Goez Family Call

We had our fist Goez Family Zoom call on Sunday. It was fun and we are hoping to do it again.

Here is the direct Youtube Link -

https://youtu.be/kPtmFIC7ULY

Gerber Covid 19 update #4

I found this article and it expressed SO well how I have been feeling. I wanted to add it here so we can look back to see how life was like.

From school closures to shuttered businesses to mass layoffs to fears of getting sick, every passing hour gives us something new to worry about. In the midst of this madness, many of us are also dealing with employers that expect us to smoothly transition from working in an office to working from home and carry on as if everything is normal.

We can’t.

“Working from home” is not the same as “working from home during a pandemic.” What’s happening right now is unprecedented in modern American history, and it is absolutely, one hundred percent okay to not be fully productive. It is completely normal to be stressed.

If it’s difficult to feel grateful about anything right now, remember that those of us who can work from home are the lucky ones. A lot of people are out of work. A lot more people have to go to work—whether they work in a hospital, a grocery store, or perform one of the many other essential jobs—where they risk getting sick.

But that doesn’t mean this isn’t hard. It’s been a century since the United States has experienced a pandemic of this scope. Never in any of our lifetimes has so much of the world around us been so shut down for so long, and we’ve certainly never lived with so many restrictions on where we can go and what we can do and who we can hug. There’s never been a time when so many of us have been so worried about keeping our loved ones healthy and safe.

We’ve experienced national emergencies before. We’ve worried about dangers posed by factors outside our control. But we have never faced this kind of omnipresent existential threat. It is absolutely pathological to expect people to carry on with work as though nothing is happening.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve heard that Isaac Newton developed brilliant theories while quarantined from the plague. Shakespeare may have turned to sonnets when the death toll forced the theaters to close.
Good for Newton and Shakespeare. We are not them. For starters, many of us have to handle cooking, cleaning and childcare, while also carrying out the paid work that keeps a roof over our head. We don’t have the luxury of time to come up with a theory of universal gravitation or pen a literary masterpiece.

As much as I would like to use these strange circumstances to focus on my passion projects, I can’t. For starters, I just don’t have the time. (See above.) If you don’t either, all that means is that you live in the real world, like everyone else.

Before you beat yourself up for not being more productive, let’s walk through all of the reasons this is not a normal work from home situation.

Unless you are in a position where you have no extraordinary family obligations, no family members whose health you need to worry about, and no added work pressure due to the cratering economy—and you also possess a superhuman ability to ignore the unceasing barrage of bad news—then you are now dealing with a lot of additional worries and responsibilities.

This is not normal. This is not a typical work from home set-up. Most of us are scraping by, trying to make ends meet while trying to keep everyone around us safe from a deadly, invisible threat.

Right now this means juggling childcare and homeschooling and cooking and cleaning and keeping a lid on your anxiety, all while obsessing over what measures we need to take to stay healthy and, oh yeah, I have a meeting in thirty minutes, but my son just fell and split his lip and is bleeding, and oh my goodness, I just remembered I have a report due tomorrow and I have to find the time to get it done, don’t I? It’s a lot.

Bubbling underneath these already heightened day-to-day worries are others that inspire a deep, screaming terror: You might get sick and die, leaving behind people who depend on you; you might be the unwitting person who infects your grandmother or your cousin who’s recovering from chemotherapy. Every trip out of the house is fraught with danger. Every minor interaction is gilded with ominous import.

This is not “working from home and being more productive because we don’t have to commute.” This is a modern plague. If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, tell them how wrong they are, in no uncertain terms. And while you’re at it, remind yourself as well.

Rachel Fairbank

Rachel Fairbank is a freelance science writer based in Texas. When she is not writing, she can be found spending time with her family, or at her local boxing gym.

Gerber Corona Virus Pt.3

Sun Bathing in March - because what ELSE could you be doing? 

Final day before all the parks were officially closed.

We are officially 2 weeks into our new "normal"

This week of school was a little easier. I only did Math, Reading and Writing. I am still having bottles with London. Thankfully her 2 private lesson's have been really well with Elli.

We officially went under a Shelter in Place order but thankfully we have good enough weather that we can be outside and enjoy the sun.

