Covid Holidays

I haven’t blogged for way too long because 2020 finally got us yall. Covid-19 actually finally got us. We had a Covid Holliday season and man has it been a rough roller coaster ride! Really rough! It was so rough in fact, I’m pretty sure the roller coaster was on fire! 

I was the first to get Covid in our family and there is definitely no way to know where I got it. But there was a small outbreak at DPAC so we had some friends sick at the same time. Much to a lot of cute kids disappointment, the outbreak also caused the postponement of our Suessical shows. So after knowing I had been exposed and others tested positive on Tuesday, I woke up with a dry cough on Wednesday November 18th and Keagan was very insistent I go get tested. I was still so shocked when the results came back positive. The next day both Keagan and Riley tested positive and the most unfortunate positive result came to Nana on Sunday. We did contact tracing at work and school, forced others into quarantine and worried just how bad this Covid thing was going to be while we buckled down for 14 days of strict quarantine to prevent any spread. Over the next 14 days we rested a ton, I slept every minute I could and the girls had WAY too much screen time. 

Keagan did the best with Covid for sure. She never got a single symptom! And it turns out I was worried about Riley for no reason because she had a stuffy nose for two days and then she was good. I was beyond exhausted for the first 5 days, then came the leg aches which were pretty much horrendous. I would wake up at night and check to see if my legs were popping off my body they hurt so bad! Thanksgiving day I came down with a fever when I was already 8 days into it so day 8-11 where down right horrific! After that I continued to improve and feel better as long as I was on Tylenol or ibuprofen because I still woke up with a fever every morning for far too long. 

Unfortunately it hit Nana the very hardest. The first 8 days she was home sleeping thru it while I gave her meds and checked her oxygen levels. I even got Jaron to come over and give her an IV drip but it got to the point I knew we needed to get her into the hospital. She refused to go with me or the paramedics that came to the house so Kirk came from Austin and she agreed to go with him. He took her to St Luke’s hospital on November 30th and today she still is yet to be able to come back home. She was very, very sick for over two weeks at St Luke’s. She was on max oxygen, had a feeding tube and a pic line because so many IVs blew, and because she was so disoriented and confused she pulled out IVs and her feeding tube multiple times so she had to be restrained to the bed. It was torture to watch her go thru hell but add to it that she was there alone and because of Covid absolutely no one could go in to see her and it broke my heart. We had lots of tears and sibling zoom calls full of hard discussions. We were preparing for the worst and trying to honor her clear wishes so she was transferred by ambulance to The Woodlands Medical Resort to be put on hospice. Kirk and Evan did the transfer with her which was the first time she had seen any of us in weeks. 

Now at this hospital we can speak to her thru her window. Sometimes they open the window and sometimes we just yell from the other side, but it sure is better then nothing! I go see her everyday and since she was  transferred there she has just gotten better and better! She has been thru hell but she is improving everyday! The bad news is she has been in a hospital bed for so long and has something called foot drop so she is going to need physical therapy to regain her strength, balance and be able to walk again. The good news is we are currently in the process of getting her moved off hospice in the same hospital to long term care program that will give her that therapy she needs so she can start walking again and come home! We have all missed her SO much but especially Riley who likes to leave chocolate on Nanas bed that I’m sure she is hoping to share with her when she gets home! I really look forward to that day but pray multiple times a day that the Lords will, whatever it may be, will be done for her. 

During quarantine Taryn helped us SO much!! She brought us our groceries and so many yummy meals! She even picked up our heat and serve Thanksgiving feast from Cracker Barrel that turned out to be yummy! We had a cute little Thanksgiving despite me being pretty sick because Keagan worked so hard to help! Other friends brought us meals too and prayed their guts out! So many people are still praying so hard for Nana and I know the prayers have all helped so much! 

Despite our constant heart ache over Nana plus the visits and phone calls for her, Keagan, Riley and I have stayed busy trying to keep good things going for the season! 

We decorated for Christmas the day after thanksgiving and enjoyed it all so much until yesterday when it all went back to the storage unit! There is nothing like sitting quietly with just the lights from the Christmas tree! For the third year in a row Keagan did the tree all by herself and with me being sick she did a ton of the rest of the decorating as well! SO blessed by her! 

Keagan once again out cooking me! 


Keagan and her friend won a band cubby decorating contest


Riley LOVED filming her virtual choir concert and I was thankful to be able to go and help. She did great and I’m SO proud of her! 






Keagan was selected as the Doerre Rock Star of the week and I am beyond proud that she was recognized for being helpful, kind, prepared and advocating for herself! 

Keagan earned the chance to eat lunch outside with friends.


Riley had 4 days with just her, a teacher and an aide because her two regular teachers and classmates were all still quarantined from being exposed to her. You know she LOVED all the attention! 


