COVID Continues

Before I forget, I want to share my thoughts about COVID-19 and how it was to cope during this past year of 2020. When everything shut down in the spring I knew we'd survive the two weeks quarantine and was actually looking forward to it. But then things stayed shut down. Home schooling through Zoom was a nightmare and Cora really regressed during that last half of the year. I ended up forgetting about Zoom and making up my own curriculum. We hiked 2-3 times a week, each hike being a different spot and being outdoors is what made us survive. The governor kept changing our state's status, in the summer things were more open and then they closed again at the start of the school year and throughout the election. Here's a list of some pros and cons of COVID.

Pros:

• More time with each other at home
  
• Lots and lots of extra time to be outdoors and really explore Spokane for the first time since we moved here 7 years ago
  
• Greater appreciation for our health!
• Our work is essential so we haven't been without work
• Being creative in our activities
• Being creative in using the resources we have at home (no, we didn't really dip into our food storage as grocery stores were still open)
• Under the direction of the prophet we had church at home, and it was a pleasant, short 10 minute meeting
• Having the technology to home school
• Great appreciation for doctors and nurses
  

Cons:

• Too much time with each other at home-we're driving each other crazy!
  
• Cabin fever
• Missing our friends
• 10 minute church - I, in particular, really miss seeing friendly faces at church and hearing other's comments and testimonies from sacrament meeting and classes
• Boredom
• Home school!
• No sports or any extra curricular activities
• No traveling - other states are closed as well
  

COVID has hit each person differently. For Lance, life hasn't changed one bit except he doesn't have extra meetings on sunday and is able to sleep in. 

For me, it has been extremely difficult. All of the ways that I fill my bucket to keep sane and grounded, were all taken away: getting revelation and encouragement from my church meetings, not being able to minister to my sisters, no play dates for the kids, no girls nights, no interaction with anybody outside of the family (except by text), no window shopping, no getting babysitters so I can have a break to think, no date nights, just getting out of the house and running errands. etc. With everything closed and people social distancing, my own little world distanced and closed, too. It has put a strain on my mental health trying to find other ways to cope or other outlets. A lot of people use Zoom or other virtual meetings, but it just isn't the same! We need to be in person where we can see all of those nonverbal language/cues. We need physical touch!!! I have been much more mindful of giving my kids extra hugs and snuggles because they don't get hugs from friends, no high fives from teachers, no helping hand on the play ground. Just those simple physical gestures really mean the world and speak louder than words. 

It has been a huge blow not to have in-person school. We make the best of it with home school but it just isn't the same. For elementary ages, social and emotional development is far greater than academics. So they're not getting the practice needed to just be around other people. I'd even say that some of their manners have been lacking/forgotten.

I'm just REALLY praying that in the fall school will resume and life will be mostly back to normal. I'm hoping that with vaccines just starting to roll out, an additional 8 months time will do us wonders in getting more people vaccinated and the economy opened up. COVID, I really hate you.