Is it Over Yet?

 Merry Christmas, you old Building and Loan ... I mean, blog! I don't know what happened to the last few months. Why do I feel like I hardly accomplished anything? 

For starters, our empty nest was short lived. Just when we started getting in our groove, Will came back to us. MLC couldn't safely keep up with housing the quarantined kids so they had to go to online school for the rest of the semester. Before we knew what happened, our 20 year old ended up back in our driveway with a car load full of clothes, books, and his violin. So for the last six weeks he's been logging on every morning, working out in the afternoon, studying with friends on Zoom, and eating. A lot of eating.

It's actually been what is sure to be a happy memory of a good that resulted from the chaos of this year. We've been a threesome for the last six years but a different three. Having Will home as the "only child" is a different dynamic and we are really enjoying this unique time with just him with us. 

So some of my to do items got shoved to the side and it looks like I can add another year to catch up on later to my Christmas scrapbook (although I did manage to order some new papers and stickers). 

In November I attended the Pastor's wives retreat I've gone to the last two years. This was at a different location than the previous years due to Covid and we were in a VRBO with plenty of room to spread out among us. I was just super thankful that we were still able to pull it off because our body and souls sure needed it! There were some new faces that became fast friends and returning ones I look forward to catching up with. We spent hours pouring over the book of Nehemiah, building each other up, and resting in the goodness of God. 

Later in the month I took a day trip with a friend from church and went to Lindale, Texas where we shopped at an outdoor Vintage/Flea/Craft market.  Apparently Lindale is where Miranda Lambert is from and the town's big claim to fame! I can't say I'm super familiar with her stuff but it was fun to see how excited they were about her in the shops we perused. 

I've continued to enjoy teaching my homeschool co-op writing class and have just the sweetest group of kids. Writing is a window into what is going on in their creative minds and personalities and I love helping them develop techniques to express themselves. We break from Thanksgiving through New Years so we'll get back to meeting next month for the second half of the school year. 

Speaking of Thanksgiving, we maintained a shred of normalcy by still going to Wisconsin for the holiday. It wasn't my favorite thing to get on a plane or even deal with an airport but we survived and God protected us (no thanks to the airline for packing us in like sardines and not even seating families together). We also had a far amount of help to make this all happen. Brent and Chantal had us over the night before so we'd be in place for next day's flight, even driving us to the airport and picking us up. They also kept Buddy for us and welcomed him into their family. His French Bulldog cousin, Maise, was not always amused by the presence of her East Texas hillbilly kin. Chantal would send me videos of their love/hate relationship of chasing after each other, tug of war battles, and growling showdowns. But then we'd also get these sweet pictures ...

On the Minnesota end where we flew into, my Uncle Greg lent us his car which was so generous. Originally Mom was going to pick us up but plans were constantly changing which leads me to Grandpa and Grandma - 92 and 94 respectively. My sweet grandparents have been declining in health especially over the past few years. It's so hard to see these precious people in a state of confusion and weakness. I don't want these memories to be the dominating ones I have and therefore I haven't even taken a picture of them for awhile now. We were able to have some socially distanced visits over the summer trips we took and I'm so grateful for those opportunities. Anyway both of them tested positive for Covid a little while back and Grandma has been in hospital with some complications. Grandpa never did have any symptoms but his dementia kept him from being able to live in the assisted living apartment on his own. Good news - Grandma has rebounded and made it through some pretty grim looking moments and Lord willing will be transferred this week to the nursing home Grandpa was moved to. 

That meant that our normal Thanksgiving at Mom and Dad's was most certainly not normal as we feasted without my grandparents. They were missing at the card table while we played Hand and Foot and not around for the annual Muppet Christmas Carol viewing that officially kicks off the Christmas season (in a non liturgical sense:).  They were missing from Friday Fish Fry too. Mom and I spent a few days after Thanksgiving weekend going through their apartment and setting what we thought they'll need in their new place aside. It was emotionally and physically draining. 

