Back to Church

A couple of weeks ago, on August 2nd, we went back to church for the first time in over 4 months. Our ward has been split in half and we alternate going to the church every other Sunday and Home Church every other Sunday. There were very few people there, though most in masks. Until the 2nd we had just been doing our own church every week-it's just easier with the baby. The reason we went back this week was because I was asked to say the opening prayer. I'm glad we went. It reminded me of the importance for my children to hear the Gospel from the mouths of others--not just Nate and myself. I too need to hear the Gospel preached by others. Also, President Bednar gave a message recently about the importance of gathering and exercising our religious freedoms. We are strengthened by those around us.

 

Cats and Rabbits

Tuesday we found out the kids will mostly be doing school from home for the next few months. We also got 2!  little animals. Grace got a kitten. She named him Atlas.

Lilla got a bunny. She named him Hank Gerald McMullin. 

 Both little fur balls are adorable. And, I imagine they will get lots of snuggling considering the state of things.

School?

Today we received a letter from the school district. They've decided to only have the children attend school twice a week in person. The other three days will be online. This makes things difficult, online learning wasn't stellar for us. Should I use a homeschool curriculum instead and then just send them to school anyway for the social part??? I don't know that that's a good idea. Sigh.

Vacationing in Idaho

Oh man. I would really like to post more than I have been. Covid is still going strong, but Utah's case numbers have been evening out, hopefully soon they will drop, and keep dropping.  The kids are supposed to start school in a month. Davis County is planning to go back in person, (my kids are so grateful) with the requirement that everyone wear masks. Obviously a person can't wear a mask and play the trombone (Anderson) or the trumpet (Gibson is starting this year!) so it will be interesting to see how that goes. I will pray for the bands.

Despite it all, we have had some fun, mostly involving going to Allred's house in Idaho. Both Gibson and Lilla spent a couple of weeks up there doing camps. Covid just hasn't been as bad up there. Gibson did Basketball Camp and Ballroom Dance Camp. Lilla did Backhand Spring Camp and Tennis Camp. Anderson and Grace stayed here and worked their tails off at the farm. I'm so grateful my children have had productive ways to fill their time during all this craziness. And so grateful Val and Travis were willing to let the lot of us crash their house for so long!

Last week we ALL went up and stayed with Val and Travis for a little family reunion. It was actually relaxing. Sometimes vacations aren't. But I came home feeling totally rejuvenated. (Despite that fact that a fungus started taking over the yard while we were gone...OH! So very sad.)

Saturday we floated the river. There were a lot of people doing the same thing. Luckily it's pretty easy to social distance on a tube in the river.

Sunday we went to Yellowstone. So peaceful and beautiful. WE SAW A BEAR! It was just off the road down in a ravine. We had a great vantage point on it. It was awesome. Kit could even see it and got excited about it. We drove home late and were detoured through some scenic byway. Because of the night we couldn't see the scenery, but the stars were unreal. I'm pretty sure I even saw a comet. Awesome.

Monday we played Kubb--a simple Scandinavian yard game that's a little like horse shoes. A little. We had a Kubb tournament. I didn't even knock over one block. But I was close every time! The dads and kids had a sleepover at Val's gymnastics gym. So that was a party.

Tuesday we went bridge jumping off the Twin Bridges in Saint Anthony. There were cool, what seemed to be, smooth lava rocks in the water to play on too. It wasn't too scary, all the McMullins (excluding the obvious Kit) jumped. RicAnn who is TERRIFIED of heights even jumped. I think the trick is to decide, and then just go. Don't stand at the top looking down for too long, know what I mean. It felt so good to be in the water. We haven't been swimming all summer. It was lovely.

Wednesday we rented dune buggies and rode them through the sand dunes. INSANE! I was mostly praying we wouldn't die the whole time. But, the kids loved it.

Uncle T taught Lilla to drive their 4-wheeler, only around their yard of course. But she loved it.

It was just good to spend time together. 

Work Hard, Play Hard

My parents took Gibson and Lilla to their place this week, so I could rest my cracked head and Nate could get some work done from home. Bless them! They are really good at helping the kids learn the concept of "work and play, work and play."

Summits & Staples

I got up bright and early yesterday morning--around 5:45. So that I could meet Kandice and Cassie at the trailhead to Malan's Peak in Ogden at 7:00 a.m. It was a beautiful hike, but pretty steep a lot of the way up. I had to stop some and catch my breath--I'm out of shape. :( Also, I had a few bites of an apple and a protein bar for breakfast. Probably not the best idea. But the hike was great! It took us about 3.5 hours up and down, a little less than 5 miles round trip. It felt good to spend time with old friends. And when we were through and looked up at the peak we'd summited, I was proud of us. It was an accomplishment!

After the hike I went to pick up some groceries at Smith's and then headed home. Mom and Dad were nice enough to hang out with the younger 3 while the older 2 went to work, so I could go hiking. They are always very supportive. 

I got home and was unloading the groceries when I felt woozy, so I head to the counter stool. I don't think I ever made it though. The next thing I knew I was coming to on the tile floor of the kitchen. My feet felt tingly, and there were a couple of little puddles of blood. I had blacked out. I kept thinking my nose was bleeding, but it wasn't. The blood had come from the back of my head. I called my dad on my cell phone, he was outside with the kids. He came in and looked at it, I was feeling very woozy now-lighted head and nauseous. I threw up. Dad recommended I head to a doctor, I probably needed some stitches. 

Grace drove me to the Station Park Urgent Care, Anderson came along to help hold me up incase I blacked out again. While getting checked in, they looked at the wound and recommended I go to a Hospital Emergency Room in case I needed a CT scan. They couldn't do a scan there. So we left. Nate was in the parking lot. Grace and Anderson went home and Nate took me to the nearest hospital where we waited for several hours and I got 3 staples in the back of my head. They did a CT scan and some blood work that all came back normal. They wanted to do a EKG, but we declined. I'm pretty sure my blacking out was just overexertion and lack of nutrients. 

On the way down the trail, in the car on the way home and in the grocery store, I remember feeling a little weird. It's sounds strange but it was like I was having really bad DeJaVu or like my life was running parallel to a dream I'd had or something and I was trying to figure it out. I wonder if my oxygen was a little low or something with the hike, then wearing a mask (Covid) into the grocery store. Who knows, it was strange though.

I'm so glad my parents where there when everything went down. I'm so glad I didn't hit my face/chin on the countertop when I blacked out. I'm so glad I didn't black out while driving or in the grocery store. I'm so glad Nate could rush away from work to come sit with me in the Hospital. And I'm SO SO glad there are people who choose to work in hospitals. They really are heroes.

Back Packing

Last Friday Nate got off early and we loaded up our backpacks. We ate dinner and then headed up the mountains behind our house. We followed the trail, a very steep trail, to a campsite called "Hell Hole." It's a beautiful little site, surrounded with trees, and near a gorgeous, rocky, mossy waterfall.

 Lilla, Gibson and Anderson slept in the hammocks. Kit slept on an air mattress that was intended for Nate (Sorry Nate!) Once she settled down she stared and stared at the sky above through the open tent screen. She was trying to keep her eyes open, just staring, but eventually went to sleep. She slept all night. The next morning when she woke up she looked around and seemed to realize where we were (outside!) and gave me a big cheesy grin. She loves dirt and being outside.