Easter and Covid 19 update

We have trucked along and made it to April 20th, and what a crazy, wild ride it has been. So, Covid-19 is still causing problems all over the world. Here is the US, most of the states are on lockdown, so many people have been laid off of work, and the economy is in really tough shape. Basically just essential workers are allowed to go to work, we can't gather in groups of more than 10, and basically all forms of entertainment are cancelled or postponed. We can't even visit extended family at this time. Time are just really strange.

John started his 6th week of working from home this week. For 6 weeks our world has been turned upside down, and there is really no sign of it going back to normal any time soon. Most people agree that in order for us all to go back to a normal life, we basically have to wait for a vaccine to be available, which hopefully will be in 18-24 months. So, that's wildly depressing. Most doctors agree that we should be able to go back to some sense of normal once the surge is over, with some social distancing and guidelines still in place.

I still miss normal so badly. I am on week 5 of working odd jobs to get my hours. I have mostly been at the call center, but I also fill in some hours with E Senior care. I have also been working all hours of the day, which is definitely not something I am used to. I miss my normal job immensely.

Right now things are especially crazy because one of the daycare teachers at Elliott's daycare tested positive for Covid-19, which means they had to shut the entire daycare down for 2 weeks. So, that totally throws a wrench into our normal plans. And right now Barb is really busy with the greenhouse, so that's not really an option for us. So, I am trying to work mostly Saturdays and Sundays, and then 3pm-midnight shifts during the week so that John and I can tag team Elliott. It's wild and crazy, but it's working for now. Did I mention that I can't wait for normal life again?!

We started Emma at summer care last Monday, and she is really enjoying it. She was starting to feel really isolated and lonely out at Grandma's house all the time. So we bit the bullet, and started summer care early. I'm really glad we did, they even help Emma with her homework during the day, which is amazing. That's less crying and fighting about homework in the evenings for us.

Overall the kids are handling things well. They don't really seem to mind all the time we are spending at home. Once in a while they suggest going somewhere and we have to remind them about the virus and how we can't go to most places. They can't even go to the grocery stores anymore, so they basically go to daycare and home, and that is literally it. Luckily we do have Jim and Barb's house that we still escape to sometimes.

We celebrated Easter a week and a half ago, and it was one of the weirdest Easters ever. The day before Easter was gorgeous outside. It was sunny and warm and just plain lovely. So, we set up an Easter egg hunt for the kids with eggs and candy, and a couple bigger gifts and the kids loved it. It was something out of our usual routine, so they really enjoyed it.

Then Easter came, and we got a snowstorm with 6 inches of snow. It was so bad out we couldn't even make it out to Jim and Barb's house, which was the plan. So, we just spent Easter at home by ourselves playing with the kids and watching the snowstorm. Emma and I made a fruit pizza and chex mix, and we made the best of it. I also worked on Easter, which was some nice time and a half, and frankly there wasn't anything else to do.

We were supposed to go to Rachel's house the weekend after Easter which fell on Elena's birthday as well. But of course, we had to cancel. So, we haven't seen anyone on my side of the family for a little over a month, and probably won't for quite a while. Thank goodness for Facetime and texting.

On our days off, we stay busy going out to work in the greenhouse. Barb has been really busy with online orders and customers already, so we try to help her out when we can. So, somehow we are really busy during this time when we are not allowed to do anything. Between the odd working hours, the homework, entertaining Elliott, working in the greenhouse and keeping our house running, and the stress of the pandemic, I am wiped. I am like always tired. We are trying to make the best of things, but we are all feeling the stress and loneliness of being stuck at home most of the time.

Avera recently had to deploy employees to whatever area they felt they needed the help. So, some employees were requested to report to the ICU, and they have to, or else they basically get fired. So, that was super stressful. Luckily, I got deployed to the call center, which was a huge relief. I imagine that could still change if we got a huge surge of patients, but for now I will just enjoy my assignment and go from there.

Sorry for the wordy post, there is a lot going on right now. I really hope that in another month we are at least a tiny bit closer to normal. I know that God is in control, and will guide us through this time. But, it's hard. And I am really looking forward to being able to go out again, or watch a sporting event again.

Easter Egg hunt 

Emma took some sunset photos 

Planting Raspberry Bushes 

Lego Tower 

Working at the greenhouse 

Just another day at work. 

More day before Easter photos 

Walking down Marion Rd before the started construction (they had the road closed)

Covid-19 Pandemic Update

These last few weeks have been crazy. We are on week 3 of pretty strict social isolation guidelines. We basically only leave the house to go to work, bring Emma out to Jim and Barb's house, or go grocery shopping. It is definitely a weird, scary time right now. I miss sports, and going out with friends, and my normal job. I also miss church, it's just not the same online.

