47 Days In

I'm growing increasingly frustrated with the picture situation on this blog, and I've started looking for another place to do this. Which may explain why it's been 10 days since I last wrote. Or maybe it's because they days are sort of running together. We have a pretty good little routine we've fallen into, but the days all look a lot a like.

I finished Kit's quilt several days ago. I even embroidered her name on the top right corner. It's cute. But I need another creative project. Somewhere productive to focus some creative energy. I also tore down the wallpaper in the laundry room. It was only a border, but the white paint under the border that matched the rest of the paint on the walls made tearing it down especially rewarding--no need to repaint!!

The "Stay At Home" order for Utah lifts this Friday, but that doesn't mean this thing is over. We're going from a stage RED to a stage ORANGE. So it's okay to have infrequent small gatherings, and to dine-in in some restaurants. Though it's recommended to wear a mask in public, Costco will even require it.

Something interesting has happen though. There are reports that this Pandemic has not been has bad as expected. That the numbers are much lower than anticipated and that maybe locking down the way we are/were is unnecessary. It's destroying/destroyed the economy no doubt. One news conference in particular of two immunologists (doctors) giving data and sharing their experiences wondering why given the actual numbers--that you have about a 99% chance of surviving Covid IF you actually get it--we are still locking down the way we are, was removed from the internet. CREEPY! I watched it a few days ago and now if you try to go to the link it says "This video has been removed for violating YouTube's community guidelines" Feels a lot like censorship if you ask me. Conspiracy theory anyone?

We're still here

Well, we're still in quarantine. Day 38 or something. And there's so much I wanted to catch up on. But there's something going on with some of the pictures on this blog and I have absolutely no idea why or how to fix it. So that's a bummer. UGh.

I guess I'll just write.

Two Sundays ago, April 12th, we celebrated Easter, and it was beautiful. We had a lovely Sacrament gathering with the children. We took some family pictures out in front of the house. I clipped some branches in bloom and arranged them over the doorway and in some pots on the porch- I thought they made the pictures extra special. We had an Easter Egg hunt in the yard and a special Easter dinner.

Wednesday of last week, so April 15th, the Governor announced that schools would not be opening for the rest of the school year. That was really sad news. I was really hoping the kids would be able to go back to school and have some closure on their year, especially Gibson. He's in 6th grade and this is his last year in Elementary School. There are so many fun traditions he'll miss out on: the bike ride to the movie theater, the pool party, the Medieval Feast. It all just makes me so sad. Not to mention he and Lilla both had lead roles in the their school play Frozen Jr. They were just one week from performances when this whole thing went down and now it looks like those performances probably aren't going to happen. Tears!! Well, to help ease our pain we went to In-N-Out, the line was the longest I have ever seen it and all the workers were wearing masks. We also purchased an enamel cast iron pot. We've been wanting one for a long time so that we can make the famous "Boston Bread".

The pot came Friday and we have just been baking up  a storm. So far we've made two loaves of the "Boston Bread" a loaf of the "Boston Bread" with rosemary-that was also delicious-then Sunday I met my friends Amy in the parking lot of Costco and she delivered to us some sourdough start along with a loaf of her homemade sourdough bread. She's been perfecting her sourdough bread for several years and it is incredible! She is a master! Yesterday she coached me through the process via the MarcoPolo video chat app and I made 2 loaves of sourdough bread. They actually turned out really well. Not as good as Amy's, but still very good. I'm honestly surprised at myself.  I'm not the best baker. :) It's a pretty involved process, but we did it and it was successful I would say!

Saturday Nate and Anderson waited in line outside HomeDepot for about 30 minutes, they wore masks and went in to get us some badly needed yard tools. When we sold our house in Vail, we also sold all our yard equipment knowing we'd be renting for awhile. We didn't even own a shovel! Anyway while they were there they picked up some bird food too. We have a little bird feeder in front of the house. There are two little black and white chickadees that visit regularly and take all the black sunflower seeds. It's so fun to watch them. And funny that they seem to prefer the black sunflower seeds. :) Then this morning I saw two bigger blue birds eating at the feeder. It's right outside the window and I'm loving it!

Week 4 Quarantine & World Wide Fast

Well, we made it through another week. That makes four. I have to admit, it's starting to wear on me. Today we fasted with hundreds of thousands around the world that we might get this Covid-19 virus under control, that the medical professionals fighting this would be strengthened, that the economy might recover and that we might return to some normalcy. I'm so proud of the kids. They all fasted all day until dinner. I don't think they have ever all done that before. It was awesome.

The weather has been warming up--thank heaven!

Grace made bread from scratch. She ground the wheat and everything. She made four loaves and gave two to a friend whose family is going through some extra hard things. Sweet girl.

The boys have been running. I even joined Anderson on a run. It kicked my trash.

Also this week I started tearing down the wallpaper in the bathroom on the main floor.

Kit has been getting bigger. She's starting to be quite the personality. She loves to dance and will dance to pretty much any rhythm. The rhythm of the printer, the rhythm of someone sanding, any rhythm. It's cute and funny.

A Painted Room & General Conference

Yesterday, after having the paint for about a month, I finally finished painting the little girls room. It turned out to be an extreme amount of work, first because of the oil-based painted, and second, because we did a not-so-good-job of getting the wallpaper glue off the walls before priming. Ugh. After 2 full days of work, it's mostly done-done enough to move them in. I'll probably do some touching up, but anyway. I really like the color, and Lilla is loving it. So we'll call it a win.

Yesterday was also General Conference. Because of Covid-19, it was much different that it has been in the past. No big congregation, no live Tabernacle choir. Only those speaking and praying were allowed in the empty auditorium. And everyone was sitting 6 feet apart. What a blessing that there is technology and we can all still "congregate" virtually. 

This Spring marks the 200th anniversary of the the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith. In celebration of this life-altering event as part of General Conference today they released a new declaration, declaring the Joseph Smith saw God and so began the “restitution of all things.” We also participated in a Solemn Assembly and Hosanna Shout, a way the saints have used historically to celebrate major things-the dedication of a temple for example. It was dually appropriate given that today we also celebrate Palm Sunday and the Triumphal Entry of Christ into Jerusalem.

I'm so grateful for the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm so grateful for the peace and direction it brings to my life-especially in wild times like these.

Also, today Grace finished her quilt! Hooray!

Heelys and Mexican Food

Today we woke up to snow again. Ha ha. Luckily it wasn't much, and it's mostly melted, but it was cold today friends.

Lilla got the Heelys she bought with her birthday money and spent the day learning to ride them and saying things like, "I'm so glad I got Heelys! I don't regret getting them at all!"

I spent some good time today listening to the book "The Graveyard Book" and cleaning the kitchen. It's the cleanest it's been in a long time. I actually really like cleaning when I have something to listen to and I have the time to do it.

We got take out for the first time since the quarantine. In effort to support our local businesses we got Mexican food from a family owned restaurant, Francisco's, and it was good! Nate ordered and paid over the phone, they called us when it was ready, and brought the food to our car. There was minimal contact it was pretty awesome.

The boys bought Dungeons and Dragons and have spent the last couple of days creating characters and learning to play. They set up on the pool table, near the giant blanket fort they built.