Quarantined

Last Sunday we had the cutest care package left on our front porch from the Martins.  They brought two pumpkins, a couple of books, some nail polish, homemade brownies, a cute quarantine idea list and a gift card to Dominos!  We felt loved and really appreciated their kindness.  It was a nice way to begin our very long week inside.  

#7 massage Parker's toe😂

So the official timeline for history's sake: Brian begin feeling sick on Thursday morning and tested on Thursday afternoon.  He felt awful on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  (achy body, terrible headache...just plain miserable)  Saturday evening we found out he was in fact positive for Covid.  Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday he still felt pretty sick, but it was so much better than the first few days.  He slept pretty much all day and all night.  The past few days he has been awake more during the day but extremely tired...not sleepy...but worn out.  

He is also very tired of being stuck in our bedroom!  He has attempted a little outside time, but when I suggested a 10 minute walk yesterday (Saturday--10 days after falling ill) he exclaimed, "What? Are you trying to kill me?"  I guess at this point it is just a matter of regaining strength.  Our other two couple friends from church who are about a week ahead of Brian have also both mentioned how totally exhausted they are.  They can lift a pillow or two off the bed and then need to rest.  I am a little worried for when Brian returns to work.  His job can be pretty physically demanding at times, and he feels exhausted just thinking about a 10 minute walk.

Our other dilemmas are knowing when he can come out of the room, and when we can safely mingle in society again.  CDC guidelines are constantly changing and every workplace and school district seem to have their own guidelines. Parker paid $150 (CRAZY KID) to be tested on Thursday so he could go back to school.  On day 10 I released our family from quarantine.  I went to Walmart to pick up a few things.  However,  we still are not going to church, our Sunday night family gathering, or inviting anyone over so....  

Moving on from Covid/quarantine...kind of...it's hard to move on because that has been our life.  This week the boys seriously had that glassy eyed stare going from so much screen time.  But, our options were limited so they got to play a lot of Xbox and watch a lot of football games.  They are both reading at night which makes me happy and is a small miracle...especially for Tanner (Parker the last of the Hunger Games series and Tanner the first Divergent book.)

Parker was especially feeling tied down due to his toe injury.  Tanner could go play basketball.  Aubrey could go on a bike ride or walk the dog.  Parker couldn't do those or even drive his car.  He is our most social kid and he really was going cray-cray.  I guess that is why it was worth it to him to pay $150 for a test with quick results.  A couple of late nights he and I got in the van, rolled down the windows and drove all around Odessa for 45 minutes.  He wanted to feel the breeze and see more than our four walls.  

Harper and Cole came and visited Parker....socially distanced of course.  He was sooooo happy.

Aub, Tan, Park and I played a lot of games: Monopoly, Nines, Apples to Apples, dominoes, Racko.  I also read with Tanner a few nights.  I think Tanner missed playing basketball during and after school but otherwise was perfectly happy hanging at home.  

Aubrey was pretty happy and self sufficient.  She made some really cute invitations for her Harry Potter party she and La are hosting on Halloween.  She caught up on school work from missing a day going to Utah, started studying for mid-terms, wrote her family history essay, baked cookies, face timed friends and began a typing class she found online.  I love her independence and drive.

On Saturday, Tanner decided to get tested because he didn't want to wait until Thursday to go back to basketball.  We waited an hour and a half in the drive through line.  So annoying....I can't imagine how awful that would be if one of us were sick though and waiting in that long line.  We haven't received his results, but if they were positive would that mean 14 more days for all of us?  Shoot me now!

During this slow week, I worked on Shutterfly projects.  I finished the calendars I make my parents and my brother Nate for Christmas each year.  I have never finished this early and it feels great.  I also worked on our 2019 family album.  I've been working on it here and there for months and months.  I am only up to August.  I am hoping to finish by November 15th because they have a free extra pages offer going.  I also worked out a few times and did some stuff for my business.  I submitted product to Pick Your Plum, and Aub helped me model some product.

Didn't she do a great job?

Bri trying to get outside for a few minutes.  This is as close as Tanner would get for the picture.  Smart boy.

Smoothie stache.  Tanner kept asking why I was taking a picture of him every time he turned around.  It was because I realized I hadn't taken many the past  couple of weeks!

Tan and Aub schooling....Aub watching Braddock's presentation!

Aubrey and I visited a tiny outdoor pumpkin patch.  She took 30 minutes to find a cute outfit and do her hair and makeup.  It was nice to get out of the house.

Aub and I also went for a walk around the inner loop at UTPB.  We had fun walking and talking.  She is not big on long walks.  A couple of my favorite quotes: "oooh, a bench!" and "this is the longest loop of my life."

And a couple of pictures of my hard working girl serving in Idaho.  We miss her.

Liahona, Homecoming and Covid, Oh My

Aubrey was gone all week for Liahona youth conference in Utah.  I wouldn't hear from her all day but between 10:30-12:30 am our time, she would start texting.  I still didn't get much, but it was fun to catch up.  They kept those kiddos busy with speakers, a "rock concert"...which seemed pretty legit, swimming and other activities.  She comes home this evening (Saturday, October 17th).  I can't wait to give that girl a big old hug.  She's been gone too long.

Tanner has been living up having the car all to himself.  With Parker being older and so social, he was resigned to never having it.  However, with us leaving to Idaho, Park took the van and Tan took the kid car to school.  Then Parker hurt his toe, so Tanner has had the car all to himself.  When I mentioned his luck, he got a small little smile and agreed he had lucked out. (That small little smile equals a huge grin in Tanner talk.)  I'm glad for him.  It will probably be a rude awakening when Park takes back over in a week or two.

