COVID-19: Quarantine Days 111-115

Day 111: 7-2-20 (Thursday and MTC Day #2):

My hydrangeas are blooming! Just in time for the 4th of July!

It's Day #2 of MTC training and Kam is fully on a missionary schedule. He is up, showered, and dressed in his missionary clothes by 6:30 am. He is still feeling good about his mission! He seems happy and joyful...much less intense and stressed. It has been neat to see.

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.

Spokane canceled their regular fireworks but did four different "Drive In" fireworks. We went to the one nearest our house. The parking lot opened an hour before the fireworks began so we played card games while we waited. Kameron and Nick went to the fireworks together.

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.

Current Favorite Memes #6

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COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 106-110

Day 106: 6-27-20 (Saturday)

Today is Tyler's mom's birthday. We checked in with her and she and Joel are doing well. It's sad that they won't be able to see Kameron before he leaves for his mission. It would have been nice to have them here for some additional support when Kam is set apart as a missionary. I am so over the Corona virus which looks as though it will never leave.

Ailey and I did a little birthday shopping spree. Clothes were the only things she wanted.We found her some cute things but man everything is wiped out around here. We also ended up ordering a few items online. We grabbed some lunch while we were out and about. It was nice to have some one-on-one time together.

Costco had a cute chair and ottoman for cheap so Kam and Tyler picked it up for me. Kameron spent most of his day with Abbey making the rounds to say goodbye to his friends.

These arrived in the mail today!

Day 107: 6-28-20 (Sunday)

We got a terrifying early morning text from Kirk and Meki saying that they had to evacuate their home due to a fire and were staying at a hotel. They had to evacuate at around 4:30 am! The pictures that they sent were scary! They could see flames from their backyard. The fire was due to fireworks.

This is the view from their back yard...horrifying!

Meki had great presence of mind and was able to gather items that they would want and need from their home at 4:30 am all while the flames were moving closer. I would not have been that calm and rational!

We had home church today and the joy of Kameron being ordained to the office of an Elder and receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood. Bishop Finn (who was our bishop years ago) came over and along with Tyler ordained Kameron. It was pretty special and the spirit was strong in our home.

We also had Ailey's family birthday dinner. Abbey and Reilly both came over. Hunter wasn't feeling well. It was fun to celebrate our cute sixteen year old a little more!!

Ailey is our little party planner extraordinaire! She wanted to plan and decorate for her own family party. Um...okay! Here she is setting her own table. She is so funny!

She also made her own trivia game about herself and had prizes! Bryn won. LOL!

This girl cracks me up!

Ailey is our pickiest eater. She likes about four things and then sweets. Her birthday menu reflected this:

Homemade Over-the-Rainbow Macaroni and Cheese. (This is Patti LaBelle's recipe and it is rich!)
Cheese Pizza
Pink Lemonade
Dirt and Worms

There wasn't a fruit or vegetable to be seen as per her request. I find it hilarious that she plans to be a dietitian. Dietitian feed thyself!

We also played a rousing game of Johnson Tries! Reilly got a subscription box that sends you treats from different countries. Her first box was from the UK. This was so much fun! Tyler and I are going to subscribe for our family and maybe even have a little box sent to Kam when he goes to Minnesota. That is kind of a perk to him staying stateside; we will be able to send him things with ease.

My favorite foods were the rhubarb and custard chews and the clotted cream fudge...everyone liked those too. The kids really liked the pickled onion rings. I did not. The worst items were the lamb and mint crisps and the banana toffee. Not. Good.

We talked to Kirk and Meki tonight. They are back home and there is minimal smoke damage. Thank goodness!! It started to rain and that helped to contain the fire. Unfortunately there is another one burning but further away from them. Heartbreaking for all involved.

Day 108: 6-29-20 (Monday)

Today is cloudy and cool. It is kind of a nice break from the heat. Today has been weird. No one in our family is particularly motivated. We are all in kind of a weird emotional funk. Is it because we are on the cusp of change? Perhaps.

Tyler and I walked midday to give our endorphins a boost. It kind of helped. Kameron heard from his district and trainers. He has two companions...they are both from Utah. It was fun for him to find out who is in his group. His district was encouraged to contact one another and to start getting to know each other. He also continued his rounds saying goodbye, shopping, and spending his last full day with Abbey. The Stake called and set up a time for Kameron to be set apart as a missionary...tomorrow at 5:30 pm. We are getting so close. It's a weird feeling. Relief and anxiety...for all of us.

The funk continued on into the evening. We ordered dinner to be delivered and then I watched the last few episodes of one of my very favorite shows. The Durrells in Corfu. It helped.

If you haven't watched this series you MUST! It is so good and funny! I love it!!

