COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 131-135

Day 131: 7-22-20 (Wednesday)

Kam left for Minnesota today. Cue all the crying... IT WAS HARD! So hard. Harder than I even imagined it would be. We had a good morning as a family although he was up, dressed, and ready to go pretty early. He had his suitcases by the door when I got up. He was nervous and excited. It was a flood of emotions for all of us.

Jordin, Ramon, and family came by the house early to say goodbye.

Saying goodbye to Miss Bevs. :(
Not sure what she is going to do without her boy for two years!

By the time Jordin and Ramon left we had to jump in the car and head for the airport. We got there much too quickly! We had arranged to have a parking lot meet up and send off. Reilly and Hunter were there when we pulled in and Abbey and her parents too. Meki and the kids arrived soon after we got there. We tried to limit the people seeing him off. COVID. These are the people that we have been around during quarantine and these are the people that he is closest to minus his good friends that he said goodbye to yesterday.

Ailey made his sign.

Abbey and her parents. They are such great people. They aren't members...aren't even religious... and they have been so supportive and loving to Kam. They just adore him and have loved him as much as we love and adore Abbey! It's so nice when that happens!

We are going to miss Abbey too!

All too soon it was time to go into the airport. We said goodbye to Abbey and her parents. On the way to park we saw that Meki had a flat tire. We had already pulled out of the parking lot so she was on the side of the road heading into the airport terminal lanes. Horrible timing and horrible location. Poor Meki. She so wanted to see Kam off but couldn't leave the truck. Hunter stayed with her and started helping her change the tire. We grabbed Kirin and Kaiya and took them with us and headed into the airport.

The airport wasn't allowing big groups to see people off but our little group made the cut and we were able to go in and be there while he checked his bags and then headed to security.

It was nice that Kaiya and Kirin got to be there too.

We took some measurements so that we could see how much everyone will have grown by the time Kam gets back.

We really didn't have much time...which was probably a good thing...before Kam had to get going.

And then the goodbyes... BRUTAL! BRUTAL! BRUTAL!

Man do we ever love this kid! I had to be pried off like a barnacle!

And just like that Kameron walked out of childhood and into adulthood. My heart was bursting with pride and joy over the young man that he has become and breaking at the same time.

We love you Elder Johnson!!

Thank goodness Meki was still stranded on the side of the road because walking out of that airport was one of the hardest things that I have ever done. It was good that we had to go rescue her!! My friend Amber described it perfectly... Hardest Best Day Ever.

By the time we got back to Meki... her spare still wasn't on and we had the airport security, local police, and Hunter working on it. Tyler joined in on the fun. They finally got the tire off (it didn't want to budge) and the spare on and then they were ready to roll. Ailey and Bryn jumped in with them and Meki took them back to the lake. Best sister ever! We were all a blubbering mess so Tyler, Hunter, Reilly, and I drove to the nearest DQ to eat our feelings. Sometimes you need ice cream at 11 am. (Not our first time.) After that Reilly and Hunter headed back to work and Tyler and I headed home.

Kirk and Meki invited some friends and some of Meki's family to spend the week out at the lake with them. I knew that I wouldn't be up for socializing on the day of Kam's departure and I was right. It was good that Tyler and I had some alone time. We had the rest of the day to process and by process I mean that I sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. Then I would take a break for a few hours and then sob again. Kids leaving the nest is HARD! Have I mentioned that?

We finished packing up and cleaning (grrrr!!) Kam's room. We moved Tyler's "home office" into it. That was a project that took us all day! How is that boy such a slob?! A couple of hours later we got a text and picture from Kam's mission president and his wife letting us know that Kam had arrived safely in Minneapolis.

President and Sister Richardson

Later Kam FB messaged us too. It was a relief to actually hear from HIM. I don't love having to go through a third party to get information about my kid. This mission is going to be a learning experience for all of us.

Later tonight night we had another good distraction. My brother flew in from SLC at 10 pm. Tyler and I picked him up at the airport and drove him out to the lake. It was so good to see him and to laugh and talk with him! He is such a character so I couldn't be too teary and morose. I think Tyler was thrilled to have someone else around. A weeping and wailing wife isn't super fun although he was teary-eyed quite a bit today too. I am so grateful for all of the friends and family who checked in on us today. It helped and we felt super loved and supported. We hung out at the lake for a bit and then headed back home. Ailey was spending the week out there with Kaiya.

