Now Things are Changing Again

I continue working on blog posts - the stay at home social distancing posts of our different life. I wanted to write as I was feeling the hurt and fear. It is part of where we are and If this time is going to make us better we need to understand what it was.

I must say that my anxiety is now growing. I was ok when I was told we needed to hunker down. Now the idea of sending the kids out into the world again has me a little sad and a little scared.
Groceries stores change from week to week, with new restrictions added to shoppers constantly. More barriers between people and cleaning stations at the entrance. I hate being told to put my mask on.

The news is telling us that there are supply chain issues for food.

My husband is still not traveling and I like that. How soon will that change?

My first Grand baby is due to be born ANY MINUTE and we are trapped hundreds of miles away. I want to be there for my daughter and I wanted to have helped her in these weeks before the baby. I wanted to pamper her but we are in a new world right now. Praying for sure! Praying for everyone. I miss Pooker and her husband JavaJava so very much, especially as their first wedding anniversary approaches.

I also miss Bear. We get to watch him at daily Mass that is being streamed and that is wonderful.  He is also organizing a morning show that is shared on Facebook. Check it out by clicking here.  I get to see him 3 times a week and pray with him everyday at the Mass. I am scared we will loose that connection to him.

The other kids have been forced to be around mom and dad. We have been forced to work on puzzles together. We have been forced to make meals and eat together all the time. We ate together three or four times a week before but now we are at 7 days a week. When someone is at work, we miss them. I don't want to loose that.

I look around at all the places of employment that are closing and those that I suspect will not make it. My heart sinks. My kids are lifeguards and coaches; but summer pools are not planning to open this summer.

Missouri is announcing "opening" under huge restrictions. We will need to leave name and address to enter stores. Our temperature taken to enter restaurants. Limited number of people allowed in all of these places. Forcing many of them to loose ever more money. How will they survive?

Then we turn to church. Pooker doesn't want us to visit baby until we can go to Mass together. It doesn't look like that will happen for a very long time. The idea of going to church for Mass and being told to go home because they have met their quota will break me. I miss our Lord in communion. I miss the normal Sunday Mass.

I am not wanting to be a "Debbie Downer" here, I am just wanting to record my feelings. Yeah, we might open and but I am fearful of the newer normal.

So I have learned to recite this over and over again the past two months. I was reminded last month when we were blessed to be able to go to Confession privately and then again on divine Mercy Sunday.  It does help and I do believe! So many things out of my control. I need to continue to be the best me I can be and constantly say,

"Jesus I Trust In You!"

Masks and Memes of the Time

The risk of the the disease is smaller that the issue that it is causing the country and the world. There are so many conspiracy stories floating around and I am beginning to feel that they are all real. The world is spinning and the truth is twisted. I can't even attend Holy Mass. So weird. 

We know so many people in the oil industry. This was an issue before the virus and now with the lockdown there is no demand. 

I have no way of knowing if there is any truth to this tweet but things like this are keeping me going!

I do find comfort in hearing from the president. I don't think that I trust his advisors. I am not sure I agree with the lock down idea at this point. 

The CDC says not to wear masks but then localities are requiring them.

All I know is that I want things to be like they were before all this covid stuff. 

My mom got me a cute mask, thanks mom.

Thanks for the Nails

I couldn't help but send a set of french manicure to my baby. I wish we could all sit around like we did last year and do our nails together. I miss this girl so much. Maybe I can pamper from a distant. I love you Pooker. Thanks for the Facebook shout out!

My mom sells nails! She is a Color Street lady and so enjoys sharing her love for the product with others. I don’t get my nails done often and when I do I like the salon, but the Color Street options are a great alternative to those who need a nail fix during this stay at home time! 

I got the French Manicure set sent to me for Easter and my husband took the time to help me apply them. They’ve made this anxious pregnant momma feel a little less locked down for the past week! They’re fun and easy to do and there’s so many options! Here’s her link if you’re interested in trying some. Thanks for the Easter treat, mom/grandma!

Click Here For My Link!

BLOG WORLD!

I used to be very active in the blog world, I ran five blogs at one time. The homeschooling one and the family photo album being my favorites. I have maintained this blog as a way to staying on top of my pictures and keeping our "electronic photo album" up to date. I got very behind after Pooker's  wedding and Bagel's confirmation last May. I lost interest and I got distracted. I forgot how much I love writing about my family!  I also forgot how much I love reading about other like minded people and their families.

I love reading about other homeschoolers and other large families and how others express their faith on a day to day basis. I am writing this to make a public announcement that "I am Back". Thank you Covid-19 for this gift of reminding me to write and to read what others have posted. I am still trying to post chronologically but I will be caught up very soon.  I want to thank all those that inspire me with their blogs!

Please comment here if you are still reading this blog, if you have your own blog - remind me to read it, and please do what inspires you. It makes you a better person!

Not Safe Anywhere

Today marks 20 days stuck in house for this family. Still waiting for dinning room to be put back together. 

