COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 311-315

Day 311: 1-18-21 (Monday)

It's MLK Day and everyone is off of work/school. We didn't do anything major. Tyler and I both talked to my dad this morning. We have a weekly Monday morning phone date now and since Tyler was off of work he joined in too. He and my dad had a good conversation and enjoyed talking to one another.

Tyler, Bryn, Beverly, and I headed out for a big walk at the park. The sun is shining today!! There is no snow. Hooray! It is cold but beautiful! It felt good to be outside. We are doing some extra training with Beverly; and Bryn was a HUGE help. When we got home Tyler and I worked some more on our garage organization. It is coming along nicely but is such a big project. Doing it in smaller chunks has worked out well.

Day 312: 1-19-21 (Tuesday)

Today is a big work day! We are getting things done. Ailey did her "downtown" drive with her instructor. That is always one of the drives that causes a lot of nervousness in the Johnson kids. She did great! She drove downtown in rush hour! The other scary drive is the freeway!!

Today was a double workout day. Big walk with Tyler and then also riding the Peloton. I got over 10,000 steps. Boom! I also had a hilarious text exchange with my brother that had me laughing for hours afterward. I also had a bunch of things to do for my stake calling today. 

The kids were super busy with end of the semester stuff for school. Bryn had piano lessons. Tyler had a bunch of meetings today including his yearly review with his boss. It went great! He also made us dinner! Woohoo. Bryn and I were able to continue reading our book together.  I love it!

Day 313: 1-20-21 (Wednesday)

Today is Inauguration Day. Joe Biden was sworn in as our new President. Kamala Harris is the first woman Vice-President. Definitely a historic day for women regardless of your political affiliation. I wish them well. This country is a mess of hatred, intolerance, and division. I don't know how we lost the ability to build on common ground or to listen to understand. It's now "Think like me or you are an idiot!" There is no trying to see things from any other perspective. There is great lip service about that being done but spend one minute on social media and you will know the truth. I know that many are hoping that this administration will turn things around. Wouldn't that be great? They are in my prayers. Unfortunately I no longer put my trust in presidents, politics, the media, or the government (right or left) to be our country's savior. We have reached a hinge point. I don't think we will ever go back to civil discourse again. Sad.

I felt super sick last night. I think it is the vitamins that I started taking. This happened to me once before after taking Ashwaganda vitamins. Apparently some people feel extremely nauseous after taking them. Tyler chucked them in the trash. Be warned.

Day 314: 1-21-21 (Thursday)

Check out the date: 1-21-21. It is also the 21st Day of the 21st Year of the 21st Century. Crazy!

I felt somewhat better this morning. Thank goodness. No more Ashwanganda vitamins for me. I decorated the house for Valentine's Day and it is very cheery. 

Also the Bernie memes have had me laughing all day:

 It was vendor night tonight:

It went well and was pretty quick. Here's a little vignette.

We got take-out from a restaurant recommended by Guy Fieri on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Meh. I like the restaurant (we have eaten there before) but not this particular dish that he recommended. I feel like he and all of the cooking competition shows have ruined The Food Network.

Today the older sister of two of my good friends from the dell died of COVID. It is so sad. She was a lot older than me but Becky (her youngest sister) and I went to stay with Annie and her family a couple of times in Delta, UT and she was always so nice and welcoming. My heart breaks for her family.

Day 315: 1-22-21 (Friday)

The sun is shining but it is so cold! It's in the 20s. Tyler and I went walking despite the crisp arctic air. I did some buying for Sisters Creed. We headed out on our date night earlier than normal which was kind of fun. We went shopping at several of my favorite vintage places. I am on the hunt for vintage Valentine décor for my own house. I am hardly finding any valentine décor anywhere. Have I already waited too long?  

Tyler and I also went on a little adventure. There were several places that we wanted to stop in at or check out. One place was Mrs. Cavanaugh's. I have only seen them in Utah. One opened up here and we stopped in. We used to buy all of our valentine candy for each other there when we lived in SLC. 

We stopped to get dinner from Panera and were surprised to see my cute little cousin Grace working at the drive up window! It was so fun to see her and to get to talk to her for a bit. What a cutie! Love that girl!!

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 306-310

Day 306: 1-13-21 (Wednesday)

We had another freak windstorm very similar to that horrible one in 2015 that took out our power for 9 days. It struck at around 2am. The wind was horrible all night and all morning. Gusts over 70 miles per hour. It finally started quieting down around 2pm. Our power went out at 6:14 am. Yes. I know the exact minute. It was too dangerous for Tyler to get the generator hooked up until a little after 2 pm so we got pretty chilly. The girls and I stayed in our beds huddled under blankets. Tyler huddled under blankets on the couch monitoring our giant pine trees and the wind. School was cancelled. Tyler's work was cancelled. Trees are down all over town. A lot of destruction of homes and property. Two people were killed. It is super sad. The damage isn't quite as bad as 2015 but very close. 

I tried to roll with things. I stayed snuggled up in bed with my book and my box of specialty chocolate covered marzipan that I got for Christmas. I napped. I read. I was on my phone. I made the best of things. Once the generator was hooked up we definitely warmed up. Our generator is powerful enough to keep our furnace running, fridge(s), chest freezer, lamps, a TV, microwave, and a few appliances. It is just not powerful enough to run everything like our oven, dishwasher, washer and dryer which is a bummer. Luckily I had done all of the laundry before we went to bed last night. Plus our hot water tank is gas so we have hot water too. I am REALLY hoping that this doesn't turn into another 2015 situation. Reilly and Hunter had their power go off for a few hours but it is back on now. They live in a different part of town than we do. Reilly also stayed home from work today. Thank goodness.