Day 109: 6-30-20 (Tuesday)

Today was a BIG DAY for our family. It has been a swirl of emotions. The morning started with Kameron coming into our room to talk. He was feeling good and is excited to get things going. That was good! He was planning to spend most of the day with Abbey and then come home just before he had to go to the stake center. I told him that he might want to build in a bit of recovery time. Today was going to be pretty hard saying goodbye to Abbey. I feel for that sweet girl and for Kameron. It's hard enough for LDS girls to say goodbye to their boyfriends for two years but for a nonmember it's got to be pretty brutal. Abbey is a incredible young woman and has been super supportive. That has been such a relief to Tyler and I and further proof of why we think so highly of her. I was right. It was very emotional and hard for both of them. A little recovery time was good.

Driving to the stake center was kind of a hard drive. Things were actually happening. Kameron was pretty emotional and anxious. As we pulled into the church we asked him if he was sure that this was what he wanted to do. We said we could drive home if he had changed his mind. We have never wanted him to think that a mission was something that he "had to do". Never. Missions aren't for everyone. He said that he was sure and then he took a deep breath and got out of the car. I think these kids don't get enough credit for the sacrifices that they make. Two years of their life. It's big. I am in awe of them.

It turned out that our stake president's car broke down and that our good friend Chris, who is in the stake presidency, would be the one setting Kam apart as a missionary. This was a HUGE blessing! Chris is a good friend to all of us. He knows our family very well. He and Kam have a great relationship because Chris is Kam's friend's dad. Chris works for the same company as Tyler and he is my good friend Valynn's husband. It was perfect for all of us.

Reilly met us at the stake center and we all gathered in Chris' office. The feeling in the room was so special. It felt full. Full of the spirit, full of love, full of comfort, and full of family (some unseen). Chris was awesome with Kam. The first question he asked him was, "How has today been?" Kameron replied, "Hard" and then Chris said, "Tell me about that." It was such a great way to get Kameron talking and opening up about how he was feeling and how he really is excited to get going and serving but also validating how hard it is and that it truly is a sacrifice. It was wonderful.

Chris asked Ailey, me, Tyler, and Kam all to bear our testimonies. It was powerful to say the least. I did have to laugh a tiny bit because I know Reilly was sweating bullets thinking that he was going to ask her to bear hers. LOL. It's hard when your kids choose to "take a break" from the gospel as she says that she is doing. You want so much to be a family united in faith. But as I sat next to her and heard her quietly sniffling and showing up for Kameron I realized that we were united as a family in faith and I know that she felt it too. It was a neat experience.

Watching Chris and Tyler set Kameron apart as a missionary and bless him was truly a sacred moment. It was a wonderful experience. Two awesome and honorable men who are good friends blessing this kid that they know and love. It was powerful.

Chris told us that parents of missionaries who go into the mission field without going through the temple and who are serving stateside are being allowed to come and go through the temple with their missionaries when the temples open up. What?! That would be amazing!!

He's official!

While we were standing outside the church taking pictures; Kam's buddy Nick and his family arrived to have Nick set apart too. It was so good to see them!!! We haven't seen them since before quarantine began! I loved the huge hug that Kam and Nick gave each other and their shared excitement. My friend Julie and I chatted for a minute. This is her 4th and last son to send out on a mission. Her words of *advice* were..."Don't listen to what anyone tells you.Two years does NOT go by quickly!!" LOL! I love her.

We needed a little activity after all of this so Reilly did a little missionary photo shoot for Kam. It provide just the right comic relief for all of us! We are not good public picture takers! But I am grateful and think we got some fun pictures.

Then we just took some normal family pictures...LOL.

We asked Kameron where he wanted to grab some dinner from and he wanted DQ. I am sensing a DQ theme this quarantine summer. But seriously...have you tried the Oreo cheesecake blizzard? I am not a chocolate person and I have had several! I guess ice cream does help to heal a broken heart and helps you deal with significant life changes!!

On our way home we drove past the temple and stopped to take a few more pictures of Elder Johnson:

Tonight was definitely a BIG NIGHT for our family and a very special experience. I loved seeing the big grin on his face!

Day 110: 7-1-20 (Wednesday and MTC Day #1)

Today is Kameron's first official day as a missionary and his online training began. We have been told over and over again that our house is now an MTC. No pressure or anything. Ailey made this sign to hang up on our stairs when Kameron is doing his training as a reminder for us.

Thank goodness for Zoom and all of the online meetings that we have had over the last 110 days! We have learned to be much quieter...and more appropriate!! LOL.

Today it is cold and rainy again. Tyler decided to try making homemade chicken and dumplings. We are addicted to watching the Paula Deen cooking videos on Instagram and this recipe looked so good. Tyler made the whole thing from scratch and it was FANTASTIC!! Seriously, it was SO GOOD and yet quite different from homemade chicken and noodle soup.

I have been a little apprehensive about how Kameron would feel about online MTC. To be honest I was a bit worried that he would hate it. Thank goodness he had a great first day and really enjoyed it. Whew. We had a good night sitting and talking about his first day experiences as a family. Having him do his MTC training online has added a very nice feeling to our home.