November -- we've been hit

On Tuesday, November 3rd, we went to John's Gretencords funeral. I had a headache, but assumed it was from the crying and general sadness of the day. I didn't think much of it. I also had a bit of a stuffy nose. Since Emmalyn had her first basketball game -- I decided Wednesday I better get to the doc and check it out. I'll be honest - with Covid encompassing nearly every symptom, there is no getting normal sick anymore. I was convinced it was just a sinus infection, and after a copay and visit to Urgent Care, the nurse practitioner said the same. In fact, she didn't even mention a Covid test. All good, clear conscience, meds in tote -- let's keep living life. 

We went to Em's game that Thursday, and Mom & Dad rode along with us. I gave them a heads up that I wasn't 100%, but they were game to go. In fact, Dad wound up offering to keep the book -- which worked out for him, because the girls got creamed 30-2. Sorry Em -- it was rough. Em's fighting the same problem Colton did - there are very few girls on the team above her - so they play 5/6 together. And the 6th team gets priority, of course, and well, they aren't great. It was rough.....

Fast forward to Friday evening and I'm still not coming around. Not worse, just TIRED. Stuffy. No fever. No cough. Just stuffy nose and exhaustion. Jason came home not feeling great and wound up with a slight fever of 99. We had a lazy evening, and by Saturday morning he was fine. Not fine, but fine -- but the guilt of it all had me talked out of going to Miss Shelton & Joe Brown's wedding, which was super frustrating. He kept moving about -- taking calves to get clipped and running around while I chilled at home all day. By Sunday, I couldn't stand it. I went for a test, which, according to the news you just do -- but apparently, it's not that easy. I made some calls and wound up driving through the CVS in Monticello, where I swabbed myself. (Fun fact, my nose was filthy from a beautiful 70 degree day where we'd been hanging outside.....so I'm sure it was a clean specimen when the swab came out of my nose black....). Anyway -- now we waited for results. And, my kids couldn't go to school until I had results, so they began their stay at home. It was now November 8th. 

News flash -- not only do you get to not feel well when you may/may not have Covid -- you get to homeschool your kids too. So, we did -- until Wednesday, when I finally got my results. Positive. A week and a half after I first started not feeling great. Now, I was on a mission to connect with the contact tracer which I needed to do to get a letter to get my kids back to school. The run around was REAL. By now, Jason was home from Wednesday through Friday, and it was shotgun season, so guess where my quarantine buddies were -- HUNTING (more on that later). Thankfully, the kids might have had mild symptoms over the weekend - but nothing substantial. Jason lost his taste/smell, as did I, but only for a short time. 

On Friday, November 13, I finally connected with the contact tracer. At this point, I was feeling a lot better, the kids and Jason were fine, and the kids were one full week out of school, and 11 days past when I first started showing symptoms. The tracer asked me when the last time I was around my kids was....."um, 30 seconds ago".....which was apparently the wrong joke to make. She wanted the kids 14 day quarantine to start that day --after they'd already been out of school for a week. I was able to backtrack with the lady to say that I'd been isolating since the 9th, so she moved their date to return to school to the Tuesday before Thanksgiving break. Another week and one day quarantine. Great for the hunters. Not great for recovering Mom who was now a full time worker, Covid statistic and homeschool teacher. How's that for a Friday the 13th. 

As we continued to improve and really fall into a stride with homeschooling, cases were rising and the school was fighting Covid cases big time. Just as we were ready to head back to school, the school shut down, earning us ANOTHER full week home together. Granted, they would have been off Wednesday through Friday anyway for Thanksgiving break, but they were honestly looking forward to going back. AND, staying home meant they were out of school for darn near a month! Crazy! 

In this same time - maybe a few days delayed from us -- my parents both tested positive as did Krystle. Thankfully, all of them had mild to no symptoms -- I'm so grateful for that -- but also felt terrible that I'd been around each of them and they wound up with it. Thankfully, Nat had Covid the same time I did (we were both together that Sunday before I started not feeling well), so I had someone to commiserate with. Quarantine is not for the faint of heart -- especially when husbands continue working. But, we did it. We survived. Our kids were champs (while probably a total pain in our butts at the time....hind sight is 20/20, and we made it...). 

One shining moment for Em was when we were nearing the end of our quarantine, she was going stir crazy and needing her girlfriends. So, we hit up the Family Dollar, put together porch drop packages, dropped them to her girlfriends and planned to be on zoom at 7pm. To hear the girls giggling and laughing and playing a kahoot that Emmalyn had put together with Christmas movies....it was music to my ears!! 

We are now Covid statistics. I'm still not sure how I feel about this virus. The rules change constantly. Example, while we were home, in the middle of our 14 day quarantine, the CDC cut it back to 7-10 days. The vaccine is rapidly being produced and approved, but honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about that either. It's all happening so fast and so many talking heads. Ultimately, God is the great physician, right? We'll keep praying and thank God the Q is behind us. And we'll continue to pray that no one else we love gets this stupid thing. 

Now, while I was recovering from Covid... this is what my cohabitants were doing:

And when opening day rolled around -- Keaton and I chilled at home, while Dad and the big kids hit the woods. 

Jason was excited to take Emmalyn for the first time, and she couldn't wait to go. They went up to Sargent's woods and by daybreak we were getting a phone call that there was a buck down! They had sat in a box blind and she took down the first deer she saw. It came up within 10 yards of the blind, and she let'r rip. She was pretty excited to have shot a buck on opening day!

It must have been exciting to shoot her first buck.....and exhausting too! 

Colton and Jason came home for lunch, then of course, headed back out for the afternoon/evening hunt. Colton sat in his own blind, while Jason was on the opposite side of the woods. They texted back and forth with what each other was seeing, and Colton mentioned that his phone was dying, so Jason told him to get off of it. Colton had said a few times how he'd wanted to go home, he wasn't seeing much - but Jason pressed for patience and they stuck around as the sun started to set. A few minutes later, Jason heard a shot and he called Colton, but Colton wasn't answering. Jason began to get nervous when Colton called him and told him he shot a buck! As if he was going to be outdone by his sister on opening day! HAHA Turns out this buck walked out 20 yards behind Colton, following a doe and he had a great shot. Colton shot, hit, and the buck ran about 40 yards before dropping right near Colton. It was a banner day, no doubt. Colton was super excited to have another buck worth putting on his wall! Jason was beaming with pride for his kids, but also embarrassed he'd been outhunted! HA   

I guess the benefit of getting the Rona was that while the news was blasting DO NOT GET TOGETHER for Thanksgiving and gatherings are not suggested, etc....because most of us just got out of quarantine, we felt as safe as we have all year getting together. So, while the Stockment side passed on getting together, we all gathered here at our house. Mom was just not 110% and I didn't want her worrying about hosting. So, we all gathered here and it was a great day to kick off the holiday season! Also, hosting is work and I took not one single picture from the day. It was that fun! 

We rounded out break working calves and making a trip to IKEA with Aunt Stef and David! It was a pretty great end to a LONG Quarantine -- we were just so happy to be out of the house!

The kids finally got to go back to school the Monday after Thanksgiving (only for Colton to go BACK to virtual learning on Thursday/Friday because they didn't have enough staff to run the danged kitchen!!). It was the start to December, and while we were hopeful to end that week at Hoosier Beef Congress, Covid damned that too. It's been postponed to February and we're hopeful that we can attend then!