The House of Representatives voted to impeach President Trump today for the second time. There is so much hatred and rage on both sides of the aisle. It's revolting. We ordered Jimmy John's for dinner and watched multiple old episodes of Duck Dynasty and The Goldbergs. Fingers crossed that our power will be back on when we wake up in the morning.

Day 307: 1-14-21 (Thursday)

The power is not back on. The power company texted out this morning that power will most likely not be back on until SUNDAY!! Are you KIDDING me??!! Who wants to move to Spokane?? Anyone? Anyone? Thank goodness...once again...for our generator and the lessons learned in 2015. 

Today Tyler replaced all of our propane tanks with fresh ones. Our generator can run for a little over 8 hours on one propane tank. It can also run on gasoline so Tyler filled up some gas cans too. We are blessed to have had zero property damage and that we were unhurt. So many people aren't that lucky. 

Check out this poor house on our walking route:

That makes me sick to my stomach.

Midtown Market had a tree come down on it and do some damage to the roof and crushed a cargo trailer that the owners, our friends Megan and Matt, had in the back. That part of CDA got hit pretty bad. The store is closed for the next few days. One of my co-vendors had a tree go right through her home in CDA and trap her baby in her crib. Luckily the baby was uninjured. That is terrifying! One of the people that was killed was a good friend to several of my friends. She had a tree come down on her car while she was driving to work. It is heartbreaking. Also, this was witnessed by several of the seminary students who were driving to seminary the morning of the windstorm because for some insane reason Seminary wasn't cancelled. (We kept Ailey home). Anyway... those kids were pretty traumatized having witnessed that. Several of them were first on the scene. There are damaged houses and cars all over the place...not nearly as bad as 2015 which looked like a war zone...but still bad.

We drove out to the lake to see if there was any damage out there and also to see if the power was on because if so... we're moving in! Luckily it also happens to be my week at the lake. Unfortunately for us, the power was out there too but there wasn't any damage so that was good! It was nice to get out of our house for awhile. 

We played outside at the lake and were quite entertained. It did us all some good. We picked up Chinese take-out on our way home. We hooked up our microwave and made mug cakes and watched The Goonies! Bryn liked it. Ailey was underwhelmed. Ha ha.

Day 308: 1-15-21 (Friday)

We woke up to no power once again. The girls technically had school today. The school district declared today a school day which was absolutely RIDICULOUS! So many people still don't have power and the people that do have power don't have internet service. So... how are kids supposed to do online school?? It was a total joke. We did get a text from the power company saying that the estimated time for power to be restored was now today at 1:30 pm which is a HECK of a lot better than Sunday!! 

Tyler got a hair cut. His first in MONTHS! Hallelujah! We watched Avista crews working in our area. We watched the time of 1:30 pm roll around and still no power. Tyler and I went on a big walk and were sadden to see so much damage. By 4:30 pm we still didn't have power and it was starting to get dark. I needed to go to CDA for vendor night. Midtown Market was open for business today. Vendor night was changed to tonight since the store has been closed due to tree damage. We left Ailey and Bryn with instructions about the generator and hoped for the best. We got an absolutely marvelous phone call at a little after 5pm. The power was back on!! 2 days and 11 hours without power wasn't fun but we were much more prepared than in 2015 and that was really nice.

We came home to a warm and fully lit home. Glorious!! We brought the girls Crumbl cookies to celebrate. Tyler and I finished this season of The Crown. So good and so sad.

Day 309: 1-16-21 (Saturday)

Today we organized our garage and all of our "survival" items: Generator and supplies. Tyler got all of the propane tanks refilled for the next time. We went for our walk and it was really nice. We headed to the lake once again to see if the power was back on. It was. While we were outside messing around on the ice we heard someone playing the bagpipes. It was really beautiful. The bagpiper played several of the songs that were played by the bagpiper at my mom's memorial service. After that we ran our usual Saturday errands and headed home to relax. It was a great night at home!

Day 310: 1-17-20 (Sunday)

The girls and I went to church in person today and Tyler watched the livestream. It felt great to be back and to see so many friends! Bryn finally got to stay for 2nd hour (it was Sunday School) since she is now out of Primary and is with the older kids. She loved it! It was weird coming home by myself. Tyler went to pick up the girls after 2nd hour and I got a text that they were setting Bryn and her presidency apart. Tyler was almost home and had to turn around. I was about to attend my online RS class. My friend Shannon was teaching.  Tyler ended up going in and helping set Bryn apart. He wasn't in his church clothes but at least he was in clean jeans and a sweater and not ratty joggers and an old t-shirt! LOL. He got to socialize and visit with some of his friends a bit. It did all of us a world of good to see good friends and to socialize today. I also had THREE great chatty phone calls with good friends today which is always fun! The girls don't have school tomorrow and Tyler is off of work too for MLK Day.

My friend Rachel is still without power. They are telling her it should be back on tomorrow. Her thermostat is at 42 degrees inside. It is awful. She and her family are staying with her sister-in-law.

We had our Come Follow Me lesson and it was REALLY good! It was an extremely nice Sabbath day!

I love this image that my friend Kathy posted.

