Current Favorite Videos and Memes #2

1.)

This is 100% how we treat Kameron coming home from work! He is greeted with..."Use hand gel!!", "Wipe down your phone!!", "Take a shower!!", "Wash your clothes!!" He loves it.

2.)

This made me laugh HARD! We are quarantined with a very chatty child who cannot self-entertain!

3.)

This is Tyler's personal favorite.

4.)

These never get old!

5.) 

What would we do without TIKTOK?!

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 20-24

Day 20: 4-2-20 (Thursday)

We have SUNSHINE! I cannot tell you how much that helps my mood each day. The Accentuate the Positive song was played quite joyfully this morning despite this being quarantine DAY 20!!

Kameron's wanting to learn to play the guitar has inspired all of us to learn something new. Ailey and Bryn want to learn the ukulele. So we ordered one. Maybe we will be a family band by the time we emerge from quarantine. I am going to learn to meditate. You know... to deal with all of the guitar and ukulele playing.

We got our tax return today. Good news. I thought we were going to have to pay a ton of taxes this year due to my inheritance. We did but with all of our exemptions etc we actually got some money back so that was nice.

We did our daily walk at around 2 pm today. There were so many people out. We are like moles coming out of our molehills to see the sun. I didn't want to go back inside when we got home so I decided to rake the yard and clean out some of the flower beds. Look what I found!

My daffodils are starting to come up.

Bryn has online school twice a week. She had it today. Ailey had online Chem today. Bryn had to make a hilarious sign that we put out where everyone can see because we are HORRIBLE at remembering to be quiet or barging in when someone is having a video meeting/chat.

Ailey made homemade ice cream in a Ziploc bag as her chemistry experiment. It was delicious!

We had a porch visit from my friend Mary tonight. I miss my friends. It was good to see her even from a distance. The whole family enjoyed chatting with her from the porch. It's really exciting to see someone other than our family!! LOL.

I tried to watch Tiger King...lame. I don't know if I can go through with the series. Ailey and Bryn made chocolate chip cookies. Lucky for me I am not a cookie person so they aren't a real temptation. I can be one and done. We had so much fun tonight hanging out and talking with the kids in our bedroom. This quarantine is really fostering more family togetherness and longer family hang outs and chats. That has been really nice!

Today the governor extended the stay-at-home order in WA to May 4th.  Okay... I can deal with that. As I told the kids...that is just 4 days longer than we previously thought. That is doable.

Day 21: 4-3-20 (Friday)

Tyler and I walked early today to try to catch the sunshine. By the time we were out the door it was cloudy and windy again but we still had a good walk.

Ailey had Seminary, AP English, and Dance Team on Zoom today.  Bryn worked on her art project which was photographing a "found" color wheel. It turned out pretty cool. She had fun collecting items and then submitting a picture online to her art teacher.

We had a fun quarantine date night tonight! It *almost* felt like a real date night.

Date nights now consist of Tyler and I driving away from our children for awhile. Tonight was no different but we stopped to get take out to eat on our drive. I ran into to Noodles Express to get our called in order. We have gone much too long without Osaka bowls. They are SO delicious!! Then we continued on our drive around Lake Coeur d' Alene. It was so beautiful. We stopped at several points along the way and just marveled at the beauty of the water. I had just read about the importance of negative ions. They produce a biochemical reaction that increase levels of serotonin, reduce depression, relieve stress, and increase energy. Moving water, sunshine, pine trees, rain storms, mountains, parks, forests, etc all increase your negative ions and give you a feeling of calm. They do for me! So we were soaking in those negative ions!!

We stopped for a bit and watched this guy kiteboarding with a hydrofoil board. He was pretty entertaining especially as he yelled and cursed at the wind.

We continued on with our drive around the lake and chased a gorgeous sunset!

SERIOUSLY!! How GORGEOUS is that?! 

We had a lot of fun and it actually felt very date-nightish! We got home around 9:30pm (which seemed VERY late) and then laughed and hung out with the kids. I LOVE these late night hangouts!!

Day 22: 4-4-20 (Saturday)

Today we celebrated three weeks of quarantine down and being perhaps halfway through with it!! Fingers crossed!

Today was the first day of General Conference! I have been so excited for this weekend to arrive! Finally we can lounge around in pajamas and eat junk food and it feels NORMAL!! It was SO GOOD!!

After the afternoon session we watched my friend Karli get married to her fiance Perry via Facebook Live. That was a first! Love in the time of the Coronavirus! It was quite exciting!!

