COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 196-200

Day 196: 9-25-20 (Friday)

Two VERY excited parents on their way to pick up their kid!

Today was one of the very best days ever!! We were able to pick up Kameron at 11am. We were so excited to see him! We weren't allowed to go into his apartment. (Shoot!) He had to be walked out to the parking lot by his two companions. It was fun to meet Elder Moses and Elder Chipman who we had heard so much about. They were super nice! We were able to have Kameron with us from 11am-8:30pm. It was wonderful! We have a cousin who is on a mission in DC and her parents are meeting her at the temple in Philadelphia and they only get the time at the temple with her so we were super grateful for the time we were able to have.

We had several hours before we had to be at the temple so we asked Kam what he wanted to do. He needed some things for fall and winter so we did a Target run. It was so fun to just shop in Target with him! He hasn't been gone long enough that it seemed super weird...it felt kind of normal...but also kind of not normal! He looked great! Taller and even a bit more muscular. He and his companions have been working out and lifting weights daily. He looked more grown up. I love this kid so much!

Sneaky pictures that I had to take when Kam wasn't looking! He was so much fun to laugh and talk with while we shopped. I miss hanging out with him! He is so enjoyable!! He needed some sweaters, shoes, workout clothes, a blanket, and we packed that cart full with all kinds of extra things for him. We ran into another store and actually meet someone that Kam and his companions have been teaching! That was so neat!

Then we went out to lunch. Kam wanted to try the Tamarack Tap House which was a restaurant in his area that several people had recommended. We went IN and ate inside our first restaurant in over 7 months. Yes, it felt weird and dangerous but it also felt nice! Our appetizer was the most amazing cheese curds with blueberry sauce. It sounds weird but it was fantastic! These aren't your DQ or Culver's cheese curds. They were the best that I have ever had in my life. So good! It was fun to be able sit, talk, catch up, hug, and laugh with our son. He is loving his mission and he is so glad that he made the decision to serve. That was nice to hear! I came prepared to bust him out if he was hating it! The waitress thought we were co-workers on our lunch hour with our dressy clothes. Ha! I was said to Kam, "I guess she doesn't know that you are my little squishy baby boy!!" and hugged and kissed him. He gets so bugged when I say stuff like that and it was DELIGHTFUL to bug him once again! He makes me laugh! Hey, I've got to get my kicks while I can! 

Did I have this crazy gooney grin on my face all day? Uh...yes... in between bouts of happy tears. Kam was a good sport! LOL.

Tyler was pretty stoked about those onion rings!

After that we still had some time to kill before we had to be at the temple. We drove around and Kameron showed us a lot of his area/zone. I love that now when he talks about different areas and places I can visualize where he is and what he is doing. I wish every parent got the opportunity to visit their kid on their mission. It was very evident how much more grown up, thoughtful, and independent he has become.

Then it was temple time. Kam was a bit nervous. The temple is a unique experience unlike anything else that he has experienced so far in the church. Tyler and I really wanted him to have a good experience... especially for his first time. The temple session we were to participate in was only for three missionaries and their families. When we pulled in we saw one of Kam's online MTC companions... Elder Robison. His family drove all the way from Utah to be there. His mom and I email back and forth and she's on Kam's email list and I am on Elder Robison's so it was fun to see everyone and meet in person! Robison told Kam that the temple was great and that he would love it! 

Kam and Elder Robison

Heading in...

Wow...what an experience! First of all... as incredible as it was to be spending the day with Kameron mid-mission there is absolutely nothing that can compare to being in the temple with your child. Second, the spirit that was felt in that temple session with only missionaries and their parents was like none other that I have ever experienced. When I saw Kam walk into the session I thought my heart would burst with love and that was nothing compared to seeing him in the celestial room. What a day! What an experience! What absolute pure love and joy and happiness were felt! It was an incredible experience for all of us!

One of the couples working in the temple are in Kameron's ward. They were so sweet and complimentary about the good work that he is doing! They have the missionaries over for dinner quite a bit and so they know him pretty well. There was also another couple from his ward at the temple that came over to say hello. I wish all missionary parents could have this experience. It's pretty extraordinary.

After leaving the temple we went out for frozen custard to celebrate. It was fun to talk to him and process it all. As special as going through the temple is for the first time... I think it is even more special and significant that he was able to do this as a missionary already out in the field. What an incredible day! We did have to run him back to the church at 7pm because he and his companions had a lesson to teach and Kam takes his responsibilities very seriously!! It was really neat to see. He loves the work! We were able to meet up with him when they were done. The time to say goodbye came all too quickly! It was hard. But it definitely helped to knowing that he is exactly where he needs to be and doing exactly what he needs to do. He is happy. He is supported. He loves his mission. Believe me... I asked him if he wanted us to break him out of there and take him home with us and we would have if necessary! But he just laughed and assured me that this is where he wants to be!! He gave me multiple hugs and a big kiss and told me to go have fun hanging out with Rebecca. That kid is gold and we are just so proud of him!

Since we needed a bit of a distraction after saying goodbye and because our party doesn't stop at missionary curfew time... we headed downtown into the heart of Minneapolis! Thrilling! We saw nothing mob/riot wise! I guess that is good...we saw four sad looking middle aged protesters heading to their cars but nothing too scary. Thank goodness! I think we somehow avoided the rioting hotspots downtown. Must be the missionary mojo rubbing off on us and keeping us out of harm's way! LOL. Downtown Minneapolis was cool and the architecture was fantastic! We also checked out the twin city of St. Paul. It was a pretty perfect day!