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 301-305

Day 301: 1-8-21 (Friday)

I can't even articulate my feelings toward the state of events in our country right now.  Trump has been banned by Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. In an attempt to focus on something that won't continue to raise my blood pressure...The best part of my day was date night! A walk, thrifting, take-out from Aloha Island Grill, and two more episodes of The Crown. It's the little things that are getting me through the dumpster fire that is our country right now. 

Day 302: 1-9-21 (Saturday)

We have no snow in January and I couldn't be happier. I need my daily outside time. Tyler and I walked Beverly at the park today. She was a little stinker!! She wanted none of it! 

We started doing a Johnson Girls Day-of-Fun once a month. Each daughter picks a Saturday and plans what they would like to do as a family on their day. Today was Ailey's day. She picked coming with me and Tyler to run errands...aka Costco, Walmart etc... how low is her bar set for fun?! LOL. Thanks COVID! But sure we can do that. Then she wanted to do a "Gas Station Dinner" which was something that she saw on Instagram. Again...um...okay. Maverick for the win. Tyler and I opted out. 

Gas Station Dinner

She also just discovered old reruns of Duck Dynasty and wanted us to watch several episodes as a family. Again the bar for fun and entertainment is incredibly LOW!! But we did have fun!

Day 303: 1-10-21 (Sunday)

Today was online Stake Conference. Despite not being able to meet in person it was really good and the Spirit was strong. The Stake sent out multiple videos during the week leading up to Stake Conference with different speakers...many of whom are friends of ours...each speaking on different topics. They were great! The best part of Stake Conference was when Kameron's name was presented as one of the newly called Elders for sustaining. We were cheering away while we sustained him. 

3 John 4: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." It really is true.

Since we have been watching Magnolia Table, the Joanna Gaines cooking show; we decided to recreate one of her meals. We made her Friendsgiving Casserole (delicious), Cranberry Sauce, and her Green Beans Amandine (so-so.) We aren't big on sweet green beans...this recipe calls for a lot of brown sugar. Weird. Anyway it was fun to work as a family and recreate one of her meals. Then we had FHE and Tyler and I watched more of The Crown.

Day 304: 1-11-21 (Monday)

I had my weekly phone call with my dad. He asked if we could have a regular Monday morning phone date and it's turned out to be really nice. He signed up for the Emotional Self-Reliance class that his stake is doing and he is very excited about it.

On another note...the country is in chaos. Parler has been shut down. Facebook, Twitter, Google, Amazon, and Apple are acting like monopolies. Trump isn't my favorite person but I am against censorship and companies forcing their will upon the American people. It's a slippery slope. Media and big tech shouldn't be silencing opposing views. Period. 

Tonight we video chatted with Kam. He's doing well. He is getting along great with his new companion. He said the new companion (Elder Stewart) pushes him in ways that he has needed so that is good. He was sad to say goodbye to his old companion. It was interesting to hear him talk about all of the different things that he has learned from each of his companions. I love seeing this kind of maturity. He has a genuine love for each one of them and has made some lifelong friendships. He seemed in better spirits this week. He is staying busier and teaching more lessons. That always makes him happier. They also received their *Happy Light* light bulbs from their Mission President so maybe that's it too. LOL. Apparently so many missionaries are feeling some level of depression due to COVID restrictions/weather that the mission president purchased special light bulbs that help with seasonal affective disorder. Luckily Kameron is from a very dreary place in the winter! Those CA and AZ kids are struggling in the Minnesota winter.

Day 305: 1-12-21 (Tuesday)

Not much going on today. Tyler had a bunch of work things going on. He picked up one of his belated Christmas gifts to himself this afternoon. A shotgun. This is the first time that we have ever had a gun in our home. I *think* I am okay with it. Both Kam and Tyler did a bunch of shooting with the scouts and YM. Reilly and Hunter go shooting all the time on Hunter's uncle's ranch as it is part of ranch life but this is a purchase that has taken me years to be okay with and I am only okay-ish. So...don't try to rob us. We're gun owners now. Gulp.

Bryn had piano lessons and Ailey had another drive for Drivers Ed. Thankfully that one went well too. I am glad that she is getting more confidence. I started reading the book that local author Saul Rip asked me to read and review. So far so good. 

We are back on the ol' Peloton after a bit of a hiatus! Both Tyler and I are still loving it! And...the new padded seat is a definite bonus!!

Email from Elder Johnson #17

12-25-20

Merry Christmas!🎄🎅

This email isn't gonna be very long haha so I apologize. It's also kinda late😬👀 but today has been amazing. Definitely hard not bein at home for Christmas, missin the fam today for sure, but it definitely still felt like Christmas, and I'm so thankful for the district that made it feel that way! 

I hope you all had a wonderful day today and remember the amazing gift it was to us when our Savior was born! I miss you all and I hope that you have a wonderful rest of your week! 

BTW if you have not watchin The Chosen yet ooooooo I encourage you to do so. It will change your life. 

Love y'all,

Elder Johnson❤

(Boom clap✌👀)

Email from Elder Johnson #16

 12-7-20

BLAINE🙌

How it doooo my wonderful people? I hope the last 2 weeks have been spectacular for ya and I miss ya bunches!

These last 2 weeks have been a rollercoaster! Leaving Oakdale was hard! But I'm having an amazing time here in Blaine! Lots of people to teach who are progressing towards Jesus Christ which is so exciting! Our good man Ronnie, one of the people we are teaching, made the decision to be baptized! And is on date for the 26th of December! It's such an amazing experience to see someone so excited to make the strides to come unto Christ. There truly is nothing like it! 

