Corona (Still) Crazy!

As eluded to in my last post, school has been canceled for the rest of the year (in addition to all youth church activities and camps). We're still waiting on word as to when students can get back on campus to gather their things since no one really had time to do so before this all happened. The coronavirus is still infecting hundreds of people a day across the nation. In fact, the United States, as of 6:45 p.m. ET on May 1, there were 1,100,306 confirmed cases nationwide with 64,874 deaths. In Utah, there have been 4,981 confirmed cases with 49 deaths. In Utah County, those numbers are 1,021 and 7 respectively. While the healthcare system in Utah appears to be keeping up with the new demand, nationwide there has been a shortage of personal protective equipment, overworked doctors and nurses, etc. There are restrictions on any elective medical procedures and people who are allowed to visit those admitted to the hospital. Other restrictions are slowly being lifted. As of yesterday, Governor Herbert is lifting restrictions on certain "non-essential" businesses; thus, allowing them to open their doors with certain stipulations. Restaurants can now open in-restaurant seating but with limited capacity. Stores have signs everywhere encouraging people to maintain 6 feet of distance, indicating which direction to walk down aisles, and where to stand in lines. Moreover, sometimes you have to wait just to get in the store as they monitor how many people enter and exit. Everywhere you go people are wearing masks and gloves. Some stores are even requiring masks. We have masks, but we have yet to use them. However, now I feel like I'm breaking some sort of rule (even in the stores that don't require them) if I'm not wearing one. Is this going to be the new "norm"? Is Jonas going to grow up thinking face masks are normal for large events or in airplanes? How long will it take our economy to recover? Will businesses change their way of providing services? For example, will curbside delivery be a permanent thing? Are in-restaurant dining experiences going to decline? Will large entertainment or sporting events be changed? Will movies be all released on through at-home streaming services? Will movie theaters disappear? Will music lessons or other at-home capable instruction continue that way? I realize that we all want to shout, "No way!", but some things will change. It's inevitable, but it's still unknown what. Until then, life still exists in this surreal pandemic experience. We still have to be wise with where we go, with whom we choose to interact, and how religious we are with our hand hygiene.

So what have we been doing to keep busy? Pretty much the same as before. Jeff invested in some bows for the older boys so archery has become a casual pastime. The boys have also dusted off their remote control cars and had some pretty epic races. I picked up a kite while grocery shopping at Walmart, and Jonas and I enjoyed an afternoon of flying a kite. The boys have done some coyote hunting and cattle branding (don't ask... on either! Actually, the same friend allowed the boys to brand cattle with them and go onto his property to shoot coyotes, but they never got one). There have been countless puzzles assembled, cookies made, and work done in our living room/kitchen. Jeff and I even got in a couple "dates". Obviously, we weren't able to do some of the things we normally enjoy doing (going to a movie, dining out, attending the temple, etc.), but we have done some drives in the BelAir and gone on walks down the Provo River Trail. I really enjoyed that Provo trail so I took Jonas out one day while the boys were coyote hunting. We packed a picnic lunch and enjoyed finding swings along the trail and feeding the ducks. Jonas and I even ventured out a couple times to get a drink and cookies. We haven't been eating out at all since this whole thing started so getting cookies and a drink was a real treat! I am hopeful that life will return to more of a "normal". I do think there will be lasting changes because of this pandemic. I'm not sure what those will be. I hope that some of the "changes" we see now will relax after time. I am hopeful a vaccine will be effective and available before another major round of this virus rears its head. I am still praying that we (or any of our loved ones) contract the virus, but I guess all of these questions and hopes will only be reveal with time. Until then, we're trying to make the best out of the situation.

Cruising around Utah Lake in the BelAir

Where's Jonas?