New Braunfels Vacation 6/28 - 7/4/2020

Sunday June 28
We were going to go to church today, but there had been a spike in the confirmed cases of Corona Virus and so to be safe church was canceled.  We finished packing to get ready for our trip the next day.

Monday June 29
I went for a run in the morning, it was so hot and muggy!  Showered quick and helped the kids with breakfast. It's nice that they can find their own food for the most part now.  The girls still ask for some help, but the boys are pretty good to help them if I'm not around.

We left around 9:15 and headed toward Brenham.  We took a few stops along the way to break up the trip.  The first stop was the Blue Bell ice cream factory.  Of course the observation deck was closed (agh, I am getting so tired of everything being closed due to the virus, it really is getting annoying).  But we looked around the gift shop and each had a $1 scoop of ice cream.  I had peachy peach and the kids picked their normal favorites: cookies 'n cream, mint chocolate chip, and rainbow sherbet.  I thought it was funny that they didn't want to try anything new.  I guess they wanted the safe sure bet that it would be something they liked.

After our ice cream we weren't quite ready for lunch, so we drove for about 40 more minutes and ordered Subway online and picked it up at that next town.  We still had to wait in line to get Damon's sandwich, but it was all good.  We drove to a nearby park and ate it there.  It was pretty windy which made eating outside a bit challenging.  The playground was roped off, so we didn't stay long.  Back on the road toward Austin.

We stopped at the State Capitol first.  I knew it was closed, but I had been hoping to walk around the grounds- nope.  They had guards at all of the entrances.  We walked along the fence for a ways and tried to take the best pictures we could.  So frustrating!

A police officer at the Capitol told us a place to check out, a botanical garden place.  We drove to it, but didn't think the entrance fee was worth walking around in a garden, so we drove to a walking trail by the river/lake in down town Austin.  I had looked up this place and though it would be cool to see.  It was a nice traill, and it would be great to exercise on.  We were all get hot and tired by this point, so the kids were a bit whiny as we walked for a few blocks.  I wanted to get to the boardwalk section to be over the river.  We stopped at a public restroom before getting back in the van and were surprised to see a lady in the bathroom doing her laundry.  It made me grateful for what we have and take for granted most days.

We picked up Panda Express on our way to the World Mark.  The kids love Panda Express.  The set up for this place was a town home style with two bedrooms and a bathroom up stairs.  The main room had vaulted ceilings so it made it seem so big and nice.  We had a dinner and then had a quick swim in the pool.  You had to make reservations to swim and the hours were shortened, but we still had a fun time.  There were a few boys there that were acting a little crazy, but what do you do?

Tuesday June 30th 

We drove up to Canyon Lake in the morning.  We rented 2 kayaks and spent two hours paddling around boat ramp 5.  I had wondered if we could paddle around to a nearby park, but had learned that it takes about 1 1/2 to paddle over there.  So we just stayed nearby and took turns with the kids.  Damon and Tyler got some blisters and most had sore shoulders later on, but everyone had a good time.  Chris especially liked being on the water.  He had really enjoyed canoeing on a field trip so I wanted to let him have another chance to paddle around. We were all grateful for the clouds, but it was a bit windy so that made the paddling hard at times, but it wasn't too bad. 

After kayaking we drove around to the little park and had lunch.  There were a ton of flies while we were eating so we tried to hurry and get down to the water.  There was a fun little island, connected by a narrow walkway that we wanted to explore.  The water was great but the shore was pretty rocky.   Not all of the kids had good water sandals, but we made do the best we could.  The beach there was almost like a shelf in one area, with a drop off into a pretty deep blue/green colored water.  Tyler and the girls and I had fun 'jumping' off of the ledge into the deeper water.  

We stayed until the late afternoon and then Doug grilled steaks for dinner and I ran back to the store for a few things I had forgotten while the baked potatoes cooked.  We had brownies and ice cream for dessert. 

Screen time and games were a theme throughout out stay in the condo.  We bought a new game called Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza.  It is a slapping game that is just silly and fun.  The kids enjoyed it.  Before out trip Tyler had finished reading the last book of Harry Potter, so we started watching the movie after the younger ones when to bed.  

Wednesday July 1st

Doug and I went for a walk in the morning. 

All of New Braunfels was mostly closed due to COVID-19.  The tube rental places and even the public parks that had river access were closed and had orange netting blocking them completely. 

