Happy Easter! If you don’t practice, or celebrate, still, Happy Easter! This Lenten season leading up to this Holy week has been…interesting to say the least. I know I’m not the only one here to have seen the memes going around “When I prepared for Lent, I was not planning on giving up this much!” I have stopped giving up something (or multiple things) for Lent for several years now, instead focusing on how to improve myself and my relationship with God.

This year, I made a vow to pray the Rosary each day. It was difficult at first to find time for it, and then I decided to pray during Little Man’s naptime. I find myself looking forward to my time to meditate and pray each day. Some mornings, as I’m making breakfast, I will play the podcast that I pray along with, and I am able to get my Rosary done first thing in the morning. The two days that I did not pray the Rosary, I felt empty, as if a part of me was missing. It is amazing how when you take the time to add in that ritual, when you do not complete it, you feel like something is missing and unfinished. I plan on continuing my Rosary each day; it has definitely brought me closer to God, and I’ve seen a strength in my bedtime prayers with Little Man as a result.

In terms of giving something up, it has been 5 weeks and 2 days since I’ve seen Squatch in person. I am so thankful for the technology we have today, so we are able to have a Hangouts video chat almost every morning, and that we can chat throughout the day via text message or Voxer.

It has been difficult, and something we revisit every few days; “Are we making the correct decision to be separated right now? Should MIL & FIL drive down this week to pick up Little Man and me? Should Squatch drive down, spend the weekend, and then drive back with (or without) us, so we can get some family time in?” We are always watching the updated on COVID-10, the spread of the virus up Nort, and Squatch’s health, as well as that of his coworkers. Being an essential worker, he is the one who is most exposed, and most likely to get us and his parents sick.

Anyway, Little Man and I are celebrating today with my brothers and parents. I baked and decorated my Lamb Cake yesterday, and even made a mini cake with the leftover pound cake batter. I baked yet another loaf of beer bread this morning to serve with our dinner. As we are upstairs napping, the ham and lamb are being placed into the oven for us to eat at our early dinner.

How has your Lenten season passed? Did you end up sacrificing more than you initially planned? Did your relationship with God improve as a result of COVID-19’s imposition into our lives?