Survival

 We all survived the first week of school! It was different, painful, weird. But it was also necessary, empowering, and accomplished. 

So many schools in Illinois have given in and decided to go strictly online, but we are fortunate that we get to go in person. 

Here's a another bulletin board in my classroom that features more than 50 quotes about how music helps us heal.

I used old (only songs that were incomplete) sheet music I had as a background.

The girls put together most of this board. I cut out the sparkly letters and drew the letters for 'YOU,' but they did everything else.  Annah put up the die cut music notes that are the last 2 phrases of the school alma mater. ("All your sons and daughters ever shall be true to the diamond in the prairie--the silver and the blue."

I really want my students to know that their music does belong to them. A teacher can teach them, but they are the ones who have the talent, who work to increase their skills, and who use their voices to create the music.  It belongs to them, and no one can take that away from them. 

I started with teacher in-service days Monday 8/17, and the first two were forced online at the last second because someone who had been in the building had been exposed to someone with Covid19 and the school had to be deep cleaned. 

The in-service days were great, and helped me a lot. I thought it was awesome when our elementary principal put this quote on the screen at the beginning of our first in-service day.

My office has been painted, and I've made it look as different as possible from how it looked before. It's still a work in progress, but it is functional enough for now.

I need something really big and great to cover the door!

The elementary classes are cohorting, and I will travel to them. This is my classroom-on-a-cart!

It's actually a desk on wheels, and I probably won't take it with me every day if I can get away with just using a backpack. But it allows me to have speakers and play songs on the keyboard. 

The girls stopped at the Dollar Tree and got me the colored containers for each class.

I also have my own school website now.

We went on a walk around town the night before everyone started school.

We started Friday 8/21. Jeremy moved Annah in at SIUe that same day, and she started classes (both in-person and online) Monday 8/24.

Jeremy is still working from home, so he took our first-day-of-school pictures.

SENIOR!

Sophomore!

We go together!

Every morning before we go to school, I have to complete an online self-certifying wellness check for the kids and myself.

 The staff has been so supportive and encouraging of me.  I received these beautiful flowers from the elementary guidance counselor on the first day of school. 

It has been an uber emotional week. I’m exhausted in every way, and went to bed at 7:30 a couple nights this week. (Hey, I haven't worked full time in 19 years!!) 

The disappointments continue to pile up. But! We continue to hang onto Jesus. Good things and blessings are in the mix too. I will continue to fight to focus on those things...

Mr. M taking a moment after school to show Caeden how to re-string a guitar I found in the music library.

Annah checking in to tell us how much she loves it at SIUe...

The art teacher and I with our classroom carts--and our photo-bombers in the elementary office!  Haha!

Encouraging emails from our Principals and Superintendent, and an anonymous donor providing lunch from Subway for the entire staff!

There are blessings in there. We will be thankful.

Marshall and grads

This morning, the high school was finally able to hold a commencement ceremony--outside, with social distancing and plenty of protocols. 

Graduates were only allowed their parents and 5 other guests, so we weren't invited to attend. 

But we watched the livestream online 

so we could see our Sylvia serving as marshall because she is at the top of her class. 

Her job was to indicate to the parents of graduates where and when to stand and walk and which diploma was their student's so they could grab it and present it and maintain proper social distance at all times.

We thought it was a nice ceremony.  Very cool that parents got to present the diplomas! Short and sweet since it was outside!  No ridiculously overcrowded and overheated gym. Let's do it this way every year!

Sylvs and her buddy Coby, who was also a marshall, after the ceremony

We only attended one graduation party this year, for our pal Jacob.

We're so happy we will still get to see him since he will be at SIUe with Annah and Ryan!

AIR CONDITIONING!!!

Ohhhhhh we are enjoying our central air conditioning!!! 

I do not at all take for granted the fact that it was very hot and humid outside today...

...but I cooked dinner ON THE STOVE and IN THE OVEN!!!

I’m pretty sure this is the first time in 19 years that I’ve made meatloaf and mashed potatoes in JULY!!!!!

And while I was at it making meatloaf and mashed potatoes, I steamed some carrots and some broccoli, and browned 4 extra pounds of ground beef and turkey with onions and garlic to freeze in 1-pound packages (added taco seasoning to 2 of them) for quick meals later on.  

I'm not trying to brag about getting central air, but I really am SO GRATEFUL for the ways it makes things so much nicer and more bearable.  I love to cook, but in the summer I have hated it for years.  I am so excited to cook in the summer now!

I am also sleeping better because we didn't have to move all our things downstairs and use the guest room for months to have some cooler air.

I am also cleaning (better, anyway) and doing more projects because I feel I can move around freely in our house and not get all sweaty and gross and grouchy about it!  It is just SO nice to have central air and I'm so thankful!

Rapid Change due to COVID-19

This morning, all 5 of us woke up at home.  Annah drove all 3 kids to the Benton's house for breakfast, then Sylvia and Caeden went to school.  Annah and Allison then went back to the church in Bloomington to join the choir for the rest of their tour.  They spent part of the day in Springfield, visited some historic Lincoln sites, went to the mall and Annah got 2 more piercings in one ear, they ate lunch and got back on the bus to head back to GU campus for the night.  Tomorrow they were scheduled to sing in the beautiful basilica in St. Louis, then have their end-of-tour concert back on campus Sunday before starting classes back up on Monday.  

When the choir bus was about an hour from campus, the students received an email from the school that their spring break would be extended another week and classes would be going online for the rest of the semester.  Their situation was a little different, since they were bound for campus already, but other students were told not to come back to campus until after April 6 to get their things.  