We had a winter showcase at DPAC. Keagan performed a gorgeous duet for her dance class and both girls performed with the Ovation choir. It was Riley’s first performance with Ovation and the joy was just shooting out of her and she sang so loud we could all hear her! Keagan beautifully performed her solo “Never Fall in Love with an Elf” and a duet of “When Your Feet don’t Touch the Ground” with Dillion Cluff. During the Ovation performance of “Dont Stop Believing” Keagans solo part came up and it was unplanned but she pulled Riley forward with her to sing and it melted me! There’s almost nothing better then watching my girls be SO happy doing what they love! 

The girls went to a virtual Secret Santa party on zoom that Calli and Mrs Heather worked hard to set up! 


We went to two different light show drive thrus with the Frenchs that were both awesome! One was on Christmas Eve and we got Hudson as a bonus! 



















One night we went to City Place with Miss Taryn and Reagan to see the gorgeous tree, lights and gingerbread village and had a jolly good time! We will probably never forget this night and meeting Stan the Man! 

We had a super fun night when we went to the zany Gullo house with the Whitney’s and we’re excited to run into old Mahaffey friends there! And one night we had a blast going thru Prestonwood with Miss Heather and Calli. 
















While I had a long visit with Nana one day Reagan babysat and tackled the gingerbread house making with the girls! 

On Christmas Eve the girls exchanged their sister gifts, we got our matching pajamas and participated in the Ginn Famiky Tic Tock video challenge. We said goodbye to our silly elf Elmer who at the beginning of the month had been in quarantine. We spent time with the Frenchs including hot chocolate and the light show previously talked about. And we had a great laughter filled cookie making dance party to make Santa cookies! We topped it off with our tradition masks and nativity reading. 

Then Santa came to our house! We are so blessed! He brought Riley a blow up Ice Cream stand and Keagan a photo printer! Of course they were also spoiled by me, their dad, grandma Debbie, Nana, Sa and Auntie Jenn! Riley’s other favorite gifts were the bust of Princess Anna where you can do her hair and a walking unicorn on a leash. Keagans other favorites were new clothes, adidas and color LED lights for her room. I will cherish my handmade clothespin reindeer from Riley and my car phone charger that Keagan bought with her own money and got Reagan to take her to get! I also used the money Nana had previously given all of us for Christmas to by an Instant Pot! 

After presents we worked together to make our big traditional Pakka breakfast with all the good stuff. In the afternoon we visited Nana and had a really yummy Christmas dinner at the Frenchs and hung out there. The girls jumped on the trampoline there for over an hour and I marveled that Keagan perfected her front flip and that Riley jumped along with her when she was once in a wheelchair! Besides missing Nana it was a really Ed great Christmas! 

The time between Christmas and New Years is always hazy. We spent it making daily visits to Nana, sleeping in, doing chores, Riley played with her new toys and seeing friends. We had the Reeves over one day and one night we absolutely loved doing raclette for dinner at the Whitney’s! Riley also had two separate doctors appointments at Texas Children’s and I am forever inspired by her brave and joyful nature! 

On New Years Eve I had the three youngest Whitney kids while their sweet momma had surgery so we decided to go on a fun adventure/mini road trip! After a visit to Nana of  course we headed to Galveston to go to Moody Gardens. We did the aquarium and the rainforest pyramid and we all absolutely loved it! Our favorites were the penguins, sea lions, jelly fish, monkeys and flamingos. It was such a blast and something I had wanted to do for years! 

After a stop at Buc-ee’s we headed home for more fun! The Whitney’s cousins came into town who just happen to also be 12 year old girl twins and Mr Kyle and sweet Adri put together a fabulous New Year’s Eve party for all of us! We had the delicious and fun raclette for dinner again and then we played a ton of fun games each 30 minutes after popping a balloon to reveal the activity for that half hour! We played the name game, Neanderthal poetry, reindeer antler toss, 2020 reflection the ever favorite Saran Wrap ball game and had hot chocolate. We all made it til midnight and ended up watching the neighbors put on some fabulous fireworks to celebrate! I even got a kiss (wink, wink) at midnight! 

If you would have asked me back at the beginning of November how bad 2020 was I would have said “really not that bad.” We had a lot of quality and quantity family time, developed resiliency, grew a lot, faced challenges and had fun! But the holiday season brought Covid-19 into our family and the result has been honestly pretty horrendous! So good riddance 2020! I am actually really, really thankful we all survived you! 

I am not naive enough to think 2021 is going to be perfect because we are two days in and already facing challenges. But we are ready for whatever blessings and lessons 2021 has in store for us! I will continue to pray that the Lords Will will be done and that whatever that is, that I can have enough faith and be given the strength to make the best of whatever comes our way! Hopefully Nana does well in therapy and is able to come home soon! Besides hoping for that, my 2021 goals are to get back on track with our weekly Come Follow Me study together, my daily scripture reading and what else but to bloom where you're planted! 

Let’s see what you got for us 2021! Happy New Year!