 

Day 197: 9-26-20 (Saturday)

I am glad that we arranged our schedule so that we had fun things to do after saying goodbye to Kam! We got up super early and headed toward Duluth. We were off for a day of sight-seeing. The Fall colors were SPECTACULAR! Unlike any I have seen anywhere else. We later found out that this is one of the most famous Autumn drives in the USA...right up there with Vermont. We just couldn't believe the miles and miles of thick gorgeously colored trees. I tried to take pictures but they do not do them justice at all!

We stopped to eat in Moose Lake. Tyler's Grandma Johnson grew up not far from beautiful Moose Lake, MN. We had the most fabulous brunch! Tyler ordered something called a Haystack which was eggs, ham, Kalevala Scandinavian hash (made of sweet and regular potatoes, bacon, onions, fried up in spices) and covered in hollandaise sauce. Good grief it was delicious! I ordered an omelet which I never do because I like a sweet breakfast but this sounded amazing and it was! Mine was called the Northwoods Omelet. It had locally grown wild rice (crazy sounding but delicious), ham, mushrooms, swiss, and was also covered in the most divine hollandaise sauce. Hollandaise sauce became quite the theme of this trip...along with frozen custard, cheese, and lefse. God bless the Upper Midwest! 

We ate our brunch picnic lakeside. It was GORGEOUS!

A bunch of the foliage sight-seeing folks had stopped for breakfast there too. They said that the drive from Minneapolis to Duluth in the fall is stunning! They were right!

When we arrived in Duluth the architecture kind of reminded me of Spokane a bit. Minneapolis vs Duluth has the same vibe as Seattle vs Spokane. There is a lot of history there and you can feel it. Tyler's family is from here. His dad was born in Duluth and lived in the area until he was a teenager. The actual house he grew up in was way out in the boonies about an hour and a half off of our route so we will check that out when we come back to pick up Kam with the girls so that everyone can see it. Tyler's dad had just taken a big genealogy trip to Minnesota and met up with cousins and aunts and uncles a few months before he died. It was neat to be able to kind of trace his footsteps. He would LOVE that Kam is serving in Minnesota. My Ellersick relatives are from Minnesota too but central Minnesota. I had already been there with my family when I was in high school so that will wait for a return trip when we have all of our kids with us too. We did find the hospital where Tyler's dad was born and were texting pics to Tyler's sister. All of the family history sights that we saw were really special!

While driving through Duluth we were able to see Lake Superior and the shipyards. It was pretty cool. There are also some gorgeous historical homes on the water. I was in awe! 

Our plan was to drive along the North Shore. This is a famous drive with dazzling and breathtaking views of Lake Superior. Lighthouses and scenic overlooks dotting all along the way. Well the rain and a super thick fog moved in and we saw literally nothing! Lake Superior was totally fogged in. I am glad that we got a glimpse of the lake in Duluth! There were also about a million other people driving the road and hoping to see the views. We literally crawled along for several hours. It was still a crazy fun adventure though!

We wanted to see the Split Rock Lighthouse so we stopped there to explore. It was pretty cool even in the fog!

We could see some of the shoreline but Lake Superior was pretty much invisible! We got out and hiked around a bit. It was still very pretty!!

Can't you see the gorgeous Great Lake behind us? LOL. Masks were required on the Light House property.

Being from Washington State a little rain does NOT stop us!!

After that we drove back to Duluth and crossed the bridge into Wisconsin. We immediately stopped for cheese! We drove through Wisconsin for the rest of the day. It was not what I expected but also very pretty and lots of gorgeous fall foliage! When it started to get dark we hit the craziest torrential rain storm that I have ever been in! And we have been in A LOT! People were pulling off of the freeway and parking due to rain. Our windshield wipers could not wipe fast enough and the amount of water coming from the sky was too much for them to handle. You literally could not drive in it. I have been in some crazy storms in Portland and Seattle and this was the worst that I have ever been in! A complete deluge. Finally we made it to our hotel in Chippewa Falls. Guess what we had for dinner? Cheese curds and frozen custard. I am not proud of this but it was DELICIOUS! Ha ha!

Meanwhile back at the ranch...

Reilly and Hunter came over and entertained Ailey and Bryn for the day. Reilly was babysitting Emerson so they got to snuggle him too! Then they all went on a big outing to Coeur d' Alene. They walked on the boardwalk, got candy from the candy shop, and got pie from the pie shop. The girls had a ball!!

Pictures courtesy of Reilly.

 It sounded like they all had a blast! I love this so much!

Day 198: 9-27-20 (Sunday)

Today we got up and continued our drive through Wisconsin. We were on our way to visit our friends the Armstrongs who live in Southern Wisconsin. Most of this area is still officially part of Kam's mission. His mission also goes up into Canada's Thunder Bay although not right now with COVID.

We stopped in Osso, WI and got the most delicious Norwegian brunch from the Norse Nook. We were so excited to eat food from here and it did not disappoint! Tyler had corned beef, swiss cheese, and egg wrapped in LEFSE! And... topped with...what else...hollandaise sauce! I had thin delicious Norwegian pancakes topped with a lingonberry sauce and whipped cream. Fabulous! We also split a potato pancake topped with more hollandaise sauce. People in the Upper Midwest love their frozen custard, cheese, and hollandaise sauce and I am here for it!

