COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 86-90

Day 86: 6-7-20 (Sunday)

Today we celebrated my birthday with all of the kids. We had such a fun day! We decided to go on another family bike ride but this time with Reilly, Hunter, and Kameron too. It was still cold and gray but the forecast was showing that if we went early enough we could beat the rain that was coming later in the day.

We decided to do the Coeur d' Alene section of the Centennial Trail again. This is the same ride that we did on Mother's Day but we wanted to go even farther today if the weather held out. We did! It was a great ride!

On our way back we cycled past Le Peep and got some crepes for brunch! So good!

Several hours later we all headed home and then reconvened at the house for my birthday dinner. The weather was terrible. It was so rainy and windy. No eating on the deck for us. The kids had the house decorated so pretty. Abbey came over for dinner too.

Pretty birthday flowers from Abbey!!

Tyler and the kids made my traditional birthday dinner. When we were watching old family videos at the lake over Memorial Day several of them were of our birthdays and we were laughing about our birthday meals. Kirk said, "Let me guess what we are eating... finger steaks, ranch dressing, and mashed potatoes!" I said, "Correct, and I will be eating it again on my birthday in a week!" And ... I did! I eat this meal once a year and it is so worth it!!

Menu:

Finger Steaks (My Grandma's Recipe)
Mashed Potatoes (Kam made the best garlic mashed potatoes this year!!)
Ranch Dressing to dip the steak in.
Onion Dip and Chips

My birthday cake was my favorite Swedish Princess Cake that Tyler ordered from Fery's. It is so good! Vanilla sponge cake with layers of cream and raspberry filling and covered in marzipan. It is AMAZING!

It was so fun to FINALLY have everyone gathered around the table again. It was an awesome family dinner. I forced everyone to do "Table Topics" which I love and they do not. LOL. I love that when it is your birthday you get to make everyone do the things that you want to do without complaint! It's great!

After dinner we had a family game night and the same rules applied. I picked all the games that I love and that my family hates. Charades? Yes, please! Games about celebrities that include funny humiliating antics. Yep! They were very good sports and played several hours of The Name Game and Celebrity Game Night! It was perfection. After that it was cake and presents. The best gift of all was being able to be around these crazy people again!

48 is pretty great!

Day 87: 6-8-20 (Monday)

Birthday festivities are over and it was time to get back at it. I worked on Sisters Creed inventory all day. Tyler and I did a double walk...morning and night. The boat shop called. Our boat is already for summer. It is in great shape...no major repairs! Yay! We can pick it up tomorrow!

We also worked on mission prep things like ordering Kam's bike, his mission phone (He has to have an old Samsung...ha ha!), and filled out more paperwork. Kam got an email tonight saying that his MTC training will be online. Bummer. He also had to call Salt Lake to find out what he is supposed to do if no temples are open to take out his endowments before his mission. They told him that if none are open for living endowments then he will have to do it on his mission when temples open up for that again. HOW BIZARRE IS THAT? Missionaries leaving for missions without going through the temple? He also got his hair cut! Praise the Lord!


Day 88: 6-9-20 (Tuesday)

Today Spokane County reopened playgrounds. Kam got a summons for jury duty...although it will be after he is already serving his mission so he was able to get out of it. Lucky. Although he would have probably really enjoyed it. He's into stuff like that.

Last night my cousin, Marie (center) participated in a peaceful protest in Jackson,Wyoming and literally had people screaming at her, threatening her, and calling her the N-word. At a peaceful protest! She wasn't doing anything and from the sounds of it she was the only person of color there. Disgusting. I am grateful for those who stood by her and supported her!

Day 89: 6-10-20 (Wednesday)

Today we had Lowe's come and give us a bid on replacing all of the flooring on the main level of our home. I cannot wait to get this project done. The girls and I left and ran some errands while Tyler dealt with the guy from Lowe's. I got them Cinnabon and chocolate milk for breakfast. Ailey also had to go to the high school and pick up her yearbook. She was very excited to see it. Kameron looked through Abbey's the night before and told Ailey that she was "all over the place in it" so she was very eager to see it. She is such a great little joiner and loves to be part of all the high school activities. Can't relate. :)

Reilly took a day off of work today so that she and Kameron could have a "bro/sis" day. They went to Coeur d' Alene to hike Tubbs Hill. On their way back Reilly's car blew a tire on the freeway so it ended up being quite the bro/sis adventure. Glad they were okay!

Day 90: 6-11-20 (Thursday)

Today a beloved family member tested positive for COVID-19. So scary. Now several other family members are being tested. This is the first person that I know personally that has gotten the Coronavirus.  In Spokane cases are spiking. It's higher than even in March and April. Tyler's boss is still saying they most likely won't go back to the office until September. Utah is getting really bad too with an 80% increase. Scary.