One of the members In our ward told my companion and I to make funny videos about us so that the ward can get to know us! Which was a great idea and a lot of fun so I'll try and attach those to this so y'all can enjoy that😂 

The rest of the days have been kinda slow with not being able to be around other missionaries and other COVID restrictions. We spend a lot of time in the apartment so it do be kinda tough sometimes but we pushin through! 

That about wraps it up haha. Keep killin the game y'all. I love ya❤ and more importantly Jesus loves ya🙏 

Boom clap ✌

-Elder Johnson 

May take a minute to load but does work!

Email from Elder Johnson #15

(I've forgotten to add in Kam's emails... Woops!)

11-23-20

See Ya Later Oakdale✌

What's good party people? Ya favorite Minnesota missionary is back with another rousing and action- packed email...if only...haha not a whole lot happened this week😬

As a missionary you have crazy exciting weeks and others that are not so much. This week was like that except for 2 things!🔥

President Nelson's address was amazing! I loved every second of it! Gratitude is such an amazing thing and something we can truly benefit from in our lives! There's always something to be grateful for.

And the next is that transfers are on Wednesday and I found out that I'm leaving Oakdale after 3 amazing transfers here. Oakdale has been such a blast! Sad to say goodbye but I look forward to the experiences I'll have in Blaine! 

That's all she (or I guess I) wrote folks. I love y'all thanks for reading my email. Keep killin the game. Jesus loves ya. Boom clap✌

-Elder Johnson

Me and my comp Elder Cutchen. The sweetest boi💯

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 296-300

Day 296: 1-3-21 (Sunday)

I woke up to the dread of tomorrow hanging HEAVY over my head. Tyler wasn't in the best of moods and was pretty snappy this morning. It's A LOT for him to gear up for yet another heart procedure. 

Bryn had an early morning Zoom meeting with our bishop. She got her first calling and she was super excited about it too! She got called to be the president of the group of younger girls in YW. She has to pray about and pick her counselors and secretary. She is thrilled and up for the challenge. She is great at leadership and she isn't clique-y. Brynnie is a friend to all. She will be great in that calling. Today is technically her first day of YW.

We didn't go to church in person because we are having to seriously quarantine once again prior to Ty's procedure. We livestreamed sacrament meeting and Tyler blessed the sacrament for us. Sometime during church I stopped feeling so "dready" about things and Tyler was in a better mood too. We went for a walk and that also helped. We ended up having a very nice Sunday with the girls and I went to bed with fairly calm nerves.

Day 297: 1-4-21 (Monday)

We had to be up by 4:30 am and at the hospital by 5:30 am. Two weeks ago the whole check in process went really fast. There was no time to sit and worry.... not so today. Waiting pre-procedure was EXTRA long this time and that was not good for this worrier. Tyler sat in the waiting room for 45 minutes waiting to be called back. Then I sat out there for another 45 minutes before they let me go back and sit with him. By then I had a full blown migraine. I also missed his doctor coming in and talking to him pre-procedure.

He went back for his procedure at 7:45 am and I sat waiting in his room for the longest 2 hours and 10 minutes of my life. I was told the procedure would be between 1 1/2 and 2 hours. So the extra time crawled by and filled me with terror. 

I was able to wait in his room which was really nice. He had a great nurse who brought me a drink and offered me snacks. This time I couldn't concentrate enough to read. I couldn't sit still. I paced and stared out of the window at the view. All of the friends and family who texted/messaged me during this time were such a HUGE BLESSING! I was so touched by everyone who knew that I would be waiting alone and took the time to keep me busy and texting. IT SAVED ME.

My view

Just before Tyler was wheeled in his nurse ran in to tell me that the procedure had been a SUCCESS! Dr. Huber was able to place two stents and went in through one wrist. Miraculous!! I burst into very happy tears. The fact that Dr. Huber was able to do what Dr. Boulet could not was miraculous on it's own but Tyler was prepped for both wrists in case Dr. Huber had to go in from both sides and prepped if he had to go in from one or two sides of his groin. Recovery is much longer when they go in through the groin. Kam couldn't go up and down stairs for a week and couldn't lift for another week. It is definitely more invasive. We were prepared that he would mostly likely have a longer recovery so it was absolutely amazing that it was able to be done all through one wrist. 

Picture we texted to the kids to let them know that their dad was out of surgery and doing well. This happened to be Kam's P-Day so we were able to stay in contact with him all day and give him updates which was a huge blessing.

Before:

After:

That's quite a difference.

Tyler had to be observed for a few hours and then we were home by about 4pm. He slept for a bit and then he was up and around. This time they didn't want him lifting anything for 24-48 hours. His doctor said that he was free after that to do whatever he wanted without restrictions.

I spent most of my evening on the phone talking to friends and family who were checking in. I told my friend Steph... "Now I can have my nervous breakdown" and I kind of did but it was one of RELIEF. Dinner was delivered to us and we all video chatted with Kam as a family. Reilly was on the call (as she usually is every week) and it was good for the kids to see that Tyler was doing fine. Later that night Tyler and I watched The Crown and just relished being on the other side of this whole difficult situation.

