Our 2020 (so far)

2020 has been a lot of things for a lot of people.  There's been so much going on globally, nationally, locally...and the majority of what we hear about has been steeped in negativity.  My lack of comment on the world’s happenings is not out of ignorance or lack of compassion - I am just as saddened/frustrated/confused/scared as the next person.  Those feelings, however, are ones I'd rather not sit in, and I'm not one to stir the pot.  Instead, I'd like to share a couple (major) silver linings that have shown around the clouds of 2020 in our little corner of the world in an effort to spread some positivity and light.

First of all, and probably most obviously, we became a family of four!  Lydia Kaylynn was born September 9th - the day before her due date.  (If you're interested in her birth story, I've documented it here.)  Her first name is one we've liked for a long time, and her middle name is both her grandmothers' middle names combined.  What a precious gift she is!

(A generous and thoughtful group of friends gifted us a newborn/family photo session with a talented friend from church (@ladder_and_lens - if you're in the KC area, be sure to check her out - she'll be doing holiday mini-sessions soon!).)  

Many of you have asked how Jacob is adjusting, and I know even more of you are probably wondering.  He was very excited for us to come back from the hospital and barely took time to greet his dad and I before taking a peek at "baby sister."  It took less than 24 hours, however, for him to say things like, "I don't love it when she cries" and "When is she going to leave?"  He has come around, though, and we've all settled in more and more with each passing day.  He truly loves to help - fetch things, help with bath, feed her, etc., so that's been fun.  Any feelings of jealousy/neglect/annoyance/etc. have manifested themselves in some behavior issues, so that hasn't been fun.  He's been such an easy kiddo thus far, so these probably seem worse than they are, simply because he's been so good up until now.  He's also three, though, so these things are probably to be expected - new baby or not.  I've shed some tears over it all - both in frustration and exhaustion, but also a bit in mourning our "only child" and wondering if/when he'll go back to the way he was.  But then I realize that's expecting the impossible of him - life is different for all of us in a forever sort of way.  I've needed to tap into some extra grace for both him and myself as we navigate the new.  The year has been full of transition and change, and I think we are all craving some routine and normalcy - certainly in this house, at least.  Whether or not reestablishing some sort of routine will help with the adjustment period is yet to be seen, but either way, we'll figure it out.  

Perfect capture of the face we get when asking him to smile, these days. 
Of course he would choose the month he gains a sibling and we'd like to take allll the cute pictures to decide to try his hand at fake-smiling.

Moments like this make it all worth it, though.
(This was unpromted...he really does love her.)

Lydia has been such a good baby!  The first week or so was a bit rocky, as expected - hormones, all the changes, lack of sleep, etc. - but once we got our "newborn legs" under us, a bit, we started settling in more and more.  The most challenging thing, so far, as with our last baby, has been figuring out feeding.  She nurses like a champ, but for whatever reason, doesn't get enough milk from me, so we're supplementing some formula.  This is what we did with Jacob, as well - it just didn't take us as long to figure out what to do with Lydia.  It was still a hard thing for me, though, and I don't know if I can fully explain why except to say I was simply disappointed.  Disappointed it wasn't different this time (as I sort of expected being our second child).  Disappointed in my body and/or myself for not being able to figure out how to make it work better.  And once I realized and accepted it's out of my control, disappointed that it didn't work better.  I'm in a much better place now, though, and it's all going just fine.  A sweet perk of supplementing has been Jacob being able to help feed Lydia.  Early on, I think he was disappointed that I was the only one able to feed her, because due to books we'd read and things he'd observed, he assumed all babies ate from bottles and he'd be able to help.  So, when he first saw the bottle out, he said, "That will be easier!" meaning that would be easier for him to use to feed her.  He immediately asked to help, and of course, we obliged.  This was something I'd forgotten he would want to help with, so hadn't expected him to be so anxious to be included.  His enthusiasm and joy made all the other emotions/turmoil I'd been experiencing totally worth it.

♥

Secondly:

As many of you know, and others may have picked up on, Bryant (along with almost 50% of the company he worked for) was laid off due to COVID at the beginning of August (after being furloughed in July and asked to burn most of his vacation days in June).  This was something we had sort of anticipated at the beginning of "all this" in March, but as spring turned into summer, we thought there was less of a chance of it happening, so it came as quite a surprise.

You may be thinking, as we were, "What about insurance?  Aren't you expecting a baby?"  This was definitely one of the things we were most concerned about.  Because he worked one day at the beginning of August, our insurance plan through his employer would be good through the end of August - right before we were expected to deliver a baby in early September.  Bryant did an amazing job researching potential options for us, and as a result, he discovered that I, as a pregnant woman, qualified for Medicaid (so did Jacob).  That meant my appointments and Lydia's birth would be completely covered!  Here's the more amazing part, though: had he collected one more paycheck, we would've been over the income threshold and not qualified.  Thanks, God.

