Keeping busy during quarantine.

Despite still practicing social distancing and being at home most of the time, we have found a few things we can do to keep up from going insane!

We made up a dozen may day baskets and delivered them to neighbors and friends. This is one of our favorite traditions!

 Travis worked on planting his corn. He had such success last year, that he doubled the size and decided to plant popcorn this year. We are really hoping it does well and we have some popcorn to eat. How fun will that be? He did a great job of working the soil and planting it all.

 We celebrated Cinco De Mayo at home with our own fiesta. We enjoyed pork carnitas and fried ice cream for dessert!

Christian and I ventured up to Billings one evening and ran some errands. Our final stop was to Costco and we were required to wear masks as part of the COVID protocol. 

We helped grandpa Asay bring the cows home from their winter pasture one weekend. It's always a tough move because the calves just want to go back to the only place they know, but this year proved to be the hardest one! We made it home with about one third of the calves and most of the cows. The next day, they ended up having to load the calves into trailers and bring them home because chasing them wasn't going to work! It was a nice warm day, but super dry and  we were covered in dirt by the end!

Just a little bit of dust going on.

Travis looking a little dirty.

We have also enjoyed going out as a family to pick asparagus. We LOVE asparagus and going on adventures to find it. It has been a pretty good year for finding it! One day, we hit the jackpot at one of our favorite spots!

The last week of distance schooling, Travis's class had dress up days for their zoom meetings. One of the days was super hero day!

Travis's huge student counsil poster was delivered to our house and he wanted to put it up immediatly. He really bad wanted in on the ceiling, but I convinced him the wall was a better idea.

The kids have been spending HOURS down at the pond with the neighborhood kids catching minnows, crawdads and suckers.

For Landon's last week of distance learning, the 2nd grade teachers put out videos of themselves in different places around the community and the kids were supposed to try and figure out where they were, visit that spot and figure out the riddle they had left for them. One of the spots was the Kane cemetery. We had never been there before, so that was a fun one for us to visit.

 The Asay girls had a girls night in Burlington at Jared and Ranee's house. Ranee taught us how to watercolor paint. I am terrible at it!! We also had treats, played telestrations and talked into the night!

My watercolor flowers.

While I was gone, the boys blew through 500 rounds of shells out in the hills!

Music K-8

Each year, the elementary school music teacher encourages the kids to participate in the music K-8 cover contest. Students in grades k-8 from across the United States can draw a picture that has anything to do with music and submit it, they pick winners for different categories and the top winner gets to have their picture published on the cover of one of their magazines. Last year, Travis submitted a drawing and was surprised when he found out he was a most humorous honorable mention. This year, Travis submitted another drawing and then things got all crazy with COVID-19 and he totally forgot about the contest. One day while doing in school on the ipad, a video message showed up from the music teacher. Travis grudgingly opened it (thinking it was going to be another one of her music sing alongs) and to him amazement, his teacher was announcing the three winners they had from their school, and he was one of them again! He got another most humorous honorable mention this year and was pretty stoked! 

This and that

Our neighbor has continued to do a weekly cooking class via zoom. In the last class, she taught them how to make blueberry muffins.

Travis has been dying to build himself a "mount" for one of the dead heads that we found shed hunting. He sanded the heck out of a slice of tree Christian cut for him when we were cutting trees down and then stained it. Christian helped him finish mounting it and then they hung them in the garage. He did a great job on it!

Landon, of course, had to make one too, but decided to just use one antler for his mount.

 A man in our ward texted one morning and said that one of the ponds near by had been stocked with a bunch of fish. We decided to go and try it out. We grabbed dinner to take for a picnic and fished for a few hours, but didn't have any luck. We didn't even get a bite. A nice man that showed up after us even gave us some different bait to use, but it didn't work. When we went to give it back to him when we were finished, he told us to keep them and come back in a week and try again (he said it would be better fishing then). Hopefully the weather gets nice again so that we can go back!

We went out to slide rock one evening. We had a bon fire and cooked some hot dogs for dinner while the kids slid and explored all around. This was actually the first time that Christian had been there, even though he grew up here!

