Five for Five!

Such a huge sigh of relief! Covid numbers are as high as they have ever been, but now we don't have to worry because we are all vaxxed! There was a mobile bus at Children's Hospital where anybody could go, so after Camille's last game of the season we took her in. She was pretty nervous, but she did great, didn't even feel it, and had no side effects.

Lots of Bribing

It took A LOT of bribery to get this girl to finally get the vaccine, but she finally did it. In 5 weeks, we will have another fully vaccinated person- happy day! We are proud of her for being brave and putting her phobia aside to help save the world!

Woah!

 Take a look- what do you see:

This is me feeling awkward, naked, and totally guilty at the store for the first time in 14 months. Getting back to "normal" is sure going to be weird!

Era of Covid

Now I feel like we have for real experienced living in the era of Covid. For the first time, the girls got a Covid test.

I wasn't specifically told I needed to get them tested before they went back to school, but I was pretty certain that was the responsible thing to do.

So far, we have never been quarantined or needed tests or anything. Since they aren't in school all day everyday, we just keep living our life. Most everyone I know has had their kids quarantined multiple times.

They weren't excited about getting a test, but it ended up being fine and they all tested negative. They didn't like the test, but it didn't hurt or anything.

Now I feel like we can say we have gotten the full Covid experience, without, of course, actually ever getting Covid.

Second Doses!

 We got our second dose! It is so cool to see the miracles of God and science work together and unfold right in front of us.

Ben got pretty sick from the second dose- nausea, etc. I felt pretty great the first day, but am pretty tired on the second day.

It's worth it, though. This truly is the answer to prayer that we have been seeking, and it's a happy, happy day to be fully vaccinated!

Masks, Masks, Masks

 Masks are so ubiquitous now that I don't even really notice them. Now, I'm annoyed when I see someone without a mask.

I am not great at washing masks- they are supposed to be washed every use. I only use them for a few minutes at a time, so I just forget.

But, here's several (not all) of our masks washed and drying. This is the new normal, though we are definitely coming out of this pandemic as more and more get vaccinated! Personally, however, I hope masks stay in fashion. If I ever have so much as the sniffles I plan to wear a mask when I'm in public, and I hope others do the same. I like not being sick, it turns out.

Modern Miracles

 I am feeling immense gratitude lately for scientific miracles.

Health Gratitude Post 1/2: Ben and I were blessed to get our first vaccine yesterday. What a miracle! I believe in God, I believe in science, I believe in miracles, and I believe that when we fasted and prayed last April for relief from the pandemic, God blessed us with this vaccine. It is truly a modern miracle! I feel like crying with relief that there is hope because of this vaccine, and I marvel at the good people volunteering their time to distribute it, at the scientists who developed it, and the blessing we have to live in such a time as this to witness the miracles of God unfold!

Here's a sweet message from the President of my faith, who was a world renown heart surgeon before becoming a full time leader of my Church.

**I am SOOOOO grateful, but yikes- my arm is really, really sore! Like I couldn't sleep last night sore! Time for Tylenol and a hot pad to try and help ease the pain. But to be clear, I will GLADLY take a sore arm to help save the world!

From President Nelson: "With approval from our physician, my wife, Wendy, and I were vaccinated today against COVID-19. We are very grateful. This was the first week either of us was eligible to receive the vaccine. We are thankful for the countless doctors, scientists, researchers, manufacturers, government leaders, and others who have performed the grueling work required to make this vaccine available. We have prayed often for this literal godsend.

As a former surgeon and medical researcher, I know something of the effort needed to accomplish such a remarkable feat. Producing a safe, effective vaccine in less than a year is nothing short of miraculous. I was a young surgeon when, in 1953, Dr. Jonas Salk announced that he had developed a vaccine against the cruel and crippling disease of polio. I then watched the dramatic impact that vaccine had on eradicating polio as most people around the world were vaccinated.

For generations,

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

has donated considerable resources to making vaccinations available for people in developing countries. Vaccinations have helped to eliminate diseases such as diphtheria and smallpox. My professional and ecclesiastical experiences convince me that vaccinations administered by competent medical professionals protect health and preserve life.

