COVID-19

As the entire world is "self-isolating" and quarantining, our family is healthy. Our family is together. With the exception of Joseph and Ashley, who are safe and well in South Carolina, I have all my children and grandchildren within the span of a mile, in two very comfortable homes, with no shortage of food, or toilet paper because...well, because we always have to buy in bulk anyway, so we were pretty set when this whole thing started!

I know we are in a unique and priviledged position, and though this pandemic has definitely had its effect on us thus far: Drew having to return home from Texas Tech and move in with Emily, Hayden, Ramie and the girls (they have more room for him,) Ramie losing her ability to keep working at the CDC, ALL the kids moving to online school, juggling childcare responsibilities as Emily works from home, Jody trying to keep the warehouse going as remotely as possible, my doula work in the hospitals coming to an abrupt halt and having to do all my counseling sessions via Facetime, Gracie losing her ability to go to her art class, Maggie and Charlie having to give up their trip to Hawaii to sing at Pearl Harbor with the Texas Children's choir....all our lives have been altered, shifted, and adjusted. We are all dealing with the disappointments and grieving the loss of the things we are missing, or will miss in the coming weeks.

Thankfully, we are all acutely aware of our blessings.

We pray for those who are losing jobs, struggling to homeschool, school online, work remotely, manage childcare, stay fed and healthy, and just keep connected and mentally well during this unprecedented situation.

As we are all celebrating Easter with this renewed sense of impermanence, I am refleting and remembering, and putting it here.

I last blogged a little more than a year ago...

Christmas 2018 

A joyous celebration with all my children home!

We also gathered for Lizzie's baptism before Joseph and Ashley headed back home.

January brought the March for LIFE 2019

February brought visitors to help us RODEO.

We were especially happy to celebrate Grammy beating cancer this year!

Spring brought flowers and butterflies - Maggie won 1st prize and $300 in the Picture Your World photography contest with this beauty.

 May finally rolled around, and the cross country trip that I had been planning all year to celebrate Drew's graduation was patiently endured, and sometimes even enjoyed, by the family.

 We visited every National Park between Texas and California.

 Gave a quick "PG" tour of Las Vegas - LOVED our hotel room, with our only disappointment being that Hoover Dam tours closed early and we were only able to see the Dam itself, not the inner workings on the day we visited.

Made it to Cali!
Picnic by the Pacific Ocean

 My cousin Christina, her husband Jeff, and son Daniel traveled for over an hour just to join us for the afternoon of Drew's graduation.

 He did it!

Happy Day! 

And now he is off to Texas Tech!

 After lots of hard work and effort - Scholarships came through!

Thank you 4-H!!!

Graduation trip to Houston for a Premier League Soccer game with a surprise guest!

 We celebrated Jody's birthday at Landa Park and by then we knew that we would be adding another grand daughter to the family by Christmas!

 We spent the rest of the summer playing at the pool and the park and just enoying watching everyone grow.

 Lizzie learned how to walk by the fourth of July!

"Peepaw and NeeNee" are wrapped around her little finger, as we all are! 

Lizzie turned ONE!!!

 Then Drew moved into his dorm at TEXAS TECH.

 I became a DONA certified Doula in August

and we traveled to see Joseph and Ashley in October!

It was a wonderful trip - we miss them so much!

 Halloween fun followed by baby showers...

 My big "50" birthday month with a Thanksgiving visit from Joseph and Ashley!

 Mr. No Shave November!

Miss Jane Winnifred Moore made her appearance on Dec. 3, 2020,
 several days before her scheduled birthday!

 Daddy and Lizzie had to rush home from a VA Thanksgiving visit and arrived just in time!

Winnie is so loved!

Just two days later, I had the privilege of helping Summier through labor and delivery.
Miss Jane Marie was born in the wee hours on Dec. 6, 2020.
Her Mom was amazing and she is just perfect!

Lizzie LOVES her little sister!
When Winnie was in the hospital for almost a week with RSV at just ten days old, we were all praying for her and trying to keep our distance to help limit her exposure to germs. 

 

 Merry Christmas from Lizzie and Winne!

 Lizzie was able to get a rare smile from NeeNee!

Christmas fun with Uncle Chad, Aunt Anne, Hannah Grace, and all of us!

 Maggie was Mary in the Christmas pageant and sang a solo that brought the Church to tears, while Charlie did an amazing job as Gabriel. I was SO PROUD and a little sad, as this will be the last year any Ogea kids are in the pageant.

January brought another March for LIFE.

I will be happy when we no longer have to march to defend the rights of the unborn.

Jane and Winnie

 Lizzie and Winnie

April brought another beautiful girl to the family! Charlotte Ruth Gaffney was born on April 7, 2020. I couldn't be there due to the COVID-19 pandemic hospital restrictions, but she is healthy, happy, and loved, so all is good!

All our Easter Bunnies!!!

Winnie

Uncle "Do"

Lizzie

Emily and Hayden were in charge of the Easter egg hunt this year and did such a fantastic job that they are now in charge of it for every Easter! The kids had a blast looking for the elusive black eggs filled with money hidden in the strangest places! It took hours and was SO MUCH FUN!

 Yes, they just discovered an egg up in the tree...

 Maggie is the quickest up!

 Ramie is trying to shake it down before Maggie gets to it, but Maggie wins the egg!

 Gracie ends up with the most eggs!

Charlie is still happy with what he got in ONE egg!

 Winnie with her "Aunt Mae Mae"

PawPaw and PeePaw love their girls!

I know that I have most certainly missed some events and moments, but I will end this incredibly long, catch up post with this beautiful picture, and this verse- "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." I am grateful to find my treasure in the people I am blessed to call my family.