Our First Family Photos
After Quarantine
These pictures will forever be remembered as the ones taken the summer after quarantine. The ones where moms hair hadn’t been died for months, Luke’s hair had been cut by dad and the kids freely picked out their own outfits and I didn’t care about any of that stuff. All I cared about, is that we were healthy, happy and together. And that alone, deserved remembrance and celebration in all its imperfect glory.
Last summer we went on our first camping trip as a family of four in a tent and from that trip and some funny stories, came the phrase “thats camping bud”. Since then, whenever stuff in our lives start to get messy, crazy and out out of control, Tyler and I look at each other and say “thats camping bud”. To me this means, “roll with it” there isn’t much you can do about it so just go with it.
“Thats camping bud” became the theme of our quarantine. We were doing our best but sometimes there were forts in every room, granolas bars were all the kids ate for a whole day, we watched a lot of TV and we still do some days but we were in it together.
Luke and Elizabeth’s relationship blossomed, they played imagination games together inside our home like never before. The competition for each others attention was gone, all they had was one another. I would like to believe their bond will forever be stronger because of quarantine.
Tyler and I have always valued our time alone but we understood even more, during quarantine, the importance of us being a strong united foundation for our family. We ate dinner alone in the kitchen while the kids ate theirs watching TV on the couch. We drank coffee slower in the mornings and let the kids watch cartoons. I realized how much I need him as my partner.
I got closer to God, learning how to release control to Him. When the things in my life that made me feel in control slipped away, I realized how so much of this life is out of my control.
We learned we didn’t need to be going here and there and spending money to have fun and be happy. We learned a greater appreciation for everything we have and that contentment is important. With gratitude in place, we also allowed ourselves to dream and set new goals for our family.
As time goes on I am sure our time in quarantine will continue to shape our family moving forward, sometimes its hard to see all the details when you are still kinda in the middle of something. I am open to how this season is changing me and the world around me. I continue to pray for healing of the sick and our world as a whole. I am fully confident God is in control and active in all the details of our lives like never before as I continue to reflect on what we all just walked through.
I would love to know what your family has learned from quarantine?
