Surviving 2020 The good, the bad, and the funny!

 Well, they say that Hindsight is always 2020 vision. This year started out so promising! A new Year, a new Decade! 20 Years removed from the fear that was “Y2K.” So Full of Hope! But what happened certainly has been unprecedented. None of us could have seen it coming or predicted what took place. But if you are reading this, than like me, you survived the year that was 2020! Each of us has walked through the muck and made it out the other side. The whole Human Race, collective, together and alone. It’s a lot to process. I know. But I’m going to try. To put into words the Good, the Bad, and the Funny of 2020! This is the story of this year, as it happened to us; Buckle your seat belt!

 

The Bad:

1. My Husband had a Heart Attack. In February. He was only 53 and a healthy eater. But has a family history of heart disease.
2. COVID 19. A global Pandemic, like nothing we’ve seen in our lifetime.
3. Nation wide Shut-down.
4. I was furloughed from my job.
5. 3 of my Kids’ jobs shut down.
6. I had to have oral surgery during all this.
7. Grocery store shelves were scarily empty, and you couldn’t find toilet paper.
8. They stopped making Caffeine Free Diet Dr. Pepper due to an aluminum shortage! I mean come on! This is one of life’s necessities!
9. I received a lot of hate from friends and family for speaking out against an immoral President and speaking up for Black Lives Matter. 2 things that I would deem worthy of speaking out for. I really do try not to post too many political statements, but sometimes I just have to say something! My husband doesn’t like me to, because of course it’s hard to see someone you love be attacked. But A. If Immoral behavior was wrong when Bill Clinton was President, which it was! Than it is wrong when Donald Trump is President, who is even worse! Leaders should be held to a higher standard! And B. Yes, All Lives Matter, but that can’t happen until Black Lives Matter! Love always champions others! Saying Black Lives Matter does not take away from any other life. The strong have to speak up for the hurting. Make America Kind Again!
10. Our Refrigerator went out, in the middle of the shutdown. Yay!
11. And the our Oven stopped working.
12. My Daughter went through a tough break up.
13. Tiger King! The worse! If 2020 was a T.V. show!
14. Both my Daughters in Law’s Fathers faced Health Crisis’! Which of course affected them, my sons, and my grandbabies.
15. Many people I know lost their parents and other family members to the Corona Virus. Having lost both my parents and my In Law’s, I can’t imagine going through that when you couldn’t even be with them as they past, or have a proper funeral. Or gather with your family and loved ones for comfort while mourning your loss.
16. My Sister in Law lost her only sister on Christmas Eve. My heart breaks for her, as I know what loosing your only sister feels like. There are just things a woman can only talk about with her sister. I miss mine terribly even still.
17. People I know and love got the virus.
18. A lot of people lost their businesses and their livelihoods.
19. My brother’s cancer has come back with a vengeance. And other people I know and care about were diagnosed with cancer this year.
20. My Daughter was diagnosed with some Health Issues.
21. My Daughter admitted to us just at the beginning of the shutdown, what we had suspected, that she has been dealing with an eating disorder. So we had to try to get her help remotely.
22. We couldn’t see our Families.
23. We couldn’t go anywhere!
24. Survived the Hottest Summer ever on record in Phoenix!
25. I have to work, sometimes for 8 hours or more wearing a face mask.
26. More that 1 member of my family dealing with Anxiety issues during all this.
27. I had to give up, among other things, my Black Friday Shopping Extravaganza this year. As my husband, due to his heart attack, is high risk. It just isn’t worth it!
28. No big Family Gatherings. Like making my mom’s Christmas Cookies all together. Or having our annual Family Christmas Party!  
29. My BookClub couldn’t meet!
30. No Gatherings. No Christmas or Birthday Parties. No New Years Eve Party! 
    

 

You know this has been a tough year, when it can turn an eternal optimist, like me, someone who always sees the glass as half full, who can always find the silver lining, and look on the bright side, to get discouraged. I have said repeatedly this year (to God, and to those closest to me) “I can not handle one more thing to worry about!” I need this to end! Enough is enough! I can’t handle anymore! But it is not in my nature to let evil win. I am determined to have the good out weigh the bad! And I have so much to be Grateful for! We all do. So here is my Silver Lining. The good things I could find in this otherwise horrible year.

