Spring times during COVID-19.

What a crazy time we are all in with the COVID-19/coronavirus pandemic happening! Norah's preschool and the girls Kindermusik classes have been off since March 16 and are doing online learning for the rest of the school year, and church has been live streaming services for a couple weeks now too and will through April at least. 

Norah and I talked the other day about what a memorable time this is/will be, like people will be talking about this for years to come. This time could be written in history books someday! So crazy! I don't know how many specific memories Norah will have of this, but we talked about how she will remember that she was alive for it and lived through it, and can tell everyone that she was 5 when this happened in the future. We are definitely missing seeing family/friends and getting out, but overall are doing well. We are thankful for health, a safe home, and that Kley is still working and busy. (His office is closed, but he is still going in to work each day, which is very nice for everyone to keep routine and he can definitely be more productive there than here at home. He's just doing a lot more phone meetings and such, as no clients are coming in.) Praying this ends soon and for health for everyone, many sad stories of sickness and death. I have gone to the grocery store a couple times, but we are just staying at home and trying to do all we can to stay healthy and have this pass as quickly as we can. 

Our old sand box was getting too small for the girls, so Kley build a new one that is taller and fits them much better. They have been loving it! Our neighbor friend, Elizabeth, was playing too. We are trying to keep distance from everyone, but they have played with her (only outside) a couple times, as our backyards are right next to each other. Hard to keep them apart!

The last couple days have been pretty cold/rainy again, but earlier in the week we had a couple amazing days! Wednesday was 73 degrees! So nice to be outside. The days are definitely easier when we can get out to play!

Painting outside- trying our best to keep busy and think of fun activities!

The best attempt at a sister photo. :)

The girls love to make sand/mud creations in all the sand/kitchen toys!

We ate almost all meals outside too during those couple super nice days! So great! The teachers did a drive by parade on Monday too, and the girls thought that was so fun and Norah loved waving to her teacher!

Sun is out, legs crossed, upside down sunglasses on top of her real glasses, digging all the chip crumbs out she can. Love this picture of Ellory!

We broke out the water table and Lucy and Ellory loved it and played for a long time!

Norah got roller skates for her birthday, and she tried them out for the first time! Definitely very wobbly and have a long ways to go before she can use them independently, but she was excited to try!

Hope you are all doing well and staying safe and healthy!

Indoor swimming and big slides with Daddy!

The indoor pool in our neighboring town does a tot swim hour in the winter on Monday and Friday mornings, which is awesome, but we could only go a few mornings this year when Norah didn't have preschool because otherwise it was during the time we would have to pick her up. It was super fun when we could go, because this was the first season I felt it was manageable to take them to the pool by myself! (And by take them by myself, I mean that they all wore life jackets when I was the only adult and the kid pool is a gradual entry and they can all touch throughout it.) The girls had been asking several different times to go with Kley so they could go down the big slide (they have a bigger water slide, but I told them we couldn't do it when I was the only adult because I can only take one at a time and I couldn't leave the other two at the bottom alone). My sister, Kayla, also came with us, which made it even more fun! And super nice to have an adult per kid! :) It was special to have Kayla with us, because she goes to college in our town, but they closed it down for the rest of the year and are doing online classes because of coronavirus, so this was the last time we got to do something together before she went home. We also went to Pizza Ranch for supper, which everyone loves and is a treat!

Group pictures are one of my most favorite things ever. :)

Norah thought this picture was quite funny. (She was doing this on purpose to be silly.)

Love my sweet girls!

Practicing jumping in in the deep end.

I also really love waterslide pictures. Their faces at the bottom are priceless! What a fun night!

Back on the swings and it feels so good!

When we were in Minneapolis recently visiting Karlie and Zack (my sister/BIL), and some friends, we hit up the park because the weather was so nice. Can you tell how happy the girls are? :) We are thankful spring is coming and to be getting outside more!

Minneapolis weekend.

We had a super fun weekend in Minneapolis! Overall it went very well. We had great weather, the girls slept well for traveling, and we got to see lots of people we love! When we got there on Friday we had supper with David and Jacquie (and their adorable son Soren), who we went to Bethel with, and then headed to Zack and Karlie's (my sister/BIL), who live there and we stayed with them. Saturday morning we headed to Eagles Nest Indoor Playground, which the girls loved. We don't have places like this close to where we live, so it's a big treat!

The girls had a great time playing!

In the afternoon we headed to Como Park Zoo & Conservatory, which is one of my favorite places in all of the Twin Cities. We went their fairly often when we were in college, and it's special to take the girls there now too. (And free? Amazing!) There weren't tons of animals out, as it was early in the season, but the girls enjoyed it anyways. 

The conservatory is always so beautiful! I love seeing it each time. When we left, they were setting up for a wedding in there!

We all love Zack and Karlie! :)

We went for a scooter ride after the zoo and had some Dairy Queen for a snack. (Is that the greatest afternoon treat ever? Probably so. So fun for a special occasion!) Saturday night Karlie and Zack babysat the girls (so nice!) and Kley and I went out for supper with Kley's cousin Pieter and his wife Bailey. Kley and Pieter went to a concert after too, but I headed back to put the girls to bed. The girls had a great time having Frozen 2 macaroni and cheese, making a Frozen 2 sticker page, and watching Frozen 2. :)

Sunday we went to a park and also met up with some more college friends- Joe, Jackie, and their kids Daniel, Noelle, and Thomas- for lunch before we headed home. What a fun weekend- so many neat activities and so thankful we could see lots of friends and family!