The Strangest Spring Ever

Oh, the changes the past month has thrown at us.  It seems like such a long time ago that Gracie played in this basketball tournament.  If we had known then what was coming.  I'm pretty sure this tournament was the last weekend in February and we all thought there would be one more before softball started.  Well, many things will be on hold for awhile.  However, there are still a lot of activities that will carry on and we will figure out how to to do them in different ways.

Show-Me State Games Basketball

Gracie's team played in this tournament and had a great weekend, coming away with 1st place again.  They had three games on Saturday and then played two on Sunday in bracket play.  There weren't very many teams in their bracket, but the teams that they played were pretty good.  They lost on Saturday to the team they beat in the championship game. They were both really good games and we came out on top of the one that mattered.  Our girls gave the other team their only loss so far this year.

Gracie posting up

Tipping off in the championship game

The "Outbreak" team after their win

Our Southern Boone girls

This team was supposed to play in one more tournament before switching gears to softball for the spring.  However, God had a different plan for everyone.  All spring activities are canceled; from little league to NCAA DI sports.  Everything.  It is so strange to not have a million things to do in our evenings.  We did get to go to a few Mizzou softball games before the shut down of pretty much all extra-curriculars.  I also got to see one of my students play in his senior day basketball game before he graduates in May.  However, he didn't think it would be the last one, as he was expecting to compete in the SEC tournament before it was canceled.

Ugh.  What a mess we are in.  So...here are a couple good things.  While we may be out of toilet paper, there is a silver lining. Stores in Missouri seem to be importing from Iowa now.  We were able to pick up this gem that I haven't had since we moved to Missouri.  So exciting to have some Ruffles with AE Party dip!

Also, I have a completely new home office.  It comes with an attached bathroom and closet.  So efficient for working now.  I don't think I've filled up my car for over a week!  I also never imagined that this would work in our home.  We have a hotspot to provide internet to several devices.  Too bad it can only support one at a time.

Starting Monday, we will all be doing work/school from home.  We will most likely need to schedule internet time and use our time very efficiently to make sure we can all get things done.  I will be meeting with all of my students through Zoom, which will be interesting from home.  We did this last week from my office, so they have all had a little introduction to our new way of tutoring and mentoring.

Gracie and Owen have packets of work that they need to complete, but these only go through April 13.  However, their homeschooling will last at least two weeks past that now.  I would not be surprised if they stayed at home the rest of the year.  One day at a time...

Our cats are so weird

Aww, Ruby

We found that she is a swimmer.  She enjoys are dirty stinky pond.

Here's Custer, squinting in the sun

Spending time with Sonita

Gracie and Sonita

We finally had a beautiful day yesterday and spent much of it outside in the afternoon.  We played catch, I hit to the kids, we brought home more hay, canoed, and just enjoyed the outdoors.  I have been working this week, but the kids are on "spring break."  So I have been trying to not work full days and spend some time with them.  I have a feeling that things will get a little crazy next week until we settle into our new normal.

The kids insisted that they needed to put the canoe in the water yesterday.  Turns out Ruby loves to swim and we can't keep her out of the pond.  Unfortunately our pond is really gross and Ruby now smells like it.  I love that she loves to swim, but wish our pond was cleaner.

Nick has been working out in the barn a lot recently.  He has two more stall doors attached, so we are able to take down some of the gates.  Sonita's foot is still pretty sore and he has been trying to get it to heal from her abscess.  She has been in a boot for about a month.

Putting the canoe in the water.

They were playing out on the pond for probably an hour yesterday.  Luckily neither of them fell in.  We would have had stinky kids, too.  We found a dead snapping turtle whose head was submerged in the pond.  Nick pulled it out and Owen was fascinated with it.  Yuck.

More love from Sonita.

She has been boarded in the barn while her foot heals.  Nick took her on a walk yesterday.

Moving forward...

Similar to most families, we will be adapting to the recent changes the COVID-19 Pandemic has brought on.  Thankfully, we do not know anyone yet who has become ill with this and hope to keep it that way.  The remainder of Mizzou's semester will be online and we have adjusted our tutoring program accordingly.  Gracie and Owen will be doing their studies from home at least until  April 27, which could be pushed back even further.  There will be no more Mizzou sport events to attend this spring, and Gracie's and Owen's activities are suspended for the time being.  We are not sure when we will get to watch baseball and softball again.  Gracie is hopeful that she will get to do some tournaments this summer and Owen just wants to play with his friends.

Dinners at home!  I really cannot remember a time in the past 10 years that we have been able to eat together every night of the week.  While in Iowa, we had wrestling and ISU events.  Since we have moved here, our kids have become very involved in activities, in addition to all of the Mizzou events that we attend.  For the past week (or a little more) we have sat down as a family every night to eat together.  Such a strange thing for us.  We have needed to run the dishwasher every day, as well. No more need to eat on the run while we get ready to go to whatever event is planned for the evening after a day at work and school.

Here are what some of our dinners have included for the past week:

   Cheeseburger Pie

   Enchiladas

   Steak

   Pork chops

   Lasagna

   Friend fish in tempura batter

Pretty exciting!

   

Other big news...

Nick is leaving NCAA DI athletics.  Nick recently resigned from Mizzou Athletics and has taken a position on campus as a Construction Manager for campus projects.  I'm not really sure yet what that will entail for him, but he is hoping to have a lot more free time to spend with us.  He might actually have weekends back and be able to get through a day without being called after he gets home.  Athletics has been a huge part of the last 20+ years of his life and has given us so many opportunities.  We have so many great memories of both Iowa State and Mizzou!  We are looking forward to this next chapter, though, and seeing what new opportunities will come.  The new job begins April 1.  Nick spent last week cleaning out his athletics office and bringing things home for the time being.  

I will try to take pictures during the coming weeks, but without kids' activities, our lives might be a little less exciting.  I'm just very thankful we live where we do and we have plenty to keep us busy at home.  We can still go outside.  We still have neighbors.  Nick and I still have jobs.  Our kids are still being educated and will still learn.  Our family is healthy.  We have what we need...except maybe toilet paper.