The picture above was taken 2 months ago, during the very early days of our quarantine and us starting to practice social distancing. Many things have happened and changed, except for one thing. 

We are still going strong and smiling just as hard, maybe even harder.

Yes, the dark circles under my eyes have grown darker than usual, our hair is a tad bit longer, my eyebrows are in dire need of threading and my hair is now purple, but we still haven't strangled each other - half kidding here ( this is seriously just a joke) and that is the best part, if you ask me.

If you follow me along in this little space of the internet than you might have noticed that it's been a month since I've actually posted something on here, but shouldn't it be the opposite especially with all of the this time on our hands?! The truth is that I've focused on other important things in my life, that includes spending more time with my family and making sure we all come out sane and healthy from this pandemic. With this much needed time that we didn't have before this happened, we've been able to reconnect as a family again. You see before this stay at home order, we were always running around, always running from one activity to another. The kids would only see husband some mornings, if they were lucky before they went to bed for an hour or so. Or they'd have to wait until he had a day off, and even on that day the kids always had something to do, which cut our time together in half. Nowadays it's all about the free time, finding ways to reconnect with each other and ways to have patience with one another. No it hasn't or isn't always rainbows and butterflies, it's been an up and down journey where we have our days that we feel like losing our minds or days when meltdowns are unavoidable. Slamming the doors is just not an option and with not being able to escape to school or for a quick walk to take a breather, learning to have more patience has been essential. The best thing for me has been re-connecting with my teen son. I'm lucky to have a good relationship with him but there are times where I've wished to be able to have more time to talk with him for much more time. Since our talks always seem to happen when we are on our way home from some activity and in a cab. Now they happen at the kitchen table or me sitting on his bed and him on his desk chair. I'm so happy to have this time to hear him and let him talk to his hearts content with ni interruptions or wait, now we have to go here. Let's resume this later.

This pandemic has brought along with it sadness and happiness, it has made me embrace every single thing in my life, even the simplest of things that were taken for granted just two months ago.

I've learned to not spend money, before I had what would be considered a shopping addiction. Not for expensive things but even cheap things add up sooner or later and before you know it you need up wasting a lot of money on silly things that really aren't needed. With husband being the only source of income right now, and worries of his job closing, money has been super tight. That means wasting money on groceries, household essentials, hand sanitizer and a few items to keep the kids busy at home, is it. 

Our eating habits have taken an entire different route, before this we'd have a delivery at least twice a week or we'd eat out at least 3 times a week. Yes, I still cooked a lot but the breaks from cooking were a blessing that is missed nowadays. With us not eating out or ordering deliveries money is also being saved and cooking at home everyday has been a definite must.

Never ever did I ever think that I'd have to walk out of my apartment with a mask covering my nose and mouth for protection. Or not being able to see and hug my sister and niece. Or seeing friends and catching up while grabbing a cup of joe. One thing that I can say for sure is that I'm grateful it happened now, when I'm still "young" and can take care of my children and parents. Making sure that they stay safe and healthy has been my number one job and I truly wouldn't be able to do it without my husbands help.

It breaks my heart to see so many lives lost and still being lost to this pandemic, to hear about friends weeping for their loved ones lost. 

I pray everyday for all of my loved ones, far and near. For our frontline workers and essential workers that give it their all every single day, so that we can stay at home and stay safe. That includes my husband, who has been going out every single day to work and expose himself to COVID-19.

To everyone who has lost a loved one, to everyone who is fighting to survive this pandemic.

We will come out stronger. It won't happen in a week, or month. It will take time but we will make it and we will come out stronger!

The coming weeks I will share how I've stayed sane, what remote learning looks like for us, how marriage life has been during this quarantine and many more stories about how we've made it through this pandemic together as a family.

Stay safe, wear a mask and wash your hands.

You are not alone!

Love,

Kary xoxo