May

- Covid update: we've extended our circle to include our parents, siblings & cousins (including Morgan & Leslie) and most everything with other households is doing something outside.  We do have some limited playdates, but they are all outside for now, and we try to get the kids to stay 6 feet apart.  Andrew's best bud, Tanner, can't do any play dates, so they like to visit from across the street to catch up.  (see picture)  Grandma comes over to do piano lessons, and we are grateful since that part of our lives feels normal.  

- Covid Memes are on point.  My favorite one has been one that says, "When someone without kids is talking about how bored they are in quarantine."  I cannot related to this - haven't felt bored once. 

- We went on a date with Morgan & Leslie and we were basically wearing the same thing.

- There was a firework show - I can't remember what for exactly - it was at multiple places all over the valley to avoid large crowds gathering.

- Brandon and I got a new bed and it is fancy and moves up and down and vibrates and the kids think it's fun.  It makes us feel old, but we are hopeful that it will help us sleep better.  Update a few months later:  the bed hasn't really helped us sleep better (not worth the extra money) - plus our kids still wake us up in the night just like they always do.

- First trip out to Utah Lake - look at all that snow still on the mountains! We are looking forward to be able to boat this summer because it is a socially distanced activity.

- A quail laid eggs in our front bush!!  My excitement is through the roof since I absolutely love baby quails.  We cannot wait until they hatch!

- We went on a hike to the Jungle Trail in Draper and there was poison ivy everywhere!  It was mostly marked, but still a little stressful with lots of littles.  

- Carson and Ryan are a year apart, but are starting to become good little buds.  

- We got masks in case we are going to start wearing them in public.  Carson picked BYU, Kendall picked Sonic, Andrew picked Superheroes, Rachel picked a flower pattern from Frank & Buck, so I made her and bought the other ones.

- Brandon took us camping somewhere in Spanish Fork canyon - not a campground and no amenties (Rachel hates peeing in the woods), but we were allowed to camp there and it was very socially distant!  Brandon took the kids to the red rock area to explore, and we had a great little private set up.  Around bedtime, it began to rain (not forecasted) and then rained most of the night.  Rachel and I insisted that we could hear animals basically marching around the tent and also peeing on the tent.  It was right outside of where we were sleeping and we were basically freaking out.  We ended up sleeping on the same mat and kept scaring one another whenever it happened.  We kept hearing things, and we'd tell Brandon to go check - he went out at least once or twice to reassure us and found nothing.  It was the absolute worst night of sleep and we figured out in the morning, the peeing sound was the water puddling up on the rain fly and then dripping off right by our heads.  We still can't explain the marching - it sounded like a parade around the tent.  In the morning, Carson woke up exclaiming how good he had slept - glad someone did!  Brandon said he didn't want to go camping with us ever again! That morning, we didn't even make breakfast - we packed up all of our wet gear and came straight home.  

- I am on a quest to be able to make fluffy (not flat) chocolate chips cookies!!!  There have been lots of cookies flops, but the kids are loving it.