Picture Overload

This quarantine has had it's perks. We have had ample family time, and I can definitely see the blessings of a slower paced life style. I know that there is an end to quarantine, so I am just choosing to enjoy this time together while I can. 

In future years, when the kids look back and reflect on this historical time, I hope they look upon it with fondness. I hope they remember it as a time when they played and laughed together, when we ate dinner outside almost nightly. I hope they remember the forts they built and the Sunday lessons they gave. I hope they remember how our home was our church and that they feel the special spirit that home church brought. I want them to remember movie nights and a calm mom who doubled as their teacher. I hope they think back to this time and remember how their dad bought them a basketball hoop, fixed their trampoline, bought them a fire pit, Frisbee dodge-ball disks, miscellaneous toys, and card games so that they wouldn't be bored. I want them to reflect on the many, many, many hikes and bike-rides and I hope they smile when they do. I hope they remember how their mom let them jump off of beds onto large bean bags, and, against her better judgement, off of flights of stairs onto those bean bags (we put a stop to that one once they couldn't stick to jumping from the 6th step up--Luke and Joshua were completely jumping the entire flight). So, yeah, I see the blessings of this quarantine. We aren't rushing. We are just enjoying. I know that dance, wrestling, football, soccer, YM and YW, and primary activities will all start back up again. So for now, we are enjoying, and maybe, hopefully, after all of this is over, we will remember to keep enjoying and living this dream together just a little bit better.  

Jon Mark blessed me at the beginning of this year that this year would be a year full of joy, joy that seemed to overflow and overwhelm. As I reflect on quarantine, I see how this blessing is coming to pass for me. It is a joyous time for us. I know that it's a trying time for so many who have been affected by COVID 19, I know that the world stands on the brink of economic collapse and that many are suffering the effects and devastation. Perhaps the future isn't all rosy, but I am full of faith and excited for the future, whatever it holds. I will choose today to feel the joy that Heavenly Father has blessed my family with. Today there is much to be grateful for.

Family movie night

 I took the older two on a hike. It was fun being with them. They're growing into tweens and teens and they are a lot of fun to be with. Their sense of humor is maturing, they make me laugh. On this particular hike, Mercedes was startled by a little puppy and the fear she portrayed was really funny, although she got quite embarrassed.

There were no public or church, or even extended family Easter hunts, but we enjoyed our own little egg hunt.

These are the pictures we took of the kids waiting to go down stairs to see their Easter baskets.

Another hike we enjoyed with Jessica.

Quarantine life has me going to the store like a ninja.

Quarantine has me painting bathrooms.

Caleb is obsessed with pirates and treasure and money. Mercedes helped him make an eye patch, and a eye glass so that he could sneak amongst the pirates and not be noticed. 

This is where I played a trick on the kids and told them that because of quarantine they would now be required to go to school over the summer and sleep there like a boarding school. Joshua didn't buy it, but Luke and Mer cried.

This is what Home Sacrament Meeting looks like. 

Joshua had to make dinner one night because he gagged on veggies the night before.

The kids loved coloring eggs and eating the hard boiled eggs afterwards.

Cubby is really good at building with Legos. He built this car without any instructions. He didn't do it exactly right, but he did really well.

We got lockers for the kids to stash their back packs and shoes in.

More hikes.

My dad's quarantine haircut he asked me to give him. He's the hippest grandpa around.

The kids drew portraits of me. They aren't flattering, and Hannah made sure to draw my forehead wrinkles. The second time around, she erased the wrinkles because she didn't want to hurt my feelings.

This was the day before lock down. We had Cub's fifth birthday at the park. He kept track of everyone who didn't make it who owed him presents. HAHA

You guessed it, more hiking.

This picture was before quarantine. I babysat Jacob and bought them fun popsicles.

Before quarantine, I went on a really fun Relief Society retreat and had a blast.

Before quarantine, Cub discovered that he is a huge fan of cotton candy.

Before quarantine, the girls had dance recitals scheduled, now that they are cancelled, so are dance pictures in their cute outfits.

A painting I made for the bishopric and had the kids sign.

Caleb earned a dollar and spent it on some little legos.