Saturday morning, we attended a basketball game for Nathan and then, immediately, drove to another school to watch Grace play a basketball game, too. Afterwards, we went to lunch at Mucho Guchos, a Mexican grill type restaurant.
When we returned home, Ryan was able to stream the BYU basketball game so we watched it on their big screen in their barn. Ryan has finished the inside of the barn into a wonderful area for family (and friend) fun, complete with a stocked mini fridge, a projector and big screen, and a secreted loft. We thoroughly enjoyed watching another BYU win putting them in an undisputed 2nd place in the WCC league. BTW - the barn is where the girls hold their parties with their friends and where Katie home schools Nathan.
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| Paul playing pickle ball with Nathan. The barn in in the back ground. |
That evening was our chance to take Nathan out to dinner with just the two of us. This has become a tradition for each grandchild who is baptized. We so enjoyed being, one on one, with Nathan. We went to Black Bear Diner (his choice) where Nathan and Paul had breakfast for dinner. I had a hamburger. Nathan was excited for this outing with his grandparents alone. We had asked if wanted us to bring his whole family and he said a absolutely no.
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| Taken just as we were leaving for dinner |
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| At the diner waiting for our meals, Grandpa and Nathan played a game that was on the children's menu. |
Sunday was church followed by meal preparation for the family and friend get together after the baptism. We cut up fruits and vegetables and readied the
ingredients for chicken tacos. Meanwhile, Paul was at the Stake Center monitoring the filling of the baptismal font. The water had to run until the water temperature reached 90 degrees. It then had to be turned off for 15 minutes so the hot water heater could refill.
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| Taken as we left for the baptism |
The baptism started at 4:00. When we arrived, the font was filled and the room was all set up with chairs, thanks to Paul. Nathan was so darling all dressed in white. Nathan asked me to give the talk on baptism. I was thrilled to do that for him. He was so attentive to all I was saying about this important step he was taking that day. I wrote a poem for him and put a copy of it into the baptismal memory book we gave him. Here's the poem-
On Februray 17, Nathan turned eight. To be baptized, he could hardly wait.
Nathan is following Jesus today, baptized by immersion, the only way.
As you are baptized your sins wash away. You'll be clean and pure this very day.
Baptism's a covenant, a promise by two - a promise by God and a promise by you.
Nathan, the promise you're making today is to follow Jesus and always obey.
God promises His spirit will be with you to help you choose right in all that you do.
We're so happy you're being baptized this day and proud you've chosen Jesus's way.
You're a child of God and are very loved by Jesus and your Father in Heaven above.
The talk on the Holy Ghost was given by his aunt, Alison and was very meaningful. She read from a child's book about the Holy Ghost and, in the end, gave Nathan a warm, cuddly blanket to remind him of this gift of the Holy Ghost he was receiving. The MIllar girls sang a beautiful song, also.
The get together afterwards was well attended and the food was great. At the end of the day, we were all tired but what a wonderful day it had been.
On Monday, we just relaxed. Ryan had taken the day off so we enjoyed the day with him and those who weren't in school. For lunch, we took Nathan and his cousins (they had stayed the night) to In 'N Out Burgers and, later, treated everyone to dinner at Mod Pizza. That evening was the Millar family home evening, where Nathan gave the lesson. He did a demonstration about the plan of salvation and how baptism and receiving the holy ghost are stepping stones to living with Heavenly Father again. We, then, played hide and seek in the house in the dark. After the activity, we had Dilly bars for treats....a tradition when Ma and Pa come to visit. We flew home the next day.
Here are a few more pictures taken while we were in Medford.