A little over a year ago, our church small group went through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University (FPU).  Bryant and I have always kept a budget, but this program helped us tighten it up and be more conscious of our financial planning.  Because of this, we really were able to experience peace during this time of unemployment.  I realize this isn't the case for everyone when they lose a job, and I absolutely do not take it for granted.  I share this, however, because it is yet another piece of evidence that God had it all under control all along.  Also, I'd encourage anyone and everyone to participate in FPU (or something similar) in whatever capacity you're able - it really pays off (pun not originally intended).

As I mentioned, Bryant's previous employer required employees to use up all but a couple days of their vacation in the month of June, due to COVID.  So, had he still been working in September, he would've only had a few days off at the beginning of our transition to a family of four.  Instead, he's been home for weeks - both before and after the birth.  What a true blessing it's been to have him here.  Not only has he been home as we navigate the newborn phase with a toddler, but he was also home at the end of my pregnancy (when I was struggling to get down and up off the floor to play with Jacob, couldn't really lift things, was going to the bathroom every five minutes, etc.).  I'm certain the help he provided, and therefore, the extra rest I was able to get, contributed positively to my general mental health and largely to my quick recovery after delivery.  

Since we couldn't really travel during this time, we spent our time at home, which meant lots of quality family time (as well as mother/son and father/son time).  I can't tell you how many lists we made, finished, and re-made, because we had plenty of time and headspace to complete lingering projects before we had a new baby.  Because we were able to get so much done beforehand, we've really been able to focus on family time and rest when we can since she's been here.  

I've been waiting to share all this till we were "out of the woods" and on the other side of it all.  Not because I doubted it would happen - just because I wanted to be able to wrap it all up in one neat and tidy blog post, if possible - haha.  I'm happy to say that after submitting almost 60 job applications, several interviews (via phone, Zoom, and in person), and a few offers, Bryant is starting a new job tomorrow!  It's a normal M-F 8-hour day shift, which is not always the case in his line of work and is really wonderful for our family.  The position itself is a great career move for him and something he's excited about.

While we are so, so thankful for this job, it will surely be yet another adjustment for everyone.  Jacob and I (and now, Lydia, whether she realizes it or not) have become very accustomed to having Daddy home on a daily basis.  We've developed some rhythms over the past few months that have been so enjoyable but will be hard to break.  Please do not hear any of this as a complaint on my part - again, we're so glad for this employment opportunity.  We'll just be sad to see this sweet, dreamy season end.

You see all these silver linings, right?  Bryant was unemployed for months, and while at the onset it was scary and stressful, looking back, it was truly a blessing in disguise.  How else would he have had over a month off after the birth of our new baby?  How else would we have been able to accomplish everything we did so quickly and stress-free?  When else would he have gotten to spend so much one-on-one time with Jacob (doing lots of things, but mostly playing on the awesome swing set he built...and when would he have had time to do that, too?!)?

I realize not all of you believe in God, so perhaps you just perceive me as simply being optimistic about all this.  Even the strongest pessimist, though, would surely have a hard time ignoring the silver linings in our 2020.  Perhaps you are a believer, but find yourself in the middle of a similar (or worse) circumstance and doubting God's plan.  For us, what seemed like the worst timing may have actually been the best, and I truly believe it was not an accident.  I'm confident the Lord orchestrated every detail in our specific circumstance, as He does all circumstances.  I see this as clear evidence of His faithfulness and provision, and I pray this evidence will point you toward Him and serve as a reminder of His goodness.

Thank you so much to those of you who have supported, encouraged, and prayed for us during this time.  Thank you, also, for all the gifts and meals many of you have provided as we welcomed Lydia to our family.  These things would’ve been greatly appreciated, no matter when we might have had a baby, but they blessed us even more during this time when our budget was tighter than normal.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: we have an amazing village who loves us so well - in all circumstances, but especially through tough ones.  To say we have a lot to be thankful for is an understatement.  

Amazedly,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

fall weather (mostly the perfect-70's-windows-open days, but the cozier ones, too)

This meal - made and plated by my super-dad husband who made the tomato soup from our garden-fresh tomatoes (and basil) while wearing a baby.

Being able to complete this project: processing all our garden-fresh butternut squash!
(It's amazing what one can accomplish with just a newborn around after becoming accustomed to a newborn AND a toddler.  Was thankful for some quality time with this sweet baby girl, as well as some time to get a few things done.)

New(ish) Job Title!