After that we drove onto Madison. I have always wanted to see Madison. One of my good friends from high school, Penner, (nickname) went to college at the University of Wisconsin. He was two years older than me and loved to tell me and my friends all about college. He thought we were insane to want to go to KU and tried to convince us all to apply to the University of WI and move to Madison. He was famous for saying, "Why would you want to live in butt ugly Lawrence (KS) when you could live in beautiful Madison". He was right! I loved Madison. It's probably a good thing that my friends and I never did take that road trip to Madison in high school or I probably wouldn't have applied to BYU. Those lakes! Awesome!! It had a total Seattle vibe but in the Midwest. I'm a fan!

After Madision it was onto Williams Bay, WI. It is a GORGEOUS town on beautiful Lake Geneva. My friend Rebecca moved there from Coeur d' Alene. Her husband is an attorney and his firm is based in Chicago and they wanted him closer. She agreed to move if they could find another "lake city" to live in. She has been begging me to come visit her for the last two years and constantly posts the most gorgeous pictures on her Instagram feed. It is stunning! Beautiful and it has a total East Coast feel. The lake community is pretty glam rather than a Northern Idaho lake-y feel. It is about 45 minutes from Chicago and people from Chicago have lake houses here. It is SUPER COOL!

I could live there! It's so awesome!

Rebecca is truly the hostess with the mostess! She and her husband Jeff don't have children...they are devoted to their dogs and their careers. So they spoiled us rotten! She has an awesome sports clothing line called Peace Within and is branching out with other products into the entertaining arena. We met doing shows together. It was so fun to see their new house and hear all about their life in Williams Bay! They drove us all over to show us the sights. It is simply gorgeous!

We had dinner at the most beautiful restaurant on the water. It was *technically* outdoor seating with heaters and a tent. It was stunning looking out on the water with the leaves starting to change. We ate fabulous food and some Wisconsin local favorites. We had such a fun night! It was so nice hanging out with our dear friends who we miss!

We were up talking and laughing until 2 am! I miss nights out with friends! Thanks to COVID we will never take those for granted and are so appreciative of them! 

Day 199: 9-28-20 (Monday)

We had a nice relaxing morning talking and catching up with Rebecca. Jeff had to go to work so we had to say goodbye to him. Tyler, Rebecca, and I and the dogs did a lovely 3 mile walk around part of the lake. It was so beautiful! 

This is a large lake and all of the docks are white. I love it! It's so pretty!

We stopped and got lunch from the cutest little deli. We purchased the best cheese that we have ever had in our lives! That is saying something. We LOVE our cheese. But Wisconsin cheese really is as amazing as they say it is!

EDIT TO ADD: We had to have Rebecca go back and take a picture of the cheese so that we can order it. It is from a small local dairy and you can only order it a couple of times a year! It is DIVINE!

Later that afternoon we had to say goodbye to Rebecca. That was sad! I am looking forward to another visit but a LONG one next time. I love her new town! It is perfectly located. It is about 45 minutes from Chicago, 40 minutes from Milwaukee, and an hour from Madison. 

We decided to check out Milwaukee on our way back to Minneapolis. It was also really nice! Somehow I thought it would be very industrial but it was very cool with beautiful Lake Michigan bordering the downtown. We were super excited to see our second Great Lake!! This one we could REALLY SEE!!

We got caught in another crazy Wisconsin downpour!! The PNW has nothing on Wisconsin! LOL.

On our drive back to Minneapolis Tyler got pulled over for speeding in rural WI by a very nice police officer who KINDLY only gave him a warning. Good grief!

Tyler snarfing that amazing cheese on the road! Rebecca sent us off with a gourmet picnic!

Tonight was also our weekly video chat night with Kam. Reilly, Ailey, and Bryn were all on the call. Tyler and I were literally parked in the Costco parking lot right across the street from his apartment! It was a bit surreal. As we were hanging up we told Kam that we were going to drive by his apartment and do our special honk to say goodbye. We did. He heard it. One last *in person* I love you for almost two years. :(

This time in Minneapolis we stayed in a different hotel than the one that was near Kam's apartment. This one was the nicest one of the trip! Pure luxury! It was especially nice after a long week!

Day 200: 9-29-20 (Tuesday)

This morning we checked out of our hotel and left Kam's area behind. That was so hard and it hit me like a ton of bricks. It felt weird and awful to be leaving him behind. But I do know that he is where he needs to be and he is doing what he needs to do and that helps. But I still shed a lot of tears.

Our flight wasn't until later so we drove out to Paisley Park which was Prince's home and studio. It was a good distraction. It looked absolutely NOTHING like what I had imagined. For some reason I had a visual of it in my mind as being downtown. It isn't. It is actually in the boring suburbs. It is in Chanhassen which is about 30 minutes from downtown Minneapolis. It is really unremarkable and in a completely unremarkable area right off of the freeway. It looks like any old office building in a business park. I have no idea why he chose to live/work/record there. It is a museum now and it was closed due to COVID. 

Tyler's sister Lori is the biggest Prince fan so we were madly videoing and texting her. It would be fun to come back and take the tour with her.

Then we drove to Lake Minnetonka. My friend Katie lived in Minneapolis for a few years and she said we had to go! It was so pretty! All of the lovely neighborhoods were decked out in the height of autumn and it was gorgeous. Tyler and I could *almost* imagine living there (and Williams Bay too).

Lake Minnetonka also of Prince fame! ;)

While we were there we saw a blue jay!! It was so astonishing to see that bright blue bird. I haven't seen a blue jay in about 25 years. There used to be blue jays and cardinals out at the lake when I was little but not any more. We also grabbed some donuts while in Lake Minnetonka. 

