Quarantine

Due to the Corona Virus (Covid-19) crazy measures have been taken by our governments. Many of our freedoms have been taken away to help minimize the spread of this super infectious virus. Schools and many places of work have closed down. Any place where people can gather for social/ entertainment has been shut down. No sports, no play grounds, no swimming,  borders, churches, air ports, even the provincial parks are closed.
This all means that children are at home doing home school and many parents have been laid off and are stuck at home as well.
we have been blessed that daddy still is able to go to work. Mommy has been laid off as her work minimized staff and have reduced patience to emergency visits only.
Macie and Wade have been home schooling for about a month now. They have been pretty good about it. There are some definite challenges.
Wade has a hard time sitting still long enough to get through a lesson, unless it is about starwars, which not may are. Wade has been excelling at reading and doing well with math.
Macie has a hard time taking coaching. She is excelling at math and art and doing well at reading. When she focus' she excels at most everything she tries.
Kansas is very busy. She enjoys helping out around the house and playing with toys. She is trying to potty train with some days better than others.
Mom has been staying some what sane by taking the kids on super long walks around Magrath.

New Class Room

Macie

Wade

                                                              Mom's GYM class

Brave Kansas

Kansas finally got approved for Genetic testing to see if there are any Myasthenia Gravis genes in her blood. It took forever to get approved, but when Kansas started having some major eye dropping when she got sick with a virus, her paediatric neurologist fast tracked her paperwork and we finally got the paperwork to get the bloodwork done. We went first thing this past Monday morning and because of the Coronavirus it was super slow. We got in right away and the lab technician was so wonderful and patient with Kansas. Kansas was so incredibly brave and sat so still and watched as the lab tech took the blood from her without crying or wincing once. They were so impressed with her they gave her extra stickers and play dough. Now it is time to be patient and wait for the results as it can take 6-8 weeks to get the results back. Possibly longer with the craziness of the Coronavirus right now.

Polar Bears

Since the New Year Wade has been working on a project at school that would be displayed at the school for all the Grade 1 parents to come and see. Wade choose to do his project on Polar Bears. He was always talking about it at home so I was very excited for the day we would go and hear all about it. On a Wednesday in March myself, Aunt Terra, Grandma and many other members of the Magrath community made there way to the school to learn about the many different animals the Grade 1’s had researched and done their project on. Wade did such a great job and it was so fun seeing him present to us some cool facts about Polar Bears. Like how they live in the Artic, Or that they are the biggest bear in the world.

2020

January 1st was to be a not only the start of a new year, but also a new decade. 

I believe most people, including  myself, had high hopes for a positive change. For the first few days it was like any normal January. But things progressively got worse and worse. 

It started with a flu out break in China. North America started hearing about it in early to mid January. But it started a few weeks before that. This new virus was taking China by storm and millions of people were forced in to quarantine. Soon transportation was stopped. No flights, no trains. Temporary hospitals were popping 

up. The virus shut down shops, factories and movie theatres. Anywhere where people gathered was blocked. There were thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths. The virus left China and spread across the world. Countries did not know how to deal with such a quick out break. 

In early February, Canada had another problem. A group of First Nations in northern BC had a disagreement about a pipeline that was to be built across its lands. Some wanted it and others did not. As word got out about the quarrel, people took sides. And things escalated fast. Soon people against the pipeline where blocking trains all across the country. The rail companies had to lay people off because no trains were moving. Ships waiting in the harbour for rail supplies were set back at least 2 weeks. This causes a great disturbance in commerce around the country. As the blockades where removed by police and other protestors left, things got back to normal pretty quick and Canadians caught their breath. 

But not for long. The virus found its way to North America. 

It had spread like wild fire. More and more Jurisdictions have reported more and more cases. Now in mid March, it has been declared and epidemic. NBA, NHL, MLB, and NCAA have postponed or canceled their seasons. Governments are limiting travel. the Church has come out and made serious changes to the April general conference. This year there will be no participation physically in the conference centre or in church buildings. Only via satellite will it be broad cast. 

Now as this escalates, Russia and Saudi Arabia have had a disagreement about oil production. The Saudis wanted to lower output because of the decrease in travel and such due to covid-19. Russia disagreed and would not join in on curtailments. The Saudis then changed their mind and stated they will flood the market with record production. This caused UAE and other nations to join, which caused the price of oil to drop from 50$/bbl to around 30$/ bbl. Good for consumers, not good for companies and folks who like to work. 

