Summarizing the first six months of this year into a blog post is nearly impossible, but here goes nothing!
January
We sent out our very first holiday cards to close family and friends help ring in the new year. It was nice to capture a small recap of what 2019 looked like for us – so much happened!!
The first month of the year also found us gearing up for our Summer travel plans. A two-week honeymoon in England, a week-long trip to the Caribbean, and many many weddings to attend! We were so excited for the many trips we had planned and were both eagerly awaiting our first trip abroad!
We went snowboarding twice – once up at our local mountain and then again on our annual trip to Targhee.
February
We don’t really recall much from February, but what we do remember is that we went to a show. Unbeknownst to what was to come, we enjoyed a live concert in Boise on February 12th.
March
Our 7-year dating anniversary came and went, this is the first year we didn’t go out and celebrate, every year prior we had gone out to dinner or did something special. I chalk it up to the fact that it was in the middle of the week and we also now have a new anniversary to celebrate in August.
Sean hosted a 20+ person LAN party on March 15th – unbeknownst to us, this would be the last gathering we’d have with friends for the next handful of months.
We both started working from home that following Monday/Tuesday due to the Pandemic. Once we were officially self-isolating, Hayle started daily blogging on her personal website to help capture the essence of what we were experiencing.
April
Hayle’s grandmother (seen in the photo below) passed away on April 17th due to complications with Alzheimer’s and COVID-19. We were unable to travel back to Iowa for the funeral but were able to watch her service via Facebook Live.
Sean, his brother, and his best friend started their own eSports team – STORM Esports.
May
We started a decluttering spree in May and Hayle decluttered her entire closet.
We were supposed to travel to England and spend two weeks in London (for our honeymoon!!!) starting on May 25th. Unfortunately, all of our travel plans for the year have been postponed with dates TBD. Instead, we took virtual tours of all the sights we were supposed to see and watched a documentary on the British Royal Family.
We also got to attend our very first virtual wedding for Sean’s cousin – needless to say, I think virtual will be the word of the year.
Per the request of his employer, Sean returned to work on May 27th. He’s required to fill out a daily survey, wear a mask at all times, and can only go to his designated areas within the office.
On May 31st we hung out with our friends for the very first time. It was nice to finally be around other people.
June
We were unaware at the time, but one of our friends we had seen on May 31st had recently traveled out of state via airplane and subsequently, Sean was asked to work from home for another two weeks. Hayle is still working from home until further notice – her employer reopened their offices in mid-May but going in is completely optional.
We completed our first home project together – a bench for our entryway! We both went into Lowe’s to get supplies which was an odd experience in itself (the first time Hayle stepped into a store since early March). You can read all about it in this blog post: DIY Hairpin Leg Wooden Bench.
We finished off the month with Idaho’s COVID-19 cases spiking again and the county we live in actually went back a stage for re-opening. We’re back to avoiding as many people and places as possible; although Sean is still required to go into the office.
The Next 6 Months
We’re hoping that over the next six months we can continue to be healthy and enjoy this extra time we get to spend together. We also plan to go camping and backpacking here within the state of Idaho! Nothing says “social distancing” like hiking around in the middle of the wilderness.
