Quarantine Life In Pictures.

Quarantine hair, reading, lounging, eating, frustration, laughing, painting, origami, action figures with Legos. No makeup, dancing, tennis, tiktok, annoyance. These are just a few lost photos that were on my phone from the past couple of months. It was quite the challenge being stuck at home through the pandemic with kids and although places are slowly opening up things are still not quite the same as we'd like them to be. We are definitely living in a new normal now but it's ok. I'd rather be outdoors wearing a mask, and eating in an outdoor patio than being cooped up in the house. Still...these moments were precious and have been a way to ease my mind throughout this moment in our life of our cities being on "pause." I'm so grateful I captured some of the moments that brought me joy (even the grumpy ones) and I will cherish them for always. 

There are more photos below, and you can see the first part of our quarantine life here. 

New York Stock Exchange: Together, We're Strong.

Love, love this city and how they express their love for it especially at this time with all they are going through. It sure was a different start to our "summer season" going to outings wearing masks and all but it is for own good. 

For some it is the beginning of summer at the beach wearing flip flops, and sandals, having bbq's and eating a lot of melted ice cream cones but for us on this day we spent it remembering our soldiers who have passed on, and those who continue to fight today. Memorial Day gives us the moment to pay tribute to those who have done so much to preserve our country in values that we strive for. So thankful for this holiday that comes once a year and for a city that is proud to wear red, white, and blue. 

A Heart Attack In Manhattan!

One of the greatest things about New York city are the people that live in it. The way they treat their beloved city is profound and admirable. I love the way they take care of her and find ways to nurture her. To make her alive again. To remind everyone living with her to be strong. To be kind. To let everyone know that they are not alone. To know that things will be ok. That this "new normal" won't last. That the city won't be "closed" forever. And that this too shall pass. 

Walking the streets of New York last week and discovering these hearts struck a cord to my soul, and I appreciate the ones that put them up there, because this is what New Yorkers do. This is what they think about instead of feeling sorry for themselves. They find joy during trying times. And besides 9/11 this is one of the hardest times their city has ever been hit with something so catastrophic. So here's to Lizzy for making the time to make all these hearts and to put them around all Manhattan for the world to see. Her heart is just like mine. We love New York and know that this city will re-emerge someday. But not yet. Not yet. 

So while she's curing our lovely city here are some words of inspiration and positivity to help those who may need it at this time!

A Few Little Thank You Letters To Welcome May.

Can't believe May is here! Time sure does fly when there's a pandemic going on and your kids have been home since mid-March. Praying that our cities will recover so that life can have "life" again. With the weather being absolutely beautiful these days its hard to stay home. Spring is in full swing and we only have a month left of it and then Summahhhhhh! In spite of the virus we make the best of these days. I love my family and have learned so much through this experience. Still am. And although I feel as if I am such a grateful and compassionate person I am still learning and appreciating more and more each day. This pandemic has made me even more generous in all things. Here's to the beautiful month of May and since she arrived in a blink of an eye I'd like to thank her with a few little letters....

On Staying Home, And Going Out With Social Distancing.

To be honest I stopped counting the weeks and days of being quarantined. I don't even bother figuring out what day it is because frankly it doesn't even matter. As long as my children are healthy and home safe is all that matters. Being quarantined certainly has it's ups and downs, and for the first time since mid-March had a bit of a melt down. There was a lot of crying and a moment when we realized that this is not our family. This is not how we are. I don't want to turn this post into a religious one but Satan sure knows how to get under our skin. Luckily by the grace of God and how we strive to be as a parent and overall decent human being sat down and talked about how this pandemic is affecting our lives. We talked about finding ways not to allow it to affect us, and although it's understandable to have a breakdown it's even more important to talk about it and afterward have lots of hugs! 

Life Lately In Black & White.

I captured a few moments of the kids doing various activities lately including making a thankful sign to those who are out risking their lives. It's mostly for all essential workers but because their dad is a UPS driver made it especially for those who deliver all kind of essential/nonessential goodies! We are all trying to get through this pandemic the best way we know how and one thing I love to do is take pictures. Since this is the season where we go out and venture to places like Central Park, and D.C. to see the beauty of the blossoms in all their glory I decided to capture a few shots of the kids inside our home in all their glory! While it's not always fun and games in this house at the end of the day there's quite a bit of laughter, and I'm sorry's along with smiles and a prayer saying, "tomorrow is another day to try again." 