But we have much to be thankful for including see our girl again! It was wonderful having her back with us if only for a few days. We went shopping, bowling, and worshiping together! 

Zanna is finishing up finals this week and headed home on Friday. Yay! Meanwhile we've been decking the halls at home. I expected to have to decorate the tree without kids this year but looks like we can put that off one more year.  We usually set Will's ornaments aside for him to put on the tree once he's home from school but this time he got to decorate with us and instead we put Zanna's aside for when she's back. Having said that, she was the one that would help me remember which ornaments belonged to who so I'm sure she'll be ticked off by seeing some of her ornaments we mistakingly put on without her. 

Years ago I had given Will a book and doll set that was a spin on the Elf on the Shelf (which I hate for doctrinal reasons) but it was Uncle Si (from Duck Dynasty) "Play Hard. Nap Hard". The idea is that Uncle Si needs to find places to nap. So we've all been having fun taking turns finding unique spaces for Uncle Si to have his naps and then watch as the others take notice. 

We're also looking forward to Fran coming for Christmas. We haven't seen her for a year and a half and have missed her so much!

Final thought to leave you with .... 

Shrimp and Grits. Because it's the South. 

Sour Milk and Sunflowers

    As time without my daughter at home continues to march on, I continue to be reminded of how indispensable she's been to me. 

• We can't drink the milk fast enough before it goes bad. I've already switched to half gallons and this continues to be a struggle. Wayne doesn't drink milk (except for his Sunday morning cereal) but I use it in my teas, lattes, cooking, etc so I need it available and definitely without clumps and a sour, nasty taste. This has proven challenging without our big milk drinker at home. The upside is that there's no longer a big gallon jug taking up precious space in my fridge. 
• I can't get those darn grocery store plastic bags used for meat open. Before Zanna came along I would lick a finger to get them open. Yuck. No way am I doing that again - with or without Covid, thank you very much. She seems to have the touch without having to lick. I stood next to the hamburger in Costco last week and felt like an idiot trying to open one of those bags up. I simply can't do it. She made it look so easy! I tried again with my roast chicken. Again, no luck. It's ridiculous! I'm tempted to pull her out of school just so she can come with me and open up my plastic bags. What do other people do without a Zanna to open their bags? Is there a trick I'm missing? 
• She's the only one who knows the gate code for the neighborhood pool and for our garage doors. It's pretty bad when you have to text your daughter 900 miles away in order to get into your house through the garage.
• There's no one to hang out with and watch Hallmark movies and episodes of "When Calls the Heart" when Wayne is out of town.  Instead I ended up going through her bathroom and purging/cleaning it. Granted, it was very satisfying. I did end up watching "Crazy, Rich Asians" which I actually found kind of amusing and also reminded me of her (you know, with all the Asians - not the crazy or rich part). 

Speaking of Zanna, she's doing great! She's made some sweet friends, is doing very well in her studies, and has joined some activities to broaden her horizons. Speaking to Zanna, she's getting by. The cafeteria only serves gross versions of chicken all the time,  the dryer doesn't get her clothes completely dry, she bruised her foot doing something, and she's out of cash. Oh - and it's cold and they haven't turned the heat on in the dorms yet so she has to use every blanket she owns to sleep at night. And as of last Friday she and the rest of her side of the second floor hallway residents are quarantined for 2 weeks. So now she starts online learning, has gross and now cold cafeteria food delivered to her room well after everyone else has already eaten, and can't go hang out with her friends at the SU in the evenings. She can however, sit in the leper colony part of the bleachers to watch the football game, peer at her friends through the window of the SU, and take socially distanced walks outside. 