Annah FaceTimed us (Jeremy was working from home, as it was announced yesterday afternoon he will be doing for at least the next few weeks) and we could hear Doc answering questions for the students after having just talked with campus administrators.  Although, Annah was in tears last night about not wanting to return to campus to finish the rest of the semester, she now said she was in a bit of shock to learn she wouldn't be.

Jeremy grabbed some trash bags and a couple suitcases and went down to meet Annah on campus right away.  The choir was met by campus security and debriefed.  They checked to see if any of them had any symptoms of the virus--none did.  They allowed them to ask any questions they had, and took the students' advice to make a video for the rest of the student body answering these questions.  The choir was able to come together and cry through The Lord Bless You and Keep You before saying goodbye as their minds whirled with the thoughts of all the moments they've shared and those they are now sacrificing.  They were blessed to have hugs and tears together today.

Annah FaceTimed me again as she and Jeremy packed up her things from her dorm room. 

She said she was overwhelmed by so many emotions, as anyone would expect.  She was so fortunate to have her daddy there for a little comic relief and a strong arm to carry almost all her things down the 3 flights of stairs to the Prius.  They couldn't fit everything, so at some point we will have to go back to campus.

Over the course of the day, Disney World has closed, so Sylvia and Caeden will not be going on their band/choir trip to perform there over spring break. More places are closing and more sporting events and concerts and performances and gatherings of large groups of people are being canceled by the minute today.  Sylvia is dreading the musical being canceled.  But everyone is beginning to sacrifice and stay home in order to prevent the spread of the virus.

Jeremy and Annah stopped to eat and to get gas in Greenville before heading home, and were home by 9:30--less than 15 hours from when Annah left home this morning.  That is a lot to change and emotion to fit into one day, and a lot of stuff to fit in a Prius!

I know it will be challenging in many ways to have all 5 of us at home and working through emotions of all that is lost in these days.  However, I will choose to be grateful to have my family together!

I am so thankful we have Jesus to walk us through the challenges of life!

Change is good.

Today was the 4th anniversary of our church's launch.  We had a nice celebration.  

Jeremy, hanging with Doug and Jake before the service

 At the end of the service, there were several special announcements, including changes in staff.  Pastor Angela (who is also stepping out of a staff position) and I received roses and cards, and Pastor Todd prayed a blessing over us.

Though I never would have said I felt "called" to serve as administrative assistant, I really enjoyed the work and especially being part of the staff.  I will miss that part, but I am glad to have a change in my life.  It really does help a person get some perspective on life when things change.  

So this afternoon while the kids were at youth group, I enjoyed the beautiful weather and worked on a sweater shrug I'm making for Sylvia.  

Back to my regular inconsistency

Happy Monday!  I know I'm in the minority, but I actually like Mondays...They feel like a good opportunity to start over, and I'm all about try-trying again!  I was reading a bit in a lovely little book called Seven Sacred Pauses: Living Mindfully Through the Hours of the Day, by Marcrina Wiederkeh, and I came across a beautiful quote this morning, that I had to share on my Facebook too.  

"To affect the quality of the day is the highest of arts." - Henry David Thoreau

I love it.  Today I want to do my best to create a beautiful, quality day.

In other news, I found that I was missing my "usual" style of blogging.  I was excited about the digital scrapbooking thing, and am still going to try to stick with that, I think.  But, I miss writing about the stories and feelings and happenings.  So, at least once in a while, I will pop in and do that here.  

Also, a few of the 3 people that actually visit this blog are annoyed at the scrapbook page thing.  So... I will be inconsistent...it fits my style...hahaha.  :) 

I will say, I am definitely going to continue to create some form of physical, printed albums.  Thanks to Becky Higgins/Project Life's recent "Project Photo Rescue," I moved our scrapbooks and photo albums to a more obvious and reachable spot, and the kids (especially Sylvia) have been looking through them a lot and reminiscing.  It has been really cool!  It makes it worth every time they've been annoyed at me for pointing a camera at them, and all the time spent scrapbooking and putting photos into albums with labels and stories.

Here are some fun randoms from recent days.

2/24 - A snow day sibling snuggle

Anakin Skywalker shooting me with a nerf gun

We played Mouse Trap one Sunday night!

Sylvia and I had a good chat about what this quote (from the front of a book she was reading) means...

Annah's last lesson with Ruthie

This afternoon we said a bittersweet goodbye to violin lessons with Ruthie.  She is soon expecting her fourth child and has decided it's time to take a break from teaching.  We completely understand and are very happy for her.  We will really miss her.

Ruthie has been Annah's teacher for 9 years, from the very first moment Annah picked up a violin.  Sylvia took lessons from her for 5 years too, until she switched to cello.  

The impact Ruthie has had on the girls' lives is immense.  I could never properly thank her.  

She is gentle and patient and sweet.  She is kind and creative and supportive.  She has taught the girls so much about music and their instruments, and she has been a consistent example of loveliness in every way of life.  She has been a friend and colleague to me--in music, motherhood, and Christian walk. 

Yes, I believe change is good.  It is good to learn from multiple people and perspectives.  We will find someone to continue teaching Annah violin.  I just don't think there is any way I could ever convey to Ruthie how incredibly grateful I am for all she has been in our lives.  Anytime you spend [even half an hour a week] 9 years with someone--in any form--they're going to have an influence of some kind in your life.  Ruthie has just shown and taught us such grace.  Her influence has been so much more than notes on a page, finger positions, theory, and techniques--and even much more than music.  

We love her.  We are ever-so-grateful that God brought our lives together!

I put this collage together and had one printed for Ruthie.  The girls wrote the poem in the top left corner. (Click on the picture to make it big enough to read.)  These are just a few pictures of precious  musical times with Ruthie. 

Peeking through the window during today's lesson...

Thank you, Ruthie.  

We love you, and we pray the best for your family!