Up to day 46

          I feel fortunate and blessed to be alive during this pandemic. It has forced my crew to slow down and be together (some days are easier than others). A little over a week ago I was feeling sad for my kids (including Ginny and all the senior “rights”, activities, and mess) and then for myself missing out as a parent on those things for a child. However Jake reminded me he prefers the “alternative” because we are getting all this extra time with her before she leaves home. So this week, I have focused on the good- I may be missing senior things (she is officially done with high school as of last week, if corona would’ve paid a visit), Aubree’s role in HairSpray, baseball with my boys, end of year school year activities, Easter dinner with my crazy family, etc....I am glad to be “cooped up” with my crazy crew. I love movie nights, bike rides, four-square, board games, spades, trying new recipes, family prayer and scripture (like daily), home church, and just sitting outside with them, seeing all the good. Despite what is happening in our world, I am grateful to be a part of it and what it’s created in my little world. Here is a shout out to my kid that I posted on the "adopt a senior page" on social media: " Our daughter is Ginny, graduating this year from Bartlett High in the top
5% with a 4.4 GPA. When Ginny sets to do something, whether she wants to or not- she gives it her best and is 100% committed. Ginny looks for the “one”, the one that seems alone or needs a friend and reaches out to them. She has a servants heart and finds joy in others joy. She is one of the rare ones that will be remembered a lifetime for lifting others and helping them see their best too. Ginny scatters joy wherever she goes."
         Saturday (4/25/20), we drove to Jackson and cooked fish for my parents.  It got surprisingly cold but we still stayed outside most of the time to stay the appropriate distance from one another. Sunday we enjoyed church together as family and that afternoon had a drive by photo shoot. We decided to take one with real clothes and the remainder how we really spend the day in our lounge clothes.  We spent lots of time on the driveway and outside so we were just real. However no one bothered to tell me that my shirt was too tight...how embarrassing. Monday, Jake and I volunteered at the high school serving lunches to students.

Quarantine continues

Life as we know it as changed and I am guessing will continue to change over the next year or so until a vaccine is created.  Overall, I have not allowed my spirits to get down but last Friday I found myself in my closet sobbing.  I had watched a message from the superintendent stating that the students will not return to the school this academic year. He also apologized to the seniors and that is when tears filled my eyes and began to flow.  Naturally, I thought about Ginny and the things she was missing. Then I realized I was sad for me too that she is my oldest and I too, am missing out on these "senior moments" with her. The next day, I told Jake I had a moment and explained why and he reminded me that the this alternative is better because of all the time we are getting to spend with her before she leaves for college.  So, this is actually a blessing in disguise in some ways.  We do have time with her that was unanticipated and as a family before our kiddos start leaving the nest, so that is what I am trying to focus on and remember.  However, each time I go to the grocery (about every ten days) my heart is sad too to see shelves empty and people in masks.  I do not like it. However, with all the sadness, there is much good too.  People around the nation have come together to ease the burdens of one another. People in the mid-south are "adopting seniors", Ginny was adopted within minutes by three of our co-workers and we adopted one for a much less fortunate situation in a "not so great area" of Memphis and were able to send him his favorite snacks and a gift card to his favorite fast food restaurant.  Another positive is that we unexpectedly received masks in the mail for our entire family.  Sandra sent a few that she had for the boys but did not have material for adult ones but the same day, a senior missionary couple that had served in the branch had sent six.  It was a pleasant surprise to check the mail and magically have enough for our family. It was a tender mercy from above.

Eggs and Scriptures

    So, I want to remember the things that we shared and hope to keep these in a safe place to add to over the years. In our eggs:
"I am going to not watch any shows by myself in order to dedicate more time to the Lord." --- Ginny
"I want to sacrifice my feeling and service unto Christ. I would like to serve my whole family and express my feelings. Smart Goals: Heal my knee, individual study, don't pee pants, room clean, get over constipation, kind & loving heart." --- Will
"My sacrifice: Seminary everyday instead of procrastinating it" ---Aubree
"I will give him everything he want even my delicious yummy croutons and you know I will never sacrifice croutons besides to the thee God, Heavenly Father. PS and games" --- Christopher
"Mom's finest for Christ, What can I sacrifice for Christ and what does his Sacrifice mean to me? The sacrifice of Christ gives me hope and redemption. It allows me to feel like I can doe something even when I feel all is lost. What I see as defeat can become my win/victory. I will try to sacrifice guilt when I feel I am not enough. I will do my best to persevere" ----Mom
The scriptures:
Christopher--- Mosiah 1:5 Summary: preserved by the hand of God to understand.
Ginny --- Mosiah 16:9 "He is the light and life of the world; yea a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death."
Mom--- Jacob 6:4 "How merciful is our God unto us, for he remembereth the House of Israel.." "We are never Forgotten!"
Will---Mosiah 23:23 " For behold I will show unto you that they were brought into bondage, and none could deliver them but the Lord their God..." " We are Delivered"
Aubree--- Mosiah 2:31, Mosiah 3: 9-11 " For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by transgression of Adam, who have died not knowing the will of God..."

        As I read these this morning to record as my family was all still asleep, my heart was edified and softened. I saw something more in each of my children and what they can teach me. How forever blessed am I that they are mine!

While it may be simple and not beautiful to the eyes, it is gorgeous to me.