Of course, you'll know all of this already if she has your phone number because she's been calling everyone she knows to share this information with them. Either that or you've read her blog. (I don't know where she gets it!) Extra points if you feel sorry enough for her to send a care package;) 

Not much to report concerning Will other than he's doing just fine! He's your typical laid back Halldorson and it's a joy to chat with him when he calls and fills us in on what's going on in Minnesota. He's single again but we're so encouraged to witness his maturity and growth from life's challenges and his willingness to seek advice and wisdom from mentors and even his parents;) 

Meanwhile on the home front, I have been tackling projects I've been putting off for 20 years. The list is long, my friends. I knew this day would eventually come and I've been patiently waiting to finally organize closets, cupboards, and drawers. Seven years of Christmas scrapbooking need to be dealt with. Homeschool miscellaneous can finally be purged. Without a basement to throw things into I have this renewed sense of only making room for what we like/need. Fueled in part by my Pandemic Pantry of March, I am motivated and inspired. I actually wish I had more pantries to organize because it was so much fun!! 

At the same time I'm doing something similar with myself - purging what doesn't work, and learning to unclutter my life and mind. Maybe it sounds hokey but in my new season I'm tackling it like everything else I do - researching, learning, and reimagining how I can best use the gifts I've been given to love my neighbor (whoever that might be). It's kind of exciting. 

Meanwhile, Wayne and I find ourselves back to where we started 20 years ago - just us but with a friendship and intimacy made stronger by sharing over half our lives together that includes some of our greatest joys and some of our lowest lows. I'm so grateful we made the effort through all the years of parenting littles to maintain a closeness and "dating" mentality that serves us well in this time of life. I'll drink to that!

And of course, now that we have a dog I should share some photos of him.

I've been threatening to buy the three of us matching Christmas sweaters for this year's Christmas cards (never mind our children). I think that would be hilarious!! 

Meanwhile, if anyone has useful tips on how to open up those produce/meat bags I'm all ears ... 

 

A Hannah Heart

 

When we dropped off Will at Prep six years ago, I comforted myself with the fact that we still had six whole years before having to take Zanna there.  Six long years to learn by her side, teach her what she needs to know, mentor her to womanhood, and make lasting memories to cherish.  

I dreaded how fast each new school year seemed to keep coming, knowing that the time was passing way too quickly. I knew this day would come.

I also didn't want our time to be clouded by this inevitability and ruined because I was living in fear. I tried my best to soak in our experiences and truly enjoy the days that seemed to fly by!

Motherhood is sacrificial in so many ways and my heart identifies with Hannah who cried in anguish and pleaded with the Lord to give her a child. Hannah despaired with each child her rival Penninah gave birth to. I know that feeling all to well. It seems like so long ago that with each passing month of barrenness I too would cry to the Lord for a miracle to happen in my womb. Each month His answer was no. But He said yes to Hannah in Samuel and He said yes to us through the adoption of Hosanna. 

In the joy and rapture of thankfulness we feel having been blessed with both of our children, we send them away so far and so young. They are not ours. They are His. We shoulder the responsibility to raise them, make wise choices on their behalf, disciple and discipline them accordingly, but they are not for us to keep. 

Which is a real bummer because now I have to remember where I parked the car at Walmart. Now I have to make sure I don't forget to water the bamboo above the kitchen sink or the plants outside on the porch. Now I have to load and unload the dishwasher myself. Now I have to be sure I've fed the dog. What will I do without her?

As the summer came and went she was getting ready to leave. She arranged Zoom calls and connected future classmates as she expanded the circle. She packed the carefully chosen matching bedding and towels that would help make her dorm room reflect her personality. She gathered items from her room to pack that would help make her new surroundings feel a little more homey. I was excited for her by seeing her excitement and I knew she was ready for this next step like I was so many years ago. 

I was beyond thrilled not to have to enter the boys' dorm this time around! The girls' dorm smelled WAY better. There were cute bulletin boards decorated in the lobby and Bible passages affixed to the walls throughout the hallways of each floor. It was so much cleaner and agreeable to be in! 

We know she'll be different when we see her next: Months of having to wash your own clothes, manage you time, and being responsible for yourself will do that.  We also know she'll always be our girl! 

