3/23/2020
I'm not even sure where to start. Everything has been such a blur lately. We are in the midst of a pandemic. It truly is an unprecendented time.
Some days it hardly seems real. Other days I feel pretty anxious about it all. Who would have thought a few months ago that we would be ordered to stay in our home in social isolation. I only ever leave the house to go to the grocery and even then, precautions are made. HEB only allows a certain amount of people in the store. Carts are wiped down before entering the building and hand sanitizer is located at the entrance and exit of the store. Boxes are placed on the floor to indicate places to stand to allow people to be 6 feet apart. A sheild is placed between the person at the cash register and the customer. And the belt and credit card machine are wiped down after every use. And everyone in the store wears a mask on their face. Still, I cant help but think that I need to step lightly because I dont want to catch the virus and bring it home to my babies. Sam still has to work. Luckily he still has a job when so many people are losing theirs. I cant help but count our blessings when it comes to our health, safety, and financial security.
Last week, the children and I went to the ranch to get away from everything and to spend time with family. Initially, Katrina was going to visit with her children, but with the seriousness of the situation, she and Casey were afraid that she may not be able to return to Ohio. I was dissappointed and then Vince and Connie had the great idea of inviting Neils and Kelly to the ranch as well as our family so Rosalie and Naomi can play. Neils was asked to work from home as so many are at the moment. Sam however still needs to work at the office. He did come to the ranch for a few days but ultimately he gets more work done at the office. With the tax season post poned due to the virus, Sam doesnt have to work as long hours as before which is a blessing. With the busy season I am practically a single mother 5 days of the week but saturdays are the most difficult. I miss my husband and the children miss their dad. Its worth it though to go a few months without him and then get to spend so much extra time with him the rest of the year. And Sam really does get so much work done during the busy season.
Another blessing is that we are not quarantined in an apartment. As much as I loved the apartment we lived in, it was time to move on. (I did love it. I cried a lot when packing because of all of the beautiful memories made there) Sam and I both felt directed to look for a home in December and we found the perfect one, in a great neighborhood and miraculously, in our price budget. We are very happy here and have made a few changes to make it our own. Because Sam has been working tirelessly this busy season, Connie came down to help me paint the ENTIRE house! It was exhausting work and we worked 10 hours a day or more, but in the end it was completely worth it. The house is lovely and light! We will be very happy here.
Before and After photos. (I pulled some of the before pictures from Zillow)
Signing ALL the papers!!
From a few places in the house, we have a perfect view of the temple.
Another crazy thing about this pandemic is having church in our homes. It's amazing seeing the Lords hand in so many of the recent changes in the church. One of which is the Come Follow Me program. Now that we have been asked to have church in our homes, we have an outline and a way to have the spirit in our homes. Sam was authorized to bless and pass the sacrament in our home which is such a blessing. It reminds me of when we were both in the singles ward and he volunteered to help with the sacrament each week. It was one of the first things I noticed about him. His willingness to serve.
There have been other changes as well. Most colleges, including BYUI have gone completely online. Owen, who came home early in December due to a knee injury was supposed to go to school for the first time in April. Now he will just stay at home and work and do school online. I'm sad for him that he wont have that time. My time in Rexburg was such a special time for me during my single years.
Because school is now online, Ryan and his fiancee Emma have decided to get married earlier. However the temples are closed and we aren't sure when they will open. We are not aloud to gather for weddings, funerals, or any public event. I'm worried I wont be able to go to the wedding. I'm sad that it may need to be a civil wedding. However another recent change in the church is that a couple no longer has to wait a year after marrying civially to be sealed in the temple and that is AMAZING news for couples like Ryan and Emma.
Britton celebrated his half birthday in February. Can you believe it? He is now 7 1/2 months and has just popped his 3rd and 4th teeth. He just started crawling last week (while we were at the ranch) and his personality is starting to show. I love him so! He has quite the apetite and eats non stop and is still pretty thin. I dont know where he puts it all!
