A Wedding Anniversary to Remember

Posted by Chandra April 05, 2020

A Wedding Anniversary to Remember

Hey! It’s Our 16th Anniversary!
This week has been unprecedented. As the Corona Virus spreads at an alarming rate, infecting thousands and causing wide spread panic, we were ordered to shelter in place.

Just so I NEVER forget.....

Gas price a mile from home was $3.15
School cancelled - yes cancelled... distance learning only...at home online.
Self-distancing measures on the rise.
Tape on the floors at grocery stores and others to help distance shoppers (6ft) from each other.
Limited number of people inside stores, therefore, lineups outside the store doors.
Non-essential stores and businesses mandated closed.
Parks, trails, entire cities locked up.
Entire sports seasons cancelled.
Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - cancelled.
Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - cancelled.
No church , churches are closed.
No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now 10 or more.
Don't socialize with anyone outside of your home.
Children's outdoor play parks are closed.
We are to distance from each other.
Shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers.
Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill.
Panic buying sets in and we have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towel no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer.
Shelves are bare.
Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.
Government closes the border to all non-essential travel.
Fines are established for breaking the rules.
Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of Covid-19 patients.
Press conferences daily from the President. Daily updates on new cases, recoveries, and deaths.
Government incentives to stay home.
Barely anyone on the roads.
People wearing masks and gloves outside.
Essential service workers are terrified to go to work.
Medical field workers are afraid to go home to their families.
Navy hospital ships, The Mercy and The Compfort deployed to Los Angeles and New York respectively.
Disneyland, all theme parks, theaters and restaurants closed. Take out and drive through only.
Routine medical care all done online. Elective surgeries delayed or cancelled.
Dr. Fauci became a rockstar!!

This is the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020.

Monday and Tuesday we tried to keep life as normal as possible. I made my first ever batch of homemade cinnamon rolls. I worked out via ZOOM with Courtney, we worked in the yard, spent some time riding bikes in the cul-de-sac, friends dropped off groceries and other necessities since we are now considered a “red alert” family. Tanner learned that almost every single person/patient tested at his facility was positive for COVID-19. Each day that passed when he wasn't informed of his results was excruciating. He refused to come home and worked 18+ hours days for 10 days straight. He changes his clothes in the garage and puts them in a bag, then takes a long hot shower and sleeps downstairs. Tuesday afternoon he got his test results: negative. Which means he's already had it, he's going to get it, or he just won't ever get it.

By Wednesday, he was broken.

He wouldn't get out of bed. His eyes were completely blood shot. I covered my nose and mouth and sat next to him on the bed and listened to him cry, his body wracking with torment at the situation unfolding at work. He self crushed by the weight of it all- people sick, people dying, nurses refusing to come to work, worried about bringing the virus home and infecting his family, not have the resources he needed to fight this battle. He was losing. I sat with him as he recalled all of the tender mercies. The people who showed up to volunteer setting their own health and well being aside to deliver aid. People who reached out to check on him and let them know they are praying for him. I had people reaching out to me too. People who were scared, who's seen the news, who said they'd pray for us, who wanted to hear some good news but I had none to give them. I made him some food and told him to take a few bites and called Steve. He said for Tanner to rest and come into work later. With that, he fell into a deep sleep finally able to let go, even for just a few hours. When he woke up, I encouraged him to take a shower and head into work but he did NOT want to. He finally mustered the strength around 4pm and when Steve got word that Tanner was on his way, he told him to turn around and go home, to take the day to rest and recharge.

Tanner pulled back into the driveway while we were outside riding bikes and he was like a new man. He finally had a little bit of light in him and he opened up and started talking and talking. He's got so many ideas and is so encouraged by the nurses who have showed up to help! We were able to have dinner together as a family and Tanner said, "This is heaven". My patriarchal blessed talks about establishing a house that is lovely which can be a refuge from the world. I feel like our home truly is a sanctuary where we can be sheltered from the storms that rage beyond our door. And we are blessed. I was also able to attend a ZOOM book club meeting with my mom. The book was "Insights", the biography on President Nelson. It was wonderful to hear from so many women I highly admire and talk about our beloved Prophet. But Tanner was talking to his parents and neither of us got the kids to bed so they were super late going to sleep.

Thursday was our 16th wedding anniversary and we were able to sit down and have a little breakfast together. I wasn't expecting much and pretty much just went about my "normal" day. I told Tanner I was going to turn off my light at 10pm and make sure I got a good night's sleep. He came home at 9:50pm eager to tell me all about his day. He was a completely different person than he was the day before- full of hope, a bright light shining from his eyes. Although he's lost 5 patients, the rest are doing remarkably well- way better than the global average! He is creating protocol for skilled nursing facilities to follow- the first in the world, and is truly leading the globe down a path to recovery! I am so proud of him!

As I was making dinner (cabbage and sausage) on Thursday night, we got a knock at the door and it was Dominos! Someone who works with Tanner wanted to do something for the kids and me and sent us pizza. The kids were stoked! People are awesome.

Friday, he was touched when he pulled into work to find their sign donned with a "Heroes Work Here" sign and balloons and flowers arranged all around. The community is rallying around him and the healthcare workers in his hospital and it is remarkable to witness. Even the UPS driver left us a sweet note when he dropped off a package! On Saturday, we were thrilled to have Tanner join us ALL day! We made a yummy breakfast and watched General Conference. We have been preparing for so long and hungering to hear the words of the Prophet. What peace and reassurance it brought into our lives to hear his words! We went for a short walk with Rayleigh and Jack while Parker stayed home with a napping Ella. Then Tanner and I took a little drive to pick up some Cafe Rio for dinner, we got the kids McDonald's and paid for the people behind us (friends from school). We sat in the hot tub and got the kids to bed together and finally watched a few shows together. It's the little things...

This painting by Tessa Brown is framed and hangs in our bedroom. I love it. Now more than ever it's depiction holds true- there IS a storm raging in the world and Tanner and I are working hard together to keep our family safe in every sense of the word. We have built our house upon a rock and we shall not fall!