We loved watching her get married and interacting with our friends via the comments during the Live! I am so happy that she has found her special guy!! She deserves a lifetime of happiness!

Today there was a 3rd session of Saturday General Conference. I loved the extra session! The new church logo was announced. It is beautiful! President Nelson also announced another worldwide fast to be held on Good Friday. Bring it on. Fasting and praying has power and I cannot think of a better way to observe Good Friday.

Today was very uplifting. I always love General Conference and I especially loved it during a global pandemic and quarantine. The three sessions took up the entire day so it seemed to go by quickly. The talks gave me peace and comfort. Tyler and I went for a walk after dark. It was nice to be able to process the things discussed at Conference together.

I also checked in with my dad. All is well with them in Las Vegas.

Day 23: 4-5-20 (Sunday)

Holy week began. Today is Palm Sunday and General Conference Day #2. I woke up early this morning to Tyler and the girls making crepes in the kitchen. It sounds like Tyler and the girls are doing all of the cooking during this quarantine. I wish!! All other meals are made by me so I am especially appreciative that more people are jumping in and helping out. LOL.

My new favorite crepe is filled with whipped cream, lemon curd from Trader Joes (SO GOOD), and strawberries. That lemon curd is especially delicious stirred into plain greek yogurt!

Conference today was super uplifting, comforting, and encouraging. Being able to participate in the Hosanna Shout was a neat experience for our family. Hearing temples announced in Dubai (a Muslim country) and China (a communist country) was absolutely jaw-dropping. All in all... General Conference was pretty spectacular!

I love that Hosanna means God Save Us! Very appropriate in these COVID-19 times. Hallelujah means God Be Praised! Also very appropriate! I love that Easter is next weekend too. It's good for my spirit.

We haven't heard much from Reilly the past few days. I miss her tremendously. She and Hunter were going for alot of long drives. Who isn't!

After Conference ended and we were on a high I guess we needed a bit of a low. The weather was pretty blah and everyone's mood took a nose dive. Mine sure did. Bryn was having a hard time. Reilly, Ailey, and I are all verbal processors but Tyler, Kameron, and Bryn tend to internalize things. Bryn keeps her feelings to herself until they get too big and then they finally come spilling out. She was worried about a lot of things tonight. I get it. I am worried about a lot of things too. Tyler and I talked to her for awhile and did our best to reassure her that things ARE going to be okay. She ended up facetiming with Elle for awhile and that helped. We made nachos for dinner and watched three episodes of Tiger King so that I could deal with MY feelings! LOL. I finally got sucked into watching that stupid show. Good grief. I am going to weigh 300 lbs and will have watched more TV during quarantine than I probably have in 10 years... and crappy TV at that!

Day 24: 4-6-20 (Monday)

Today is officially the first day of Spring Break. The high school is honoring it...the elementary school is *kind of*. We did our walk earlier this afternoon. We got some fun amazon deliveries today. Always a bright spot. Bryn's birthday is on Friday and so we gave her an amount of money that she could spend online. One thing that she really wanted was a ukulele. It arrived today.

We've all been taking a turn on that thing. My 6th grade class learned to play the ukulele. Did any of it come back to me. Nope. Everyone has been having fun messing around with it though.

Tyler has been doing some projects around the house. Our new security camera and flood light were delivered today too. As were some medications for Tyler. That was a relief. He stock piles a three month supply but still it's always stressful because there are medications that he needs daily.

Bryn had online school with her class even though it is technically spring break. Mrs. Antonio is so amazing and she knows that her kids need it for so many reasons. I am really glad that they did have online school today because shortly after it ended we got this notice:

This school year is over. The kids aren't going back until the fall. Logically we all knew that this was coming but it was still hard for everyone. We had to go on two walks today to deal with the news. One after dark. It isn't just the school part...it is everything that goes with it...sports, teams, friends, and amazing teachers. Bryn has waited her whole life to have Mrs. Antonio and now her time with her is cut short. We were all sad about that.

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 15-19

Day 15: 3-28-20 (Saturday)

TWO WEEKS OF QUARANTINE DOWN!! Two weeks closer to getting out!

Today it is cold, rainy, and super windy. Not a fan. I slept in because... you know...Saturday and quarantine...what else am I going do? Tyler brought me breakfast in bed. He is so sweet. Everyone pretty much did their own thing today with no work or *school*.

