6:15 pm, right in the middle of the final preparations for our Monday evening bible study, and the phone rings.

I look at the number, and recognize it immediately as my daughter’s daycare.

“Why would they be calling me in the evening?” I thought as I answered the call.

“Hello. We have some bad news…..” Not the words you ever want to hear from one of your child care providers. But it was the evening, and my daughter was already picked up.

She went on to explain that there has been a positive Covid case in their school, and it was in my daughter’s class. This means that they were closing the classroom, and the students couldn’t return for 14 days.

And just like that, with that one phone call, we had to re-think our next 2 weeks.

First off, bible study had to be cancelled because Nia is quite the social butterfly and goes from lap to lap when we are gathered together. There is no keeping her socially distanced. And at that point, we didn’t have enough information about her exposure. Like was the student her closest friend in class? Or was it a student she barely had contact with?

So, we let all of our friends who normally come on Monday night know that we were making the decision to cancel our meeting together.

Then, Chuck and I split the weeks. He would take off the first week, and I would take off the second week.

I am happy to share that Nia is healthy and has no symptoms at all, but since she can’t go to daycare, I will be home with her this upcoming week.

And…..isn’t it just like God to make opportunities out of the struggles.

When I first realized that I would be taking the week off, I was a little frustrated. I totally understood the daycare’s decision and I respect them for it. I also support it. It’s just hard to miss even one day and get caught back up, but a whole week?

But then as I prepared and worked a little later each day to prepare for this upcoming week, I started to feel more at ease.

And then I noticed the God given opportunities that could be mined out of this situation.

I am getting a whole week to spend time with my baby girl. I was never able to take a maternity leave when she was born. In hindsight, I could have requested FMLA, but I didn’t even think about taking the time off. I don’t know why, but I just didn’t. It was close to summer, and my best friend cared for her until summer began. Something I still think about from time to time. Something I wish I had done differently, but I also know that I did the best I could at the time. So, while it’s not an extended amount of time, it is a week and I will embrace the gift of time with my baby.

Wasn’t she the prettiest baby ever?!

And…… another treasure in this….. is that there has been a small business venture that I’ve been dreaming of lately. But lack of time has prevented me from turning it into anything. I have just been looking this idea it in the eye and saying, “Maybe someday….”

And just like that God has given me a few extra days to work on this project. So Nia and I will spend the week being creative and putting together a few designs and we will unveil the project at the end of next week!

Here’s to a week of time with the sweetest baby girl I know, and a week to get a new project off the ground!

Much love and many blessings to all of you!

Vanessa Lynn and Nia Grace