December 31, 2019. 10:30 p.m. Sitting on the couch with my husband, Eric, trying to stay awake to watch the ball drop. Suddenly, a crying puking little baby girl called for me to come help her and hold her. Ellie was throwing up, had a fever, and needed cuddles. I slept with her. No ball drop for me and Eric just went to bed. Ellie ended up just having a really bad case of teething her two year old molars. Like, I took her to the doctor and everything and it was 100% her teeth. How sad is that? Those babies really suffer some growing pains. It was not the most wonderful way to ring in the new year but I loved I could be able to cuddle my daughter and bring her comfort and peace.
A week later....my parents are gone and in Israel for a while with church. My parents are my only babysitters and source of help unless I choose to reach out to my close friends which I hate to do because they have their own kids to care for. I got very sick. Like, hit the floor, crawling on the floor, crying, don't know how I'm going to make it through the day with a toddler, sick. Eric comes home....sick. We both had a virus (not THE virus) just a week into the new year. I finally decided since Ellie was actually healthy I wanted to keep her that way so I would call in my friends since my parents were across the world and I couldn't even call them. But guess what? My two closest and local friends were out of town and or sick themselves with the same mess. So, I finally was actually so desperate I did something I never do but I called in a close friend of mine who lives all the way in Fountain Inn to come get my child and have her spend the night. She gets all the way to my house but I AM SO not one who likes to give my child to anybody that at the moment she arrived I told her I can't do it. I'm gonna put Ellie to bed and then I'm going to lay on the cold bathroom floor. Eric was in bed in like a freakin' coma. Lucky him, his symptoms needed to be slept off, but mine were painful and wretching and just long suffering for 48 hours. He was better in 12 hours. Praise God. So my friend was super understanding and now, not only do I feel sick as a dog, but I want to cry because I drug this mama away from her children all the way out to my house to rescue me and now I'm telling her "never-mind." I felt like such a rude jerk, but her love for me and her understanding heart for me and who I am as a mama and friend, she was so loving and kind to me. She prayed over me in the garage keeping her distance so I wouldn't get her sick. I may not have accepted her help of taking my child, but her help of covering our home in the name of Jesus? It was instant. I was finally able to stand upright, manage to get Ellie to bed, and then, oh finally then I was able to lay down in my closet of all places and sleep. SLEEP SO HARD.
So that was the start to my 2020. I think we got our bad juju out at the start because we thankfully were continually blessed - even blessed by COVID-19 actually because we know God is Lord of all and Lord of our lives and we see Him in ALL aspects of our lives. Here is what our year looked like.
So we survived our sickly January and again we praise God that Ellie remained healthy, she just had to grow some big girl teeth! We continued into the year with much hiking, finding many new waterfalls preparing for a good summer with cousins for swimming and splashing.
(Above: see Eric's quarantine cut 😂😂)
In March I believe, things got weird...like really weird. COVID-19 hit....and we all have differing thoughts on that and this post is not about that nor is it to debate or stir up dissention....I'll just say that I'm so sorry for those who lost loved ones and I'm sorry for those hurt by this pandemic. I have my own family members and friends who were touched personally by it and for them I am truly sympathetic. I'm also incredibly sorry that our nation is so at odds and that so many people lost their life's work and careers and homes and jobs because of the way the media and others displayed this virus. It is heartbreaking that our country is so broken because of skewed media, the loss of our freedom to make our own decisions, and the increase of domestic violence and depression because of the virus and how it has harmed the world more than just by entering a human body.
So, COVID actually didn't really change my family's pace. I homeschool already. I like being alone as I am introverted. I love being home or out in nature exploring. I love going hiking alone (and with friends) and being out in nature. So when this got into a limited outings situation I was like, cool, whatever.....I'll just be out hiking. But then, our Governor made the call to ban South Carolinians from even hiking to a waterfall, going to a lake, a beach, the river....all because all the people that were kept from working and made to stay home were trying to stay healthy by getting exercise and beat depression by being outside getting endorphins hiking and soaking up essential Vitamin D, were found in large parties at these water scenes. I was hiking out of Station Cove Falls alone with Ellie at 6 p.m. the day this news came out. My phone actually received the notification as a very alarming alert and was buzzing like crazy. As we were hiking out I read this notice and my blood began to boil. I was angry. Do whatever you want or say about all this....I should be allowed to go hiking and swimming alone with my family getting exercise and nutrients over staying home and being stuck in a sedentary lifestyle without the fear of a fine. This is the only time I got angry during this pandemic. I feel a lot of the choices made have been ridiculous. I know this call was made because large parties of people were found together....but fine them...don't fine me for being alone in God's creation living a healthy lifestyle and staying strong and healthy. It really just makes no sense. I did actually specialize and work in a career of disease prevention and sterility in the surgical field as a certified surgical technologist and nobody is gonna get hit by a pandemic hiking alone to a waterfall. But I'll stop there with that. I got us in the car to head back home. A beautiful song came on His radio, "Amadeo (Still my God)" by Ryan Stevenson. I turned it up and began crying because it was what my soul needed at that exact moment. God is still God. God is always going to be God. God was, is, and is to come forever and ever. And nothing on this Earth is greater than He. Not even a pandemic of epic and unknown proportions. God is always in control, God is constant, and God is always good. He always has a plan. And in this moment, no matter how ridiculous I found/find a lot of the things that have resulted from this virus, I have peace that God is great and bigger than a virus and God is using this virus for His glory. You just have to look for Him and you will find Him in this whether you are on the left side of the fence or the right side of the fence. (BTW, we can have differing opinions and still be friends). In this moment, God filled my soul with peace and joy and I knew that my life is in HIS hands, not government or health officials. No one but God.
