I Tested Positive!

I can't believe it, I tested positive for Covid 19.  The first full week of the new year I decided I wanted to do a food reset to kick start my new diet plan.  I was going low carb again to get into ketosis.  I started with doing a liquid diet for about three days and on day four I started feeling yucky.  I felt super tired, and my body was achy.  I thought it was because I was eating so low calories and still walking three miles a day.  

Then on Friday I felt even worse.  Just super tired, no energy and my hips were killing me.  I had stabbing pain in both hips after I walked with my mom.  I was cold and felt like I had the keto flu because I had gotten into ketosis, and it was making me sick.  My mom thought maybe I had inflammation in my hips and that is why they hurt.  So, I started taking an anti-inflammatory to see if that helped. I also took an Epson salt bath to help with the achiness. It did help.  I did this for a couple days over the weekend and started eating more calories and carbs to see if I felt better.  

I did slowly start to feel better.  I had a thought pop into my head that wouldn't it be funny if I had Covid and that's what is making me feel sick.  But I didn't have any of the typical Covid symptoms, so I brushed away that thought and figured it was just because of my diet.  

I also had been having headaches and ear pain for over a month, so I finally called and got an appointment with my ear doctor.  I got in to see him on Wednesday.  He looked at my ear and nose and decided to have me start an antibiotic and ear drops.  I talked to him about my diet and how I was feeling.  He told me to stop with the extreme and just focus on calorie counting and see if I felt better.  I asked if he thought it could be Covid.  He said it's possible, but doubtful.  

I had also noticed that Monday of this week I had gotten really thirsty at the gym and felt very parched.  I remember feeling like this on Tuesday as well and then on Thursday my mouth felt like it was almost numb.  I didn't lose my sense of smell or taste, but it felt off.  I had just changed toothpaste, so I thought maybe I was allergic to the new toothpaste and that is what was making my mouth feel funny.  That is what really made me say, okay I am going to get tested just to be safe.

So, Thursday I went to the Maverick Center where they have free testing from your car and got tested.  I chose to get the test that takes a couple days to get the results because they are more accurate, and I really didn't think that I had Covid.  And really by this time I was feeling better.  The hip pain was pretty much gone, and I wasn't feeling as yucky as I was earlier in the week.

Then on Saturday I got a call saying I tested positive.  I then called Tony right away to come home.  Him and Tyler were at the suit store with Tony's parents.  Tony then came home and took the kids with him to go get tested.

I then got a call from a nurse from the health department.  He explained to me the rules and how long I needed to quarantine.  Since I had symptoms back on the 8th or 9th (was the worse day) I need to count back from that day 10 days to be isolated.  Well since I really didn't think I had it and wasn't tested until a week after I first felt sick, I only had a couple more days where I had to isolate.  But since my kids have been around me, they need to quarantine for 10 days after my 10 days are over.  

I then got a call this past Monday saying Josh tested positive.  It appears that no one else tested positive except for Josh and me.  Josh had one day where I noticed he had a runny nose (like Friday) and that is all the signs I have seen from him.  So, his isolation starts from the day he tested positive.  I wished everyone would have tested positive so we could all just have it and get over it.  No one else has any symptoms at all.  Tony had a runny nose for two days like three weeks ago, so I thought maybe he had it and gave it to me.  But he tested negative.  He may go get tested for the antibodies to see if he had it already.  

This has been a very interesting experience.  I am glad that we didn't get really sick, especially the kids.  I had so many funny symptoms that I really didn't think it was Covid, but I am glad that I know.  I hope that no one else gets it.  It is so crazy that I am the one that got it since I am not around very many people.  But that is life sometimes.  Craziness.

Winter Swimming

The kids only had to go to school on Monday this week because it is the end of the semester and our district wanted to give the teachers extra days to get caught up with all their grades and work.  So yesterday I decided to take the kids to the Murray Rec Center to go swimming with my mom.  I noticed the pool is not usually very busy in the mornings while my mom and I workout, so that was the perfect time.

Their were some little families there swimming, but not too busy.  The kids were so excited to go swimming in the winter.  They had a little kids area with a little slide perfect for Allie.  Then they had a big slide for us big people.  The boys loved it.  Megan and Allie were both too scared to go down the slide even though they could have gone with me.  I tried it and thought it was super fun, so I went down two more times.  I even got my  mom to go down and that was fun too.

We stayed for about an hour and a half before we were ready to go.  It was fun and I am glad we were able to do something different and fun on one of our days off of school.  Disneyland would have been better, but we'll take what we can get.  

