Where has the time gone?

 Here we are, almost to the end of February. We made it thru 2020, just like we knew we would. 

Things may not be the same as they were a year ago, but we are all still here and together. Life if moving forward, but not as fast. We have all slowed down and we are all cherishing the moments that we have together. 

This past year has been a learning curve for all of us. For me, I was learning my new normal..my new role as a stay-at-home-mom. This was something that I always wanted, just never thought that I would get to experience it. 

When I got word that my job was not going to be opening back up once we were able too, I was sad. I cried....a lot...but I prayed. I prayed a prayer of "Lord, what am I supposed to do now? What is your plan for me?" And by that evening, the weight was lifted off of my shoulders and I knew that I was in the right place. That I was supposed to be at home with my kiddos and being the mom I always wanted to be. Having fun with the kids is something that we love doing, but we were always limited on what we could do with our work schedules. This past summer was awesome. We made so many memories with them and cannot wait to make more. 

Just to touch on a few things:

 ~ We played outside in the pool on every hot day there was, I saw Donny be a 'kid' again (you know those teens have a hard time having fun). I saw Makayla and Donny both grow over a short time and couldn't believe that I missed so much. 

 ~ We started going racing in July down in Indiana. This was awesome, as Donny and I both raced. Now we are ready to continue this journey this coming summer. And we are both wanting to learn more so that we are better at the sport. Plus, we had a blast staying in a hotel for the weekends that we went down there. And having everyone know us at the hotel...highly recommend the Holiday Inn in Kokomo, Indiana. Great place, clean and always friendly. 

 ~ I have seen my kids grow physically and mentally in these last 11 months. Donny is now taller than me and Makayla just keeps growing. And they are both learning a lot with virtual school. We have both had our moments with school and getting behind, but I think that has to be expected with being virtual. But we have been on it and the work is getting done. Donny is getting better with reaching out to teachers and asking for help, unlike at the beginning of the year. 

 ~We have been able to enjoy our breaks from school. No running and just being home. I have noticed that my kids like being homebodies, but they also like to travel. To the point that they want to travel more. But we are trying to be so careful. Trying to not go where there are a bunch of people. So summer vacation could be interesting. 

But back to the point of this post. We were always so busy, that we just rolled with the punches. We just kept going. We only stopped to sleep. Now we have slowed down...now we are able to enjoy life a little bit more. And sometimes, it is the craziest things that make you slow down. Things that just happen unexpectedly. But we have to know that everything is going to be alright. That we are ok. And we need to think positive about everything. I know that is tough for some, but we will get thru this together and someday we will all be back together again.