Can we just fast forward to summer?

Well 2020 has definitely been one for the books haha!

To start off, January was pretty smooth... started getting things ready to plan for our big day... nothing too eventful really. February was about the same. But, we booked our venue and our photographer!! ♥♥

Our venue is located in Garland - aka the middle of nowhere lol - but will be at the American Acres Event Center(: It is seriously the CUTEST!!! Like for real.... I'm soooo in love (see below) ♥ In hopes that everything with the COVID-19 stuff going on, our date is staying as August 20th. Our photographer is Taylie Nessen. To be 100% honest, I was really struggling with finding a photographer that I wanted. Pictures are such a huge part of my life, and I want every moment to be captured to the fullest. I started following our venue on Facebook and Instagram, and they had tagged Taylie in a post. As soon as I saw that, I KNEW that she was going to be our photographer. American Acres isn't the most widely know place... probably because it's kinda not too close to anything... but just knowing that she was already going to be at least somewhat familiar with our venue is what sealed the deal. That and she is a phenomenal photographer(: I also asked my cousin Bill to be a second photographer as well. He is incredible too!! AHHH I'm getting so excited!!

Okay, but like, what the actual heck is going on with the world right now?? I've seen this post going around Facebook that says:

Just so I NEVER forget..... April 2, 2020

Gas price a mile from home was $2.22 School cancelled 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 masses, churches are closed. No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now 5 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. 5.4 Earthquake hit Utah (Magna) March 18th 2020. 6.3 Earthquake in Idaho March 31st 2020 This is the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020.

Why, you ask, do I write this status? One day it will show up in my memory feed, and it will be an annual reminder that life is precious and not to take the things we dearly love for granted. We have so much! Be thankful. Be grateful. Be kind to each other - love one another - support everyone. Be gentle so many people have lost so much. We are in this together ! ❤️

The Magna earthquake though.... I was at work, just getting off the night audit shift (11pm-7am) and I was giving my General Manager the run down of my shift, and all of a sudden I just heard this noise. I can't even explain what I heard, a train...ish... sound maybe? But in my mind, I just started thinking that I must be getting light headed because everything was moving. Then I looked at my GM's face and he was feeling the same way. ALL THE LIGHTS WERE MOVING. EVEN THE ONES I THOUGHT COULDN'T MOVE. It really felt like I was on a roller coaster. I have never felt an earthquake before but I hope I never have to feel one again. I hurried and clocked out and called my mom because they live in Layton too (which is where I work), and they had felt it too. Later that day, I found out that they had felt two! The second was only 20ish minutes after I had called and that means that I was DRIVING. Which, I-15, in-between Layton and Ogden, is so cracked and bumpy, that I probably did feel the second wave and just thought it was the road.

**Side note, Jesse and I moved in together mid-March into a little trailer park home in Willard(: **

Which let's just jump to the month of March lol. Jesse and I got approved for this trailer home on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Jesse's work let him go, then Thursday, we signed the lease and moved in. Jesse was working as a forklift driver and all their shipments were suspended because the plants in China shut down due to COVID-19, so they had no work. Luckily, he was able to grab another forklift position a couple days later. Well, just this last Friday, he was feeling really sick. Turns out he had a respiratory infection as well as the flu. The doctor gave us a mandatory 72 hour quarantine because if Jess were to contact the virus, he would be considered a "high-risk" case. Jesse contacted his work and got him missing Friday all worked out and had a doctors note in hand. He got a hold of his boss on Sunday afternoon, confirming that he was still good to come back Monday night, and received verbal confirmation that he was. Well, Monday afternoon rolls around, and Jess received a call from the temp-agency he was working though and they told him not to go back. No warning, no explication, just a "don't come back." We aren't really sure why, but were both very frustrated. By the grace of God, he was able to get a job in construction again. Which, so far, so good... so fingers crossed the virus doesn't shut this company down too.

Davis County, which is my home county and also the county where I work, as of a couple days ago, is now on a mandatory stay-at-home order till May 1st. So, that's great. Also, I'm pretty sure Utah is really close to a state wide stay-at-home order too, and with that, all the bridal shops will be closed... so no wedding dress shopping. Boooooo. A lot of people have asked me about my wedding and what's going to happen with that. Like I said earlier in my post, as of right now, our date is staying the same. If things haven't gotten better by mid-May or early June, I think that's when we will decide if we are going to keep the date or not. My mom and a few others have said that they think everything with the virus will improve in the summer, so hopefully that's the case.

On a more fun note, moving in together has been quite the adventure haha! Lots of firsts for both of us and a lot of new memories.

*We rented a Uhaul trailer to move all of our stuff. I've never been more nervous in my life haha! I felt so much responsibility towards this trailer. When we went to return it the next day, they weren't open... well... they were, but no one was on property. We went back like 30 minutes later, and the lady we rented from was there the second time.

*Our first full day, I had to go to work at 3pm, around 5:30pm, Jesse called me and said that the apartment was flooding. WHAT. Turns out a hose from the laundry machine wasn't all the way tightened or something, and water had seeped in through the wall and the floor in our closet. Our carpet was wet for about a week and a half. Our landlords (who are AMAZING) brought us a fan to help the carpet dry faster, and it didn't work. But a couple days later, they brought a wet-vac and a smaller fan. Well... it's spring time... and that usually entails rain, right? Haha, apparently, our roof decided it wanted to leak. During one of our quarantine days, Jess and I were watching "Tiger King" on Netflix (that's a WHOLE other story lol) but we totally heard someone on our roof. The leak is fixed, and as far as we know, everything else is in order.

*We both sorted through our clothes... a MUCH needed process... and now have two bins of stuff that need to go to Goodwill haha

*We both experienced an earthquake for the first time

*First quarantine was a success... I guess? Hoping there won't be a second lol. We are just so incredibly grateful that we both still have jobs.

*We binged the "Tiger King" and both have very strong feelings against Carol Baskin haha. It was definitely quite the show. All jokes aside about the show though, all of the animals were treated just as badly as the next by ALL of the trainers/owners in the show. Sure Exotic Joe planned a murder, but Carol Baskin is just as guilty of animal cruelty. And you cannot change my mind.

*I got Jesse to let me put a face mask on him!! Haha, he hated every minute

*We purchased Internet and it arrived the other day. Jesse is sooooo happy about it(: But it'll be good because I'm looking at doing what my cousin does in selling Kangen water machines through the Breakaway Movement, and a lot of what is done is online.

*I joined the Breakaway Movement and am so excited to be apart of this community!! And I can't wait to purchase a Kangen water machine. Water is truly my favorite drink, and why not invest in the purest filtration method, to gain the best water ever?? And maybe it will help me hop on here more often lol! Also, I will have PLENTY of time for a hot minute to do this.

***Also, a HUGE shout out to my ANGEL mother ♥ She made sure that Jesse and I were good on groceries and medicine while we were in our quarantine. I'm so grateful for my wonderful parents and everything they have done for Jess and I***

Well... to quote Nacho Libre... "My life is good. Really good." Stay tuned for more of my Breakaway Movement adventure!! And just life in general!(: Oh, and remember to wash your hands, and stay inside! Lord bless all medical personnel and all those who are working night and day to save others ♥♥