Seattle is chaos with protesters taking over several city blocks, running out the police, and setting up an "autonomous zone" in the Capital Hill area.

I headed back to the nursery today to buy more flowers to plant. My flowers are making me feel Zen-like (kind of) in crazy and stressful times. We also got the boat all fixed up to take out to the lake next week. I can't wait! Kirk, Tyler, and I all watched a movie "together" via the miracle of technology. Kirk and I revisited our youth and our love of the movie American Flyers! LOL.

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 81-85

Day 81: 6-2-20 (Tuesday)

Today is Black Out Tuesday on social media. Each day brings new heartbreak, anger, and sadness. Racism is real and change needs to be made in the hearts and minds of people and in the implicit bias, systemic racism, and corruption that exist. This is not a new topic of discussion in our family. How could it be? We have a diverse family. My brother-in-law has educated us on so many things over the years. (As have my cousins.) Ramon has personally lost loved ones to police violence. He personally experiences racism regularly. He personally raises his children in such a way as to protect them from police violence. Racism and protecting his family is something that he thinks about every single day. He has taught us so much over the years and has brought so many things to the forefront of our minds that would have never occurred to us. We have listened and we have learned. We are still listening and learning. We will continue to listen, learn, grow, improve, ACT, and SPEAK. Change MUST happen. I am grateful for the diversity that exists in our family's lives...brother, nieces and nephews, cousins, and friends. I am grateful for the really hard and uncomfortable conversations that I have had over the years, that are still happening, and will continue to happen. I pray for equality and peace. I pray for love and acceptance. I pray for a better world and better people (myself included) with hearts broken wide open in love for all.

Day 82: 6-3-20 (Wednesday)

Today was a busy day. I had multiple errands to run. It felt good to be able to run errands...even masked and social distancing. I rearranged my deck with the two new benches and potted a few more plants. Now I need two more pillows but it is coming together nicely!

I also helped a family in our ward plan their son's baptism. Baptisms are still a bit challenging in the time of COVID-19. This cute kid has been waiting to be baptized since March. I also got to do a sweet porch visit with him. It was fun to see him and bring him a little gift and treat. Our stake is only allowing immediate family and the bishop to attend baptisms. I am so excited for this little guy! Also today Bryn's piano teacher dropped off a treat for her...AND...great news...our library is now offering curbside pick up for holds!! Yay!!

Earlier this week the realtor did another walk through of my mom's Sandpoint house and had a photographer there taking pictures. She sent the pictures and link today and they look great! The listing goes live tomorrow. I hope it sells quickly. The sooner we wrap up my mom's estate the better.

Many of the things Kam needs for his mission and that we ordered online have started arriving... clothing, shoes, an extra suitcase. He is going to have to order his suits online and hope they arrive in time. Nothing is open here for him to buy suits! We have only received half of his temple clothes...some are still on back order. The distribution center here is closed. Our temple is closed as are all of the ones in the Pacific Northwest. We may have to drive to Utah for him to take out his endowments. If those ever open for personal endowments. We are down to 27 days and it is stressing me out! His good friend Nick leaves the same day and is going to Colorado. So at least they are in the same boat! I am so grateful for my  amazing friends who have sent sons out on missions and for Kam's friends who are serving/have served missions who have been super helpful in telling him/us exactly what he needs and where to buy things!

We had a scare tonight. I talked to my sister Jordin. There is craziness in Sandpoint with rumors of threats against people of color by white supremacy groups. Northern Idaho has been a hot bed of white supremacy for decades. It is disgusting. Needless to say we were worried and concerned about Jordin, Ramon, and their family. Thankfully they are safe. I pray they continue to be.

Day 83: 6-4-20 (Thursday)

Mission Prep continues. More clothing and supplies arrived today. Tyler and Kam went to the LDS bookstore here, which surprisingly was open, and they were able to buy Kam some new scriptures with his name embossed on the front and a new scripture case and a particular kind of belt that Kam wanted. We ordered his suits online yesterday and requested express shipping. We got a notice today saying that they are scheduled to arrive tomorrow! What?! Hallelujah! That is great news because we will also need to schedule alterations.

Graduation announcements have been rolling in from so many kids that we love! Our fridge is covered in their cute faces. My heart goes out to the class of 2020. I graduated in 1990 and I would NOT have been able to roll with the punches like they are doing! Today is officially the last day of school for the Seniors. Yay for Abbey! Her drive thru graduation is scheduled for Saturday. We can't attend because there can only be one car per student. Kam is riding with her family. I am glad that he can be there. We will be watching virtually and cheering her on!

