Month two has passed for our COVID-19 quarantine. We are still doing pretty well to be honest. Everyone is still getting along and cruising through at-home school. The kids really haven't complained once about staying at home. Pres and I do our best to keep them entertained with water balloons, Nintendo (now they're into Sonic, haha), soccer, bike riding in the drive way and chalk designs outdoors. To them it's just another day. To me however, I am really missing my traveling. I am an adventurer at heart and this is starting to get harder for me.
Luckily, Preston has a co-worker that owns a cabin that she has let us slip away to. We spent an awesome, much needed weekend there this month. More on that to come. Here's a look at our continued Corona-cation April 2020...
We have continued the tradition of watching a movie every Saturday night with the Clark gang. This last one was Frozen 2. A favorite in our home. The kids LOVE this tradition and we look forward to it every single week. Honestly, Pres and I do too. It's a fun family night :)
Easter
Happy Easter!!
This year the Easter bunny hid lots and lots of eggs all around the house. The kids loved running from room to room to find the next egg. They also found surprises in their baskets when they woke up. Each got a stuffed bunny, a new DVD, a chocolate bunny, a book and some water balloons. They were so happy the Easter bunny left each of them something.
Unfortunately, after breakfast poor Beckham boy got sick. He threw up several times and had to lay down for most of the day. I postponed our Easter pics until the following week since he was feeling so crummy. Luckily, he started feeling a whole lot better by Sunday night and was able to eat something. I felt so bad for him, but in hindsight he got to watch all of the new DVD's that day while he laid down.
I love when this girl first wakes up. She's the cutest little thing in the world!
Quinn's Quarter
On Monday, April 13th, we had quite the scare in our home. We got everyone down for the night and could here Quinn doing her normal night routine. This consists of her running from the bathroom back to her room. You can hear her little steps running across the floor from where we sit downstairs. First the steps, then you hear the water turn on in the bathroom, then Pres shouts, "Get back in your bed Quinn.", and more foot steps run back to her room. It's pretty much a nightly routine around here. This night was no different except we heard her do this several times. Preston went up to investigate and make sure she turned the water off.
When he got to the bathroom there she was playing with water and soap trying to make bubbles. Pres told her to go back to bed. She quietly went into her room followed. She then told Preston, "I swallowed money." He asked her what color the money was and she said brown. Then she immediately threw up. Pres yelled for me to come and help. When I got to the scene she was hanging over the sink spitting up. Pres told me what happened and I looked for the penny as she spit up. Nothing came out though.
We gave her a quick "rinse you off" bath, changed her clothes, and I scrubbed the carpet where she originally threw up. Once I got her in her new jammies she threw up again, as if gagging on something. I felt then that something must not be right. She could still breathe and talk to us so we knew she was doing ok as far as that goes but something didn't sit right. She threw up twice within a 20 minute period. Again, no penny.
Pres immediately reached for his phone to text his CEO, who also happens to be a doctor, and asks him his thoughts. He then called the ER nurse in charge for the night to ask her as well as. And just to make sure we cover all of our basis we texted Drew to hear his thoughts. Every single person came back and said that we needed to take her to the ER. We were informed that if she was spitting up as much as she was, the penny was likely lodged in her throat trying to get out. We were instructed to go to a Children's hospital so she'd be taken care of in case if any other emergency comes up. As we were getting her ready she spit up again. That's 3 times within 40 minutes. We knew then that we had to hurry.
Right around 9:30pm Pres was about to take off with my baby girl in the backseat strapped into her car seat holding a bowl just in case she spit up again. I was so extremely nervous and hated that I couldn't come along with them. The boys heard the garage door open and came running downstairs to find out what was going on. We informed them of the situation and Jack said, "Mom, can I say goodbye to Quinn?" I told him, "Of course, buddy." He climbed in the backseat before they left, kissed her head and gave her a hug saying, "love you Quinnie." Jack then looked at me and said, "Mom, Beckham and I are going to go say a prayer that Quinnie will be alright, ok?" I said, "You know what bud? That's a great idea. Thank you!" The boys took off back into the house to their room.
I gave Quinn my own hug and kisses and they took off for Oakland Children's Hospital in Oakland. An hour later I got a text saying that they had made it and Quinn did a great job on the drive. Once they were in the parking garage and heading toward the hospital though, she spit up again. Three different times within 100 yards.
Getting checked into the ER with Dad right by her side.
They checked her in to the ER and immediately got an ultrasound. It wasn't hard to tell something was lodged in her throat. What we thought was a penny this entire time ended up being a quarter!! Not hard to tell when you look at the X-Ray. I couldn't believe my eyes. I asked Preston, is that a half-dollar?! It's HUGE. Sure enough it was a quarter. We were so grateful that it lodged the way it did or this story would have a very different ending. Such a blessing! We are eternally grateful for the prayers said by two sweet brothers right before she left.
While waiting for an IV and anesthesia so they could go in and scope the coin out, Q fell asleep in Preston's arms. She fell asleep around 11:40pm. She had to have been exhausted! She had a little wheezing while she slept.