Now let’s be realistic. Covid-19 is a variation of the flu. It is highly contagious and effects the elderly,  smokers, and immune deficiency folks the worst. Not one death under 10 yrs old. Very few below 20. So many will recover. The oil market has always had ups and downs, but investors are shying away from such volatility. 

The rest of the stock market has been hit really hard as major sell offs continue to plague markets.  

I have not even written a hundredth part of what has happened and the effects of all of it. It has been  devastating.  

It’s only March, and there is a lot of days left of 2020. We can only hope that there is a recovery in the summer to bring back hope and optimism. 

Day with Kansas

Daddy and Kansas had a fun day. 

The day started with a crazy wind storm that turned into a snow storm. The weather looked terrible. So kids got a ride to school and mom wanted daddy to drive

Her to work. So daddy and Kansas had some time in Lethbridge. We went to 

Wear M Out

There was so many options Kansas was over stimulated and did not know where to start. She went and checked out lots of little stations and moved on very quickly. She had such a blast.

When we get home, the weather warmed up nice so we could make snowmen. And thats just what we did. Kansas was a great little helper, patching up cracks in the snowballs, finding sticks. 

She even made her own little baby snowman. 

It will be a long time before dad can have fun with the kids as he has to go to work for three weeks starting tomorrow. 😬😢

PHOTO DUMP!!!

Wade re-lives the head scar event in Co-op Lloydminster

Kansas had a bought with some nasty reaction that came and went 

Macie's Baptism

its a great day to do nothing

Wades 6th Birthday

Selling Home Made Cider 

Singing O Canada at the Hurricanes game

Kansas gearing up for skiing

one last look at our Cold Lake house

Good Bye Cold Lake

Children being obedient and reading scriptures

Miss Miller Wades Grade 1 teacher 

Kansas Being Cute

TOO FUNNY NOT TO SHARE

I love to see the Temple

Today was a beautiful day. The weather was amazing and the temple was even more so. 

We met the Skoien's for the 4:30 session in which Hakon had a name for me to take through. After we completed the session, we were ask to do some sealings. It was the reason we went so early. Several families were sealed for time and eternity today. It was wonderful feeling to be apart of that. The welding together of families. 

The great plan of salvation in action. 

We give thanks To God for the greatest blessings that can come to families through service in the temple. 

Macies Baptism

To expand a little bit more on our sweet Macie's baptism as it was glossed over pretty fast. 

Macie turned 8 on December 20, 2019. 

She had a desire to be baptized. She met with the Bishop and decided to join the Lords church. She had been trying hard to do what is right since she was little. 

This was her next step. 

Her baptism was scheduled for Dec 22, 2019. This was a Sunday. We did it after church. The bishop presided and brother Dahl conducted. 

Macie picked the speakers and the songs. She wore her mother's baptismal dress, and looked beautiful. 

Her Uncle Danny gave a talk on baptism. He shared an experiment with clean water and put dye in it then purified the water with bleach. This symbolizes our body and how over time we make choices that contaminant our bodies, but when we are baptized we are cleaned. And can be clean each week with the Sacrament. 

Her dad baptized her and felt a great love for her and the gospel. He felt so much joy that it was difficult to speak. 

Auntie Terra and Auntie Corrine witnessed the baptism. 

Macies cousin Annika (Sister Shipley) shared her testimony via Skype as she was serving her mission in Virginia. 

Uncle Ryan gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. 

He talked about the wonder gift it is in our life. He shared an experience when the spirit lead him to change his behaviour while driving which saved his life. 

He gave Macie several gifts to help remember the gifts of the spirit. 

Life saver Candy

Blanket

Flashlight

To name a few. 

Then her dad laid his hands on her head to give her the gift of the Holy Ghost. Again he was filled with joy and had trouble speaking. 

After the session was done we had a family dinner at the church. 

Many family members attended. It was pulled pork, veggies, fruits, chips, salads We also enjoyed your birthday cake made by Auntie Corrine. 

We missed 

Uncle Trent and family

Auntie Keltie

Uncle Dave and family

Uncle Perry 

Auntie Betty and family. 

It was a wonderful way to spend with family right around the holidays. 

SOLD!!!

Its official. On February 25, 2020 our Cold Lake home sold! After lots of faith and prayers, fasting, the Lord heard our plea. I believe he was slow to hear our cries as we did not listen to His council not to buy in Cold Lake but to Rent only. We are grateful that He had compassion on us and allowed us to close that part of our history. Now we look forward to the future, and hope to heed the Lords council every time he offers it.

It was also neat that the gift was given on Dads Birthday.