It took me awhile to get to this place. I still fall back into just sadness over this whole quarantine thing. I mourn a bit the ‘old way of life.’ Mainly, getting to see our families and the freedom to come and go without fear of bringing home a deadly virus. But, I’ve also come to realize that there are things about quarantine that I genuinely love, and I’ll miss once life goes back to “normal.”

For a person whose love language is quality time, I’m getting a lot of it. Being with the two people I love the most for an extended period of time without interruption or the need to go-go-go has been a blessing. I feel more connected to my family than I have in years…heck, maybe ever.

I can see when Nathan’s having a crazy, busy day at work, because he’s in the house working just down the hall. And my level of frustration when he has to work late or work at a strange time, has changed with my ability to see us more as one connected unit that has to work together through this time.

There’s also the element of getting to spend a ton of time with Harrison. I’m noticing things that change in his vocabulary, his preferences, and general demeanor that I haven’t had the chance to notice and study since I was on maternity leave with him.

These are probably the greatest blessings to get to spend time together as our little three-unit family before baby boy #2 joins us at the end of July.

Watching spring unfold before my eyes. While it’s killing me to not be able to meander a garden center right now and pick out plants for the spring, we’ve gotten to spend so much time outside this spring. Taking work calls and eating lunch on the patio. Watching the leaves sprout from the trees, and the tulips break through the ground and open up. We’ve watched birds come back and start making nests, and for the first time ever, there’s been time for it.

Time for trying new recipes. There have been recipes that I’ve been wanting to try for ages, and never had the time. Usually those recipes that say something to the effect of “simmer all day, then add this and simmer for another hour.” Nobody has time for that working outside of the house! While none of them have been definite repeats yet, you can’t find a new favorite without trying something “new.”

I love not being rushed. Will there ever be a time in the future where the entire world is just on pause? It’s just a quiet, calmness to the whole Earth. For the first time in forever, I feel myself enjoying the simplicity of our routines again. Because there is time to cherish them rather than them being one extra thing that has to be done in the evening.

The amount of time I spend getting ready in the morning. Before quarantines, I felt like I rushed around this house like a chicken with her head cut off. Trying to get everyone ready and out the door to daycare, dog fed, look presentable for work, etc. It’s amazing how much less stressful morning are around the house when there’s no commute. No one to really impress by what you’re wearing that day. And somehow, getting to drink my coffee out of a coffee mug is some small little piece of joy for me each morning.

And my BIGGEST favorite of the whole week, and not just quarantine, is that this little boy is cast free again!!! This was his last picture with his cast before going to the doctor with Nathan to get it off. We’re still getting used to walking around without a cast, and aren’t quite back up to full speed yet, but we’ll get there again!