"Home Shopping Clerk"

That's it.  That's my newest job title. ☺

About 10 months ago, I started working at HyVee.  As some of you know, I love grocery shopping.  I had been known to say, "I'd do this for other people...paid or not!"  And now, I'm getting paid to do it...for real!  Dream come true?!  I'd say yes.

The store is about three minutes from our house, so it was the one I shopped at before applying for the position.  I always saw these home shoppers in the store, and thought, "I wonder if that's all they do..."  So, I decided to just ask!  The girl I asked told me that yes, indeed, she was just there to shop for customers' online grocery orders.  She also told me to apply right away, because they were short-staffed and in need of help.  I applied shortly thereafter and was hired about five minutes into my interview.

After some general training, it was official!  My schedule at HyVee is flexible, because they understand this isn't my only job, so I'm able to work some weekday mornings and have afternoons open for teaching lessons, etc.

Least favorite part about the job: the uniform.
At least they spelled my name right.

First Day Flowers from my sweet hubby. ☺

People are always very curious about this position...so, I'm going to assume you might be, too...?  Here are some FAQs and answers:

How do people place their orders?
Everything is done online!  I've not actually taken the time to go through the process of placing an order, myself, but pretty much anything any HyVee carries is available to put on an online order.  Sometimes, customers call to add things they might've forgotten, but that only happens occasionally.

How do you know what is on each order?
Technology.  Haha.  But really - each order is printed out, so there is a hard copy, but we also have scanner "guns" that we use to scan each item as we put it in the cart.  These make for a pretty fool-proof process - not only is there a picture of each item as you go along, but also, the gun won't let you scan the wrong item if you happen to pick up the wrong size, or something.  Sometimes, though, there are more shoppers than there are guns, so there have been times I've had to shop "by hand" using the hard copy list to check UPCs, quantity, etc.

What if you don't have something on the list?
Customers have the option to "allow substitutions" or "no substitutions."  If we are out of (or don't carry) an item on a list, and the customer allows substitutions, we can give them a different size/brand/flavor, as applicable, for the same price as the item they actually ordered (unless the substituted item is cheaper, that is).  For orders not allowing substitutions, items out of stock or unavailable are often "scratched" from the list, and the customer is not charged for these.  There are certain cases where I may substitute a different size or brand, depending on what the item is (i.e. it is evident they'd need it for a recipe, the item they ordered is no longer available, period, etc.).  I will often call customers to double-check these substitutions.

How do you know exactly what they want?
It's amazing to me how many options of everything are available to us, as Americans, anywhere and anytime...but esp. in grocery stores.  There are so many decisions to be made while grocery shopping!  Each customer's list is a starting point, but several judgement calls are left to me, as the shopper.  There is, however, a "comment" section that many customers utilize to make special requests, and these are usually very helpful.  My favorite/most memorable comment, to date, was something like, "3 green and 3 ripe bananas please" - in that moment, I knew for certain I'd been preparing for this job my entire life.  My mom regularly requested we pick out bananas this way when I was growing up, and it was a habit I adopted for myself, as well.  Other examples of customer comments include: requesting items they know we have in our store, but aren't listed online (because not ALL HyVee's carry that particular item); ripeness of avocados; special packaging for meat (i.e. 4 lbs. of ground beef packaged in 1 lb. increments); and one of my favorites (on an order allowing substitutions), "Please do not substitute anything but Fruity Pebbles for the Froot Loops with Marshmallows, or my grown husband will throw a fit."

Do you deliver the groceries?
I do not deliver the groceries; there are delivery drivers who do so.  I do, however, take "pick-up" orders out to customers, sometimes.

Do you receive an employee discount?
Yes!  We have access to a 10% discount coupon every pay period (every 2 weeks).  We also have access to damaged (non-perishable) items that are sold at a discount.  Yes, I love these perks.

How long will you keep working there?
This is a question I've been asked more recently, due to my current, growing "state." The answer: I'm playing it by ear.  I have some great coworkers who have been willing to help with the (literal) heavy lifting part of the job, and so far, I've been up for it's activity level.  I will not be back on a regular basis after our baby is born, but may stop in to help, on occasion - we'll see.  There's been talk of a HyVee opening that will be for online orders, only, so my job at my current store may be liquidated soon...who knows.  Either way, I'll continue to shop there and enjoy knowing/recognizing several employees while I'm there!