The Sandpoint house listing is live. In 7 hours there have already been 154 views and 15 saves. I REALLY hope it sells quickly!!

I worked on Sisters Creed stuff all day. I am not into it. This weekend would have been Farm Chicks. I don't feel too bad that it has been postponed. I need to get back into enjoying this business or find something else to do. I seriously lack motivation; this is NOT a normal state for me.

Day 84: 6-5-20 (Friday)

Today is my BIRTHDAY! #48!!

I love my birthday and this year was no different despite quarantine and the weather being pretty crappy. My day started with breakfast in bed and gifts! When I got up the house had been decorated which I absolutely loved!!

I had the cutest little tuxedo cake, macarons, and marzipan fruits!!

Flowers from Tyler and the kids.

We decided to spend my birthday at the lake despite the cold and rainy weather. My birthday activity choices are rather limited thanks to COVID. Just before we left the house Kam's suits arrived!! Miracle!! They fit pretty well. He just needs the pants hemmed for both suits and his temple pants hemmed too.

He's starting to look official! In another miracle...Kam called the alteration place and they said that he could come in today and get fitted. Can you hear the angels singing?! He stayed home to get all of that done today. Time is of the essence!

It was overcast and windy at the lake but that didn't stop us! I had a great day of paddleboarding and I got an extra workout going against the wind. Bryn was my trusty sidekick in the kayak.

We had another dock picnic! Ailey and Bryn packed us a delicious lunch! Then while Bryn and I went kayaking and paddleboarding; Ailey and Tyler were inside the house making homemade ice cream as a special birthday treat for me! My grandma used to make homemade ice cream out at the lake all the time when I was a kid. It is such a special memory for me. I loved to see several ice cream makers going out on her porch in the summer. It has been many years since I've had homemade ice cream so to have my family make it for me today was extra special!

So good!

We actually had quite a fun day swimming, paddleboarding, and kayaking. The boat is still in the shop getting prepped for summer and getting anything that needs to be fixed taken care of. We ordered a life jacket for Miss Beverly. She was having fun in the water today too.

Paddleboard thieves! They like mine more than theirs. LOL.

Bryn showing off! Push ups and planking!! Impressive.

Around 6pm it started to rain so we quickly packed everything up and headed to Coeur d' Alene for sushi. I was super excited to have my first sushi since March!! We got it to go and headed to a park that had a picnic pavilion near Lake Coeur d' Alene. It was pouring rain but we were under cover and even had a tablecloth for our picnic table and all of the supplies for a fancy little sushi picnic. Where we were we could look out on the lake and watch the storm. I absolutely loved it!

When we got home that night Reilly and Hunter had been there. They had set out all kinds of surprises for me! I walked in the door to giant balloons, flowers, card, gifts, and even a box of my favorite Mrs. Sees chocolates! They are the sweetest!!

Pretty flowers from Reilly and Hunter!

It was a great day of phone calls, texts, messages, gifts, and love from family and friends! I definitely felt loved, remembered, and celebrated!

Day 85: 6-6-20 (Saturday)

Today should have been the first day of the Farm Chicks Show. Instead I watched the live Farm Chicks Fair-a-thon. Serena hosted an online event where Farm Chicks curators could share videos of some of the things they are selling. I decided not to participate. It's hard to showcase my stuff. It's not like I have a particular product that I sell. I have furniture, small items, and just a weird variety of things. It is difficult to showcase all of that in a video but it was fun to watch and see some of my fellow vendors. It got me excited for the show in August.

Today was graduation day for Abbey!! She graduated Summa Cum Laude! She is cute and smart! She's not our kid but we are still super proud of her! She has a full ride scholarship to college next year at an exclusive university. She plans to study biology. She is awesome!! We are so happy for her! Kam spent the day with Abbey and her family. He got to cram in her parent's car along with her siblings. He sat on a stool. LOL. So fun to cheer this girl on!

We also celebrated another graduate... Emily. We were part of a drive-thru graduation party. It was a lot of fun! Ailey made her a cute poster that we hung out the window. We had balloons and a card for her too. It was fun to celebrate her and to participate in something with so many of our friends!!

After the graduation party two of my sweet friends, Steph and Shannon, stopped by for a nice long porch visit! They had all kinds of birthday things for me too. It was such a fun night!

And...miracle of miracles...all of Kam's mission clothes were altered in less than 24 hours. He picked them up today and they fit great! We are starting to cross things off of the mission prep list. Yay!

Tyler and I did a late night walk at the park. And...my roses are starting to bloom. The yellow roses are the first!

Today was a great day!