We had a few errands. I mailed a birthday card and cash to my niece Elle. She and Bryn both turn 11 in the next few weeks. ELEVEN! We had our appointment for grocery pick up from Albertsons. Still no flour or eggs or sugar or TP or any kind of paper product to be had. We still have those things so hooray but time for those grocery shelves to fill back up. We went on our daily walk and made it a half mile longer just because we didn't feel like going back to the house and being cooped up again. Soon we will be doing 10 mile walks. Sheesh.

My friend Julie challenged us to join the World of Hearts project and decorate our window in support of spreading love and support during this unprecedented quarantine. Ailey and Bryn did a great job!

We FaceTimed with Kirk. The game (Catan) that they recommended to us arrived. They are all doing okay. Kirk still is able to go to work. Meki is still working from home. Tyler and I try to do something on Saturdays with the kids to add a little extra fun. Tonight we had a family movie night. We ate my family's traditional movie food...hot buttered cheerios (SO GOOD!) and chocolate malts. (This is why I need a 10 mile daily walk!) We introduced the kids to the classic movie...Father of the Bride. Still so good. At least I thought so. Tyler said that he now hates it. It stressed him out. LOL. That movie came out when we were in college. Watching it now... we are the parents of a 22 year old daughter with marriage on her mind. He's right... less enjoyable.

Day 16: 3-29-20 (Sunday)

Today is the World Wide Fast. I have been looking forward to it. It is helpful to feel like I am doing something in an otherwise powerless situation. I know that there is power in prayer and fasting. Especially combined with the prayers and fasting of millions of people around the world.

I got up early this morning. I read my scriptures, journaled, did my morning devotional. It was also my turn to teach the lesson for Home Church. I actually had a neat experience while preparing for it. I had an epiphany about fasting and prayer. I learned a new insight!! I love that even though I can't go to church or the temple right now the Lord is still teaching me gospel truths. Powerful gospel truths taught by the Spirit that I was able to share with my family who also had a bit of an ah-ha moment. The gospel truly is taught line upon line. I also SHOWERED and got ready! That seemed momentous. Ha ha!

Home church went well. I am so grateful to have two priesthood holders in our home so that we can take the sacrament. Our stake president said that while we are all on the stay-at-home order members without priesthood holders cannot have the sacrament brought to their homes. That made me sad. Our Bishop had our ward do a virtual testimony meeting with families uploading videos to our ward FB page. Some families sang or played instruments. Some just bore their testimonies. Some shared favorite scriptures. It was really powerful. Actually more powerful than most of our usual testimony meetings.

After our spiritual high I guess we needed to have a spiritual low... and low it was! Ailey had a virtual presidency meeting this afternoon. That is when we had a TERRIBLE snafu occur. My cousin texted Tyler and I a coronavirus video. He even said in his text: "Warning, bad language but hilarious." I was in a different room from Tyler. I was busy so didn't click on it. About 10 minutes later I asked Tyler what my cousin had sent. He said that he hadn't watched it yet because his phone was connected to our speakers and was he playing church music and didn't want to play it right now. Another 10 minutes went by. Suddenly I heard weird music playing at top volume. I came out of the room that I was in to ask Tyler what was going on...and he said that it was the video that my cousin sent...but that he didn't turn it on. Well... it was profanity LADEN...F-bomb after F-bomb...set to music about "staying the #*$# at home"! We couldn't figure out where it was coming from. It wasn't playing on Tyler's phone and I was in the middle of texting my sister-in-law so I didn't think it was mine...TURNS OUT IT WAS! Somehow (hello Satan) that video started playing and connected my phone to our speakers and knocked out Tyler's connection and played that freaking video SUPER LOUD instead. As we were scrambling to figure out how to STOP it Bryn piped up with, "Isn't Ailey having her YW meeting right now?" HOLY CRAP! Yes, she was! And... Yes! They all heard it loud and clear. We finally got it turned off and then wanted to lie down and DIE!! Maybe quarantine has its perks! I won't have to look anyone in the eye for a few weeks!!!! Our kids found this whole situation EXTREMELY hilarious!! I guess you can choose to be humble or be COMPELLED to be humble. Right? LOL. Message received.

President Trump extended Social Distancing through the end of April. We knew it was coming and that it had to happen. It still fits within our 6 weeks of no school timeline. So hopefully...fingers crossed... businesses can open up by then.

