Blessings

I have been thinking about blessings from all of this social distancing and blessings despite it.

-more time to work on my 24 hours of preschool certification for the year. Hey, if I get it all done now, I won't have to do any in the fall when it's football/cheer season!
-saving a lot of money on gas. We're not going hardly anywhere and if we do, when we do fill up, gas prices are way low!
-realizing what's really important in life (faith, church, family, exercise, health, sleep)
-Jason got a raise right before this, though it won't go into effect for a couple months, but that's awesome and makes up for the fact that I'm not working right now
-we get to have really meaningful sacrament meetings in our home
-Karissa gets to make up some missing school work and get some extra attention that she needs
-we get to add some time to our summer vacations of Palmyra and Virginia Beach (both which were going to be on long weekends with a few days of work for Jason in between because he was supposed to have hardly any vacation days left, but we didn't go to Chile, so he has lots of vacation days now! (assuming we can still go to the Palmyra Pageant and the Dance Competition in July. If we're still stuck at home then, I won't think this is such a blessing anymore!)
-my kids are practicing some other skills that they don't usually have time for: cooking, baking, sewing, playing more games, drawing more, puzzles, trampoline tricks, bike rides, hikes, etc.
-I've always had a "be prepared" mindset when going grocery shopping, which made this situation more comfortable. We definitely have all we need right now and I never felt panicked, like I was going to run out of something, so far...
-more communication among my family, whether it be texts, phone calls, or Zoom to see the kids' cousins, we're enjoying more time to connect
-inspired church leaders who made changes to the way things are done so we can still have successful Sabbath Day service, couples can still be married, even if it's civilly first, youth and children can still continue on making and accomplishing goals, youth can "attend" seminary online, etc.

He's reading so much, he has to try reading in different positions!

Making slime

Victoria did my make up and hair

Bake off

The judges. Winter's Coming is on the left and Autumn Leaves is on the right.

Dinners together

spa day!

Social Distancing

This has been the longest week of my life! I went into it feeling ready. The kids went to school last week, when many did not, and brought home any projects and homework they needed to work on. They got a few assignments. I worked with them to make a schedule so we can keep up on our work, but have fun and relax at the same time. I bribed them with a trip to Cedar Point when all this is over if they can keep up with the schedule. It includes 2 hours of school work (including work on various educational websites), 2 hours of PE, an hour and a half of music and art, some chore time, free time, and family time. We started off with a bang on Sunday when our private sacrament meeting went for about 2 hours. The Spirit was so strong, the kids were really reverent and engaged, and the boys actually volunteered to sing the new primary song they are learning. We had some good discussions and watched some church videos, along with reading the scriptures.

Somehow, during the week, though, I just started to get discouraged, overwhelmed, and depressed. I couldn't get out of my head the unknowns in all this. Then I got scared because I was feeling more fearful than faithful, even though I've been reading my scriptures every day individually and with my family. I work out, eat well, sleep well, but then I read the news and those negative feelings creep in. It feels like some sort of nightmare that we can't wake up from. It doesn't seem real.

My mom and Jim were scheduled to come on the 19 in preparedness for Jason's and my trip to Chile, which won't be happening this year. We decided that Jim shouldn't come because of his asthma and his age. Travel wouldn't be good for that. My mom wanted to still come out, if she could, for her sanity's sake. Jim is keeping busy helping neighbors and his kids with house projects. After the earthquake in UT, the airport was closed for a bit, the day before she was supposed to come. We thought that was the end of our sanity for sure!

Well, the airport opened up and she was the 2nd person at the very clean and very empty airport. She made it here and she washed up real good. Her presence has helped distract me from everything else. It was a nice change, even though I have enjoyed being with Jason and my kids. Jason still works all day from the basement, and there's only so much I can take of bringing creativity into our scheduled day so the kids will keep on doing it.

I know it's so hard for everyone everywhere and I'm lucky I am a trained teacher, so I do have resources and skills that have made this easier, perhaps, than for others.  We just have to keep on doing what we know is right and say lots of prayers to make it through this!!

Helping with dinner.

Seminary online.

Study time! Using the wonderful technology that I don't always love, but Austin loves doing the math and reading websites on his chrome book.

Erik gets to do his work in Jason's and my room so he and Austin have some space.

Jason's set up in the basement.

Yoga poses and crazy time

Music time

I didn't get any pictures of them jumping, but this is after an hour or so when they were pooped!

The cats are wondering why we're here all the time. They can't get into as much mischief with us all here!

We've been playing lots of games. Some thinking games and some movement games.

Erik still loves his toys.

My mom and I were matching when she arrived!

Private yoga class!

Bike ride in the wind and cold!

Science!

The best picture of all: the rainbow this morning. It brought so much needed peace and comfort! Heavenly Father is aware of our suffering and loves us!!

Karissa's Choir Concert

For your enjoyment, here's Karissa's choir concert from about a week before everything stopped. She loves being in choir and is actually singing tenor now because she feels more comfortable singing deeper with her diaphragm. She's got great "cheerleader voice" with that diaphragm, so I think it transfers over to choir for her now.

