2020 Coronavirus Catch Up!

I can't believe we are already halfway through 2020 and I'm just posting for the first time.  These last 6 months have challenged all of us in new ways with the arrival of  Coronavirus and the aftermath of what that has meant for us:  

1. The loss of Jackson's varsity volleyball season and final months of high school and graduation.

2.  Paige's canceled graduation from BYU and not being able to deliver her valedictorian speech.

 3.  McKell's  NYC study abroad being canceled.

4.  My long term teaching job being cut short.

5.  Sydney's tennis season being ended early.

6.  Our trip to NYC to see Hamilton being canceled AGAIN! (The      first time there was a blackout in the city for that one day we            were there.)

7. Not being able to see family or travel or going out to eat or movies.  

These events have truly been difficult to navigate and make sense of.  We all have become well acquainted with loss these last few months and I'm trying to learn it's ok to mourn what will never be and move forward.  It's not easy!  But on the bright side, we had everyone home for a few weeks ( McKell is still with us) and we had unlimited amounts of time to kill.  Mike was the only one in the family that didn't see or feel much of a change because he continued going into work every day.  It did feel nice to slow everything down and not feel overscheduled.  We have had a family dinner together almost every night and having church at home has also been a different experience.  It's very simple and short and most times people are in their pajamas.  No complaints there!

The other benefit of this unprecedented time is the awakening happening over the death of George Floyd and racism in general.  I really don't know if the discussions, protests, and voices would be happening today without the coronavirus and shut down of our country in the background.  I think we are a more humble nation than we were a few months back and so even though the riots and protests are uncomfortable to see, they are opening our eyes to the pain of the black community that is still prevalent today.  I think more people are doing a better job of listening and trying to understand why there is anger and frustration.

Today is June 21, 2020 and as much as I've loved the slow pace of life I am starting to miss parts of "normal life."  It is difficult to not be able to plan or predict anything.  I thrive off planning and taking control of my life, so this has been one of the hardest parts of this whole pandemic for me.  Everything is so up in the air right now and it is starting to wear on me.  I'm hopeful that more Arizonans will start wearing masks and help slow the spread again because our state is spiking again with the number of cases we're seeing.  

From January to March life moved on at a normal pace:   McKell was a bridesmaid twice over to both Emily and Kelsey, Jackson spent a weekend in St. Louis for a volleyball tournament, I celebrated Candy's 50th birthday with a bunch of our friends, Sydney went to Newport with Grace and Jaya, my Dad had his open heart surgery and mom celebrated her 74th birthday, and to top it all off Mike finally overcame his fear and got a vasectomy!