Corona Virus Quarantine Day #132: Goodbyes, Play Time and More Goodbyes: July 31, 2020:

It’s going to be August tomorrow…let that soak in.  I honesty cannot believe it.  Usually at this point in the summer, I’m in panic mode because school is starting in one week and we will have students in two weeks…then there’s the fact that volleyball will be starting full speed all at the same time.

This year…as you all know, NONE of that is happening.  I’m in panic mode for an entirely different reason.  Instead of all of this coming and so fast, I’m worrying that it never will arrive.  2020 is weird.

Today was a day of goodbye’s in several ways.  First of all, we said goodbye to our class of 2020 at St. James Academy.  Our class of 2020, the largest class we’ve ever had at SJA graduated today…finally.  It was a rocky road to get to this day as graduation almost didn’t happen, not only because of the corona virus but because of Mother Nature.  I was sad that I couldn’t attend with the date and time switch (because of all the rain yesterday) but I will live vicariously through my Facebook feed and will celebrate this class as they close the door officially on their high school years.  I pray for them all.  They face challenges in their first year of college that we can’t even imagine.  When I left Chicago for school in Kansas there was no pandemic happening, the worst I had to deal with was the worst heat wave Kansas had seen in years (that pales in comparison of course).  I remember being beyond excited, soooooo ready to move on and a little nervous too.  I didn’t have all of those emotions PLUS a pandemic and a million unknowns to contest with.  So this group of graduates need our prayers like never before.  I am proud to know them, have taught them and even coached a few of them too!  Good luck to all of them in the fun years that follow!  And…so many prayers as we continue down the path of 2020 together in all it’s weirdness.

Our other goodbye came in the form of one of our former players.  She came over to get some reps in at the barn as she’s training to play overseas.  She leaves Monday for Germany and we have no idea the next time we will see her.  It was strange, I think, for both of us.  Even though she’s been gone the last four years at college there was always the inevitable trip to the Final Four to see her play, visits over Christmas and time over the summer.  I imagine I felt a very small fraction of what parents must feel like when they send their kids to college half way across the country.  Except for the fact that this one is leaving the country.  There are so many unknowns for her because of the corona virus but I’m incredibly proud of her for taking the risk and going to live out her dreams of playing volleyball professionally.  She couldn’t be doing it for the first time ever at a stranger time.  I was a little emotional as she drove away as Fletcher was blowing her kisses (I think he may have a little crush). The kids were shocked when they learned they might not see her for 9 months.  They didn’t like the idea of that, frankly, neither do we.  Either way…goodbyes are hard and I’m not a fan.

It’s pretty fun when your former players become like big sisters to your own children…and jungle gyms.  Really fun jungle gyms.  Also, they school your children in games like ping pong.  I love that they don’t let them win.  We are so blessed that our children are surrounded by all of our alum.  They are all so special in so many ways.

Goodbye hugs are the worst.  When Jenna returns Ellen may be as tall as her!

With all these goodbyes in my day I needed to be in the barn with my humans playing sports to shake it off while listening to some jams.  This always makes everything feel better.  GOD bless the barn and my husband for thinking of it.

Cooper pitched balls to Fletcher for a solid hour today in the barn. Listening to him give him helpful instruction was enough to make my heart melt. Cooper’s always been good to his baby brother but today was a whole different level.  

Bryan snapped a video tonight of the daily mayhem of our barn life and I’m so grateful to have it.  It perfectly sums up our every day.

These boys went down to fish and had a successful day!  Daddy even caught his first fish!  

So…to all of the parents who are preparing to send their kids off to school in the coming weeks or months…holy Moses…I’m praying for you. I cannot imagine the feelings a parent must have when they send their sweet babies off to college, because let’s be honest, they will always feel like they are our babies…even when they are all grown up.

So…with that in my mind as I head to bed for the day…so many prayers for all those hard goodbyes I know are in a lot of people’s near future.

#dorseyshenanigans

#celebr8awesome