Day 298: 1-5-21 (Tuesday)

Tyler took today off of work. He is feeling good! He got up this morning and made soup to have going in the crock pot. I talked to a lot of people today. One of the best calls was to my friend Denise who is my mom's age and a great mother figure in my life. She is such a great mentor and role model. I needed mothering and she did just that! Her personality is so much like my mom's. My kids have said that for years about Denise. We all love her and she stepped in for my mom and it felt good. She also has a husband who is a diabetic with heart issues and a son-in-law who is a Type 1 diabetic. She had a career in the medical field and she gets it all. I am so grateful for her. 

Tyler wanted to go for a walk today and it was allowed so we did. We took Bev to the park and walked for 2.5 miles. We worked on setting goals for 2021. Personal, Couple, Family, House etc. That felt good. We have things to work towards and that helps life feel more in control in a weird way.

The girls were busy today. Bryn had piano lessons and then a Zoom Goodbye/Secret Santa Party with her old activity day group and leaders. Ailey had her first "drive" with an instructor. He happens to be in our stake and was Kam's driving instructor too. He wanted an update on Kam. Ailey's been to his home several times because his wife was one of Ailey's girls camp advisors. This put Ailey much more at ease behind the wheel and she did a great job! She also had online Drivers Ed tonight. Tyler and I cozied up and watched more of The Crown.

 

Day 299: 1-6-21 (Wednesday)

Ailey went back to in-person early morning seminary today. Tyler went too...ugh...as security!! I was so annoyed with him!! Hello!! But they asked for a parent volunteer and he just automatically signed up. 

I spent the day deep cleaning our house after all we have had going on. I talked to my dad on the phone this morning. Reilly came over for a porch visit after work. We miss her so much. I just want to HUG my kid!!

Here's a picture of her outside our front door. We brought her a chair and a portable heater so that we could all talk for longer than a few minutes. She was so sweet! She brought us all kinds of fancy treats from the French bakery in town. She is so thoughtful and we loved it. We had a good long visit face to face which was good for all of us!

Ailey had online Drivers Ed and Bryn had her first YW activity via Zoom. The YW made snickerdoodle cookies and she had a lot of fun! One of the girls said that she had COVID which is just dandy since her brother was sitting in Seminary this morning with Ailey!! She said that she has had it for a few days. Hello!!! Why is the brother at Seminary??? IN PERSON??? Things like this make me so angry!!

The school board met tonight and Bryn will (tentatively) be going back to in person school on Feb. 17th. She is over the moon with joy! Ailey will (tentatively) go back to in person school on March 1st. Both girls will have alternating hybrid schedules if COVID rates don't spike crazily before then. They are pretty happy about going back to school in any form!

Absolute chaos in DC... Trump supporters stormed the Capital building. No words.

Day 300: 1-7-21 (Thursday)

Do you see that? DAY 300. We are still in quarantine...and I don't even recognize my country. I am so disgusted and angry. I have no faith in Biden/Harris or in the Democrat Party nor in the Republican Party. Or quite frankly in the Senate, the House, local elected officials, nor in our judicial system... I am nauseated. 

The girls were asking us about all that was going on. Why...what we thought would happen....what we need to do now? We told them to put their faith in Christ. People are looking to a president/political party/policies to save them/the country. We told them only Christ is mighty to save. Focus on Him.

I decorated my booth tonight for Valentine's Day. I got a message from Kam saying that he didn't get transferred this go around. He is staying in Blaine. His companion got transferred to downtown Minneapolis. YIKES! That sounds awful right now especially with the horrifying political situation and the previous protests and riots in Minneapolis. Kam got a new companion who is from Utah and Kam said, "He seems pretty cool." Good, I guess.

2020: Year in Review

2020

2020 was quite simply the most bizarre year of my life. A world wide pandemic. Lockdown. Quarantine. Social distancing. No school. No work. No church. No activities. No social life. Riots. Political Unrest. Racism. An insane Presidential election. Health issues. Extended family drama. It was hard, scary, lonely, and sad. And... as hard as it is to believe sometimes...joyful! We were active, enjoyed a lot of family time, and had very few distractions. 2020 taught us in a very real and quick way what matters. We got our priorities straight real fast!

Here's what 2020 looked like:

-The first three months of 2020 I was still in deep grief over the loss of my mom. 

-Bryn played basketball for the first time. She was on her school team and she loved it!

-Ailey was the chicken again at Rubber Chicken! She was spectacular!

-Ailey was busy with dance team competitions for the first three months.

-Tyler's sister Lori moved to Washington DC. We miss her!! It's hard having her so far away.

-We had several windstorms that did quite a bit of damage at the lake. Nothing like the big windstorm of 2015 though. We had to have five big trees taken down on the lake property.

-Tyler turned 49!

-The Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl!! That was big excitement at our house!! My old home town.

-Ailey and I became ministering partners. She is awesome and is a great motivator!

-Bryn sang a jazz solo in her 5th grade music program!! She was fantastic!!

-Kameron sliced off the tip of his finger at work one day. Yikes!

-Tyler had to have some skin biopsied from his toe. Thank goodness it was normal.

-Kam had his follow up cardiology appointment and his heart looked good. No restrictions, no medications, and no follow up unless he starts having some kind of symptoms. Thank goodness!

-Tyler bought himself a new (to us) sporty car. He loves it!

-Reilly and Kameron both made a lot of money housesitting for various people. They were both in hot demand by several families. 

-We found out that Ailey has no mind's eye. This has been such HELPFUL information and explains so many things!!

-We divided up my mom's belongings. It was awful.

-Beverly got her stomach pumped because she ate some green onions that had sprouted up in our garden.

