E&E : Easter 2020

Well we are another week into shelter-in-place. This week was a little less stressful. With the kids now going to the Hodges house for daycare on Tues, Wed and Thurs, Eric and I can actually focus and work at the same time which is so much nicer. And I've gotten my whole caseload effectively transitioned over to telehealth now so that's a load off my shoulders as well. It is still hard not being able to socialize with anyone in person but we are adjusting. I am throwing myself into various projects at night and on the weekends. The piano is still coming along slowly. I've been struggling with getting the top coat to not bubble as I apply it. I've had to sand a few areas, repaint and reseal which is a pain. But I really don't want to do a wax that I am just going to have to reapply in a year and I also don't want to do poly which will change the color and make it shiny. Sooo I'm making do with what I still feel is the best option even if it is hard to work with.

The partially painted piano

I also got fed up with our coffee table this week so I took the top off it, sanded the whole thing down and ordered some new metal hair pin legs for it. Also, I took the top to Papi yesterday and he helped me cut off the rounded edges and reband all four edges with red oak. It looks AWESOME. I decided to use tung oil instead of stain and sealant which I think I will really like. I love working with Papi on projects like this, only I wish I didn't have to wear a mask and that I could get close to and hug him and Nona. It was sad to be there but try to stay 6 feet away and not go in the house and wear a mask the whole time.

Coffee table half sanded. I can't believe how hideously orange it was before!

I know that not all of this will last forever but I have been wondering lately how much of what we have been doing will be the new normal for a long time and possibly forever. I mean, I think I could do with keeping some of the new habits that I have picked up, mostly in regards to cleaning, handwashing extra, disinfecting groceries, etc. But the lack of play dates and hugs and dinners together I am ready to be done with! Eric and I participated in the worldwide interfaith fast this past Friday. That was a neat experience to know that I was raising my voice in fasting and prayer with thousands of people from around the world and many different faiths. I fasted, but I am sorry to say that I didn't do it with much hope that this would all miraculously go away soon. I prayed that healthcare workers would be strengthened physically and emotionally, that patients and families would be comforted and that those facing economic hardship would have increased insight into how to help themselves and their families. But I couldn't pray that it would end or go away because I just don't think it will. Is that lack of faith? Perhaps. Faith has never been my strong point. At least, not for the last several years. I know that people can find comfort and strength in God and I believe in personal revelation and so that's what I pray for. I just don't know that God would intervene on such a global scale to stop a virus that I believe has happened just as part of our mortal experience and is a challenge God wants the world to face to force us to problem solve and work together.

Anyway, understandably this Easter has been rather subdued. But we did do an indoor Easter egg hunt yesterday (it was pouring rain). And Levi's primary teachers and Auntie Shannon dropped off treats for us. And we took some family Easter pictures on our front porch. It was ridiculously difficult to get either of the kids to look at the camera on the tripod but I still love how they turned out:

You can either have Emery looking...

...Or Levi looking, but you can't have both! Haha

Not sure why, but I kind of love this picture

#selfposed

He wanted me to take pictures of him dancing. He would dance and then freeze and this is the result. I love his smirk!

Also, the kids and I got to explore some new trails last week thanks to the suggestion of a friend of ours in the ward. It was so beautiful and a nice escape from being cooped up inside. The park was technically closed though so it makes me nervous to go back too often.