Current Favorite Memes #5

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COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 76-80

Day 76: 5-28-20 (Thursday)

Today was a pretty good day. Tyler went into a few stores for the first time in almost 80 days!! We went to Lowe's (we were looking at flooring so he needed to be there) and then to Albertson's. He wore a mask and gloves and didn't touch anything. I did all of the shopping and he spent most of his time dodging people! He thought it was definitely weird...people in masks, plexiglass protective screens, and one-way aisles. The shelves are all stocked with everything again...including toilet paper. He completely missed out on seeing all of the empty shelves. We have been doing grocery delivery, grocery pick up, Amazon, and sending Kam into the stores for the last couple of weeks so the fully stocked shelves were a delight for me to see too! I was also happy to see more people in masks again now that we have moved into phase 2 and businesses are having to comply to stay open.

I got more plants and flowers at Lowe's. Planting things, taking care of my yard, and tending my flowers brings me more peace and relaxation than anything else. Flowers are getting me through!!

Kam's girlfriend, Abbey, got her wisdom teeth out this morning. Our friend Dave was her oral surgeon. Kameron was waiting when she got home and took good care of her. LOL. It's fun to see his nurturing side come out.

I had a Primary treat delivery for a family in our ward. Ailey and Bryn had fun delivering it with me. I know I say this all the time but I really miss all my little Primary kids. Trying to do something weekly for a family or two in our ward has been fun.

Minneapolis is rioting and burning. Wow. Who could have imagined that? So much for Kam's *safe* mission.

Day 77: 5-29-20 (Friday)

Today was weirdly SUPER HOT. It was in the 90s. That is very rare for us at this time of year. Tyler worked a half day and then we drove to Sandpoint to pick up items that Jordin was storing for me. We had another good visit with Jordin and Ramon. I even finally got to get a HUGE hug from my nephew.

On our way home we stopped at one of our new favorite BBQ places, Famous Willies, in Post Falls. Having lived in Kansas City and in Texas I am ALWAYS on the hunt for good BBQ. Famous Willies has amazing brisket...AMAZING!!! The best I've had since Kansas City or Kirk's house. Their ribs are divine too. I don't like their sauce or their sides though. I knew we were going to stop on our way home so I packed our own sauce from home in a cooler. LOL. This time all we wanted was straight brisket. We got it to go and and ate it at the park by the river. So fun! We also stopped at Lowe's again and bought two new benches for our deck. Yay date night! After that we went home grabbed Ailey, Bryn, and Beverly and headed to the park for a night walk. Even after dark it was still hot.

Riots continue around the US today.

Day 78: 5-30-20 (Saturday)

This morning started off with an exciting visit from the high school dance team captains! They came to tell Ailey that she had made the dance team again. Yay! Year 3! This year it was so crazy with quarantine and tryouts via video. It was good for Ailey to see some of her teammates even if it hurt my heart to hear one of her teammates say, "I'm sorry that I can't hug you." Ailey's not the only one with a family member with a compromised immune system or health issues. :(

After that we headed to the lake to spend the day. It was another hot 90 degree day. It was a little hazier that yesterday but then sun came out for the rest of the day...enough to burn us all...despite copious amounts of sunscreen. The chilly lake water felt good in the muggy hot temps.

I did my first paddleboarding of the season! I love it so much! Tyler and I took off and went around the lower end of the lake. It felt great to be back on my board and out on the water. The lake wasn't very busy and we had a fantastic time!

We had a dock picnic... which my kids love...and just played on the water all day!

We ended up leaving earlier than we planned because we kept getting all of these notifications about a crazy "storm of the century" that was supposed to hit that night around 6pm.

All night we kept hearing on the news that the wind would be around 70 mph and then we heard that it could get up to 80 mph. (Our terrible windstorm that knocked out power for 9 days had winds around 70 mph.) Then we heard that there was the chance of a tornado...and then we heard two tornadoes. The news was telling everyone to take shelter immediately in an interior first floor room. Toto, are we in Kansas? It was bizarre and the predictions kept getting worse as the night progressed.

While waiting for the storm to hit we also participated in our ward's virtual talent show on Zoom. Ailey and Bryn submitted a Tik Tok dance video a few days before. Did I say 1,000 times "Make sure the song is appropriate?" YES! When it was being submitted did I ask 1,000 times "Are you sure there aren't any inappropriate words or anything else inappropriate in the video? YES! Did I watch it before it was submitted? NO. Was I unpleasantly surprised...OH YES! In between a darling 6 year old singing and a family performing together...the Johnson girls TIK TOK danced and gyrated around in unison to a song about getting drunk. AWESOME. There is always that one family...and... apparently that one family is us. The church might want us to turn in our membership after quarantine. Yikes.

