December

The first of December Heidi called and said that she was coming up to Malia's...would I like a visit with masks on.  I said yes, and they came by.  

It was so fun to visit with them for a couple of hours and it was so fun to visit with them.  Brady, Malia's little boy, is so cute and fun!  He loves to play.  

Malia has lived 5 blocks from me since February.  We had visited in February, but then Covid hit and we could no longer see each other.  Her husband, Jayson, worked at a hospital and, though he wore PPE (personal protective equipment), we just needed to be so careful due to Jason's health.  So we never saw them.  

Jayson applied to PT schools and was accepted to one back in N. Carolina starting in January.  So now they're gone.  Such a bummer!

A few days later we were replacing the bulbs in my front car lights.  Jacob went to sit in the front seat and he yelled to me, "Hey, Mom!  I found a secret compartment in your car."  I thought, there is no way.  

I went to look and sure enough, he had found a compartment I had never opened!  16 years owning the car and I had never tried it.  I guess I always thought it was a spark plug box or something like that.  😋

In Jacob's health class this semester he had to make a meal using the My Plate format for food.  With some help, he made some BBQ chicken and did a great job!

Here he is cooking the meat out in the cold.  

Dinner is served!

                                                

He needs to do the dishes more often to build
his strength!

He also had to do this dishes.  Yay!!

School the past few months has been Monday-Thursday in person and Friday online.  The last week of school, on Thursday, they did a lite amount of work and kids were excused.  But they still had Friday online.  I wondered what the teachers were going to do.  Most had it as a catch up day on any assignments kids needed to work on.  Jacob was done in a few hours.  

Aunt Vina made and sent us masks for Christmas

Every morning, or most, I walk with Marcia Johns and Sherrie Anderson.  During break there was one morning when they didn't walk with me so Jason and I got up at 6 a.m. to go walking.  

Went on a hike with Catheys before Christmas.  

Jacob's friend, Elias gave Jacob 2 gift certiciates

for Fortnite V-bucks.  He loved that!

Went with Chase Anderson's family to the 

Tree of Life in Draper Park.

              

We had a box of gifts for Garrett that Chris brought at Thanksgiving.  We took those to him and it was great to see him.  He looks good and it was fun to visit.  

As an activity we attempted to make and decorate sugar cookies.  I made the dough and frosting one night and we baked and frosted the second night.  The cookies looked like a pre-schooler had made them.  It was fine for a short time, but we gave the extra cookies and frosting to Jared and Stephanie's girls to finish.  

               

Christmas Eve.  We had our 2nd annual night with Cafe Rio.  I like because I don't need to cook.  But as I asked my siblings about their evenings, they had a finer spread.  I'm fine with what we did, but still miss the tradition I had growing up.  Christmas Eve...that was the big meal.  We would invite members of our ward over (usually families with kids our age) and the missionaries. I always had fun.  

It just doesn't work here.  At least not for us.  That makes me sad, but I accept it.  Just glad we have family to visit (in non Covid years).

Christmas morning!  Jacob made sure we were getting up at 6 a.m.  I would have preferred 6:30 or 7, but that's OK.  

Jacob opening his stocking.  A charging cord for his iPhone so he doesn't have to compete for the one we have. 

Mike and Ike's with $10 from Gr. & Gr. Wong.
                                    

Chocolate covered cinnamon bears for dad.

$20 and a note from Gr. Safsten
                                    

Wireless headphones for Jacob and Dad.

Sees candy, thermals, sweatshirt, socks, Yaktracs for me.

                                         

                        

Christmas afternoon we played Kahoots.  I sent a questionnaire to all the women in Jason's family with a bunch of questions.  They answered and I made the game up and everyone could vote on the right answer with their phones.  It was a lot of fun.  I thought I had taken a picture of us playing it on Zoom, but guess I didn't.  

In the 1990s I was working at Franklin Elementary.  On of our secretaries, Janice Young, did tole painting and made these for me over several years.  I love putting them up.  I think they are so cute and she is so talented!
                

                                      

                                                                                  

On Wednesday, the 30th we went back to the Dimple Dell gully with Cathey's.  We hiked down to the same place Jason, Jacob and I had gone before and then continued down the gulley. 

The kids loved walking on the ice!

Towards the end the water "dried" up and the kids were breaking the ice into big chunks.  

At the beginning of December Jason realized that he hadn't registered his 4Runner.  I registered my car back in July and had received the normal reminder card from the DMV.

By the time Jason realized it needed to be done, it was overdue.  He went to the DMV site and there they explained they were no longer sending cards.  

What I can't understand is why they would stop sending in the middle of the year and why they didn't mention this anywhere.  

So I sent a note to KSL about it and said it might be a good Public Service Reminder.  They showed it on the noon news.  :)

New Year's Eve.  It got off on the wrong foot due to a sister in our ward calling me just as I was pulling the pizza out of the oven. 

I had to run over to Smith's to pick her up and take her home.  I got there, she wasn't at the door and I had forgotten my phone at home.  I waited, went into the store, looked by the carts, went in farther and glanced down to customer service, but didn't see her.  

I went back home and called her.  She was there, but had walked over to customer service and I hadn't seen her.  So I drove back and picked her up.  I was not in a very Christian, Relief Society President mood.  I took her home and then went back home. 

