March

March has been one of the most insane months I have ever experienced. We will start with the beginning of the month which was relatively normal. You'll understand why I used the word normal later on in the post. 

We got back from Disneyland on the 2nd and we were thrown into our routine of when we left. School, practice, dance, and softball practice. Addi had another tournament in Springville that weekend. They have improved so much. They took 4th in the tournament. I have loved watching Addi try something new and be so confident in it so quickly. 

I was on the phone with Grandma Shelly while I was doing dishes and I said wait!!! There is a full rainbow outside. I had to take a picture because it was gone 5 minutes later. 

Grandma Shelly bought the kids some chop sticks. They asked me to make ramen noodles so they could use them. 

Emmy is picking up how to read. While waiting for school to start she read me the book. It's a little crazy that she will be starting Kindergarten in the fall. She can not wait to go to school with Addi and Parker. 

This book was amazing! We read it for book club. It changed the way I view the priesthood and how much as a woman we are involved with the priesthood. My friend borrowed the book from me and she also was asking if anyone knew where to find some toilet paper (I'll get to why she was asking that in just a bit) I shared a roll of toilet paper and and the book with her. 

We went in on a whole cow with my mom, sister, and my mom's friend. They butchered and packaged it in Ephriam. I was so excited to go pick it up because Snow College is where I went for 2 years. I love Ephraim and some of the mom and pop restaurants down there. Malt Shop being one of those. They have delicious hamburgers, fries, and shakes. We of course had to stop by and get some. 

This is the part of the post where I am going to tell about how crazy March got and usually when I say crazy I mean crazy busy. But this was not that kind of crazy.

There has been a pandemic going on globally. It is the Coronavirus (COVID19). It is a respiratory virus that makes it really hard to breath and it is really hard for those that are immune compromised to beat the virus. It kind of started in China around the first of January. The end of February we started hearing about how New York and a few of those other big cities back east were catching it. We thought we were sheltered enough here in Utah, but then all over the US people started getting sick with it. Italy had it as well and the hospitals couldn't keep up with how many people were sick and also dying. The US decided that we need to be on lock down. They would not let any international's flights come in from Europe for 2 weeks. Then on March 11 our Governor announced that he wanted people that could work from home to work from home to help stop the spread. I had a feeling I needed to go to the store when I heard that. I wasn't feeling to hot myself (just a headache) but I just had that nagging feeling that I needed to get milk and a few other essential things. This is where the toilet paper also comes into play. There has been a national shortage of toilet paper and bottled water. I don't know why people were freaking out and buying those two things, but they were. That is why my friend couldn't find toilet paper at the store because the trickling fear from other states of not having TP landed in Utah as well.

On Friday the 13th, the governor shut down all schools. We would need to start online schooling come March 18. We went into the store on Friday the 13th and this is what we saw. Shelves literally empty. It was such a eerie feeling. Thankfully we didn't need to get much. We were getting chips and soda for a little going away party for Taylor the next day. Which they did have. He also limited the number of people in gatherings to 100 people.

This is where potatoes are suppose to go.

The milk department. 

The meat department

Cereal

Where toilet paper and paper towels are suppose to go

Ty and I left the store and went what is happening? 

The church also shut down Sunday meetings globally. We were now instructed to have at home church. Which is so interesting because just the year before the church had moved to the 2 hour block so we had at home studying. It was a really special sunday. Dad was able to bless the sacrament and pass it to us. We had gotten approval from our bishop to do so as well as those other households in our ward that had a worthy priesthood holder 

Emmy is great at giving day manicures. 

The next friday the governor limited it to a group of 10 people or less We have had daily updates from the Governor and also President Trump. We cannot go into restaurants they have moved to curbside delivery, movie theaters have closed, they are limiting how many people can go into stores, they have said we can't go to parks, dad is still working from home for who knows how long. We first heard that the kids would not go to school until possibly April 1st. We then got an update around the end of the month saying schools will be closed until at least May 1st. All of Addi's practices have stopped, Parker's soccer has gotten canceled (he didn't even get to start). They have asked for every one to just stay home. Disneyland has also shut down. It is really crazy to see how many things have closed their doors.  So many people all of the US have lost their jobs and filed for unemployment during all of this. I am lucky that banks are considered essential and they have to remain open so we aren't worried about Ty's job. 