In other news...Kam has decided to learn to play the guitar during quarantine. :)

Day 17: 3-30-20 (Monday)

Today is rainy and super windy. I need it to stop. The Accentuate the Positive theme song was MUCH NEEDED this morning for EVERYONE.

Bryn had *online* school with her teacher and her class. The kids could bring their pets or baby siblings to school for a little while today. Beverly was not into school. LOL.  She fell asleep pretty quick!

Bryn loved being able to be a part of school again and to be with her class at least virtually for a few hours. She was pretty sad when it ended. I don't blame her a bit.

I talked to quite a few people today. I texted with my Dad. I texted with my mother-in-law. She wanted some book suggestions. She finished the Girl with Gun series that she heard about from me and wanted some other book suggestions. I could talk books all day. I also texted with a few friends today. That was a bright spot in my day.

Tyler and I also had a nice long phone chat with Reilly. She stood up for herself and her safety and requested that her boss make some safety changes at work which he did. I am so proud of her for being an advocate for her own safety and the safety of others. She also got a nice shout out from a company that they work with and she was really excited about that. Despite my apprehensions about her working; it is also keeping her busy and not freaking out about everything and being separated from our family.

Ailey finally *allowed* me to trim her hair! Will wonders never cease! I guess desperate times call for desperate measures. Kam has also procured a guitar. Let the good times roll. I walked at the park with Tyler and is was cold and drear. I also had a nasty migraine. So I came home and climbed in bed and watched the newest episode of the Kardashians.  Not every day is an A+.

Day 18: 3-31-20 (Tuesday)

Today is finally the last day of March. Good riddance. It's freaking snowing again. Tyler made Irish Steel Cut Oats in the instant pot for breakfast. It just tasted like regular oatmeal. Maybe steel cut oats are overrated. We had the instant kind. We will try it again with the regular steel cut oats and see if it is any better.

Ailey did greet me this morning with compliments about my hair cutting abilities. Unexpected and appreciated! She also had a choir class chat on Zoom. I kept hoping that they would all burst into song. They did not. Ailey made cupcakes for the "virtual cupcake wars" that the youth are doing for their combined activity this week. The theme is the corona virus. Sounds delicious.

Coronavirus cupcake not pictured. LOL.

Kirk called me to chat and made me laugh as usual with his facetious: "Hey! Are you busy?" "Do you have time to talk?"  LOL . They are all doing okay.  A situation with our nephew has been put on hold until June due to COVID-19 which isn't great. That seems so far away. If things aren't significantly better by June I will be extremely depressed. I am fine when I just think day to day but when I think about how long this whole situation might last; that is when I get panicked.

Today we had snow, rain, hail, snow, sun, and rain again. I am not a fan of Spring under normal circumstances. Quarantine makes it even worse. BUT THEN... we had an

EARTHQUAKE!

Technically it was a 6.5 earthquake in Southern Idaho but it was felt in Spokane. Although we didn't feel a thing at our house. We didn't even know it happened until Ailey's friends started texting her and told her about it. Several of them felt it though and so did a lot of people all the way to Sandpoint, Idaho which is an hour and a half north of us. My sister Jordin felt it there. It rattled the house. Texts went back and forth with family. My cousin Paul texted to tell us about it and to update us on the family. I texted my Aunt Bonnie to check on her.

Then I had to ventured out to Costco. It has been two weeks since my last visit. This time I went shopping with rubber gloves on. There was still a long line. I hate feeling like everyone around me is infectious. Costco has upped their safety game. In addition to admitting only a certain amount of people at a time and spraying the carts with disinfectant...they also make you wait after flashing your card at the entrance until the person before you moves further away. I don't really get that because I hustled past that person and the five people before him within about two seconds. I didn't want to be in there any longer than necessary plus it still doesn't stop people from coming too close to you in the rest of the store.

I was happy to see more on the shelves than the last time I was there. Plenty of meat, milk, eggs, and rice. Still no toilet paper (glad we are still okay), paper towels, pasta, beans, or flour. I got most of what I needed including food for General Conference. Seeing full shelves was uplifting. Waiting in super long lines at check out was not. Now you can't put any of your things on the conveyor belt until the person in front of you has completely checked out. Okay...but no one is monitoring the dude who was too close to me in line. I hope that I don't emerge from quarantine more OCD and more of a germophobe than before!