-Kameron submitted his mission papers.

-Kameron got his mission call to Minneapolis, Minnesota!

-All hell broke loose and the country went into COVID-19 lockdown and quarantine on March 13th.

-Tyler's company had all their employees start working from home.

-The kids schools closed.

-The LDS church closed temples and cancelled Sunday meetings/youth activities. 

-Missionaries came home from their missions for several months.

-The MTCs closed.

-Store shelves were empty. There was no toilet paper to be found...no paper products, cleaning supplies, canned goods, flour, sugar, yeast etc. We had to wait in long lines to get into stores.

-All nonessential stores/business closed. No hair/nail salons. No restaurants. No movie theaters. No libraries. 

-Parks closed.

-Funerals and weddings were cancelled.

-Wearing masks and social distancing became the norm.

-Reilly was indirectly exposed to COVID-19 and had to isolate from us. That was HARD!!

-The LDS church had families start doing Home Church.

-The kids started distance learning which is online school.

- A 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit Salt Lake City.

-The borders closed to other countries and to the USA.

-No groups larger than 10 were allowed to meet.

-Hospitals no longer allow visitors.

-All extracurricular activities got cancelled.

-We started ordering our groceries online and having them delivered to our house or car.

-Beverly turned one!

-Bryn started virtual piano lessons via FaceTime.

-We participated in a World Wide Fast.

-There was a 6.5 magnitude earthquake that hit near Boise. It was felt in Spokane.

-All in-person events were cancelled... like all vintage shows, concerts, conferences, sporting events. My business came to a screeching halt.

-Porch visits became a thing.

-In-person General Conference was cancelled. Only the speakers were allowed to attend.

-Bryn started teaching herself to play the ukulele.

-The kids found out that they wouldn't be going back to school for the rest of the year.

-Bryn turned 11!

-We participated in a 2nd World Wide Fast.

-The McClellan family imploded. Kirk and I became estranged from our three sisters. 

-Zoom meetings became a thing.

-TikTok became a thing...especially with our girls!

-Beverly was spayed.

-We bought my mom's boat.

-Tyler and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.

-Perimenopause kicked in.

-Kirk and I hired an attorney to represent us.

-WA State moved to Phase 2: Businesses opened back up with strict social distancing...only take out at restaurants and movie theaters are still closed...and no live events.

-Kirk and Meki and family came up for a quick visit over Memorial Day. 

-Ailey made the dance team for her Junior year. She had to try out via video. They haven't been able to do anything except for a few occasional practices that were masked, outside, and social distanced.

-The country went to hell. Riots, protests, violence.

-Racial injustice was at the forefront of the news.

-High school graduations were cancelled or became "drive-thru" graduations.

-Our family started biking regularly and boating!!

-I turned 48!

-Meki got COVID-19.

-Ailey and Bryn got really good at wakeboarding!

-Ailey turned 16!

-Kirk and Meki had to evacuate their home due to a big fire. Thank goodness their house was fine.

-Kameron was ordained an Elder.

-Kameron was set apart as a missionary.

-Our house became an MTC. Kam did his missionary training online from home.

-We saw the Neowise Comet!

-Our basement flooded due to our neighbor's sprinklers.

-Kam left for his mission and it was BRUTAL for us!

-Kirk, Meki, and kids came up for a visit this summer.

-The kids found out that when school started again it would still be distance learning.

-I became a vendor at Midtown Market in Coeur d' Alene.

-Ailey went on her first date. They both wore masks!

-The girls and I went back to church after 5 months. They started livestreaming church too. Tyler started watching church via the livestream.

-Some temples opened up but only for living ordinances. The St. Paul/Minneapolis Temple was one. We found out that parents could come and go through the temple with their missionaries!

-Judie and Joel came for a visit.

-My cousins Wendy and Justin and their families came to the lake and spent time with us.

-There were horrible fires in WA and Oregon. The air was so hazardous that you couldn't go outside.

-The one year anniversary of my mom's death came...and went.

-Ailey and Bryn started their Junior and 6th grade years at home with online school.

-Bryn went back to in-person piano lessons.

-Bryn started playing the cello.

-I got called to be the 1st counselor in the Stake Primary Presidency and got released from being the Primary President of our ward. I loved being the Primary President!

-Tyler and I flew to Minneapolis to attend the temple with Kameron! It was awesome!!

-We traveled from Minneapolis to Wisconsin to see our good friends: Rebecca and Jeff.

-Fall General Conference still wasn't in person. 

-My mom's house in Sandpoint sold.

-Reilly had two coworkers test positive for COVID and had to isolate from us again.

-Tyler and I did a quick buying day trip to Seattle.

-My step-mom Gayle passed away.

-Tyler and I took the girls on a Halloween trip to Mount St. Helens and Cape Disappointment.

-Joe Biden won the Presidential Election. Kamala Harris became the first woman Vice-President.

-Reilly turned 24!!

-Kameron turned 20!!

-My father returned to church activity after 44 years.

-Kam had a missionary car karaoke video go viral-ish (26k views and counting.) That was so fun for those missionaries and their families too!

-The State of WA went back into modified lockdown.

-We participated in the prophet's request to post gratitude on social media for a week in November.

-Kam got transferred from Oakdale, MN to Blaine, MN.

-We replaced the floors in Ailey's room, Bryn's room, and our bedroom.

-The country is a political dumpster fire.

-We found out that Tyler was having heart issues again.