This does not fall under the question category, but I want to share it with you, anyway:
You may have seen something about this on Facebook at the time it happened.  HyVee's everywhere had the opportunity to participate in a "Springtime Party" contest, and our store was one of the participants.  The theme (each store chooses it's own) was "Kansas City," and each department was decorated as a well-known KC district/landmark/etc.  I happened to be working on the day of judging, and it happened to be a slow day, so when I arrived that morning, my manager, somewhat guiltily, told me he needed a favor...and really, that he'd volunteered me for something.  He went on to explain that our store would receive bonus points for up to ten different sample stations, and the bakery needed help manning theirs.  So, he was wondering/asking if I'd be willing to be the sample lady.  Of course, I said yes, and he went on to explain I'd be handing out Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake.  I said something like, "Seriously?!"  I think he thought I wasn't thrilled about it, and he said, "Are you sure you don't mind?"  I said, "Of course not - this is a dream come true!  For real."  I've always loved samples and thought it would be fun to be a sample lady for a day...and that day, I got to do just that!  Of course, for only a couple hours starting at 8:00 on a Wednesday morning, I didn't get a lot of traffic, but it was still fun...and yes, I got to partake in a sample...or two.  I was stationed by the donut case, and the most interesting part of the experience was how many people came back for their Wednesday morning "treat" only to be faced with the decision of whether to buy a donut or partake in a bite of free cheesecake.  Some chose the cheesecake, others stuck with their donut...but several (with my encouragement) treated themselves to both.  ☺

My cutting/serving resources were limited, so the pieces were a little unconventional...though, no one complained.  ☺

So, there you have it - another one to add to the always-growing résumé!  ☺  Happy to answer any other questions you might have.

Thank you, as usual, for reading and for your interest!

Shopper-ly,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

feeling this wiggly/active baby boy moving inside me on a regular basis, now!

garage sales

being able to use Bed Bath & Beyond coupons at BuyBuyBaby

Our NEW Schedule!

Dear friends,

This post has been a long time coming, and I'm so very happy to be sharing it with you.  I'll provide some back story in a moment, but right now, I'd like to tell you that next Monday will be Bryant's first day at his NEW JOB!!!

As many of you know, he had been looking for a new position (preferably with a new company) since before he met me.  The main reason, at that point, being the schedule (he was working 5:30 p.m. - 6:00 a.m. four days a week).  Granted, it wasn't a very aggressive search before I came into the picture, but with a new reason to be available during the day and on weekends, his efforts increased during our engagement...but to no avail.

As you also may know, we went ahead with plans (i.e. getting married...me moving to KC...him keeping his current position...), even though his schedule wasn't ideal.  His diligent, persistent search continued as we began our married life together.

I always knew what his schedule was and some of the challenges that came with it, but I didn't fully understand it till I was living it.  I won't bore you with mundane details of our daily in-and-outs, but in a nutshell: we had about 2-3 waking hours together each working day - and usually the beginning of his day was the middle of my day, which was also hard to get used to.  The schedule was further complicated by him being "asked" to work on weekends with only a day or two's notice.  AND, from about a week before Christmas up to only a couple weeks ago, his schedule changed on almost a weekly basis, and he was working 6-7 days a week, anywhere from 8 to 12+ hour shifts.  Vacation days were basically prohibited and sick days were frowned upon.

Yeah...

I know there are people who work/live with similar (or worse) schedules and have for years.  Some prefer it, but others don't have a choice, and my heart goes out to them.  I don't mean to be dramatic or throw a pity party, but suffice it to say, the "work schedule thing" didn't make the "getting used to marriage thing" any easier.  That said, I can't say enough how much I appreciate Bryant's hard and consistent work in such a draining and not-uplifting position...and with so little complaining.  He recognized how hard it was on me, even if I wasn't the one spending 12 hours at work, and always made sure to put my needs first and make what little time we had together count.

We had been praying daily for a daytime position, period, and maybe with a good company and other perks...and that's exactly what we got!  The offer came on Bryant's birthday, no less!  He was as excited as I think I've ever seen him (remember - I didn't see him before our wedding ☺) to go to work the night he put in his two weeks - haha!  It's their loss, for sure, but he will be taking the skills he's gained while there to bigger and much better places...starting next week.  ☺

Our sincere thanks go out to many of you for your prayers, listening ears, flexibility, and support through the last few (and/or many) months.  God is good, and He absolutely works all thing out for the good of those who love Him and in His perfect time.

We have learned a lot through this first leg (or few steps) of our journey.  From now on, we will be forever thankful for quiet evenings together, same bedtimes, free weekends, and lunch breaks at noon instead of 11:00 p.m.  We will make the most of our time, using it to strengthen our marriage, build and grow other relationships, help others, and enjoy the blessings of each day.

This occasion definitely called for celebratory balloons!

Praising the Lord,
Kensy

Favorites of the day:

my awesome husband

our bread machine

new hobbies
this awesome new phone case I received as a sweet, thoughtful gift: