COVID-19: A Pandemic:

"You're not STUCK at home, you're SAFE at home. One word can change your attitude and one cough can change your life"

...

I saw this quote the other day and the words couldn't have been more true during this time in the World. I know I have been pretty sparse with my blog writing the past couple of years, but it's honestly because I just kind of fell out of touch with doing it. Other things are just more important in our life and I find that when I do have a little extra time on my hands, sitting at the computer is on the last of my list. This space though has always been our families little journal, so sharing milestones or things of importance is what I will continue to do here and there!  

Which brings me to why I am writing today. This post is something I want to be able to look back on and for the kids to look back on. 

For our family, March 2020 was supposed to be the happiest and best month of our life... Steven was finally retiring from the United States Navy after serving our Country for 23 years, he was also turning 40 and we were waiting to go on what was supposed to be the most amazing vacation with some friends to celebrate these huge milestones & accomplishments! 

We were truly SO excited for this next chapter in our life to begin! 

Fast forward ONE WEEK after his retirement... A Virus Outbreak had hit the U.S., the World slowly starting to close its doors. We had to cancel our vacation to Jamaica when our trip was just a few days away, we got word that as Spring Break was coming to an end, the kids would not be returning to school, my doctors & specialists telling me to Self-Quarantine and to not leave the house for anything {people forget that I have a huge mound of Health Issues and with all the meds & infusions that I am on, my immune system is extremely weak making me immunocompromised. So even though I may look healthy on the outside, I am always placed into High Risk categories & it is something our family takes very serious, as my body doesn't know how to fight off illnesses like a healthy 34 year old}. Our life as we knew it truly stopped, as if we hit the pause button. We didn't know what the future was going to hold or what truly was happening. 

March 2020 quickly became the absolute worst month.

So now here we are, April 3, 2020. We are in our home as a family, isolating, social distancing, quarantining. The kids have finished their full second week of virtual homeschool, and we just got word that as of now they will not be returning to school until May 1st {though my gut tells me they won't be returning to school at all for the remainder of this school year}. The Mayor has officially put our City on "Stay at Home" orders, meaning you cannot leave your home unless it is for Critical or Essential Needs and violators could possibly be arrested. There is so much going on and happening and we are just trying to stay as calm & positive as we can for our children. 

I don't know if they are going to truly remember this time in their lives, and that there was this thing called the Coronavirus that spread across the World like wildfire, killing scores of people, though I imagine they will one day read about this Pandemic in History Books and truly understand how crazy of a time it was that we were living in. Because right now, they don't need to know everything {yes we have told them a virus called Coronavirus is going around making people very sick, and to not touch anything and we can't see anyone for our own safety. And thankfully they understand all of that and get it}. My hope in all of this right now though is that they know they are safe, protected, and that we are getting to have the most amazing family time together! They love seeing their teachers & friends on their computers, they have loved being homeschooled and are truly thriving in this new normal! Yes, there is still fighting and whining going on between them, Yes mommy has been found drinking on the job, Yes mommy has been called the lunch lady & the janitor & a fake teacher, Yes I have been stressed trying to do ALL the things, and Yes I couldn't love it more! This time we have been given to spend with just the 4 of us is amazing! These are my people and I could be quarantined with them for the rest of my life and be the happiest Wife & Mother in the World! 

And though April has officially been cancelled and who knows what is on the horizon, we are living this life one day at a time, and soaking in every second together. We are praying that all of our family and friends stay safe and healthy through all of this and we can't wait until we are able to see everyone again!