 Doug and I drove around trying to figure out what we were going to do.  We went to the main city park (Landa) and talked to so some elderly men and they gave us some suggestions.  We ended up going to L&L campground that was about 30 minutes away.  We paid for a day use pass and were able to get in the river.  We brought our pool float toys from home.  They weren't as nice as the big river tubes that the rentals would have had, but they worked for our purposes.  We got a hole in one, but we managed to keep it afloat for most of the time.  

At the campground there was a section of river that you could float, then exit, then walk back up and float again.  The kids took turns and had a blast going over the small rapids, more like waves.  The water was pretty low so the main concern was rubbing and bumping on the rocks.  We also skipped rocks and read with our feet in the water.  It was truly lovely in the shade.  A perfect afternoon on the rive. 

I made spaghetti for dinner and we had root-beer floats for dessert.   

Doug and the girls and I went swimming in the evening.  The pool was mostly empty and it was fun to spend some time with just Jenna and Kaylee. 

Thursday July 2

We took it easy in the morning.  I made cinnamon roll pancakes and the kids helped pack up and played some video games.  The pool didn't open until 11 and we had hoped to swim again before we left.  We asked if we could check out at 1:00 so we could have time to swim and have lunch before we left.  They said yes, so we had a quick swim and ate lunch then headed out at 1:00.  We just drove straight home.  The girls and Chris took a quick nap and then they watched Aladdin.  

It was a great little getaway and I liked the location.  I can see us going back in the off season as a quick little trip.  Because we booked only 5 days in advance and because it was in the middle of the week it was a good price for us.  ~$400 for the three nights.

After getting things settled at home we ordered pizza and then I helped the girls with a Primary Activity on Zoom.  We made mug cakes - that you microwave.  They had a fun time with that.

Friday July 3

Normal life again - laundry from the trip and the kids did their normal things.  I made a big trip to Walmart in the hopes of not having to go back as often.  

The fun thing for me was Hamilton was released on Disney +.  I watched the first half.  It was great.  I had been listening to the music a lot for the past 2-3 weeks so that I could follow along better.  The staging and performances were so fun to watch. 

Saturday July 4

Since we were gone most of the week we had the kids do some condensed chores.  I ran some errands to the music store and Children's Place.  This was the first time I had been back to the mall.  Everyone is required to wear a mask and the place felt pretty empty.  Lots of things were on sale.  It almost made me want to shop more.  

We had fun lighting fireworks in the evening.  Our neighbors and surrounding neighbors buy lots of fireworks so we had plenty to watch.  I'm grateful for our country.  I've been listening to a biography on Alexander Hamilton and it's been interesting to learn about all that went into making our nation get started.  There were lots of hard working men that put their lives into the foundation of our country and I am grateful for their hard work and sacrifice.  

Father's Day June 21 - 27, 2020

Sunday -
Doug actually went to church on Father's Day.  It was the first time that our ward met in the Chapel since mid March.  Only about 40 people were in attendance.  Doug went early and cleaned and sanitized and then he stayed after and cleaned again.  Most wore masks and there was no singing.  They speaker didn't have to wear a mask, but they wiped the podium down in between speakers.

We had our own sacrament when Doug came home.  I gave a lesson on baptism.  We really making plans now for the girls baptisms.  We had been waiting on my mom's plans, but we learned that her cruise was canceled - so now she is coming up with a new plan and we will figure out a date for the girls.

I made oatmeal for Doug in the morning, none of the kids were up in time to wish him a happy father's day before he left for church - they are getting good at sleeping in on Sundays.  But we all celebrated when he came home.  After lunch he opened his presents.  I gave him some work-out stuff: tank top, water botter, sweat towels, also some bike things: a light and odometer.  I also gave him some protein bars, Dr. Pepper 10, and jerky.

For dinner we had grilled chicken, roasted potatoes, corn on the cob, fruit salad, rolls, and molasses sugar cookies.  It was super yummy and I am always grateful to Doug for grilling.  Doug played Kind of Tokyo with the kids while I did the dishes - there were a lot of them.

The girls bought Ukuleles a few days ago and they already have figured out how to play a few songs.  Kaylee played We Thank Thee Oh God For a Prophet for our church meeting.

Monday -
Chris woke up in the night saying that he couldn't sleep, it was 2:30 am.  I helped him the best I could and put him back to bed.  He said he didn't feel well and his temperature was low, 96 degrees.  His temperature was normal in the morning, so I don't know why it was so low.  I had a hard time going back to sleep, my anxiety kicked in.  I really didn't want to wake up at 6:00 to go running.  I managed to get up at 6:25 and was out the door by 6:45.  It was so hot and humid outside, it almost felt like I was running in a sauna.