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| Aubrey and Julia doing 'The Square'. |
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| Nathan loving the CTR tie and tie tack we gave him as part of his gift for being baptized |
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| Grace practicing for auditions for the annual school musical. She has a very good voice. |
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| Sammy loved Grandpa |
The day after we returned home, we got this message from Jon regarding MIndi being in the emergency room after taking a bad fall and hitting her head hard. Not the kind of message we want to receive. Soon after receiving that message, we were on our way to the hospital in American Fork to visit with Jon and Mindi and get an update on MIndi's condition. She was in a lot of pain and the Cat Scan showed some bleeding on the brain. It was decided to transfer her to Utah Valley Hospital where they could better monitor the bleeding. At that point, we left to pick up Olivia, Carly and Clark. We took them to dinner and then brought them to the hospital in Provo. Mindi was admitted to the ICU because a new Cat Scan showed more bleeding. After the kids saw their mom, Jon took them home. We left, too, after visiting with Mindi for a while. By early morning, the doctors had scanned her brain again and saw that the bleeding had stopped. she was released the following day. So glad.
Saturday evening, the 7th, Charlotte come to our home with several of her MTC friends. This was a mini reunion complete with one of their MTC instructors and his wife. I fixed a spaghetti sauce and everyone else brought salad, bread and, desserts. It was fun listening to the group talk and reminisce about their mission days. They visited and played games and seemed to have a great time. We are grateful to have a home where Charlotte felt comfortable inviting other young people to come and enjoy themselves. Charlotte and one of her friends stayed the night. After church, the friend left and we got to enjoy Charlotte the rest of the day. Todd came up for dinner and later that evening took her down to Provo to meet her ride back to Rexburg. There is a possibility that both Charlotte and Jillian will come to BYU in Provo eventually. We would love that. 
On Wednesday, Sam and Kathy took Dad and Mom to the temple in Los Angeles. Don and Dana and Deon and Gary joined them. Dad is almost 103 and had a desire to go to the temple one more time. It's been years since he and Mom served as a counselor and matron in the temple (3 times) and they haven't been as a patron for years. Despite Dad being unable to walk or assist in lifting himself, Sam got him into the car and drove him 2 hours to the temple. They had wheel chairs waiting for them at the temple and, of course, Don, Dana, Deon, and Gary were there to assist getting him and Mom out of the car and into the temple. According to everyone, it was an incredible experience. The temple was prepared for them and knew about their previous service there. The family even participated in the prayer circle which they said was very spiritual. After the temple, they picked up sandwiches and went to Deon and Gary's home to eat them before heading back to Bakersfield. Sadly, the interstate 5, over the Grapevine, was backed up due to an accident so Sam and Kathy had to drive home via Tahachipi, adding at least an hour and a half to the already 2 hour trip. Needless to say, Mom and Dad were very tired by the time they got home. We so appreciate Sam and Kathy and their dedication to Mom and Dad. Truly they are our family's angels here on earth.
And then there is the Corona virus. About a month ago, we were warned about a virus that had killed thousands in China. It was spreading into Europe and we had a few cases here in the US, from people who had traveled to the affected areas in the world. Today, it has spread around the world and now called a pandemic. This virus is highly contagious and especially dangerous to older people and those whose health is compromised. People were asked to 'social distance,' which means staying 6 feet away from each other. By the second week of March, schools (including colleges and universities) had been closed, church meetings had been canceled, all temples closed except for living ordinances, and general conference will be broadcast with no audience in the conference center. All sporting events were canceled, including the NCAA Basketball tournament at which the BYU team had earned the right to play - the first time in several years.
At first, people were panic buying at the stores and the supply trucks couldn't keep up so the shelves in the stores got pretty empty. Toilet paper was in high demand. We found a box of toilet paper in our basement that we had forgotten about so we have given several rolls to Todd and Jon, who were a little short. The Combs, a family we minister to, ordered some on line but Amazon was unable to deliver due to a shortage of product. We offered some to them if they needed. 
We heard that a high school student at our high school tested positive for the virus and so it has been suggested that all high school students remain in their homes or to social distance themselves for the next 14 days. My hairdresser called to tell me that one of her clients was a teacher at the high school and had come in contact with that student. She came to get her hair done so that meant my hairdresser had been exposed. Of course, I postponed my appointment for another week. Didn't want to take a chance on getting this virus.
We traveled to the other side of the mountain, on the 17th, to deliver toilet paper, paper towels, and yeast to Jon and MIndi as well as to meet with our stock broker. We noticed that all restaurants were closed except for drive up windows and on line orders.We have semi self quarantined ourselves now because we are in that category of 'Older'.