The church put out further new guidelines for missionaries and prospective missionaries. Again... I wonder...what will July 1st look like for Kam? Now for people who are "under call" but who haven't started their training yet... they have to decide by April 30th if they want to go forward with their call and do online training and have their mission situation unknown or they need to decide by April 30th if they want to delay 12-18 months. I can pretty much guarantee that Kameron will not want to delay his mission any further. Some form of this deal is being offered to missionaries being called home and to missionaries who have already begun their online training but slightly different in each category. This whole thing sounds like a logistical nightmare for the church...trying to get missionaries home from other countries and then figuring out what to do with them after that. I think getting visas in other countries is going to be very difficult for the next year or so. It will be interesting to see what happens. Poor Kam...nothing is normal for this kid in regards to missionary service.

Tyler and I did a super late dark park walk and it actually was really nice and much needed.

Day 19: April 1st (Wednesday)

Hello April. So long March. We are another month closer to getting out of quarantine. Today is also
April Fool's Day. No need for April Fool's Jokes. Life feels like an April Fool's Joke right now. Global pandemic, no-end-in-sight-quarantine, and now earthquakes! And it is snowing...yet again.

I typed too soon. Ailey's chemistry teacher played this April Fool's joke:

It nearly gave me a heart attack! Not cool Mr. Jacobson. Not cool.

We took our big walk at midday. It was actually really nice to break up the day. Everyone did their own thing here at the house. Work...school work...projects. I paid bills and was super grateful to be able to do it! Talk about a change of mindset.  Again, still so grateful that Tyler can work from home.

My job/business is essentially on hiatus. I have projects I can work on but to what end? All shows have been cancelled...except for Farm Chicks... which is supposed to be held the first weekend in June. I doubt that will happen. No vintage stores are open. No one wants to buy anything via FB market place or Craigslist because you don't want to a.) be around anyone or b.) touch anything someone else has touched so...yeah... no work for me. I guess I will just finish up the projects that I have and will be ready to go when this is over.

Bryn had another virtual piano lesson this afternoon. I completely forgot about it until Jodi facetimed me! I was like...oh look...Jodi wants to facetime! How fun! Then I realized she was calling for Bryn! LOL. Not really knowing what day it is... most of the time ...is getting to me!

Reilly posted this on her FB/INSTA it made me feel loved...and sad:

Looking through old photos today and....I miss my family😩

Hunter's uncle is fine and the two weeks are up but through Reilly's work she comes in contact with too many people. It's too risky with Tyler. So we all decided to wait a few more weeks and see what happens with the virus here. Hopefully our area has flattened the curve. But I get SO ANGRY about all of the people that aren't taking the stay-at-home order seriously.

Kameron came home from work and he and I had a good conversation. Man I love that kid! Especially when he is in a talkative mood! Tyler made homemade chicken pot pie for dinner. It was amazing and is one of his specialties.

Ailey had her virtual cupcake wars youth activity. She didn't win but still had fun. She melted gummy bears to make that ooze. Pretty cool. Tonight I watched Modern Family and ate straight frosting so...winning.

Current Favorite Videos and Memes

Here are some of my favorite COVID-19 videos and memes this week:


1.)

My personal favorite!

2.)

3.)

4.)

5.)

I have a few more but they are expletive laden...still funny...but perhaps not appropriate for my family blog! LOL.

And...my favorite video:



Tyler and I have quoted the "We're gonna fight!" to each other so many times! And... "Stupid old Boomer!"  in regards to so many people!

COVID-19 Quarantine: Days 10-14

Day 10: 3-23-20 (Monday)

Today is cloudy and dreary. We had to start a family theme song today. Mainly for Ailey...because you know...15 is precious especially in quarantine. It is Accentuate the Positive by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters. I love that song! My Grandpa Ellersick used to play it on the piano. Anyway it is now blared at full volume in the mornings. I think we all can use the reminder to have a better mindset each day. I have apparently turned into my mother who used to make me sing Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah every morning as a teenager because...apparently...I was also *precious*. :)

Tyler had an elective cardiovascular stress test scheduled for today at the Heart Institute. He wants to do one every five years just to make sure that his stent is doing its thing and that nothing new has cropped up. The Heart Institute called to reschedule it for next month. He couldn't have gone in anyway with his cold. No changes with that. Still just a head cold. Thank goodness.

The tree service called and they had a cancellation so they wanted to know if they could go out to the lake and get started today. We said yes. Might as well. Who knows what will happen with lockdowns and things like that.