 

The Good:

1. The timing of my Husbands heart attack. If it had happened just weeks later, none of us would have been able to be with him in the hospital.
2. My sweet Granddaughter was born! This will forever be the absolute best thing to come out of 2020!! She has brought so much Joy into our lives!
3. My Daughter in Law, a Nurse, was on Maternity Leave, so she didn’t have to work during the unstable, frightening beginning of the Pandemic.
4. Both of my girls thankfully still live at home. Had they been out on their own, having to deal with all this alone, it would have been devastating.
5. Husband now works from home!
6. I got a new job! Even though my hubby’s heart attack happened on the day I was there filling out my new hire paperwork, which postponed my start date, and it shut down a month later I still had it.
7. All through the shutdown my other job, a Law Firm (essential) even though we stopped seeing clients in person, allowed me to get out of the house. I need that!
8. My Daughter got a second part time job, now like her mother, works 2.
9. We never ran out of Toilet Paper!!
10. My Daughter started as a Youth Leader at our Church, once they opened back up. And is doing really well.
11. Daughter met a nice new guy to start dating!
12. Our oldest son turned 30!! And though we couldn’t celebrate it, how we would have liked to, Friends and Family from all over sent Birthday Cards for a Socially Distanced Party!!
13. We saved money not using as much gas, not shopping or eating out, Etc.
14. We found a really good Therapist, Dietician and Group that specializes in eating disorders for my daughter! She is doing really well! We are so grateful and proud of her!
15. We had the extra money to do all that! Other years, that might not have been possible.
16. We, our Kids, and Grandkids have all stayed mostly healthy!
17. I started having regular Zoom meetings with all my Brothers and Sister’s in Law, as well as with our Small Group, to stay connected.
18. My girls thrived during quarantine! They found very creative and crafty new hobbies! From Knitting, and Crocheting to Painting and Plants. They played games and put together puzzles.
19. I discovered coloring is very therapeutic. Doing puzzles, for me, not so much! I’ll stick to Reading!
20. I had lots of extra time to read! I had set a goal to read 27 Books this year, but ended up reading over 35!!
21. Was able to get caught up on shows we’d been wanting to watch, but never seemed to have the time before. 
22. Thankfully I don't have school aged children at home that I had to home school! That could have been a disaster! 
    
23. Found new local businesses to support in our community.
24. Met a lot of our neighbors while out for our daily walks, since more people were home.
25. I was still able to get my hair cut whenever I needed to, as my stylist lives with me!
26. My Husband got lots of opportunities to lead Worship! Plus we got to watch him live from home! 
27. We celebrated 33 Years of Marriage this year! 
28. With more free time and nothing to do, my Hubby's been online shopping! Surprising me with a Kindle for Reading and a new Kate Spade Bag!! #Score 
    
29. We voted in a new President!
30. Dress for Success found new ways to help women in the community!
31. Churches were forced to look outward rather than inward and find new ways to be!
32. Teachers, Nurses and other Essential Workers became the Heroes! And it’s about time!!
33. People put up Christmas Decorations early! And more houses than ever decorated this year! And we all needed it!
34. My favorite Radio Station started playing nothing but Christmas Music early, and kept it going longer that other years!
35. 2020 Memes! The whole world found something that united us! Disdain for 2020!
36. We each got a Pod! The group of people you still saw and got together with. For us it is our kids and grandkids!
37. Hamilton!!
38. Jimmy Fallon at Home!
39. Drew Barrymore’s new Talk Show.
40. Of all the people in the world, who would have thought it would be Dolly Parton who saves the world?! A children’s book needs to be written about that! At the very beginning of the Pandemic she had the wherewithal to donate a million dollars to COVID research. And they are saying it’s greatly due to that that we have a Vaccine so quickly. Dolly, you forever have our gratitude!
41. A Vaccine! My Daughter in Law got it the day after Christmas! And my Husband get’s his January 7^th. Thank you God!

 

So, you see, the good outweighs the bad! Even in the most horrible of times! Grace abounds! I don’t know what all you have lived through this year, but I do know that it was hard. You are not alone. 2020 was unlike any other year. But it is ending! Thank Goodness! And we survived! We made it through! And I am Praying 2021 is very much different than 2020. That Blessings Abound! I am Wishing you, and all of us, Health and Happiness! Prosperity and Purpose! Gifts and Goodness! Love and Laughter! Tenderness and Togetherness! And a much Happier New Year! Here's to 2021! 

