(Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase from an affiliate link, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. I appreciate your support of this blog!)
Have you guys seen that meme that says “It’s funny how March is next month but March was also last month….?” I’m feeling that on a deep level. Time seemed to stop last March; it feels like it is still March, rather than March again.
So in an attempt to wrap my mind around the fact that an actual year has apparently gone by, I’m reflecting on my photos from March 2020. A few things that really characterize the beginning of “quarantine:” virtual worship, sidewalk chalk “stained glass,” Cosmic Kids Yoga, drive-by visits with friends, and doing ALL the puzzles.
Also, trying to catch the Kona Ice truck in our neighborhood.
Just for good measure, we had a bee infestation. (Don’t worry, we called a pro, and no bees were harmed. ;))
Jonas turned 1! It was definitely a different kind of celebration than Afton’s 1st birthday, but we tried to make it special (and were thankful for Facetime.) I remember thinking that at least he wasn’t old enough to know he was missing out and that surely COVID would be all over by the time Afton’s birthday came around—ha! (To be fair, we had not planned a big party for Jonas anyway, but that’s because we had an upcoming international trip with family and figured we’d celebrate across the pond, but of course that did not happen either.)
It strikes me as funny that both kids have weird markings on their foreheads here. Jonas’s is a bruise, and Afton’s is a temporary tattoo, which I let her put on her face since school was closed. Maybe I am noticing this because it was just Ash Wednesday, and it was so strange not to have ashes on my forehead this year. We’re now doing our second annual Lent read-through of the Jesus Storybook Bible, and it is so hard to believe it was a whole year ago that we were doing that same thing. It most definitely feels like it is still Lent, not Lent again.
Which reminds me of the meme from this time last year (which feels like yesterday?!) that said “I didn’t plan to give up this much for Lent.” I had actually had that exact thought but didn’t verbalize it and felt so validated (but maybe also a tad sacrilegious?) when I read that. And now it feels more like, “I didn’t plan on Lent lasting quite this long. ;)
Looking at these pictures now, I think I’m mostly glad that we didn’t yet know how much we’d be giving up, and for how long.
We’ve certainly spent a lot of time right here at home (and up and down our street) in the past year, but luckily it’s a pretty lovely place to be. :)