January 2, 2020:
The AMAZING quilt David's mom and aunt made for me! I can't tell you what a special gift this is!
January 9, 2020:
As the new year is now firmly underway and we watch the spaces on our calendar that were recently so satisfyingly blank begin to get more and more filled in, I want to share something I've been learning for the past couple of years (trust me that I still don't have it down):
Choose your best yes and then...and here's the kicker...bless people with it.
I have slowly learned to say no to good things in order to have time and energy for the best things, but what I need to remember is to be a blessing in my "yeses". Not to grumble my way through them, not to walk around in a state of overwhelm and stress, not to make sure my family knows just how much I'm sacrificing. But to be a blessing in the things I say yes to (and make sure I have enough left to be a blessing to those I love the most.)
I'll leave you with an excerpt from a recent devotion I read:
"1 Corinthians 16:14: 'Let all that you do be done in love.' All that you do. Not some or most. Not just if you feel like it or when you have time. Not if you’re confident it will be applauded, appreciated, or accepted. Not even if you’re sure you’ll be able to see the difference it makes. All things. All ways to all people. Always."
January 24, 2020:
Inspired by Courtney DeFeo’s “Light ‘Em Up Acts” campaign, our family decided that we wanted to have an “Acts of Kindness Day” in 2020 (We left out the word “random” because it isn’t!) We thought that Valentine’s Day would be a perfect time to do it, especially with the kids having that day off from school this year.
We would love to have you join us by planning and doing your own act of kindness (...or two or ten!) with your family and then sharing about it on the event page. THERE IS NO ACTUAL MEET-UP OR GATHERING. You do this with your own family or friends, at your own convenience.
If you're interested, join the event page. I'll be posting ideas, tips, and encouragement there as we gear up for this fun day. (Again, there is no physical meet-up!) I'll also have some ideas to do on the road if you're traveling that weekend. Hope you'll join in!
February 5, 2020:
Last week I had jury duty and ended up getting selected and serving on a criminal case. The experience was fascinating, though admittedly heavy. I learned so much, not the least of which was how desperately qualified jurors are needed. I encourage you to step up and do your civic duty if you get summoned. Please don’t attempt to get out or defer. Of course it was inconvenient and annoying, but it is critical to making our justice system work. (And you just might get a thank you note from the judge.)
February 14, 2020:
What a WONDERFUL #dayofkindness2020. We gave out donuts, hid dollars at a Dollar Tree, wrote thank you notes, left surprises at a playground, ding-ding-ditched a few neighbors with daisies/diapers/donuts, and delivered treats to the fire station. It wasn’t done perfectly and there may have been some impatience (me!) but it was still an amazing day.
I have so enjoyed seeing friends’ FB posts and getting texts about their escapades. People shared with me how they gave out candy to nurses at the hospital, delivered treats to neighbors, helped restock the co-op, surprised their parents with a visit, and donated pet food for the animal shelter. So, so sweet! They made the effort and I KNOW it made a difference.
My hope with organizing this event was that we all realize how important these gestures are to incorporate into our lives and into our parenting. Through doing so, we gain much-needed perspective and help others feel noticed and loved. We combat entitlement in ourselves and our kids and help them become servant leaders. And truthfully, I almost always walk away feeling like I got the bigger blessing.
If you didn’t get a chance to join in the “FB official” event, that’s okay! The good news is that kindness isn’t restricted to one day. For the sake of others and ourselves, let’s continue the worthy work.
“Let all that you do be done in love.”
- 1 Corinthians 16:14
February 22, 2020:
It’s been a BIG day in the Sinyard house. Luke celebrated his 8th birthday and Audrey’s team won their division at GCPS Readers Rally (finished top four out of 51 teams and they’re headed to finals!) We are very proud, very thankful...and going to bed very soon.
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February 28, 2020:
Luke: "So, is there anything particularly cool that happens on Leap Day?"
Me: "Yes! Children have to cater to their parents' every whim and lavish them with presents and love all day!"
Luke, taking a beat then narrowing his eyes: "I feel like you just made that up on the spot. I'm going to need to see a book about it." (Then Audrey pipes in: "And NOT one written by Heather Sinyard.")
