Well.... 2020..... you were a surprise! I was looking back at my "Hello 2020" post and noticed I was very oblivious to what God had in store for the upcoming year. I kept saying I wanted "time" with my family and friends and I will say without a doubt, God provided additional time with my family. I was able to work from home and keep up with two growing boys from March until August. From August until December, Maddox went back to his preschool and I still spent most days with Zander while he worked on 2nd grade content and I attempted to get my job responsibilities knocked out. We were less busy which made time for hikes or bike rides. It provided for weekly dinners with my parents and sister and her family. These are the moments I will take with me from 2020. I continue to feel blessed to be doing "life" with the people God has placed in my care and I continue to be thankful for all that God has blessed us with. God continued to provide jobs for Zack and me. He continued to provide food and shelter for our family. God provided us good health! 2020 was the year that I finally got my allergy diagnosis and had a lot less sinus infections than the whole year prior. While Maddox went to the ER for the first time, God made sure that Maddox can still see out of both eyes... an injury that was so close to causing permanent damage. God helped Maddox through getting his two front teeth extracted and helped us navigate taking care of Burke with his cancer diagnosis. I look back at pictures from 2020 and I can't help but feel blessed and provided for. We have been given so much and I pray I never take this year for granted. Some of the memorable words or phrases from 2020 that must be documented here so I can remember when they got their "start".... unprecedented, remote learning, hybrid model, zoom meetings, "you are on mute", business on the top/casual on the bottom (referring to your work attire on zoom meetings), work from home, zoomies vs. roomies, a need for toilet paper (which was always provided) and I could probably go on! What a year to start a new decade! We were blessed to take a few trips this past year... to California for Amanda's 40th birthday (just two weeks before the country shutdown), to the beach with the Cantrells/Houstons/Bakewells in the summer, a weekend in Tennessee exploring my happy place.... the mountains, and to Brevard to celebrate Maddox's 5th birthday with a waterfall themed weekend in the fall. Already I look ahead to 2021 with some pretty fun trips planned and anticipate many more memories to be made with our family! I did miss some time with my friends this year. While we were able to talk on the phone, I missed yearly visits from friends that live out of state that weren't able to travel "back home" this year due to travel restrictions. I missed meeting friends' babies as we just don't want to take the chance of spreading any germs to newborns. I missed yearly traditions that included lake days with some of our best friends. I know these will all return in the future and I pray I will continue to cherish each event like I have in the past and like I've truly missed this year. As I start into 2021.... I found a verse that hit me at just the right moment ..... Proverbs 31:25....."She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." If I can "laugh" at the days to come... it means that there is no fear of the future. A year ago, I would never have anticipated what 2020 would look like. And as I sit here typing this, I have plans of what 2021 will look like but the fact is, I don't know what the future holds. I don't know what next week or next month will look like. I pray that I can "laugh at the days to come".... that I can find joy in not knowing what the future holds.... that I will not face the future with fear but with strength and dignity. So as we start 2021, I am hopeful that I will have less fear and more faith in what God has planned for the Houstons this upcoming year! Bring it on 2021!!! ;)
And now to document how we spent our week at home between Christmas and New Year's Day. You know that this week is typically one of my favorites with Zack off work and our ability to have a little "staycation" with our family. Here is what we have been up to with our Christmas Break!
Linds and I fit in a frigid run! I love my weekly runs with my sister. This one happened to have temperatures in the teens and my hands felt numb for the first mile or two but we finished strong and I always enjoy the conversations we can have while running our typical Saturday morning route!
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