Grandpa and grandma Asay got a new puppy and we had to go check her out. Landon loved getting to play with Jess!

Travis and Landon helped me plant some tomato seeds to start in the house. Hopefully it all works and we can plant them in our garden when it come time.

Easter

Easter was a little different this year due to the social distancing. The boys colored eggs the Friday before. They were fasting as part of a world wide fast for relief of the COVID-19, and were hangry, so some were more happy about doing eggs than others.

Finished products.

Easter Sunday, the bunny had visited and boys were able to find their baskets. Carson found his right away, but the other two were thought they didn't get one because both of their baskets were sitting empty on the couch. They decided to try and look after a while and ended up finding that the Easter Bunny had filled minnow traps instead of their baskets.

We had church at home and then went to Powell for dinner with grandpa and grandma Foulger and Jason and Cassie. Grandpa and grandma Asay came the night before and brought an Easter Egg hunt for the boys to do inside, since we weren't going to be together at Easter.

We are so thankful for our Savior and the Atonement in our lives. What a blessing it is to each one of us.

A new normal

Life, as we've known it, has been significantly changing in the last few weeks. At the end of last year, news spread about a new virus (COVID-19) through out the world. Originating in Wuhan, China, it has spread world wide and has been having a great affect on many countries. We had heard about it on the news, but never really thought too much about it. We knew it was infecting many people in China and Italy, but that was about it. Fast forward to the beginning of the year...The virus has started to show up in many states and many states were taking precautions to help keep people safe from getting the virus, but in rural Wyoming, we weren't seeing much different going on.

The week of March 8th, is where things started to change. I had gone to Casper with a group of friends to watch the State Cheer/Dance. We went down Wednesday (March 11) and were to come home Thursday. One of the friends that went with us stayed back in Casper to watch state basketball while the rest of us drove home Thursday. About and hour into our drive,we got a text from her saying that they weren't going to allow spectators into the Events Center (where we had watched the state cheer competition the night before) because Wyoming had just received their first positive test for COVID-19. Not much longer after that, they cancelled state basketball all together so that there wouldn't be any chance of spreading the virus if people had it. We couldn't believe that they were going to cancel the whole state tournament and thought it was a little over the top.

Changes continued to come. On the 12th, they decided to cancel our home wrestling tournament because the school was not allowing large crowds to gather in one spot. Word was starting to spread that the schools were going to shut down, but it wasn't until 8:00pm, Sunday, March 15th, that the governor suggested that all schools shut down until April 3 and that people try to stay home as much as possible and "social distance" (We have since had two home school extensions and not we are out until April 30).  My mom and I had planned to go to Utah on the 13th to go and see Megan's new baby, Jack. Even with all the changes going on, we decided to go. The boys went to grandpa and grandma Asay's house during the days and Christian brought them home at night. 

With the schools shutting down, teachers spent Monday, March 16th, preparing for some distance learning. On Tuesday, they distributed ipads and learning materials for kids to use for the 3 weeks they would be out of school. The lunchroom has been providing breakfast and lunch pick ups for all students for free and that has been a huge blessing to so many.

The pick up line at the elementary school for home school items. The teachers all had gloves and masks on as pertection.

The kids have been adjusting well to their new "home school" experience. They have a pretty good attitude about it all. We have tried to come up with a sort of schedule to get it all done. They miss being at school with their teacher and their peers. The teachers, and our school district, have done an outstanding job of communicating with the students and parents and getting them the help and supplies they need. I am more thankful, now, for the background I have in education and for the experience I have had subbing over the last two years in the schools so that I have an idea of what my kids are doing in school and how to work and run the technology that they use in school and now at home. What a blessing it has been to be able to stay at home with my children at this time and not have to worry about having to work or trying to find somewhere for my kids to go (especially now that all daycares have been shut down except for those kids whose parents work essential jobs).

This is what our "home school" looks like typically (although they are usually dressed before they start). Technology has definitely been our friend over the last three weeks.

Each boy has a box with all of their supplies needed to do their distance learning.

