APRIL 2020
/Hey friends!!!
It’s been just about one month since I signed off from the gram, and I thought it would be a great way to journal my time away by doing a one month recap at the end of every month! This will help me keep a journal of the pictures I want to print each month (or send to my chatbooks) and also serve as a way to keep in touch with y’all and let you know what we’ve been up to!
I love this blog, because unlike Instagram I actually own this domain. This is my creative home, and it’s a joy to still be able to share my little family with you. I truly do need a creative outlet, and I love that this keeps me away from Instagram but still filling a creative void!
So…what have we been up to? How’s my heart doing one month into this process?
✿ Here’s a snapshot of April 2020. ✿
We started the month off by decorating our door! Below you can see what we did, but we used back of mailers, posters I had laying around, cardboard boxes, etc and now everyone that walks by our home gets to see our messages! The girls had a blast doing this!
The tree in front of our home also started to bloom and it is so so so so SOOOOO DREAMY!!!!
It arches over our doorway and just makes me smile every time I see it.
I tell everyone I am SO THANKFUL this all happened during this time of year, when trees and flowers are blooming, the sun is beginning to shine more, and overall the Earth feels like it’s coming to life out of the dead of winter. I think all this Vitamin D and sunshine is doing wonders for our souls.
Trees all around the post have also started blooming, and this one reminds me of the ones in my neighborhood growing up. It is very nostalgic every time we pass under it!
Speaking of walks, we go on at least 3 mile walks every day, and it’s 100% been my favorite part about being off of Instagram. We explore all over post. While Blake does teleworking on the computer, the girls and I like to wake up with the sun and go all around the base. We play “I spy with my little eye”, say hi to birdies and squirrels, and spend so much quality time together. It’s incredible. (Sometimes Bella even sneaks in a ride in the bottom of the stroller too if it’s too hot for her. heheheh)
Truly, look at this dog! Is she spoiled or what?!!? The girls have been pushing her around in their doll stroller too, and Bella actually LOVES it. She is so comfy and loves sniffing the air on our walks.
I can’t help but think about how happy and lucky all the animals are for having their best friends at home 24/7. I know Bella is thriving off of our company all the time. What a time for our fur babies!
While doing some spring cleaning, I came across a package that I found at my dad’s when we were cleaning out his place after he passed away. It was a package he had when he was stationed here at Fort Leavenworth back in the 80s. On it, I found his address. I dropped to my knees.
The next day, Blake, the girls and I went on a walk to go find his home.
This is it. I feel so connected to him. 🖤
When Blake does get a break from class, he joins us on our 3 mile walks and we love it! We go to our local track field and throw the ball for Bella or just run around the track. (Not at all to burn energy off the girls, I promise! hahah!)
This time has been so healing to get so much time back that we’ve lost from military training.
I keep saying I’m learning more about Blake and the girls than I’ve ever known…which let’s be real - has it’s ups and downs lol…but it’s like I’m relearning the people under my roof. It’s so sacred and special. 🖤
Honestly? I don’t think I would be this intentional if I were still on Instagram. I know how I am with my work schedule and being away has allowed me to prioritize these people first. Hallelujah.
We’ve been playing out on our slip n slide nearly every. single. day. It’s been epic. I just love getting down and playing with these girls and the hubs! Highly recommend this cute slide. It has a big blow up portion at the end that allows the girls (and myself haha) to not fly off the end!)
These are just $15! We add a little safe dishsoap and it makes them even more more slippery hehehe!
Possibly most exciting of the month?!?!
EVERLY LEARNED TO RIDE HER BIKE!!!!!
It was strangely super easy, and I think I thought it would be a lot more difficult, but we let her ride the bike with training wheels for about 3-5 months and then one day decided to take the wheels off! We just watched a couple of youtube videos on “how to teach a kid to ride a bike” and voila! She’s up and riding! I love this little video compilation of her first few days of riding. She LOVES IT!
These are the bikes I’ve shared many times on my instagram.
RIGHT BIKE THAT EVERLY RIDES NOW: We have the bike with training wheels in pink and blue for the girls 14” and 16” and it’s a great transitional bike that will last until they’re 7 years old! It comes in many colors, but this ivory color is a great neutral.
LEFT BALANCE BIKE THAT HADLEY RIDES NOW: We also have this glider balance bike for the girls and this is what our youngest is learning on to keep herself up. She’s doing amazing at it, and we’ll likely start teaching her to ride the bike with training wheels next month!