The virus has been bad enough but the effect it is having on the economy is devastating. Businesses are closing and people are hunkering down so, except for groceries, people aren't spending money. Many people have been laid off from their jobs. The stock market has dropped thousands of points to wipe out any gains it has made in the past few years. Our retirement moneys are pretty safe but we worry about our children. Andrea's business has come to a grinding halt since there can be no gatherings over 10 people. Todd's speaking events have all been canceled. Jon is unemployed at the moment and, though he has many irons in the fire, can't really get anything going till this all settles down. Ryan seems to be all right, for the moment, but will be affected as dentists' incomes decrease from being shut down except for emergencies. We pray for them every night and day. As of the 21st, several states authorized a 'shelter in place' order to all residents. This means that everyone is to stay at home except for those whose businesses are considered essential - medical personnel, truck drivers, grocery workers, etc. Citizens are to only be out and about to buy food or to seek medical help. This is how serious of a virus we are fighting. Utah has not deemed that necessary but may if the cases of people testing positive increases. As it is, we are sanitizing our hands any time we return to the car after being in a public place as well as wiping down credit cards and door handles with sanitizing wipes. We've also been told to wash our hands frequently, especially after being out in public and not to touch our eyes, noses, or mouths. Social distancing has become a way of life now, staying 6 feet away from others when out of your home. This was all a part of the government's '15 days to slow the spread' program.
President Trump has done daily briefings for the media and to keep the citizens informed as to the progress they are making in supplying states with needed equipment and protective gear. He surrounded himself with experts in the field of medicine and economics, and has them at these briefings to answer the more technical questions people may have. New York City and surrounding counties were hit the hardest. President Trump has sent a navy hospital ship to them as well as deploying the National Guard to help. As of the last Sunday of the month, he suggested we remain in this semi shutdown and social distancing routine for another month. That's a lot of at home time.We look to our Heavenly Father and our Savior in times like this. There are blessings seen even in hard times.
Andrea and Casey's company lost thousands of dollars in the first two days of the shut downs but have found evidence of God's hand in their lives. They had a company call and book two years worth of events to the tune of a $5000 non refundable deposit. Later, they got word that they owe no taxes this year for the first time in 10 years. In fact, they will get back a sizable return. When this all began, they sent out messages to the local people in Oregon that they were offering a three day bounce house set up and take down for the price of one day. The community jumped on that as children were home from school and were supposed to stay away from other children-A good way to keep them entertained. Andrea said they booked over a thousand dollars worth of bounce houses for the next few weeks. 
Friday the 20th, Andrea texted us to let us know that the city of Eugene just ordered tents to the tune of $6000 a month. They will need them for the duration of this crisis. Sadly, the city only paid them for one week as they decided to house the homeless at the fairground facility instead of their tents....But, they got word that they had over paid their garbage bill for the past two years and would be getting a refund to the tune of $1900. With all events canceled, they were looking at no income coming in so these are incredible blessings. We have great faith that this will all work out for our family and our countryOther blessings we have noticed:
1. We have been warned to have a supply of food in our homes so we haven't panicked about a food shortage. Todd and Kailee went shopping in our basement for things they needed - flour, sugar, and toilet paper. We are glad we had just shopped to update our year's supply.
2. The Lord inspired our prophet to institute a Home Center, Church Supported gospel study program, Come Follow Me. We have been practicing having spiritual lessons in our homes with our families for over a year.
3. The ministering program in the church was set up two years ago and is vital, now, in our being able to check on our ward families.
4. The new directive from our prophet that one could be married in a civil ceremony and not have to wait a year before they could be sealed in the temple is another blessing. What an important thing today as we face the closure of temples.
5. We have a president of our country who turns to God and refers to Him often when he speaks to the people. Much to the dismay of the press, President Trump doesn't hesitate to acknowledge blessings from heaven in all this.