After getting the laundry going I started working on some photo book for the girls.  Even though our picture taking outing didn't turn out like we planned there were still quite a few cute ones and so instead of getting prints of a bunch I decided to make some small books for the girls.  The 5x7 ones at Walmart are only $10.  It took me a while to get them all organized and looking good, but I was so grateful that I could copy the book and then just switch out a few pictures to make the second one for Kaylee.  That saved me a lot of time!

Then I started working on their baptism announcement - that was pretty easy and then I ordered a few prints to put in the their binder and display at their baptism.  We are going to have it at a neighbors pool, so it will be a bit different than the norm, but more special maybe.

Damon started working on the girls video slide show.  He wanted to do it in his Premiere program he used at school, but after about an hour of messing with it, it became apparent that I should just use my regular program.

The kids played really well today while I spent so much time on the computer working on photo books, videos, and picture prints.  Doug and I went for a walk in the evening.  It had rained and stormed earlier so it was cooler and felt nice.

Tuesday -
I did a harder workout this morning.  It can be depressing since I think I'm in pretty good shape but then I do this work out and I feel like a weakling.

We went swimming with the Shurtliff's at 10:00.  We have to sign up to swim now at our community pool because of all of the regulations due to Covid-19.  It was a little bit cold at the pool because of the rain the day before and it was cloudy.  But the kids had a great time playing with friends.

Damon made banana bread after lunch, it's fun to see him baking.

Wednesday-
It rained during the night and was still raining in the morning.  I hadn't slept well but I felt like I could go running - easier sometimes to just move your feet than do a workout.  So I went out in the rain.  It didn't bother me, it wasn't a super hard rain, but it was more than a drizzle.  I ran through a bunch of deep puddles and my shoes were soaked but I still ran my 4 miles.

Kaylee had her expander put in in the afternoon.  She was pretty quiet about it, but I could tell she didn't like it.  She has to eat carefully now and she eats very slowly.  She had tomato soup for breakfast because she didn't want to chew anything.

Thursday -
Thunderstorms in the night again.  This time Kaylee and Jenna came down and stayed in our bed for awhile.  I took them back to their room when it seemed like the worst was past.  The storm woke me up two more times but thankfully the girls stayed in their rooms.  No one slept very well, the boys woke up too, but they are good to stay in their rooms.

I went to the grocery store and then the dentist.  I discovered a little black spot on my tooth and wanted to have it looked at.  The dentist just told me it was a cavity that had re-mineralized.  So that was a good thing.  I could have it drilled out and filled if I didn't want the dark spot, but it's on the top so no one really can see it, so I'm just going to leave it.

I spent more time trying to figure out what to do on our trip.  I like going on trips, but I don't like planning them.  I don't like making decisions.  I know that whatever I decide someone won't like it.

Friday-
I went for a shorter run, 2 miles, and then did some yoga.  My hamstrings are still very sore from Tuesdays workout so the yoga felt good to stretch.

Tyler had his "Guild" performance in the afternoon.  It wasn't the normal guild that Marilyn does, but she paid a judge to come to her house and listen to her students.  Tyler did a good job and she gave some good feedback for him.  Tyler played Canon in D, Arabesque, Buzzing Bee, Be Still My Soul, A Sonatina by Clementi that has three movements: Allegro, Andante, and Vivace, Minuet in G minor by Bach, and The Allegro movement of a Kuhlau Sonatina. 

 Chris built his KiwiCo box.  It was a cool pendulum glow in the dark thing. 

Doug and I finally sat down to figure out what were were going to try and do on our trip.  I realize that I should not waste my time doing it on my own.  Doug usually has his own plan in his mind and we need to just do it together.  The bummer was that all of the outdoor things that we wanted to do were closed or you needed a reservation for - and they were of course all booked up.  Sad that you can't go drive and look at nature - you have to have a spot just to get into a state park.  Crazy!  So we are just going to take it easy and go to a nearby lake and try and play in the river near the condo.  We really liked the look of a nearby state park, but we will have to try and go camping there another time since it was full. 

Baptism Pictures June 14- June 20, 2020

Sunday-
Normal Sunday yesterday, we had Sacrament meeting at 10.  Doug, Damon and Tyler did the lesson.  They did a run through of their lesson that they were going to teach later that day for their zoom Young Men meeting.