Today was the first day of doing "Morning Meetings" with the girls and going over their schedules and what school work they will be doing each day. It went well. It helps to time-block out the day with them. We haven't had any days of just laying around doing nothing which I think is helpful for all of us. I may need to add an evening meeting to see what they actually accomplished. Both girls are turning in work to their teachers and we are getting lots of communication from all of them. Ailey started virtual Seminary today. The Seminary kids do independent study Mon-Thurs and send in their assignments to their teacher each day and then on Fridays they will have a group chat with their whole class on Zoom.

The girls, Bev, and I walked at the park today a little earlier than normal to beat the rain. It was pretty deserted. The past few days we have seen an older lady who sits on a bench, on a hill top, clutching a Bible, and blows a trump...like an Angel's Trump...over and over again. Interesting. Is she calling the world to repentance? It sounds like it. It has an eerie sound. All along our walk we found rocks with encouraging messages, chalked sidewalks, and window messages saying things like "We Got This!" It was uplifting.

Late that afternoon we video chatted with Kirk, Meki, and kids on Zoom. That was fun and it was good to see their faces. Our nephew Tarren is working in SLC for Amazon. They have given raises to all of their employees. What would we do without Amazon?! My brother is still having to go into work but Meki is able to work from home. It was good to talk and laugh with all of them. They gave us some good new game suggestions and we immediately ordered them from Amazon. I wish we could all play them together. Someday. I also had a nice long phone call with my friend Mary. That was much needed. Usually my friends and I text all the time but we don't often have leisurely phone conversations. It felt very 1995! LOL.

My dad has started texting daily to check in. It's good I guess. But it's weird that he is the parent checking in on us. I can't help thinking what things would be like if my mom was still here. She would be a voice of comfort in an uncertain and scary time. Her medical knowledge would have been really beneficial too. Of course she would be super busy with her medical clinics and getting all of her staff lined up to deal with COVID-19 and she wouldn't have complied with anything for herself and we would have had a heck of a time dealing with her and worrying about her!!

Tonight Tyler and I drove out to the lake to see how things were progressing out there. It was super rainy and windy. Idaho finally closed things like bars, theaters, and restaurants. You can still do take out. It was the first time we didn't stop to buy anything in Idaho. I feel like they are so far behind WA in compliance with COVID-19 recommendations and protecting the public. It felt risky.

Things were looking good out at the lake. They took down one small tree and limbed all of the other ones and cleaned everything up. The only thing left to do is take down the five giant trees and then grind the stumps. They said that it got too windy to keep working late that afternoon. It is good progress though. At least all of the deadly dangling branches and debris have been removed and any limbs in danger of coming down in another wind storm have been trimmed too.

On our way home from the lake we saw a full rainbow...one that went from side to side. It was beautiful and I could only capture part of it while we were in the car but it felt like a much needed sign of peace and comfort from above.

One side.

The other side.

While we were out there our governor declared a lockdown/shelter in place for WA or as he is calling it "Stay Home. Stay Safe." All nonessential businesses are to close for 2 weeks. Reilly texted us when it happened to say that her boss won't be complying on a technicality. Ugh. We gave Kam permission to do driveway visits with Abbey. That perked him up a bit. He visited Abbey from his car in her driveway and Abbey stayed on her porch. Both kids are responsible and trustworthy so Tyler and I feel okay about this happening. It definitely improved Kam's disposition!

Bryn and I read together. We do most nights. It is comforting to both of us. We are reading:

Bryn's class read this book and she LOVED it! She really wanted me to read it and had brought it home for me to read before quarantine but now wants to read it together. I am ALL FOR cuddling and reading together again!

Day 11: 3-24-20 (Tuesday)

Today is partly cloudy. We are supposed to get rain this afternoon. Tyler is feeling better. I am so glad! He had multiple early morning video conferences. When he was done he decided that he wanted to go on our walk with us today. We walked earlier again to beat the rain. It was nice to have him with us!

Ailey and Bryn made soft pretzels for all of us. Ailey has to keep cooking for her ProStart class and we are here for it! They were DELICIOUS! I am going to gain 100 lbs before quarantine is over.
We found out that the Summer Olympics are cancelled or I guess rescheduled for next year. We scheduled Beverly's spaying appointment for several weeks out.

This afternoon our family Facetimed and Snapchatted with Reilly and Hunter. Sending funny videos and memes and sending crazy snapchats are the things that are keeping us all going. Reilly and Hunter did a "Johnson Tries" via snapchat of birthday cake flavored KitKats. Save your money people. They were not good. We all did the snapchat filter that makes us all old people again. Bryn's had us all in absolute HYSTERICS!!

