Covid-19 or the novel Coronavirus

 This has been a crazy week! On Monday the state cancelled school for at least the next two weeks to try and slow the spread of Covid-19. The kids, especially Mason, started getting very nervous about it last week when they started closing and cancelling things. It really got real for us in the U.S. when the NBA cancelled games because Rudy Gobert on the Jazz tested positive. 

Every day has been something new. We've had a lot of talks about how the virus isn't really a big danger to us, but we are trying to do our part to keep the hospitals from being overwhelmed. The stock market has tanked a lot of businesses have had to shut their doors (hopefully very temporarily). It hasn't been great for our oil stocks.

Then on Wednesday morning, the weirdest thing happened. We all experienced our first earthquake! It started at 7:09 AM and it was pretty short. Tim and I both woke up thinking it was the chimney rattling in the wind, then realized it was an earthquake and rushed to get the kids. We obviously didn't know what to do because we had them all gather under the doorways at the end of the hall. There were a couple of strong aftershocks later in the day, too. Everyone was pretty rattled all day. Especially Ava. She got sick to her stomach and felt queasy and nervous all day. I had taken Nyquil for a cold the night before so I felt hungover all day. It was a very exciting but long day.

The kids are doing online school now and it has been a learning curve for us and the teachers. 

Now for the good stuff...

Weeks before the virus came I kept getting a prompting that I needed to fill our pantry shelves. So I stocked up on groceries, toilet paper, and toiletries. I feel so blessed that I did because people have been emptying the store shelves like crazy and I haven't felt nervous. 

We've been able to do scripture study every night as a family. The girls asked if they could do family night on Thursday and they did a great job! Church is cancelled so we had a lesson and the sacrament at Pop's house last week and tomorrow we will do it at home. 

There is a lot of talk of the end of times going around. Global pandemic, natural disasters, general panic. The missionaries are being sent home. But through it all I have felt happy and peaceful. I have my family with me and we are safe and secure and financially stable. But mostly, I have my faith in Christ. I have the peace that come only through Him. 

Now one more thing... I wrote this in March, right as things were getting exciting. The kids never did go back to school, so here are a few of the things that kept us busy at home while the parks were closed and the friends couldn't play.