Day 111: 7-2-20 (Thursday and MTC Day #2):
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| My hydrangeas are blooming! Just in time for the 4th of July! |
Bryn still has weekly Zoom meetings with her teacher and class. These are just for fun. I love that her teacher is doing this! These poor kids still need interaction with one another.
Today was not a good day with my siblings. No surprise there. We had an appraisal done on the lake house but will need to have it redone because it was biased. The appraiser went off of a conversation that he had with my mom three years ago and off of a conversation that he had with my sibling who was present for the appraisal and who was trying to devalue the property for her own self-interest. Kirk and I were immediately in communication with our attorney. We made the decision to begin legal proceedings. We need to get the ball rolling on this estate or it will drag out another year.
Tyler came with me to run some errands. He touches nothing and tries to dodge people as best he can. By Day #111 sometimes you just have to get out of the house! I finished the TV series that I was watching The Durrells in Corfu. I tried to drag it out as long as possible. I absolutely LOVE that show! I am so sad that it is over.
Day 112: 7-3-20 (Friday and MTC Day #3):
I had an early morning text from one of my sisters who is spending the week out at the lake that there was a major gas leak and subsequent repair. There is supposed to be a showing of the Sagle house today. There was one on Sunday and the realtor has several lined up for the next week. Jordin and Ramon will be in Kansas City so it will be much easier for the realtor when she is not trying to work around their schedules. Fingers crossed we sell that place and at least get one thing off our plate.
We prepped for the Fourth of July and made some fun plans. Fun for a weird quarantine holiday. But I am looking forward to celebrating!!
Day 113: 7-4-20 (Saturday and MTC Day #4)
Today is the Fourth of July!! This has always been one of my favorite holidays. We got up early and drove to Coeur d' Alene for a family bike ride. Kam had an early morning planning meeting with his companions and then it was his P-day. He and Nick (his friend who is also a missionary in training) decided to go for a hike.
Our bike ride was AWESOME! This is the same trail that we have now ridden three times. This time we went even further. We were pushing 20 miles and that is saying something with Bryn on a banana seat bike! Tyler, Ailey, Bryn and I had a blast!!
The weather was gorgeous and the mood was festive! Despite not being able to have the parade and fireworks people were still bedecked in red, white, and blue. Cars drove up and down Sherman with patriotic music blaring and flags flying. It was great! I didn't miss the parade at all. This felt more real and authentic.
Riding along the lake is so beautiful!!
We stopped for ice cream on our way back through town.
That afternoon we headed back home to Spokane. Kam was back from his hike. He and Nick went to see Grandma Lonnie (a foster grandma to both of them and to their friend Caden.) She lives at an assisted living facility that they all worked at. They love her dearly. She was able to attend Caden's farewell and since Nick and Kam weren't having one she really wanted to see them before they left. I am glad that they were able to visit her. She is such a sweetheart.
We had a little down time before we had our family BBQ. We hung out on the deck, played catch and cornhole in the backyard. Reilly and Hunter came over. It was weird being a small group for the holiday but it was also kind of nice. Quarantine has eliminated so many obligations.
Tyler grilled up steak, hamburgers, veggie burgers, brats, and hot dogs. Kameron made our family's favorite macaroni salad that we call "Johnson Pasta Salad". I made potato salad and baked beans. Ailey made cherry jello jigglers. We also had icy cold cherries; both Rainer and Bing. They were excellent! We had pink lemonade to drink and ice cream drumsticks for dessert. It was quite the feast!
We blared patriotic John Philips Sousa music! It was rather festive! Our music options were quite limited with our missionary hanging around. ;)
I think I ate most of these myself!!
To burn off all of that food we had quite the Pop Its War!! Spokane County is super strict about fireworks. Fireworks are banned. Period. The fine is $536 for each violation. That includes sparklers. That leaves pop its and we used them to the best of our ability!! Ailey and I ran for our lives!! LOL.
The fireworks were short but festive and I am glad that we were able to go and enjoy them. Then it was back home where we met up with Kam who was hustling it to get to bed on time. (He did not succeed.) Missionaries are on a tight and strict schedule. We blared some more patriotic music and then called it a day!! A great day as a matter of fact!
Here are some of our pre-fourth of July pics:
God Bless America!!
Day 114: 7-5-20 (Sunday and MTC Day #5)
Today we slept in and had a lazy Fast Sunday. Our church was doing a special fast. We were fasting that people will be able to return to full time employment, temples will reopen, and that we can resume our church meetings. We happily participated. We had a great home church. Tyler and Kameron blessed the Sacrament and our favorite missionary taught the lesson. He did a fantastic job. Yes, there is a difference between how he was before he was set apart as a missionary and now. There is a maturity that wasn't there before...both spiritually and physically. He seems older, wiser, and strangely...bigger.
We lounged around on our deck all afternoon and ate Fourth of July leftovers. Reilly came over for a bit. It was nice. Then that evening I got a disturbing call from my friend Julie (Nick's mom). She said that Nick had a fever and that they had just had him tested for COVID-19! Noooo! ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!! We prayed, had everyone take vitamin C, and go to bed early.
Day 115: 7-6-20 (Monday and MTC Day #6)
Today was another productive Monday. Mondays are one of my favorite days of the week. Kam was busy all day long with MTC stuff. Tyler and I got a good walk in earlier in the day which is always nice. I worked on several projects and on Sisters Creed inventory. Then I got the news around noon that Farm Chicks was canceled for 2020. I knew it was coming. Absolutely everything is canceled in Spokane this summer. There was no way that the county would allow such a large gathering to happen. In several ways it was kind of a relief. The downside is that I have A LOT of inventory and have ZERO shows this year and probably won't have any until 2021. I contacted my friend Megan who owns Midtown Marketplace in Coeur d' Alene to see if she had space for one more vendor. She told me that she would "make space!" She is awesome. It is a super cute store and it is the one that my mom was a vendor at before she passed away. The way things are going I just don't know what the future holds for large trade shows and vintage markets. A store seems like the best option right now.
We spent more time out on the deck this evening and hanging out in the backyard. I tended to my flowers like a little old lady. It really is so calming and enjoyable. Tyler and the girls decided that they were going to sleep out in the backyard.
They had quite the set up under our big pine trees:
Tyler and Bryn were in the double decker hammocks with the rain fly and a ladder for Bryn to access her hammock.
Ailey said that she was "glamping" in the tent with an air mattress on top of the trampoline.
Good for them! LOL. I am glad that our kids have a dad who will do this because their mother sure doesn't want to!!!
We found out that the Spokane Temple is opening on July 13th. Yay!! But it is only for phase 1 so it doesn't help Kameron. But it was a nice boost to our morale! It was great to see some immediate results to our prayers and fasting!! It was a faith builder for all of us.
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