It's been almost 18 months exactly since the coronavirus shut down the USA. I wanted to record a few of my thoughts and feelings while they are somewhat fresh. I am going to put this on my memories on my Family Search page to share with my posterity.
Where was I when I realized the pandemic was really going to affect us: Brian, Tanner and I spent spring break up in Utah with Brinley and our Gwilliam family. For a couple of weeks we heard about this outbreak of sickness around the world. We heard about many cruise ship passengers getting sick. We spent a fun week in Utah hanging out with Brinley and some of our Gwilliam family members. We were traveling home on March 12, 2020. We left Provo, Utah at 5:00 am, and about 4:45 pm we were in Albequeque, NM. That is when Brinley texted to say classes were cancelled at BYU for the week and all classes would move online.
WHAT?
When we received Brinley's text, the seriousness of the new illness hit much closer to home. I realized this illness was going to affect us.
We had been on the road for 12 hours and had another 6 to go. And we had just left our daughter a few states away. We had to decide what to do. Do we turn around and go back to Utah to pick her up? Do wait it out? Do we fly her home?
We decided to head to Odessa and to see how things panned out. We came home and holed up in our house. We listened to a lot of news. Grocery stores were being wiped bare with everyone stocking up. It was terrible not having all of our kiddos under one roof. However, less than 48 hours later (March 14, 2020), Parker and Aubrey were home from their spring break trips with friends, and we had Brinley travel home from BYU with a friend from the ward.
The world, our world, was put on pause. Everything shut down. The streets were silent. Only a few "essential workers" went to work. (...doctors, nurses, grocery store employees) Brian actually had just started a new job wit TruGreen fertilizing lawns. Because his work was outdoors and there was no interaction with coworkers, he was able to go. That was a blessing for our family. We didn't visit friends or family. Church was cancelled. School was cancelled. Everyone stayed home in order not to catch or spread this contagious, deadly disease. It was eerie.
Blessings from Covid-19: These have varied over the past 18 months. Most of the things I mention will be from the first nine months because the past nine we have been living much more normally.
-We've had much more time as a family. We've played board games (spoons, Monopoly, presidents, Yahtzee), gone on walks, played basketball (Poison!) etc. We also saw many other families outside doing similar things. Even 6 months into the pandemic, when we weren't on full lock down, our schedules were much less full, and it allowed for lots more family time.
-We ate dinner as a family every night. My kids would say this was my dream come true, and I did love it. Brinley also felt like she solidified her cooking skills. She had often helped with meals growing up, but she had time to make meals from start to finish on her own.
-We had home church, and it was a huge blessing. We were authorized to have the sacrament in our home. We met over Zoom with Gram and Grandpa Vore, Christie Applegate and various other families. (We didn't do the sacrament ordinance over Zoom, just the talks, songs and prayers.) As things opened a little, we had Gram and Grandpa and others in our home for church. It was a blessing to have Parker and Tanner bless and pass the sacrament each week. Aubrey chose and led the music. We rotated giving talks. It was a blessing to have our children have many opportunities to prepare and give talks monthly.
-Home MTC was a blessing. Brinley received her mission call two days before our world shut down due to the coronavirus. Luckily she was still able to go to the Boise, Idaho mission at her assigned time. Those called to foreign missions were reassigned. She was not able to go to the Mission Training Center (MTC) in Provo, however. They began a home MTC program. She was initially disappointed she would miss out on the live MTC training, but the home MTC was a wonderful experience for her and for us. She would come out of her room glowing. She was able to share many inspirational stories and what she was learning with us in little spurts throughout each day. Her schedule was packed, and she was in heaven!
-Another blessing we had during the pandemic was Zoom meetings with our extended Gwilliam family who we don't get to see as often. We had a few times were we all gathered over Zoom and caught up with each other. The kids were able to see and hear from all of their cousins, aunts, uncles and Grandma and Grandpa Gwilliam. It was fun to have everyone available to join in on the calls because nothing was scheduled in all of our lives for many months.
-We saw the blessings of following our latter day prophets and being prepared. We had 72 hour kits and food storage in place. When we began hearing more about the virus in February, I stocked up on a few more items because I have been taught to be prepared my whole life. We saw people frantically making grocery store runs and feeling very anxious. For weeks, aisles in the grocery store were bare. That was weird. However, we felt pretty calm because we were more prepared. (However, we will be adding masks to our supplies now!)