And while waiting/hoping that the catastrophic storm of the century would take us out (and our humiliation)...it turned out to be a dud of a storm. Nothing...some rain, a little wind, and some thunder. And...I still had to participate in ward council the next morning.

Day 79: 5-31-20 (Sunday)

Yep, ward council on Zoom at 9 am. Ward council where the bishop asked me how I thought our ward activity went (I am on the activities committee) and I had to reply "Great! I thought we had a good turn out!" while my face literally burned bright red! Needless to say I was THRILLED when ward council was over.

This morning was Kameron's *actual* last day of work. Finally. His work did nothing to replace him and just kept him coming in on the weekends. Today was THE END. Now he can focus on getting ready to leave on his mission.

We had home church after Kam got home in the afternoon. The topic was very timely. It perfectly coincided with what is going on in our country right now...racism, protests, riots, looting, businesses and properties being vandalized and burned. There is chaos in all the major cities...including Spokane. It was good to talk in depth as a family about the issues that are affecting people we love and cities we love.

@ohhappydani is a great account to follow on Instagram.

Day 80: 6-1-20 (Monday)

Today is the first day of June and the 80th day of quarantine! When this all started in March I thought it would be two weeks. Wow. I did not anticipate 80 plus days. Kameron leaves for his mission in exactly one month.

Mondays are one of my favorite days. They are always productive even in quarantine. They seem to get progressively less productive as the week goes by but on Mondays we get stuff done and it feels good!

Ailey's Dance Team coaches dropped off her awards and her letter for the year. Tonight they had their virtual awards banquet via Zoom.

Tyler decided that the kids weren't doing enough reading so he (and I) created a mandatory 30 minute family reading time after dinner. Then everyone is to meet back up and discuss what we are reading. Tonight was our first night and it went well. There has been far to much screen time around here. Myself included. Let's see if we can keep this up!

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 71-75

Day 71: 5-23-20 (Saturday)

It was so great to get up this morning and have Kirk and Meki here. I love them so much! It was so nice to sit around the table in the morning and talk and be supported. But today was also an exhausting day on SO MANY levels. First, it was a complete work day. We were dividing up more of my mom's belongings. It is such a thankless job. Meki and I were sorting and making groupings of items. We had Ailey and Kaiya draw names for things. We were having to send videos of the drawings to my sisters and then they requested live Facetime drawings. They didn't agree with the groupings or the items. It was ridiculous. Come what may... the lake house needs to be emptied and my mom's things need to be divided up. There was so much drama and pettiness. There is no compromise on anything...even on the small trivial things. Some people argue just to argue and it slows down getting things done.

Kirk and Tyler drove to Spokane so that Kirk could pick up a UHAUL trailer to take the things that he inherited back to Utah with him. We also had the tree service out to stump grind 5 large tree stumps. A ton of yard work got done. Kirk and Tyler also did several painting projects in the house that needed to be done. We worked all day long with family drama the ENTIRE time. There is such a lack of appreciation for our time and effort to get work done.

Tyler and Kirk cutting up the leftover wood into firewood.

Reilly and Hunter came over to help that afternoon and by the evening we were all absolutely exhausted. We ordered pizza and sat talking in the living room until we all fell asleep. I am grateful for thoughtful conversations with people I love and respect.

Day 72: 5-24-20 (Sunday)

We had an early start to our day. Reilly and Hunter were out at the lake by 8 am. Most of us headed to Sandpoint to my mom's house there to clear out her shop. Jordin and Ramon are renting the house and needed some help. It was a big job. We are hoping to get this house on the market by next week. Tyler and Bryn (and Beverly) drove back to Spokane to pick up our cargo trailer to load up the things that I inherited.

We all wore masks and gloves to be extra careful. 

My mom's giant cargo trailer was completely filled with junk to take to the dump. There was also a huge load for goodwill and there will be several more dump loads needed in the future. We worked hard and got the majority of it done.

We had a good visit with Jordin and Ramon. I am glad that things are better with them. It was good for me and Kirk to be able to talk to Jordin face-to-face about a lot of things. I feel like our relationship with her is starting to heal. So that is good.

Tyler and Bryn met us back at the lake and then Tyler, Kirk, and Hunter all headed to the dump to unload the trailer. Then it was back to the lake to load both Kirk's UHAUL and our trailer. It is very surreal to move my mom's furnishings out of her house.

It was another long and exhausting work day with intermittent drama with my other two sisters. They finally stopped texting and we were able to enjoy our night. Meki and I made my mom's Spinach Pesto Pasta with chicken. Kirk bought all the stuff for green punch so we made that too.