Boys Advanced in the Priesthood

Josh became a deacon today and Tyler advanced to the office of Teacher.  Both sets of grandparents were able to come to our church and participate in the ordination.  Josh has been so excited to receive the priesthood.  Tony and I are very proud to have another priesthood holder in the family.  I am thankful to Tony that he can give our kids this awesome gift.  Tyler is once again the only Teacher in his quorum, so while we were all there the bishop set Tyler apart as the Teacher Quorum president.  It was a very special day.

Merry Christmas 2020

We all had a wonderful Christmas.  Megan woke up the earliest at just after 6:00 am. I heard her wake up Allie and then they both went into the front room to check out if Santa came. They were so excited and sounded so cute talking about the gifts and things. I got up with them and enjoyed in their excitement.  The boys were not too far behind them and then they were all chatting about the gifts and Christmas morning.  

After a while I told the girls to go wake up Tony so we could start the fun. We then opened up the gifts in our usual manner.  We had Tyler and Josh open up their first gift together. It was a Nintendo Switch.  They had saved up some money to go towards buying one, but we told them that we weren't going to get one this Christmas. So they were not expecting it at all and were both very excited to get it. All the kids loved all their presents. It was fun to see them get so excited about their gifts.

We then ate breakfast and let the kids play with their gifts for a while before getting dressed and going to Lloyd and Margie's house. Once we got there the kids opened up their gifts from them. They loved everything they got there too. We let them open and play with some of their gifts before we had some lunch. Then it was time to go to the Clark's. We went to my parents and helped them get ready for Christmas dinner. While it was finishing up cooking we opened gifts from them. It was all very nice and we loved what we received and what we gave them. We then ate a yummy early dinner. After cleaning up and chatting for a while we went back home and enjoyed relaxing before bed.  It was a great day of being spoiled by everyone. I can't believe that Christmas has already come and gone. This year has gone by so fast. We have been so blessed this year.

Christmas Eve 2020

Because of Covid we weren't able to have an extended Kresser family party. So we partied with just us and Suzanne's family at Lloyd and Margie's. They had some gingerbread houses for the kids to do with each other. They all did a really good job. Gabe and Brennen lasted a lot longer then our kids and really decorated theirs well.  

After gingerbread house making we ate some yummy dinner. After dinner we Skyped with Nate and Amy and their kids. All the kids opened their jammies together and then got changed. They all looked so good in their jammies. It is my favorite part of Christmas Eve. After that we got packed up and went home.  It was a low key Christmas Eve but it was a super nice time.

Sunday Before Christmas

 Us Steenblik girls were all matchy on Sunday so we got us a pretty picture together. I took Megan's picture before church because her face was red and swollen. It looked like she was having a reaction to something, but were didn't really know what. We gave her some Benadryl after church and put lotion on her face. It did seem to help, but it was too bad that we didn't know what caused it. I got the opportunity to talk in church, so that was...good. I focused on the story of Christ's birth and talked mainly to the kids in the ward. Tyler got to play the piano after I spoke. He did a really good job.  

After church Tony got set apart as a High Priest and a High Councilor in our stake. Lloyd and my parents were able to come and participate in that setting apart and that was nice. After they came over to our house for some yummy soup. It was nice having them over and we all enjoyed family time.

Clark Family Christmas Party

We were able to have our annual Clark family party.  Julie is so good to host all us crazies.  We ate lots of yummy food and had tons of fun activities.  We did a Christmas Jeopardy, a name that song game, and even made a nativity out of snack foods.  After the game we exchanged cousin gifts and then did the adult gift exchange. Everyone had a great time and we all enjoyed each others company.  It is a wonderful tradition and I am glad that we were still able to do it, even with Covid.

Santa in the Park

We went to Julie's house for her and I to make caramels together.  After we made our treats and helped her with her primary project we went to the park near by and met Santa who came on a firetruck.  Each of the kids talked with Santa, got a candy cane, and then they got to climb into the firetruck.  It was a fun, unexpected treat and we were happy to be able to go.  

Gingerbread Houses

 Margie got us another fun Gingerbread house making kit.  We love doing these as a Family Home Evening.  The kids have short attention spans so they don't do a very detailed job, but they have fun creating and eating the treats and frosting.  It is all about the experience and time spent as a family.  

All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth

Allie finally lost both her front teeth.  She is so happy about that.  She is excited that she can sing All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth.  She is pretty adorable even without her teeth.