How's the World?

I've avoided posting a Covid update, because it's all just so exhausting. Covid fatigue, they call it. The struggle is real. We were all in lockdown back in the late spring, but then things started to open up again. More stores, restaurants, salons, gyms, etc. We even started going back to church every other week, with the congregation being split up alphabetically. I get it, the economy was tanking. We couldn't just stay in lock-down forever. But we worried that when things started to open again, people would jump back into normal routines, acting like Covid never existed, not wearing masks, or social distancing, or taking necessary precautions. But slowly you saw more places requiring masks - even Walmart and Target. And some people were taking it more serious. And numbers started to stabilize and even go down again at the end of July and into August. Then people started talking about what to do about schools. The President threatened to defund schools if they didn't open in the fall. So in August our school district decided to start up again. They offered an online option, and those attending in person were required to wear masks. Social distancing was attempted where possible. Our ward started meeting all together for 2 meetings each week. Singing with masks was allowed. But a lot of people started holding large events that became super spreaders, and their were mask protests, and parties, and numbers started going back up in October. Now they're going way up, making our previous spike look like nothing. Of course, now that doctors and hospitals have more experience treating this thing, we're seeing less deaths. Still, it's no laughing matter. As of today there have been over 12 million cases in the US and over 260,000 deaths. In Nebraska there have been 111,661 cases and 897 deaths. Thanksgiving break at school just got extended. Singing was stopped at church. Cora's singles ward stopped meeting in person. We've already had 3 kids that had to get tested, and we all had to miss work and school while we waited for the test results to come back. So far none of us have gotten it, but I know plenty of people who have. Marie and Antione and their kids got it, and so did Lorraine. Who knows how things will go this winter. Everything is uncertain once again. So we wait. and watch, and do our part to be responsible and make good choices.

Even though sometimes coronavirus seems all consuming, there are other issues that have gripped us this year. There has been so much unrest in this country. Racism reared it's ugly head in a way that awakened a lot of people, and sent others to bury their heads in the sand. One more thing to divide our country. I haven't posted anything specifically about this because 1) it was all too much, and 2) as a very privledged white person, I didn't feel like it was my place. I will say that I have spent a significant amount of time trying to educate myself, listening to other perspectives, talking with my family, and trying to focus on love. There is so much more work to be done. But I will leave this quote here. "Love is the very essence of the gospel and Jesus Christ is our exemplar." - President Monson

And finally, this is a presidential election year, and what an election it has been. Ugh, I don't even want to get into it. Again, one more thing that has divided our country further. Why does everything have to be politicized? But it is. Trump vs. Biden. Widespread voter fraud and the election was stolen vs. Democracy is in danger when a lame-duck president won't concede the election. No lockdowns because there are worse things than this virus like tanking the economy and masks don't help that much anyway and freedom of choice is everything vs. Wearing a mask isn't about me and we've got to get this virus under control before we can properly address the virus and let's do what it takes to keep more people from dying. Systemic racism is a myth and all lives matter and blue lives matter and rioters are criminals and communists that just want to get rid of all the police vs. There is a long history of racism in this country and that has never been fully addressed and has had long lasting and far reaching consequences for people and it's time we do something about it and sometimes police are part of that problem and let's address that too.

Where do we go from here? Yesterday our prophet talked about the healing power of gratitude. "Counting our blessings is far better than re-counting our problems." He asks, will it fix all these problems? No. But it does sooth our feelings, and provide a greater perspective. It's a good place to start. I'm grateful for my body, and health, and science. I'm grateful for love, and learning, and the ability to change. I'm grateful for freedom, and agency, and diversity. I'm grateful for a prophet, and the gospel, and for a loving Heavenly Father, and my Savior Jesus Christ. Yes, it's a good place to start.

Kind of an Adult

My man child turned 18 this year. Things were low key for his birthday like everybody else's this year, but we tried to get him a little treat every day of the week, and then went to Guaca Maya (one of our favorite Mexican restaurants here) for his birthday dinner. Actually, that was the first time we had eated out as a family together at a restaurant since February or March. Crazy. When I registered Joe, Cora, and myself to vote this year, I completely forgot that Joseph would also be elegible to vote too! I hurried and got him registered, and we all went and voted together a few days early. I don't think he was too excited about it though. Probably because his options weren't that great. Oh well, he did it.

Here are 18 things to know about Joseph right now. 1. Favorite food - pizza 2. Favorite color - blue 3. Favorite TV show - Avatar 4. Favorite movie - Fantastic Mr. Fox 5. Favorite band - U2 6. Favorite game - Wind Waker 7. Favorite school subject - Psychology 8. Least favorite food - Olives 9. Least favorite color - A gross yellow 10. Least favorite school subject - anything with Mrs. Locks 11. Where he wants to live - Utah maybe 12. Where he wants to vacation - Germany for Christmas 13. Favorite candy - Reese's PB cup 14. What he wants to be when he grows up - a game designer 15. Favorite book - Ender's Game 16. Something he wants to learn how to do - computer programming 17. Favorite holiday - Christmas 18. His favorite thing about himself - I'm able to learn fast Okay, I guess a few more things about Joseph won't hurt. He is currently working at Hyvee (a local grocery store). He will be graduating high school NEXT MONTH! To say that he can't wait is a gross understatement. He is very done with high school. Depending on how things are going with covid at the time, he still plans to walk with his class at the graduation ceremony in May. After the holidays he will be working more hours, and trying to do a class or 2 online from the community college. Next summer he's planning to either put in his papers for a mission, or go to Snow College for a year with Cora and then go on a mission. I have a hard time imagining him out on his own in the world, but he's definitely tall enough, hahaha ;)

Happy Birthday Joseph!