Day 132: 7-23-20 (Thursday)

I woke up at 4:30 am this morning. I realized that it was 6:30 am in Minneapolis and that Kam would just be getting up and starting his first official day in MN. I said a prayer for him. Tyler said that he did the same thing this morning. Today was a pretty quiet day. One of our aunts and three of our uncles were out at the lake going through some old garages. Ugh. Annoying. I was on call to help Kirk if needed. Kirk is actually the best one to deal with them. He can be firm and he doesn't get easily triggered by them. I did get a few phone calls about some of their antics and I was especially grateful that he was dealing with them and that I was not. What is it with greed and entitlement when someone dies?

Since this may be Kirk and Meki's last summer at the lake they invited up a bunch of friends and family members on Meki's side. I am glad that they are getting an opportunity to enjoy the place. Lately every visit has been a point of contention and problems with our siblings. There were quite a few people out at the lake with Kirk's guests and then the aunts and uncles. It seemed wise to stay away for COVID reasons. Too many people from too many places.

I talked to Abbey today. It's her birthday. She is coming to water all of my flowers and to take care of things at the house while we are out at the lake next week. I cried about missing Abbey. (So emotional these days.) She is awesome and I will miss having her around.

Reilly checked in multiple times today to see how I was doing. No uncontrollable sobbing. So that's progress. LOL. I REALLY appreciate all of our sweet friends and family who have checked in on us and me in particular. Not that Tyler wasn't weepy yesterday too. He misses his buddy and sidekick. Now it's just a house full of girls! I didn't realize how hard it would be to send a missionary out. I mean I understood that you would miss them but it's HARD. I will definitely been checking in on my friends when their kids head out for missions. It is similar to when Reilly left for school in Utah but as hard as that was... and it was hard... I could text, track, and call her anytime I wanted. This is worse. My hat is off to those parents who only got phone calls twice a year! Those are some strong mamas.

Pictures from Ailey. She and Kaiya are having a great time togther!! I love that they are getting some fun cousin time:

We purchased new big tent and Tyler and Bryn are going to sleep out in the yard tonight. What is the allure? I don't get it. LOL. I watched The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and coped.

Day 133: 7-24-20 (Friday)

The aunts and uncles are back out at the lake and they are an absolute nightmare! Poor Kirk! Tyler and I ended up driving out there. I was in an absolute FURY!! This sounds terrible but I am so sick of extended family. Everyone is greedy, selfish, and money-crazed. Why does everyone feel that they are owed something? It made me physically sick. Well... God had other plans rather than the wrath of Kristin coming down HARD on them. Unfortunately! We encountered road block after road block on our drive out to the lake. Unexpected construction, car accidents, detours... by the time I arrived they were gone. Probably for the best as there is no reasoning with any of them. It just would've been a shouting match. Kirk took the brunt of so much anger and animosity from them. I felt so bad for him.

Kirk and Meki and friends were awesome and we stayed for quite awhile (outside and social distancing) and had a really good visit with everyone. Good grief... what a day! It was emotionally exhausting on top of emotional exhaustion on top of more emotional exhaustion. But it was delightful that the aunts and uncles were gone and not coming back!

Photo Courtesy of Shey

Bryn joined Ailey and stayed out at the lake too. She had a blast with all of the family friends and cousins! Reilly and Hunter came out for a bit as well. Ailey and Kaiya pulled an all-nighter. They love doing this every time they are together! LOL.

Day 134: 7-25-20 (Saturday)

Traditions

Today more than made up for all of yesterday and the day before. We had SUCH a fun day!! Actually an incredibly tremendous and wonderful day! Tyler and I brought the boat out and we spent all day at the lake. It was the best medicine. Awesome people, great food, ice cream, swimming, boating, wakeboarding, tubing, and enjoying every minute. At one point Tyler and I had gone into the house and were grabbing something to eat. Everyone was on the dock playing and jumping off and having fun and we both could've sworn that we heard my mom laughing. I heard it and looked at Tyler and saw his face and his eyes filling with tears and I knew that he heard it too. We just stood there and experienced that precious moment together. I am so grateful for it.

Picture courtesy of Shai.