How it affected our everyday life: The first few months we were very shut down. Our school district finished up the year with virtual learning. Seminary went online as well. We were authorized to have church at home. Brian went to work everyday because he was outside fertilizing lawns for TruGreen. We didn't hang out with extended family or friends for a few months. We visited Gram and Grandpa Vore through their windows. We were especially concerned about them due to their age. We would walk to their house and then call them on the phone. We have many pictures of us chatting it up, face to face, on the phone through their living room glass.
For a little while, Texas put a "no more than 10 people" rule for gatherings. In public buildings, we were required to wear masks. We used a lot of hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes. There was a shortage of masks, wipes, sanitizer, milk and many food items. Also, for many months, toilet paper was in short supply. Very random! Not only was the demand high for these products, the supply chain was backed up due to lack of workers, shortage of drivers etc.
Eventually, most of our family in Odessa decided it was okay to hang out again. We loosened up allowing friends over or letting our kids go places. When we gathered in larger family groups for Thanksgiving and Christmas, we wore masks.
Brian got Covid in October of 2020, and I did in November. I am not going to lie; it was rough! We were sick a full 10 days and it took a full month before we were feeling back to normal. None of our extended Vore family has had Covid but a few of our Gwilliam family members have.
Now, 18 months into this crazy pandemic, we pretty much just live our lives. (In many parts of the country, especially in democratic states, they still have many restrictions and laws.) The kids aren't required to wear masks to school anymore but the teachers are required to wear masks. Once Texas lifted the mandate requiring masks indoors, I stopped wearing one. Everyone has been vaccinated in our family except for Tanner. He doesn't want to be, and since he is 17, we are letting him choose. He does have to wear a mask at church still because he isn't vaccinated.
Ways we served/were served: When Brian and I were sick with Covid, many people reached out. Our family brought dinners, Gatorade, popsicles and checked up on us through phone calls and texts. One cute thing I loved that our friends David and Emily Martin did was bring by a fun Covid survival kit. It had pumpkins to carve, two comic type books, nail polish, brownies, and gift cards to Dominos pizza. It was so thoughtful and helpful because we all had to quarantine for 10 days!
Brian had his regular work routine to fill his days but the rest of us needed more to do. I printed colorful hearts with my vinyl machine, and we (mostly me an the girls) “heart attacked” family and ward members front doors. It was tricky not to get caught because so many people have doorbells with cameras and everyone was home all day! I think it brought a lot of joy and 1.5 years later many friends still have their "heart attacks" up on their windows.
One day we woke up to a small, beautifully painted rock on our front porch. It had flowers and said "hope." It made me so happy. We have it on our windowsill in the laundry room. About 6 months later, I finally found out who left it, but I was sworn to secrecy.
Once it was socially acceptable to interact, we had a neighbor bring us stew and cornbread, and we baked bread and treats for friends.
We "chalked" our Vore and Bird cousins' sidewalks with encouraging messages and obstacle courses.
We had many missionaries, investigators and members in our home joining us for home church.
I'm serving as Relief Society president and a family from the Philippines got stuck in the US for six months due to flying restrictions due to Covid. We tried to help Edith and Aldrich (13) Borja feel a little more comfortable. I would take them to the grocery store. We purchased games, puzzles and a basketball so they would have more to do. We had them over to our house to visit or for dinner. When church opened, we would bring them to church each week. I also helped Aldrich learn how participate in online seminary and get enrolled in school.
Also, in my calling as Relief Society president, we had to find more creative ways to stay connected with our sisters. We had online Zoom RS meetings and mid-week activities. We had a drive through RS/Primary ice cream social were most of the families stayed in their cars, and we brought packaged ice cream and a small gift to them. We hand delivered Christmas gifts (2020). We were planning on dropping them off at each door, but my counselors and I were invited inside over and over. Everyone was so grateful to have face to face contact. We also held, over Zoom, several weeks of Come Follow Me scripture study which was uplifting.