-The Governor of WA and many other states requested that families not gather for Thanksgiving or Christmas. They didn't even want families singing Christmas carols. FOR REAL!!

-Ailey got her Learner's Permit.

-Tyler started "looping" for his diabetes.

-Ailey took Drivers Ed.

-Hunter tested positive for COVID-19. Reilly had to isolate from us for the third time this year and we couldn't be together for Christmas and New Years.

-Bryn participated in a virtual piano recital and Ailey participated in a virtual choir concert.

-We saw the "Christmas Star" or the Great Conjunction. The merging of Saturn and Jupiter. The last time this occurred was in the Middle Ages.

-Tyler had a heart procedure that was unsuccessful and had to schedule a 2nd one.

-Kirk tested positive for COVID-19.

-This year health-wise I had more skipped periods here and there. I am smack in the middle of perimenopause. I started having hot flashes. They SUCK. I got tested to see if I had a genetic predisposition for blood clots on the advice of my doctor due to my mom's health history. I don't. I have struggled with anxiety more than I ever have this year and have felt some depression. Depression has been new for me. It has come in the form of a lack of motivation and enthusiasm. Two things that I normally do not lack.

-My business has completely changed. It went from a mom and two daughters in business together to just me. I was headed in this direction in 2019 prior to my mom's death. It has been time for me to do my own thing with Sisters Creed for a very long time. COVID-19 caused me to pivot my business plan and it has been the best thing that I have ever done! Vintage shows did not happen in 2020 and the future for 2021 is still dubious. I became a vendor at a very successful store and my sales have skyrocketed! I have only been at the store for 4 1/2 months and I doubled my yearly sales. It has been really gratifying.

-Kameron left for his mission in July. That was a really exciting time for our family and also a hard adjustment. We miss that kid like crazy! It has been extraordinary to see the growth that Kam has had in a little over 6 months. He went from boy to man. Every week I see something new. The mission has been good for him. One of the most special times this year was when Tyler and I flew to Minnesota to attend the temple with Kameron for the first time. The experience of being in the temple with our child and watching him make sacred covenants was beyond compare. This was truly one of the happiest days of my life.

-Worrying about Tyler contracting COVID-19 has been a constant stress. We've isolated more than the average person. It has been extremely difficult. It's taken a toll on all of us. We are social people. We are huggers. We love to travel. We are always busy. This forced a pause in literally everything... and separation from friends and loved ones has stretched us almost to our breaking points. We look forward to vaccines and being close to those we love and miss. Tyler's heart issues were extremely difficult. Compounding stress. But we are incredibly grateful that his blockage was found...again he had no symptoms and a perfect EKG...and had a complete blockage. We feel that it was a miracle that this issue was found and it was due to a prompting from the Lord to have a particular test done. We are humbly grateful.

-My family issues with my sisters has been very illuminating. Difficult and extremely painful but still illuminating. To have the curtain lifted and filters removed and to see the dysfunction in the bright light of day has been horrifying but necessary. I hope for their sakes that they do what they need to do to be healthy mentally and physically. I am grateful to not be alone in this situation. My brother is a rock and a lifeline. I've made my peace with the situation.

-My mother's estate still remains in limbo. Her belongings for the most part have been divided. One of the properties sold. There are several other things yet to sell. Progress has been made but there is still more to go. I hope that by the end of 2021 this is all behind us.

-On a brighter note... let's talk GOALS:

First up... Books!

I read 50 books in 2020. That was my goal for the year and I met it. I am really surprised that I did because I had no reading mojo at the start of COVID. While most people were watching Netflix, reading, and doing puzzles. I couldn't relax or concentrate. I had several months where I barely read anything. Again...not how I am normally. When I started to pick up my reading again it was all nonfiction. I had a really hard time getting into fiction for quite awhile. Thank goodness that in the last half of the year my reading picked up again.

My Favorite Books of 2020:

1.) The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

2.) The Passengers by John Marrs

3.) Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

4.) The Mother-In-Law by Sally Hepworth

5.) The Twelves Dates of Christmas by Jenny Bayliss

Worst Book of 2020:

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

I love classics but I absolutely loathed this book.

Book Stats:

Fiction: 32

Nonfiction: 18

Classics: 12

Book Club: 9 (2 I didn't read and one I had already read.)

-As far as my regular goals went I had my best year ever. I literally don't know how that happened. For several months I felt like I did nothing due to grief and fear of COVID. Life changed so abruptly. I felt like I was cooped up in quarantine jail and couldn't do anything that I wanted to. While there were many things that I couldn't do there were many things that I could. I changed my mindset and got to work. Working toward goals, exercise, daily walks with Tyler, and routine saved my life...and surprisingly... I accomplished A LOT. Tyler and I accomplished most of our couple goals for 2020 which was also really surprising. And... My morning routine was a lifeline for staying centered.

My morning routine:

Scriptures

Prayer

Gratitude Journal

Affirmations Journal

Daily Goal Review

To-Do List

-This crazy and mostly dull blog chronicling quarantine has also been extremely helpful in processing my feelings about all that has been going on. Never in my wildest dreams did I think our quarantine would last this long.