Tyler and I spent most of the day in the boat dragging kids around the lake in the tube and we loved every minute. This is exactly what the boat and lake are for! When we weren't in the boat we were having great conversations with all of those who were there. Good deep soul-filling conversations. It filled my well!

We had such a great time and really enjoyed our visit with everyone! It was a great group of beautiful people on a beautiful night in a beautiful place. I don't take things like that for granted anymore.

Day 135: 7-26-20 (Sunday)

Kirk, Meki and family left today. I hate saying goodbye to them! Our families cherish our time together.

Our week at the lake officially started. It was good to have a decompression day. So much had been going on the week before. So much stress. It was nice to relax on the dock, lay in the sun, swim, and read a book. The weather was beautiful. We got take out for dinner and did a sunset boat cruise (we love doing that!), and chilled. It was just what we needed.

Current Favorite Memes #7

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COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 126-130

Day 126: 7-17-20 (Friday and MTC Day #17)

Today was a full work day...business and home. It was productive and awesome. We are trying to get a bunch of stuff done before family comes to town, we go to the lake, and Kam heads to Minnesota. We were getting all of his last minute things done today and we are still harassing him to finish packing up his room. Strangely this isn't a huge priority of his. Weird.

Tyler went to the tire store and bought three new tires for the boat trailer. Two for the trailer and a spare. Yep...we don't want to be in yesterday's predicament ever again.

As a pick-me-up and treat for everyone working so hard; Ailey made us the most delicious double chocolate layer cake. Not only is it pretty but it tasted even better! That girl is a superb baker!

Tyler and I had a rather blah date night...neither of us were feeling particularly date-y. So we just went and washed three cars and then got two chicken breasts from the grocery store for dinner. Woohoo. Exciting.

Day 127: 7-18-20 (Saturday and MTC Day #18)

Today is Kam's P-Day and we demanded that he FINALLY finish packing up his room. Everything that is left in there he says he is taking to Minnesota. Yeah right. He can only take two 50 lb suitcases. Good luck kid!

Reilly had to go into the urgent care this morning. She had an "excruciating" cramp in her calf in the middle of the night. She called me this morning and said that it was still hurting a lot. In our family and especially after losing my mom to those very same symptoms we don't mess around. The urgent care did an ultrasound and she was fine. Thank goodness. She needs to up her water intake, potassium levels, and exercise more.

Meki and kids and her friend Julie leave tomorrow to head to the lake for their week! Kirk will arrive on Wednesday. We won't see them until the airport when we drop Kam off. We've got to try to keep this missionary healthy and COVID free!!

Kam wrote his first missionary email. It was pretty funny and truthful. A greetings from my parents basement post! LOL. I am going to post his group emails and pictures on my blog then I can print off those posts and make him a book about his mission.

We had a very fun family dinner. Kam made us his famous fettuccine alfredo! He makes the very best that I have ever had! It is DIVINE! Reilly and Hunter came over for dinner and we all hung out on the deck until late. These family dinners are precious. Kam leaving town is getting real. Both Bryn and Tyler now have drones which they were night flying and taking pictures of us on the deck. It's fun for Tyler and Brynnie to have a little hobby that they share.

Day 128: 7-19-20 (Sunday and MTC Day #20)

Today was our last day of home church with Kameron before he leaves on his mission. It was extra special and emotional. I love to hear Tyler and Kam bless and serve the Sacrament. I am going to miss that. Also Kam adds such great insight to our family church discussions. That will also be missed. Home Church has actually been a sweet experience the past 4 months.

Kameron was busy yesterday packing so we did our family bike ride on the Trail of the Couer d' Alenes today. I am glad that he was able to go with us. I am going to miss that kid more than I have words to say. It was a super hot ride. It was in the 90s but still fun despite me riding with a lump in my throat and fighting back tears. Kids growing up is HARD... good but hard.

We had a bittersweet Sunday dinner. Kam requested Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner and raspberry jello pretzel salad for dessert. We are enjoying every single minute with this boy. Meki, Julie, and the kids made it to the lake safely.

Day 129: 7-20-20 (Monday and MTC Day #21)

Tyler and I have been teary on and off all day today thinking about Kameron leaving on Wednesday. These last three weeks have flown!
It is also SO HOT! Our walk was brutal...we tried to stay in the shade as much as possible. Nothing much to report.

