August 2020

This month we went on an epic road trip!

The ultimate destination of our trip was our beloved "MBR" ("multi baby reunion) with Seth's college friends and their wives and children. Over the last ten years that we have done this we've alternated destinations and this year's planned destination was Colorado! Of course, originally the trip was to be in May, but we tried again and actually made it happen this month!

We got special permission from the transplant team to go and we planned our route carefully to try to be as cautious as possible. For the most part it was easy - we were outside! Camping! Already, inherently, socially distanced from people! But certainly we were around more people overall than we have been pre-pandemic.

I was particularly concerned about medical care, as usual when we've traveled more than an hour or two away from Seattle. I had nightmares that we'd get "stuck" at an inadequate country hospital and need a life flight... Certainly hindsight is 20/20 and I'm probably only saying this because so little went wrong on the trip, buuutttttt I'm so glad we went.

I really think this was my very favorite thing I've ever done. We saw so many natural wonders and had such a lovely time together, just the five of us. But it was so lifegiving to see our friends and to see Seth's brother and wife and nieces.

July 2020

We tried to conjure up some pandemic fun this month, but the highlight was a very enthusiastic transplant clinic! Woo hoo! Job is doing SO WELL!!!

Trying octopus!

Fort Stevens was lovely and needs more than just one day there next year.

April 2020

Now that we're two months post-op, I think I can confidently say Job really truly is talking more! His voice is so much clearer and stronger. He has a huge vocabulary and it's as if all these words that had been stored up in his head the last 2-3 years are now just pouring out!

We've been really strict on our lockdown. We haven't gone anywhere or seen anyone. Walmart Grocery Pickup is really struggling to keep up with all the new orders, so that's been inconvenient and has meant a shopping trip or two. It's weird to mask and wear gloves and sanitize everything. Maybe it's all unnecessary but we're wanting some time for things to settle before we discard such precautions.

We've gone on a few little family excursions to find isolated places out in nature to get a break from the house. It's been pretty difficult, actually! Favorite haunts are overrun with people, so we've had to go out rather far.

Art class has moved to Zoom, which has been quite the experience. It's helped us to remember to pray for all of our friends who are struggling with their online school experience.

I keep finding weird selfies on my phone courtesy of Isaac.

And I picked up cross stitching again!

Just the smallest bit of sunshine inspired the boys to pull out the hose and pools.

JOB CAN RIDE HIS TRIKE!!!! Oh, I wish we were still in weekly PT to show off this long-fought-for skill to Miss Kendra.

We were really really sad to miss out on Job's elaborate birthday plan: everyone dress in green and go to a park. (He was really inspired by Delaney's pink party.) But sweetly his cousins and aunts and uncles all dressed in green and sent him photo/videos birthday wishes and his brothers decorated a cake for him.

March 2020 Update

 Wow, the world changed. I'm still in disbelief and really, I think most of the world is.

We bought a new van just a week before Job's hospitalization and it felt a little silly to have it sit in the parking lot all week, but how much more so now that we're on lockdown and hardly going anywhere?

Well, we did go up to Lake Bosworth and we have gone on two Sunday afternoon drives after watching the sermon online?!?! What is this world??

We've done quite a bit of baking and so many walks around the neighborhood. Seth has been playing some online games with the boys, like the old Oregon Trail game and some escape room games. And we've been sending and receiving quite a bit more mail!