The other day, Katie called. She said her family is on complete voluntary quarantine, except for Ryan going to work. She is not allowing friends over nor her parents or sister's family. She and Ryan decided their children needed a routine, during this home time, so it was decided they would have a big breakfast every morning at 10 a.m. This would give the teenagers a time to sleep in a bit but after breakfast, school work would begin. They are also having family time at night watching movies. One night, Nathan was talking to his mom and said, "I just love this." Wondering what exactly he loved, Katie asked if it was having his sisters home all day with him. He said, "No." She then wondered if it was watching lots of movies together. He said, "No." He then told her that he loved having a big breakfast every morning because it reminded him of being at 'Ma' and 'Pa's' home on vacation. That meant a lot to us.
We have now experienced three Sundays where we have had no church. On the first Sunday, Todd and Kailee and Jake and Nicole, with their families, came up for dinner. We celebrated Kailee's birthday but we also had an opportunity to partake of the sacrament together. It was really special to see Todd and Jake bless and pass the sacrament to all of us. The next two weeks, Paul and I were all alone so Paul used his priesthood to bless and pass the sacrament to us. This experience has helped us recognize anew the importance of partaking of the sacrament and renewing our covenants each week. We take time to study our Come Follow Me scriptures or watch a church sponsored video to make sure we are observing the Sabbath Day.
We did a fun thing with Ryan and Katie's family on the second Sunday. Katie asked us, early in the morning, if we would think of times in our lives when we had experienced hard things and who we turned to and how we managed to get through them. That evening, they Facetimed us and we shared our stories. Paul mentioned burning down a neighbor's barn and how scared he was because he had disobeyed his father's counsel not to play with matches. I rehearsed with them our inability to have children for 8 years and how devastating that was for us. We talked about how we turned to prayer and fasting and to the Priesthood for a special blessing from our Bishop. The other hard time we talked about was our mission call to Moscow, Russia. We accepted that call on faith and then turned to the scriptures and to the Lord for courage and strength. We could testify to them of the Lord's hand in our life, especially in those hard times.
The last Sunday of the month was my Dad's 103rd birthday. I had tried to call him the day before but he was still in bed and I could barely understand what he was saying. I called Sam and asked him if he would help Dad Facetime us on his birthday so we could talk to him face to face. Sam and Kathy went to Dad and Mom's home, got Dad out of bed then gave him balloons and a dinner from their favorite Mexican restaurant. Afterward, he helped Dad Facetime both Paul and I and Deon and Gary. It was good to see Dad, although he didn't say much. At least he knows we love him beyond words and are so glad he is still with us.
On Tuesday, the 24th, we braved shopping at Costco. They had put into place an order to open an hour early on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the elderly could shop. The elderly and those with health issues seem to be more vulnerable to this virus so by opening early and limiting the number of the persons shopping, they hope to have a less likely chance of being exposed to the virus. They opened at 8:00 and we got there at 8:30. The line stretched out the door and around the parking lot. We thought it was rather long until we talked to a worker in the parking lot who said that before 8, the line serpentined throughout the parking lot, not just around it. It moved pretty quickly and we were in and out of the store just after 9:00. We bought fresh food items, especially, and, of course toilet paper (just in case someone might need some). We were thrilled that the shelves were pretty much filled and that people were practicing social distancing, except in the toilet paper aisle. We got gas there also and were glad to see that the attendants were sanitizing the gas pumps between customers. A nice precaution, also. It was good to be out and about for a bit.
By Wednesday, the 25th, we were craving a Subway sandwich. Under normal circumstances, we eat lunch out most every day and, at least, once a week at Subway. (Paul loves his ham sandwiches.) We decided to go through the drive thru window and get our sandwiches. We sanitized the credit card before putting it back in Paul's wallet, and wiped down the counters at home, after eating our sandwiches. I wanted to make sure anywhere the sandwich wrappers touched was sanitized. Of course, we washed our hands as soon as we came home and before and after eating. 
Also on Wednesday, we TP's the Coombs. We minister to the Coombs family and when we checked in with them this week they told us two things: 1. Their son, Zander, was coming home from his mission in Brazil, and would have to quarantine at home for two weeks before being sent out to serve somewhere in the United States. 2. They were rationing toilet paper. They have a family of 6 children and with Zander coming home and their older daughter moving back in, their toilet paper situation needed remedying. With this in mind, we brought a large package of toilet paper up from our basement to take to them. We surprised them with it and a sign welcoming home Elder Coombs. They were thrilled.