Receiving the vaccine today was part of our personal efforts to be good global citizens in helping to eliminate COVID-19 from the world."

Here is how we were able to get the vaccine. It's nothing short of a miracle:

Basically, it's the hunger games to get the vaccine. You either need to know somebody or be tech savvy or be just lucky. We were lucky.

Our vaccine group, 1B4, opens on Friday. We are relatively high on the list, but I knew it would likely still be a few weeks before we get the vaccine.

Last week I had an OBGYN appointment. While there, I asked my doctor if there were ever leftover vaccines and if I could get on a list if there was. She said, "yes" and that often they will come downstairs and ask people if they want leftover vaccines. She suggested I go upstairs and ask, so I did. I was told they don't have a list and the best thing I could do was to show up between 4:30-5 each day to see if there were any no shows and extra vaccines.

This appointment happened to be about 25 minutes away, so it's a little far for me to drive to every day. But, there is an office about 3 minutes from my house distributing the vaccine, so I figured I would go in and ask them as well.

I had the kids with me, but I stopped at the facility and told the girls, "I'll be right back. This will just be a few minutes." It was only 2:30, so I was just planning to run in to ask if I could even come each to check for extras.

I went in and asked the lady, and I was being super super nice, and she said, "Let me text my head nurse to see if there's any extra." I was like, "I don't need it now- I can come back later," and she said, "oh, no, let me text. Have a seat." There was nobody else getting a vaccine at this time. A couple minutes later she said, "Come and back, we have an extra!" I couldn't believe it and almost started crying right there! The relief. The joy. All the feelings- it's just a miracle.

I decided to be greedy and ask if there was one more for my husband. THEY DID! I called Ben and was like, "Get down here right this second! They have a vaccine for you!" He raced down and also got the vaccine. I can't even believe it. I'm still in shock! We go back in 3 weeks for our second dose, then one week after that we will be 95% safe from Covid! It is an absolute miracle, and I am overwhelmed with absolute gratitude that we were able to get the vaccine. That the vaccine even exists! I'm so, so, so happy!

And my arm is so, so, so sore!

Health gratitude post 2/2: I just finished reading this book, about a 32-year-old woman with Chron's Disease. I have Ulcerative Colitis, which is very similar. As she described her pain and feelings that she would die, I knew exactly how she felt.

Unlike her, however, I was diagnosed relatively quickly. As of today, I have never been hospitalized for my illness and I have not yet required any major surgeries.

I realized reading this book how lucky I am- lucky that I have excellent health care thanks to Ben's job (and angry at our system of health care that requires a good job to have access to said care,** but that's another story and today I'm focusing on gratitude), grateful for an excellent doctor who is very proactive in ensuring that I don't go into another flare, so incredibly grateful to live in a time of miraculous scientific research and access to life giving drugs to keep me in remission, and just so incredibly grateful that for right now, today, I am healthy and strong and can live a wonderful life. I know it can easily be taken away- I could end up with a stricture and be hospitalized tomorrow- but for today, I'm grateful for all the things mentioned above. What a wonderful time to be alive!

OK, I'll stop being sappy for today. #gratitude

**thankfully, the ACA does help with this.

The Great Chocolate Chip Cookie Quest

 In January, I realized this was going to be a long, dark winter due to Covid. I thought, "maybe the girls and I could make a few recipes and try to find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe." I shared that thought on FB, and suddenly friends and family who I haven't talked to in YEARS, from all over the country, started sending me recipes. Many people expressed how they couldn't wait for our results.

So, me being me, I decided to use those recipes and make this a bigger thing. Ben helped me put together a bracket with 12 different recipes (an idea from a FB friend), and for 8 weeks the girls and I baked and baked and baked. Honestly, we got sick of chocolate chip cookies. Please don't bake us any anytime soon. We reached out to friends to be judges- we were able to make this a community thing. I figured, "if something as simple as chocolate chip cookies can spread joy during Covid, why not?"

