Coronacation

It's been several years since I have updated this blog. I wasn't sure I would even be able to access it when the thought of updating it crossed my mind. Fortunately, it wasn't difficult. However, trying to fill in the years of missing information would be nearly impossible. That being said, my goal is to start here, today, and continue on for posterity. While life has been full of incredible things over the last several years including braces, teenagers, high school dances, graduations, HEFY trips, a mission, college and much more, it continues to be full of excitement and every day brings something new.

Today life is full of different. Different is the best way to explain our world right now. On March 11, our little family of five got on a plane and went to Hawaii for a long awaited vacation. Within seven days, our entire world turned upside down. And not just our world - the entire world. COVID-19 or the coronavirus is spreading faster than any virus known to any of us during our lives. In the first day or two of our vacation, we started hearing of grocery stores at home running out of toilet paper. Then we were getting pictures of empty shelves at the stores in our neighborhood with more than just t.p. being out of stock. Then the news of Donovan Mitchell came - he has the virus. The NBA is done for the season. Within a few more days, counties, cities and states were starting to close restaurants and calling for drive-up or delivery only and schools and employers moved to online. Our vacation quickly moved from "what should we do next" to "what is going on at home" and it was difficult to focus on relaxing. Josh is taking classes at SLCC and his classes went to online and right from the beginning it was announced they would be until the end of the semester. Erin was getting messages from the school district and from friends at home that school would be online for at least two weeks. Soon, we started hearing about airline changes and boarders being closed to travelers -anything to slow the virus from spreading. The last few days of our trip, we spent in our Airbnb playing card games while it rained in Oahu. Tuesday night (March 17) we started packing things up in preparation for our travel the next day. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 11am on Wednesday.

At 3:20am on March 18, I woke to my watch vibrating my arm with multiple texts coming in. One right after another. My phone, sitting on the night stand next to me, couldn't keep up with the messages coming in. I sat up and started reading one text after another as fast as I could. "A light fell and broke," from my sister-in-law in Mapleton, Utah. Then as I quickly skimmed through the rest of the texts, I saw "5.7 earthquake" and "Magna" and other words like "glass falling" and "gas leak" and other horrible things. I shook Jer awake and told him the news. We decided to get the kids moving and get to the airport as quickly as possible. As much as we had initially considered extending our vacation, now it seemed like there was no choice but to do whatever we could to get home as soon as possible. What was happening? A worldwide pandemic and now an earthquake in our hometown? It didn't seem real. Our kids weren't going to believe us. It couldn't be real. But it was. And as the morning went on, the texts kept coming from home. Family, coworkers, ward members, friends and neighbors were updating us by the minute. As much as we were trying to check on them, they were worried about us. There was severe damage done to the tower at the SL International Airport which meant long delays for us. Friends and family kept us in the loop all day and even though we flew home on a small (not so nice) plane, Delta got us home. And good friends and family checked on our house for us multiple times during the day as the aftershocks kept coming. We spent the next day finding cracks in the foundation of our home, broken flower pots that fell from the cabinets in the kitchen, drawers that were open as if they'd been rummaged through, games and movies that fell from shelves and a small t.v. that was damaged. But, in the end, it was minor.

We have now been home from Hawaii for two weeks. We are adjusting to what is a new norm. The world is adjusting and no one is sure how long it will last. Closures that were initially supposed to be for 14 days have been extended to May 1st. The kids do their schooling online with Chromebooks. Parents work from home. Those that are unable to work remotely are required to have a letter that they carry with them to and from work that states they are "essential" employees. Josh and Emma are both essential as they are both working as tellers at Credit Unions. Public parks are closed, salons are closed, restaurants are closed except for carry-out or delivery, stores and malls are closed, gasoline prices are down to $2.25 a gallon, there's no food on the shelves in the grocery stores (but you can only go there if it's an emergency anyway), and doctors offices are closed except for emergencies and you have to have a prescreening virtually first. We have church at home on Sunday's. I attend Ward Council virtually every Sunday morning and we try to have youth activities virtually once a week. The high school kids have seminary online twice a week.

This is the new norm.

We read about the statistics in the news every day. How many more have been infected? How many more died overnight? How old were they? What are the new protocols? Should we be wearing masks? Should Josh and Emma be going to work? But then, we put away the news and we enjoy each other. We work and we do homework. But, we play games. We do art together. We go on walks. We watch movies (because there's no sports). We stay caught up on laundry. We get excited about warm days so that we can go outside for a little while. We miss our friends, but we are finding that we are okay with being here with us.