15 Years

It was one of those days we all remember exactly where we were. As for Me, I was at home with my two 3 year old daughters, my boys had gone to school. I turned on the Today Show. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was a sad time already, as I had just lost my only Sister a month before. We went to the Church where my husband was working, they had brought in a TV to watch and Pray. I remember my little girls saying "Daddy, we already watched this one with a plane flying into the building!" And I was so grateful they weren't old enough to understand what was really going on.

My boy's were in 4th and 5th grades. They were told and watched at school, then were sent home early. We had many conversations following. Adults couldn't understand it, let alone children. I've read "Let's Roll" and other books, and we've watched the Movies made about that day. Then when my boys were teenagers we got to go to New York. We stood at the Memorial as it was being built. When you stepped off the subway, you just felt a hush in the air. I think it truly is the only quiet place in the city.

A few years ago, John & I got to visit Washington D.C., another awesome city. Below is a pic we snapped of the Pentagon, that was also hit on 9/11. In both cities we heard stories from people who were there that day, and what they lived through.

My oldest son, Kyle and his wife, Katie spent their Honeymoon in New York. All the Pictures of the 9/11 Memorial and the new Freedom Tower, he took. The ones with the Twin Towers in them I got off the Internet, as I wanted to show some before and afters.

We will not forget.

BFF's

 We moved into the house we're in right before my girls started Kindergarten.  At our Church they met Maddie & her younger sister Morgan, and they became fast friends! Their Mom, Tammy and I became friends as well. We spent many afternoons poolside and on outings with our girls. Tammy & I ran a Mom's Group together at the Church. Our kids never went to the same school, and even after we no longer went to the same Church, we stayed close . . .

 

I love this pic of the little cuties!

 Here they are a little bit older.

It's great when you can be friends with your kids' friends parents! We all love hanging out together! Our families enjoy getting together. Over the years we all have spent countless Holiday's together, every Halloween & New Year's Eve among them!

 Ringing in a New Year Together

 Us at Maddie's "Sweet 16"

 One of the MANY Dance Concerts we all went to! 

Girls supporting each other, become Women who support each other!!

 Beautiful Girls and their first Prom! 

It's also great when you find "Couple Friends!" Too many times, you'll meet someone you might like to hang out with, but the husbands might not get along, or vise-versa. But, thankfully that's not the case here.

At our oldest Son's Wedding! 

 Daddy/Daughter Diamondbacks Date!

 Happy Birthday to me! 

Happy Birthday to her!

 Tammy and I do have some things in common; Besides raising Brilliant and Beautiful Daughters! :) We Both love Reality T.V., especially American Idol! And could Fan Girl with the best of them! And we Love Movies, and have seen too many together to count! And have stood in line for Twilight and Hunger Games tickets while our girls were in school! Yeah, we're the "Cool Moms!" Though like all Friendships, we've had to overcome some hardships; namely She Doesn't Like To Read! (I know, right?!) Yet, she will ask me what I'm reading and listen intently as I talk nonstop about Books! Now that's a true friend!

Here we are waiting for one of the Twilight Premiers to begin!

Here's Tammy having her Favorite American Idol, Danny Gokey, sign her Boob! :0

(Okay, it was really her VIP Name Tag, but what are friends for if not to tease you?!)

We really do Sparkle!! 

As do our girls! 

Jay taking the girls out 4 wheeling! 

So, why the Blog Post talking about our 13 year Friendship? Because as long as we've known Jay & Tammy, Maddie & Morgan, they have talked about a dream they have to live on a tropical island. Now a lot of people dream of leaving the daily grind and living on a Beach somewhere, but who really does that? Well, they sold their big house and their boat. Rented a smaller house the past few years till Maddie Graduated from High School. They sold just about everything they had, and actually did it! Yes, our good friends have moved to Aruba! 

 Hanging out together before they leave!

 

 These four little girls are so grown up now!

We are so Happy and Thrilled for them, but we are sad for us. We text (or Facebook Message) and Facetime, but It's hard not seeing them all the time. My boys used to house sit for them whenever they went away. We have dog sat each others pets. Shared Birthday's and Holiday's. Gone to each others School Events. After they shipped what they were moving with them & sold everything else, we had them over for dinner once a week. I've always loved their big square dinning room table that seats 8. Our little table sat just 6, and with us adding 2 Daughter in Laws, we'd have to squeeze around it. Well, that big beautiful table is now ours! We think of them every time we sit at it!

 Dinner in the Square!