After baking

24 batches totaling,

1,202 cookies

using

12 recipes

from

6 different states,

and going through

32 pounds of flour,

26 pounds of sugar,

21 bags of chocolate chips, and

12 lbs of butter,

With...

29 different families judging...

We finally got our winner!

And, the winner of the 2021 Great Chocolate Chip Cookie Quest is

.....

.....

.....

Kelli's Chocolate Chip Cookies!

For the record, while this recipe did come from my cousin Dennis, it is identical to the one that we have been baking since before I was married. I did always think they were the best CCC, and now after all of this hard work, I can know that it is true.

A couple of friends sent me this article about baking the perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. Obviously, in the end it all comes down to preference. Do you like doughy? Chewy? Coconut? Whatever it is, if you can dream it, you can bake it!

This article takes a basic recipe (which is almost the exact recipe that WON our cookie quest-which goes to show that when it comes right down to it, most people in our competition prefer a basic chocolate chip cookie) and tells you how to dress it up to your taste.

In regards to our competition, if you like big, doughy Crumbl like cookies, LeVain Bakery cookies are for you. If you like traditional, Kelli's cookies. Browned butter coconut has a yummy coconut flavor, Mrs. Field's and Best Ever a more nutty flavor. For soft cookies, use the Pudding  or Soft CCC. For something fancy, Jacques or Alton Brown.

Have fun baking!

Here is our competition bracket:

https://docs.google.com/.../15bO0ZIhpf3pwx9j5oDaj.../edit...

And, here's the article for tips to make YOUR perfect recipe:

https://www.tasteofhome.com/.../perfect-chocolate.../...

Cookies!

 It was about a year ago that the world came crashing down.

Last March was so hard- it was bitter cold, we couldn't leave the house, everything was scary and everyone on edge. 

As we entered this winter, I knew I couldn't endure another depressing state like what we felt last March/April, and I was really worried.

So, for fun, I told the girls we would try to perfect the chocolate chip cookie.

I casually mentioned this on Facebook, and suddenly people from all across the country were sending me recipes- friends I haven't talked to in years. It was amazing that people cared so much about a silly cookie.

But, I also realized that for whatever reason it made people happy and brought people together for something fun.

I decided we would make it a contest. Some friends suggested making a cookie bracket. I'm not tech savvy, but Ben made it for us.

Here's the bracket, with recipes included:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/15bO0ZIhpf3pwx9j5oDajqJluJQJW1t0NTX43XBRybpc/edit#gid=0

We started with 12 recipes. Each week, the girls and I make the recipes for the week. Then, we deliver cookies to multiple families along with a scoring sheet for judging. The families send us their results, we calculate the scores, and announce the winners.

This week was our second round of semi-finals. In two weeks we will have the finals.

It has turned out to be a nice distraction, and we have brought a lot of smiles to families in our area. It turns out, our own original recipe that we have been making for years may be the overall winner. Which would be hilarious. 

Either way, I'm glad we have been able to bring joy to others.

Here's some of our cookie creations. For the record, we are all a little sick of chocolate chip cookies:

RBG

 I'm loving this mask a dear friend sent me. I'm debating whether I should wear it to church when we start going or not.

Quiet Peaceful Moments

I don't know what it is about the last few weeks- perhaps winter settling in, perhaps the earlier darkness, perhaps the realization that the only activity we are now involved with is 4H so we have a lot of time on our hands, I don't know- BUT...

One really sweet we are finding is quiet moments. I frequently find Claire and Camille sitting next to each other knitting. Claire just taught Camille how to knit and they are enjoying using their skill.

Or, finding all three girls sitting on the couch reading. They will sit nicely for hours reading- it makes every trip to the library worth it, even if now we are back to only picking up holds instead of being able to go inside and peruse for books (the library isn't closed, but they offer curbside pick up so we are switching to do that with Covid numbers rising so quickly).

 It is really sweet and brings a lot of peace to our home. These girls are so sweet.

Covid Updates

 It's been awhile since I have talked about Covid, but it's still what is running our lives.