I played a lot of games with the kids, we played Splendor, Timing it Right, and Lattice.  The kids also played a lot of Monopoly.  They have discovered that game and have been playing it a lot.  Chris made up some rules to tweak it a bit and the girls like playing with him.

I tried a new recipe, and most liked it ok.  They all agreed they would rather have it with broccoli than the asparagus.

A family in the ward invited us over for ice cream in the evening.  The Luce's.  They went to USU as well and had moved away a few years ago and now have moved back.  They have a son Damon's age and a girl a year older than Chris.  We had a nice evening visiting.  I made some toffee to bring as a topping.

Chris was being silly putting just about every blanket we own on top of him.

Monday-
Normal day of laundry.  Mondays are hard because I never seem to be able to get anything done.  I got a bit depressed in the evening and was feeling like a failure as a mother.  The kids just keep fighting and valuing screen time about all else.  Jenna and Kaylee had a friend over and as soon as screen time came they left their friend alone in their room so they could go play.  I know I have taught them better, but they just ignored her.  Granted her mother was supposed to have come and picked her up, but she was running late.  Anyway, the girls lost their screen time for the next day -  I hope that they realize friends are more important that video games.  I worry about screen time addiction with all my kids, its what they love to do the most. They do play games and other things during the day, but it seems like they are just trying to pass the time until they get to play again.  I would love to get rid of all screens for a month or so, but I just don't dare, it helps me keep my sanity since it does keep the house quieter during that time.  I don't know what to do.  Part of me things that the kids are fine, and there are many out there that are playing so much more and that I shouldn't worry.  But the other part says what others are doing shouldn't justify what I am letting my kids do.  It's so hard to find a balance.

Tuesday-
Tuesday always feel less busy without the laundry to do.  Chris and I went and picked up his new glasses.  Change is hard for Chris - so he was messing with his glasses all day and by the end he was in tears saying that they hurt too much and were too tight.  So we will go back in today to see if we can get them adjusted.  I'm worried that we bought too small of a frame.  He is also having a hard time going back to a single lens- he had bifocals for the last 1 1/2 years.  So his eyes are having to adjust.

I looked at 2 years worth of pictures picking out the best for the girls' baptism video.  It is fun looking back  Everyone continues to grow.  We have had a lot of fun memories throughout the years.  Sometimes I wish we did more - as I compare with others- but I need to just remember what works best for our family and be happy.  We are more of a home body group and going out usually stresses me out and everyone else gets grumpy too.  So I need to remember to just be content at home and make home our special place.

We got an email from the Bishop last night saying that they are going to start having small groups meet in the church for Sacrament meeting.  They are only going to meet once a month or so, and it is by invitation.  But it is a small step moving forward, headed back to normal life.  No singing, wearing masks is recommended, and groups will sit every other row.  Such a crazy time we are living in.

Wednesday -
Morning run, I love the mornings with the soft light and the lake looks so pretty.  I'm not the fastest runner, but it is good to get out.

After centers Tyler and I went to piano lessons.  After lunch the girls played at the Shurtliffs and Drew came over here.  Kari had to come and type in their microsoft password so that Drew could use his account on the Xbox.  We visited for awhile and that was nice.  We both wonder about what to do about screen time, and how to find a balance.  Damon played a lot with Drew and played in the morning and then since he was playing board games with Drew while the others played video games at 4, he asked if he could play after dinner.  I somehow hoped that being older he would realize that he had had enough playing with Drew earlier, but I have let others not 'count' their friend screen time and let them play more later.  Sigh, it's just I wish they could be happy with what they did that day and use their other time to do something more productive or just be happy playing other things.

I was in the kitchen in the afternoon, I made Chex Mix, Muddy Muddies, and Rice Krispies.  With Doug eating a more strict diet he is not eating cereal anymore, so I needed to get rid of some cereal before it went stale.  I froze the Muddy Buddies, so we'll see how that works.  We finished a game of the Farming Game after dinner.  The kids get so loud playing, I usually end up with a headache, but everyone stayed happy for the most part.  During the last round we let people re-roll so that they could harvest the most they could.  Chris rolled a 6 harvesting his 100 head of cows and got $90,000.  He was pretty excited about that.  He ended up winning.  I watched a little bit of the Two Towers with Damon and Tyler in the evening.

Thursday-
Jenna had her follow up appointment via a video chat.  We just talked with the Physicians Assistant, but it was fine.  She just looked at the incision and said it looked fine.  We actually had to take off the steri-strips so that she could look at it.  They had said that they would fall off on their own, but Jenna's had stayed on pretty well.  It is still pink and sore looking, but healing well.  She said that Jenna could go swimming on Monday, so Jenna was happy about that.