 Our last time together in their empty house

The Amazingly good news is that we will always have a place to stay on Aruba! :) It's been a huge undertaking to move out of the country. If you'd like you can follow along on their adventures and learn the ins and outs, and all the things you'd never think of, with a move of this kind on Tammy's Blog. Z Island Life. And we can all live vicariously through them together!

 Just hang up the phone! ;)

 Just don't forget where you came from!

So, now I guess I'll be taking applications for a new Best Friend! :)

My Mother In Law

On April 2nd, my Mother In Law, Bobbie Forbis, went to Heaven. 

We've been dealing with so much, and yesterday we had her funeral services.

As I reflect on my relationship with her,

and on the Woman she was; 

I was thinking what words would I use to describe her? 

Please allow me to share those Words, 

along with some of my favorite photos with you. 

The first Word that I thought of is:

"Playful!"

She was always willing to play with her Grand Kids! 

Even wearing a skirt,

she wouldn't hesitate to get down on the floor with them.

 Or even to jump up on a Trampoline with them! 

 

 She loved nothing more than being surrounded by her Family.

This was when she allowed herself to be thrown into the kiddie pool! :)

 

 She was Fun! 

And Funny!! 

 

  And apparently, she's always been that way! ;)

 

 Working at an Elementary School, 

she made the kids love her! 

On Halloween, and Everyday! 

 She always had activities planned for them to do, 

and she passed on her love for Jigsaw Puzzles to many of her Grandchildren!

 

 She just had a Playful Spirit about her.

See what I mean?! :)

 The last family wedding she attended was my sons, 

Where she was wheeled out on to the Dance Floor with us all,

where she Laughed and Cried, and Danced!

The next thing that came to mind is:

"Growing!"

And not just Plants,

though she was always really great at that!

And I, who does not have a Green Thumb, can really appreciate that!

 

She also grew a pretty Amazing Family!

 

 

A she produced my Husband didn't she?! :)

She would grow people literally by feeding everyone and anyone who came along!

Growing and making the most amazing food!

So many people at her funeral talked about their favorite dishes she would make for them!

 And one of the things I have Admired the most over the years

is how she was always continuing to grow herself! 

Having gotten Married at a young age, she hadn't graduated from High School,

So she decided she wanted to get her GED! 

She was in her 60's then! 

I'd visit her and she would tell me about her latest adventure;

She decided she wanted to learn some new skills

so she started to take some Classes! 

Like Cake Decorating.

And Sign Language Classes.  

She loved Music and played the Piano and Organ at her Church, 

And I remember one day she asked us if we wanted to go to a concert,

we said "Sure, what kind of concert?"

She told us, "Well, I joined a Bell Choir out at the College!"

Of course we wanted to go!

It was always something new!

And I loved watching her Grow!

I also loved the example she was setting for her Family,

that you can do anything you set your mind to. 

And you're never to old to learn something new!

She also loved to help other people Grow!

Teaching her Kids and Grand Kids how to make her signature dishes in the kitchen.

Teaching Children at Church and running Summer Camps.

Always Reading, always Learning and always Growing!

Another Word comes up when ever you think of Mom, and that Word is:

 "Faithful!"

Even in the little things, like feeding the Humming Birds!

But also in the Big Things in Life!

 

She was a Faithful Wife to her Husband. 

Renewing their Wedding Vows after being Married for 50 years!

 To Love, Honor and Cherish 

Till Death do they part.

She has always been Faithful to her Family!

Loving Unconditionally.

 This has been a hard loss for everyone.

My Husband & I have now lost all of our Parents,

and even more heartbreaking, 

our kids no longer have any living Grand Parents. 

 

 I am forever grateful she was able to be at the weddings of both my son's.

 And it breaks my heart to think of everything she wont be at in the future.

Graduations, Weddings, and the Births of our future Grandchildren, and so much more.

 We have had good examples of what a Marriage should be.

 We already miss her greatly, 

but, are happy they have been reunited in Heaven,

 I am thankful for all the Memories we will each will carry with us.

 

 And thankful that my kids had such Amazing Grand Parents!

 

 Just 2 months before she passed away we Celebrated her 84th Birthday!

 

 We are devastated by our loss,

but, happy she is no longer in pain.

We Thank You Mom for your Faithfulness and Unwavering Love.

 

If I could say anything to her, it would be;

"Thank you for the gift of your son.   

You raised a good man. 

And Thank You for all you've done in our lives, 

and all that you have been to us. 

We got it from here.

You can rest now.

We Love You."