Kirk and Bryn decided to be the first ones to jump in the lake this season. I barely took any pictures this entire weekend. There just wasn't any down time. We had such high hopes that we would finally get to have a family game night but it just didn't happen. We ate chips and queso and watched a bunch of family videos instead. We laughed and cried. They are a treasure and bittersweet. I miss my mom so much. It was a gift to see her face, hear her voice, and hear her laugh again. My advice...take family videos!! A lot of them!!  I need to be much better about this. I will occasionally take Instastories which my family constantly complains about... but that is about it. My kids all said that we need to take more family videos. So true.

Did we have any weird happenings or ghostly incidences at the lake house this time? Of course we did! Tonight I ran upstairs to grab something from my mom's bedroom. I went past the guest bedroom that we call the white room. As I was going past I saw Bryn sitting on the end of the bed with her head bent down looking at her phone. I got what I needed from my mom's room and walked back to the open door of the white room and jumped in front of it to scare Bryn. But to my surprise the room was totally empty. I had walked past it just seconds before and saw her there clearly enough that I planned to scare her. Well...the joke was on me. That was unnerving!! There is no way that Bryn could have left that room, walked down the long hall, and down the stairs without me seeing her. Later that night...maybe two hours after that happened... Ailey and Kaiya were talking about being freaked out to go upstairs. I told them that I had had a weird experience up there tonight. Before I even told them what had happened Kaiya's face got totally white and her eyes got huge and her hands started shaking. I told them what happened and Ailey said, "Kaiya just told me that she went upstairs to Grandma's room (that is the room Ailey and Kaiya were sleeping in) and saw a girl with long hair sitting on the end of the bed in the white room. She was looking down at her hands and it looked like she was crying. She thought it was Bryn and went in to talk to her and no one was there." Bryn had been downstairs the entire night playing with Kirin. Quite the odd coincidence huh? A long haired girl sitting on the end of the bed with her head bent down (I thought she was looking at a phone and Kaiya thought she was crying) seen by both of us about two hours apart. SUPER WEIRD. Another odd ghostly happening at the lake house. Add it to the list.

In other news...with WA moving into phase 2 our Stake President said that the sacrament can now be taken to member's homes that don't have a priesthood holder. That is great news for so many families.

Day 73: 5-25-20 (Monday)

We spent the morning with Kirk and Meki and kids. We enjoyed and soaked up every minute. We hated to see them go! The day was rainy and dreary. We spent most of the day at the lake. We deep cleaned the lake house... we may have a realtor walk through this upcoming week...so we wanted it extra sparkling clean. We ordered Chinese takeout as an early dinner and then loaded up and headed home. Kirk and Meki made it back to Utah safe and sound. We chatted on the phone with them, on and off, on their way home. Man we miss them!

Day 74: 5-26-20 (Tuesday)

The holiday weekend is definitely over and we are back to the daily grind...work, school, organizing, Sisters Creed business, and estate stuff. Tyler and Kameron took our trailer load of inherited items to the storage unit and unloaded it. Goodwill in WA finally opened back up and was accepting donations. Thank goodness! Kameron took a giant load of bags and boxes of things that I have been wanting to get rid of for months.

That evening when Tyler was done with work we also had to drive back out to the lake to get the load of garbage from the weekend and take that to the dump which was closed on Memorial Day. With all the driving back and forth I missed a video conference church meeting for our ward's activities committee. I also missed book club on Zoom. I was super sad to miss book club! We read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.

Today more businesses have opened up. We are officially in phase 2. You must wear a mask and social distance. No crowds. More temples are opening up around the US. Still none in the Pacific Northwest. Malls are supposed to open up next week. It will feel weird going back into a mall.

Day 75: 5-27-20 (Wednesday)

Today we walked early. We had a lot going on. It was a major yard work day for everyone after work and school were over. The kids mowed and weed-wacked. I weeded and planted flowers. Tyler and I drove to the northside to drop off the boat battery at the shop where it is being serviced. Bryn had her last piano lesson until fall.

My AWESOME friend Valynn gave me the scoop on where/how/what to start buying for Kameron's mission clothing. We have got to get a move on that and nothing is open here yet...at least not places to buy suits and mission attire. I am feeling slightly panicked that Kam only has about a month at home before he leaves for his mission. We still have so much to prepare!

Sibling issues persisted today. Attorneys are definitely necessary at this point as is mediation but that seems pretty futile at this point. It's so annoying that I have to deal with so much unpleasantness every.single.day rather than having the time, energy, and mind space for MY OWN FAMILY. I would love for us to be able to enjoy one another and actually have some fun before Kameron leaves for two years. I look forward to turning over communication with two of my sisters to our attorney.

