Hawaii--With His Brothers, Not His Lover

Andrew went with his brothers on their annual hike recently. This year marked their 20th "All Brothers Hike" (ABH), so they did something epic and went to Kauai. These brother's hikes started the year Andrew's dad passed away, and it's special they commemorate him. I'm not going to pretend I was thrilled by the fact that Andrew went to Hawaii without me. I wasn't. I am glad he was able to bond with his brothers though. Also, I think he missed me because he came home saying that the next time he goes to Hawaii will be with me. Thank goodness! 

Vaughn (BIL), is the only brother who didn't go.

From left to right: Logan, Brent, Kelly, Andrew, Ryan (BIL), Birch

What about the coronavirus pandemic?

Covid-19 is not over and was a concern of mine (and Andrew's). Andrew booked the trip with his brothers thinking that things would be settled down by October. For a long time, Hawaii required a 2 week quarantine for incoming travelers. Andrew and his brothers actually changed their flights, so they would arrive in Hawaii the day that the 2 week quarantine was lifted. Instead of a 2 week quarantine, Hawaii now requires that you show a negative COVID-19 test proving you're healthy. (They are very specific about which Covid tests they accept.)

Andrew had a Covid-19 test delivered to our house and took it in front of someone over Zoom, then sent it off to New York. Andrew had not received his results by the time he was supposed to fly to Hawaii which was stressful. He decided to get on his flight anyway. It was a miracle that Andrew received the confirmation email while on his flight saying that his Covid-19 test results were negative. It was pretty scary and a huge miracle!

How long was Andrew gone? How did I survive?

Andrew was gone for a week! Surprisingly, it went by pretty fast. I like to keep busy. After dropping off Andrew at the airport, I headed to my parent's house with the kids. We stayed with them Thursday-Sunday. While there, we did a lot. 

I'm not going to bore you with all the details, but eating fabulous food consumed a lot of our time. I met a friend at Leatherby's and of course ordered my favorite peanut butter sundae. Another day, we had "The Pie Pizzeria" which is the best pizza in UT (in my humble opinion). We also made peanut butter delights and I lost count of how many I ate. I could go on. I enjoyed using my parent's workout equipment in the mornings and attempted to build up an appetite after all the good food.

While at my parent's, we spent time with lots of family! We saw my cousin Jake and his wife Hailee who are currently living in my parent's basement. Jeff, Lindsey, Simon, and Esther came over for dinner one night. James was ecstatic to see his cousins and ultra hyper (let's not talk about the marker situation). Side note: James has big ears... He has heard Andrew and I talk a lot about the election lately. James told Esther, "I voted for you!" Esther cheerfully responded, "I'll vote for you too." It was adorable. I'm glad James understands the importance of voting. 

We were happy to see my grandparents, Giggi and Go-Daddy (outside). It had been a long time and Grandma made superb cinnamon rolls! Izzy loved their dog Scout, and James was terrified of him. Joel joined us for Sunday dinner. I spent a fair amount of time at Jessica and Chris' house. My mom graciously watched the kids while I helped Jess paint her house which was a nice break! Staying with my parent's was so helpful and we were all sad that our time with them went so quickly. On our drive home, James wept, "Look mom, even the mountains are sad we're leaving Nana and Papa's house."

The remainder of the week was spent at our house. I have some good friends who watched out for me and set up play-dates, dropped off cookies, etc. I also indulged and got myself a pint of Cold Stone ice cream to power through. That was worth it for sure! I promise food wasn't the only thing that helped me survive my time without Andrew. I read and liked, "Maybe You Should Talk to Someone" By: Lori Gottlieb. The book referenced an essay, called "Welcome to Holland" which I LOVED. You can read it HERE. My parent's and I also watched the newest episodes of "The Great British Baking Show." I'm so sad to be caught up. I now have to wait until Fridays to watch new episodes. 

Who knew mowing the lawn could be so fun? Reason #2890410 why I want a backyard.

What's it like to have Andrew home?

It's amazing! We sure did miss him. Isabelle seems to be holding Andrew's absence against him though and has been quite clingy to me since his return. She's definitely making him earn her love back. Andrew brought us all home souvenirs which was really sweet. I was impressed by how well he knows the kids and me! (He even got all of us the right clothing sizes!)

Look at their sea turtles and Hawaii shirts! 

I'm drooling over these pictures and can only dream about warm Hawaii as I sit here freezing--covered in 3 blankets, wearing fuzzy socks, and my warmest sweater. You're lucky Andrew! (You deserved it though.)

General Conference

Earlier this month, we watched General Conference. This fall especially, I've been yearning for peace. The messages during conference helped bring me hope during this pandemic. Since conference, I have been off of social media. As a result, I feel like I've been able to feel the spirit more and I've been happier. 

The birth of my newest niece, Daisy helped put things in perspective for me too. Things were very scary in the beginning. It's a miracle she's alive. The election and coronavirus are short-term things that don't really matter eternally. Daisy, and my other family members mean the world to me and I was devastated at the thought of losing Daisy.

I had some questions and thoughts going into conference. There were various themes, but the one that stood out to me was: racism. This was validating and has been a topic I've been thinking a lot about. Here are quotes from 3 speakers about racism:

1) Elder Oaks' talk really resonated with me. Titled, "Love Your Enemies," he said: "This country should be better in eliminating racism not only against Black Americans, who were most visible in the recent protests, but also against Latinos, Asians, and other groups. This nation’s history of racism is not a happy one, and we must do better."

2) Elder Cook said this: "With our all-inclusive doctrine, we can be an oasis of unity and celebrate diversity. Unity and diversity are not opposites. We can achieve greater unity as we foster an atmosphere of inclusion and respect for diversity. During the period I served in the San Francisco California Stake presidency, we had Spanish-, Tongan-, Samoan-, Tagalog-, and Mandarin-language-speaking congregations. Our English-speaking wards were composed of people from many racial and cultural backgrounds. There was love, righteousness, and unity. Wards and branches in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are determined by geography or language, not by race or culture. Race is not identified on membership records."

3) President Nelson said: "Each of us has a divine potential because each is a child of God. Each is equal in His eyes. The implications of this truth are profound. Brothers and sisters, please listen carefully to what I am about to say. God does not love one race more than another. His doctrine on this matter is clear. He invites all to come unto Him, “black and white, bond and free, male and female.” I assure you that your standing before God is not determined by the color of your skin. Favor or disfavor with God is dependent upon your devotion to God and His commandments and not the color of your skin."

I was grateful to hear these messages and hope that members of the church and people everywhere can be more united. Throughout this year, I've done some reading to gain more understanding about racism. Here are some of the books I've read:

"Just Mercy" By: Bryan Stevenson

"American Dirt" By: Jeanine Cummins

"The Vanishing Half" By: Brit Bennett

"How to be Antiracist" By: Ibram X. Kendi

"Let's Talk About Race" (Picture book I read with my kids) By: Julius Lester, Illustrated by: Karen Barbour

I want to focus more on the good, eternal things that surround me. (Which might help explain why we want to move even closer to my family and just attempted our 3rd offer on a house.) I want to be bold enough to change the subject and avoid getting into constant political conversations. I miss talking and laughing about naughty kids, latest TV binges, and best food joints. I'm done letting politics and loud opinions run my life. Thanks to baby Daisy and the prophets and apostles for opening my eyes. Here's to keeping the peace!