One of the highlights for Carson has been getting to "connect" with his classmates and teachers through conference calls a couple times a week. It's great to hear him be able to talk with them (since he doesn't have a cell phone to stayed connected to his friends with) and laugh.

With the virus spreading throughout the world, our dear prophet, President Nelson, started making changes to help not spread the virus. The Chruch began by saying that no one would be able to attend General conference and it would be transmitted by technology.  They also decided to not hold any church meetings, including sacrament meetings. We have been blessed to be able to hold sacrament meeting in our home each Sunday, with permission from our bishop. The first Sunday, we invited a widow from our ward, Sister Walker, to join us since Christian and Carson minister to her. That Sunday is a Sunday I don't think any of us will forget. The spirit was so strong and I could hardly contain my emotions as I got to witness Carson prepare the sacrament, Christian bless it and Travis administer it to each of us. I truly felt that our home was a little piece of heaven on Earth that day! I am so thankful that I have the priesthood in my home to bless me!

As the days have gone by, the Prophet has asked that all temples close down, all missionaries from the USA serving in foreign missions return home and be reassigned state side or be released (if they were near the end of their mission). Our ward has welcomed home 6 missionaries so far, by getting a caravan together and doing a drive by welcome home with posters, honking and waving to the missionaries since we can't welcome them home in person.

Part of the caravan welcoming home one of the Sisters in our ward. There are usually 20, or more, cars in the caravan.

As part of our home church, we've gotten to listen to the missionaries that have returned talk about their mission through zoom (a group video chat). It's been so fun to "see" them and hear about their experiences on their mission.

Other changes have been that have been made that have changed for us it that the rest of the USA wrestling season had been cancelled, track and baseball have been postponed, we can't meet in groups larger than 10 people, stores have started to limit the number of items that people can purchase because people started to panic buy items clearing shelves on items...especially toilet paper. Only essential businesses are to be open, this includes grocery type stores, pharmacies, and hospitals. Banks and restaurants and changed the way they do business and are only open for "curb side" pick up or drive-up. All other businesses have been shut down. It has had a huge impact on the economy, but I am thankful that Christian works in the Ag business, they are deemed an essential and he gets to keep working. We have tried to pick at least one restaurant each week to buy dinner from to try and help support them. Big Horn County has been able to hold strong and hasn't had any confirmed cases of the virus yet.

The social distancing has been hard on the kids. They really miss getting to be in school with their friends...or even be with them outside just playing or hanging out. But, we have made the best of it! Here is what some of our social distancing has looked like:

The work out group that I have been attending got shut down. We have improvised and done our workout "together" through zoom each morning! It's been great to still be able to work out with my friends even though we can't physically be near each other.

One of the positives of all the social distancing and everything shutting down is that we have our evenings and weekends to do what ever we want. We haven't had any sports practices or meetings or school functions to attend. The weather has also been so nice, which has helped us keep our sanity!

We decided to trim down a bunch of trees and limbs over the last couple of weekends.

We've been able to stockpile some good logs and decided to use some in a campfire and roast some hotdogs for dinner one evening.

 One of the ladies in our neighborhood felt prompted to use her degree (family and consumer science) to do some cooking classes with the kids in the neighborhood via zoom to give them something different to do during our social distancing. She has been doing two classes a week and the kids love getting to create fun foods and see their friends while they are doing it.

Their first class was mug cakes.

While it's been nice, we've tried to get out and explore as much as we can since it is something we can do!

We went and explored the lake one day. The boys were amazed at how low the water was, and loved finding treasures that are usually under water. The best find was a pair of sunglasses that look like they were in a Star Trek movie.

Another weekend, we went out and did some deer shed hunting. We had a pretty successful day and were able to find like 8 sheds.

Carson's had several zoom meetings with his quorum presidency and then had Wednesday activities through zoom. 

The boys have spent a lot of time setting up their hammocks and hanging out in them.

We've taken our bikes into town and gone on bike rides. We went for a 3 mile ride this day.

As, the days go by, we are becoming more accustomed to our new "social distancing" life-style. We miss getting to go do things and see our friends and family, but we are thankful for the time we have as a family, which is what is most important!