If that doesn't make you laugh then you have a heart of stone! LOL 

She will be an adorable little granny!

Tyler! Still a jovial Santa Claus.

I continue to look frightening! 

Reilly looks INTENSE!! Don't mess with her as an old granny!!

Hunter

Ailey's face was the trippiest! I have forever said that she has the exact smile of my Grandma McKinnon and that her face reminds me so much of my Grandma. My Grandma McKinnon died when I was pregnant with Reilly. When Ailey did the old person filter and this came through... my jaw dropped...SHE LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE MY GRANDMA! Add some glasses on her and some bright lipstick and voila! Grandma! Even Tyler was like "I know that person!!!" and totally agrees with me that she looks just like her! How crazy! Kameron was invited to participate but he was being a grouch and took one rude picture that we deleted and then went back downstairs to his lair. Yikes! 19 and in quarantine is precious.

Later that night I had virtual book and it was AWESOME! We had SO MUCH FUN!! We videochatted for a couple of hours! OH MY GOSH! It was just what I needed. Texting is great but seeing the faces of some of my dear friends as we laughed, gossiped, commiserated, and yes occasionally discussed the book filled my well! I am so grateful for technology!!!! And for my friends!! And for my book club!!!

Day 12: 3-25-20 (Wednesday) 
Bev's Birthday!

Today we woke up to unexpected snow but it's okay because it's Beverly's 1st Birthday!! I can't believe our little pup is already one! Getting her was one of the very best decisions we have ever made. She brings such joy into our lives! She has been a support animal in so many ways! We just adore her.

Tyler made some delicious oatmeal in the instant pot for breakfast that we ate with cream, butter, and brown sugar. It was decadent. Today was the first day that I didn't feel like I was super busy. The kids are on top of their school stuff and are working independently. Tyler was working and doing his thing. I had time to read for awhile this afternoon. Stress and reading don't go well for me. Just as I was able to get back into reading after Mom died... the Coronavirus hit. Yep... I have lost the reading mojo once again which really bums me out. Although I am reading in the middle of the night since insomnia has also returned. I'm half way through Tale of Two Cities! LOL.

One highlight today was that Reilly came over for another porch visit! We will take her anyway we can get her! Even from 6 feet away or through the window. She brought us a big box of cookies from a cookie company here that she left on our porch. She is so sweet and thoughtful. We had a good visit and miss the heck out of her!

Talking through the window.

Bryn had a virtual piano lesson via FaceTime late this afternoon. It was actually pretty awesome! My friend Jodi is her teacher and did such a great job teaching her via the phone. Again...so grateful for technology!!

We did a late walk tonight and ate dinner super late. Tyler made quiche! Asparagus and gruyere. It was so good! I love all of the cooking that Tyler is doing! Ailey had a virtual YM/YW combined activity on WEBEX. They played Cahoot. I love all of the creativity that this quarantine is generating.

Another highlight today was having a little birthday party for Beverly after Kameron got home from work. We made her a special dinner (chicken, rice, and a boiled egg) and a party hat! You should have seen all FIVE of us clustered around watching her enjoy her meal like it was the most fascinating thing in the world! In quarantine it definitely was! It's nice having little things to celebrate.

The church closed all of the temples around the world. That is very weird. My heart goes out to people who were planning weddings/sealings and that are ready to take out their endowments. The closing of all temples world-wide is a VERY BIG DEAL. The governor of Idaho FINALLY issued a stay-at-home order. It's about time. Since our town is on the border of WA and ID this is also a big deal. Stay home people! The governor also closed all State Parks, Recreation Areas, and Water Access areas.

Day 13: 3-26-20 (Thursday)

Today is cold, rainy, and gloomy. I slept in a little. I had morning meetings with the girls. They seem to be staying on task and on schedule which is nice. Tyler and I are back on the protein shake train! Carbs and comfort foods have been in full force for a little too long! And...we did a 3 1/2 mile walk.

Bryn's 5th grade class all made forts as their daily bonding/socializing activity. They took pictures of themselves in their forts and shared them on their class DOJO. Bryn plans to sleep in hers tonight. LOL. Their class does fun little bonding activities like this every day. She also did a fun robot art project that she had to email pictures of to her art teacher who put them up on their art class webpage. She got to message with her art teacher too. Ailey even did the art project for fun!

