MACK Inc Apprentices

It's that time of year again!

Makin' beans green.

Needs Batteries

Tucker (age 2.25) found this piece of paper from Mason's school work. He pushed the red circles, handed it to me and said, "needs batteries".

Sometimes I wonder what learning will look like for my grand or even great-grand children.

I can only hope to see the day.

Resurrection Inside

We did everything we could to make Easter 2020 feel as normal as Easters past but Covid 19 and the weather certainly put us to the test.

The wind howled, the temps dropped, the snow and ice come down but it was nothing but resurrection inside our cozy home and hearts.

Papa and Onnie joined us for dinner and the boys enjoyed a basement egg hunt.

 

And just to keep things real and remind us all of our need for a savior...

"Resurrection is another word for change, but particularly positive change - which we tend to only see in the long run. In the short run, it often just looks like death." 

This Easter I am certainly reminded that we must look beyond the short term to see the positive change God is providing.

Social Distancing Shenanigans

We are wrapping up week 3 of social distancing here in Sutton. Here are a few things that have kept us entertained thus far.

Fool's Day pranks

Online art lessons

Pigasso

Mootisse

Cup stacking challenges

Palm Sunday crafts

Fancy dinner with a Thanksgiving menu of turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, corn and peach crisp. Jentry set a beautiful table and insisted we all dress up for a change.

Crafting

"Farming" in the backyard 

Jentry's Nail Salon

Vavooming everywhere

Baking

Tea Parties 

Card games

Creative snacks

Counting money

And when time allows, a bit of office work.

Covid-19 and 6

Yesterday we celebrated Mason's 6th Birthday.

As with most everything these past weeks, the celebration was not as we had planned. Instead of Sunday morning church followed by a birthday brunch with friends and family, this boy received a special birthday shout out from Pastor Mary via Facebook live and "Happy Birthday" sung by virtual guests via a group video chat.

Decorations consisted of left over party supplies from our storage room and a few confetti "sixes" made last-minute courtesy of Cricut.

Papa and Onnie McKenzie were able to attend in person and the weather was perfection.

I am grateful for technology that allowed us to share this special day with others. I am grateful for the ability to spend time outside. I am grateful for delivery services that brought fabulous gifts to our door. But on THIS special day, I am most grateful for one handsome and healthy 6-year-old boy in which we get to celebrate. 

Mason was all smiles and zero complaints about is unique 'rona birthday.

Lucky

This past week has been one of strangest I have encountered. It is difficult to find words to describe the emotions that have swept through my mind. For the most part I have remained positive and hopeful as that is my natural character, but I would be dishonest to say that I have had zero doubts or fears.

I have read countless articles, posts, reports, blogs, memes, jokes regarding a term that didn't even exist merely 6 months ago. Most of my reading has pertained to my job and the banking industry, however it has been interesting to see how business and personal have meshed together these past few weeks. Everything is connected. The silos have come down, the dividers pulled, nothing and no one is excluded from the impact of COVID-19.

Nathan and I have often wrestled with ways in which to slow the whirling world around us and our family. Never would we have dreamed something like this. Something so massive in which to rein the entire globe!

No matter the outcome, the timeline, the impact...God uses everything according to his plan.

Our Saint Patrick's Day celebrations looked a little different than years past. No crowded party, no green beer, no night out with friends just my tribe of five and Papa and Onnie McKenzie at our home. But oh how Lucky am I!

LUCKY to have corned beef and cabbage
LUCKY to have leprechaun loaf
LUCKY to have my health
LUCKY to work from home
LUCKY to live in supportive small-town Nebraska
LUCKY to have an outstanding employer
LUCKY to have an 11-year-old daughter excited to teach her 5-year-old brother from home
LUCKY to have a wonderful childcare provider for Tucker
LUCKY to have a loving and steady best friend to weather this storm
LUCKY to have wonderful neighbors
LUCKY to have Facetime with family
LUCKY to live in a historic time of uniting
LUCKY to know I am saved

 

Do you want to build an Igloo?

March provided us with another infamous Sugar Snow snow. Several inches of very wet snow fell throughout the night.

Somehow, Mason talked Nathan into assisting him with an Igloo creation.

I can only hope Mason holds this memory as close to his heart as my very own childhood memory of building an igloo with my sister and the neighbor boy.