Then came the IV...EEK! After sleeping for about 30 minutes, the nurses arrived to give Q her IV. Pres said that there were a lot of tears and cries for Momma, which broke my heart. I wanted nothing more than to be right there holding her and kissing on her little forehead. It's so painful to watch your children go through things like this and you can do absolutely nothing. Once the IV was in they put a diaper over her hand to make sure she didn't fiddle with it. Pres said that it took a video of Elsa's "Show Yourself" from Frozen 2 to get her to calm down enough that they could transfer her to her bed upstairs. She did not like that she had to wear a diaper on her hand, haha. Poor thing.
The surgery was scheduled for 5:30am and we were told it would be a quick procedure. While Pres was carrying Quinnie up to the surgery floor, she spit up again... twice in the elevator. Luckily her mask caught most of it so it wasn't to hard to clean up. They put Pres and Q in a shared room with some other folks. The nurse took her vitals quick and asked a few more questions and left so Q could sleep.
The surgical resident popped in one more time to make sure nothing changed in her behavior since she spit up again. She seemed a little apprehensive when the doc came in, but once he left, she drifted off to sleep listening to her infusion pump.
A few hours later and Quinnie is ready for her procedure. They woke her up and got her ready to go. The anesthesia kicked in and she was all set. They were in and out of the surgical room within 5 minutes. Pres said it was crazy fast. The doctor confirmed it was a quarter and told us he would send it to us once they did a few tests on it.
Quinn back in the recovery and very much out of it. They tried waking her up several times but she wouldn't budge. They finally had to rub a cold wash cloth over her face to get to wake up. Once she did wake up she wasn't too thrilled with the nurse, haha. Just like her Momma would have been. You don't mess with my sleep people! Haha. They obviously had to wake her so she could go home though.
A very happy reunion!!
Needless to say, I got very little sleep that night. I was texting Preston every 30 minutes or he was texting me with updates. I think I finally fell asleep around 2am and then woke up at 5:30am when they took her in for surgery. I cannot express the gratitude in my heart for the doctors and nurses that were on shift that night and for my loving Father in Heaven who heard the prayer of a child. I know He heard all of our prayers and our pleas and I am eternally grateful to Him! This was truly a miracle and a blessing!
Easter Pics 2020
My very sweet Beckham boy! This kid is my cuddle bug and I LOVE IT!
More pics of Beckham to come in May for his Birthday. I can't believe my baby will be 5!
My Jackson Scott...A heart of pure gold!
I love this picture! It's his true nature. Happy, fun and full of life.
My very sweet girl. This little girl has everyone's heart! She is so fun, loving and an absolute angel.
Sweet smiles :)
I mean come on?! Seriously?! How cute can you be?!
These three have stolen my heart and I am 100% ok with that. The love that they have for each other is the best! I could not ask for anything more.
LOVE!!
A Trip to the Cabin
This was a much needed trip away from home. Beckham boy started running in place and doing laps around our kitchen, haha. I knew it was time to get out and go explore. Preston asked his co-worker/friend Erin if she'd be ok with us staying at the cabin for the weekend. She graciously allowed us to rent it so we took off for the weekend after Easter and Quinn's quarter incident. I think our family needed a little something that week. We packed up some yummy food, games and headed toward the mountains.
Once we got to the cabin we looked all around and just took in the smells of the trees and the outdoors. Pres took the kids up on one of the hills and they started rolling logs down the hill. The kiddos LOVED this. They would roll the logs down, put them in the wheel barrel and then stack them along the house for our use later. They had so much fun being outside and in nature.
Our home away from home.
They are actually selling this house but haven't put it up on the market due to the pandemic. Grateful we had the chance to visit and stay while we could.
Everyone had a pair of gloves and did their part except for maybe one person....
While everyone else gathered wood, I took comfort in this hammock. Ahhhhh! Now that's what I'm talking about ;)
It didn't take long before I had some company :) We all laid back and enjoyed the scenery. The kids went off to explored. They found some smaller sticks to build a fire for later.
Quinn recently learned how to show I Love You in sign language, so they all showed off their skills for me :)
Yep, this is me relaxing, haha. Thanks Beckham boy!
Off to explore some more.
My view :)
Teaching the boys how to build a fire :)
This is Gary.
I heard something rattling around in a garbage can and very hesitantly went over to see what it was. Lucky for me it was just a lizard. The kids came running to see and named him Gary. Gary is now a free lizard :)
Trying to get Gary to come out. He wasn't having it, haha.
Taking pics along our scavenger hunt. Jack made a scavenger hunt that we all got to participate in. We had to find things like leaves, sticks, a bug, acorn, etc. It was a fun little scavenger hunt. Everyone enjoyed it.
Jack stopped for a quick pic by a tree :)
Beckham playing peek-a-boo
Running down hills
Quinn having a conversation with her Dad.
How cute is this?! Oh my heart!!