Unfortunately, numbers are skyrocketing again- like really, really skyrocketing. In North Dakota, they said they had about 100 new cases a day at the beginning of October. Now, they have over 1,000. Does North Dakota even have 1,000 people??? I guess so. It's so bad in North Dakota that health care workers were told they could work even if they have a positive Covid test.

Every single day this week I have gotten this e-mail from Audra's school (the local middle school she attends for band):

Dear Ranch View Middle School Families and Staff,

 

We recently learned that a person at our school has tested positive for COVID-19. We are following guidance from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment regarding isolation and quarantine of affected individuals. 

 

The person who tested positive is in isolation. Those who have been identified as close contacts with this person will go into quarantine and have received additional information from our school. 

 

While they are quarantined, students in the impacted classes will transition to virtual learning and staff will provide more information to those families soon. All other classrooms and all other grades can attend school as scheduled. In alignment with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment guidelines, siblings of the quarantined students can still go to school unless their sibling gets sick or tests positive for COVID-19. 

 

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and/or shortness of breath. Other symptoms can include sore throat, congestion/runny nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache/body aches and new loss of taste or smell. If you have a concern, please contact your medical provider for guidance. 

 

To learn more about DCSD’s health and safety mitigation measures, please visit this website. We will also continue to follow recommendations found on the Colorado Department of Education’s COVID-19 resources for schools page.

 

Thank you for doing your part in keeping our students and staff healthy and safe.

 

Health, Wellness and Prevention Team

Douglas County School District

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Starting the week after Thanksgiving, all of DCSD is going to remote learning. This is not at all a surprise. Almost all school districts have either already switched to remote learning or will be soon. Douglas County is now at a level "Orange." I'm not sure what it means, but it does mean tougher restrictions- no large gatherings, etc. Our church has been meeting every Sunday, with half of the ward attending each week, but now that number needs to be lowered. Now, if you want to attend sacrament, you need to text our Bishop to make sure there are enough spots for you to go. Whereas the YW were meeting outside for lessons and activities, that has all been changed back to 100% on-line. We are grateful for this, as we don't want Audra going to them anyway.

Over 50% of Americans plan to travel to visit family for Thanksgiving. So, the numbers will only increase.

We are pretty much hunkering back down. One of my dearest friends is a long hauler- she has been severely ill since March. She can barely get out of bed after all this time, and there is nothing the doctors can do. Every time I think, "Oh, it isn't that bad," I think about her and remember just how serious this is. Even though fewer people are dying, the long term consequences of this illness are scary. A new study found that 20% of people who recover from Covid are subsequently diagnosed with a mental illness- it is now even being linked to cause Alzheimer's.

We have been so, so careful- but we are now being even more so. We made a bunch more masks today so we can do a better job of washing them after we use them (we have not done a good job of that, sadly). I'm going to start limiting my grocery store runs again, like I did back in March.

Panic shopping has begun again. For awhile, we could buy TP pretty easily. You better believe I stocked up when I saw it on the shelves! And, it's a good thing I did- things are running out at the stores again. Here are the things I stocked up on as I saw them very low back in March: Toilet paper, paper towels, yeast, flour, and cleaning supplies.

There are a couple of drive through Covid testing sites in Highlands Ranch. Every time I drive by there is a line of people wanting to get tested.

There is hope that a vaccine will be coming soon, possibly as soon as January. Of course, it will go to the most vulnerable and the front line health care workers first- as it should. I am curious how many people will be willing to take a vaccine that hasn't been tested and researched as well as it should. We will certainly not be the first in line for it.

It's just all really, really scary.

Covid Question

Covid question #6: What has been your biggest loss/disappointment during all of this?

(I'm thinking specifically of events/trips/lost opportunities, not disappointed at people or society:))

Ali Skalla Brown

We didn’t get to go on our WDW family reunion trip that had been in the works for 2+ years

Anna Justus Phillips

We were set to go to DL the day they closed it down to celebrate my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary with the kids and grand kids.

Jenny Muir Davis

We didn’t get to go to Prince Edward Island in Canada for my cousins wedding. Going to try for next year. My students did not get a graduation.

Jennifer Demi Raehl

I lost my job that I love. My second child graduated and turned 18. They lost a lot which was difficult to see.