I also cut off about four inches of Bryn's hair today. It looks good if I do say so myself. I offered to trim Ailey's hair for her. Denied. I especially wanted to cut Kameron's hair... also DENIED. His hair is out of control. It's his crazy hair from Hawaii times 10 and he's also growing a patchy 19-year-old beard. Heaven help us. LOL.

A girl from our stake got married today. She actually dated Kameron for a few months. She is a year older but...STILL! So young. Getting married is pretty challenging with all of the temples closed. They ended up being married by her bishop with just their parents. Family and friends all met up in their cars at the church and the streets around it to cheer them on as the couple drove around. Everyone honked their horns and waved to celebrate! It is craziness trying to get married these days. The courthouses are all closed too. Luckily Maddie and her fiance had their marriage license already.

We checked in with all of the remaining grandparents today. My dad texts pretty much daily but we were able to catch up with Tyler's mom and step-dad. Grandpa Joel has repainted the living room and rearranged the house and was working on more projects. I love that guy! My dad and his girlfriend (who is in very poor health) have been staying home and in strict quarantine. Gayle's daughter who also lives in Las Vegas has been helping them with groceries.

Today was the day for hilarious memes and videos. I got so many super funny ones today! It really helps to get a text and laugh your head off at something funny sent by friends and family. I got the most hysterical one from my friend Robyn and some super funny ones from my friend Mary. Tyler and Meki were sending funny working-from-home videos back and forth today too. These little gems make my day!

Today is my friend Shannon's birthday and our friend group had big plans to celebrate her. All that is on hold for now obviously. It's still super disappointing. I MISS MY FRIENDS! Trying to figure out birthday gifts is difficult these days. I got her an online gift card for Treehouse Deliveries which is a food delivery service. It's pretty cool and a lot of her favorite local restaurants are on it. She was excited about it. I think all of us are getting sick of cooking three meals a day! LOL.

President Nelson announced a World Wide Fast for Sunday. I am really looking forward to participating.

Day 14: 3-27-20 (Friday)

Today is cold and partly cloudy. BRING ON THE SUN!! Ailey had virtual seminary on Zoom this morning and really liked it. I think we all need to buy stock in online meeting sites. What a blessing they are!

The Church made further adjustments to terms of service for missionaries. Foreign missionaries are coming home if they have served 15 months (sisters) or 18 months (elders) and they are being released. If they have served less than that they will be reassigned in the US (after a 2 week quarantine) and will serve until they have served for that long. Elders who have been serving in the US and Canada will complete their missions at 21 months. I am really wondering what things will look like for Kam in July.

I texted with my Aunt Bonnie to check in and see how she is doing and to get an update on her family. Glad to hear that everyone is doing okay. I checked in with a couple of friends today too. It is so helpful to me to try to stay connected to people that I love and care about. It makes such a big difference in my day.

I am feeling so profoundly grateful that Tyler continues to be employed and can do his job from home. His company is so supportive and doing everything they can to help their employees work from home. Today the static came out that 3.3 million people in the US are unemployed. It is absolutely heartbreaking.

The kids were busy working all day and so was Tyler. Kam was at work too. I decorated the house for Easter. Everyone was excited about it. Our family needs these little pick me ups. I'm not sure what Easter will look like this year. It will be weird without being able to worship at church and have that special Easter service that I love. Maybe it will be our best one yet without all of the distractions...no crazy Easter Bunny and baskets, Easter dresses, coloring eggs (I'm still having a hard time finding eggs), candy-palooza, and family gatherings. It will be simple and maybe it will be perfect. Who knows. It will be a time to truly focus on what Easter really represents without all of the commercial frippery.

Tyler and I decided that we were still going to have some kind of *date night* tonight. We had some quarantine plans that included driving away from our kids for a few hours. MUCH NEEDED. We were on our walk (also part of our date night plans) when we got an unexpected phone call from the tree service that we are using at at the lake. They had finished the work. 5 giant trees are down! We decided to drive out to the lake after our walk to check things out.

The view has totally opened up and there are still trees for shade. This should have happened years ago!

The stump grinder guy still needs to come and the fence needs to be put back up but I think it looks really good. I was worried.

After Tyler and I left the lake; we continued on our date night. Date nights MUST GO ON! We drove to one of our favorite local restaurants and got take out and snarfed it down in a parking lot! It was still fun and still date-night-adventure-y. We drove around our abandoned downtown before we went home. That is very bizarre. No one out and about on a Friday night. I really long for life to return to normal.