We miss you all so very much but hope this sends some cheer! Fa-la-la, FA-LA-LA,
fa-la-la-tee-daaaaa…
…I’m not a songwriter, so I’ll stop there; but #brb while I don my mask, because we have a lot to share!
The new decade started off with a bang a la Fleming casa as we celebrated Scarlett’s 2nd birthday in January and
Harper’s 5th birthday in March. Things quickly shifted gears in mid-March as we reacted to COVID-19 and
adjusted to so many emotions new to us re: sheltering-in, remote learning, and working the frontlines of a global
pandemic. Staying calm, cool, and collected so as to continue raising a little family through it all was a beast of
its own! A few weeks in, I came to the realization that our normal lifestyle was already very similar to this new
thing called “quarantine,” and hunkering down for the health and safety of our loved ones and community wasn’t
that much of a new hardship at all.
In early April – and with remote learning on our radar for the first time ever – we stumbled across a $9 cup of
“cal-a-pitters” on Amazon and immediately clicked “Buy Now!” #bestdecisionever, as the kids were so proud
to vlog the whole metamorphosis process and were equally as thrilled to set their 5 “homegrown” butterflies free!
Preschool culminated in May with Harper’s teachers putting on the cutest little Pre-K graduation ceremony on our
front porch. It was a fun milestone and a great day!
By June, the strict sheltering-in situation had started to wear on us, so a unanimous vote was made for a long
weekend getaway. We put a new meaning to the phrase “CABIN FEVER” and made the 4-hour trek to a
treehouse/cabin park in Branson. The property was complete with a playground, pool, pirate ship, and plenty
more; we had a great time hiking through the Ozark trails, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the campfire
[every day for every meal], and “camping” inside the cabin! Three days of quality family time was the perfect
escape and just what the doctor ordered. :)
In August, Harper started kindergarten 5 days/week at St. Boniface School [and in person, at that...hallelujah!].
She is loving school but is a homebody through and through; she is growing slightly jealous that Scarlett has
escaped daycare all together this year and Daddy is still working from home every day. Are the rest of us at home
partying. it. up. all day long without her?! …She seems to think so! A soon approaching 2-week Christmas break
will be refreshing for all.
Last month, Brian and I celebrated our 8 year anniversary! Somehow we misplaced our unity candle that we light
every year on our special day, but luckily, our love hasn’t lost its flame! ;) :) Fr. Meconi joined us for dinner on
our anniversary weekend and also performed a beautiful house blessing while he was here. We are grateful that
he has been so present throughout the years and right by our sides for all of life’s greatest moments.
Though these are unarguably the craziest of crazy times, there’s certainly a silver lining in being able to scale back
from the hustle and bustle of life as we once knew it. Amidst the uncertainties, we’ve reveled in our extra family
time, focused on finding joy in the small things, and learned to give ourselves a little extra grace along the way.
We are looking forward to the day when we can reunite with v e r y l a r g e groups of extended family and
friends safely again! For now as we stay 6 feet apart, rest assured you’re always in our hearts!
MERRY CHRISTMAS from a [social] distance!
Wishing you the comfort of friendship, the love of family, and the joy of the Lord,
“Crazy ole’ 2020: You’ll . go . down . in . hisssss – torrrrr – yyy!”
