April, Easter, quarantined 2020

April started off weird because of the corona virus pandemic. There have been blessings we have received due to this and also trials. I will talk about those later but wanted to recap our month of April. First we were able to have General Conference. It was different than any we have had because only a few people were able to be filmed giving their talks and those who offered the prayers. It was not held at the usual place in the conference center. I am so grateful for modern day apostles and a prophet that leads and guides heavenly fathers church upon the earth. We were edified and received strength from the messages given! Bentley and I both took notes for all the sessions and it seemed to make the conference fly by. I am grateful that Bentley sees the importance of listening too and recording his thoughts about conference. He is wise beyond his years and I am hoping he will continue to always work on growing his testimony. The other kids pooped in and out and played quietly in the room or colored. The following week was Wyatt’s baptism day and Easter weekend. Wyatt was so excited to be baptized and didn’t really seem to care if he couldn’t have a whole bunch of his friends and family there as long as he was able to get baptized was all that mattered to him. It was a special day and we were only allowed our immediate family and my parents to come. The spirit was strong and as Wyatt entered the waters of baptism he had a huge smile on his face! I am so grateful that Wyatt chose to be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost! I know it will be a blessing in his life and help him as he goes through life’s trials. It was such a great weekend because the spirit was already strong as we discussed the Holy Week and our savior Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for his example and for his sacrifice so that I may be able to find a way to return home to my Heavenly Father. I am also grateful for the knowledge that my savior was resurrected and that he lives! It was amazing to hold sacrament meeting in our home and share our testimonies with each other of our savior! That day was also fun as the Easter bunny came. My mom had made little bunny foot prints at our front door and left some cute Easter candy and fun toys/games for the kids. They also had their own baskets with goodies I hid around the house from the Easter bunny. I don’t love the commercial part of Easter as much as I just want to focus on the true meaning but with little kids I do it for them:) because of social distancing we had Easter at home with just our own little family. I made a delicious dinner of ham, turkey, potatoes, rolls, salad, jello, and dessert. It was a really good weekend. The rest of the month was spent learning to do online schooling, webex meetings with classes, and balancing fun with chores. We went in hundreds of bike rides, and enjoyed seeing neighbors in passing. We went to see the horses and other animals nearby. The kids started looking forward to our daily bike rides. We even started to swim a little and took a lake trip about once a week to keep ourselves from going to crazy being indoors. We have been so blessed to have this time together and to be healthy when so many have been hit by the virus or even died. It is a difficult time for many and I am so grateful for the home that we have and that Jon has been able to keep working. The kids have even gotten along better and learned to play games, and imagine together. It can get mundane and overwhelming at times but for the most part I am so so grateful. The kids teachers have been so helpful and have worked so hard to give them a good curriculum to follow for the rest of their school year. Towards the end of April we went up camping in the Rim. It was beautiful and such a good time! We had bought the kids a little rzr so they had fun riding around in that and taking turns on the motorcycle. We were not able to have a campfire so that was a bummer. We played lots of card games, frisbee, and football. We went in treasure hunts and nature hikes. The best part of all was having sacrament meeting and church surrounded by gods creations. We found a shaded spot beneath the pine trees and we held the meeting right there. The kids sang Joseph smiths first prayer and it brought such a strong spirit. I prayed that angels kid be present specifically Kevin and my grandma and grandpa west. I believe I felt them there because right after a felt a warmth go over my body and started crying the spirit was so strong. I also thought it was interesting that each time Jon knelt to bless the sacrament the wind picked up and russled the leaves. It was an experience I never want to forget. The rest of the month went by quickly and the days just felt like they were on repeat. I think Olivia loves having her siblings home. Most of the kids like home school but Bentley says he wishes he could go back. I am proud of them for working so hard! They are good kids! Jon has been so busy and is hiring so he has been doing interviews. I am for the most part happy to have everyone home but it has been hard not feeling like I ever get a break! My favorite has been the movie nights, bike rides, and home church.