I am writing this entry near the end of 2021 with complete shock by how the time has just passed. The way the past year and a half has been, is nothing short of the craziest ride I have ever experienced. I see that my last entry was in May 2020 right when I went back to work at the salon after the initial lockdown of covid. I had taken on a second job to make ends meet in that time and that job took off. In addition to still working full time at the salon, still living through a home renovations, boys sports and weird school schedule and a pandemic.
I don't even know how to fill in what has happened. I totally see how I let this fall through the cracks because SO MUCH has happened in our family and in the entire world. I feel like the world is permanently in a state of unrest. Something "bad" is happening almost daily. Especially as the closing of 2020 was wrapping up. The Election was terrible, there were riots all over the country, cities burning, covid and all it's lies were (and still are) rampant. The division among the world, our country, states, city to city, community to community, and in families has been extremely heartbreaking a to experience and watch.
Another one of the reasons I have let my journaling fall through the cracks was when I went back to the salon after having stayed home for a whole month. I started hearing more things about Covid that were just not adding up. Clients were reporting to me family members who died were getting death certificates saying their loved one passed away from covid, when it actually was a car accident or something not related to it. Come to learn, the hospitals were getting paid more with each covid death. and the rest started to unravel, along with the rest of the country. I genuinely feel like we are living things from the book of Revelation and 1 Nephi's vision of our day. It has felt like a complete mess. I see the devil in the center of all of it. So many "experts" using their positions to take advantage of this entire situation. Certain things about it all remind me of Nazi Germany. And I'm not saying that just to be drama, it really has an unnerving feeling about all of it.
So many people feel passionate about wearing a mask and it is something that I just can't handle. My childhood trauma is triggered by it. I just choose not to wear it and that's created issues with people around me. Especially in my ward. That's been fun. So much of the pandemic has felt so manipulated by evil power hungry people and that is what I grew up with. So I have been extremely passionate about standing up for myself and not being bullied into just following the crowd.
On a spiritual level though, I have grown significetly. The Book of Mormon Come Follow me study last year was amazing. And Also was very timely each week as things were lining up in the world with what I was reading. Kinda cool and scary at the same time. Gave me an even deeper understanding of why Mormon saw our day and compiled the record just for our benefit. I love that thought and the peace and hope the book of Mormon gives.
With my newer online business I have had the opportunity more to share about that online. I started to share my Book of Mormon study with people on line and it became something that others really enjoyed. I even was given the experience of bringing people closer to Christ in that. Been really cool with that.
Well, I think there is no way that I could sit down and recap all of this in one little post with details. I have many pictures that just aren't going to make it in this time. But a quick recap each month.
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May2020 I went back to the salon and was one month into my new only online business. It was creating an out of the box experience and lots of growth for me.
Jesse was working on the house and the boys were still doing the at home school stuff since they stayed closed through the rest of the school year. So lame. Poor Ryker's 6th grade graduation just wasn't a thing.
June2020
---We poured the steps to the porch/front door after not having a way into our home for over 2 years.
---We rented an RV and drove to the Redwoods and the Oregon Coast and back. SUCH a fun trip. We want to do it again for sure.
---I also qualified for the Auto Bonus in my new business while we were on that trip. It was surreal.
July2020
---We were still doing at home church. It became a thing for several months where we weren't meeting in person and Jesse would do the sacrament. I actually really liked it. Brought our family closer.
---We found ourselves hiking more with the family.
---We helped Andrew and Emily move from Logan and into their apartment in Cottonwood Heights.
Aug2020
---Put together a Go Fund me with a committee to help save Jeri's pool from the earthquake. And Ron Bird from the news came and interviewed her and Jesse.
---Oh boy the hybrid school schedule with the kids was just the worst. And dealing with them having to wear masks to school was the net worst. Ryker started 7th grade and they were only having him go 3 hrs every day and then do online school. The poor kid really struggled with that. Online school is not his jam and he doesn't do well without socializing. Cy was struggling wearing his mask on a regular basis and got in trouble about it a lot. They would take away his recess as punishment. It didn't help the rest of the school year out for him. He was punished for his nose showing. I was not happy how he was treated. Fynn was doing great with Jeri an her preschool. Thank goodness.
---Football and soccer season was actually allowed to happen. And we were excited to have that "normal" thing for my boys come back.
Sep2020
---Fynn's 5th birthday we took him out to dinner and he chose Chuck-a-rama. haha
--- Jesse had torn of all of the old siding on the house and was spending every waking moment putting the new siding up by himself. So amazing and so much work. The old siding was this thick concrete plaster with rocks in it. And it weighed so much.
---We helped with a huge yard sale to raise money for Jeri's pool and I think we raised $10k on that event.
---Jesse and I snuck away for an 2nighter up at Park City. We did some hiking and chilling at the hot tub.
Oct2020
---I took the boys to Wheeler Farm with Emily and her kiddos.
---Family Photos Taken up at Temple Quarry and we did updated Firefighter Family ones that I just love how they turned out.
---I went with Heidi and Emily to Park City for an overnighter. Tayler couldn't make it.
---Collin Kartchner died. I was really sad about that. He was so young and had done so many good things for the youth.
---Jesse turned 40 and I threw him a big birthday party in his parents backyard with friends and family.
---Ryker's Football team won the Championship Game in their division.
---The boys dressed up at the 3 Musketeers for Halloween. Which was odd, some people were afraid of gathering or handing candy out, and others were normal. So each house we went to was different.
Nov2020
---Heidi took me, Emily and Tayler to Park City to go shopping for our annual girls overnighter. Little Sloane came too.
---We went shooting at the gun range for a date night a couple of times.
---Thanksgiving
Dec2020
---Lots of weekly hikes with my friend Hillary.
---I attended a 3 day workshop for Network Marketers to learn a better skill set to grow my online business.
---We got Drywall in the addition and we were so excited to see the addition (new kitchen space) come to shape. It felt more exciting that Christmas to us.
---Our new flooring was delivered.
---The Smith Family did a sub for Santa as our service project.
--- Christmas was hard for me. I struggle with my family. And I just have a scroogy attitude around this time of year. I love being with the Smiths, but my family feels like i am suffocating and anxiety ridden around them.
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