This is life lately quarantined in black and white! 

Released Over Conference Weekend.

The weekend of general conference will certainly be one to remember. Not only were the talks given amazing and inspiring, they were thought provoking. And the fact that our daughter was released from her mission that weekend is something that I'll never forget. I never thought that a global pandemic would disrupt the missionaries from furthering the work of The Lord. The day she called telling me she had to leave Mexico to return home to finish her training online was mind boggling.  Little did we know that those two weeks would turn into an unknown date as to when she will return to the mission field. All missionaries who came home from different countries were released that week and my heart was breaking for her knowing that her time to be released was coming.

A Flower Flash In Honor Of Our Health Care Workers In NYC!

We've had a lot of rainy days lately but when the days are sunny and the skies are blue there is nothing more beautiful than to see various colors of flowers especially on the streets of New York City. This flower flash was done by the famous Lewis Miller who does surprise flower flashes all over Manhattan. This one was dedicated to all the health workers who are in harms way working endlessly assisting those who are affected by the virus. I applaud them for their bravery and strength to be on the frontline of this epidemic. My husband does not work in the medical field but he is a city driver for UPS and delivers packages to medical suppliers among other clients. He's in the midst of it too, but doesn't work as close as medical personnel do. Still, I'm praying for my neighboring city and the entire world that we will keep fighting this hard fight. That a vaccine will be in the works soon. That life in the cities all over the world will soon get back to normal. That this silent killer will go away. It is the first day of April and there is no fooling here. Hoping that this month will bring more hope than difficulty and that these flowers along with spring covering the earth will bring smiles to all our faces. 

We are in this together!

Social Distancing On The Jersey Shore.

It's not hard to practice social distancing while at the beach and in our first week of being quarantined in the house decided to venture out to the shore to take in the sound of the waves and let the kids run around. The water was still cold so we kept our shoes on but when we left our hair felt salty and beachy. There weren't too many people on the beach but plenty of people were running on the boardwalk. We pretty much kept to ourselves and walked straight to the sandy beach and for about half an hour relaxed and took in all the sounds that the shore entails and even appreciated those seabirds in the sky. 

Lexie Lately: Home From The MTC For A Two Week Quarantine.

I knew sooner or later that Lexie was either going to come home to be quarantined for awhile or go straight to the mission field once it was announced that all U.S. citizens must leave the country. So when Lexie phoned me this past Sunday to let me know what was happening and how quickly she was leaving was excited, confused and sad for her at the same time. Excited because after four weeks of being away on her mission I was going to see her again, confused because I wondered why she was coming back to Jersey where there are more cases of covid19 here than in Mexico City or Arizona, and sad for her because she was truly going to miss learning with her mission peeps whom she grew to love at the MTC. I could literally hear the tears over the phone as she was sharing her beautiful testimony of her love for God, and friendship. 

This Is Spring In 2020.

It's times like these where I know that the Lord is our guide and His word is true and all we need to do is have no fear and just be kind to everyone and love each other and not let the stresses of this particular virus take over our lives. I have found myself stressed out on some days which is very rare but it's human nature to be stressed out from time to time. Not a good thing, but The Lord is in charge for us who believe in Him and know that we can get through this together. Families are bonding even more like never before (let's hope), virtual activities are becoming more popular. Virtual reading with teachers are a daily thing, and on the days that are sunny with blue skies with trees that have branches blossoming into pink beautiful flowers is a reminder to me from the Divine above saying that things will be ok. That the new norm of dancing indoors won't last too long. That being cooped up in the house won't last long. That the shelves in the store won't always be empty. That my kids will soon be able to play outside with their friends. That we will be able to attend church again and fellowship with our church family. That we can gather inside a restaurant without the fear of getting sick. And that all will be well. All will be well. 

Happy First Day of Spring everyone! More pics below...