Life at Home [Corona Virus]: Week 2
If you’ve just begun this series you can catch the beginning of the series here: Life at Home [Corona Virus] Week 1
03.23.20: Disappointments [when an appointment is dissed]
You know how sometimes you have these plans on how your day is going to go and then it just doesn’t quite go that way…at all. You grow frustrated, not because of the moments before you, but because the expectations of what it was supposed to be like don’t happen. This is how I felt today. A little frustrated, mostly at my husband [did I say that out loud]? The night before we had made specific plans on starting this week off by clearing out what was going to become my office. I think the thought of having to deal with it all just overwhelmed him and he tried to disregard it. It was all I was thinking about and it was what he was trying to dodge. I guess a part of me really just wanted him to take the initiative, since after all, it was a project that would serve as a birthday gift since my birthday was coming up. But nope. Didn’t happen. So all day-I was doing my best to be present, wear a smile on my face and show up, but I felt a little let down. Also felt selfish for feeling this way.
What I want to remember about this moment: When hard times hit, you somehow remember what life is about. Family and unity. Life is too short to hold any grudges or be upset. You also appreciate the little things, and they become the big things: like how Facetime is the best time right now.
03.24.20 : In-Laws save the day!
Woke up annoyed, but ready to put yesterday behind me and deal with the fact that the office was going nowhere this week. Although, I truly wasn’t going to let my husband hear the end of it [I’m a stubborn one]. Then, I get a random text in the morning from my in-laws, that they were off together and desired to come and clear out some of the items from the space that would soon become my office [which was serving as a storage unit for them, hence why Jimmy didn’t feel like clearing it out]. This jumpstarted everything and before I knew it, our day was set around clearing out the space…all because of my in-laws. They are the best. We are in a rare and beautiful situation, currently renting from my in-laws. It is a blessing because they have given us so much freedom to make their home…ours, for the time being. I’m so grateful for them and this day. I think I needed this more than I knew.
We ended the day with a clear room to dream with and a clarity to talk about the previous day. We ended our day just talking, apologizing, and dreaming up what this space would become. Thanks to my in-laws.
I digitally designed my office to close out my thoughts and get a clear direction.
What I want to remember about today: Around high schoolish times, I used to think that so long as you loved someone, it didn’t really matter if you loved their family or they loved you back. Boy was I wrong. It does matter, and I’m so grateful to have married into such a beautiful family, with in-laws who are always looking for our best interest. I love them so much.
What I want to remember about this moment: It doesn’t matter how old kids get, if they even start their own families and are living their own lives. You still see them as your babies. Just as my mother in law is looking to my husband through this window. I will probably be the exact same way with my kids, just as my mom is with me. So sweet, I can cry.
03.25.20 : It’s my QUARANTINED birthday!
It’s my birthday and it’s unbelievable that I’m 36. Wow. If you want to read a little more into my birthday thoughts along with 36 life lessons I’ve learned in 36 years… go HERE.
Today was fun. Pretty chill. We got the office fumigated for bugs since it’s been a storage for a while and we sort of just prepped and cleaned the place getting ready for paint work tomorrow. Most of today I spent working and I closed my work around 5pm to end the evening with my family for my birthday. I was determined to get dressed up [my family didn’t cooperate-so I dressed up alone]. I was supposed to get some take out from my favorite restaurant but everything was shut down. It was In-N-Out and favorite carrot cake from Frugatti’s Italian. Felt more like it was Jimmy’s type of birthday instead of mine, but it was amazing nonetheless. We ended the night with a movie and dancing with my kids. Can’t complain here. It was a great time. Somehow the skies were my favorite type of skies as well. I felt like God just painted a beautiful picture for me.
What I want to remember about today: Life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful. In 36 years I’ve hit some ups and downs. Today felt like an up and down, or something a little less perfect. Yet it was still so wonderful.
What I want to remember about this moment: How much this girl loves being with me. How much I want to be everything for her. How I am so not perfect, yet she thinks that I am. I loved this moment. I was wrapping up work. The sun was shining through the window. I was starting to feel tired but I was so content with what was happening. My daughter at my side. My boys and husband just relaxing watching a movie after they’d done all their work. It was nice. Just peaceful.
03.26.20 : Painting Views
I can’t even begin to tell you guys how therapeutic today felt. A few years ago my husband and I discovered our love for working together creatively. So strange because I NEVER thought we could EVER work together in a way like this. Yet, our journey lead us to discover his love for woodworking and my love for designing and telling him what I want done [lol]. He loves my challenges and I love to watch him do whatever I challenged him to do [another lol]. Today, we got overwhelmed inside as we spent most of the day outside working on the office and watching out kids run around and play. Since I didn’t get a good birthday dinner, I decided to cook us up a steak dinner to seal the night. My husband and I smiled at each other at night, feeling full in our hearts. Quarantine life has us sighing the good kind of sigh.
What I want to remember about today: Today I lived a day full of A DREAM I’ve always dreamed! I have dreamed of days like this-days where our gifts and talents collide with our family and our home. It happened today and I could live many many many more days like this.