These last 2 weeks, I have just been picking up hours wherever I can find them. I have been working the Covid-19 call line where we screen people and then we decide whether they need to get tested or not based on their symptoms and their history. I also have been picking up some hours at E senior care, which is a part of Avera E-care. They basically get phone calls from nursing homes, assisted living, home hospice. and home health. They actually cover up to 11 states. So, they stay pretty busy. We get calls about resident falls, medications, and if the residents aren't doing very well. There is a nurse practitioner always with us, so we bring our questions and concerns to her. Everyone in the department is really nice, and I have enjoyed working with them. I have to be really careful with the out of state calls since I only have a nursing license in South Dakota. It's been a pretty fun experience. However, I have been working the 4pm-12am shift, and I still miss the ASC. But, at least I have been getting my full hours in.

That brings me to what is going on now at the ASC. My stress level kinda skyrocketed this week when they told us they are converting the ASC into 25 ICU beds, and 26 Medical Surgical beds. What!?! I'm not super stoked to take care of ICU patients. I understand the need. We are in the middle of a Pandemic right now, and we are going to need a place to put all these patients. Things are not great right now. The virus is spreading like crazy across America right now. New York is the hardest hit. They have had hundreds of people dying every single day for the last week. It's pretty grim out there. Right now, we have 200 cases of Covid, 3 people have died, and 17 people have needed hospitalization. We expect those numbers to dramatically increase in the next couple of weeks. They are predicting that at least 200,000 Americans will die from this. It's scary. There is also a shortage of PPE, so the healthcare workers are supposed to take care of these patients, without the proper protection. So, many healthcare workers are also getting sick, which is contributing to the problems.

I am not excited to take care of positive Covid-19 patients. I am scared of brining the virus home with me and getting John or the kids sick. I'm scared of getting sick myself. Mostly, older patients with underlying health conditions are most adversely affected. However, some young, health people have also died from Covid-19. So, it's just really important to be smart and safe. We are wiping high touch surfaces, washing hands, avoiding public places, and getting plenty of rest. I also plan to be really careful at work, and basically leave it in God's hands. I mean, what else can you do?

Life at home is definitely different. The kids are holding up pretty well. They get on each other's nerves quite often, but I guess that is normal since we are home, together. All the time. We have been trying to keep busy and do some fun things at home. We decorated eggs last week which the kids really enjoyed. We also have been getting outside and enjoying some warmer weather.

Last weekend we went on a bear hunt in our neighborhood. Since everyone is stuck at home, someone had a good idea to have people put Teddy Bears in their windows, and then kids can walk around the neighborhoods "hunting" for teddy bears. We found 13 bears on our walk. It was pretty fun. We have also been riding bike, playing softball, swinging, and doing whatever we can to burn off energy outside. We also have had some movie nights, crafting projects, and games. And of course, we have spent many hours working with Emma on her school work. It's going ok. Emma does not enjoy doing school work at home, so it's like pulling teeth to get her to sit down and focus, but we are getting through it.

Emma has also been spending a lot of time at Jim and Barb's house. John and I are both still working full time, so there are many days where we need somewhere to put Emma. Elliott is going to daycare, which he loves and needs right now. So, Emma goes to the farm for parts of the week. She really enjoys it out there, and Barb says she is a big help at the greenhouse. We just miss her like crazy on the days when she is gone.

We continue to pray that a treatment or cure will be found, so that we can go back to our normal lives sooner rather than later. But, it sounds like the kids won't be going back to school this year, and that the virus won't peak until May or possibly June. So, it seems like we are in this for the long haul. We are also praying that we all stay healthy, and that we can try to enjoy this time together and decrease our stress levels. We will get through this.

So, that's how our lives are right now. They are isolating and even depressing at times. All we see in the news is how many people have died and how long we will have to keep social distancing. I miss extended family and friends. Weddings, shows, sports, and any public activity has been cancelled. Many stores are closed. Many, many people have lost their jobs and are filing for unemployment. The economy is tanking. These are really terrifying times. We are really looking forward to some positive news around here.

Trying on his ring-bearer outfit. So handsome. 

Their snowman :)

Working in the greenhouse 

Homework time 

More homework 

Happy Birthday Daddy 

Uno Attack 

Emma says "The best days end in dirty clothes"

Banana Bread 

St. Patrick's Day cake 

Dyeing Eater Eggs 

Easter surprise from Grandma Patty and Grandpa Jack 

Camping in the truck bed 

Back to Spring Break 2020-Great Wolf and MOA

I'm going to travel back in time. Back to a simpler time, when we could leave the house and go wherever we wanted. Back when we could visit people and be in a room filled with other people.

Back on Wednesday, March 11th, we packed up and headed out to the Twin Cities. The kids were super excited for our trip, and everyone handled the drive really well. We drove through Mankato because we had some things to drop off for Elena at Rachel's house. So, we ate a quick lunch at Culver's in Mankato, and then kept going on our way.