March 23, 2020:
Like many of you, I was disappointed by Gov. Kemp not enacting tougher measures to help get this under control. (Though my hopes were slightly buoyed to hear about the preparations being made around the state.)
I do not envy his position and the impossible decisions he has to make right now. He is trying his hardest to keep small businesses and low-income families afloat for as long as possible. The business major in me understands that, though I still disagree that his plan is the best course of action. If you do too, I urge you to keep writing and calling your county and state representatives (see earlier post for details).
In the meantime, whether you agree with his actions or not, here are some things we can ALL be doing to help:
- Pray. This is not a last resort.
- Keep (or for the love, START) extreme social distancing/quarantining as much as you are able.
- Educate your circles of influence by sharing scientific studies/articles, NOT fear-mongering news.
- Help local businesses and restaurants by ordering online gift cards to use later. I've also seen that neighborhoods are starting to band together to send take-out orders from local restaurants to front line healthcare workers.
- Donate to your community's co-op (locals can drop off on my porch or any 12Stone Church location)
And above all, keep yourself and your immediate family physically AND mentally healthy. Exercise, have some form of schedule/structure in your day, socially interact with friends and family through technology, limit news intake, etc. 12Stone's family devotions are a great resource for this: https://www.12stone.com/.../12stone-family-devotional-323
The list of things we can control at the moment is very short indeed, but we are not as helpless as we may feel. God is not pacing or wringing His hands and, because He isn't, we don't have to be either.
March 27, 2020:
We have the best neighborhood ever! Beautiful chalk art and PE challenges to lift our spirits and entertain us!
April 1, 2020:
We’re sad over here tonight. Really, really sad. We didn’t get to say goodbye to teachers, classmates, counselors, and friends. These were the final two months of elementary school for Audrey. The last time my babies would be together until 9th & 12th grades, when I hear there isn’t a very big demand for volunteers. I was launching into my “busy season” and I was really excited about soaking in every last minute of it and watching my kids and friends do the same.
I’m heartbroken for the teachers, who pour so much into these students and won’t get to see it come to fruition. I’m heartbroken for the students, who have worked so hard all year and will now miss some of the very best parts (on top of, you know, being stuck in quarantine during these crazy times).
Tomorrow we’ll get back to counting our blessings…to being thankful we’re all healthy and together and have plenty. We’ll look for the bright side and figure out ways to keep trying to show God’s love to others. We’ll be grateful that it’s not Audrey’s senior year and begin brainstorming plans for the most epic 5th grade carnival/graduation/celebration we can have this summer. We’ll regain perspective and keep moving forward. Tomorrow.
But tonight we’re really sad. So we’re camping out in the living room together as a family and eating too much candy and staying up too late watching too much TV. And that’s okay.
As Audrey said, “It’s SO STUPID…but it’s right. I HATE when a thing is stupid, but still the right thing.” Me too, Sugar. Prayers for the big AND little losses we’re all feeling these days. God cares about all of it.
April 2, 2020:
Today was better. We Zoomed with friends. We did art projects. We played outside in this gorgeous weather. We brainstormed ways to serve others. We read and sang (loudly and off-key).
It’s an ebb and flow for sure. Some days call for wallow, others for revel...most for some of both. But we’re going to keep doing the best we can.
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9
April 15, 2020:
On the first day of spring break, I gave the kids this hummingbird feeder and David put it up for us. We researched all about the birds and anxiously waited to spot one. And we waited. And waited. And waited.
For over three weeks, we cut out brightly colored paper, taped it around the posts, tied ribbons, and then changed it all out every few days. We asked teachers to weigh in. And we also prayed. Yup, we sure did ask God to bring us a hummingbird. It admittedly felt a little silly, but it mattered to us, so we asked.
And then today, this little guy FINALLY showed up. And he’s been showing up every 10-15 minutes for the last two hours. We are beside ourselves over here. It’s like Christmas morning. (It takes so little these days!)