Today we:

Tyson and I slept until 9. Girls played video games for a few hours.
We came up at 10 AM and made breakfast for Tyson and I. Then Tyson worked for a little bit.
I took the girls outside to pull weeds, play soccer and take out garbage.

At 12:30 we started to get our bikes ready. We had been charging the bike for a few days. We then went to Home Depot to pick up Puddy. I stayed outside with the girls while Tyson went in with gloves to shop.

Then we stopped at home to drop things off. Then we were off again to Qudoba to pick up an online order. We walked around the stores and everything was deserted. It was a surreal feeling to be there on a Saturday  and have it all be empty.

Sometimes life DOES feel normal but at times like these you can just feel how different things are.

We picked up the order. Then we headed home. We took another path and this one was very busy with lots of people walking. It was a little freaking to be so close to everyone but we made it through really fast and got back on normal streets.

We came home and ate lunch and we watched survivor.

Then we did Just Dance Now and did 25 minutes of dance party. I talked to my mom for a little bit. Then all 4 of us started filling the nail holes downstairs. This has been 5 years in the making and I am grateful we are finally doing it. The girls lasted about 20 minutes but did really well in filing the whole. We got the hallway done and bathroom. The goal is that next weekend we will get the other 2 bedrooms done. Then we can clean, tape and finally paint.

Next week is General Conference. It will be interesting to see what happens. Tomorrow the Prophet is asking everyone to Fast and Tyson and I are planning on joining.

Corona Update #3.5

We officially went on "lockdown" as of today 3/26/2020

In a lot of ways, we will just do the same things we have done before - but on another level it feels really scary and really heavy. 

It's funny because yesterday we had such an amazing day. It felt normal

- I woke up early thanks to the amazing Sunrise Clock I bought. 

- I went to Pat's house and stopped by Sprouts to buy fruit, milk and eggs (all the normal stuff was sold out at Walmart)

- on the way home I stopped by a carwash and vacuumed my car

- I came home, played with the girls, we swept the garage, we organized things. 

- we raked the yard

- I did some work. At 5 PM tyson got off and joined us outside. We all went on a walk/run/bike to the local park and walked an hour while listening to an awesome podcast. 

- we came home and it was so nice we stayed outside, kicked the soccer ball, walked around the school while the girls "walked their stuffies" on skates. 

- We came inside and put the girls to bed 

- we did a zoom jepordy with the blakelys

So it felt like a great day. The next morning? We went on lockdown and I woke up and cried while I prayed. 

It's all felt like so much. 

So what did I do? I prayed? I started breathing. I got dressed and got going. I went on 2 walks. The girls "pulled" their squishmellows on their skates. 

School went better this morning, then I took London to her Tutor lesson. 

After, I came home and had back to back calls. It's been really tough to have Tyson take over the office. We are actually moving him downstairs so I can have my office back. 

I finally emerged around 4 PM, made the girls ramen noodles for lunch and we went outside to be in good weather. Then we went on another walk. We came home, I put the girls to bed. 

I have been focusing on watching and listening to GOOD things. Things that help me prepare and get my mindset in the right place. 

I have stopped watching the evening news and really staying off social media so I don't have to read everything. 

I have been talking to my mom every day. I have been texting my friends. Poor Sarah Hammond has COVID19.

Today our Prophet announced a worldwide day of fast on Sunday - and we will do it. 

Tyson had a really long day today at work - which is hard since I really need some connection time for the 4 of us, but I know he is just nervous about making sure he has a job now. We all are. 

But we are making it day by day. Trying to have more Faith than Fear. 

We are also rewatching Survivor - starting in season 15 - which is fun since the girls are really getting into it. It's clean, fun and shows fun challenges. 

We through a birthday party for squishmellows ...

Gerbers - Corona Virus Pt. 2

We made it through our first full week at home.

It's been tough.

The girls get sick of school really fast. Sydney is really motivated by games but London just drags and claws her way through the work.

Our saving grace has been two sessions with Elli on Monday and Thursday, being outside and going to get free lunches from the school and stopping by park.

My emotions are all over the place. I feel fine most of the day and then something will happen and I silently cry.

