Hello Monday and Hello Week 3 of Quarantine

Hi Friends....hope you are all hanging in there...staying healthy...staying safe and finding some joy in the midst of social distancing...

For me... a true extrovert...I am having a really hard time....in addition to not having my social connections...everything I knew...all the joy I found in life...has been ripped away....

I can't go into the office....I can't go to church...I can't go to the gym....I can't watch Eva play hockey and I can't watch Diana dance....I can't go to the beach...or the golf course....and I can't see my friends or colleagues...yikes...didn't want to start a Monday like this...feeling sorry for myself....but that is just where I am right now...and I want to look back and remember this...or do I really?

Anyway....as my mission in life is to "Follow The Joy"...I am trying....for my kids and my husband...and putting on a brave face.....here is what our weekend looked like.....

Friday Night

 We wound up our work-from-home and home- schooling for the week and made homemade pizzas...the girls were so excited about this all week long and I was so proud of how hard they worked on them AND ate them after FTW!  :)

A local ice cream shop in Bedford NH, called "The Inside Scoop" was also running a special promotion.  You could get a quart of ice cream and four toppings for $18 and the proceeds were going to the Nurses of NH.  We were in!  I picked up this fun dessert and we indulged after dinner Friday night.  Papa Bob even joined us and we had some laughs :)  P.S.Their ice cream was SO GOOD!

After that, Mama and Daddy joined some friends for a "Virtual Couples Block Party" compliments of Zoom :)  Boy did we have some laughs...I got a kick out of the guys coming in and out...seems like the ladies are the only ones who can stay on screen and chat for a long time- ha!

It was encouraging for me to hear about business from some business leaders I really respect...though it is challenging right now...everyone is pushing forward and knows that our economy will bounce back and very quickly when it does!  Keeping the faith!

Saturday

We got lots of outdoor time since the weather was cooperating.  Daddy and Papa Bob took the hockey rink down and made some trips to the transfer station to purge some things in the garage.  The girls played so much outside and enjoyed some sidewalk chalk....

 and I took the girls for a walk to the golf course....very depressing when we got to the entrance....

So...until we meet again my friend....

After this, the girls stayed outside and I watched one of my favorite movies, Mrs. Doubtfire...I laughed and cried....later on we had takeout...we are trying to support one local business per week...this week it was Jocelyn's Mediterranean of Salem.  It did not disappoint...and we all ate our dinner and watched the Triple Threat show from last summer...I always cry when I watch Diana as Matilda...but they are happy tears so there's that!

Sunday

It was a great day to get some indoor projects done because it was rainy and cold outside.  The girls did a great job cleaning their rooms and Daddy caught up on laundry.  I continued my closet project and made the most progress I have....put together several bags for donations!

 After groceries and meal planning, I made us a yummy chicken dinner and then we stopped by our church and brought some donations for the Shepard's Pantry- they are running low on different supplies and we wanted to do our part.

and I may have played around with Google's new 3D feature...we laughed so hard....

We wrapped up our weekend by driving to Freemont (about 30 minutes away) and enjoying a holiday light show (at 51 Pond Lane).  This family who does a holiday light show each December, decided to turn the lights back on and bring some joy to folks during this difficult time.  My bestie Jill knows how much I love Christmas and lights and sent me the info....it did not disappoint.  It brought us some joy and lifted our spirits for sure!

We also got to tune into 88.5 and enjoy the light show set to music...so cool!

Hope you all stay healthy and strong this week...we are determined to! 

Linking up with Heather and the Crew HERE

Friday Favorites (Quarantine Week 2 Edition)

Like all of you, our worlds have been turned upside down...we are trying to figure this all out...trying to calm ourselves and stay healthy but it is not easy....I am praying this passes quickly...that our kids can return to school this school year and that business will pick up again....it is all we can do...pray and have hope and faith

Sharing the glimpses of joy I captured this week...for what is is worth....

Linking up HERE

Monthly Musings: Spring Holidays and Decorating Edition

Welcome to Monthly Musings!  Patty and I are thrilled you are here!  We hope you will join us and link up for the fun!

This month, we are talking Spring Holidays and Decorating!  Check out our questions....

 

 Answer what you like....excited to read about your traditions....here are mine....

1. I decorate so much for Fall and Christmas but really don't for Spring except for some flowers outside

2. We celebrate Easter and it is my favorite season in the church....really missing mass and stations of the cross right now

3. As far as Springtime traditions, we typically host a Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt...hoping we can still do that this year.  If not, we will start up again next year!

4. Do you have any recipes you make every Spring?  Once Spring hits, we grill as much as possible BUT we also have recipes we make every Easter Time- Birds Nest Cookies, Bunny Breads  and yummy brunch foods

5. Do I switch out any decor for spring?  See #1- I really don't!

6. Do I add in any outdoor springtime touches?  More flowers and plants

7. Do I have a favorite Spring cocktail or drink?  Well I recently found this recipe and I made a promise to myself that when this nightmare/quarantine is all over, I will have my girlfriends over for a Saturday lunch on our deck and will make this cocktail...sounds refreshing and perfect for Spring!