Day 130: 7-21-20 (Tuesday and MTC Day #22)

Today Kam finished with his MTC online training. It went by so fast!  The feeling that we have had in our home has been amazing and the change in Kameron has been neat to witness. It has been such an incredible experience for all of us.

Nick left for his mission. Kameron and Caden were able to go over to Nick's house and see him off and have it be a send off for Kam too. I am glad that they were all able to get together.

Ailey and Bryn are heading out to the lake with Meki and Kaiya after we drop Kameron off at the airport tomorrow. Bryn needed new flip flops and Ailey needed another pair of shorts so we went to Old Navy for the first time since March. One of the perks of quarantine is that the money we have all spent on clothes is SIGNIFICANTLY less!

We had another awesome family dinner for Kam's last night at home. He requested his favorite meal as his send off. Street Tacos. Reilly and Hunter came over and we had a great time! I am glad it was a night of laughter and only a few tears. We did discover at the last minute that Kameron had never been handed his temple recommend after being set apart as a missionary. We sent out an SOS to the stake presidency and President Jensen ran it over while we were having dinner.

Reilly's subscription box came and so we got to play one more rousing game of Johnson Tries! The country this month was Thailand. This was perfect. Most things were really good...several were not!

We took a bunch of family pictures...

None of us wanted the night to end. We had family prayer all together for the last time for awhile and then later that night Tyler and I both went downstairs to tell Kam goodnight. Two years is sounding REALLY LONG!! :(

Emails From Elder Johnson #1

The Tri-panionship...

WHAT IS UP PARTY PEOPLE, comin at ya live from my parents basement or more recently known as "The MTC" (Missionary Training Center). For the most part of the last 3 weeks i have been immersed in the home/online/zoom experience of the MTC. To be fair i was not looking forward to it...but as i accepted my fate of staring at a computer screen for the upper part of 8 hours a day between zoom classes with my district twice a day for 3 hours, workshops which tend to be an hour long, and an 8 am companion study that's 30 minutes spiritual and then 60 minutes absolute chaos with the craziest, goofiest, and most hilarious guys Elder Gunnell and Elder Robison. I have learned so much and cannot wait to get out to Minnesota. My companions or what we like to call or I guess what we have been called by others, "The Trio", "The Tri-panionship", "Elder Gunnells Companions", or most recently "Red Tie Gang" (see picture below). 

Elder Gunnell is a 5'8, 2 time state wrestling champion, professional horse catcher, and literal flaming pistachio eating mad man out of Wellsville, Utah.

Elder Robison is a 6'3, 12 instrument playing, The Beatles loving, Varsity tennis player, and what Elder Gunnell and I like to call "The Mom" of the group out of Bountiful, Utah.

These guys, although as crazy as am I, are some of the most spiritual and profound teachers I've had the opportunity over the last few days to learn, teach, and grow with. These guys are going to do some pretty amazing things I'm sure of it. What's also pretty exciting is they are both going to Minnesota as am i. So, the trio will meet in the real world and boy o boy it's going to be one heck of a reunion. To quote the infamous Barney Stinson, "It's going to be legen-wait for it-dary."

To close this epic email out I would just like to say that my district is the coolest bunch of people and being able to share this MTC experience with them has been an absolute blast and through the crazy companion studies and the hours of staring at a computer I've learned a heck of a lot in the last 18 days. I can already tell a difference in who I was 3 weeks ago and who I am now. What the MTC has taught me the most is how much our savior loves each and every single one of us and that love is unconditional no matter who you are or what you have gone through he will be there for you, always. I love and miss you all! 

See y'all in two,

Elder Johnson

1. Red Tie Gang w/ my district 

2. Elder Gunnell eating a flaming pistachio 

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 121-125

Day 121: 7-12-20 (Sunday and MTC Day #12)

We had home church when Kameron was done with his companion study this morning. The weather was beautiful. Not too hot. We were excited for the kids to try out the new biking trail so we packed up the bikes after we were done with our family church service and headed out to ride on the Trail of the Coeur d' Alenes. It was so fun!!

The ride is so gorgeous! How could you not love this view?

There is the cutest creamery in Harrison with delicious ice cream and fudge too!