Meanwhile, the boys jumped on with me :) Nothing like some family time.
We had to make s'mores while we were there. Funny thing is, the kids LOVE making s'mores, they just don't like eating them, haha. Jack was the only one who enjoyed both :)
"Who wins biggest smile?"
Once the kids went to bed Pres and I put a few more logs on the fire. It was such a perfect night. I loved just hanging out with my man, talking and listening to the crackle of the fire.
Our happy place for sure!
The next morning after breakfast Jack made another scavenger hunt to do.
Off to explore in the wilderness.
Quinn joined too :)
Looking for something red I believe... ;)
While they explored I got in a workout on that sweet deck. I really enjoyed being outside surrounded by the trees while exercising. It was rejuvenating.
The kids played Uno on the deck while having a little popcorn treat.
Love this!
We stayed for one night and LOVED every single second we had there. Pres was on call for work and had someone covering for him while we were gone. He also had a few other work things he had to get back for. We were only there a short time but we really enjoyed the break. We look forward to going back again soon!!
Someone didn't make it very long before falling asleep ;)
I have ALWAYS had a dream of owning a property not far from my home. A place that I could escape to when needed or just for fun. This weekend solidified that dream. I LOVED being only an hour from home, yet feeling far away. It truly felt like a vacation. One day...one day!
Back to Reality
Monday morning came too fast! We were back to our normal routine in no time.
School days!
A shirtless picnic outside ... why not?
The life and joys of a kid.
Beckham has a hard time taking naps on his own. He likes knowing that I (or someone) am either close by or in Jack's bed while he falls asleep. He doesn't have issues with us leaving him at school or church for classes. He only wants someone close when it comes to naps. This afternoon I grabbed my book and sat in Jacks bed reading. Before I knew it I had little human snuggled in right beside me :) He was fast asleep within five minutes. Once he's asleep he's good, so I covered him up and went about my day. This is something I wanted to remember about him. I wanted to remember how he loved having me right there with him. I know that this won't last forever so I want to enjoy it while I can. Life of a Mom!
On April 24th Preston and I ordered take out and watched Aerial Britain on YouTube TV.
This was the day that we were supposed to be flying off to London for a 10 day trip through Ireland, Scotland and England. That of course didn't happen. We were fully refunded our trip, however, it didn't take away from the fact that we missed out on something we were really looking forward to. We of course will rebook the trip once we know what the future holds as far as travel. But we aren't too certain on when we'll be able to find the time again. Needless to say though it will happen ... eventually.
Sunday church
During this corona-cation, we have LOVED having church at home. We get dressed every week, partake of the sacrament, and have a lesson from the scriptures. I am so grateful that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints had put forth the home-centered church over a year ago. Little did we know that we would literally have to be at home each Sunday for church. I am thankful we have a prophet in our day to help warn us, guide us, direct us and keep us in tune with what the Savior would have us do. This truly was a miracle put in place!
Beckham asks to take pictures with me all the time. I LOVE IT and I LOVE HIM! I will soak this up as much as I can for as long as I can. He's the only one that ever asks to take a picture with me :)
Marriage in a nutshell...There are crazy times and great times! Enjoy both :)
Love this man more than anyone or anything! I am so grateful to have him in my life and by my side.
"Mom, let's take a picture."
During these past few weeks I have started to venture out more into the baking side of life. I LOVE cooking and feel pretty confident there. Baking is a weakness for me. I just wasn't that great at it. This night I made the cheesecake and Pres made the main dish...salmon and potatoes. Both were out of this world!! Absolutely delicious. I am starting to get there when it comes to baking confidence.
This was a new recipe I tried. It turned out so so so good. Lemon-garlic shrimp tossed in angel hair pasta and asparagus with a side of homemade artisan bread. We really enjoyed this one.
We got new barstools for our counter.
Everyone loves them especially for stadium seating during movies and shows ;)
When you don't have a stylist right now and you have inch long split ends and fried looking hair, what do you do? You cut it yourself...eek. Not too shabby I have to admit just don't look too close, haha. I wish it would just get long already though. I hate having to cut it at all but it was pretty bad. Maybe it's time to consider extensions....hmmmm.
Overall, this has been quite the month. We have definitely had some ups and downs just like every family in the world is having right now. I am super grateful that no one in our crew has gotten COVID19 and that we continue to be safe. I am looking forward to a brighter future when life can be somewhat "normal" again. Hopefully sooner than later ;) I will enjoy the time we are having as a family for now. I have really enjoyed baking a ton and learning new recipes along the way. I don't want to come out of this quarantine wishing I would have done "x" with all that time I had. If I'm being completely honest, life hasn't changed much for us. When you have a 6, almost 5 and 3 year old day in and day out, life is pretty simple. Every day looks pretty much the same, haha. I still have things I'd like to come out of this accomplishing or doing much better with though. I am well on my way now.
Looking forward to May and the baked sweets, breads, new recipes, family and friend zoom meetings, Clark movie nights, and Sunday church. Here's looking to an awesome May ;)
