Social Distancing Weeks 3-5: Finding the good in all of this...

Whew! It's hard to believe we are kicking off week 6 working remotely and home schooling. Our days have been very different than what we were used to prior to this COVID-19 crap, and while there are certainly drawbacks, there are also some positives that have come out this - things we've learned along the way to do better, and hopefully things we'll carry on with us out of this once things have returned back to normal (even though normal may look very different after all of this is said and done, who knows). 

Here's what's happening in the news and in our community in general (so we can look back in shock-and-awe one day). I promise none of this is "fake news." 

• Over 3 million coronavirus cases worldwide have been detected through testing (as of today)
• Over 200,000 deaths worldwide from coronavirus
• About 915,000 recoveries from coronavirus worldwide
• Total cases worldwide is still climbing, according to World-o-meter's latest reports, however many countries and states are starting to see a decline or leveling out.
• The U.S. has 999,000 coronavirus cases, with a little over 56,000 deaths so far, and about 137,000 recoveries
• Over the past month, things that became a real issue were getting enough masks and ventilators to hospitals who needed them for people working on the frontline and those who were sick, and testing! Although the government says all three of these things are readily available in all states now. To even get tested though, you must meet certain criteria.
• Start in late April to mid-May some states are starting to "re-open the economy" slowly. Some businesses in Nebraska are starting to do a soft open in early May, but most businesses and sporting events are projecting more of a late May to early June for getting things "back to normal." We'll see if this really happens...
• Many experts are projecting the coronavirus will boomerang back in the fall so businesses and schools are being cautious. School systems are projecting things will still not be normal in the fall...which could get interesting.
• In the U.S., New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts collectively possess roughly 46% of all U.S.-diagnosed coronavirus cases. Nebraska has 3,028 total cases now with 56 deaths to-date - unfortunately we went from being the 4th lowest state with cases to the 15th lowest state. Nebraska has conducted a little over 22,000 tests with around 1/2 of those being positive for coronavirus.
• There are around 30 strains of the virus, and new symptoms for coronavirus were published by the CDC this week too.
• Even with all of this, there are still a TON of people shopping at stores with no masks or protection on. Many retail stores, like Menards for example, have had to put lines in place. Kyle went there the other day to pick up some supplies (see #4 below) he waited in a 15-minute line that was wrapped around the outside of the building because they'd only let so many people inside the store at once. 
• Toilet paper and lysol wipes are still in high demand.

But enough of THAT. Here's some of the good! 

1. I feel like we're getting into the swing of things and have found a new rhythm for our day-to-day both in our own work and family time, which has created a better sense of "calm" at home than the first two weeks of chaos. 
2. By creating a schedule to our days it's also allowed us to figure out how to take breaks together, go on walks, play with the kids outside, eat healthy more consistently and even work out. Beth has taken up a daily yoga through an on-demand class on the TV, and Kyle's going to start using his workout machine more often.
3. We are definitely planning our weekly meals much better and being a lot smarter about how we use our dollars when it comes time to go to the store. We try to order everything online at either HyVe Aisles or Walmart, select a pick-up time and go get it. We think through lunches and dinners for one week and only buy for a week. It is definitely something we'll continue past the COVID-19.
4. When you're home all day and staring at your house, you start to realize there are so many house projects yet to do. A positive has been accomplishing some of these we may not have done for awhile. A few we've done in the past 5 weeks include: overhauling our office (flooring, paint, trim, ceiling), finishing off our safe/gun room and putting a sliding barn door on it; painting two doors in our house that needed to match the walls; paint touch-ups throughout the house; adding a door frame pilaster and cross hedge to our front door to give it more of that extra "pop."
5. Um...it snowed...in April. So we went sledding and built snowmen and igloos. And then the next day it was 70 degrees again. #onlyinnebraska #itsnotforeveryone
6. In the evenings, Beth's had some time to catch up on scrapbooking. She's created and ordered 3 books from Pastbook.com for years 2017, 2018 and 2019. Images and stories are pulled straight from our social media accounts and automatically put together in a simple scrapbook. Hoping to do a few more years yet...we get them this week!
7. Taking time as a family to landscape, plant flowers, mulch, pick our asparagus and more. We finally burned down our huge brush pile too which also allowed us to have an evening with the kids to roast marsh mellows and drink some wine.
8. Volunteering: Beth's work did some outside yard work for Friendship Home. Don't worry, they kept their social distance and wore masks, but a few team members went on property to help de-weed and clean-up their landscaping. It was nice to get outside for a cause.
9. Our driveway has never been more beautiful! Between both kids' chalk drawings and Shelby's art creations when she's over, it's a beauty. So, we park in the grass now.
10. We've been attending "virtual church" through Christ Lincoln, and I gotta say, I like it! It's been a fun new tradition for our Sunday mornings while eating pancakes and eggs.
11. Grandparents! Beth's parents dropped off some books for the kids to read and a mini four wheeler passed down through the family, so we've been taking time in our evenings to properly train the kids how to drive it safely, which they've loved. Norah already rolled it, but we are working on that. Kyle's dad and Sue have enjoyed some great lake time in Kansas, but we still get to see them (from a distance) and that has been really nice! It usually involves quality conversation and some wine. And Kyle's mom, Chris, stopped by to drop off Easter baskets for the kids (keeping with traditions) and made us some masks to keep on hand if we need them. It's just nice to see other humans, so we soak up these moments.
12. We've both realized that while this was a nice worldwide experiment, we both could NEVER be work-from-home people. We both miss daily human connection so much (thank goodness we have each other!) and that constant parent guilt is always there when you're working downstairs, but your kids are upstairs and you feel you should be with them. Some days working remotely has been more productive, and I could see doing a day or two here or there to knock out a project, but not a full week...ever again.

We hope everyone is safe and healthy. We miss all of you and hope to give you all huge hugs when it's socially acceptable to do that. We also hope you're finding some blessings in your days that will come out of this and make you and your family that much stronger and more resilient.

Much love,

Beth and Kyle

The kids doing their homework and trying to stay focused.

It snowed one day and melted the next. We had fun making an igloo!

On hot days we get the slip-n-slide out!

Our driveway has been turned into a #nextlevel piece of art.

Beth and coworkers safely volunteer outside at the Friendship Home doing yard work.

Beth's team's weekly stand-up (sit down) meeting - hat theme today!

When you get bored, you bury your sister alive. :) 

New pilasters and cross hedge for the door!

Goodbye brush pile!

#virtualchurch @ChristLincoln

Beth had some fun with quarantine labels last week on Etsy. Who wants one?

Thursday night book club with some Assurity girl friends.

Derek, Norah and Beth take a walk up to the farm.

The kids getting their exercise (aka P.E.) - roller skating and bicyling.

We posted this image for #ArborDayAtHome to help #CelebrateArborDay and help them meet their goal of planting 50,000 trees.

Norah on her weekly 1st grade Zoom meeting. They each had to share what they'd want their super power to be. Norah picked "creating ice like Elsa."

Our new office! Thank you Kyle for all the hard work on that floor and trim.

More house projects! Beth painting trim.

The kids waiting for their teachers to drive by in Bennet at the Bennet Teachers Parade. It was so great to see all the teachers - they miss them and their friends so much.

Beth's makeshift office (since Kyle is using the actual office).