Speaking of missionaries....All MTC's have been closed and the newly called missionaries are being trained at home via technology. Most missionaries serving in foreign countries are coming home to their native lands. Many missionaries in the United States, who have any kind of medical issue, are also being sent home. Their missionary service will end if they have been out for 18 months or more for elders, and 12 months or more for the sisters. This affected Aspen Sorenson and Marley Allred, granddaughters of Deon and Gary. Marly was at the MTC in Mexico and Aspen was serving in Oregon. Marley will continue her training through on line studies while being quarantined for 14 days. Aspen was released due to health issues. She had just passed her one year mark so was released as a missionary immediately upon returning home. Bittersweet, for sure. |
| Missionaries on their way home. One of many planes full of missionaries returning home from abroad. |
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| Aspen, home and released from her mission |
As of March 26, all temples are closed throughout the world, not even opened for living ordinances. Anyone who had an appointment for an endowment or marriage will have to reschedule as soon as the temples reopen. So many thing in our lives, that we so often take for granted, have been affected by this pandemic.
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| An empty parking lot as the gates to the temple are closed |
We have had some comic relief in all this. We woke up on the second Sunday to pink, plastic flamingos in our neighbor's yard. We all got a good laugh at that and laughed even harder when the next morning they magically appeared in our other neighbor's yard. We were half expecting them to be placed in our yard on the third day, but they must have 'flown the coup' because they aren't in our neighborhood anymore. Fun while it lasted.
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| The Sneddon's yard |
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| The Smith's yard, the next morning |
We love some of the funny things people have posted on the internet regarding this crisis. It's good to have something to laugh about when things get difficult.
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| This isn't funny but very touching. This is in front of our One Stop, in honor of the doctors and nurses giving so much time and risking their lives to help the victims of this virus. |
Other happenings besides COVID 19......
Wednesday the 18th, we had an earthquake in Utah. That doesn't happen very often but this one was a 5.7 and was centered out toward the airport, near the city of Magna. We didn't feel it but it woke up both Jon and Todd. Is the Lord trying to wake us all up? Luckily there were no injuries and very little damage. Moroni lost his trumpet from atop the Salt Lake Temple which is under renovation to make it more resistant to earthquake damage. Interesting. People are asking, "Where is God?" What can we expect when they legislate him out of our schools and public places? When we have no place for him in our hearts? Maybe we will all come to realize our dependence of Him in all we do.
We woke up to snow almost every morning of the last 10 days of the month. On one day we had 6 inches. Luckily it is melted by mid afternoon. We should have plenty of water for this summer's watering needs. It's too bad the ski resorts have all had to close down. There would have been some incredible Spring skiing days.
Paul and I have gone on a few walks through the neighborhood lately. We sometimes just needed to get out of the house. On one of those walks, we ventured over to where a sink hole had been discovered in our neighborhood. Paul got a call one evening and was asked to send out a message to the neighbors to warn them of the dangers of this sink hole and to keep their children away from the area. He went with Joey Hyer to see it and was amazed at how big and deep it was. A stream has caused a deep hole to form which was filled with water. The next day, a backhoe dug an alternate path for the stream to run and knocked down the sides of the hole so, if someone fell in they could climb out. Now there's a fence around it with a no trespassing sign posted. Hopefully this will keep people away until it can be filled with rock and soil.
We are going through withdrawals not seeing Aria and Avery each Sunday. We are so used to Todd and Kailee coming up for dinner each week and being able to play with our granddaughters. We miss them terribly. Our Sundays are just not the same and who knows when we will be able to get together again due to the corona virus. We did Facetime them the last Sunday of the month which is better than not seeing them at all.
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| Aria's rainbow hair the last time we saw them. She also had on a rainbow dress and sandles. |
That's about it for this month but the corona virus continues so next month may be more or the same. Stuck at home with no place to go.....
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