For Christmas this year, we made our first family road trip to Ohio. The children were excellent in the car and the trip went smoothly. Sam drove nonstop both ways which is pretty crazy if you ask me. It saved us a lot of money though. This visit to Ohio was pretty special. Not only did we get to visit family, but also my brother Owen came home from his mission on Christmas Eve. He come home 6 months early due to a knee injury. He had been ignoring the pain for a while, but finally made the decision to come home and have it treated. He wasn't exactly happy about coming home from his mission early but my mother was overjoyed. She had all 5 kids home for Christmas again. We also had a super special experience of going to the temple together to seal my great grandparents Wilbur and Alberta Mills. This was the first time all 7 of us were in the temple together. The sealing was so special. The spirit was so strong. I felt their presence there with us. Images of past memories together kept playing through my mind. I remember just feeling complete peace and joy. I dont think I will ever forget that experience and what it meant to me. I dont think I can ever doubt the testimony of temple work for our loved ones.
Our road trip. The kids really were SO good!
More Christmas Pictures
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UPDATE 6/24/2020
Sam had his 28th birthday in March. We had planned on inviting friends over for a party but Texas went into lockdown mode and people were not allowed to leave their homes unless it was for an essential purpose. (Grocery shopping or work if deemed an essential business). As a Plan B, I had planned to go to the Drive-In which was still open (Until the day before his birthday). So that didn't quite work out. So we went with plan C. I tried to make his birthday as special as I could. Sam's parents bought him a new grill for his birthday so we made his favorite meal of burgers, I made an Oreo Icecream Cake and then after the kids went to bed, we pulled the air mattress into the living room and watched a new movie that my parents had rented and enjoyed it with the candy treats that I had bought for the drive in.
For Easter this year we went back to the ranch to spend time with family. Because everyone was in lockdown, it was nice to get out of the house and spend time with family. It was a good trip, except for when Rosalie and Naomi flooded the kids wing of the ranch house...
Naomi was experimenting the sleeping in the "big kid" beds so we decided to try having the girls sleep in the bunk room together. Of course all they wanted to do was play and after an hour or two of trying to get them to sleep, we decided to let them play until they fell asleep on their own. All of the grown ups went in the hottub to chat and relax and after about 30 minutes, Kelly went inside to check on the girls. Kelly quickly came running outside and yelled" I NEED SOME HELP NOW!" and ran back in. All of us jumped out of the hot tub and ran inside. Neils was the fastest and slipped and fell as he was running. It took me a minute to realize that he slipped because there was an inch of water coving the floor. Naomi was crying and I couldn't hear Rosalie. My heart was pounding!! I turned the corner into the bathroom and found Rosalie standing next to the over running water in the sink of the kids bathroom. She turned to me and said "Mama, wanna go swimming?" I would have laughed if I hadn't been so concerned that she was injured. When we asked if she had turned on the water, she unabashedly replied "yes". I was shaking with relief and humiliation and a tiny bit of anger. I took Rosalie back to my room and broke into tears. I tried to explain that turning on the water was "not good" and that I was worried. Rosalie looked at me and said "it's alright mama. Dont cry!" She had no idea what was going on. She was just having fun playing in the water. In all of her innocence, she was unaware of the danger. I couldn't even be mad at her. And I was feeling protective of her in case others were mad at her.
It turns out, Connie had washed the sink the day prior and had left the sink stopper in. The girls decided to turn on all three faucets and play in the water. Kelly later told me that she found them playing and laughing in the water. Which I admit made me feel better. I was worried that they had been crying for us and we hadn't heard them. The water was quickly cleaned thanks to the shop vac, towels, and fans. Rosalie and Naomi were seperated for the night, kindly repremianded, and then "helped" fold all the towels the next day. By the end of the night everyone was laugung about it. Except me. My nerves were shot.
But it will make for a funny story one day. Like today.
Cute trouble makers!
Texas opened back up in degrees at the beginning of May. Restaraunts and movie theatres and such were able to open at 25% capacity and every two weeks, increased another 25%.
Sam's busy season at work also ended in May so we have been seeing much more of one another. He now comes home for lunches and dinner every day and has Fridays off. It's the best!!