I still traveled to Georgia to see my family. I think it is really terrible some people have not seen their families and I am not judging those choices to distance because to each their own...but for me...its as simple as that is exactly what satan wants is division between families and distance and a wedge. You won't keep me from seeing my family, near or far. And praise God, none of us has even been sick with so much as a sniffle and we haven't ever stopped gathering as a family. I just praise God for that and give Him that glory. I also really credit it to we all live really healthy lifestyles full of no sedentary foods and high activity levels and lots of sunshine, healthy foods, turmeric, ginger, magnesium, etc. And I am "high risk" so.....just sayin'.....I'm thankful. Family is my everything and my favorite people and God blessed our desire to be together.
I went to Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama a few times with my sister and nieces and nephews and daughter for hikes, exhibits, and sight seeing.
We were still able to take our annual Gladden family of 3 beach vacation with really no restrictions. We were able to go out to eat, go to the pool, go putt-putting. We prayed hard about this trip and God allowed it to happen. We even had alone time at the beach as a couple as my parents took Ellie and the other grand kids for a week to the beach following our vacation so Eric and I could sunbathe in the sand alone.
We still got to go to Edisto in August as a large family. We praise God that our rental was not canceled, we got to have awesome date nights, go kayaking, bike riding, exploring, etc. and it was like really pretty normal.
We got to travel as a family to Gatlinburg and rent a cabin and go to Cade's Cove and sight seeing and hiking. Eric and I took a Christmas getaway to Helen, GA. We were just SO SO SO blessed that God allowed for us to still have our adventures and for them to not be ruined whatsoever. I just say this to glorify and credit God. I so hate it for those whose vacations were canceled; that is heartbreaking. I always look so forward to our trips and I'm thankful we could still partake in these adventures. It really is all God's provision for us and I am really humbled by that. I hope others will be able to make up for lost 2020 trips and vacations in the coming year.
Eric did have a season this summer where his company had like so many others their own struggles. I won't go into those details because that is company business and not really mine or anybody else's, but so many were laid off, and then others had to face an unknown furlough period. Eric had to furlough as the plant was shut down. We didn't know how long it would last. Eric told me one evening after a run. He told me so calmly and after he had already made up a plan to get us through this. Another reason to be in love with him... he is calm, collected, wise, smart, and has a solution for everything. And you know what? God used this furlough period for some of our biggest blessings of 2020!! Wow! Most know that Eric has been at Clemson University almost full time for Chemical Engineering for the past 3 years as well as continuing to work full time. He maintains mostly A's and a B or two and also never fails to love Ellie and I so well and tend to us. But this has been so hard for the past three years because there are weeks on end of only seeing Eric once a week. Even on Sundays he was having to meet with a group by order of a contract after church. We never saw him. I was alone all day and night.....did not see him in the mornings nor in the evenings, Ellie missed her daddy, I was overloaded and alone and exhausted but this was our life and it was temporary. We did this for 3 years and every semester got harder and harder and every semester ended with me crying but being supportive because this is his dream and his dreams are my dreams too (I keep a lot of my battle locked in so as to remain encouraging and by the end of a semester my bottle bursts and Eric is always there to hold me and get me reset for the next semester in a good frame of mind.) Teamwork. SOOOO when COVID-19 hit hard, Eric was furloughed and Clemson went virtual. Eric was HOME!! Hallelujah!! We went hiking, walking, playing together, boating on our little lake, cooking together, watching movies together again, etc. It was the biggest blessing. God made a way for us to be together and catch up and actually sort of make our life normal again and God still provided for us financially. I can't put it into words...I cannot extract my emotion deeply enough to tell you what a blessing his furlough and virtual classes were to us this year. The furlough ended up lasting about 2 or 3 weeks but school never went back to a campus flow for Eric which meant he got to be home at normal hours everyday. And while he still had to do schoolwork and stay up late working on projects in the dining room, he was HOME with his girls. I could look at him, kiss him, talk to him, feed him, care for him, and know he was safe and not commuting from Clemson to Greenville to home for 2 hours out of his day at sleepy hours of the night. My husband and best friend was home.