Then it was time to go to the airport. Waiting for the same flight was a Minneapolis missionary on his way home after serving his 2 years. He looked so nervous, anxious, and excited to be going home. I am sure it was the whole gamut of emotions for him. I texted Kam his name but Kameron didn't know him. Too bad. We had a very short layover in Salt Lake and then it was home to Spokane!

The girls welcomed us with hugs and kisses and with a spotless house! Ailey and Bryn did a great job while we were gone which we really appreciated. Distance learning came in handy for us to leave town. We also felt good that Reilly was close by and watching over them too. We had zero worries about them. What an incredible trip! 

Tonight we had UberEats deliver us some dinner and we watched the Presidential debate. Whoa. We went from a high to quite a low. The behavior of both men was repugnant.

Email From Elder Johnson #10

Mountains to Climb

 (Group Email 9-22-20)

What's goooood my friends? I hope all is well with ya! Just know I love and miss ya all a lot. ;) 

Well tbh this week was not the most exciting. We taught some people; mostly just members. Missionary work is hard ya'll, like honestly, it's the most rewarding yet hardest job I've ever done. But I love it. The ups and downs. Some days it's like...am I gonna die in this apartment?? And others it's like a constant spiritual high like you wouldn't believe. Chipotle and I got reunited again this week boy did I miss her😂 

Anyway General Conference is coming up and I'm soooo hyped to listen to it from a missionary perspective. Also I get the opportunity to go through the temple on Friday with my parents, which is honestly going to be such a cool experience! I can't wait!

Also! President Eyring gave a really cool talk a bit ago called Mountains to Climb...hence the title of this fantastical weekly email! He talks about finding joy in the trials and tribulations in our lives. And praying for having trials or "mountains" in your life cause they always force you out of your comfort zone and that's where you grow! And that's all missions are tbh, stepping out of your comfort zone and always being slightly uncomfortable! I love this talk. I recommend checking it out! 

I love you guys. Take it easy❤

-Elder Johnson

Some cute pics of da boyz😂❤

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 191-195

 Day 191: 9-20-20 (Sunday)

Today we had home church and online Relief Society. After church Tyler and I moved everything completely out of one storage unit. Nice... now we are down to just two! Today the sun was actually shining. The smoke is gone and the air is clear. It's crazy how many basic things we take for granted.  COVID has been teaching that lesson for months. All in all, it was a nice relaxing Sunday.

Day 192: 9-21-20 (Monday)

Today we started our 2nd week of school. The girls are adapting well and working hard. My Institute class that I love started up again. I decided not to attend this week. We are really trying to limit the number of people that we are around before we head out of town. We do not want to miss out on this trip and seeing Kam. Speaking of Kameron, we talked to him today. He is getting excited to go to the temple. He said that the Utah missionaries complain and think that the Minneapolis Temple is ugly. (Ugh...Utah Mormons...they are so annoying!) It's a small one. Kam says it looks just like the Spokane Temple and he says it feels like home! The church building he attends is on the temple grounds so he is there multiple times a week and he loves it! I can't believe that we get to see him on Friday! 

Day 193: 9-22-20 (Tuesday)

Today I sold a really big piece of furniture so Tyler and I ran to Coeur d' Alene on Tyler's lunch break. I did a quick booth restyling since we will be in Minnesota on vendor night. The air is finally clean enough to go walking again. It feels good! Bryn had her first "in person" piano lesson since last March today. Both she and Jodi (her teacher) wore masks and everyone is happy that things feel a little bit more normal. Yay for things like piano lessons resuming. It is the only extra curricular activity Bryn has thanks to COVID and she is excited to be back!

Day 194: 9-23-20 (Wednesday)

Today Tyler and I packed for our trip. I had rotten sibling issues all day long. Can we just make progress moving toward closing on the Sandpoint house?!

In better news...Kam got all of his information for his temple endowment session. Exciting! Ailey had an "in person" YW activity on the temple grounds. Since it is about 25 minutes from our house Tyler and I dropped her off and hung out in the valley for awhile. We got ice cream. :) We also got word tonight that our school district will begin phasing back in to going to school on Oct. 7th. They will start with the kindergarteners.

Day 195: 9-24-20 (Thursday)

Today was EXCITING!! We flew out of Spokane early at 7am. It didn't really feel any different flying during COVID except that everyone was wearing masks and they give you a sanitizing wipe to wipe down your seat and a prepackaged snack including a drink. I prefer no one in the middle seat so that wasn't bad either. Yes, wearing a mask for so long was irritating but who cares! We left Spokane!!

Obligatory airplane shot! 

We arrived in Minneapolis around noon on a gorgeous fall day. All of the leaves have turned colors in Minnesota. That hasn't happened in Spokane yet. Everyone had pumpkins on their porches...in September! Unheard of! It still feels like summer at home and that is FINE by me but it was fun to *visit* autumn for awhile.

Everyone told us that we had to see the Mall of America so that was our first stop. We decided to have lunch there and see what all of the hype was about. It is definitely BIG! It wasn't quite what I expected. Yes, there is an amusement park inside.

Yes, there are a ton of stores. Yes, we had to go back out to the parking garage to put on tennis shoes because our feet hurt from walking around...so yeah...big! But the inside is totally circa 1989. I want to go back just to show my kids what 80's malls looked like! This is one on a really large scale! I was THRILLED to see this store:

Be still my teenage Swatch loving heart! Yes, I was one of those people who wore multiple swatches at once. I almost bought one. But I've come to depend on my Apple watch which has a rubber monogramed band and feels kind of Swatch like! LOL.