Feeling trapped and anxious. Thankful for the toilet paper and food we have, but frustrated that “trusting the supply chain” has not proven to fill the shelves. Kids need an outlet but some parks and play grounds have closed. 

Let's figure out this mask thing!

The inside games have bad side effects, just ask St Joseph. I am at December with catching up with organizing pictures and blogging. I still need to post the blogs but so me that is like our family photo album. I feel close to catching up. 

The fun of this has passed, the excitement and historical aspect has worn off. I miss interacting. Please be assured of my continued prayers for you all and your families, especially those that have lost jobs.

Group Call

Keeping in touch with everyone is very different in the middle of an international pandemic. These group calls are the most helpful. I love my kiddos.

Seeing everyone is so helpful. I love them so much. Sometimes the idea of being in lock down is very overwhelming.  For me seeing my kiddos helps even though the world has come to a stop.        

Covid Update

This is hard. I am sharing these things because I want to remember that we shared silly memes making fun of stuff and ones that contained information. It was how we kept up to date with this stuff. This is not an easy time, but it isn't that bad. We are not living through a great war and people are NOT dying all around us. (In fact very few are even getting sick - studies are starting to show it hit the USA sooner that we thought. There is evidence now that people many, people have been infected without recourse. I even suspect that I had the virus after the New Orleans trip. The numbers are not supporting the mandated lock downs.)

Americans don't sit quietly by and let their liberties be taken away. Some states are handing out tickets to those that go out for a drive and walk through a public area. The day to day updates from the President are both calming and also irritating. I am starting to not trust everything that is being said. 

2 weeks of being in this home all the time has produced a new farm table with benches for the kitchen, all dinning room furniture has been sanded down to be stained tomorrow. Caught up on organizing electronic pictures through sep 15 of 2019 and blogged through July of 2019. School kids have logged lots of extra hours on their math program.

 I have watched my friends say Masses all over St Louis, St Charles, the woodlands, and OKC. So cool offering prayers with each of you as you celebrate the Mass. 30 more days and I might actually get working on my book. Please do what inspires you and let your children be creative. (I got a table out of it). 

There are all kinds of things that are bringing us down emotionally. I am so worried as Pooker's due date draws near. I had always assumed that I would be with my daughters as they prepared for birth. I fantasied about helping them prepare. I wanted to be able to clean for her and talk about things that only some one who had been there could understand. Now I am trapped 700 miles away. As I was thinking of all this I was given a surprise. Twins brought me a flower from the yard so I would stay happy!

You no longer GET TO GO TO MASS!

The president has limited travel, public places are closing including the pools where some of the kiddos work, and we as a family have decided to quarantine. We did huge shopping on Monday that should last us for at least a week. I could not find toilet paper but other than that we got what we wanted. The news is all about Social distancing and how that can help limit a quick spread of the virus. 

Now what?!? The news is intimidating but we got this. . . or so I thought. While I was shopping on Monday the Archdiocese of St. Louis issued this statement. Still processing what this means . . .

“Do we HAVE to go to Mass today?” A child would ask on a any given Sunday in a whiney sleepy voice. J

 and I would respond, “You don’t have to go to Mass, YOU GET TO GO TO MASS!” Never, in all my life, could I imagine not being able to attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Even during the hurricanes in Houston, if you could get to the church safely the priest welcomed you to Mass. I have never lived in an area where the Catholic Church isn’t strong and I have always had several locations and times for Mass to choose from. I will admit that, ‘Not getting to go to Mass’ and not even having an option to attend is very unnerving to this cradle Catholic. I know I am not the only one. This is so hard to comprehend. Mass is always an option, or so I thought.

I am sure that God can make good on things that overwhelm the human heart. I didn't think that Mass on Sunday would be my last one for awhile. God help us!

Mom's Birthday

The kids always make sure I have a great birthday! I didn't want to go out or take any pictures, I am very glad that I was feeling so much better. At least I could eat the cake.

Pooker and JavaJava sent this book so that I can share with their kiddos. I will enjoy taking moments here and there,  to make a record for my grand baby.

One of my gifts was a bouquet of flowers. There are exactly 13 flowers in that bunch. My Possible always gives me this for my birthday. She gives me 11 pink ones to represent each of my children on earth and 2 white ones to represent the two babies that we lost and that are in heaven.

More gifts included coke candy and a bear! They know what will make me happy. Great kiddos.

One of my gifts was the white snow. I love it and so do my huskies.

Happy birthday to me!

Random

Jumba leaving for a game.

Kiddos dressed for Mass.

Cutie Twin Beautiful.

Equally cute Twin Adorable.

Dad and Adorable

The week between getting back from NOLO and my birthday was a bad one for me. I had a high fever, felt tired but J was in traveling so much that I still had to get up and drive the kids around. It was only bad at night. One night I took some ibuprofen and found not stop the chills. I shook in bed for about 25 minutes. Finally the fever broke and then I was just tired. I felt much better the next day and after picking J up from the airport I took the weekend to recoup. He was in charge and I rested.