2020 in Review

December 31, 2020

I passed the marquee of Bolivar's Methodist Church this morning and read these words:

                                    Hindsight is 2020

I join the world in shaking my head at the year we all just lived. 

For me, I knew things were serious when news came that March Madness was cancelled. Lou and I had a weekend trip planned to Nashville March 13 and we didn't go because Nashville was a hotspot with 2 confirmed cases of Covid-19. 

One of Lou's standard statements regarding Covid is:

         "Covid is the great disrupter." 

Four of our six children have had it (including a couple of spouses). We are thankful to God that their cases have been the typical for their age bracket, with mild symptoms. We've all done the quarantine thing, and we've lost count of how many times my doctor husband has been tested. 

Since the whole thing started, like you, we've made life adjustments. We've had (and are still having) multiple conversations about the pandemic/masks/the vaccine/politics/quarantine/jobs/trips...and what the future holds. 

As Christians, who have put their faith in the salvation that comes through Jesus' death and resurrection, we know that our future is secure. One day - either through our death or Christ's coming back for us - we will be with him. And between this current reality and that coming reality, He has promised he will never leave us or forsake us and supply all we need to live this life. (Romans 8:32) 

So, in this strange year of 2020, we thank God for the help and the hope he's given as we've lived these days. 

I've attempted to document a few of those days below. The first are BC (before Covid).

In January, we traveled to El Salvador with our church
for a medical mission trip. Lou did the doctor thing.
I helped in the vision clinic. 

     

We also heard about The Chosen.
If you haven't, now you have and we heartily recommend! 

Also in January, we might have celebrated the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl.

In February, we headed to Mexico to celebrate David and Makenzie getting married. 

Can I just say how thankful we are this was scheduled BC?!?

This view has all the beautiful symmetry feels for me.

Cue: MARCH

Sooooo thankful for Zoom!!

The Zoom life continued for me as BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) went completely online.

The Zoom life continued for Mary Grace as she came home from Rockhurst University and finished the semester here. 

The Zoom life continued for everyone else except Dr. Lou and Nurse Faith. They masked up and went to the front lines. 

But thankfully, the Grand life continued as we soaked up every moment we could with Nora and Elaine.

here they are at 10 months, reppin the 90th and 11th percentile

The slower pace of the new normal and good weather was really good for our cycling life. 

This is part of what is now affectionately called "The Covid Route"

In July, we headed to the mountains to hike - probably the most Covid friendly vacation you can take. 

We might have headed back to the mountains in the fall with 
our good buddies, Wes and Marla.

I am now a big fan of fall hiking.

Also a fan of fall pics.
 A merry Christmas gift from Hannah
and Faith

Also a fan of a new Grand on the way.
Due March 2021

Ended 2020 with a 12 hour window where we were all together. Thankful for God's gift of family. 

Luke, David, Hannah
Mary Grace, Elizabeth, Faith

Lord, thank you for your hope and help in 2020.

Help us to trust you more as we move into 2021.

Your kingdom come!

A Grand Greeting

I have watched this 13 second video of Nora at least 30 times since it was uploaded in the "Nora Marie" shared album on my phone. 

I love everything about it. 

I love hearing her sweet breath sounds (that, I guess, we can hear so well because they are bouncing off that wooden chest).

I love her glance upward and the break of her face into a smile at seeing something that delights her.

I love the little burp that escapes as she begins wriggling toward the new target.

I love how that delighted, determined little human expends every ounce of energy she can muster to get to what she loves.

To get to what we love is worth that kind of energy!

And I love that it's the dog, Zeke. 

It all still makes me smile.

Now the reason I'm blogging about it is not just because Nora's one of my cute grands and I want to show her off. But seeing this made me think about some premarital advice Lou and I got that we actually took to heart. 

We were encouraged to always welcome each other home. Like stop whatever we were doing and go to the door and greet the returning spouse.

And, for the most part, we have done and still do that.

If I'm home and hear the garage door/back door, I know he's home and I "stop, drop and greet" if possible.  And Lou does that for me too.

 No condemnation if that's not you and your spouse's jam. Different strokes for different folks. But Lou and I have found that simple greeting practice so sweet. 

          Now, how in the world did I get from cute little Nora crawling and burping her way to Zeke to premarital advice?

I have to confess, sometimes the associations my mind makes surprise even me, but this connected because, like Nora's face breaks into a smile at the thought of being near the source of her delight, my face breaks into a smile for the same reason. 
As she does whatever it takes to get to her delight, we do too. It may sound silly, but sometimes I am in the middle of something that I don't want to necessarily interrupt, but I "make" myself go greet because, well, Lou's worth it. 

One other thing I love about the Nora clip. She is completely free in her delight. She loves Zeke and doesn't care who knows it and doesn't care how much energy she's got to expend to get to him. Why do we sometimes get to a point where we aren't as obvious about our delight in someone?  Or as determined to let them know they are the object of our delight? 

Thanks for so many good reminders, Nora girl. I'm guessing that while this might be the first thing I glean from a grand, it won't be the last. 

For David

My sentimental side has been activated as our David is getting married to his Makenzie on February 16, 2020, Lord willing.

I hadn't really planned to wax poetic, but a couple of lines occurred to me the other day, so I sat down this morning and put a few more with it. It's been good for my heart. 

And along with very amateur poetry, random pictures are attached...just because. 

Love to you, David and Mak. Thanking God for you both. 

A Poem for David

“A son’s a son til he takes a wife,”

Is the mantra boy mothers all hear.

On the brink of that point in my son’s life

I know I’ve nothing to fear.

I want my David to love this one.

She’s first in his heart and eye.

His love for her that is second to none

Makes my heart both sigh and fly.

I sigh as I look back in time

At the boy I used to hold

Who’s made me laugh; who’s made me cry

How did he and I get old?

It flies because his heart has wings

And so - mine does too!

He loves! And his heart sings

Mine throbs and grows..who knew?

I grow in love for this boy now grown

And this woman who has his heart

I pray God’s peace and grace are sown

Until death does them part.