Happy Easter

        This year, we attempted to do something different as a family the week leading up to Easter.  I bought an Easter creche, which I love that will stay up with my nativity year round. Each part of the creche represents different people whom were part of the Savior's final week."A Christ Centered Easter" is the book that accompanies it and the book offers different traditions and challenges that can be used the week leading to Easter.  Our family wrote what the Savior's sacrifice means to us and what we can sacrifice for him and placed it on a folded sheet of paper in a plastic egg and hung it on the branch of a tree.  We added a scripture that reminds us of Christ and placed that on the tree too and a ribbon after we have eased someone's burden this week. While we were not perfect at it, I am excited tonight or tomorrow to share some of these with one another.
        Here is quick breakdown of the people we referenced (and we looked up scriptures about them too): The people of Jerusalem- they found ways to celebrate Christ and show their love for Him. Palm leaves were used as he entered the city (which is why we used a tree branch as the symbol and the task was the find a way to celebrate Christ. Simon- he was compelled to serve in an unexpected way (symbol was a ribbon knot on our finger and after we lifted the burden of another (the task), we tied the ribbon a branch). Joseph and Nicodemus- they sacrificed all they had and gave their very best (symbol was the plastic egg with a message on the inside of what Christ sacrifice means to me or what we will sacrifice for Him). Mary Magdeline- the first to see the resurrected Lord and went to tell others (the task is to share your testimony of Christ with someone). Thomas- symbolizes waiting and home, so we were tasked to find something in our home to remind us of Him. Two disciples on the road to Emmaus- felt the love and learned of the love through the Scriptures, even when Christ was right there with them, so we write a scripture that we cherish about Him and hang it on a branch. Like I said, it was not perfect but hopefully it strengthened us some.
       It was very odd not being able to attend church Easter Sunday or go to my parents but we watched a stake service in our home and uploaded a video to the branch facebook page.  Several families in the branch posted musical numbers on the page to share with others. I so enjoyed watching them and felt more love for them as I watched.  Although it was not the "ideal" Easter, we found ways to invite Him in and remember Him. We dressed in our Sunday best and observed the Sabbath.

It is great (most days) to be together

It has been exactly 4 weeks since school was last in session. We have done a great job at staying home but there are definitely days where we want to be back to normal life. Ginny's graduation announcements came in yesterday and she received notice that she received the Chic-fil-A scholarship. It is surreal to think that she is done with high school, eighteen, and on to her next phase of life.  Last week was General Conference and we participated in the Hosanna shout from home.  A new proclamation was also given about the restored gospel. President Nelson also asked the world to join him in fasting this Good Friday for control of the pandemic, economy strengthened, caregivers protected, and life back to normal.

Last night as our family had family scripture and began our fast, uniting with others in the world to help with the pandemic, protection for health care withers, economic improvement, and life becoming somewhat normal, my kind turned the parallels of this historic event to Earth’s most historic event. We reflected Last Supper of Jesus Christ before Gethsemane and Calvary, which would’ve been today.
Before offering family prayer, we discussed briefly the parallels happening in our world today with that time some 2000 years ago.

Christ lived a life of love, compassion, kindness, obedience, and serving others. People are pausing their everyday lives and showing obedience and compassion by staying home and reaching out to help others even from a distance.
Christ’s character is filled with love, patience, hope, encouragement, and shouldering the burden of others....daily I see this happening in our stories right now with one another. People of all denominations are caring for, comforting, empathizing with and encouraging others. There is so much good in our world!
Christ suffered in Gethsemane and hours later died on Calvary, rose three days later that we might live. Our health care workers are risking their lives daily to give the sick a chance to extend their lives here on this Earth.
It is my testimony that we have a loving Father in Heaven who sent His Son to provide the light needed in this ever-darkening world. We are empowered by His grace and become His hands today. He is our healer and allows us to help heal as we love one another.
We are one nation under God....we are the United States unified with other nations pleading to our Savior to rescue us in way that only He can.
He lives and because He lives, we will one day live again too.

Day 20

The day started peaceful. I woke up a little after 7:00 and decorated cookies to leave for people with small Easter Notes.  But by 2:00, it was a hot mess.  Ginny and I went out front to work and watch Christopher ride his bike and in less than five minutes, we heard Will crying and walking our way.  He had biffed it on his bike. We ended up taking him to the doctor, where he received 8 stitches (2 in his right knee and 2 in his right elbow).  We are thankful he had on a helmet. We had to wait in the car until it was our turn to be taken in, the clinic is taken serious precautions. There was a nurse outside that took our temperature and gave us masks to wear.  The governor today ordered people to stay at home or you can receive a misdemeanor (you should leave your house for food or medical).
Just so I remember.....
-Gas price a mile from home was $1.39 (I can not recall since high school prices this low)
-School cancelled - yes cancelled (students left March 13 and have yet to return
-Self-distancing measures are on the rise.
-Tape on the floors at grocery stores and others to help distance shoppers (6ft) from each other.
-Limited number of people inside stores, therefore, lineups outside the store doors.
-Non-essential stores and businesses mandated closed.
-Entire sports seasons cancelled.  (NBA stopped early and MLB is on hold until further notice).
-Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - cancelled.
-Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - cancelled. (Funerals are limited to 10 people in many states)
-Churches are closed.
-No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now no gatherings of 5 or more.
-Don't socialize with anyone outside of your home.
-Children's outdoor play parks are closed.
-We are to distance from each other.
-Shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers.
-Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill.
-Panic buying sets in and we have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towel no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer for those who really need it.
-Shelves are bare.
-Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.
-Government closes the border to all non-essential travel.
-Fines are established for breaking the rules.
-Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of Covid-19 patients.
-Press conferences daily from the President. -Daily updates on new cases, recoveries, and deaths.
-Government incentives to stay home.
- Road are not as busy but still busy.
 -People wearing masks and gloves outside.
-Essential service workers are terrified to go to work.
-Medical field workers are afraid to go home to their families.
This is the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020. I hope that I am able to look back on it and tell not only of the changes but of not being panicky. Thank goodness for the gospel, a living prophet, and good parents that taught us life skills.