I am focusing on work, and getting some school done everyday. I worry my kids are falling behind - specially London but I guess all kids are behind at this point

It snowed 8 inches on Thursday/Friday. Luckly the girls played outside and Tyson build a slide for them.

Sydney had "activity days" via zoom
Sydney and London and Abby did a zoom Lego challenge
We tried to do a dance party with Jael and Julio's kids (big bust)
Girls built dollhouses our of cardboards

Last night there was talk of a forced shutdown for entire states ... which freaked me out. So we went out and bought extra things

Sticker by numbers
dot to dot
paper
shampoo
pads and tampons
popcorn

All the toilet paper and baby wipes were out so we could not get those.

Going to stores is super stress-inducing. I just go into panic mode. Tyson has been asking "how are you doing" but I mostly just suppress my feelings. I can't feel too much - if not I will break down.

The stock market is crashing but we did put $2500 into each girl account hoping we are buying at a good time. That will probably be it for the year ....

I stopped sending extra payments to the mortgage.

We have not paid taxes yet but I hope we can pay it soon.

I told my kids, that you will be telling your own children, 

"Listen, I grew up during the pandemic of 2020. I couldn't go to school. I couldn't play with friends. All the restaurants were closed, all the businesses were closed. People had to cancel birthday parties, weddings, trips, anniversaries. We rationed our milk and our toilet paper and our bananas. Our dad had to get up at 5:30 AM to go to Walmart and stand in line so he could get the things we needed. We stood in long lines at the grocery store for eggs. My mom homeschooled us and we ate from our emergency food storage and exercised outside and kept at a six-foot distance from anyone. Playgrounds were closed, gyms were closed, library's were closed. 

It is a hard, surreal, bewildering time, but surely, such a unique time in history.

dinner before we started isolating. This was early March

doing yoga as a family

The girls creation

The Gerber - Corona Virus Thoughts Pt.1

I wanted to make sure I wrote down our thoughts and dealing with the Corona Virus of 2020.

I have to say this totally took us by surprise. We really thought 2002 was going to be such a year for us. But life quickly changes. 

I first remember hearing about the virus in China in January. I felt bad for everyone but it felt so far away. 

Well things quickly changed in early March - when we got the first case in the US. 

Then the week of March 6th - EVERYTHING changed. We had our first cases in Colorado. At this point Washington, San Francisco and New York were getting hit really hard. 

By March 9th, within 2 days Colorado was in a state of emergency, schools were closed, people freaking out and buying all the toilet paper. 

We were informed that our schools were closed on 3/12 that our schools were closing and now we are doing remote learning. 

So yeah, we were freaking out. Mostly because the idea of working AND homeschooling sounds horrible. General Conference canceled, church canceled, all activities canceled. Restaurants closed. 

Literally, in 15 days - the whole country shut down. 

We did our first ever "church at home" on Sunday. We all changed, we prepared a talk, we did the sacrament. It was such a weird experience. I wish I could say the spirit was super strong - but honestly, it really was not, but I was proud of us for staying strong and doing church. 

We are in day 3 of "home schooling" and it's been so weird. Sydney has done great but London has really struggled. 

We are getting the hang of doing everything in the Chrome Books. There are days that I am super depressed and some days I feel like I can do this. our saving grace has been going out for bike rides, walks. Sadly the next two days it's suppose to be SUPER cold and I am so sad. So tomorrow we will have to bundle up and really get warm before going outside. 

To also top it off - we just found out that Utah had a earthquake and my entire family felt it. I also so sad to hear that our house needs to have the foundation fix and it will cost about 7K. 

Adulting feels SOOOO heavy right now. Everything feels like we are frozen. 

And yet I am hopeful and I feel like the Lord is helping us. Part of me is in disbelief that this is even happening. It feels like we are part of a movie - but this is REAL life. The real point that all normalcy is gone. How I wish I could go to the store and NOT worry about being enough food. Luckely, we have enough food and enough toilet paper to last us for a few weeks ... I am trying to NOT worry about the future, but to stay present and stay positive. 

This is history in the making. It's just been crazy. 

Home Church Program