-I also discovered that I really enjoy having Tyler home. We can work from home together. We have to be in separate areas of the house and we have to respect one another's time and space but we really enjoy being together. When he does go back to the office I will miss him. I also have really enjoyed all of the extra time we have had with the kids. But I am ready for them to go back to school. LOL. Seriously though... our family has grown even closer (Reilly and Hunter too) through these strange times. Having all of this extra time with Ailey while she is a junior is a gift. When Reilly and Kameron were juniors we barely saw them. They were so busy with school, activities, work, church, and friends. They were in and out. So to have life when it is usually the busiest SLOW down has been a gift especially before Ailey heads off to college. It was also extremely nice having extra time with Kam before he left for his mission. The weeks that our home was an MTC was a golden special time.

-The child that has struggled the most with quarantine has been Bryn. She is an extrovert. She is sunny and social. She brightens up a room. She has a large group of friends and is very active in sports. Distance learning and quarantine has sucked the joy out of her. She lost her sparkle and bubbly joy. Tyler and I have worried about her. She's definitely been the kid that we've noticed the big change in. I can't imagine how scary and uncertain the world feels to an 11 year old? She has no frame of reference or life experience to know that all hard things *eventually* come to an end. It seems to her that this will last forever. It's been difficult to balance safety/health with mental health. 

Question: What did 2020 Teach You?

Tyler:

I learned the importance of self-reliance: spiritually, physically, mentally, and financially. Who knew that church, school, and work would be gone and that we would have to completely rely on each other and the Lord. I learned that working remotely for my job is possible and can even be enjoyable. I have liked being home with Kris during the day. We like spending time together and we work well alongside one another. I don't think I bugged her too much. LOL.

Kristin:

I learned to live in the now. Stop looking back at what was...and stop trying to see the future. Live in the present. Find pockets of peace. Find joy in the now.  Appreciate simple joys and pleasures. I also learned forbearance in such a big and difficult way with my sisters. It was a tremendously painful lesson to learn but also a necessary one. I also learned to put my trust completely in God...not in parties, policies, politicians, or programs. Other refuge have I none. Some silver linings have been: more family time, we've grown closer as a family, more sleep, more active as a family, learned new technology, and no unnecessary obligations (that one is huge.)

Reilly: 

2020 taught me to never take anything for granted. Not even what I would consider a boring typical day. I've learned to be grateful for the average ordinary day.

Hunter: 

I've learned that nothing in life is guaranteed. Life as we know it can slip upside down at any moment and we need to always be prepared.

Kameron:

2020 taught me to focus on the things that actually matter. The importance of family, relationships, and good communication. To focus on my conversion and covenants. To build a strong foundation not only for me but for my future family. It's easy to be fixated on things that have a temporal importance. I have learned to refocus on the things that have spiritual importance.

Ailey:

2020 taught me to find happiness in the little things (they matter) and to appreciate what I have. 2020 also taught me the importance of the gospel and how much I need it in my life. I have learned to slow down and focus on what is happening around me. 2020 taught me to love and appreciate the outdoors because when everything was closed and shut down I knew I could rely on being outside and in nature for fun activities like biking. Overall 2020 has been a pause year and has shown me what really matters and what should take priority in my everyday life.

Bryn:

2020 taught me to have patience and to be thankful for what I have been given because those things can be taken away. I also learned how much I actually like and am grateful for school!

*Favorite Purchases:

Boat: Best purchase by far!

Peloton: 2nd best purchase! Our gym has been closed for most of the last 10 months.

Bidet: How much can you love a fancy toilet seat? OH... A LOT! Never going back. 

Brumates: I don't know how we survived before Brumates and Hydroflasks and our drinks always staying cold. I got the slim can Brumate in pink for my Red Bulls and the bigger Brumate in rose gold for my La Croix cans. Tyler got a bigger silver one for La Croix and pop. Astounding!!

Audible membership: Tyler got me an audible membership last Christmas and it has been SO worth it! I listen while I work on projects and it is awesome! Tyler has used quite a few of my credits and loves it too. It's time for him to get his own membership!!

Universal Yum Box Subscription: Reilly found this awesome box subscription. She and Hunter got one and so did we. We all LOVE it! We have had so much fun trying all kinds of snacks and treats from around the world. We get SO excited when our box arrives!!!

*Favorite Activities:

Long Walks: 

Daily 3 mile walks have saved my life! Exercise and an hour of walking and talking with Tyler has kept me healthy mentally and physically.

Gardening: 

I cannot express the *calm* and joy that I feel while gardening and tending my plants and flowers. It is so incredibly soothing and enjoyable. In the winter I am all about my indoor plants. I love them!

Boating: 

If you want to feel like a million bucks and that you are on top of the world...go boating! In the boat all day long with Ty and the kids is truly my absolute happiest place!!

Biking: 

I love biking! I feel like a 10 year old again cruising around, flying down hills, laughing, and racing! It is spectacular! I love that Ty and our kids are into it too. I once heard that if you want to be happy think of the things that made you happy as a 10 year old and do them. So true! 

Playing with Beverly: 

Beverly is totally our support animal. I am so glad that we have her to love, cuddle, and laugh at her antics.

Blogging: 

This is how I processed 2020 (and every year.) It feels good to release my feelings through this blog and to keep a family record. 

My Booth: 

This keeps me busy, creative, and happy! Another life saver!

*Favorite Podcasts:

1.) Currently Reading (hands down my favorite book podcast)

2.) Ten Things to Tell You with Laura Tremaine

3.) From the Front Porch (Another good book podcast hosted by a small bookstore owner.)

4.) Happier with Gretchen Rubin

-2020 was full of surprises: some horrible and some sweet. We learned resilience if nothing else.