We actually were further blessed that because of the pandemic, Clemson decided to offer a course required of Eric, in the summer. when normally it is only possible to take it in fall or spring semesters. This was a game changer for our family! Eric was able to knock out a most difficult course in the summer and lighten his fall load and praise God because fall was still a doozy (But my baby got all A's and one B!) And now, his FINAL semester is coming up in a couple weeks and he gets to do all virtual courses still which allows us more time as a family and no commuting for 2 hours out of the day between work, school, and home! So, while COVID sucks...God has definitely used it for good in our lives as well. We see Him in this. We praise Him for this blessing.
And to get mushy on you....I honestly have never loved Eric more in my life than I do now and I knew the night I first spoke to him that I loved him and I was going to marry him (as did anyone else who saw our first meeting). I LOVE him and I am so thankful for him. Our marriage has always been great but honestly this year we have learned and grown together in such a beautiful way. I respect and value him with all my heart. I genuinely like and love the man he is and he makes me so happy. He makes all the hard things and scary things better and good. He is a strong, smart, patient, loving, wonderful man who has just taught me so much and I've noticed his growth in the Holy Spirit this year too which is the sexiest thing EVER! I've really grown in my relationship with Jesus this year too and I mean....isn't all this worth it if it means we walk closer with God? Whose own glory is what our lives are about in the first place?!
And who remembers the tornado that hit hard here in the upstate, particularly in Seneca? Well, we live 30 minutes from Seneca. The particular night it hit, we knew it was coming but we weren't sure what it would really amount to. Ellie went to bed and I actually chose to sleep in the guest room for two reasons: 1. I couldn't sleep, I was too hot. 2. I wanted to be near Ellie because I always sleep with her if she wakes up in fear of a storm. I don't remember the exact details but something like 2:30- 3 in the morning, Eric came and got me up and told me the tornado was here in Seneca and we need to get up and move to our safest room which in our house is the hull of our laundry room. He had already made us a big cozy bed in there with flashlights, batteries, and a spot for Ellie and Blondie to cuddle in between us. We got Ellie up and remained calm and pretended we were camping out in the laundry room. We read story books by flashlight and Ellie giggled and cuddled and thought this was the best. That little girl STILL talks about the night we went camping in the laundry room and how happy that made her. I was very scared internally and Eric took good care of us all. There was so much heavy wind, loud sirens, and pounding rain. The power went out, trees fell in our neighborhood. By 5 a.m. we finally were safe and all went back to our real beds. Ellie was disappointed to have to do that haha! A tornado hit and it brought my family closer. For Ellie it was bonding time with her parents and she never had a clue. For me, it was a time that made me stronger and braver and again left me to trust my husband who is our strong leader and just takes such good care of us. God kept us safe and bonded us through this time together.
I wouldn't have chosen this tornado, hurricane, earthquake, murder hornet, no toilet paper, job fearing, Corona filled year....but I am thankful for it and how God has lead it and used it in my little family's life. God is good ALL THE TIME!
Other bonuses:
* We inherited my parent's piano when they moved.
* Blondie turned 4 years old.
* We got snow!
* We got to see The Swan Princess performed by the ATL Ballet Co.
* I won tickets to the Broadway production of Aladdin at the Peace Center after taking Ellie to see the junior production in Spartanburg giving Eric and I a "fancy date night!"
* I won membership to the Pickens County History Museum and a 3 night vacation to Six Mile Campground in a cabin which Eric and I will be doing in the start of 2021.
* My whole family got to visit the American Girl Doll store in ATL for hair appointments for the girls' dolls and a tea party. (They closed their doors amid the pandemic - so thankful to have gotten to go this year!)
* We took many camping trips as a whole family!
* Ellie go to see Frozen Jr. and Tarzan in production
* We took a surprise trip to Charleston for the Chinese Lantern Festival ONE week before lockdown.
* We began gardening this year!
* We did a lot of fishing at home
* We celebrated the 4th as a whole family with fireworks and food at our house and swimming and kayaking at my parent's lake land!
(Large Sparklers from our wedding! 😍😍😍)
* Ellie turned 3 and requested hibachi for dinner.
* Eric turned 38 & I turned 30!
* Ellie and I did a mommy and me cake decorating class at Tip Top Cake Shop
* Ellie had a Christmas Dance Recital
* Eric's parents got to visit
Overall, 2020 was actually a good year for us. Was it my favorite year? No...I had hoped that entering the 20's would be more like Gatsby but this "roaring 20's" needs to probably settle down a bit. Honestly I am just so grateful that God is the Lord and leader and director of my life and my family because that has made the difference in our year. God has been the light in the darkness and He always will be. Hopefully 2021 will bring a different pace but one thing is for sure, it will bring glory to God in our hearts and our home. We praise Him and thank Him for every year He brings.
