Covid 19 Day 1, no school

Actually yesterday, March 16 was our first day at home.  Anyway, I fully intend on blogging almost everyday during this fiasco we call Covid 19 that has literally shut this country down. As of today kids are out of school until at least March 31.  Restaurants and bars in Illinois are shut down and social distancing is the word of the day, week and probably month!  People are hoarding toliet paper like their life depended on it but not my sister.  She got resourceful and made sure her family had plenty of T.P.

Notice what our glasses say.  I am thankful for a couple of things right now: First my family appears to be healthy.  Second my boys are older.  They are better at entertaining themselves and being self sufficient in getting their schoolwork done (even though it was a bit of a challenge with Nick).  Third Jay finished his E-learning today and spent the rest of his day working with Mike.  Fourth Jay got a job offer today, something I did not think would happen given how the country has come to a stand still.  The challenges today revolve around Nick.  He was frustrated with the directions or lack thereof for his E-learning.  He complained incessantly.
It's just such an odd time in our history.  We went from a roaring economy to a recession in a matter of one week.  Life as we know it is pretty uncertain right now but one thing I know remains is God is still in control.

Two Years Later......and pure madness

This blog has two parts to it.  I didn't want today to go by without remembering my dad.  Two years ago dad went home to be with Jesus.  A lot has changed in two years and today as I write the world as I know it has lost its mind (more on that later).  Some days it feels like dad has been gone longer than two years but other days it feels like just yesterday that I would visit him in the nursing home.  I miss him but I'm comforted knowing he is finally home living his best life in glory with no pain.
About two weeks ago we started hearing about a virus that hit China, the Coronavirus.  In no time it made its way to America.  Our country has completely shut down.  I blame the media for creating mass hysteria.  Schools have been shut down.  My boys are now out of school for at least 2 weeks.  Illinois just shut down all restaurants and bars in the entire state.  People are buying toliet paper like their life depended on it - even though the virus is a respiratory disease and diarrhea is not part of the equation.  Last night Mike and I went to Walmart and found the toliet paper aisle had been wiped clean, no pun intended.  The junk food aisle was empty but the aisles with protein bars and health food was stocked full, as was all the produce.  I just have to shake my head at the ignorance.  Rumor is schools might be shut down for 8 weeks.  That remains to be seen.  It's not that I don't think the social distancing is a good idea and I do agree that precautions should be taken but shutting down restaurants and bars, which will clearly affect the lives of so many who depend on their service jobs for their livelihood.  It's simply a measure I don't agree with.  We have become a mass of people prone to panic,  gullible to the black box that sits in our living rooms and the social media gibberish that indoctrinates our feeds.

My girls weekend

This past weekend Sarah and I went to Texas to spend the weekend with our girl, Jenny.  However, we had a few hiccups before we arrived.  I have decided I have the worst luck with flights.  My mom was supposed to make this trip with us.  We were all set to go for a Friday afternoon flight that ended up being cancelled.  After waiting at the airport for several hours we learned the flight was cancelled and we went to moms to spend the night.  We booked another flight for the crack of dawn of Saturday and mom decided that morning flight was more than she took take and opted out.  Sarah and I got up super early, got dressed and headed to the airport only to learn that yet again our flight was cancelled.  I can't make this stuff up.  We got on the horn with American and while I was driving we booked another flight out of another town and drove like middle aged women, desperate to see our girl, to the next airport and made our flight.  It was clearly a God thing!  Jenny really needed us this weekend, as much as we needed her.  Jenny had to put her sweet dog to sleep last weekend and Mike and Curt had left on a missions trip.  The thought of Jenny spending the weekend by herself was more than we could take.  We are so thankful we got to see her and spend time together.  We are incredibly blessed to have this beautiful friendship among the three of us.

This was Friday night after our failed flight. Mom loved having Sarah and I spend the night.  Mom was truly missed this weekend but she did make the right decision.  There is this virus going around (Coronavirus) which people are making a big damn deal about and trust me it's not but for someone like mom who has somewhat of a compromised immune system it would have been a big weekend for her with unnecessary risk.  I did get a full refund mom's flight and will take her back in the fall.

Happy 69th Birthday, Mom

Mom celebrated another birthday around the sun!  Thank you, Jesus!  She turned 69 on March 2!  For the 2nd year in a row we got together with Leslie (who turned 75 on March 3) and Janet (Leslie's DIL).  We ate too much, drank too much and laughed too much, if there is such a thing.

This is what true friendship looks like.  Leslie and mom have been friends for 40 years.  Mom will probably correct me on this but I know they met after they had kids and I'm 45 so I'm going with 40.  They are truly sisters.

Mom, I am so thankful you are here on this earth.  I know your life looks different than it did two years ago but you never cease to amaze me.  You are a testimony to God's faithfulness!  You have a wonderful attitude and are quite funny.  Your generosity is limitless.  The thing I enjoy most about you these days is your relationship with Walker - something I never would have or could have predicted which again is a God thing!  Blessings to a great year in 2020!!!

Nick's crew

I'm trying not to acknowledge the fact that Nick is almost done with middle school and will be entering high school in the fall, but it's true.  I am well aware that once high school starts that within a blink of an eye it's over.  Today I hugged Nick and said jokingly (kind of) that he must live with me forever.  He laughed and said no way was he living in Illinois!
A week ago Nick had a dodgeball tourney at school.  He and his buddies played and did quite well but in the end they got beat by 7th graders - gasp!

Fishing is Nick's absolute favorite past time but four wheeling is a very close second.  Once again I give glory to God to leading us to where we live because only He knew I would have two boys that loved the outdoors!

My Job

In December I learned my job would be changing.  I'll still be doing the same job but I won't be handling IL claims anymore.  I've handled IL claims for my entire 20 plus year career.  In mid March I will be handling claims entirely on the west coast, 11 states in all.  When I first learned this news I was upset.  I took it personally but as I've had time to absorb the news I am confident that in the long run it will be good for my career and the bottom line is I'd rather have a job than no job at all.  I got home today from spending the week in Cincinnati.  I met my new team and my new supervisor.  I also met my home office supervisors.  The good news is I really like my new supervisor, team and home office supervisors.  There really isn't any bad news.  But learning these new states will be a challenge.  As I get older I get a little "edgy" about my job.  I think it's because I know all things change and I work in a basement office day in and day out.  Certainly the winters can be LONG and there are some days I question my sanity and wonder if I should move to OH and end my career in an office.  However, after spending a week in a office it was a good reminder to myself that cube farms give me the creeps.  Unless I'm forced to, my behind will continue to work from my basement until I retire (if I'm lucky).  In todays corporate world I am well aware of the fact that things change but I don't have a crystal ball.  I can't predict the future.  All I can do is what is best for me and my family and move forward.  I remind myself often that God has taken such good care of Mike and I with our jobs, more than we deserve.  I have no doubt that God will continue to guide us, open doors or shut them when needed.  It is my job to make the best of what I have, continue to work on myself and be the best worker I can be and trust.  I trust that God's plan is always better and when my brain takes off in a million different career directions (none of them provide any sense of real clarity or reality) I can rest knowing that God's got this!

Snow Day

This week we had quite a snow fall along with cold temperatures.  Paired together it got the boys a snow day off from school.  I really dislike winter and every year that goes by I dislike it even more, however, even though I don't like it, it is pretty!  This snow stuck to the trees and when the sun gleamed through the trees in the early morning it was absolutely beautiful.

Here is Nick on his snow day.  He's relaxing on his deck in his lawn chair with this electric stove, fake plant and his dog.  It's so Nick!