2020 in a nutshell... count your many blessings

you have to laugh or you'll cry... and that's the truth right now

cause here is my 2020 in a nutshell and it sounds like something out of a meme.

january - death and a funeral'

february - work (other people's funerals) and estate paperwork

march: the plague 

i seriously feel like i've lost 3 months of my life! i had so much to do, that it was all go go go and now it feels like there is nothing - and so much time in which to do nothing. the kids have been the strangest bit - we are, of course, keeping them home and do not leave the house unless absolutely necessary, as we've been instructed to do, but they complain a lot that they are bored. i am sure they are, they are used to being able to go outside as much as they want, across to the park - and run a muck and now, we have to stay home. 

so - i said to them this week that we need to think of some things that we are grateful for. because the best way to be happy, is to think of things that you've been blessed with. here are some of mine.

1. first and foremost. i am so grateful that we can still have church at home. that president nelson was inspired to create a home based learning program - and that my husband is able to administer the sacrament in our home.

2. i am so so so so so grateful that my husband not only has a job, but that it's an essential position and he is required to keep working through all of this. so while others may lose their job or struggle, his wages will remain the same and we will be okay. 

3. we have savings. so if something were to go wrong, we would be okay.

4. being a church member prepares you for all kinds of things. we learn to teach from the time we receive our first assignments at church, so we can teach! plus there are so many resources available online, so if it should happen that i need to start teaching my children at home, i can do so.

5. we are healthy and strong and i know we will remain so, because i was told we would be - and i have faith to believe so. 

this may be a scary and uncertain time, but i feel confident that we as a family will continue to be blessed. ❤

back to school

these little nuggets went back to school today. i am so proud of them, though also equally as sorry for them. they really didn't get a holiday, it's been a month today since we lost their grandfather - but they have borne this trial with a great deal of courage and i am so proud they made it through. we spent nearly all of the holidays between the hospital and home, then the rest organising things for the funeral and the aftermath... but they made it through, with minimal whining. hooray!

maddie is so excited to be back and see her friends and learn some more... she has been split off from her closest friends at the beginning of each year, but thankfully she has been blessed with the ability to make friends easily and i know she will be fine yet again.

joseph was nervous about a new teacher and a new class (we were very spoiled having the same education assistant two years running, which was a great blessing for our shy boy) but went in with a determined look on his face ready to start the new year. he has been put in a split year one/two class this year, which i hope will allow his new teacher to extend his learning some more.

i am really blessed to have such great kids. these holidays were not ideal, but many times, they would tell us it was okay, not just the other way around... so i know we must have done something right! i am sure they will do well in whatever they do this year.

of course the morning wouldn't be complete until we threw baby alexander in for one of the photos. he is so loved by these two. such a lucky boy! 

2020, we've got this. bring on another year at ellen stirling!