Day 271: 12-9-20 (Wednesday)

Tyler and I had a very misty walk at the park today. It was pretty. Getting outside every day is saving my life. I hate being cooped up inside in the winter and daily walks are helping a lot.

Tyler and I also did some more Christmas shopping. Unfortunately we were witnesses to a screaming altercation of the masked vs the unmasked. A masked person was screaming at an unmasked person inside the department store. I get it. I feel it. But to go insane in a store has me feeling despondent about the lack of humanity these days. When all of this went down Tyler and I were shopping in different areas of the store. When the shouting began I, OF COURSE, moved as far away as possible from the action and I looked around to find Tyler. Where was he? Front and center to the action and enjoying the show! Men...

While shopping and mere minutes after that exhibition, I got a teary phone call from Reilly telling us that Hunter had just tested positive for COVID. He is feeling awful. There is a huge outbreak of COVID at his workplace. Reilly was feeling fine but was on her way to get tested too. Since they live together I'm sure she either has it or will have it. Even with quarantining for 14 days (starting today) that will put us to Christmas Eve and Tyler will only be 2 days post heart procedure... so gathering for Christmas isn't looking possible right now. Soul sucking depression. Reilly facetimed us during dinner and was crying her eyes out about missing Christmas, being away from us, and worrying about Hunter. It is so hard because Tyler and I can't even help them. We can drop things off on their porch but it is really hard not to be able to be hands-on-parents especially when kids are sick...and could get dangerously so.

We SO NEED a Hallmark Christmas movie tonight! Come on Candace Cameron Bure! Do your holiday magic!!

Day 272: 12-10-20 (Thursday)

There are some interesting happenings on our street these days. There are currently 6 houses for sale or sale pending. SIX!! What do they know that we don't??? Two of the houses belong to nice families that we will miss and another house belongs to a sweet woman from our ward who just got remarried. We will miss her too. The houses of the two nice families sold and the new people are moving in today. Fingers crossed for good neighbors.

I had my yearly exam today. Thrilling as usual. I'm glad to be done with all of this yearly stuff for 2020.

Reilly got tested for COVID but she will have a two day wait for the results. Hunter feels super crappy with a fever and most all of the COVID symptoms. Reilly doesn't have any symptoms and is still feeling fine. Can we dare hope that it stays this way?

The missionaries in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Canada are participating in a Star of the North Initiative for Light the World. Kam's pretty hyped about it.

Did anyone else see this today?! The Galactic Federation? This is all over mainstream media. Can life get weirder?

Former Israeli space chief says US in contact with ‘galactic federation’ of aliens.

Ailey is about to finish up her second week of online drivers ed and has to schedule her drives. I REPEAT that I do not love this stage!!

Vendor night tonight was fun and I had a good chat with two of my vendor friends Tiffany and Juanita. Thursday nights are my only socialization these days and boy do I look forward to them!

Tyler and I grabbed Oska bowls to eat in the car for dinner and picked up cookies from the new Crumbl cookie place in CDA to surprise the girls with...they were super excited! My favorite was the Gingerbread with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Day 273: 12-11-20 (Friday)

It is snowing. I worked on inventory and business stuff all day. Yesterday was my payday which was nice! It is like I have a great show every month without having to do a vintage show! Love it.

I also purged a bunch of books to take to Goodwill that I don't want cluttering up my bookshelves anymore. I talked to my dad. Gayle's daughter, Laura, who my dad was planning to spend Christmas with as they live in the same town now has COVID. He was pretty bummed about that. He enjoys spending time with she and her husband. I also talked to Kirk on the phone today. So grateful for him! He has been such a great support...as always...but particularly with my worry and stress about Tyler.

I took Bryn to the elementary school to pick up her study materials for the next week. The stake cancelled a leadership training meeting we were supposed to have in January due to so many in the stake with COVID. Tyler and I did a bunch of Christmas shopping! Still no COVID results for Reilly but she said that she is still feeling okay.

Day 274: 12-12-20 (Saturday)

We all slept in today! That is a nice perk of only having a teenager, preteen, and a lazy dog who all sleep in too! It snowed more. Blah. The girls made my mom's cut-out sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies and that necessitated that I leave the house. Those kinds of cookie baking projects make me crazy! Tyler decided upon waking up that he wanted to go to brunch. We drove to Coeur d' Alene and went to our favorite brunch spot... Le Peep. We ordered take-out and ate it by the lake. It was REALLY good!

We stopped by Midtown Market so that I could drop off a few things in my booth and the place was PACKED!! Yes!! I love it! After that Tyler and I did a 3 mile walk along the shore of Lake Coeur d' Alene. It was really pretty and really cold.

We had to stop for hot chocolate half way through our walk. :)

The lake was so pretty and all of the trees were frosted over. We were trying to relax and enjoy a peaceful moment together. We were pretty successful although Tyler did receive a panicked phone call from the girls about an oven fire. Luckily it was very minor and their cookie baking continued. We ran a few more errands and then headed back home to work on some Christmas projects that need to be sent out. We have been working on two special Christmas surprises...one for Kirk and Meki and one for my dad.

Still no COVID results for Reilly. She said that she is still feeling fine and that Hunter seems to feel a little bit better today.

Day 275: 12-13-20 (Sunday)

We livestreamed church today. The girls finished up their monster sugar cookie and gingerbread cookie baking project. Hallelujah. They turned out great though! We watched not one but two Christmas movies as a family today.

These soft frosted sugar cookies were my mom's special recipe and this was her special thing that she did for the grandkids each Christmas. I think she would be very proud of her granddaughters who take carrying on her tradition very seriously. It brings me to tears.

Bryn had Temple and Priesthood Preparation Night at the church. This is the first one that I haven't had to plan in like 7 years! I didn't miss it. LOL. It was a combination TPP and New Beginnings/whatever the YM do. It was nice. Ailey was a speaker and she did a great job. The girls and I attended in person and Tyler watched on Zoom. I can't believe that Bryn will be in Young Womens in January!! I am so glad that she and Ailey will get to be in YW together for two years. I really hope they get to go to Girls Camp together this summer too.

Reilly finally got her COVID results today...negative. Thank goodness but will it last? Hunter continues to improve but he feels extremely tired and sleeps most of the day.