This was the kids first day of homeschool on the 18th. Ohh did I mention that we woke up to an earthquake that morning? It was a 7.2 just west of SLC but we had a bit a wave of it here in Spanish Fork. I thought of of the kids was trying to get into my bed because it was shaking a bit. Ty noticed my clothes swaying in the closet, but we didn't feel a lot of shaking. My mom in Provo said things were swaying and cracking at her house, but none of us had any damage. It was a pretty stressful morning to say the least. 

I can now say we have all gotten into a routine of how school should go. It takes the kids about 3 hours to finish all their work. Parker says he likes homeschool because he can go as fast and we wants and doesn't have to wait for others to finish. Addi seems fine with it too. It has been hard on me though. I need to help them, but then get house chores done, and keep the two littles entertained too. Dad is working downstairs, but he is working so we can't ask him for help with many things. It was a rough few days at first. Now we only have a rough day about once a week. A lot of it is we just are getting edgy with one another because there is no space. 

The only person that has been in our house the whole month of March is Grandma Shelly. And vise versa that only place my kids have gone is to Grandma Shelly's. We did make a quick trip out to Vernal when everything first shut down because we went to check in on family, but other than that we have been home. 

We go on a walk at least everyday because that is the one of the few things we can do. The weather has been decent and that is what we all look forward to in the afternoons is getting out of the house. 

Lyn has been falling asleep a lot lately. Maybe she is growing? This was on the way to Vernal. Look at where her hand is. 

While in Vernal we stopped to see the Phillip's family for just a bit. 

This is a picture of my dad in high school while he was in choir. I had know idea he even took choir. He is the one in the middle with his eyes closed. 

We got a picture from one of our favorite neighbors that works at the kids school, Nicole Farnes. She sent a picture saying she missed seeing the kids so sent one back to her. 

When the whole TP shortage came to be I still had a bit. But it makes you nervous thinking about not having it when you really do run out. We kept saying I don't want to be one of the crazy ones, but how can I not be when everyone else is taking it. I went to Costco for 3 days in a row hoping to find some and finally they had some. Walmart was out every time I looked. They had moved it up to the service desk and you can only buy one. Same with Costco. Stores have also limited the number of certain things you can buy so that we don't have the empty shelf problem again. They also are closing early and opening semi late so that they can get the stores stocked and sanitized. Most store have "elderly" early hours as well so that people over 60 can go in and shop. They said those over 60 are the ones they are really worried about during this virus. 

So with all that being said our world has gotten a little turned upside down. The kids finally have stopped asking if they can play with friends because I had to tell them we had to social distance our self from others like they have asked us to. I have been cooking meals that we haven't had in a long time. We have been eating dinner by 5:15 because dad is home. We have been baking and trying new recipes. We share our cookies by leaving them on people's doorsteps so we don't come into contact with them. Our new question to everyone is "How are you holding up? or Do you have everything you need?" 

The Van Dyke's sent us a thank you picture.

On the 26th I decided to reach out to neighbors and ward members on social media and texting if they would be willing set out stuffed bears on Friday the 27th so that we could go on a bear hunt. I had such an overwhelming turn out of people saying they would do that. non members set out bears, not active people, and also older couples that had no kids at home. We were able to walk around the ward and see all the bears. I had many people reach back out to me and tell me thank you for organizing this and it did bring smiles to many faces. 

We also have been watching lots of movies as a family at night. Lyn and Em can be super nice to each other. We loved this little picture of them. 

Lot of pretend going on with this little girl lately. Talking on the phone, playing that she is different princesses, playing house, and barbies. 

For school work Parker and I did some yoga! 

We had dad set up the tramp and that has been our saving grace. Whenever we need a little break we all head out and jump on the tramp. I can not jump on the tramp anymore without feeling like I am going to pee my pants (thanks to having 4 kids). 

Falling asleep on our walk. 

We pumped up all the tires on our bikes and went for a bike ride

Addi even rigged up a cage so that bugs could come too. 

Lyn loves finding lady bugs right now, which are really box elder bugs. She goes and catches some everyday. 

Another afternoon nap!

This is when she was pretending to be Rapunzel and had her frying pan. Dad was Flynn Rider and I was the mother. With all the lock downs we decided it was time to potty train her. She has done really well. It only took her about 4 days to be fully trained with pee. As of the end of the month we kind of regressed a little bit with pooping she will not do it on the potty. She has no other accidents but that. We have tried bribing, getting mad, and everything else but she still refuses too. Hopefully she will get that soon. 

We are grateful for this time for this time to slow down as a family and enjoy just being with one another. We don't have anything to get to, no distractions and can just slow down. Even though this month has brought a lot of crazy changes, we don't have to look very far to see our blessings. We are happy and healthy.