Before we left for Wisconsin, we recreated an experience for her similar to one I had at her age. Her dad took her out on her first date. He showed her what being cared for and respected looks like. He treated her the way he would want a young man to treat his daughter. He wanted to be her standard. Granted - this didn't happened in just one meal out to restaurant. It's been happening all this time: in the way he treats and cares for me, how he speaks to me in love, and how he respects the uniqueness of womanhood. All this time she's been watching. But this day ... this time with just the two of them ... was special. I passed on to Wayne to give to Zanna the necklace my dad gave to me so many years ago, a memorable gift to remember a significant first date. 

Packing her up was a monumental task coupled with the need to haul all of Will's stuff to MLC. Turns out we had a hitch and didn't even know it all these years! Good thing because we ended up needing a trailer.

First stop was New Ulm! On our way though we were able to stop in Albert Lea and visit my Grandma. 

How cute is she? A woman never tells her age but let's just say there's a ninety in the front and a three at the end and we'll leave it with that. She's amazing! Her mind is sharp, she's beautiful, and full of wisdom! And yes, we wore masks at Perkins where we met up except for when we took them off to eat pie and talk. And we're oddly distanced from her in this picture while holding our breath. Welcome to 2020. 

Once we arrived in New Ulm, we got together with my dear friend, Tonya. We go way back to high school. We roomed together freshman year of DMLC and she was my matron of honor in my wedding. I love Tonya like a sister. In the recent past she and her husband have helped Will out with a place to stay when needed, a place to store his crap over the summer, and been on call should he need anything. I love being able to reconnect with her now that Will is at MLC. They had us over for a pizza supper at their new place and bonus: I got to see Brandon their son who is also my godchild. He's 23. And I am apparently super old. But I got to give him a big ole hug and remind him that Jesus loves him. How cool is that? 

After dropping off Will's stuff in his dorm room but not getting to see Will because he wasn't back from Basic before we left town, we continued on to Watertown. Big weekend. Big.

There was some weird social distancing and masking that made everything awkward of course but we still managed to get her moved in, made the Walmart run, got her registered, made a dry run to all her classes, and attended the beautiful opening service. 

We also reconnected with more dear friends and saw another one of our godchildren!! 

She is so precious, oh my goodness. What a treat!!

The big moment leading up to this day was of course who the roommate assignment would be. It turned out to be a sweet girl, fellow Pastor's kid (PK), who was raised in Canada. What are the chances?! BTW - Zanna is proud to continue to represent Canada and has many t-shirts to help her do this. Having said that, a canister of Tim Hortons hot chocolate in a care package would most assuredly assist her in this endeavor. 

The weekend went really well overall followed by a few days with my mom and dad in northern Wisconsin. We drove back through Mankato on our way back so we were able to see Will albeit briefly before we headed back down south. He had no hair but looked good and happy! 

We're settling into a new normal which consists on no kids and a dog. I go back and forth between being excited (this is the benefit of having kids young) and being scared (now what?) but God is SO good and we are blessed. 

Surviving the Summer of 2020

This will forever be known as the summer I keep putting lipstick on for no reason.

I'm going to try to fill in what our summer has looked like. In some ways it's been a whirlwind and I can't believe that next week we'll be taking Zanna to high school. In other ways it seems life like has stood still since March and it's hard to move beyond it. 

The Lord took care of my girl once again and provided a celebration, closure of a season of life, and lots of love thanks to our church family that recognized her 8th grade graduation! A special part of the Sunday morning service focused on this milestone giving thanks to God for bringing her this far and asking His continued blessings on her future. 

Despite the smaller numbers of members it was still an exciting day and there were beautiful fresh flowers for her, a picture display, cards, and gifts! 

What was the BIG surprise to her though was the outdoor parade of vehicles that arrived in our neighborhood later that afternoon with their horns honking, balloons flying, and cardboard signs with Bible passages and encouraging words written on them. There were party favors to give out and drinks to pass through open windows. It was quite the celebration!! 

On the dog front: well, he's still with us for one. He continues to amuse us all, keeps us walking about 6 miles a day, and gives me another reason to clean. Oddly enough, he looks like a Halldorson. I mean he's got red hair and freckles. Seriously? Yep. 

