Notes from Day 20

This is Day #20 since our lives were noticeably altered by COVID-19. I think we're all counting!

For the most part these days, we just stay at home all the time. Eden is my "Can I go?" child. It doesn't matter where you're going, she just wants to go too, which is the exact opposite of me! It doesn't matter where you're going, I just want to stay home! This "safer-at-home" mandate Florida is under would be much easier if it were just me at home. Lonelier, yes, but oh the things I could do! The puzzles, the artwork, the cleaning, the organizing, the card-making, the baking/cooking... Another season perhaps!  For now, I'm trying to keep three kids out of mischief. Succeeding for the most part, thank the Lord, but sometimes things fall through the gaps.  Exhibit A:

That is green sharpie on my dining room walls, folks, scrawled there by miss E herself. Don't ask me how or when she did this, but there it is. Kind of resembles the stock market lately, huh? That's probably not a funny joke to Josh.  Anyway, we've sort of needed to repaint for a while now, and now we really need to. This makes me flash back to Seth's toddler years when he sharpied a lot of things. You really need to check on kids when they're quiet!

In grocery store news (that's the only place I go lately) this is a common sight: 

This is the pasta aisle. I keep commenting to people, "I have. Never. Seen anything like this in my life!" and then it occurs to me that neither have they! This is new to all of us, and none of us is exempt from the effects. Josh and I have been comparing this event to a hurricane. While there are some similarities (the heightened nervousness, the constant news-checking, the limiting of quantities and supplies, etc), this is vastly different. This is not just affecting Florida's grocery stores, but all of them nationwide. Also, this is going on far longer than a hurricane. The last few weeks have felt like months, dragging on and on like an unwanted houseguest that just won't leave. We are praying for God to work His will in this pandemic, and to bring many souls to Himself through it!

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that I was stress-eating chocolate and cookies. Not only is that bad for my waistline and the future of fitting into my clothing (and now I can't just run to the store and buy bigger clothes anymore!), but it's not good to look to food for comfort when I should be looking to the Lord. So for the month of April I have decided to cut out added sugar from my diet, and also purposefully focus on eating things that will fuel my body, and drinking more water. I started March 30, and by God's grace, I'm still going. I did make an exception and had one s'more while we were camping, but it was under control and completely appropriate. :) I've also been trying to exercise more during this lockdown time. Maybe I'll be able to reverse the 10lb gain I've had since my hysterectomy! That would be nice.

Some blessings of note:

1. The Lord has really given us some beautiful days to enjoy! The weather has been nothing short of delicious here and we have been taking full advantage of Going Outside.
2. My eyes are being opened to many areas in our family that need to be worked on and worked through.
3.  We were already homeschooling when the schools all shut down, so the changes were not as major and didn't feel like they completely rocked our world.
4.  We're saving money on gas and many other discretionary items by not going places!
5. God is still in control! This situation is no surprise, and He's not wringing His hands in worry over how it will turn out. And that same God is my fortress.



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