The girls had piano lessons.  Chris is doing lessons with me now - it wasn't worth the fight going to Haley's.  He still practices, but he really didn't like going to lessons, so I just help him with the songs he is learning.

Kaylee had an orthodontist appointment.  She is getting an expander put in next week so they had to make a mold to make the appliance. She did well with it, it never is a comfortable feeling.

The girls had a zoom primary activity.  They followed a video on how to draw a hummingbird.  It was fun.  Tyler played tennis with the deacons and Damon played outside games at a friends house for teachers quorum.  They can meet in person, they just can't meet at the church.

Friday -
I walked 5 miles with Kari in the morning.  We went around the lake twice.  It was great to walk and talk.  We even talked for 15 more min when we got to her house.  1 hour and 40 min of visiting was great!

Pretty normal day.  I put curlers in Kaylee's hair to get ready for taking pictures in the morning.

Saturday-
I woke up at 5:45 (I hadn't slept well either) and I woke the girls up around 6:00.  I wanted to get to the lake around 7 and we had lots of hair to do.  I redid Kaylee's braid and then started taking out curlers while she ate some cereal.  Jenna got in the shower so we could do her hair curly with a diffuser.  Kaylee's hair was so pretty and curly I feel so bad that I didn't take a picture here at the house.  The girls looked so pretty.  We loaded up in the van and headed to the lake.  There were a few sprinkles on the windshield as we drove over, but the clouds didn't look very dark so we figured we were going to be ok, little did we know. :/

We took a few pictures right at the edge of the first bend and then we were looking at some trees to take some pictures by when I heard a rustling in the trees.  I looked at Doug and asked, "Is that wind or rain?"  He said it was rain and we got out the umbrella and huddled under a tree.  At first it didn't seem too bad and we thought we could wait it out.  Then it started to really come down and it was causing splashes to come up and get the girls' dresses muddy.  We realized that we just needed to go  The girls huddled under the umbrella.  I wanted them to try and save their hair in the hopes of coming back later.  All of our shoes were drenched and Doug and I were sopping wet in the few minutes it took to walk back to the van.  Sigh - it didn't rain at all the rest of the day- so of course we were out during the 30 minutes that it was stormy.  I had even checked the weather the night before and it had said that it was going to rain later in the day, and I had wanted to get good morning light.  Oh well.

I had to throw the girls' dressed in the washing machine and we told the girls to play nice to try and keep their hair neat.  Jenna's stayed really well.  Kaylee's was still pretty but of course the curls lost their volume.  The girls were tired of playing nice by the afternoon so we just took some pictures at our house around 2:00.  It was so hot and muggy outside.  But the girls did pretty well and we got some cute pictures.  Ugh, I was so frustrated that all of my planning and time had come to naught.  I know it wasn't a huge deal, but I needed to get the pictures done so I could make the announcements and other things.  So anyway, I'm glad that it's done and that some of them turned out ok.

Summer 6/7 - 6/13/2020

Sunday-
Normal Sunday yesterday.  We had a nice Sacrament meeting at home. Doug talked about racial prejudices a bit because of all of the current events and riots that have been going on.  It is sad to see the country in this much chaos.  I wish that we could all just love each other and treat each other with kindness.

I helped edit my dad's history that my mom is working on.  She did a great job and it will be a great thing to have for our family.  I made a nice dinner of  baking chicken, mashed potatoes, asparagus, carrots, green salad, strawberries and peaches, and machine bread.  It tasted extra good since it was a fast Sunday.  We have been enjoying a half box of peaches these last few days and they have been so tasty!

We took our normal after dinner walk, but this time we did it around the Nature Center pond.  It was a hot muggy evening and we were all sweaty when we got back, grateful for air conditioning.

Monday-
Another week. I was able to get the wash started early.  I went for my morning run at 6:30. I have been feeling slow lately and had to walk a bit.  I have been going for 4 miles around a nearby 'lake.'  It's a man made body of water at a park, but it is very pretty and peaceful in the morning and I enjoy the scenery.  I listen to a conference talk and then switch to an audio book.  Right now I am listening to the Bear and the Nightingale.  It is a different book, Russian elements and had an old folklore/fairy tale feel to it.

I made some dr. appointments and did odds and ends around the house.  We started watching a National Geographic documentary about North America's Most Amazing Animals. It was fun to watch.  The kids enjoyed it as well.