This stretch of ride was a little over 16 miles. We rode from Heyburn State Park to Harrison, Idaho and back. The girls definitely earned some ice cream!

Kameron stayed home because he had a district meeting that afternoon. We missed him and he was sad that he didn't get to come. He really wants to go before he leaves so we made plans to ride the trail on his next P-day. He did make us Sunday dinner while we were gone...including dessert! That was awesome!!

One of the perks of home MTC training is that we get to hang out with Kam every night and spend a lot of time together as a family. Not that we didn't do this before but not as often. He had work, places to go and people to see, and a girlfriend to hang out with so we are enjoying more "Kam Time"!!

Day 122: 7-13-20 (Monday and MTC Day #13)

Today I had an appointment to get my hair done. My first hair appointment since we went into true quarantine. It was nice to hang out with Lyndsy, who has become a good friend, and catch up on life and leave with fresh hair!! Win-win.

It was also another productive Monday! I spent part of the day trying to get our missionary to pack up the rest of his stuff!! He still has so much crap on his bookshelves and all over his floor. Plus he is a slob. It was getting gross. Apparently he has no shame that his room is disgusting and it is visible in all of his online training sessions. Kam and the girls took a big load of junk to Goodwill. While he was gone Tyler and I ran downstairs with a garbage bag and got rid of a ton of trash. Disgusting. Hopefully he will be a bit cleaner on his mission.

That night we did yard work and organized a few things in the garage. That felt good! I made Thai food for dinner and then we all relaxed on the deck. Kam kept us entertained with his MTC experiences.

Day 123: 7-14-20 (Tuesday and MTC Day #14)

We dropped the price on the Sagle house by 25k. We have had showings but no offers. I really want to be DONE with it!! Meki and kids arrive on Sunday and I can't wait!! Kirk comes later in the week. I am so excited to have some family time and I am glad that they will be able to see Kameron off at the airport!

I got an email from the mom of one of Kameron's companions. Her husband made a cool count down calendar for each of the boys. That was a fun surprise!

Today I worked on several painting projects. Most were for my own house. It felt good. I also had multiple Zoom meetings. One was with the Stake Primary President for all of the Primary Presidents in our Stake. Most of them are friends of mine so it was fun to *see* all of them. Then it was our ward RS Zoom meeting. We have started having them every two weeks. We discussed the talk "An Especially Noble Calling" by Joy D. Jones. We had a good discussion. Who knew that I would ever say this but I really miss my ward.

Day 124: 7-15-20 (Wednesday and MTC Day #15)

It's the final countdown. Kam leaves a week from today. Despite me being very happy for him and wanting him to go on a mission; I did sob in my car about not seeing him for two years. I cannot wrap my mind around not seeing my child for two years. On a happier note...the mother of one of Kam's companions started an email group with me and the mother of the other companion. It has been fun chatting with them and sharing information. We have all joined a FB group for the Minneapolis mission as well. It's nice to be kept in the loop with what is happening there. One of the moms has heard great things about Kam's mission president from several people who know him personally. I guess that is a perk of living in Utah. So that is good.

I ran some errands. I had to do a grocery run to Albertsons and Costco. Afterward I also stopped by the homes of two of my friends. One friend had a tough diagnosis and I wanted to stop by and drop off something for her. Then it was my friend Steph's birthday so I wanted to stop by with something for her too. We had a great porch visit! I REALLY miss hanging out with my friends!!

Day 125: 7-16-20 (Thursday and MTC Day #16)

Today was a LAKE DAY for us!! The sun was shining and it was hot! We headed out early in the morning for a fun day of boating, wakeboarding, and tubing on Lake Coeur d' Alene! Since I have spent all of my time at "our lake" I have missed out on experiencing the spectacular beauty of Lake CDA! We have had so much fun exploring this gorgeous lake on and off of the water. There is still so much more to see and do.

We headed up to an area of Lake CDA that we hadn't explored before. We found a great bay for wakeboarding. The girls were super excited! This lake is rougher than our lake so morning wakeboarding in the bays is best. The girls are getting good!!

After the girls were tired from wakeboarding it was time to tube! They love to be dragged around while we explore the lake. Ailey is a much more timid tuber and Bryn is the complete opposite! She wants a wild ride each time so now she prefers to ride alone. LOL.

