The Ricks Family: Our family's experience with Corona Virus/ Covid-19 so far

We've been in this weird limbo with Coronavirus or Covid-19 for more than three months now. It's sort of hard to believe, really. Sort of feels like a lifetime ago when things were "normal." I wanted to write a few things down about our experience during this time so I remember them.

I knew when we got home from Mexico in February, the vibe here in the states had changed. Things felt more serious and panicked and uncertain. People started swarming Costco and the grocery stores, and toilet paper and Clorox Wipes disappeared off of shelves. I remember I had just pulled up to Costco to get groceries after returning from our trip because we were out of everything, when I got a text message from a group of friends saying there were rumors school was going to shut down. Sure enough, a few hours later it was announced schools were closed here in Utah for at least two weeks. Things felt much more real then.

I sort of knew from the beginning there was no way the kids would be going back to school this school year. I tried to wrap my head around it. The early predictions were very scary and things felt dismal. It seemed every day there were more emails with cancellations. Sooooo many cancellations. Everything was cancelled. Bode's soccer coaches tried to hold out as long as they could, but cancelled after Governor Herbert issued a stay-at-home order and limited gatherings to 10 people. Church, swimming lessons, soccer, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, dance, summer camps, the AF Canyon Half, the school play which was all ready for performances the week school closed, etc, etc, etc. It was overwhelming in the sense that it was such a shift for our family. Usually the spring is a very busy time for us with all of the spring sports and school things going on. It's a lot. Admittedly, too much at times and I wonder how we are going to fit everything in, but somehow we do. Obviously, it has been completely different this year. The only thing we still had going in the beginning of all of this was piano lessons from our neighbor who sanitizes the keys before my boys come over.

The first week school was shut down everything felt a bit out of sorts, but we were in good spirits. Cancellations started to pour in and the news and forecasts were bleak and frightening. Then we had an earthquake. Yes, an earthquake! In the middle of everything else going on. A 5.7 magnitude around 7:15 am one morning. Sean, Jackson, and I felt it. I remember the sound was very strange. It almost sounded like a sudden storm had come up and the wind was whooshing on the window. Our bed shook quite a bit and then all of he sudden it stopped. The trumpet was knocked off of the angel Moroni on the Salt Lake temple, which felt ominous. After the earthquake, stress levels and feelings of uncertainty took on a new high. Things felt very unstable for awhile there. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel overwhelmed and a bit fearful. There was one afternoon where I found myself sitting in my closet on the floor and just crying.

Thankfully, things seemed to settle down a bit and I felt like our family started settling into our temporary "new normal" and actually really blossoming into what I consider to be a really great experience for us. We were very strict about social distancing in the first 6-7 weeks and didn't have any play dates or friends over, so our kids relied on each other for entertainment and companionship. Sean started working from home early on and we had a lot of extra time with him and all together. We have done so many fun things as a family that we wouldn't have done in any other circumstance, and I feel like our family has grown even closer together as a result. After several weeks at home, Sean was able to go back in to work, though as I write this, the majority of Vivint employees still work from home. I was a bit sad to have him go back in to the office because I really enjoyed having him home with us. I am especially grateful for his job and that it is secure.

Sean was all set to coach the rookies Angels baseball team again this spring and Davis was looking forward to his first year and finally getting to play in the same league as his brothers. He had also been talking about being so excited for soccer to start again. Bode was really looking forward to soccer with his awesome team again this spring. I miss those soccer games a lot. His team is so much fun to watch and play so well together. I love the camaraderie between the parents on the sidelines and seeing how much fun the boys are having. Thankfully, a few months in, Utah decided to allow youth sports starting at the beginning of June, so while almost everything was cancelled for good, baseball was able to revise their season and the kids are able to play. Davis gets to play in rookies after all. This is Bode's first year in the minor league baseball and Jackson's first year in the majors. Lacrosse for Jackson also started up, but it has been hard for him to do both since they overlap so much.

This pandemic is likely still far from over, but life feels more normal than it did in the beginning. Utah's cases are starting to spike again though, so who knows what the future holds. I am hoping school will be able to resume in the fall.

I've jotted down a few notes of things I want to remember of our family's experience so far:

-Lots of family bike rides to the pond and feeding the ducks. I showed the kids one of my running routes that they love riding their bikes on now. There is one particular section where we ride along a canal that Davis loves and calls the "pretty path" and he gets to be the one in front when we ride through that section.
-Trips to the jump park on our bikes. Jackson and Bode love riding their bikes over the jumps and trying to catch air, while the rest of us watch from above.
-Hiking to Corona Arch near Moab, hiking locally in Provo Canyon on the Big Springs trail
-Lots of walks with Charlie
-A lego building competition on who could build the "best" car. Jackson and Molly were on a team and Bode and Davis were on another. Their cars were both awesome!
-Tons of basketball on our hoop and lots of games of "21" and "speed"
-Lots of family card games: Cover your assets, Golf (a game our ministering brothers gave us), and three up, three down
-Jackson getting to stay up late several nights to help Sean with projects like working on the car, etc. I love this extra personal time he's been able to have with his dad.
-The kids having sleepovers in each other's rooms nearly every night. Molly and Davis often will sleep in Bode's bed with him, and sometimes Molly will sleep with Jackson.
-Lots of baking and time to try new treats. Some favorites we've tried have been Levain Bakery knockoff chocolate peanut butter chip cookies, salted butterscotch browned butter Rice Krispie treats, our first attempt at homemade donuts, and homemade churros.
-Church at home. This has been a really positive, sweet experience for our family. It is so neat to be able to take the sacrament in our home each Sunday. Our family is more invested in learning about the gospel together and I feel like this is how it really should be. I miss seeing other ward members and worshipping together, but I love the emphasis it places on Sean and I to teach our kids and keeps us accountable. We have been using Molly's tea set for the water cups for our sacrament and I love it and will always remember it fondly.
-Sewing Molly an Easter dress and the boys matching bowties for our at home worship for Easter this year. It was really nice having extra time to sew the dress and I absolutely loved seeing the kids all cleaned up for Easter Sunday. It was a special experience for me for sure.
-Our family got "egged" by some friends in the ward where they hid 12 eggs in our front yard and left us a note to find them. It also said one egg was empty to signify Christ has risen-- the real reason we celebrate Easter. The kids loved finding the eggs and I thought it was really clever.
-We took a Sunday drive to Manti and enjoyed seeing the beauty of that temple for the first time. We walked around the park in front of the temple and learned a bit more about its history and the people in the area.
-Family movie nights where we watched "Frozen 2," "Onward" where we laughed our heads off and replayed a scene with a flying van over and over, "Flubber," "Trolls 2," and "Knives Out." It was fun seeing some new releases at home!
-Cleaning out closets and organizing because we had the time! Now we have a big D.I. pile with nowhere to go because they aren't accepting donations right now.
- A backyard campout with s'mores. Molly only lasted about 30 minutes in the tent and then came inside with me. The others made it through the cold night!
- A trip to Utah's Little Grand Canyon, or the Grand Rafael Swell. It was an amazing, awe inspiring place we didn't even know existed!
-Working on finishing up some house projects that have been on the to-do list forever. Finishing remodeling the boys' upstairs bathroom, re-doing the playroom, painting our backyard exterior trim, etc.
- Starting seeds for our garden from seed for the first time and enjoying watching them grow.
- Learning how to navigate online school. Having the kids lined up and doing their work each morning. Being moved by the efforts I see their teachers making. Getting choked up when I see my kids interacting with their teachers and peers online. A talent show where I carried the laptop outside so I could show Bode's class his talent of dunking a basketball. Watching Jackson let loose and have a dance party with his class.
-Sewing fabric masks for our family and for some friends
-Sewing masks to donate to healthcare workers for the church
-Being able to take bike rides with Sean during times we typically wouldn't be able to go. An awesome ride up to Tibble Fork and rides during the lunch hour.
-Watching the kids have fun drawing from ArtHub.com
-Waiting in lines to get into stores like Costco, Home Depot, and Joann's
-Neighborhood birthday car parades (one which was for Bode and Molly)
-A teacher/staff school parade where the kids got to see their teachers drive by
-Lots of funny memes in the beginning to try to help lighten the mood of the circumstances
-The death of George Floyd and the movement it helped ignite on systemic racism and white privilege.

I don't know how much longer "normal life" will be disrupted. The virus continues to spread and there are things still not open (movie theaters, etc.) Utah seems to be normalizing, but our cases are rising again so who knows what the future holds. We've let our kids start playing with friends and they are getting to play some sports. There are things I miss from before, like fully stocked grocery stores, travel outside of Utah, etc. There are things I don't miss also. I am hoping that as we move back toward life as it was before, I am more aware of what I want to allow back in. This has been a growing experience for me and while it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows, I consider it a gift. A gift where we have been given more time together as a family without distraction or interruption. More time to focus on what really matters. Opportunities for my testimony to grow. Opportunities for our family bonds to be strengthened. Opportunities to take little trips to places we normally wouldn't have time for. Opportunities to create memories that couldn't have come about any other way. It'll be interesting to see how the rest of this Covid-19 rollercoaster plays out.

A few pics to remind me of this time!

Lego car building competition: Bode and Davis 1st pic, Jackson and Molly 2nd

Bike ride up to Tibble Fork

Nightly sleepovers in Bode's and Jackson's rooms

Online school and projects!

The school decided to still do "Eagle of the Month" for the month of May and Bode got it for his class! He was so excited. It has been his goal for a long time and we are really proud of him. The note attached to the certificate said, "Bode Ricks is an outstanding student in Miss Chappell's class. He has been chosen for the spirit of the eagle because of his positive attitude and willingness to focus on his work. He motivates and helps others to learn by being a great friend and partner to his classmates. He exhibits good behavior, kindness, respect, collaboration in all that he does. He is a great classroom leader and role model for his classmates."

Learning to draw on ArtHub.com

Bode's flaming marshmallow

Pit stop to see the little waterfall above the park on one of our family bike rides. We rode to the waterfall a few times with no water flowing, and then we showed up once when it had just barely started when we got there!

Easter Sunday spent worshipping at home but still all dressed up

Backyard campout

Masks! First two are pics of ones I sewed for our family to use.

Going to dance class and having to wear a mask and get her temperature checked before she can enter the building!

Our first Sunday back to church. We only go once every three weeks and our ward has to split into three different times to meet to keep numbers below 100. We have to keep an empty row between families and be ushered to our seats. We don't sing the hymns but just follow along and the sacrament is passed to each individual person instead of passing the trays. Definitely a different experience than usual, but still felt nice to be in the chapel.