We got to the Great Wolf Lodge at around 2:00pm. There were a fair amount of people in line, so the kids and I had fun exploring the lobby and getting some wolf ears while John checked in. Our room was actually ready to go once we checked in, so we went back to the car to drag all our belongings into our room. The room was pretty cool. John and I had a queen bed to share, and the kids had bunk beds to sleep in. They thought the bunk beds were amazing, and they immediately made plans that one of them got the top bunk the first night, and the other one got it the second night.

We chilled in the room for a little bit, and then we got changed and headed to the waterpark. Great Wolf Lodge is known for their huge waterpark, and it did not disappoint. It was huge!! We had so much fun in the waterpark. Emma loved all the waterslides, especially the really big, giant waterslide that we must have went down at least 10 times. She also enjoyed the wave pool, and she got to attempt some surfing. That didn't go very well, but I was really proud of her for trying. Elliott really enjoyed the smaller kid jungle gym area with slides, water sprayers, and of course the bucket that dumps water on everyone. He was brave enough to go down a couple of the slides, but he wasn't super fond of them. He did love going around and around the lazy river, but usually without a tube was his favorite. He also really enjoyed the wave pool, but I had to really keep an eye on him in there, those waves really pushed him around.

The kids also talked us into getting them a Pup Pack while we were there. That was basically a pack that grouped a bunch of the hotel activities together for one price, which saved money overall. They eat got a scoop of ice cream at Ben and Jerry's, a cup of candy they could pick out from the bulk candy store, the Magi wand and quest, and so many points at the arcade.

Both kids really enjoyed the Magi Quest game. With the Magi Quest, they had magic wands that they used to collect certain items, defeat creatures, and complete all the tasks in the correct order. They both got pretty good at that game, and we put on a lot of miles walking around that hotel. They both ate it up, and they both completed the entire mission (which takes a solid 4 hours total) so they became Magi Masters complete with a little ceremony and pin. They were tickled to death.

Every evening at 8:00pm they offered story time in the lobby. The kids really enjoyed that, and we participated in that both evenings. After story time, they would show a little movie and then one of their characters would be available for pictures. I can't even describe how much fun we all had at the hotel. They were really good at keeping us entertained. They also offered craft time, and they even had a dance party one evening.

We spent most of our time in the waterpark or doing the Magi Quest. The food was pretty expensive in the hotel. We ate pizza one evening there, but otherwise John would just run out and get us supper and bring it back to the hotel. It was way cheaper to do that.

On Friday, we checked out of the hotel and headed to Mall of America. At this time, people were starting to become more aware of Covid-19, and we questioned whether we should go to the mall or not. However, we had already bought our tickets ahead of time, and we decided to just go for it.

We got to the mall right at 10:00 am, when everything opened. So, we headed straight for Nickelodeon Universe and got our wristbands. Emma went straight for the roller coaster, which she is now big enough to ride by herself! Elliott was a little hesitant about rides this time, he just wanted to go to Lego Land. But, with a little coaxing he went on some rides, and then I couldn't get him to stop. The mall was absolutely dead because of the threat of the virus, so we really enjoyed ourselves. Elliott went on a couple rides like 7 times in a row. There were really no lines for anything, and everyone had a really good time.

We took at break at lunchtime and ate at the food court. After that we went to Crayola Universe. That place is really fun, and there is so much to do there! We could have spent the whole day there. We did spend a solid 2 hours there. Both kids really enjoyed the experience.

We went back to the rides for a while, and then around 5pm we were all ready to go. We headed to Mom and Dad's house for supper, and then put 2 very tired kids to bed. We enjoyed a nice quiet evening of visiting, and then we all enjoyed sleeping in our own rooms after 2 nights together.

On Saturday, we just bummed at mom and dad's for a while. I went to Grandma and Grandpa's house for one last time. I found a few more treasures to take back with me. I also stopped at the Dollar General for some toilet paper since everyone has bought out all the toilet paper in Sioux Falls, thanks to the corona virus. Rachel and Elena came out to visit for a while in the afternoon, and then they headed home while the rest of us went to Sleepy Eye to check out the new brewery there. It was a really fun visit. The kids kept busy with a jenga game and the rest of us enjoyed some beer and socializing. By the time we were ready to leave for home, some other friends of mom and dad's showed up, so it was perfect timing. It was a good ending to a really fun week.

We got home around 9:00pm, and we were very happy to crawl into our own bed. The kids were already asking when we could go back to Great Wolf Lodge. :)

Here are MANY pictures from our week!

Checking into Great Wolf 

The Magic Magi Quest 

Evening story time 

Crafts 

Howling like wolves 

They completed the Magi Quest 

Meeting Violet 

MOA!!

Lunch break 

We came, we saw, we conquered