What I want to remember about THESE moments: How much a moment has never felt more like US as a family, then this moment.
03.27.20 Light up my life
We had a pretty relaxing and effortless day. I had some work to do so most of my day was spent doing that. Meanwhile most of my hubby’s day was spent tending to our little rascals. It’s incredible how we haven’t lost it yet, neither one of us. The kids seem to be enjoying this so far. They don’t hear the news or see the things, they just feel like we are home together and present with them and that’s all they care about. It’s been an overall productive, calm day. We put up my light fixture for the office, only to realize that I didn’t know it didn’t come with the bulbs. Anyway, it sort of lighted up my day! I LOVE IT!
What I want to remember about today: There is LIGHT if you look for it. Light in the darkness. A little bit of light that showers so much hope.
What I want to remember about this moment: I was mesmerized just watching her draw on this piece of butcher paper. She was living her best life and behind her is our window and at sunset the sun peeks in so beautifully. It was radiating around her. As if it wasn’t already melting my heart, she just stared at me back, she wanted kisses and snuggles and she was just loving on me and I was just melting. She was lighting up my life.
03.28.20 Mobilize DON’T freeze
I’m aware of what is happening in this world. Fully. Personally I’m connected to several entrepreneurs who are forced to stay at home during this time and it’s tough. Financially and emotionally.
I see so many scenarios of how people are handling the “stay at home” rule. Some shifting and making it work, some in a really hard head space. Some people feeling like not much has changed yet others feeling as if their lives have been turned upside down. This week as I’m working towards my office, being excited in that head space, I couldn’t help but feel bad being so excited about something when others are having such a hard time. But can I tell you why I’m doing this?
To hopefully inspire others to mobilize and not freeze during this season [so long as we are healthy and able of course].
I’ve lived the last ten-eleven years uncertain of what tomorrow would look like. I’ve lived those years raising babies and making my business work. I’ve had to learn to create something out of nothing and to find time where there was none. I’ve had to learn how not to completely lose my mind when my kids were crying for me and deadlines were still due. I had to learn how to bring revenue in very complicated situations. It’s been hard for me. But not impossible.
I want you to know that it’s possible. It’s possible to stay alive despite this horrific and terrifying opposition. I want you to know there is ALWAYS a way out of how terrible we are feeling. I want you to know that you can make something out of nothing. I want you to know there’s a room that can use some cleaning. A closet that can use some organizing. A living room that can use some decorating. A plant that can use some love. And somehow, those little acts of moving and creating inspire you in hard times. I want to encourage you to MOBILIZE and not FREEZE. I hope that you are inspired today to do the things you’ve been wanting to do but never had the time. YOU CAN DO THIS…. write an intention you wish to accomplish during quarantine….I believe it with you.
What I want to remember about today: How much bravery is required to still show up, to still be present, when everything is telling you to shut down.
What I want to remember about this moment: I want to remember how much he comes alive doing this and how much I come alive just watching him in his element. I’m so proud of him for enduring some hard times to be who he is today.
03.29.20 Rest
Today started to get hard. Weekdays for the most part have felt pretty normal to our lifestyle, but Sunday’s are the days we get out as a family, go to church, visit family and now we are on a second round of not being able to do so. The first Sunday was sort of easy, just felt like the times I have to stay home because my kids are sick and I’m stuck at home watching church online. It feels strange to have the time and not be able to use it the way we would naturally. Any extra time I had prior just meant I could go see someone or go out. But not right now. I’m really missing my people.
I started to feel better after hearing a message and fixing my eyes on the Lord. Staying hopeful that as we continue to stay home we can transition sooner. My pastor shared a quote that really impacted my thought pattern for the day.
If you look to the world you’ll be distressed.
If you look within you’ll be depressed.
If you look to God you’ll be at REST.
-Corrie Ten Boon
What I want to remember about today:
I closed my day with a headache from all the craziness of the week, I suppose. But, I also closed my day with a hug from my husband and a kiss and him telling me “you deserve it all.” It’s been tough, but it’s also been so so sweet.
What I want to remember about this moment: I dressed Sophia in a pretty cute Sunday outfit, and when I turned around, she had been doing some chalk art and it was EVERYWHERE. She also grabbed dad’s measuring tape and kept saying “it’s too big” and “it’s too small” as she measured random things. Jimmy whispered to me, “Sophia is living her best life.” It’s true. She was.
CLOSING WEEK 2: In closing, this week was really centered around my birthday week, my birthday gift [getting the ball rolling on the office], and working together with my husband on a project [something we haven’t done in a while]…all while doing all the beautiful parenting things we have to do. It was full of ups and downs, but mostly ups. How is quarantined life going for you all? Are you finding the time to do something fresh to your home or office? Did you experience any emotional roller coasters such as I did?
Check out the next part to this series: Life at Home [Corona Virus] Week 3
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[…] that it ended up. This time, instead of documenting every day as I’ve done on Week 1 and Week 2. I’m going to just document my thoughts overall. At the end of the photographs you’re […]