It’s not the best picture (you can barely see his brown back), but it’s a precious reminder to us. While we may not always (read: rarely) understand or agree with God’s provision, it will always, always, ALWAYS show up in His due time.
May 1, 2020:
We have been blessed with the most incredible teachers over the years and these two ladies are no exception. Today they are out delivering 5th grade graduation yard signs to their combined classes of nearly 50 students and it is just the sweetest thing ever.
Like motherhood, I believe that teaching kids is a holy privilege...a calling. These teachers and so many others like them have risen to that calling in a million big and small ways these last seven weeks. We are more grateful than words can say, but THANK YOU!
(P.S. I will gush about my incredible girl heading to middle school and how proud I am of her in a later post. My heart just cannot take it today.)
May 11, 2020:
I recognize what a privilege it is to not have to worry about balancing work with helping to educate my kids like so many parents are doing right now. That being said, I have missed my “job” something fierce these last two months. Especially knowing this would usually be the busiest but most rewarding time of the school year...and the last one with both in elementary.
But today helped. Today we got to surprise the kids’ awesome teachers on behalf of their classes and it made my heart so incredibly happy!
May 19, 2020:
Tomorrow morning, she'll wake up to her very last day of elementary school. These last six years have flown. Faster than I expected…faster even than all those older, wiser mamas warned me that they would.
What’s even more astounding to me, however, is how much she’s grown and changed. We’ve seen an amazing transformation in her ability to speak up for herself, in her compassion for others, in her mental and emotional intelligence, and in her fantastic sense of humor. She is not the same shy girl she was walking through those doors for the first time in 2014. She’s come so far in all the best possible ways.
I am so sad that her 5th grade year ended this way. No field trip, no final field day, no last Relay for Life, no end of year carnival, no awards, no 5th grade walk, no graduation ceremony. She walked out of that building on the afternoon of March 12th, not realizing that she would never again reenter as a student. My heart broke for her on the night we had to tell her and I will never forget the look on her face as the realization sank in.
David and I have tried our best to help her balance the disappointments of the last two months with perspective. No, it’s not as bad as the seniors have it. No, it’s not a huge deal in the grand scheme of a lifetime. Yes, we are so blessed to have our health and our family. Yes, we had to do this to help others and save lives.
But as much as it’s part of my job to help her see the big picture, it’s also incredibly important to just let kids feel their feelings for a dang minute. I’m learning (slowly) that if I attempt to turn everything into a lectured life lesson, they will eventually stop sharing things with me.
So I’ve tried hard to simply listen. I’ve tried to sympathize and encourage. I’ve tried to make these days at home a little more fun. Above all, I’ve tried to point them to Jesus, who is still in complete control. I haven’t always succeeded in these attempts, but I pray one day they realize how very, very hard I tried.
Which brings me to an excerpt from a letter I wrote her (yes, with a lectured life lesson included):
“Here is my challenge to you: As you leave elementary and head into middle school, please remember to just keep trying. These next three years are going to be a roller coaster. You will make many new friends, but you may lose some old ones. You will learn an incredible amount, but there will be academic challenges. You will question your Daddy and me and we will most certainly butt heads. You will wonder whether we know what on earth we are doing as parents (spoiler alert: we do not).
We’re neither optimists nor pessimists, you and I…we’re realists. And reality is that there will be so many amazing and wonderfully fun days in middle school, but there are also going to be some tough ones. But through it all, please keep trying your best and do not give up. Just as your name means, the Lord has given you ‘noble strength’ and He is right there with you every step of the way.
And so am I, Sugar. I am right here, cheering you on as your sometimes (okay, often) embarrassing biggest fan. I can’t help it! Daddy, Luke, and I are all just so incredibly proud of you. We cannot wait to see how this next stage shapes you into the woman that God designed you to be.
You are the light of our lives, Audrey. Now it’s time to go shine somewhere new...”
Whether Pre-K, 5th, 8th, 12th, or college, hug those graduating babies tightly and cheer them on humiliatingly loudly. Not one iota of ceremonial recognition means more than the pride and approval of their parents, whether they admit it or not.
Congratulations to all of the Classes of 2020.
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