There were a lot of fun stores. Definitely nothing like what we have at our malls in Spokane which are barely limping along. Bring back malls! We marco polo-ed with Reilly, Ailey, and Bryn and they are all super excited to come here when we pick up Kam after his mission.

After that we checked into our hotel which is about 5 minutes from Kam's apartment. We got our stuff unloaded and then headed out to explore the area. Minneapolis is really pretty! There are so many beautiful trees and little *lakes* everywhere. Kam definitely downplayed the beauty of the area. We saw the Mississippi River which was exciting! We also drove to the temple so that we would know where to go tomorrow. It does look like the Spokane Temple but I think that the Spokane Temple has prettier and larger temple grounds.

Pretty!

We wanted to drive across the border into Wisconsin (part of Kam's mission is in WI) so we headed there and found the cutest town full of great shops and restaurants. Kam told us that there were Culver's in Minnesota so we got that for dinner while we drove all over. There are no Culver's in Spokane or ANY frozen custard for that matter!! People of WA... do you know how delicious frozen custard is??? 

By 8:30 pm we were exhausted and decided to head back to our hotel. But then the most awesome thing happened!! We decided to drive by Kam's apartment to see where he lived and where we would pick him up tomorrow morning. He lives in a VERY large apartment complex. It looked okay... nothing too snazzy... but not a dive either. It is very large and there are probably 12 big buildings that are each 3 floors. We had his address so we drove around looked for his particular building. I am not sure what kind of numbering system they are using but it was completely elusive. We circled and circled. It was also dark and not well lit. Finally after about 15 minutes Tyler was like, "I'm done! He can walk out to us tomorrow!" As we were pulling out of the complex I saw a flash of white in a third floor window and what looked like some guys in white shirts. I made Tyler drive around once more and I saw the flash of white again! This time it was just one guy in a white shirt sitting on a couch. We stopped and looked up at the window and I just knew it was Kam! I was like, "There he is!! There's Kameron!!" and Tyler said, "Are you sure??" and I said, "Yes, I am sure!! I know my own kid!" We sat gazing up at his window and then he cracked his neck like Kam always does and Tyler was like, "Yep, that's him!" We sat there staring at him from our darkened rental car in the dark parking lot when all of the sudden Kam looked out the window and looked like he saw us. We were like, "Does he see us??" But Tyler said, "There's no way he can. It's dark. He is just seeing his own reflection and even if he can see into the parking lot our car is dark and it's a rental. He wouldn't recognize it." But then all of the sudden Kam's face broke into a huge grin and he waved! I was screaming, "He sees us!! He knows it's us!!" We were waving and Kam was waving! Finally when Tyler made us drive away and I messaged Kam to say that we weren't trying to spy on him (He was very strict that we couldn't see him before the allowed time) but that we were just trying to figure out where he lived and Kam messaged back with a laughing "I KNEW that was you guys!!!" We were laughing and messaging back and forth that it doesn't matter where he goes I will find him no matter what! Kam responded with, "That is true!" Tyler was like, "Wow! There really is something to a mother's intuition!! I can't believe you found him in that giant apartment complex!!" 

There really is something to that isn't there? And... there really are tender mercies from Heavenly Father to a mom who just wants to know that her kid is okay. He gets it...He understands. He knew I needed a glimpse of my kid that day and He knew that maybe our kid needed a glimpse of us too. 

Email From Elder Johnson #9

 Group Email: 9-15-20

Celestial Grape Juice

Sorry this is a lil late ya'll.  Yesterday got away from me so I apologize...

This last week has been great! I am having a great time here. Honestly it's amazing and shocking how much fun missionary work is!😂 I'm having a great time honestly. Don't worry about me I'm doin' fantastic! 

This week some awesome members had us over for dinner and they are some of the coolest people to talk with. We talked about hunting a lot cause he is a big hunter and he showed us his rifles and his 2 fetching black powder rifles SO DANG COOL!  I like guns a lot so it was super hype. Andddd they gave us the holy grail of all fruit juice. Fresh grape juice from grapes they grew on their land. Holyyyyyyy wowza it's the most amazing thing. And they gave us a couple jars to take home. Dangggg it's sooo goood. 

Also this week marked 1 year since my grandma passed. And honestly it still feels like yesterday that she left my family and I so unexpectedly. I remember that phone call I received at work in the middle of that dinner shift. And the 4 words that barely made it from my mom's phone to mine...grandma's gone...Come home. Those words still hit like a truck. I can remember exactly the feelings of confusion, sadness, and eventually numbness. Things just didn't feel real anymore. 

But one year later on that day I had a lot of time to think and to evaluate everything that's happened since then. I miss her a lot. There were still a lot of conversations and experiences I wanted her to be here for. To see the man I'm becoming and the infinite grandmotherly wisdom I still need to hear. 

If there's one thing I've learned being a missionary, it's that there is always a reason for everything in our lives. And we will never truly understand why things like this happen until much later on our journey back to our heavenly home. But I do know that God loves us completely and that everything that happens to us and everything we go through is to make us stronger and to grow closer to Him. It doesn't make the hard things any easier. This life was never meant to be easy but we know that it's going to be worth it. Love ya grandma. 

“God shall wipe away all tears from your eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

Thank you to everyone and the constant influx of love and support for me. It means the absolute world to me. I love ya'll. Take it easy. 