Tyler has started watching some PG-13 movies since his birthday.  I try to watch with him when I can, or Damon does.  We have watched the Hobbit movies and now have started the Lord of the Rings.  We are one the first movie.  I do like the cinematography of those films.  They did a good job.

Tuesday-
I had a Dr. appointment for my yearly check-up and took advantage of the trip to get some other errands done.  I'm so grateful that the kids are old enough to watch themselves for the most part.  I was able to return some items at Marshals, pick up books from the library, buy some new running shoes at Academy, and buy a display case at Hobby Lobby.  I didn't get everything done, but it was enough to feel productive.  I hope to get some other stops done today.  The thrift store only accepts donations on certain days, so I couldn't stop yesterday.

The kids have been having fun filling large balloons with water.  There are two huge water balloons on our patio right now, they just roll around and are fun to hold.

It is getting hot and humid.  We are watering the flowers for the Shurtliffs while they are gone on vacation and their flowers are just drooping - I hope they don't die.

Doug is working on things in the Bishopric to get ready for us going back to church.  They have to figure out how to seat people while social distancing and how to clean before and after the service.  I think it's great that we are trying to open the church up, but it seems like a lot of work for 40 minutes of worship.  I think they are going to encourage those who want to stay home, to continue to do so, and only those who really feel the need to go back to church.  We'll see how it goes.

Wednesday-
I tried out my new shoes running in the morning.  They felt different but good.  I didn't have to walk so that was good, but I still felt slow.  Sigh, I just don't seem to have the energy that I used to have.  I feel burned out all of the time.

Centers - I am been enjoying joining the kids with their centers, it makes me get things done in the morning. :)  Tyler had piano lessons and then I worked on pictures a bit in the afternoon.  I took Kaylee into the orthodontist in the afternoon.  It was her first real appointment.  She had spacers put in so that she can get an expander.  Her teeth are a bit sore this morning.

We went to the pool after dinner.  It was a bit cooler than when we went on Saturday.  It also looked cleaner, so maybe they put in some clean water.  The day wasn't as hot and there was a bit a of a breeze, so it felt cooler out of the water.

After baths and putting the girls to bed I read a bit with Chris.  He was given a great big book with 5000 facts in it from the librarian at Broadway.  He has been loving it.  He was reading some of the facts to me while we were cuddled on the couch and I was so tired that I feel asleep for a bit.  I am always tired lately.  I would think that exercising and eating pretty well would give me more energy, but it doesn't seem like it.

Thursday -
I was feeling kind of down today, sometimes I'm not sure why.  Just feeling like  I can never get anything done besides the basics: cleaning up, making food, etc.  I took Chris to pick out some new glasses at Walmart.  Because of Covid we couldn't even go in to look until there was another helper there to assist us.  We checked back twice and on the third time we could go in.  Then we had to get our temperature checked, hands sanitized, answer questions, and not touch any glasses.  We could point and then the lady would take them off of the wall so Chris could try them on.  Then she would have to clean them all before she put them back.  It is so crazy of all the things we have to do.  They are maybe going to announce some plans for the next school year on Tuesday, so we'll see how that goes.  I wonder if we will just do more home schooling.

Doug announced that a Panda Express was going to open up close to us. Chris over heard this and started doing his happy dance.  He is pretty silly and brings a smile to all of us when he is happy.  I played Liar (BS) with some of the kids last night.  Jenna was excited that she got out first.  The others were having fun trying to sneak in cards or catch others lying.  It was a fun game.  We also played 99.  They learned this one at school, since it is good for math practice.

Friday-

The days all seem to be the same.  Friday was only 2 days ago, but I can't remember what we did.  I'm sure the kids played and I made food.  :)  OH, I did get a hair cut, that was nice.  I decided to go short again.  Chris played at a friends house.  I had to basically force him to go.  This friend and him sometimes don't get along, so he didn't want to play with him.  It ended up being fine, but it just crazy the amount of effort it takes to make Chris do anything he doesn't want to do.

Saturday-
I went for my morning run.  I usually go on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.  The other days I do P90X3 workouts or some of the HIIT workouts that my friends have posted online.  I run pretty slowly, but I go for 4 miles.  If I get under a 10 min mile I'm doing good.  Usually I am over though.

My friend Natalie went with me to the beauty supply store.  She helped me pick out some hair color and helped me dye my hair.  I've never really colored my whole head before, just highlights.  Once in Vernal a friend colored it with a washable color.  I was excited and the color turned out really well.  It is quite red, which I was hoping it wouldn't be too red, but it is just from my natural undertones.