The term "social distancing" is a term we mocked and laughed at a month ago when this all started. Now, it is an everyday reality. Unless you are immediate family, being less than six feet apart is not allowed. Grandparents are at risk so we can't hug them. My favorite way to show love for people is by baking for them and now I can't. How is a YW President supposed to love her young women if she can't make cookies for them? This new norm has definitely forced every one of us to think outside the box and pushed us to try a little harder to be a little better - in a lot of ways.

"Chalk Your Walk"

Erin and I took treats around to all the YW to tell them they are "loved from a distance." Ashlyn Harmon and Emma came with us for part of the time. Tammy Ricket took this picture of Erin. 

Costco is limiting the number of shoppers in the store at one time in order to reduce the spread of the virus. The line is outside and shoppers are to stand six feet apart. There are limits on many of the essential items in the store. 

While sitting at my work from home desk one afternoon, I took this picture of Erin as she sat on the couch doing her online classes. She is gorgeous. :)

This is what most of the shelves look like at the grocery stores. It is especially difficult to find rice, pasta, flour, sugar, beans, toilet paper, hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, etc. 

All public parks are closed. Jer and I went for a walk yesterday and this was posted at the park in our neighborhood. It's eerie how there are so few people out but the skies are blue and birds are chirping. 

This was one of the first signs we saw posted at a restaurant. We were still in Hawaii when we encountered this and at the time it seemed crazy. This is now just the way it is - no restaurant is open for dine-in.

Zoom has quickly become a popular platform for virtual meetings. I had never used it before being quarantined. We have used it a few times now for youth activites/firesides, the seminary uses it and the schools are using it for classes. The first time we used it with the youth, they loved it! It was so overwhelming to see how happy they were to see their friends again after a couple of weeks of quarantine. 

This is us after our first Home Centered Church (having the Sacrament at home). Every time I think about how inspired the leaders of the Church are to have moved us to a home centered church prior to the pandemic, it's hard for me to not be emotional. I sustain and support President Nelson with my whole heart and am excited to hear the words of our prophet speak this weekend. 

And, the last picture of the craziness at stores. This was taken at Target about a month ago. I don't think there has been hand sanitizer in stores since the end of February. 

{Sisters}

 

Eighteen Years Ago...

Eighteen years ago on July 25, Jer and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple. This year for our anniversary, we went to Lagoon. Romantic, right? It was actually Lagoon day for Market Star so we took advantage of the freebies.

I had to work in the morning so as soon as I got home we loaded the kids up and went to Lagoon. Around 5:00 they started the dinner in the pavilion. We try not to complain about Lagoons bad cooking since it's free for us, but you'd think they could learn to cook a burger. After/during dinner, they do a raffle/drawing for all the employees. Last year we sat and complained the whole time about how our dad never wins. This year we actually hoped he might not win since the prizes pushed us beyond our normal limits at Lagoon.

We won these tickets for the Catapult. Ugh. So I spent the rest of the evening stressing because I'm too cheap to let them go unused and I didn't want to be the one to use them. Josh worked on Emma for a few hours - convincing her that she would regret it forever if she didn't do it.

One thing that is a must at Lagoon is the train. It's a nice way to cool off and relax for a minute. I asked Josh to take a pic of Jer and I and between Jer's willingness to be in a pic and Josh's willingness to take it, this is what we get (below). Fabulous, right? At least Jer is smiling. He says he hates Lagoon, but I don't believe him. It's no Disneyland and it surely isn't what it was as a kid, but it's still fun. I made Josh and Emma go on the Spider with me and I screamed like a little girl the whole time. I thought Josh was going to pee his pants 'cause he was laughing at me so hard. I'm such a wanny in my old age. Erin always loves the Music Express and giggles the entire time. I think she likes any ride where she get's to smash me.

This one is the pic Erin took. A little more in focus. Cheesy, but in focus.

Eventually, Josh talked Emma into using the ticket for the Catapult with him. Whew. I seriously was giving myself a headache from worrying about having to be the one to go with Josh. They ended up waiting in line for over a half hour so by the time it was their turn, the excitement had multiplied by ... a lot. Erin and I took pictures and video of them.  Both Josh and Emma say it was one of the funnest things they have ever done! I'm so glad they did it!

It was a fun day at The Goon! We are all glad that Market Star takes us every year ('cause otherwise we probably wouldn't pay their prices to get in).  Until next year, stay groovy Lagoon!

As promised...

Harrison Littleton Black

4 weeks

6 lbs. 3 oz. of Pure Cuteness

On June 17, Cari went in to be induced. Little Harrison had failed every stress test just enough to have to have the test again. Poor Cari spent a night in the hospital while Dr. Macy was out of town and worried the whole time. She was only about 34 weeks along and the on call doctor was debating whether or not little Harry would be better off outside his mama. But, as soon as Dr. Macy got back in town, she decided to let him cook a little longer and they set the date for June 17 which was 37 weeks. There was a better chance that he would not have to go to the NICU if they could push delivery off until then.