Ryan and Emma decided to get married on May 31 in Emma's parents yard in Las Vegas. Because Nevada was still under restrictions, they had a limited amount of people who could come to the ceremony. My parents and Owen flew out for the ceremony and the rest of us watched over a facebook live feed. We truly live in an odd time. The ceremony was short and sweet and the couple looked so happy! I'm sad that they couldnt have had a traditional wedding and reception surounded by friends and family but I'm looking forward to when they can go to the temple to be sealed. When the temples open back up of course. I won't miss being there for that special occasion!
Because Texas was opening up earlier than most states, my mom and katrina and her kids drove down to Texas to visit. Ohio was still pretty shut down so we enjoyed the simple things like going to the park and playing in our new home. We also had yummy take-out and took a trip to HEB since Katrina had never been before. One of the more fun things we did was go to the Drive-In. The last time Sam and I had been to the drive in, rosalie was a baby and cried the entire time from being overly tired. This time she was able to enjoy the movie and snacks as well as time with her cousins. Thankfully, Granny stayed back home with Britton.
Both Britton and Rosalie LOVED spending time with their Ohio cousins. Rosalie still talks about how much fun she had playing kitchen and dressup with Grace and Noelle. She played secret spies with Carson. And played with bubbles and water with Copeland. Katrina and I even fit in a girls night one of the nights, watching the new Emma movie together and eating icecream. We haven't had a girls night together in years.
The last few days of their trip, we took them up to the ranch for the first time. We invited Colton, Mary, Addie and Lincoln to join us and we spent the ENTIRE time in the pool. My family REALLY loves water.
Rosalie and Copeland decided to dump their bubble containers in the pool and start the water. Toddlers are so pesky.
It was such a nice visit and I cried when they left. I didnt realize how deprived I had been from social interaction with Sam's busy season and then COVID and the stay at home order. All of our summer plans had been cancelled (including a 30th birthday girls trip to Nashville that we had planned and bought plane tickets for) due to COVID-19. Luckily about a week later, my mom called and asked if she could come back with dad this time. And Samantha and Brendon. And Ryan and Emma. and of course I said yes. So they should be coming in a few weeks.
Texas is starting to have an increase in COVID cases again, which is kind of scary, so we are back to having to wear masks in public. But i'm hoping we wont have a full "stay at home" order again. Fingers crossed.
Besides COVID, our nation has been in a lot of civil unrest lately. Mostly due to racism and hate crimes. There was a lot of back lash to some recent hate crimes. I dont believe in racism. Jesus taught us to love everyone. No matter what.
However I don't agree with the hateful vengeance that has overcome so many people. Looting and violent protests. Burning building. Killing police officers. People have talked about getting rid of the police altogether. Historical Statues are being torn down (and some religious). It's been a scary time. There is just too much hate going around and not enough love for one another. We have been praying more and more for people to feel Christs love and that our nation will feel peace.
With so much going on in the world, I am trying to focus more on my family and my faith. I don't want to be bogged down by the media. It only causes me anxiety. Luckily my children are my escape. They are joy personified. No matter how crazy they make me. *smile* Nothing makes my heart melt like Britton smiling at me with his toothy grin and saying "ma ma ma" or Rosalie giving me her big hugs and stroking my face as she tells me she loves me. Or cuddling with either of them on the couch while they watch a show.
Rosalie is currently with Meme and Pappy and Naomi this week for cousin camp. It's the first year of cousin camp and I was a bit of a basket case when we left her behind at the ranch house after fathers day. However, I know she is having the best time. Way more fun then she would be having at home. Connie is good about sending us pictures and it just warms my heart that she has this time with her cousin and grandparents. It's been a little of an adjustment only having one child this week. Britton really misses Rosalie. He gets bored easily and wants more attention. But it has been nice having this one-on-one time with my sweet boy. Something I feel like we dont get quite enough of. I'll need to make sure to make a point of having more one-on-one time with both of my children in the future.