-Elder Johnson

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 186-190

Day 186: 9-15-20 (Tuesday)

The air is still hazardous. Ugh...it's so frustrating and sad. Ailey actually went to seminary at the stake center today. I guess they will do this once a week now. She enjoyed it. It starts later than usual and she got to see her friends. We are adjusting to the new school day. It feels good to be back into some kind of a routine. More work is getting done around here...for both Tyler and I...and the girls are busy until around 1pm each day so it feels a bit more *normal*.

In all the hubbub of being at the lake and the first day of school I forgot to say that our stake had a bunch of boundary changes occur. They chopped up several wards to help some of the smaller wards and then took a few families out of other wards too. We lost one of our favorite families! Our friends Sarah and Dan and their kids. I am bummed!!

I got set apart as the first counselor in the Stake Primary Presidency tonight. It was pretty neat. I think my new presidency will be fun. The President used to be in my ward and I used to be her visiting teacher, the Secretary is the mom of one of Ailey's good friends... so it's fun to be with both of them... and the 2nd counselor is someone that I had never heard of in our stake. So yay! A new friend.

We also continued planning our trip and itinerary. Who knew a trip to Minnesota and Wisconsin would feel so exotic! LOL.

Day 187: 9-16-20 (Wednesday)

The air still hazardous. We cannot be outside at all. Even for a few minutes to water my plants really hurts my lungs. I am going crazy being cooped up.

Tonight to say goodbye to my friend Sarah's family (the only family that was bumped from our ward) the youth/ward did a goodbye parade. We decorated cars and and made posters. Ailey made a cute poster with candy for each of the kids. It was fun to drive through their neighborhood honking and waving and telling them how much we will miss them. Their teenage daughters were on their driveway in tears. I am sure their neighbors were baffled by what was happening since it's not like they are moving!! LOL. But it was good to see everyone and to participate in something as a group.

Tonight the Bishop talked to me about my new calling and said how sad they are to lose me to the stake. That was nice to hear. They haven't called anyone yet to take my place and he told me they plan to take their time. LOL. I am fine with that. There isn't that much to do with COVID and I loved being our ward's Primary President.

After the goodbye parade, Tyler and I moved some things to the new storage unit and did a late night grocery run. We got a crazy phone call from Ailey saying that Bryn had cracked the screen on her laptop and was hysterical. Yes, she was! Good grief. By the time we got home things were under control but now we are down a laptop. The school has extras so we will borrow one until we get ours fixed or get a new one.

In better news, Reilly entered a barista drink making contest. She isn't a barista but she loves making different kinds of noncoffee drinks at her work. This was competition for Lotus Energy.  She made the top 16 with her Unicorn drink. She was pretty excited!

Day 188: 9-17-20 (Thursday)

Today the air is now unhealthy...so yay?? Seems weird to be excited about that but we are. It's still too nasty to go outside but it is getting better...slowly. Tyler had an appointment at the tailor's to get his new temple pants hemmed. We had to go through all of our temples clothes and make sure that we have everything to take to Minneapolis. It feels like it has been so long since we have gone to the temple. Ours has been closed for 7 months. We are in Phase 1. Personal sealings only.

I worked all day on things to bring to the store. The Fall Open House is this weekend so I need to rotate in autumn, Halloween, and Thanksgiving décor. 

Vendor night went well especially since it was a big overhaul. I pulled out quite a few things to make room for Fall items. Then we grabbed some dinner and headed home.

Thank goodness for a new season of the Kardashians to lower my stress level. LOL.

Day 189: 9-18-20 (Friday)

The air still unhealthy. Boo. The high school lost Ailey's sports physical form. Annoying!! We had to scramble to get another one sent to her dance team coach ASAP. They were refusing to allow her to participate (although they aren't doing much) without it. We also had to go to the high school to pick up a laptop for Bryn to use. 

I also had to quickly set up a baptism for a child in our ward that has been postponed all summer due to grandparents not being able to travel. Now the grandparents can travel and it needed to be set up immediately. 

Date Night tonight was pretty fun. We went shopping for our upcoming trip and got our favorite teriyaki. It felt more like our old date nights!

Day 190: 9-19-20 (Saturday)

Today the air was clear and it was cold and rainy! It felt great! I participated in the in our Stake's Drive Thru Ice Cream Social. It was awesome! I had a great time!

Me, Jen, Kata, Mary Ann, and Katie

Also, The Midtown Market Fall Open House was a huge success! I sold a ton of things!! I am so glad that it went well! In other good news... Reilly made it to the finals in her drinks competition. Woohoo!

Unicorn Whip!

Email From Elder Johnson #8

Group Email: 9-7-20 

Transfers and Ken Nation 

Elder Moses, Elder Johnson, and Elder Chipman

How are my people? Man I miss you guys but I'm out here workin' so luckily the days go by fast. Hope all is well with ya!

This week has been a busy one I'll tell you that much! Transfers happened this week which is pretty exciting. The zone got shaken up a bit so I said goodbye to some homies and I joined Ken nation🔥 (I got a Kendama to fill up my free time.)

With transfers I stayed in my area of good ol' Oakdale with Elder Moses. Elder Taylor, my other comp, got yeeted to Minneapolis which he was excited about it. Then, Elder Moses picked up a new missionary Elder Chipman as the new part of our trio. He's just a party. He's absolutely crushing it out here so it's been a fun change to the Oakdale squad. 

Did some service for some people in our area and had some super cool lessons! It's been a super cool week. Honestly I'm loving all the ups and downs that come our way as missionaries. 

I'll leave you with a scripture that I really like, its Isaiah 41:13:

 

"For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."

