Gazing into space

My amazing friend recently told me that the Hubble Space Telescope could give you a picture it had taken on your birthday. I was fascinated. I went to this website and found all of our space birthday pictures. Super fun!

Brandon - A infrared image of the center of the Milky Way.

 

Laurie Ann - Springtime on Mars.

Peter - Storm on Neptune.

Luke - Comet Ikeya-Murakami. 

I love them each for different reasons. It was so fun to find these and to talk with the boys about the stars and solar system.

Spring

This is my favorite time of the year. This plum tree is so amazing. It is beyond beautiful and this picture does not do it justice. It also smells incredible. I wish I could bottle up the smell and spritz the house with it all year long.

We also have bird making a nest on the front porch. I so, so happy! 

I assumed it was a robin, but this is the bird that I make super mad anytime I am near the front porch.

Finding something to laugh about

Did you know that Iron Man delivers pizza, superman only drinks Coke, and Spiderman likes both soccer and basketball? I didn't, but my students in China now do. Trying to keep myself entertained while waiting for students turns hilarious on a regular basis.

Long hair

I missed my hair appointment. Not really missed though. The gal who cuts my hair works at a shop that has closed. It's so sad. I worry about that shop. Meanwhile, my hair will keep growing and growing.

Green Beans

This picture is a little dark, it represents something important I'm trying to teach the boys. I'm trying to help them understand that cooking is a very good skill to have.

Today, Peter learned how to snap green beans. He thought it was the worst torture ever. I was very proud of him. I told him about how ladies used to gather on porches and snap green beans together. That's a frame of reference he will never understand. It's kind of sad to think about.

New Years Goal complete

At the beginning of the year our RS Predidency challenge us to read the Book of Mormon by April Conference.

It's 12:30am on the Saturday morning of General Confernce. I just finished!!! I have been so blessed by the words of comfort this book has given me. It has been a profound blessing during these long days of living thru the Covid 19 pandemic.

Tomorrow, I'll start the book again from the beginning.

Reality

I saw this on a FaceBook post today and thought that in the months/years to come it will be interesting to look back and see what we lived thru:

Just so I NEVER forget..... April 3,2020.

Gas price at Smith's was $1.99
School cancelled - yes cancelled
Self-distancing measures on the rise.
Tape on the floors at grocery stores and others to help distance shoppers (6ft) from each other.
Limited number of people inside stores, therefore, lineups outside the store doors.
Non-essential stores and businesses mandated closed.
Parks, trails, entire cities locked up.
Entire sports seasons cancelled.
Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - cancelled.
Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - cancelled.
No masses, churches are closed.
No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now 10 or more. (Basically I don't see anyone except Amy, Morgan, and Brandon)
Don't socialize with anyone outside of your home.
Children's outdoor play parks are closed.
We are to distance from each other.
Shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers.
Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill.
Panic buying sets in and we have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towel no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer.
Shelves are bare.
Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.
Government closes the border to all non-essential travel.
Fines are established for breaking the rules.
Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of Covid-19 patients.
Press conferences daily from the President. Daily updates on new cases, recoveries, and deaths.
Government incentives to stay home.
Barely anyone on the roads.
People wearing masks and gloves outside.
Essential service workers are terrified to go to work.
Medical field workers are afraid to go home to their families.

This is the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020.

Why, you ask, do I write this status?

One day it will show up in my memory feed, and it will be a yearly reminder that life is precious and not to take the things we dearly love for granted.

We have so much!
Be thankful. Be grateful.
Be kind to each other - love one another - support everyone.

We are all one! ❤️

Plus, today the city of Springville put a boil water order in place because someone contaminated our water tanks by throwing in golf balls. It's been a crazy ride and it doesn't look to be over any time soon. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. My boys have been so brave thru this all. Rarely a complaint except when I make them do schoolwork they don't want to do.