For Cari and Travis, their day started out very similar to my day almost 16 years ago when Josh was born. Call the hospital at 6am, call again at 7am.... continue calling every hour until they finally say to come in. They hooked her up to the pit and eventually broke her water. I had taken the day off work with the hopes of being there when Harrison was born. I finally decided to head up to LDS Hospital around 9pm. She still wasn't dilated much passed 2 or 3cm.  I hung out with them for a few hours but around midnight decided to head home. I had work the next day and not much was happening. After I left, mom and dad and Cari and Travis fell asleep. I went home and layed in bed with my phone on my chest waiting to hear. It was only an hour later and Harrison was born. Cari had an easy delivery and all went well.. except that I wasn't there. :)

I was awake most of the night as texts kept coming. I got the sweetest text from his daddy at 2:22a.m.:

"6 lbs. 3 oz. of pure cuteness. He is healthy and strong with no concerns. It is obvious to everyone that he does in fact have downs. And for that we love him even more! Born 1:33a.m."

Many pictures kept coming and lots of updates for the next several days. I couldn't get enough. As tired as I was, I went to work the next morning and then on my lunch went to the hospital to see my new nephew. The picture isn't great as it was taken with my phone by the new mom (who still didn't have her contacts in). I was super bummed because my one hour lunch was not long enough and little Harry was trying to eat the whole time. Nurses were constantly taking turns trying to help. I finally stole him for 30 seconds to give him kisses but then had to go back to work. 

The next day, I did the same thing. I went to the hospital on my lunch. This time my parents were there with Erin and Emma (so so so grateful that my parents took the girls with them - they were so in love with this little guy long before he was born and I knew with my work schedule I wasn't going to be able to take them to the hospital). While my timing was good this time as far as seeing my kids, it still was a little hectic with Harrison. The nurses were taking him for tests and to put him under the lights and for more tests. They would bring him in only to take him away again. I understood - his health is far more important than me getting a turn to hold him. But I felt for my sister. She was frustrated. And tired. Their stay at the hospital turned in to several days - almost a week - before Harry finally was able to go home. His oxygen levels are still not where they want them and he has yet to pass his hearing tests. But, today early intervention people came for a house visit and Harrison is developmentally on schedule (and at a 2 mo. level for some things).

Already he has changed so much - as babies do in their first month. I took pictures of him on his 4 week birthday so I will definitely have to post some of those. He is a beautiful baby (a ginger, btw) and so very loved. My sister waited a long time for him. He most definitely is an angel straight from Heaven. I'm excited to watch this sweet boy grow up!

I don't know why I don't have a pic of him with his mama at the hospital. But I did take one of her holding him the last time I went to visit so I will post that next time. You can see in the picture with his daddy how much he is loved. What a sweet pea. Love him so much.

I feel pretty

Since we are on the 1-4pm schedule this year for church, we have all the time in the morning to get ready. Last Sunday, as we were about to leave, Emma did one last spritz of hairspray and then said "I feel pretty today, we should take pictures!" I actually thought she was kidding about pictures, but I was happy that she did actually feel pretty.  Not many teenage girls say that. Emma is just as hard on herself as the next thirteen year old girl. So when she says she feels pretty, we jump on that and do pictures! She stayed in her dress all day waiting (and hoping) I really would take some pics of her.

 I'm glad I took her up on the idea. She is beautiful. Purple hair and all. I worry lately because she is ridiculously boy crazy and her motivation in getting ready every day is that she may run into a cute boy. She suddenly, after years of hating it, wants to go to soccer practice with Josh every night. Could it be a whole slew of cute boys are all going to be there? It's great that Josh and Emma are somewhat forced to like each other now that they like each others friends. 

 Erin heard what we were going to do so she through her skirt back on and asked if she could tag along. Isn't she a cutie? Both girls were so fun! No drama or whining or fighting. Just a fun photo shoot.

 It started to get dark toward the end so some of the pics are a little dark, but we made it work. We took all these pics in about 20 minutes. Maybe always having a camera in their faces has made them very cooperative. :) Whatever it is, it's great that they actually ask me for pictures. Now to get the dad on board. And Josh. Josh has been promising since last January.

3 v 3

 Alex, Oliver, Leo, Chas, Spencer, Josh

 

These goof balls played in a 3v3 tourney on July 5. It was so stinking hot! They are troopers for playing back to back to back .. all day in 100+ degree weather. Josh was pretty excited to finally play! He is still working back into it after the last year. I had to work so I hurried to Farmington right when I got off and caught the last game of the day. These "Fuzzies" took 3rd place and got those awesome medals to show for it! Pretty funny. They always have a good time together. I love that Josh has these guys and I love that he is back to being on the field with them - finally!