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 66-70

Day 66: 5-18-20 (Monday)

Our sibling issues have now extended out to our larger family. My sisters involved my uncle in our family situation. I'm not sure what they thought he was going to do. He called both me and my brother. We both had good productive conversations with him. I don't think that was their goal. LOL. I spent most of the day organizing all of the documentation pertaining to my mom's estate. Good times. Today was the first day that I exercised in nearly a week. It was needed...mentally and physically. I really need the gym to open up again! Walking isn't doing it for me. I need to lift things and punch things. Ha ha! We heard that Spokane County may qualify to go to Phase 2 before Memorial Day!

Day 67: 5-19-20 (Tuesday)

Another wasted day...lots of big feelings. Anxiety and probably some depression. My hormones are out of whack. Perimenopause central.... skipped periods and hot flashes have been happening the last 2 months. Hot flashes SUCK!! Everything you have heard about them are true. They are AWFUL. So...yeah...A LOT going on mentally and physically today. On the positive side... I had a good therapeutic walk! The Church sent out information on what phasing back into church attendance would look like. Interesting. It is going to be quite a process.

Tonight with my angst high I watched Pretty in Pink. John Hughes movies are always a good choice. I went to see this movie on my very first date when I was 14. It still holds up. Then I watched a show about the history of Soap Operas. I used to LOVE soaps!! I watched them as a kid and on until I had Bryn. I used to watch Days of Our Lives (my ultimate favorite), General Hospital, and As the World Turns. By the time I had kids I just watched Days. It was fun to see the impact that they have had on television history and current TV. Both of these things were fun and relaxing to watch and put me in a much better mood.

Day 68: 5-20-20 (Wednesday)

We have had several days and nights of crazy rainstorms. I love it! Tyler and I had the BEST walk in the rain! It was a complete downpour. We had umbrellas and just enjoyed being out in it. We came home soaked and looking like drowned rats but we had a blast!

Kirk and I had a consult with a trust attorney and got some good legal advice concerning my mom's estate and my siblings claims. It was SUPER helpful!! We will be hiring him to represent us. Tyler and I drove out to the lake to see what supplies were needed for the weekend and to disinfect everything. I have the lake house for Memorial weekend. I am looking forward to a change of scene. The dock was repaired this week and anchored more securely. It looks good. The water is still super high. Tyler and I grabbed Panera for dinner. I love soup on a rainy day!!

Day 69: 5-21-20 (Thursday)

Today some SERIOUS PROGRESS was made with my mother's estate. Hallelujah! We had a realtor do a walk through of my Mom's house in Sandpoint. It went well. My sister, Jordin, made the decision not to purchase the house and now we can move forward with listing the house and getting it on the market. Hooray for PROGRESS. Today we were packing up and preparing to spend Memorial Day weekend out at the lake. Kirk, Meki, and kids are driving up to meet us!! Spokane is moving into phase 2, Utah is in phase 3, they've been seriously quarantined and so have we, so we felt okay about being together. Things have been so rough with my family lately that Kirk and I could both use some face to face support. I can't wait for them to get here!! We also told Reilly that it is time that she can be around the family too. Fingers crossed everyone stays healthy.

Day 70: 5-22-20 (Friday)

Today Spokane County got the okay to move into phase 2. Businesses can open up with strict social distancing. Restaurants can open up with 50% capacity. Hair and nail salons can open. I am anxious to see how it all goes. I hope that things keep gradually opening up and that life can gradually get more normal. Ailey had to send in her video tryout for dance team. So weird. She  also had her last day of online Seminary for the year.

We are at the lake and Kirk, Meki, and kids are here! We got to the lake before they did and did a second round of disinfecting and deep cleaning. It was a little nerve-wracking. This is the first time that we have been around ANYONE... let alone hugged anyone. I cannot describe the joy that I felt when they arrived. To be with family...loving and supportive family...and to hug family...it was worth its weight in gold. (Meki and I are super like minded in our precautions which was helpful too.) It was SO GOOD to be with them. Have I mentioned that?! LOL. Reilly and Hunter came over AND came inside. Momentous. With our county moving into phase 2 it felt okay. Although I didn't let them (Reilly and Hunter) hug Tyler. I vacillate between feeling okay to feeling nervous. Not about Kirk and Meki but about Reilly. Her work puts her in contact with all kinds of people who neither take precautions nor social distance and it is super frustrating. But it felt incredible to be together as a family!!  It was a WONDERFUL day!

These two cousins were so happy to be together again! 

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 61-65

Day 61: 5-13-20 (Wednesday)

Today was another winner. Insert sarcasm. The BS with my siblings continued all day. I had to turn my phone off. It is ridiculous. I spent the entire day dealing with estate business. It is a NIGHTMARE despite my mother having literally EVERYTHING prepared and ready.