In February 2021, Texas was hit with a terrible week long ice storm. It caused a power crisis which led to rolling blackouts, no electricity, and frozen pipes. Our church building flooded due to frozen pipes. It has been closed and/or under repair for the past 9 months. In the midst of the ice storm, on top of the pandemic, it was awesome to see the ward and community pull together to help one another. Blankets, food, generators, water, and rides were shared. With my calling, I made many welfare phone calls. Brian and I braved the icy roads and made several deliveries of needed supplies. An older sister in our ward, whom I had only met once before, was on oxygen and needed electricity for her tank. We picked her up from the hospital, and Sister Donna Wood moved in with us for the week. Our kids helped her around the house and helped make her food. We joined her for some of her television shows and she joined us for scriptures and prayer. When the electricity was stable and it was safe for her to go home, Parker and Tanner helped her in and out of the van and safely up her icy walkway.
In looking back on our Covid months, we actually opened our home to many more people outside our usual friend/family circle than we have in the past. Our schedules where more open, and our lives were blessed with those interactions.
Hardest part: I think one of the hardest things for us initially was the unknown. It was scary because we didn't know much about the virus. We heard it was very contagious, many were being hospitalized and some were dying. The other hard thing for us, as our life were shut down, it was boring. It took a bit of adjustment and creativity to figure out our new normal. As a mom, it was hard to try to keep moral up in a home full of teenagers. They were bored, lonely, concerned, and frustrated.
Brinley was especially sad. She was upset her first year of college ended so abruptly. She missed her friends and roommates and her amazing life she had at BYU. She received her mission call two days before the U.S. unexpectedly shut down. We talked a lot as she worried about her mission, her future, how long this would last etc.... The uncertainty for her was rough. I think being a missionary has helped her be less concerned about Covid 19 because she is focused on the work. She has learned to be creative in serving and reaching out to others during these crazy times.
Parker has always needed to be busy. Lock down was not his happy place. He ordered a unicycle and learned to ride it. He and I went on many late night walks and bike rides. We also played Yahtzee everyday and kept a running tally. He was much happier once he was able to hang with friends again. When Brian had Covid and we were quarantined, Park and I would go on long late night car rides. We would roll down the windows and just drive randomly around Odessa. I can breathe deeply just remembering those rides. We both needed to get out of the house and feel the wind blowing through our hair.
Tanner and Aubrey have been fine overall. Tanner loved having the option during the 2020-21 school year to do classes virtually. He had his spot on the living room couch were he would join his classes online. He would go in for basketball and occasionally attend a class in person. However, he enjoyed lounging on the couch, eating snacks and joining class virtually each day.
Aubrey decided to try Liahona Preparatory Academy (fall 2020) which was an online home school program. After one semester she was DONE and ready to be with people again, so she went back to public school. She handled being home month after month really well, but she was so much happier once she went back to public school. She loved being able to interact with friends again, and she was happy to be playing sports again.
I am really grateful we live in Texas. As a Republican state, we believe in more individual freedom and less government control. Some parts of the country have had laws were you couldn't leave your home for months at a time. In California, where our Gwilliam grandparents live, they are all out crazy! For over a year they couldn't even be outdoors without a mask on....craziness.
Have we known anyone who was especially affected due to Covid?
Overall we have been very blessed. Very few of our family members have had Covid-19. We have had several friends who have gotten it but have fully recovered within 2-4 weeks. We do have two family friends, about my age (late 40s), who have lost their fathers, who were in their late 60s. We were sad for them.
How is our family currently affected 18 months into this pandemic? (It's October 3, 2021.)
Brinley is probably the one most affected. As a missionary in Boise, Idaho, she has to mask up in members homes and at church and missionary activities. They are spiking right now in Idaho. (Sept/Oct 2021) Recently she had to quarantine for about a week due to illness. She was tested though, and she was negative.
Parker is just living his best missionary in Ghana. They don't have any requirements or restrictions in his area out in the bush. He might have more once he is transferred to the city.
As for the four of us at home, we are pretty much just living our lives normally. I go shopping. I go to the gym. Brian goes to work. (He started a new job Feb 2021as a safety coordinator at an oilfield company:3N). Tanner and Aubrey go to school, participate in sports and don't have to wear masks at either anymore. We went on multiple family vacations this summer. The Lubbock temple opened back up in July, so we have been able to go a few times. (Yea!!!) If one of us is not feeling well, we are a little more careful, especially around Gram and Grandpa.
Hopefully with more people choosing to be vaccinated and with what scientists are learning about this disease, Covid 19 will soon be a concern of the past. Hopefully.
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