Homeschooling has been so interesting. There’s easy days and hard days, but really I just feel like I’m learning so much more about patience (and my lack thereof). I am grateful for this experience, regardless of the hard days. I know I will look back on this time one day when both of the girls are in school and be thankful I had this time to do it myself. I have so much respect for teachers, administrators and therapists. It’s extraordinary what they do for our babes. Here’s some pics of Everly during her homeschooling activities and when she got to zoom her class and bring a show and share item with her. She chose her dinosaur we built together and her sister. 🖤
Speaking of therapists, Everly gets to do teletherapy with her speech therapist and zoom sessions with her ABA therapists too. She lights up when she gets to see them, and I can only pray that she gets to actually hug them goodbye before we move away. She loves them so so so so much. Here she played dinosaur with them hehe.
Easter was so yummy too! We had Annies Mac n Cheese (hahaha), turkey, green bean casserole, and deviled eggs. It was so fun setting the table and having a beautiful Easter dinner to celebrate our Lord!
As far as cooking goes, I’ve completely fallen head over heels with home cooked meals now. I’ve cooked dinner every night for 3 weeks straight and I hope I never go back! I can’t wait to share all of the recipes I’ve been learning!
HE IS RISEN! Easter 2020 will be one we will never forget!
Something else we will never forget is Blake’s 37th birthday! We kept it simple with store bought Cheesecake Factory slices, balloons from Target, and a couple presents from his wish list. We loved surprising daddy when he came downstairs from teleworking!
He’s been working so hard in his classes for work while also getting his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) which he is about 2 weeks out from getting with a 4.0 GPA! We couldn’t be more proud of you daddy!
He’s also been so supportive of me still doing business stuff, which I’ve totally neglected for about 5 weeks and it’s been a nice break! Tonight (May 1st) I will have a small “error sale” and this was a progress shot of getting through some inventorying during the week! You can find out more information about the sell and our plans to keep doing this until we get through our error inventory over the next few months while I’m taking a break. This has allowed me to truly pace myself which is so refreshing!
These are a few pics that truly mark this time of quarantine that I never want to forget. Masks for all, and care packages from my mom filled with items that make my half Korean heart very happy. hahahha! (This is truly a box from a Korean mom, is it not? lol. I LOVE IT!)
So, how have I been?
As far as motherhood goes…truly, it’s been a mix. I’ve felt myself losing patience with the girls a LOT but it’s because they’re butting heads a lot (as are most siblings all across the world). BUT I am SO in love with this time with them, to work through their struggles, and really be fully present. I am so grateful that this break from Instagram coincidentally fell into this time of quarantine. I can’t imagine still running my Instagram, business, blog and doing all of these duties as their mama. I am sending all the love, courage, strength, and prayers for you that are doing it all!!!! I have so much respect for you all right now!
As far as marriage goes, we’ve spent more time together than we have in almost 10 years of marriage…which btw next year is 10 YEARS OF MARRIAGE…WHAT?!?!?! Feeling so lucky to call him mine. I’m loving making dinner for him every night, loving working out with him every day, loving sitting on the porch drinking wine and reading books after the girls are in bed, loving movie nights on the couch, and seeing him teach the girls new tricks. Also loving when he starts the coffee pot for me and letting me sleep in a bit. hehe.
As far as health and fitness go, I’ve been working out hard for 3 weeks straight and feel better than I have in about 7 years as far as that goes. I am so excited to finally see change, but more importantly to feel it. My heart, mind, body, and soul feel so good. I’ll share more about my fitness journey next month!
As far as my Faith, I’ve been reading so much and listening to so much praise and worship, and I feel so close to the Lord now. I am eager to share more about that journey, but it’s very sacred right now, so I’m gonna keep it private for the time being. More to come.
So overall, it’s been so refreshing this first month away.
Someone asked me the other day, “do you miss it?”
And my honest to God answer: No. Not at all.
I feel so content with the decision to step away, and I’m very interested to see how my heart continues to transform over these next 5 months + beyond.
I want you to know I am praying for you all and sending you all my love during this time. I can’t wait to be “reunited” for the sake of me missing you, but I also can wait for the sake of my heart and home.
I’m grateful I’ve come to this point in my life.
In light + love,
Amy
PS Here are the blog posts I wrote this month as a recap in case you missed them!