I'm still not sure how we ended up with a dog. He basically lives out on the porch but he seems to be inside more and more these days. His vet is also an exotic pet farm. Trips to the vet around here are very interesting!

Then there's Will. Remember Will went to Basic Training in Missouri this summer and was supposed to be done the end of July giving him a couple weeks at home with us before heading back to New Ulm? Instead, someone from his platoon tested positive for Covid and his group was immediately quarantined. The good thing about that is that he got his phone back during that time and we could talk to him regularly for the two weeks of isolation. He also got paid for doing nothing. The bad thing is that it put them 3 weeks behind and he'll be graduating right before he needs to get back to school. Which means that he won't be coming home and we'll need to pack up all his stuff and get it to New Ulm so that it's waiting there for him to arrive. 

Other than a few exceptions and the time in quarantine we usually get a 5 minute phone call from him on Sunday and we've quickly filled him in on what he needs to know and try to get as much information about things on his end that we can in that short time. We've also received real,  hand-written letters in the neatest penmanship I've ever seen from him. I'm not going to lie ... this may be one of the most worthwhile reasons for a kid to join the service. Otherwise they may never know the thrill of getting a letter and a parent would never know that their kid can do more than text. 

The Facebook page of their Company (I'm not sure if that's the right lingo) has been helpful in seeing a bit of what they're up to also. 

 He seems to have really enjoyed the experience and challenge that it's offered him.  I can't wait to see what God does with it! 

Wayne and I celebrated our birthdays and our 22nd anniversary. We took a trip to Waco after the state starting opening back up.  Zanna and Buddy stayed with the cousins. We stayed right outside of Waco where we rented a tiny house.

We took a tour of the city, ate at Magnolia Table, did some shopping, ate amazing BBQ, and enjoyed the Homestead Craft Village. 

We celebrated Canada Day! We had our Texan niece and her husband over to help us mark the day with Maple Meatballs, Poutine (made with McD's french fries!), and everything else red and white that I could put together:)

On the menopause front: I'm back to my slumbering, peaceful self and can't remember the last hot flash I had thanks to some hormone help  and prayers answered. I'm still hotter than I was overall and continue to have fans blowing wildly at night just for good measure. I even picked up a new fan at Costco called the "Vornado". Here's the picture from the box:

It's a dream. According to this picture why would anybody want a typical fan when you could have the Vornado!!!! 

We took a trip up to Wisconsin for our niece's wedding. We were really hoping and praying it wouldn't turn into a Covid wedding and it seems all is good. It was a lovely day and a joyful celebration! It was unfortunate that the Canada side couldn't be there especially the grandma of the bride. Those of us that were there had a great time! 

We also worked in a few days to visit my parents up north. It was lovely! We were able to enjoy some family time with visiting relatives from Alaska and chat with Grandpa and Grandma Nork outside their assisted living facility while maintaining social distancing while wearing masks and yelling so they can hear us. We also got out on the lake! 

On the trip we were able to make a pit stop in Illinois to visit a friend of the family from our Ottawa church. Wayne confirmed Maddie years ago and we watched her grow up to be a lovely woman of God who is not only a new wife but a fellow pastor's wife and brand new mama. We really enjoyed our couple hour chat with them and are so excited to see God's plans unfold in her life. 

On the neighborhood attack deer front: apparently we have to put up with the growing population and try and live in peace which is annoying. We now take a slightly different approach. Instead of succumbing to victimhood we run toward them and stick our chests out. In other words, we call their bluff. Who's running away now?! 

I've also been having fun with my new Epicure products, having online FB parties for hostesses, and taking pictures of what we're eating.  It's encouraged me to step outside my box and try something new! And my family has been eating really well ... just sayin'. 

Black Bean Quesadillas 

Garden Chicken Alfredo

Epicured Tuna Melts

Asian Lettuce wraps

Butter Chicken with Mango Lassi

And that brings us up to the present where you will find us drowning in laundry, walking around piles of boxes ready to load up for the trip up north, and attempting to savor every last day we have with our girl.