Covid Update and Life

We've had a bit of a rough time this year, health wise. 
Chris and I had a wonderful time in Mexico but we came home to house full of kids with COVID. 
Poor Aunt Laura, who had been babysitting for us, had it too. 
Luckily, no one had it very bad. It was like a cold for Tucker and Tanner. Bailey and Benson didn't show any symptoms, but still tested positive. 

Eventually Chris and I got it from our kids too. We just felt tired and both had headaches for a week or so. 

After we got over COVID, I immediately got another virus. The doctors didn't know what it was but it wasn't COVID again. So they just gave me an antibiotic and sent me home to recover. By the time I was feeling better, Benson started throwing up. The kids all took turns passing around the stomach bug. 
All the while, we were experiencing a ton of winter weather. Because of all the snow and ice, school kept getting cancelled and we had virtual days. 

Basically it felt like we were all home for about a month. 

This was a common scene around our house during this time. 
Lots of electronics, screen time and board games. 

When we were feeling up to it, we played in the snow. 
We've really had a lot of snow. Sadly, snow days are a thing of the past. Now the school just has AMI days (alternate methods of instruction) and we have to do school virtually. It's a pain, 
However, the kids have gotten pretty good at it, since we've had a lot of practice.

Finally, the first week of March saw all my kids back to school. They were all gone at the same time and Chris returned to work in person. My house was so quiet and it felt so weird. 
I'm so happy everyone is healthy again and hopefully the weather is done being yucky. We are ready for spring. 

As for COVID, its been almost two years. After the omicron variant surge in January, the country as a whole has seen a decrease in cases. It feels good. Because we have all had COVID now, we have stopped wearing our masks. Masks are no longer required at church anymore either and Benson's preschool just dropped their mandate. We are so thrilled. 

Here are some COVID stats as of today:

Total cases of COVID in the US: 79,248,406

Total deaths in the US: 961,620

81% of the country has had at least 1 dose of the vaccine. 

Arkansas Stats: Total cases in AR: 801,118

Total deaths: 10,799

66% of the state has had at least one dose of the vaccine. 

We were lucky enough to get the omicron variant which was a very mild variant. We've gone through 5 variants of COVID so far, varying in severities and transmissibility.  

I don't want to get my hopes up but it does feel like maybe life is getting back to normal. 

It seems crazy that we've been living this COVID life for almost two years. But things are getting better. 
I actually just had the chance to speak at our Stake Women's Conference about my anxiety and my discipleship journey. Since COVID was what accelerated my anxiety I related to them my story and how I have worked to find peace while living with anxiety. 

It was such an interesting opportunity. I was beyond anxious to talk in front of a crowd of 300+ people.

But it also gave me the incentive to really dig in and put to paper what I have learned about myself and my testimony during this time. 

I'm forever grateful for a loving Father in Heaven and a Savior who knows me better than I know myself. I've learned to rely on my Savior, to take part in his atonement and to pray to my Father in Heaven when I need help. I'm so grateful for the gospel and the eternal truths that offer me comfort and consistency. My family, friends, my doctor and the gospel have been the things that have gotten me through this hard time.  I'm very grateful. 
That being said, I really hope this is the end of COVID life! Fingers crossed.