I can control my own actions without getting freaked out over what other people are doing.  

I've been feeling a bit out of sorts since yesterday.  Tired...irritable.

Making do and being creative is fun for a while, but it is nice just to buy whatever you want (grocery wise)  whenever you want it.  

I'm so tired of the news, Facebook and everybody's opinions.  But yet I still check the news and Facebook on a pretty regular basis.


Pictures from this week:

Daniel sporting his homemade face mask:

Things from my walks:

Dinner:  We had mostly leftovers this week in preparation of getting our new refrigerator.  One of my favorite dinners is simple food--beans/rice and salad.

It's been kinda chilly here in the mornings this week...

Resurrection Sunday

The tomb is empty...He is risen!  He is risen, indeed!

Bunny ears...

Easter dinner...

Eggs