goodbye 2020

 I thought 2020 was going to be a big year when I went back and read what I wrote December 31, 2019. Well it was a big year all right. Big changes. 2020 made the world shut down and slow down. We had to make a decision to live in fear or to trust God. We were forced to be in the present and enjoy life. We were forced to face reality, life is not promised to us. 2020 was uncomfortable. 2020 was stressful. 2020 brought with it loss and hurt and grief but it also brought understanding, love, and compassion. 

This year was a new chapter for my life. For the first time ever I do not have parents on this earth. How will the future look? For the first time mom and dad's house looks different and when I go home it will not be the same. I will have to go through the grief of losing mom but also the end of a chapter of my life the way I knew it to be. When we have family gatherings they will look different. There will be a void. Christmas's will never be the same. I have to figure out who is Mary without her parents. There will be some growing up I have to do at the age of 43 and some healing.  

As for our family. We had the kids back home. I never thought that would happen. God blessed us with this time together. Moments we would have never gotten. We lost people this year. It was a trying year but with all of that... so many blessings. We still are here together. 

Merry Christmas 2020

 This year we did not see family. Covid was still spreading. We stayed home and it was so nice. We woke up and had a good breakfast. We opened some presents and we would stop and start cooking our big meal for dinner then we would open more presents. We took our time and we did not rush. Every year we have to rush, rush, rush. Not this year. One good thing about Covid it has slowed us all down. We can enjoy our time. We had an amazing dinner. Nathan did the glaze for the honey hams, mash potatoes, sweetpotato casserole, Mac and cheese, rolls, dessert. It was a feast. And we celebrated Nathan's 46th birthday!! Lots of neck massagers, body massagers, feet massagers as gifts this year. 

more December

This December it is a little more quiet.. No parties, no going out around people. We spent a lot of time together. Lots of laughs. Of course I wanted the annual Christmas tree picture with the kids. They had to approve the pictures I posted of course. Baking and Decorating and enjoying our time together. 

 

The Woodland

being at home a lot the kids found things to do... in the woods, they made a fort, it took months. Annie Mae loved to go down with them. She always stayed right with them and never left. Annie would run and run. They found old bottles. One was floating down stream so Ethan climbed out as far as he could to catch it. That was a good laugh for sure... They worked so hard, even making seats for the fort and gave it a name.