With social distanced activities being allowed for church in our area, I decided we could meet in person for our presidency meeting.  We met in my bedroom on Tuesday night.  It was easy to spread out the chairs, and I knew we would probably be covering some more confidential things.

So the good news is we meet on Tuesday evening and accomplished a lot.  The bad news is on Thursday in the early afternoon, Brian realized he really didn't feel well and had a low grade temperature.  He has been holed up in our room.  We got the results Saturday evening, and he is positive.

Lovely picture of me with bed head, dark circles under my eyes, in pajamas, and masking it up in our house as I take Brian meds, meals and drinks.  What is this crazy life???  I moved the extra twin bed into Aubrey's room, and we will be roomies for a bit.

I also reached out to my presidency to let them know and apologize.  I contacted the Gwilliam family we were with last week as well as a few parents my boys had been around.  Most of them said, "No worries.  I am sure we are exposed multiple times per day."   I sent a message to Brinley.  I am not sure if she will have to quarantine or if we need to call the temple to let them know.  

Brian feels badly about exposing people but there is absolutely nothing he could have done differently.  Within a few hours of feeling sick, he took a test and quarantined.  He also is just plain feeling awful.  My poor guy.

Last, on Saturday morning I was helping Tanner load up the lawn equipment in the truck.  I took him over a block and a half to mow a few houses.  Then I realized I could not find my phone.  Sadly, it had fallen out of my pocket, and I ran over it with the truck.  The Worst.  Parker is helping me (aka doing it) transfer everything over to Brinley's old phone.  

Here are a few pictures from our week.

Aub chatting it up with Brian.  I couldn't even get both of them in the picture she was so far away.  She would send him pictures from her camp and once he got them, she would tell him all about each person.  It was kind of adorable.  It was also in the middle of the Alabama game.😂  I'm sure he felt conflicted, but he didn't let on to Aub.

Parker set the Xbox TV up in our room so Brian wouldn't have to just go off his phone or Ipad.  Pretty sweet.

My cute parents leaving our house.  I think they had brought over a little snack pack for Parker.  (Once we learned Brian had Covid, we have been quarantining.)

The triple triple.  (Two phones and a computer.)

This guy and his three besties (Cole, Harper and Austin) made homecoming court which I think is kind of cool.  I took a picture of him smiling but it was blury.  Each organization (Senate, Student Council, Band, Football, Basketball, Honor Society etc.) votes and submits one nominee.  From those forty young men and forty young women selected, the seniors narrow it down to eight, and then the whole school votes.  He did not win but pretty cool to be selected by his peers.   

Cool picture from the game he got hurt in.    Woot Woot.  He has been doing great with his toe.  He hasn't had much pain, and he can put full pressure on his foot now.  Park was very happy to get rid of the crutches.  Doctor thinks he will have the pin out this week and possibly be playing the next week.

He also was selected player of the week for the game he got hurt in.  It was probably his best so far.

Aub's week at Liahona Youth Conference at the Zermatt resort in Midway, Utah.

They got to go in person to their school.

I think La and Aubrey hung with the same group all week.  Braddock had his own group.  They saw each other in passing a few times.

Kimball, Brooks, ?, Elizabeth, Aubrey, Lauron 

Aubrey and her roommate Raileigh Anne

Aub, Katie, Elizabeth, Lauron

Aubrey, Cannon, Elizabeth, Katie

Aubrey and Elizabeth P.

Another different Elizabeth w/ Aubrey

Grandpa took these fun pictures of Brinley this summer.  I'm not sure if I included them on the blog then so I will now.

Parker and Kendyn cheering from the sideline.  Parker was super sad when the team ran out, and he wasn't on the field.  Kendyn told him the first game is the hardest.  Pretty sweet. (He shattered his leg in the first scrimmage of the year.  So sad.)  I didn't go to the game since Brian was feeling sick but some friends sent me this pictures.

Park, Kendyn and Harper

Throw back picture from September for Tanner.  I didn't take any of him this week, but I need to include his cute mug on this post.

Oh wait...I did take this one.  His eye got cut at b-ball practice.  I took a picture to send to Brian.  Tanner hasn't said a word about it.

The End.

 

Sunday Night

It was a good one.  I am sure they all are, but it was a good one for me.  A lot of the time I feel way to antsy to enjoy sitting on the couch for two hours and visiting.  Also, Sunday nights can be kind of loud, packed and crazy.  This one was not too crazy, and I really enjoyed hanging out with the fam the whole two hours.

Ella does love some Tanner time!  I think the side eye he is giving below was in regards to me taking a picture more than Ella giving him lots of attention.

The Birdies minus Braddock who is at Liahona Youth Conference this week along with Aub and La.

Snuggling with my boy.

Grandpa brought the ingredients to make the cutest little S'more pies.  We were fans.

Tanner sneaking snuggles with Christian.  (Can you tell by Tanner's upturned corner of his mouth that he was happy?  He was!)  

Ella and Char playing with Charity.  Jake D., her boyfriend, is an fun/easy addition to family gatherings. 

These two had been hanging out with the kiddos and playing out back...but I guess it was teen phone time.  I found Tan and Holden visiting with each other and on their phones when it was time to head home.  

Love our extended Vore family.