A New Way of Life

 It is funny to look at this blog and see how it has been 5 months since I have posted anything. It is clear that I no longer have the time on my hands like I used to. I know this, because I don't feel like I have much time for anything these days - let alone blogging. Here's what has gone on since April 17th.

We continued to work from home with school through the end of the school year which was June 12th. It was enough to get a passing grade and move the boys into 5th grade. Eric also worked from home every day until June when he started going back into the office 2-3 days a week. Businesses that were non-essential remained closed until mid-may. Memorial Day-weekend is when things began to slowly open - most at 50% capacity. We ventured out, masked up and enjoyed being out of the house even for a little bit. We set the pool up Memorial weekend and finally hung the big swing that we bought the boys for their birthday last year.

Once school ended, we spent a lot of time going bike riding at Independence Oaks and being outside as much as we could. The weather was pretty nice. Not too many rainy days which was nice since we were pretty much home bound.

Last minute in June we decided to head down to Georgia for a week. Eric was swamped with work and we didn't have anyone to help us with Brody, so Eric stayed behind and I asked my Mom to go. I was shocked when she said yes! It was such a nice trip. We all enjoyed ourselves. We did Goats on the Roof, Black Rock State Park, Dry Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and Mud Creek Falls with mom as well as celebrated Percy's birthday at the beach. The boys and I along with Tappy and some of the kids did Stonewall falls and Minnehaha Falls. Mom hung back because she was tired from her day out with me - when we went through the Smoky Mountains, Cherokee, NC and the Tallulah Falls Gorge. We stayed busy and I tried showing her as much as I could without completely wearing her out. It was a great trip. We made it home just in time for 4th of July. Even though there were no public fireworks, we got some for the boys to light off and grilled out that weekend.

Next up - was Alex and Evan's 10th birthday. Another event I really wanted to celebrate, but with all the restrictions, it was challenging. So, we opted to have their grandparents and two cousins Laken and Sailor over. The boys all went swimming and we had a nice small celebration. Only a week before, I snagged a trampoline for them at Dunhams. I had been calling for months to try and get one for their birthday and when I called on July 8th they actually had one. It sat in Eric's van for 8 days and he told them it was a coffin! Evan was freaking out. In the end, they loved it and still do. It was a great gift!

That weekend we were supposed to go to Grand Haven for a small getaway but Eric was still busy with work and Covid-19 had kind of spiked in that area of the state so we decided to stay home and be safe. 

We also have been having problems finding someone to watch Brody, so our trip that was scheduled for Myrtle Beach in August we also had to cancel. I ended up finding a cabin up in Gaylord associated with Outdoor Adventures that accepted dogs so we decided to do that instead. It ended up being a great trip and we all had a good time. The cabin fit us just right. We grilled hot dogs on the fire, roasted marshmallows and made smores. They had a nice big swimming pool that the boys loved and we did a day trip to Petoskey State Park for a beach day and Mackinac Island to ride our bikes around the island. Petoskey was nice - but we didn't have time to explore the town. We grabbed ice cream at Kilwins - which was delicious!! Having Brody at the cabin cut our time out exploring down, but he was such a good boy! Our second day out we went to Mackinac Island. This was Eric's idea - and it was great! We had already brought our bikes up so we took them up, got on the ferry and rode around the island. To our surprise, we boarded the ferry that took us for a tour under the Mackinac Bridge then over to the island. We ate lunch at the Broken Spoke before riding the 8 miles around the island. Because we all had our bikes, we could take our time and not have to be back. It was a beautiful day out. We grabbed ice cream in Mackinaw City before heading back to our cabin. Our final day was rainy and cool. We spent time in the pool, went out to lunch in Gaylord and to some stores before coming back and the boys going in the pool a 2nd time. We ordered Pizza from B.C. Pizza and called it a night. It was a great trip and we are hoping to return in October for a long weekend to see some fall colors!

When we returned home, we did a day trip to the Toledo Zoo where we all fed a Giraffe for the first time! It was so much fun. The weather was perfect and we were able to see so many animals! When our mini vacation was over, we had about a week and a half before school started. We decided to start the school year with the Brandon At Home Learning Program. Even though it is challenging with Alex, it is the best choice for now. The kids who go in person have to wear a mask all day (with mask breaks). Evan went back and forth for a long time but ultimately chose at home. The boys have Mrs. Luchow for their teacher - which is who they were supposed to have anyway and we just lucked out that she is teaching 5th grade online. So far, it has been good. We are only wrapping up week 2.

Eric has been working from home since March. He started going back into the office a few times a week back in June and that quickly came to an end when a bunch of people at his work had tested positive for Covid-19. He has been back home since mid-July and hasn't gone back. I actually lost my job May 6th. I had been at home like everyone else since March, when my boss called to tell me they wouldn't be reopening the Clarkston Office. Seeing how everything panned out over the course of these past 5 months I would have had to quit eventually.

Brody has had a rough couple of weeks. He suffered 11 seizures in a span of 3 days. It was awful. We finally have him on an additional medicine that has stopped the seizures but there are still issues that we have been dealing with. We have just been taking it one day at a time.

Some days are more overwhelming than others - but almost every day is stressful. We have come to realize that we are in this alone. (Eric and I) Somehow we are managing to survive. We are always together and we have no help when it comes to the kids and the dog. It is frustrating but it is what it is and we just take it one day at a time and make the best of it. Being together all day everyday for six months has been tough, but it hasn't broken us. We are still going strong and adjusting to the new way of life.

Here is hoping these final months of 2020 go smooth and a fresh start for all of us is on the horizon.

Stonewall Falls, Georgia 6.30.20