Taking Grandma on a Walk

As Grandma and Grandpa Skousen pack up their house to move, we are taking our last few weeks with them to spend more time together.  I am so sad they are moving.  So many things have changed in the blink of an eye.  This March has just been wild, to say the least.

We took Grandma on a walk to the park.  We will miss them dearly.

Day 17 of Quarantine

What on earth have we been doing since the world went mad?

Well....

NOTHING!

Ok, that is not entirely true.  

We have been hanging out as normal.  We are just doing normal things.  School.  Games.  Piano.  Cello.  Trumpet.  Cleaning.  Oh, and of course projects.

Our microwave died on our anniversary.  I thought it would be easy to just head on over to Home Depot and buy a new microwave, except it isn't. 

You have to order a microwave.  

Since the world has gone mad, everything is taking longer than usual to arrive.  Both Home Depot and Lowes have longer wait times for items.  Like a month!

So my dad looked all over the internet to get a microwave sooner than April 15th!  He found one and we installed it yesterday.  Phew!

 

The boys mission to Mars class was cancelled so we had to finish up the last projects on our own.  My dad came over and helped the boys measure, cut, and tape the "hub" for living in on Mars.

 After months, I finally hung up the map above the boys desk in the playroom.

 Our beautiful cherry tree is blossoming! 

 First mud pit of the summer/spring!

I finally got my mom to go on a bike ride with us!!  It was glorious to see her on the bike!  She laughed and said she actually had fun!!

 And of course, we are playing lots of board games.  Lots and lots!

 I'm not sure when I will ever be able to capture my babies sleeping again, so when I get the change, I take it! I love them.  They are so sweet.  So innocent.  So lovely.  I want to pick them up and love them and hold them forever. 

You Make Your Own Luck

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Today, Stephen and I celebrate 14 years of marriage.  

It has gone by so quickly.  There have been some crazy ups and downs but we have weathered the storms.

I love Stephen Barnes.

My 12 year old self would then write my name with his last name 15 more times just to see what it looks like together.

Julie Barnes loves Stephen Barnes!

Ha!

I got Stephen a nice pair of Roka sunglasses for sports and he got me the Les Mills smart bar and step! I love it! I have wanted one for two years!! 

Well the world is still a little crazy and that's OK.  I can actually see some balance returning.  Not as many people at the stores and the shelves are being restocked.  I have been to a few different stores and was able to walk in and out with exactly what I needed.  People are still in panic mode as the entire United States goes into quarantine.   Everything is cancelled.  Everything.

The only two things still holding on for dear life are piano lessons and swim team.  

We shall see what the world has to offer us as the days unfold.  

Today was a normal day.  

Home school, Trumpet, and swimming.  

Today, the world went mad

So, maybe you've heard, the corona virus is spreading like wild fire causing mass hysteria world wide.  I would be remiss to not mention it on my blog as this is my journal.  

Travel: Cancelled

School: Cancelled

Church: Cancelled

Toilet paper: Cancelled

Life: Cancelled

It is so odd to see the world seriously panic.  I know there are tons of people sitting back at home saying, "I knew the end times were coming and I was prepared!" 

Well I don't think this is the end times.  I think this is media telling us to be crazy and causing complete chaos!  It is so frustrating.  

I just happen to be out of clorox wipes, toilet paper, comet, toilet bowl cleaner, and disinfectant spray.

I can not buy any of those things at the store or online.

None!

What a funny world we live in right now.  

I did buy in to some of the hysteria. 

I bought some extra food.

Canned food.

Some extra water.

If we get quarantined like other countries I think we will really see a different side of the government and people.  Now that is scary!

"Want a cigarette?

Today started off just as any other normal day begins.  Except we slept in until 9:30 because we can. Because we needed sleep.  Because the time changed.

I had planned to get us through with school by noon then go to the park and grocery shop.  Well that did not happen because we slept in.  No big deal.  We home school.  We get to sleep in if we want to sleep in.  

We did finish our school work around 2:00.  I invited one of Nolen's friends to meet us at the park.  We met at the park in our neighborhood.  Piedras Marcadas park.  A park we have been to many, many times over the last 8 years.  A park that I have considered allowing my children to ride their bikes to once they're older. 

We drove over to the park because Edward had a trumpet lesson at 3:00.  I figured Nolen and his friend could play while I ran Edward to his Trumpet lesson.  I waited for Edward to finish his lesson then we drove back to the park.

While I was pulling up, I saw Rebekah, Dylan's mom, running after three boys and yelling at them.  I ran up the hill and asked her what happened.

Well...

Nolen was offered a cigarette.  

Rebekah said the boys, who looked about 12 years old, came to the park and hid under the play structure to smoke pot.  She looked back to see what they were doing and the flipped her off and called her a bitch.

WOW!

Then they got up and walked over to Dylan and Nolen then asked them if they wanted a cigarette! 

WHAT?! 

Then she got up and yelled at them and told them that was not OK.

They were so brazen! 

So bold!

But what I find more bold is that fact that both Dyan and Nolen said, "NO!"

Phew! 

But seriously, in front of an adult? Asking 9 year olds if they want to smoke?

Now I really feel like I can't just leave them at the park to play while I run around.  Why kids just be kids? So sad. 

So scary!

Viva Las Vegas!

Our annual Vegas trip was a total success filled with interesting trials that changed the way we vacation.

We arrived in Vegas on a very rainy Sunday afternoon to learn that the show we had scheduled to see was cancelled.   We had to find a new show to watch.  Bummer.

We chose, "Le Reve The Dream"  It was pretty cool and every seat in the house was a good seat.  Every single one of my siblings showed up for a delicious diner at one of Wolfgang Puck's restaurants in the Bellagio.  

Dinner was great, company was fun, and the show was a hit.  So no real loss.  

We had to move our scheduled cabana day to Wednesday because the weather was not cooperating.  It was rainy and cold all day Monday.  We actually spent the day just hanging out.  We did nothing and everything.  We had no plans and that was awesome. The boys gambled while the girls went shopping.  The girls got a little lost while walking to dinner and ended up walking a mile and half in a circle on the wrong side of the strip.  It was funny and frustrating all at the same time.

Tuesday we had scheduled a spa day at the Aria only to find out Monday night that the Aria decided to re-tile their spa! We had to find a new place to have a spa day.  This ended up working out in our favor.  We called the Encore Resort and spent a lovely day at their spa.  The massages were awesome but more importantly the spa was AMAZING!  It was empty and so relaxing.  We just went from steam room to dry sauna to cold plunge to hot tub to freezing cold plunge to a warm chair with cucumbers for our eyes.  Honestly, it was everything I needed and wanted in a spa day.  

Tuesday night was the BEST!  

We planned a wig and karaoke night.  It was awesome.  I seriously had so much fun singing with my family.  The best part, if we hated a song we just hit cancel and moved on to another song.  It was great.

Wednesday, we had our cabana day.  This was a nice day out by the pool at Aria.  It wasn't as great as other cabana days we have had in the past but it wasn't bad.  I took a nice nap by the pool and just relaxed.  We all sort of took that day to rest.  We ate a nice lunch at the Aria then the girls went shopping while the guys gambled again.  We met up for our favorite dinner, secret pizza!!

Thursday, Stephen and I had a late afternoon flight so we just wondered around Vegas while everyone headed home.  It was a wonderfully relaxing week in Vegas. I always wish we would spend more time in Vegas but as Thursday rolls around it feels like we had done everything we came to do.  

Until next year.