A Covid Christmas

 

Thanksgiving

 

Fall Highlights

The kids kicked off their Junior year of High School.  School looked very different but for the most part all went well until the first of November.

Elijiah turned 3

We took family photos in late fall out near the lake.

Halloween

One night in November, we woke up to all of our smoke alarms going off in the house.   There was a definite evidence of a burning smell but fire department could not locate the source.  We were thankful all was well in the end.

 

The Barbeque

In May, Julie warned us that Grandma was starting to decline.  With her days possibly numbered, we decided it would be best to let her live her last days doing the things she enjoyed. We planned to grill at my house.  Grandma was so excited after her months of quarantine that she wore her best wig, best jacket and even make-up to what she referred to as "the barbeque."

Unfortunately just days after this get together, grandma took a very sharp turn for the worse and decline.  She became in-coherent and bed ridden forcing us to place grandma in a nursing home facility in mid- June.  The entire process of finding care for her was stressful and completely eye opening.  It definitely makes me want to make sure I have a plan in place for my care should my family need it.

With Covid, we were unable to visit her which made it even more difficult.  We celebrated her 96th birthday through the window.  Grandma only hung on a few more weeks before she went to be with Jesus.   While it was hard to let her go, we know she had absolutely earned her place of eternal rest.

A Pandemic Summer

It was a very different summer in a lot of ways.  The kids got their first jobs working at Cross Timbers.  This left Rick and I as empty nesters especially on the weekends.  With most gatherings still pretty limited, we learned to appreciate our own backyard more than ever.

During the kids free time, they mostly spent it with the Youth Group, where all activities were outdoors.  I returned to work in the building in late June.   Summer is typically my favorite time as  principal.  I definitely can't say that about this summer. It was a time when we literally re-invented the wheel on everything we do, but I can say through it all I came out stronger in so many ways.

The definite highlight of our summer was our trip to Santa Rosa Beach.  I am  pretty confident this  was our last trip with the entire Gillion and Hale clan.  Without Covid, this trip wouldn't have happened so this is what I call a Covid blessing.

  

I love this selfie that the kids took of themselves.  I love the bond they've shared over the years.  They truly have grown up with each other.  This was their 4th trip together to the beach.