Britton is now 10 months. He eats most foods, crawls super fast and walks with assitance (like along furniture and toys). He loves to climb the stairs (much to my dismay) and is oh so smiley. He can eat and eat and eat. I have no idea where he puts it all! He can say "mama" and "dada" and loves all things with wheels and any kind of ball. He loves splashing in water and playing with whatever Rosalie is playing with. Unfortunately that causes some problems for Rosalie. haha Such a pesky little brother!
Rosalie is getting more mature and no longer looks like a baby in any way. She looks more like a child and it breaks my heart. She has lost all of her baby fat and has become quite the picky eater (much to my dismay) She is much more cuddly and LOVES princess movies. She can sing most princess songs and act them out by heart. She loves to dance and sing to current songs on the radio at the top of her lungs whether we are in the car or on our morning walk. I love how confident she is. I hope she never loses that. She is big into dressing up and helping cook in the kitchen right now. She throws less tantrums these days which is nice, but the tantrums she does throw are quite forceful. Three-nager is just around the corner. *sigh* She is also much kinder with friends and is getting so much better at sharing. I'm so proud of her.
Pictures: October to June
This year we had a "Cinderella" theme for Halloween
Rosalie started potty training at the beginning of October. It clicked pretty fast this time. Thank goodness she is easily pursuaded by treats. Occasionally she would have a random accident here and there, usually right next to the toilet. And she had a slight regression when we moved to our new house. She was afraid to go potty alone. But now she is completely potty trained except for at night. Hopefully Britton will be just as easy to potty train.
We got last minute tickets to Tony Parkers retirement ceremony when we helped Chris and Ramona move. We quickly found a babysiter (Jeff and Elaine) because there was no way we wanted to miss this!
Maria and Sophia came to visit!!
Trying solids for the first time
New haircut! First time getting an A-line hair cut.
Granny and Papa bought Rosalie these rain boots for Christmas and she is OBSESSED!
Pesky brother
When we moved, Rosalie got a big girl bed.
Rosalie and her dinglehopper and Ariel bag.
Making cupcakes for play group
Went to Daniel Tiger Live in Austin with Neils, Kelly, & Naomi
Rosalie loved it so much and was very interactive with the show. Afterwards she exclaimed "THIS IS AMAZING!"
First TEETH!
Ava's princess dress up birthday party
Once upon a time, we babysat Enzo for a week. It made us realize that even though Enzo is considered and "easy dog" we are still not ready to have a dog
New slippers from Meme and Pappy and Rosalie is obsessed! Almost as much as her rain boots.
Sam's birthday icecram cake.
Sam tried working from home for like 3 days. It was too distracting and not as productive so he went back to work.
Rosie is a big fan of her princess night gowns. This Anna dress was her first one.
The first time Britton got sick. It was just a virus. Not covid. But it made me sad
Singing and acting out the disney songs
Our pool for the summer
New lawn mower. Maiden voyage.
Posing like a princess in her new Elsa night gown
Power washing our old deck
Neighborhood watch
One weekend, Meme, Pappy & Jack came down to help us fix up our deck. After we power washed, cleaned and scrubbed the boards, they helped us replace boards, sand everything and starts putting on the stain.
It looks and feels so much better. No more splinter risk.
Since they were staying over, we made home made donuts
And we had a birthday party for Enzo
Then we went to Austin for Mothers Day
Weekend at the ranch will all of Sam's siblings. Meme and Pappy were in Ohio but we still had a really great time!
Brothers throwing the pig skin around
With COVID and not being able to play with friends, we decided to do an "Icecream truck" activity so we could visit our friends and say hello while still social distancing. It was so fun!
Maria and Sophia came to visit again and we loved seeing them! Rosie and Sophia played so well!
Britton got a new hat for our walks. He's not a huge fan of the sun in his eyes.
Rosalie wanted to wear her hat too
Messy boys at the Ranch for fathers day
These girlies in their princess night gowns. They are having the best time at cousin camp.
Daddy's are so much fun!
Brittons 6 Month Photos
Im obsessed with the shape of his head