Late in the afternoon we anchored in another bay that we like and had our picnic and swam for hours. It was bliss!!

We were on the lake from 9:30 am to 7:30 pm and still none of us wanted to leave. Unfortunately we got a call from Kameron saying that our basement was FLOODING! We hurried to the boat launch, pulled the boat out, and headed for home. We got about 15 minutes from our house when we blew a tire on the boat trailer. Did we have a spare with us? Of course not. We had to call our missionary (thank goodness he was still here!) to come rescue us. We were in a terribly dangerous location off of Palouse highway. Kam had to make multiple trips to and from our house. First, the lug wrench that works for the tires on the Suburban didn't work on the lug nuts for the boat trailer tires. Second, the jack for the Suburban didn't work on the boat trailer. Third, the tires are a weird size on the boat trailer so we had to have Kam go and get a different lug wrench and jack from our garage and then get the spare tire for our cargo trailer (which was not in great shape) and then PRAY it would fit. Thank goodness it did! After several hours sitting here:

and praying that no one would hit us...it is hard to tell from this picture but there is a drop off on the shoulder. We were half in one of the lanes too so that we didn't go into the ditch and even better we were sitting there as you come around a curve. So yeah...it was great. And...our basement was STILL flooding. Kam had been working on sucking up the water with the shop vac when we called him to come to rescue us. We put the crappy spare tire from our cargo trailer onto the boat trailer and limped home.

Then we had to deal with the flooding. There was about an inch of standing water in our basement. Luckily it was only in our laundry room and storage room area which has a cement floor. The water never reached Kam's room/family room area that has carpeting. While Tyler dealt with the boat; Kam and I worked on the water in the basement. We got it all sucked up and by then it was almost 10 pm. We were hungry and exhausted. Kam and the girls did a late night Taco Bell run. Then we had Kam climb under our house into the crawl space and facetime Tyler while they tried to diagnose where the water was coming from. Again, I am so glad that Kam was still here to help with all of that! Nothing was leaking from our house. Thank goodness! They think it might be our sprinkler system. They will have to test that later. At least the flooding stopped and no real damage was done! WHAT A NIGHT!!

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 116-120

Day 116: 7-7-20 (Tuesday and MTC Day #7)

Tyler and the girls all ended up coming back inside the house in the middle of the night. An unexpected storm moved in with thunder, lightening, and rain. We walked early today with Bryn and Beverly. Ailey had a Zoom dance team this morning in our kitchen so we vacated the house.

Kam was busy with his online MTC training downstairs. He has really bonded with his two companions. He is loving it! He said...and I quote..."I am having the time of my life!" and he said that his friend Nick is too. This is unexpected. I expected both of these boys to do what needed to be done but I didn't expect them to *enjoy* it. This has been a pleasant surprise!!

Ailey, Bryn, and I went shopping to find some summer clothes for the girls. Both needed some new shorts and I needed some new workout clothes since I seem to live in those all day. I also found some shorts and a couple of shirts for Tyler. It was a fun afternoon with the girlies.

Book club didn't happen tonight. We changed weeks and everyone forgot about it which was a bummer. We read A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman. I enjoyed it.

Tyler and Bryn had another go at sleeping outside again in the double decker hammocks. It went well! Ailey had no interest in trying again. She informed me that she is not a camper. Neither am I!

Nick is feeling back to normal...no fever...and he never had any other COVID type symptoms. We were all feeling much better about everything.

I started watching Hamilton just to see what all the hoopla is about. I am not a musical theater person but I love history and was curious about why it is so beloved. I watched the first third of it. Not too bad.

Day 117: 7-8-20 (Wednesday and MTC Day #8):

It's been a week of online MTC training. So far so good. Kameron really enjoys his companions and I love to hear him laughing downstairs with them. He really has bonded with them and his district. He seems so happy and joyful. He was a bit of a prickly cactus prior! 19 is precious. He is a tad on the intense side but now he seems a bit more relaxed and...yes...happier! Maybe the relief of his decision being made and actually getting going on his mission took a load off his shoulders and getting through the goodbye process with Abbey. He has had a lot on his plate.