March 12, 2020

"Happy Birthday, welcome to the Apocolypse!" Those were the first words out of my brother's mouth to me today. Honestly, that's exactly how I felt. Before I went to bed last night, I read all about how the coronavirus is now in Michigan, as of two days ago, how the Church is cancelling all group activities, and I was bombarded with messages from schools, and local facilities claiming their actions in this situation.

It's no wonder I woke up this morning, not feeling quite as peppy as I usually do on my birthday. In fact, I was kinda grumpy. I had a rough February, with worries over some people close to me and being the 1st counselor in the Relief Society, I've had a lot of weight of my shoulders from my responsibilities and concerns over some of the sisters. Not to mention, I had a bad cough that even concerned Jason, the cough King. It's finally about gone.

 I was looking forward to a carefree day and making the final preparations for the trip to Chile that Jason has been planning for over a year now, for he and I to take.

As the day has gone on, the grumpiness has turned into counting my blessings and even laughing at this memorable birthday of mine. It will be a day I will never forget! And hey, gas prices have gone way down!

Despite the gloom and doom of Corona, we managed to celebrate. Jason got me a delicious locs and bagel sandwich for breakfast. I really enjoyed that, especially after my swim workout (maybe the last one I do for a while if they close the pool).

In my class, we had two mystery reader parents come in. I always love having the parents come in to read some stories to my students!

I talked on the phone and received birthday wishes there, on FB, and through text, as well as discussions about Corona. Karissa made my cake, I opened some presents from Victoria and Austin, and we went out to eat at The Burger Spot, with a gift card. We ate cake, danced some, and talked about Corona some more. What a day!

42 years!

Yum!

Austin gave me wireless headphones (ones he didn't want anymore, but so clever and cute!)

Victoria went on a shopping spree for me and even painted me a picture! So thoughtful!

Jason bought me flowers and has been buying me little travel items for our trip over the past couple of months. 

Erik drew me a picture. 

Dinner!

It was Leia's birthday 2 days ago. So this is of the birthday girls!

Karissa made my cake.

A spring cake with bunnies sticking out!

1st Dance Competition

For Victoria's first dance competition she danced in one number, the "razzle dazzle" tap number, as the judges awarded them with the title. She will dance in two numbers in a couple of weeks, when Jason and I are in Chile, so hopefully, I can see her other dance from someone's recording. I'm not sure why they didn't dance the lyrical number, but there was a lot that I didn't understand about the dance competition that I learned. I've only ever been to cheer competitions.

I learned that some studios perform a lot of numbers. I mean a lot! Our studio, between all the solos, trios, and group numbers, had a fair amount, but I wasn't there for the solos and trios, just the group numbers and there were some studios that definitely had a lot of group dance numbers!

I also learned that the dancers who compete come from families with lots of money! For every solo and trio you perform, and for a certain amount of group numbers, you pay extra!

I learned that there are multiple awards ceremonies, one after every few hours, and they last for about an hour. We were only there for one segment, and therefore one sat through one ceremony. It was very exciting, but one was enough for me!

The last thing I learned is that Dancin' Feet is the best! Not only was I proud of how well the girls did, but I was also proud of the fact that their coach didn't book them for too many dances so that they could perform quality performances and that they performed with appropriate attire and moves for girls their age.

Victoria loved every minute of it and would love to do a ton more next year, so we'll be taking donations for her entrance fee for a solo or trio (ha! J/K) She's ready for the next one at the end of the month and has really put her heart into dance. She said recently that it's the best thing that has ever happened to her.

The tap number was The Muppets. It won second place for their age group and the Razzle Dazzle award as a special one from the judges.

I couldn't tell who Victoria was for the first, like 16 counts, of the dance. We were farther back than this picture and my eyes were kind of watery that night. Jason kept trying to show me where she was, but I couldn't find her!

She earned two pins, one for the 2nd place and one for the special award!

And got a beautiful cookie from a special dance mom!

RIP Lizzy

Victoria got Lizzy in 4th grade. She wanted a turtle because it was to be the prize at Vacation Bible School for the lucky winner from a drawing. She didn't win, but she still wanted one. We read that turtles carry a lot of salmonellae. We didn't want to deal with that. Some friends told us they had a crusted gecko and that it was the easiest animal to take care of, not to mention super cute, for a lizard.

They were right! Victoria assumed she was a girl and named her Lizzy. All she needed was some banana powder every few weeks (bought at Petco), to be squirted every day with some water, and her cage cleaned out every once in a while.

Last year, Victoria decided to rearrange her room. The boys volunteered to keep Lizzy in their room when Victoria decided she didn't have a space for her anymore. Since we read scriptures in the boy's room every night, Lizzy started to pay attention to us being in there and would actually come to the glass on the side we were on. She would follow us around with her eyes or head. She would look at me when I started talking to her up close. I started to enjoy seeing her every night when we would hang out in there.

Last Sunday, Jason noticed she didn't look well. She was discolored and limp. Austin had just fed her a couple of days before. They cleaned out a couple of things in her cage and gave her an extra squirt of water.

The next day she was gone. She must have gotten sick and went so fast. I think Austin and I were the most upset. We buried her in our backyard near where we plan on planting an evergreen tree this summer.

RIP Lizzy!

She was posing for me.

The grave digger

Her headstone