God has never abandoned us even when we feel He has. He is always with us; we are just blinded by whatever we are going through that we can't see him carrying us through these trials and tribulations that we have. God loves ya and heck I love ya too.

Keep killin the game🔥

-Elder Johnson 

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 181-185

Day 181: 9-10-20 (Thursday)

Judie and Joel arrived at the lake today. They brought their large trailer up with them and parked it at the lake. It was good to see them. They are doing a big PNW trip and visiting several of their kids who live up here. We were the first stop. Then they will head over to the west side of the state to see three of Joel's kids and their families and then they will go on to Oregon to see Joel's daughter and her husband before they head back to Utah.

The weather was beautiful so we enjoyed the water and the dock. We took them for a boat ride and did a lake tour. It was fun to show them the lower lake, channel, and the lily pads area. It is still too shallow to go to the upper lake. Joel was having the time of his life riding in the boat!

That evening Tyler and I had to go to Coeur d' Alene to the store for vendor night. I was just going to go by myself but I sold several big pieces so Tyler had to bring the trailer with large furniture pieces to restock the booth. I had dinner all prepped and ready before we left. Ailey and Bryn got to be the hostesses. The grandparents loved it! I think all grandparents enjoy time with their grandkids without the parents around. LOL. They had a fun night together.

Day 182: 9-11-20 (Friday)

Today was another beautiful day. We couldn't have had nicer weather. Tyler and the girls made a big breakfast. Pancakes, buttermilk syrup, eggs, and sausage. Grandpa Joel had breakfast with us. Grandma Judie is slowing down a bit and it takes her more time to get up and going in the morning. She also has to eat gluten free so she was happy that she could prepare her own little gluten free meals in her trailer.

We had a fun day with the grandparents. Joel made a great new game for our family. It is an old pub game called Ring a Bull. It is also called Tiki Toss. You try to get a ring on a hook. Joel made us a big one that has a fish on it that you try to hook. It was addicting. We did a lot of boating. The girls were showing the grandparents all of their swimming and water sport skills. Joel and Tyler dragged the girls around the lake on the tube most of the afternoon. Tyler let Joel drive the boat and he was in absolute HEAVEN! He was so cute! We spent all day on the water.

We did have a scary moment later that afternoon. Joel and Judie were coming down the stairs that lead to the dock and Joel was helping Judie who had just gotten up from a nap. He was helping her down the stairs and lost his footing and fell hard. Thank goodness he was okay. But it was super scary to see him fall.

We found out today that my cousin Wendy's husband's business burned. Their house is still in the path of the fire and it isn't looking good. They have been staying with friends and they decided to come to Spokane to stay with my cousin Justin and his family (Wendy's brother). I offered to have them come and stay at the lake with us. There is plenty of room especially with Judie and Joel sleeping in their trailer. We continue to pray and pray hard for their town and family.

Tonight Reilly and Hunter came out after work to visit with the grandparents and to have dinner. We had a such great night as a family! It was nice for Judie and Joel to get to know Hunter better. It really ended up being a fun night!

Day 183: 9-12-20 (Saturday)

By this morning the smoke from all of the Oregon and WA fires had moved in. It is super smoky! We had breakfast with Grandpa Joel again. That was really fun! He was so talkative and telling us interesting stories about his life. He was an electrician in a coal mine in Utah. Wow. We are loving our special breakfasts with him every morning.

Bryn and Tyler playing Grandpa Joel's game.

We had kind of a family *meeting* with Judie and Joel today. They wanted to talk about family history, the gospel, and share their testimonies with us, and to give some advice to the girls. We had some good conversations today. Judie and Joel left around lunchtime to head to the Seattle to see Forrest and Hanna. 

Wendy, Ben and their kids and Justin and Hannah and their kids came out for the day after Judie and Joel left. Before they got here we received some exciting news! We got an email from Kam's Mission President saying that Kam was scheduled to go through the St. Paul, MN Temple on Sept. 25th! Woohoo! We immediately bought our plane tickets. Then I got a call from our Stake representative asking if he could have a conference call with me and Tyler. Uh...okay. I got called to the Stake Primary Presidency as the 1st Counselor. I am excited about the new calling but sad to leave our ward's Primary. I didn't think that I would love my calling as Primary President as much as I have. It has been the best calling! I am really going to miss it! But I am glad that I get to stay involved in Primary on the Stake level. 

We had such a great day with my cousins and their families! It felt like old times to have them here. So much has changed and so much of it has been hard and sad and painful. It felt good to see their faces and watch their kids play and swim with my kids. Like it should have always been. There was much to catch up on... some good (all the latest with their families), the bad (all that is happening with my sibling situation and my mom's estate), and the scary (still getting updates on Wendy and Ben's house and the fire situation.) I felt like I was quite the downer as I brought them up to speed on our situation.  They were very calm listening ears which was appreciated more than they will ever know. But...ugh... I hate being negative and being involved in so much sibling discord. It's draining to me and to those who have to hear about it. I really wish things were different.

Photo Cred: Hannah

But the day spent with them was a lot of fun! Our girls had a blast with their cousins. Having them all out here was also a great distraction from thinking about the fact that tomorrow is the one year anniversary of my mom's death. I am so grateful that they were all out here and that it wasn't just a day of dreading tomorrow. Plus, they get it. They lost their father/grandpa to cancer and so it was nice to be around people who understand. Man, I wish my Uncle Mike were still here. He would be the perfect sounding board and voice of reason in helping me and my brother navigate dealing with my sisters and my mom's estate. It just isn't fair that BOTH he and my mom are gone. I am so glad that today ended up being such a good one and I am so glad that they were all able to come and hang out. And...it was really nice breaking up our COVID bubble a bit and being around people again!! 