With Covid it was, again, just the 3 of us.  I bought mini bottles and blow horns to celebrate.  Jacob opened his mini bottle and it fizzed up and over.  For some reason all of them did.

We played a few games and the winners got gift cards.  I went to bed around 10 and Jason and Jacob stayed up to finish the movie they were watching.  

It was an OK night.  

Reflecting on 2020, it was an OK year.  Things were different, Jason was home working most of the year, Jacob was at home a lot between school and not being able to get together with friends.  Lots of Zoom for church....nothing dramatic, but changed.  

The biggest things for me was lack of social contact.  I don't go out a ton, but I need other human interaction--besides my immediate family.  We spent time this summer with Jason's family in Jared and Stephanie's backyard and that helped a lot, but once school was back in session we couldn't isolate as much so we didn't go around family.  Jason could tell a difference when I was able to socialize a bit.  I could too.  :)

It will be interesting to see what changes stick.  One change I know of is school snow days.  Now that teachers have taught online (Jacob goes to school in person Monday-Thursday and online Fridays), if there is a snow day kids can just go online.  It won't affect the last day of school or other scheduled school holidays.  With church callings we'll probably see some meetings done with Zoom.    

On to 2021.  

Church in 2020

 I've blogged about how things have changed with Covid-19 during this year, but not much about church.  thought it would be appropriate to document the timeline of what happened.  

March 12, 2020 The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles announced that all public gathering of Church members were temporarily suspended worldwide due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During this time our ward held Sunday School via Zoom with Scott Spilker teaching.  Our family also met through Zoom with Joy’s family for Sunday School. 

May 19, 2020 – letter issued authorizing some meetings and activities to be resumed on a limited basis using a phased approach.  The Brethren authorized Area Presidencies, working with the member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the Presidency of the Seventy who supervise them in deciding when and where meetings can begin in their area. 

In our area, Phase 1 we could begin to hold Sacrament meeting in June.  The 3 wards in the building decided that each would have a Sunday and we were assigned the 4^th Sunday of the month. 

Mark Hatch sent this email Friday, June 26, 2020

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

We will be holding Sacrament Meeting at the Stake Center beginning this Sunday, June 28th.  Until we are advised differently, we will plan to continue meeting on the 4th Sunday of each month. We have gone to great length to make sure our meetings will comply with the current COVID-19 requirements.  Based on the survey results of who is planning on attending this Sunday, we have determined that we will be holding 2 meetings so that we can keep the number attending each meeting to less than 99.  The meeting will consist of administration of the sacrament and one speaker.  The meeting will not exceed 45 minutes.  For those who have advised us that they will be attending, here is the schedule:
Last name beginning with A-L - 10:00amLast name beginning with M-Z - 11:30am
Emma Apsley is leaving shortly to serve in the Canada Toronto Mission and will be our speaker in both meetings.
Here are the changes that the church has recommended we implement for the safety of those attending:
- If you are not feeling well, or have recently been quarantined, please do not attend Sacrament Meeting.- Hand sanitizer will be located at the entrance to the chapel.- Please enter from the South side of the building.  Doors on the North and West sides of the building will be locked.  - Please only sit in the designated rows and seats and maintain 6 feet of separation between families and/or individuals. - Hymnbooks will not be available.  If possible, please download the hymns onto your phone. - The bathrooms on the West end of the building will be closed.  If necessary, please use the bathrooms on the North side of the building. - The drinking fountains will be covered and unavailable for use.- As per Gov. Herbert's order from yesterday, face masks are mandatory.- Priesthood holders will all sanitize their hands before preparing and administering the sacrament.- Bread will be administered in a sacrament cup to avoid any contamination.  Gluten free bread will also be available.
- At the conclusion of the meeting, we will exit by row to accommodate social distancing. - Before and after the meeting, please do not congregate inside the building.  If you would like to socialize with each other, please do so outside. - If you are comfortable assisting, we would appreciate volunteers to help clean the building between meetings and after the 2nd meeting.
If any of you are the least bit uncomfortable meeting in larger groups, please stay home and observe the Sabbath with your family.  Authorization to administer the sacrament in your home remains the same.  If you should have any additional questions regarding this Sunday's Sacrament Meeting, please contact a member of the Bishopric.  We look forward to seeing you all again.
Lovingly,
The Bishopric

July 26, 2020  This was the first Sacrament meeting Jacob and I attended.  Jason continued to stay home due to his health issues.  I was asked to speak.

September 11, 2020 The First Presidency announces holding Sacrament meeting via Zoom for those who can not attend in person.  The meeting opens with a hymn, prayer, 2 speakers, closing hymn, and closing prayer.  The virtual broadcast is then ended and those in the building participated in the Sacrament. Total meeting time is 1 hour.

We began Zoom Sacrament meeting in October.  Jacob and I still went in person and Jacob now began to pass the Sacrament again.  In the summer it was done by groups of fathers and sons to help with social distancing.

Virtual 2^nd hour began on Oct 18, 2020 with Sunday School and Oct 25, 2020 with Relief Society, Elders Quorum, Young Men and Young Women.  Sacrament meeting was held 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.  Youth meetings (SS, YM/YW) were held 10:30-11:00 and adult meetings (SS, RS, EQ) 11:00-12:00. 

I am assuming that sometime in 2021 we will begin to meet as normal again.  ?????