Part I
March 13th, 2020, will forever be one of the most surreal and unbelievable days we have ever experienced. It was to be the day we were heading to Graham to spend 3 days with our family at the beginning of our Spring Break before returning for final dress rehearsals with our students for our one-act play competition season. Instead, life, as we knew it, ceased to exist. Suddenly we were living in a world with social distancing, masks, constant hand washing, stay-at-home orders, quarantine, economic crisis, and our entire profession as theatre artists shut down. After some serious discussions with our family, we knew what we needed to do. And thus began our 77 Days of Guest House Quarantine.
The one-bedroom guest house at Kelsey and Ryan's house made for a perfect little home away from home during this time of quarantine. It was a given that Ryan would need to be available to his patients. We couldn't risk getting infected and bringing the virus back to this little community due to traveling to and from our home in the metroplex. We needed to be where we could help with the babies, cooking, etc, and being right out of the backdoor allowed us to do just that.
Some people reported bouts of boredom during this time of hunkering down at home. Yeah...we didn't experience that in the least! Our Lolli & Pop life got all kinds of lively! And who could resist these precious little ones waiting for us to come join the fun each day?
Holiday Hoopla
St. Patrick's Day
Our first holiday in quarantine was St. Patrick's Day. The girls had so much fun diving into all of the green goodies on the grazing tray created just for them. They were hesitant to dig in at first, but soon had no problem tasting their favorites. They truly are our favorite lucky charms!
Easter
We have to admit, the weeks leading up to Easter were pretty difficult. Not being able to go to church or see all of our family during this time just didn't feel right. As she always does, Kelsey worked hard to include every Easter celebration and tradition so that Lily and Layla wouldn't miss out and those babies loved every second of it! From delivering desserts to neighbors' porches, to dying eggs, Easter egg hunts, confetti eggs, and of course, Easter dinner, we were able to create special memories for the girls in spite of the pandemic!
Cinco de Quarantino
Kelsey found these "Cinco de Quarantino" shirts from Pigtails & Tutus and we couldn't pass them up! The girls' skirted bummies are from Dreaming of Daisies. Cinco de Mayo 2020 happened to fall on a Taco Tuesday, so we had to have a fiesta, right? Those sweeties sure do love their guac!
Mothers Day
What better way to celebrate Mothers Day than with a Brunch grazing tray? The moms were spoiled with all of their favorite dishes, getting to sleep in a bit, and having a relaxing day with the family. Absolute perfection!
Lily and Layla's 2nd Birthday
Our little princesses had a wonderful 2nd birthday! It was not the original theme or guest list their mommy envisioned, but they loved every moment of it and precious memories were created! With shipping and production delays, Kelsey was worried the girls wouldn't have anything special to wear for their party. Dreaming of Daisies came through once again with these adorable dresses of princess fabric. We had so much fun creating the sweets and treats grazing tray for our girls. If it was pink, purple, sweet and had sprinkles, we included it! Add in yard decorations, pony rides, princess crafts, presents, and playing dress up, and you have a day fit for royalty!
Yes. There was a tremendous amount of uncertainty throughout the days of quarantine. The reality was that we were living through unprecedented times with horrific outcomes for many. We, along with Kaylee, were still teaching (virtually) and trying to remain strong and supportive for our students. Ryan was still seeing as many patients as possible and doing all he could to keep them and his family safe and healthy. Kelsey was working hard to manage a now very full household and to care for her ever changing toddler girls who couldn't leave their home for 77 straight days. Kaylee and Ethan, although practically still newlyweds, had to temporarily live separately so that he could continue to work and keep us all safe from exposure to the virus. Yet God continuously reminded us that He is good and blessed us with this precious time together that we would have never had otherwise. And for that we are abundantly grateful!
Cue the confetti, y'all!