Michelle High Younce

Honestly, I cried when our 20th anniversary trip was canceled. It wasn't anything super exciting or anything, but would have been the first time we went on a real vacation without the kids. I had been looking forward to it for a couple years and it just hurt to not go. Totally a first world problem, and we will still get to go in the future, but it was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.

Stephanie DeCremer

I went completely out of my comfort zone and auditioned for a singing role in our churches musical revue. It's a production they put on every couple of years where you put on performances to songs from musicals. I participated two years ago, but not in a soloist part. I am not really a soloist, as you know. However, this year I tried out and got a part. Not a huge part, but a part. And, that got cancelled. That's probably what my biggest loss was; not being able to do that. Maybe I will have the chance again, but I really had to talk myself into trying out in the first place.

Katrina Bradley

Our 10th anniversary trip to Chile

Danielle Anderson

Austin missing the Bon Jovi concert he had waited years for was a big blow. The loss of years of work on his social anxiety is a way bigger deal, though. Possibly the biggest deal. After not being socialized outside of our immediate family really for months, just being around other people has become extremely challenging for him and something he often can’t handle even in small doses now. I can’t imagine how much worse it must be for more severely-affected autistic kids. My heart goes out to them and their families too. It will take a lot of time to get our gains back.

Valerie Loveless Illguth

I didn't get to go to a week long retreat/training for special needs parents in April. II'm automatically given a spot for 2021, but I was really looking forward to connecting with other parents and participating in all the advocacy workshops.

Bryn Brody

My husband and I were going to hike in Hokkaido for our 25th anniversary.

Lisa L Schreiber

My tennis team won and our sectionals tournament was cancelled. Our Disneyland trip with my parents was cancelled. Those were my biggest things I missed. And Taylor Swift concert cancelled.

Twila Newey

Regular day & camping trips to the beach. Only our second year here. It's been a heartbreak.

Melanie Eaton

We missed out on a good friends 50th birthday celebration trip to Austin, Maylee couldn’t get her ears pierced for her birthday and a couple of concerts.

Matthew Longhurst

Okay I'll bite. We had passports, airline tickets, car leased, apartment paid for, and logistics all ironed out for a 3 week vacation in Italy and the south of France followed by a 6-month stay in the Alsace region (June - December 2020). It was to be the experience of a lifetime doing all that with our kids before Cora left for college/mission. Alas.

Jeannette Hut Howell

Playing the 3rd Orchestral Suite by Bach on my harpsichord with my orchestra- the Parker Symphony Orchestra.

Joanne Markowski Donohue

We had a whole 10 day Spring Break trip planned in California with a free place to stay at my niece’s near Laguna Beach. We also had tickets to Maui to a friend’s house. My biggest loss is for my high school junior who is missing nostalgic events like the Back-to-school dance, Friday night football games and bonding pep rallies.

Jenny Fischer

We had to cancel my spring break trip to NYC to see Hamilton with Penny. She was heartbroken. We also cancelled our trip to Oregon for the summer. But never fear, we got an RV to be able to make it there this year anyway! And NYC is rescheduled for April, cross fingers. No Hamilton though.

Sarah England Webb

I was in England with my husband and 4 boys on a family trip we had planned for a very long time when Covid hit Italy hard and the US started closing. We had to cancel the second Half of our trip (France) and they canceled the premier league game we had tickets to which was supposed to the the highlight of our trip (We are huge soccer fans). We had to come home early and then spent months in quarantine. My oldest was a senior at the time so the last part of his senior year and graduation was cancelled. Also our 20 year anniversary trip

Will have to happen another year. But through it all we have had some pretty awesome and some pretty rough together time. Like everyone I suspect. Though I was sad for my senior, I don’t think I would have had that much time with him before he left for college without quarantine.

Jessica Bauer Autrey

Probably kids birthday parties. We promised them all friend parties this year, but sadly had to go back on that. The first one was in April, back when it seemed like things might normalize in a few weeks so said we were just doing a small thing, and would do more once things went back to normal. Like normal is a thing anymore.