Kirk and Meki sent me some beautiful flowers today. They are the most thoughtful people!! I wish that we could all be together tomorrow. 

Day 184: 9-13-20 (Sunday)

I woke up this morning to an early morning text from my brother about mom and then a phone call with both he and Meki. One year. How has it already been one year since my mom passed away? It seems like yesterday and like a 100 years ago. Today the smoke was even worse. You could barely see the lake. It looked like an extra thick fog had settled in. It was horrifyingly beautiful. 

This is what I posted on FB/Instagram:

You are still so alive and vibrant in our hearts. You aren’t gone. You don’t feel gone. You feel elsewhere. That has been a comfort this past year. I am so grateful for your example of how to get through hard times. I’ve needed it this year. I am so grateful for your ability to find the joy and humor in life despite the circumstances. I’ve needed it this year. But man I miss you! I miss your hugs, your voice, and phone calls from you saying: “Can you talk? You aren’t going to believe this!” And “Hey, what are you doing? Do you want to go bum around?” And “I have an idea and want to see if you’re up for it!” I miss that so much! I miss our adventures and traveling together (so many trips!), and your irritation with selfies!

Me laughing until I'm crying because you could never find where to look or smile naturally and you saying through a grimacing smile... “Just take the damn picture Kristin!” I am so glad I took the “damn pictures” and the trips and went on the adventures and bummed around with you. You are the best Mom! One year without you has only amplified that. I love you!! Forever.

We honored Mom's memory by taking the boat out to her cove:

Not a bad final resting place.

Ailey picked out this beautiful bouquet of white roses that we floated for her. 

Kirk requested a glass of Pimms, a favorite of hers, be tipped into the lake. I was happy to oblige. It was smoky but beautiful. Still and quiet. We were one of the only boats out on the lake and it felt sacred and peaceful.

I took one last smoky dip in the lake. I probably shouldn't have but it will most likely the last swim of the summer unless we get a super warm Indian summer in October. I didn't want to miss the chance for a swim. I was the only one who jumped in and it was so calm and soothing. The lake water was a balm to my soul. I am glad I braved the smoke and jumped in.

Tyler and I continued cleaning out more of the old garages. There is so much junk. There is still so much stuff to go. It's never ending. We also did yard work and deep cleaned the house and cabin. We got a text from our realtor saying that we had an offer on the Sandpoint house. I wasn't thrilled with the offer but I am the only one out of five who seemed to have a problem with it. I went along with the majority. I just can't wait to be rid of that place.

Throughout the day I received so many calls and texts from family and friends who remembered what day it was and who wanted to share their love for me and for my mom. That was so nice! It definitely helped. Tyler ran home to drop off the trailer and came back out with a couple of cards that people had sent me. All of those little things that people take the time to say and do mean so much. I even got a surprise video chat phone call from Kam. He wanted to check in on me and see how I was doing today. That meant the world to me. I am sure it was also hard for him to be away from all of us on this day. I love that kid!

Later that night we drove home and had to crazy prep for the next day...THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! Life is speeding up once again. All in all, the day that I had been dreading turned out to be okay. My Mom's good friend Mary Jane sent these words to me, "There is no magic in a year..." meaning that it doesn't mean that it will be better and it doesn't mean that it will be worse. It is just a day. That is how it felt. We remembered. We honored. We missed. We cried. We moved on. My mom would have demanded that.

Day 185: 9-14-20 (Monday)

The first day of school dawned and despite being weird there was still excitement in the air. The girls were up and ready early. We took our usual first day of school pictures. 

It is hard to believe that Ailey is a JUNIOR! 

I hope that things go back to normal so that she can enjoy some of the fun things in high school.

My baby Brynnie is a SIXTH grader in her last year of elementary school!

Obligatory 2020 mask photo!

Traditional "sitting at desks" photos! 

They can't tell me I can't take them this year! Ha!

 

And thus began distance learning round 2.

Today is still super smoky. The air quality has reached hazardous. People and pets can't be outside. Just going outside today for a few minutes to take pictures made my lungs burn. That has never happened before and we have had many smoky summers. Other family members are getting headaches or sore throats from being outside. We also have an oily film on our cars. It's awful. Plus...we are stuck inside. Outside is my joy in this COVID world!!

My friend Valynn came over today. She remembered the anniversary of my mom's death and brought me macarons, hugs, gossip, and a lot of laughs! I love her!! My friends have been so amazing this last year after losing my mom. They have rallied around me in ways that I will never forget. I am so grateful!!

Tyler and I planned our travel itinerary for Minnesota. We are going to leave on a Wednesday morning and come back on a Tuesday afternoon. We will be gone for almost a week. We are also going to drive 5 hours to Wisconsin to see my good friend Rebecca and her husband Jeff. I would be lying if I didn't say that I have total anxiety about traveling and being around people and I would totally be lying if I didn't say that I cannot wait to get out of Spokane!! Travel... even anxiety producing travel... is thrilling!!

After the school day was over we went to BluBerry for frozen yogurt to celebrate and had pizza for dinner (the girls choice) and listened to how their "first day" went. We also had our weekly video chat with Kam. I love these so much! My heart goes out to those mothers who only got to talk to their kids twice a year! Those are some hardcore mamas!! I can't believe that we will be seeing Kam in less than two weeks!!