Doug and I went out to lunch at the Thai Cottage - the food was really good, but they served it on paper plates and plastic silverware.  Covid-19 is affecting everything.  It really is a drag.  It made eating out not very fun.

Other pictures: Jenna finished a blanket for her monkey.  Her stitches are very good.

 Damon finished his hand crank phone charger.  You have to crank for 5 minutes to get 10% of a charge, but hey if you're desperate. :)

Jenna's Surgery week 5/31 - 6/6/2020

Sunday -

We had our church a bit earlier this week.  Doug had more meetings planned so we had to work
around his schedule a bit.  We had leftovers from Damon’s birthday so I didn’t have to do as much
food.  I did make rolls, but I started them a bit late so they were a little bit small.  

We had a few zoom church meetings in the afternoon.  The RS did one at 1:00, Elder’s quorum was
at 2:00 and the youth had a combined meeting with the Bishop at 3:00.  

We have been working on a large 2000 piece puzzle that we borrowed from the MIller’s.  It’s a pretty
picture of an ocean scene with a rainbow with tropical trees.  I tend to work on it the most, and probably
more that I should, but it’s fun.  

We usually walk around a ‘lake’ in the neighborhood on Sundays if the weather is good.  It was a
pleasant evening and not too hot and humid.  We brought the Frisbees and the girls had fun going
through the Frisbee golf course.  

Monday -

We started centers since school is now over, but it is just a good way for everyone to get their piano
practicing done and a few other things that everyone needs to do.  We usually do piano, math, typing,
reading, and writing.  I took Jenna and Kaylee with me up to the hospital.  Jenna had to get tested for
the Corona Virus because she was going in for surgery on Wednesday.   She tested negative, so
surgery was a go.  I took Kaylee with so that we could stop and get them a Chick-fil-a meal.  They had
been given a gift card from their teachers and I owed them lunch from their birthday.  It was an early
lunch, but of course they still enjoyed it.

We went swimming in the afternoon at the Miller’s, mostly because Jenna is not going to be able to
go swimming for awhile after her surgery.  The kids had a great time, even though the water was a bit
cool.  Chris opted to stay home.  I’m done making him do fun things.  He is old enough to stay home
by himself so I think he will miss out on a lot of fun things this summer.  

Tuesday -

Normal day of centers.  Damon had an orthodontist appointment.  It is such the procedure that they
have to do because of COVID-19.  We send a text when we arrive.  Then we answer the questionnaire
saying that we are healthy, then they text us back saying that we can enter the building.  I’m not
allowed to wait inside, so I go back to the van.  I’m glad that the appointments usually don’t take very
long.  Damon is almost done with his Invisaline - hopefully by the fall he will be all done.  

I taught the girls how to crochet last week and they have had a lot of fun with it.  At first they just knew
how to chain, so they made necklaces and bracelets for themselves and all of their stuffed animals. 
Then Jenna learned how to work into the chain and she did surprisingly well with her stitches.  Kaylee
didn’t learn how to do the next rows until yesterday.  It was a bit harder for her, but she did pretty well. 
We got onto Pinterest and looked at all of these fun projects that we could make.  Kaylee asked if I
could make this little hanging basket thing.  It wasn’t too hard, so she watched me for an hour
crocheting this little basket.  She was so cute, helping me getting the yarn out of the spool and getting
so excited as it was taking shape.   

I made orange chicken in the evening and then I helped Jenna get ready for surgery the next day. 
We packed a bag of things to do and gave her a bath.  We had to wash her sheets, pajamas, and
blanket too.  It was convenient that I was planning on washing the sheets that day anyway.  

I had book club in the evening.  We actually risked getting together in our hosts pool.  It was great to
visit in person.  We had had a GNO last week that was the first time we had been in a big group all
together.  It had been so nice to see friends and visit.  

Wednesday- 

I woke up at 5:56 to Jenna by my bedside.  I assumed she was nervous about her surgery but then
she told me that Kaylee had thrown up.  She had complained of not feeling well yesterday, but was
totally fine after breakfast.  So Doug and I got her settled on the couch and Jenna was able to get
back to sleep.  I was supposed to get up around then anyway so I got ready for the day and then woke
Jenna up a little before 7:00.  She was able to have some juice at that time, but then didn’t get to eat
after that.  We left for the hospital at 7:15 and got all checked in.