Ailey, Bryn, and I ran a bunch of errands. We just like to get out of the house. We are super tired of being at home. Today WA State started "No Mask No Service" in all businesses. Good! The girls wanted some craft supplies so we went to Joann's and to a few other places. They have been making all kinds of things. Tyler has curbed their screen time SIGNIFICANTLY and they have had to find all kinds of other things to do!

I was in a bad mood most of the day due to my siblings and the estate situation. The entitlement astounds me. I spent much of the day in communication with Kirk and our attorney. Thank goodness for Kirk!!

Ailey made chocolate cake pops. They were much needed and absolutely delicious! I started a book that I am LOVING!! The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. My reading enjoyment is returning again. Whew!!

Day 118: 7-9-20 (Thursday and MTC Day #9)

Today Kam is running a fever and not feeling well. Crap. We still haven't gotten the results of Nick's COVID test but he only felt sick for about a day and a half and then he was on the mend. We parents (his dad is a doctor) were really hopeful that it was some other bug.  Still... I am trying not to FREAK OUT! Kameron got his flight information for July 22nd. Please Lord...keep him healthy and on schedule!! No more delays.

My allergies are off the charts this summer! I have never had them so bad. What is going on?
Also my nextdoor neighbors on both sides are bugging the heck out of me. There is entirely too much contact! Can everyone go back to work now?!

Day 119: 7-10-20 (Friday and MTC Day #10)

We found out today that one of Kameron's MTC trainers served a mission with my cousin Zeke. When Kam told his trainer that Zeke was his cousin the trainer was rather surprised! LOL.

Can't you see the family resemblance?! LOL.  Zeke is enormous. 6 ft 4 and 300+ lbs. He plays football for Weber State. Anyway...Zeke is a sweetheart and well beloved. It was fun for Kameron to have this connection.

Today we walked early. Tyler had his yearly check up with his GP. Kameron hasn't had a fever today and yesterday it never got over 99 degrees. Thank goodness. Nick is also feeling fine. I hope that bodes well for both of them.

Tyler and I had a really fun date afternoon/night!! We wanted to check out Heyburn State Park. There is camping, an awesome 72 mile bike trail, and boat launch etc. It is on the southern end of Lake Coeur d' Alene where the St. Joe River feeds into it.

Tyler and I ended up walking for about 3 miles on the trail and then hit the hiking trails for awhile. It was so pretty!! I was almost convinced that camping there could be *fun*. ;)

After that we drove to the little town of St. Marie's for dinner and then around the lake to see some of the other boat launches and bays. Lake Coeur d' Alene is almost 50 square miles so there is a lot to see. We loved Harrison, Idaho. It is so cute!

While we were on our date Kirk and Meki called us to see if we were going to look for the Neowise Comet tonight. It was supposed to be at its brightest. They were having trouble seeing in where they live in Utah. On our way home we went to one of our favorite star gazing spots and located it. It just looked like the only star on the horizon. It was after 10 and it wasn't completely dark yet. We didn't have binoculars with us either. I guess with binoculars you can see the tail. But we were stoked that we found it! It is supposed to be at its most visible at 4 am tomorrow morning.

Day 120: 7-11-20 (Saturday and MTC Day #11)

Tyler woke all of us up at 4 am to look at the comet. After driving around a bunch last night to figure out the best place to see it this morning...it was literally right outside our living room window!! LOL. It was huge! We didn't have to go anywhere. It was AWESOME! We love stuff like this.

We went back to bed and then I got the best text at 8 am! It was my friend Julie. Nick's COVID-19 test was NEGATIVE!!! Thank goodness! Both he and Kameron have been feeling fine for days and neither of them had any of the other COVID symptoms. What a relief! Especially since Nick had been in Utah the week before he was set apart as a missionary and Utah's COVID cases are off the charts!

P-day outfit! Churchy on the top and P-day on the bottom!

Today Kameron is officially half way done with his online MTC training! It is going by fast. It was also his P-day. We didn't do much. It was a nice relaxing Saturday. Tyler and I ran a few errands. Ailey made homemade biscuits. That was our dinner. LOL.

Reilly and Hunter stopped by. They are babysitting her bosses grandson Emerson. We are all in love with baby Emmy. Since Kam was feeling fine and Nick was COVID free we were able to snuggle and kiss that little cutie!! Reilly is always kind enough to bring him over when they are babysitting him so we can all get our baby fix. He is definitely adorable.