A 2020 Drink Recipe to Bring Back You

I know this may sound a bit cliche, but…

2020 was a rough year!

Our world has been turned upside down in more ways than one. As a whole, we are dealing with a massive health crisis, political drama, and the harsh reality of loss. No matter how you slice it, loss of anything hurts. Loss of a job. Steady income. Daily routine. A friend or family member. Freedom.

When we take a deep look into the individual states and towns, and family homes, we see the true impact of what this year has brought. Small businesses that are forced to close because they can’t compete with the budgets of large corporations. They can’t afford to keep their doors open, let alone pay their employees. These are the people who in turn, struggle feeding their families. Or, you have the family who has lost the ability to travel about in their community. Fear and the media have crippled their desire to go out to eat, buy groceries or clothing. There are also the families, who have almost everything the same. But, because of businesses being closed or the concern for friends and family, they feel an intense burden of doing everything. The weight of the world on their shoulders.

In our home, we fall into the last category. Not much has changed because of the virus. Still, everything is turned upside down. Because of our move to the country, we knew that Nathan would have to switch jobs. He found a fantastic job in the closer of the two big cities in our state, and got to work. We knew, of course, that this job required out of the country travel, but figured it wouldn’t happen until next year.

Yet, like everything this year, things didn’t go the way we had planned. He ended up deploying in the beginning of October, on a trip that could last from 60-90 days. Today is day 87, and counting. While his flight was supposed to arrive today, it was delayed until tomorrow. Yes, we have hope of an arrival date. But!!! He will still miss yet another holiday.

A Distant Memory

Fifteen years ago tonight, I was anxiously wandering around the house in a pair of comfy, but unattractive sweatpants, as my parent’s house was filling with guests for the evening. I was home from college for the next few weeks, and my mom had casually invited one particular guy that I thought was incredibly hot, to the annual New Year’s Eve gathering. I secretly hoped he would come, but did not want to jinx it (yeah, I was 17 and all into the weird rituals of young mating females haha!!) by getting dressed into a nice outfit. So, when he showed up shortly before midnight, I panicked and ran to my bedroom. After several pep-talks, I convinced myself to go out and spend some time with him! And, the rest is history….

New Year’s Eve is such a special day in the history of my handsome hubby and me. So, we are rather devastated that we will not be together tonight. The children and I will celebrate early with a movie, a fun-snacky dinner and a festive pitcher of punch. We’ll probably all head to bed around ten, and I’ll read until midnight. It will be a quiet, peaceful end to an overwhelmingly chaotic year. And who knows, maybe that will be a prophetic glimpse of the year to come.

With that, let’s toast!

Cheers to you moms and dads out there making magic for your kiddos this holiday season with a smaller-than-normal budget. Cheers to the men and women who are working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Cheers to those who had a rough year and are ready to move on. Cheers to those who simply survived this year. You made it! Hugs and prayers to all of those who lost loved ones, to the virus or something else. So, so many prayers and love to all of those who are sick and/or stuck at home. My friends, you are not alone! You are loved! You have made it through a challenging year!

And, to my darling husband, I will virtually raise a glass to you tonight while you spend this evening in some place much warmer than Oklahoma. We are anxiously awaiting your arrival, just as I was fifteen years ago….

Here’s to the ones that we got…

Cheers to the wish you were here, but you’re not…

And the memories bring back, memories bring back you

Maroon 5, Memories

Sparkling Fruity Punch

In our house, any reason is a perfect time for making a festive punch! We often use a lemon-lime soda base and throw in whatever else is on hand. For tonight’s celebratory, “2020 is FINALLY Over!!” drink, I combined cranberries and oranges in a pitcher and poured lemon-lime soda over the fruit. It will sit in the fridge for a few hours so all the flavors combine!

Happy New Year!!