A bright point in my day was that I finally went to the nursery down the street and bought my first round of plants and flowers for my porch and deck. It was a heavenly respite from my shatty day. My phone was off and I planted flowers and enjoyed the beauty...and silence...all around me.

Chronic stress is really causing problems for me physically...migraines, stomach issues, body aches. I can't keep going on like this. Setting a boundary of not being available to my siblings all day/all night has been helpful. Go to therapy people!! Thank goodness for my brother. He is an oasis of sanity.

Tyler and I watched Schitte's Creek tonight to unwind and relax. It always puts me in a good mood! I love that show! Tyler tucked me into bed early and took care of things with the kids for the rest of the night. I kept my phone off which was a good thing because the texts continued to come in even after midnight. They need to give it a rest. I am looking forward to picking up the boat tomorrow!

Day 62: 5-14-20 (Thursday)

I'm glad I went to be early because I woke up to sibling texts at 6 am. Delightful.

Tyler and I drove to Sandpoint to pick up the boat. It has been stored at my mom's old house that my sister is currently renting from our trust. Jordin was at work. We had a great (and much needed) visit with my brother-in-law Ramon. It was so nice to see him and we talked for over 2 hours. It was really hard not to hug him...and these two:

Social distancing with my niece and nephew wasn't fun but Jordin is a nurse and comes in contact with all kinds of people and we have to be careful. It was good to see and visit with them! Maggie Mae (my Mom's dog) is doing well and was super happy to see us. We drove the boat directly to the boat repair place in Spokane to fix anything that needs fixing and to service it for the summer. I can't wait to use it!

Tyler installed our fancy bidet. It's quite the thing! Heated seat, remote control, so many settings we need a guide posted on the wall, LED lights, warm water, heated blow dryer... the kids were laughing their heads off using it. LOL. I think I'm a fan. I'll keep you posted.

Today I worked in the yard and worked on my business. I have so much inventorying to do! It was good to have a busy and productive day!

Day 63: 5-15-20 (Friday)

Today was a nothing day. A COMPLETE WASTE OF A DAY. All day was spent dealing with my mother's estate and my siblings. We will be going to mediation. It is ridiculous. I was so drained that neither Tyler nor I had any energy for a date night. I just climbed into bed early and went to sleep.

Day 64: 5-16-20 (Saturday)

After the complete crap day yesterday we really needed to do something fun! We decided to take Ailey, Bryn, and Beverly on a little day trip to Palouse Falls. (Kam was working.) Palouse Falls is really cool! It is about an hour and a half away. The last time we went Bryn was a baby in the backpack. The falls is at its most spectacular in spring. The approach to Palouse Falls State Park is crazy. You are driving in flat desert land and suddenly you stop and there is an overlook and a canyon down below!! It always surprises me how magnificent it is to see this 200 ft waterfall out in the middle of nowhere!

Just as we got to the turn off for the state park we saw a whole bunch of cars lined up and the police were blocking the entrance. It turned out that there was a car fire blocking the road to the park. The estimated delay was about an hour and a half. Rather than park and wait; we drove 45 minutes back to the nearest town and got lunch. Burgers, fries, onion rings, and shakes. WORTH IT. By the time we were done eating lunch and drove back to the park; the entrance was open and we were able to head into the park and check out the falls.

One of the joys of this day was that I had no reception. Ahhh...the sweet sound of silence. No phone calls, emails, or texts. We had such a fun day and it was such a nice respite! It felt good to leave our house and our town and to have just the slightest taste of normalcy again.

Day 65: 5-17-20 (Sunday)

Today was Home Church and boy was it needed. It felt so good to focus on what is truly important. It was great to read the scriptures, take the sacrament, sing hymns, teach a lesson, and share in a family devotional. My soul needed it so badly. We also had a CRAZY rain storm that was exciting and rather thrilling!

Kameron wasn't feeling great today. He had to call in to the doctor and do a video chat. It sounds like he may have gotten food poisoning. Poor kid. After our home church he just went to bed. He was pretty miserable.

The girls were quite excited about our Sunday dinner. It isn't a meal that I make very often. Spaghetti! They were thrilled! LOL. Anytime I cook Italian they are over the moon! Ailey made brownies for dessert.

I'm glad that I had a good day because by evening my night had taken a severe turn. One of my sisters crossed quite a line and caused significant damage to our relationship. Damage that you can't come back from without intensive therapy (on her part). I now consider us estranged. She is really toxic...she always has been... but losing my mom, COVID-19, and her own issues have brought out the absolute worst in her. BOUNDARIES! BOUNDARIES! BOUNDARIES!