A Socially Distanced Halloween

I bought 2 bags of candy for Halloween this year. I used 1 bag at the ward trunk-or-treat, and after just a few trick-or-treaters at our house, I still had most of the other bag. Yes, our ward still did a trunk-or-treat, but it wasn't at the church this year. It was at a member's home/property. No potluck this year. No chili cookoff or pie contest. Just a bring your own food type picnic, and try not to sit too close to anyone else. It was fine. Everything is fine. All the kids care about anyway is the candy, right? Madelyn and Alex went with me, but guess what? I didn't take a picture of them. Alex was a "hot stuff" chili, and Madelyn was a unicorn. I was a....skeleton? I don't know. You decide. People had a hard time recognizing me.

Then on Halloween the older 2 kids had a party with a few friends. Joseph was a referee, and Cora was a skeleton (same costume I wore). They didn't know that their friends would come in costume (sexy lumberjack, casual Avenger, Trump, and the Phantom of the Opra), so their costumes were very last second. They had a good time though.

Alex decided to go trick-or-treating with a friend in the "rich" neiborhood, and he scored big time. The most candy any of my kids has ever gotten trick-or-treating, and he got at least 5 full-sized candy bars. We had candy for weeks.

150

The city we live in is celebrating it's 150th anniversary. Not a super great year to celebrate it. A lot of things they had planned were cancelled because of covid, of course. Covid is to blame for everything. But the city still managed to follow through with a few of their plans, which I thought were pretty cool. First of all, they put up a bunch of signs for a self-guided walking tour of the downtown area. Joe and I took advantage of the very nice weather we were having, and went and walked around. Walked, dragged, same difference. Joe loves me a lot, so he came ;) It's a cute little town, no doubt about it.

One thing I learned from the walking tour was that the large majority of immigrants to this county betwen 1820-1870 were from Germany. I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise to me, because I've seen the subtle influence of German half-timbered buildings here in some of the houses.

Also, our city is named Papillion (pronounced puh-pill-yun), which derives from papillon (pronounced pa-pee-yone), which is French for butterfly. Our city LOVES butterflies, and they are EVERYWHERE.

In that spirit, the city put together a project to have 33 butterfly benches commissioned by local businesses and such, all painted by local artists. Cora and one of her friends have gone out hunting for them all, but have only gotten around to 20-something. We have seen several ourselves around, and they are fun to see.

Reminds me of this picture we got with the 2 older kids when we visited Austin, TX a long, long time ago. Oh my cuteness!

Also to go with the butterfly theme, the city has done a few butterfly murals around town. Not sure how many of these they are planning, but so far I think there are 3.

Anyway, pretty sure my city likes butterflies more than your city. Happy Anniversary!

So Bad it's Good

We planned a little weekend getaway for Labor Day. We had been talking to Marie and Antione about maybe meeting them in Colorado at The Great Wolf Lodge there, but we ended up deciding to go to South Dakota because it would be cheaper. Come to find out, my Dad and Lynn had been thinking about a trip there, because it's one of the few states my Dad hasn't been to, and he wanted to tick it off his list. We told them they should come Labor Day weekend too, and meet us there. Then we figured we'd better not leave anyone out, so we asked Lorraine and Rebekah to come too. Somebody asked us if we were having a family reunion, and I guess we were. It was absolutely lovely to get into the mountains and a drier climate. So good for my soul. Heck, it was just good to get out and travel! It's been way too long. First we went to The Crazy Horse monument (first for the night show, and then to see the museum the next day). I visited in 1993, the summer I graduated high school. It didn't even have a face then. It still has a long way to go, but we loved seeing it, and the museum was great.

Then we visited Mount Rushmore. It's funny because I remember the viewing platform being so much further away than it actually is. Not much to do there other than look at the big heads (front and back), but we can say we've been there. 'Merica.

The highlight of our trip was The Badlands. Only our family went to that, because it was on our way home, and not something that everyone else had planned. I'm glad we didn't miss it, because it was stunning! I could seriously spend a week there - it would be so much fun to camp there. 10 out of 10. Would recommend. Full disclosure though, not everyone was interested, and some refused to get out of the car after the first stop, hahaha.

On our way home we also were going to stop at the famous Wal drug, but it was CRAZY busy, and pretty much nobody was wearing a mask, so we passed. Actually, all of South Dakota was pretty much like this - very few people wearing masks. Again, it made us a bit uncomfortable, and not surprisingly, their numbers started going up not long after this. Actually, when we were on the way to our hotel in South Dakota near Crazy Horse, our GPS was directing us through the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, but the whole reservation was on lockdown. Unless you lived there, you couldn't get in - no drive throughs - so we had to turn around and find a different way. Anyway, we also stopped to see the Corn Palace. Didn't go inside, but got some pictures. The crazy things we do as tourists!

FYI, South Dakota has the most sunflower fields I've ever seen. I didn't get any super great pictures, but it was cool to see.

Oh, and we TOTALLY lucked out on good weather while we were there, which was perfect. The day we left it was getting a bit too cold, and by the next day they had a couple of inches of snow. But mostly I was lucky because I got to spend time with the people I love.