We’ve made it a month.

A month of staying at home. A month of new updates every day. A month of not knowing what will happen, or how long this will go on.

For a lot of us, it’s getting old. And for some of us, we’re enjoying the rest and time spent with loved ones at home. However, I’m willing to bet that most of us are back and forth between those two. At least I am.

When the quarantine started, I made a list of things I wanted to do while staying home. And let me tell you, I was STOKED for all the things to accomplish. I was going to do all the home improvement and organizational projects, and read all the books, and work out every day.

LOLZ. Sometimes, I crack myself up.

This past month has been about more than staying away from others and working from home. Originally, I think we all thought it was going to be a sprint. Two weeks of staying home and this will all blow over. People thought their vacation was still possible in April. Slowly, and without much of a heads up, this has turned into a marathon. It’s long and hard, and we’re all tired. We’re tired of the media, we’re tired of each other, and we’re tired of waiting.

For the record, I am not a patient person. I am an impatient person who has had to wait for a lot of things. I waited in San Francisco for a transfer back home to my family and fiancé. Every month, for an entire year, I got a notice that it wasn’t time yet. I didn’t have a timeline, and I didn’t know how long it would be. I just had to hope that one day, I would get to come home.

This pandemic feels like that. I don’t know when businesses will open back up. I don’t know when I can freely come and go as I want. I don’t know when I will be able to visit my grandmother or see a friend. I don’t know any of those things. But I have hope that I will soon.

This pandemic is wearing on me, and everyone I know. The longer it lasts, the more tired and hopeless we feel. That’s why, more than ever, I’m choosing to focus on the bright side of things. The more light in my life, the less room there is for darkness and despair.

For now, all I can do is keep doing what I’ve been doing, and finding the little things that bring joy to a difficult time. So I am going to share with you the things that have have made my days a little bit easier and a little bit brighter.

Home Projects.

We did have some projects we wanted to complete before summer, but we struggled to find time. Yesterday, with the help of my dad, we started fixing up our screened-in back patio. We replaced the screen with a stronger and smaller screen, and added lattice to the bottom and sides to provide privacy and protection. We were also able to add a dog door so the girls will be able to come into the patio anytime once our fence is up. Ellie and Mollie love to be outside on warm days, and they love to play, so putting up a fence will make ALL of our lives better. These projects have given me something to look forward to and pride in our home, as well as hope for future gatherings at our home.

My Husband.

Okay, I know everyone is sick of their spouse/significant other right now, and don’t get me wrong, he has driven me nuts on several occasions in the last month. But in all honestly, this guy is a rockstar. He has been working from home, taking a full-time course load, and helping out around the house almost every day. He is so supportive, and takes such good care of me and the girls. This time at home has blessed us with time to spend together, making meals, watching movies, and just hanging out, and it has been awesome. He is my biggest fan, and I am just so grateful that I get to stay home with someone who makes me a better person every day.

My To-Do List. Or Not To-Do….

I mentioned I had a To-Do List for quarantine. On it, was a few books I wanted to read, I wanted to do a few photo shoots to practice my photography, work out every day, and work on the blog by writing ahead. HAHAHAHAHA. What I’ve ACTUALLY done is start reading a new book, which is not any of the ones on my list, but it’s a guilty pleasure book that I can’t put down, and I’m okay with that. I took a few photos of some things when I thought “Hm, I’d like a photo of that.”, and I’ve worked out 2-3 times a week for the last month. Also, I didn’t have a clue what I was going to write about this week, so it’s currently 9:42 PM on Wednesday night and this post is supposed to be published tomorrow morning. LOLZ. So much for the list. But do you know what I’ve done that wasn’t on the list? I cleaned up my spare room and swapped out summer for winter stuff. I’ve taken a few naps when I wasn’t feeling great. I helped my sister move into a new home. I’ve had more dinners with my husband than I have in months. I’ve helped my husband set up and organize his office, now that he’s using it every day. I’m glad I made the list, because some of those things I really do want to do, but I’ve also started taking my lists less seriously and leaving room for spontaneity and rest when I need it. Resting is hard for me when I know there are things to do, but I’m working on it, and I’m finding out that it’s super valuable.

Plants.

I have never had a green thumb, but somehow I’ve kept two dogs alive, so I must be capable of keeping some plants alive. I’m trying to learn how to take better care of the few plants I have, and I’m growing my little collection. Today, I picked up a few new baby succulents to add to the two I’ve had since my bridal shower (super cool party favor, btw) and I made myself a little succulent party. Let me tell you, I’m obsessed with them. I think they’re so cute and if they die, I will be devastated. I also got some new flower pots to spruce up the plants I have left and to make them more home-y. I mean, how cute are they??

New Skills.

With no church services on Easter, or for the last month for that matter, I thought it might be nice to record a video of my family members who are on our worship team singing some of the songs we were planning to do for Easter Sunday. I had never made a video before, but I figured it out (with the help of Google) and created a 34-minute-long video with minor editing, and scripture added. It took a lot of time to complete, but I’m glad I was able to learn something new during this time.

My friend Keri wrote a post last week about how we’re all trying to do this “the right way”, but there isn’t a “right way”. It’s an incredible post, you can read it here. This is new territory, and we’re all just trying to figure it out. I’ve chosen to spend the rest of my quarantine looking for the little things that bring light and joy to my life. I know these little things aren’t going to change the circumstances we’re in, but they make a difference for me. Whatever your little things are, I hope you look for them. I hope you give yourself a little grace and let yourself indulge, even if it’s just a few chapters of a book you love or going for a walk in the sunshine. Whatever brings a little light to this dark time, do that thing.

“Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” -Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

“And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.” 1 Corinthians 6:14

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3

“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed."Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” Mark 16 5-7