Family

Documenting This Time

I don’t know if you feel this way, but I constantly feel acutely aware that we’re living in the middle of a huge, history-changing time right now.

I feel it when I go to the grocery store and everyone is required to wear a mask. I feel it on Sunday mornings, when we’re gathered around the TV to watch the services instead of with our church family at the physical building. I feel in the mornings, when Jimmy is home with us when he’s usually at work. I feel it in the afternoons when we walk Niva and there’s a lot more people outside at 2:00pm than normal.

Family walking Siberian husky

I feel it when I’m out doing an Instacart order, trying to bring in extra income because we haven’t received Jimmy’s unemployment checks yet. I feel it when I talk on the phone with family and friends instead of being with them in person.

It’s a strange time, with a lot of unknowns. The quarantine hasn’t been all bad for our family, and for that we are incredibly thankful. We’ve spent a lot of time together, remained healthy, adopted a wonderful dog, and I’ve been able to work. Most importantly, though, we’ve learned to lean on and trust in God even more. 

He has taken care of and blessed us through this crazy time like we could never have imagined. I’ve felt my relationship with God deepen in a way that it wouldn’t have if we didn’t experience financial fears when Jimmy was laid off, a worldwide pandemic, and not being able to be surrounded by our church family during such a tough period of time.

Coffee and bible with toddler

I’m praying that we’ll be able to look back on this time as just that–a time in history. With that in mind, I’ve been working on documenting our daily life with lots of pictures and a few vlogs.

So, that’s what I’m sharing today. Some pictures of our everyday life, along with two (!) vlogs from this week, which can be found here and here.

Husky and baby in carrier on walk

Lots and lots of walks have been happening and we all love them. 

Dad and toddler on couch

Jimmy got some work done with his assistant. 

Black cat riding in the car

We took Malcolm on a joy ride!

Instacart lanyard

My Instacart lanyard feels like an extra body part lately, lol. So thankful for this work!

Toddle and husky on crib rails

These two are always up to something!

Baby eating popsicle

Popsicles have been wonderful for teething pain. Sadie’s canines have been coming in and it has been a doozy for everyone. 

Cat and husky

Malcolm and Niva kept me company while I painted my toenails. 

Toddler with pigtails

Sadie hardly ever leaves her hair in pigtails, but it’s adorable when she does. 

Biscuit I can read book

I’m pretty sure I’ve read this book 876 times in the past week or so 😉

Cooking with toddler helping

I’ve started to have Sadie help me cook and she absolutely loves it! It’s definitely not faster or easier to have her help, but just watching her discover things in the kitchen is 100% worth it. 

Husky sunbathing

Sunny weather calls for Bible time on the porch swing while Niva sunbathes!

Does your daily life look totally different than it did a few months ago? 

Our New Family Member

Hey guys! We have a new family member in the Zottola household.

Black and white Siberian Husky with blue eyes

This is our pup, Niva! She’s an eight-month-old Siberian Husky and a total sweetheart. She’s also quite the escape artist and pro jumper. We definitely have our hands full! 

I had been wanting a dog since Lola passed away in October. Then Mavis bit Sadie’s face in February and we made the tough decision to re-home her. I was so sad not having a dog in the house. It took some begging, pleading, and convincing, but Jimmy got on board and said he was ready for a dog. 

So, we brought Niva home. She has never lived inside a home until now, and she’s honestly adjusted well thus far. House training is going well, she’s gentle with Sadie, and actually afraid of Malcolm! I think we’re all a bit afraid of Malcolm, though 😉

It feels great to have a dog again. It has definitely brought up memories and emotions surrounding Lola and Mavis and has been a big adjustment for our whole family, but overall, we’re having a positive experience. Niva is a wonderful running partner and so snuggly!

Girl napping with husky

She knows “sit” and “down,” and I’m excited to work on more commands and general training. We sure need to! I’ve never had to tell a dog to get off of the kitchen table. Eek!

Husky sitting on kitchen table

I’m sure I’ll be sharing much more about Niva girl, but I just wanted to introduce her and share a bit about her for now!