8. Pink?  Love or hate?

PINK PINK PINK- my favorite color! :)

9. Favorite Spring Flower?  It's a tie between Easter Lilies and Tulips

10. Are things blooming where we live?  Not yet...sigh

 Don't forget to linkup and see our schedule for the rest of the year below!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

What's Up Wednesday (March 2020)

This is my favorite post of the month and normally I would love reliving the past month...but not right now...I am still striving to follow the joy but it is much more challenging this month for obvious reasons.  Regardless, this community is very good at lifting each other up so let's focus on the joy...the positives and hopefully we will look back and be proud of the way we "did life" when our worlds were turned upside down.  Linking up with the ladies HERE

What We're Eating This Week

Monday Chicken Burgers, Cucumbers and Chips

Tuesday Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

Find the Recipe HERE (Requested specifically by my girls- I guess everyone is craving some comfort right now)

Wednesday Pasta/Veggie Pasta with Homemade Meat Sauce (and letting the girls make cookies for dessert)

Thursday Marry Me Chicken with Broccoli and Rice

Find the Recipe HERE 

Friday Make Your Own Pizzas (Should be a fun way to wind down the week!) 

What I'm Reminiscing About 

What life was like pre-quarantine...trying to stay positive but constantly battling sadness and anxiety at the same time....just holding onto the joy as much as possible....

What I'm Loving

Technology...it is helping us to move forward with both work and school and I have never been more grateful

One of my clients helped me learn Zoom and the girls have been enjoying virtual dance lessons utilizing Zoom as well!  This week, they will also have some conversations with their teachers utilizing the app too- it is a miracle to me!

What We've Been Up To

(You will see how quickly things changed when we looked back over the last month...but I am treasuring it all...remembering it all....and learning how everything changed us...hopefully for the better) 

We enjoyed our family trip to the Bahamas- lots of QT in the sun- just what the doctor ordered :)

Diana and Lucy placed 1st in Windham for the National PTA Reflections Contest in the category of Dance Choreography

Eva went up a reading level and was so excited with her prize- Vampire Teeth!

On the weekends, we helped Daddy Campaign Hard

and celebrated a successful Election Day when he won another term!

We LOVED watching Diana dance in the 2020 LDA/AAB Performance Awards...she met her goal of Gold with Distinction AND was also awarded a scholarship to the AAB Summer Program in Pennsylvania (unfortunately now due to COVID-19 and all of the uncertainty, it is most likely impossible to send her this year and my heart is breaking)

Diana and Lucy then placed 1st in the State of NH for the National PTA Reflections Contest in the category of Dance Choreography- we enjoyed watching them be awarded at the NH ceremony

and then we enjoyed a few lasts for awhile...uncertain for how long....

and from last Sunday on....we have been adjusting to this new and temporary normal....

Daddy was sworn in for school board and Shannon snapped pics and a video for us because we could not attend in person

The girls started their virtual school work and learning on Wednesday and we are trying to get into a groove between work and school.  They also started virtual ballet classes with Mrs. Mullen as well as tap and jazz classes with their other teachers

We enjoyed Face Time calls with the fam and Mama did with her friends too....because desperate times!

The girls have been helping make dinner here and there....

and first thing every morning, we have been enjoying Family Workout Time

Saturday called for a trip to church so we could do our very own Stations Of the Cross and then a trip to Griffin Park (our old friend)- while Mama and Daddy exercised the girls had some fun on the playground 

(the playgrounds in town have now closed too since)

and all weekend long....our family celebrations became unique and "Quarantine Style Celebrations"

Mimi's Birthday Celebration had to be put off until all of this is over but we did enjoy some face time calls with her XO

 Daddy Daughter Dance- Home Edition

and we were able to have a Birthday Lunch for Papa Bob on Sunday...small, simple and quality time to brighten his day

What I'm Dreading

Trying not to think about when the kids will go back to school...dreading extensions but praying and hoping that it is this school year so they can feel some normalcy again

What I'm Working On

My Job....pushing business forward and helping my kids with school work...that is taking up most of my time right now...I am sure like most of you!

What I'm Excited About

Well trying to be anyway and praying that we are able to celebrate Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday in Church...praying hard

What I'm Watching/Reading

Good Girls (SO FLIPPIN' GOOD!)

A Million Little Things

Greys

This Is Us

American Housewife

and we are back into American Idol- really enjoying it!

So, one of my books this month, as you will see is "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng AND they came out with a seven part series on Hulu...they released the first three episodes early due to the Quarantine SO I enjoyed those as I made my way through the book and have four more to look forward to starting tonight and then each Wednesday night until the finale!  It stars two of my faves too- Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington

My Books for this month were

You're Not Alone 

by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

 Hendricks and Pekkanen did not disappoint- I love their books- all thrillers and they know how to keep you on the edge of your seat- this one was about a witnessed suicide and the all the back stories ....oh my gosh...so good!

and as mentioned above

Little Fires Everywhere

by Celeste Ng

another thriller and I loved this one even more as it took place in suburbia...love stories that involve families in suburbia and then throw in a thrill and I am a goner!

What I'm Listening To

Haven't been in the car much but when I am exercising it is usually one of my workout mixes which always includes some Jonas Brothers :)

What I'm Wearing

Right now...it is a lot of workout clothes but I dress in business casual attire when I have had some zoom calls....we are in survival mode right now....not even thinking about fashion

What I'm Doing This Weekend

Praying....Exercising...Cooking....More Quality Time On Tap

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month

Hoping and praying that we can enjoy some social time again...especially when it is time to celebrate Eva's Birthday 

What Else Is New?

Just trying to survive