 

Jenna had surgery for getting a cyst removed from the back of her neck.  It had gotten bigger over the
last few months and was bothering her when she laid down.  We started this process back on April 23
to see her regular Dr.  He looked at is and told us that it was probably a cyst and that could be
surgically removed.  He sent us a referral to a Dr. O at Texas Children’s Hospital.  Dr. O is a plastic
surgeon.  So we set up an appointment to see Dr. O.  The hospital is under lots of different rules due
to the Corona Virus, so we have to enter from a certain door, and have our temperature taking and
wear masks.  The appointment went well and we scheduled an ultra sound to get more info and a
surgery date.  

We were all set to go, but then I started wondering about our insurance.  So I postponed our ultra
sound a few days so that I wanted to make sure Dr. O was in our network. So over the course of a
week I spent hours on the phone talking to our insurance and the hospital.  I kept getting put in circles
and being told that a different department could help me.  It was pretty frustrating.  I finally learned
that yes, Dr. O was in network and the hospital gave me an estimate of our share of the costs - we
have a high deductible plan right now, so our part is roughly going to be $4000.  Doug and I did the
math, and it was still cheaper to have the surgery now than wait and change our insurance plan.  So
we decided to go ahead with the surgery.

So we had the ultra sound last Thursday and the surgery was on the following Wednesday. After we
got checked in to the hospital we waited for about 1 hour and 45 min. During that time we spoke to
several nurses, the anesthesiologist, and a specialist to help explain what was going to happen. She
helped explain the 'sleeping medicine' to Jenna and she helped us pick out a smell to have in the mask.
Jenna chose cotton candy. The Dr.also came in and marked where the incision would be. While we
waited we played games and Jenna read some Garfield comics. At one point we were so busy playing
that Jenna said she forgot she was going into surgery.

At 9:45 they took Jenna back and I went to the waiting room. Jenna said she could only count to 6
before she fell asleep. The surgery lasted about 45 minutes and the Dr. came out and talked to me.
He said the surgery went well and that they were going to send the cyst to a lab to have it tested. I
had to wait another 10-15 minutes until I could go back to be with Jenna. She was pretty out of it. She
had a hard time sitting up and talking. I gave her a few sips of Gatorade and helped her wake up a bit.
We stayed at that station for about 10 minutes then they took out her IV and helped her into a wheel
chair to go home.

She slept on the way home and for about an hour after that. Then she watched
Frozen 1 and 2. By the end of the day she was acting pretty normal and feeling pretty good. Her neck
was a little sore, but the worst part was taking the tape off of her neck. It was so sticky that it really
hurt to take it off. She slept well - I thought I heard her call out in the night and went up to check on her.
She kind of seemed awake and gave me a hug, but she said she hadn't called me, it must have been
a dream.

Thursday

It was kind of a busy morning, mostly because I slept in a bit. I felt behind, but it turned out ok. We
have been doing centers and I have started doing them with the kids. This way I have 15 min to do
all of the little things that I want to do each day, like write in my blog. :) The girls had piano lessons today
and then Kaylee went to Hannah's birthday party and Jenna went to the Shurtliff's to play. We had
our church zoom activities in the evening. The girls had a fun guess who is who by looking at baby
pictures and guessing who it it.

Friday-
The weekends don't seem too different lately, during the crazy Covid school year or summer. We did
our centers and normal screen time. Damon was invited to a friend's birthday party in the afternoon so
we didn't see him much. The girls went and played at the Call's house and Carter Call came over here
play. I'm glad that we are able to play with friends again, it helps the kids be happy and entertained.

We bought a half box of peaches from a truck along with a lot of ladies in the ward. I had picked them
up on Wednesday but they weren't ripe yet. They have started to now ripen and they are so good.
We have been eating them for almost every meal. Not much is better that a juicy ripe peach.

Saturday-
Normal chores in the morning. I took Chris to his annual eye dr appointment at noon and then the store
afterwards. Chris's eyes are the worst of the families besides mine. We had him bifocals for the last year
and a half, but now we are going to go back to regular glasses and see how he does.

I made a peach crisp with our peaches today and we went swimming at our pool in the evening. We had
to sign up and fill out a waiver to go due to Covid 19 but at least we got to go. Jenna just floated around
keeping her neck dry. She seems to be doing well from her surgery.

Other random pictures: my kids get very excited when I buy regular carrots. They love peeling them
and eating them like rabbits. Damon cleaned out some of his room today and got rid of all of his
participation medal from i9 Sports. He had fun with soccer and flag football.