Eli George Ungricht

So thrilled and happy to welcome baby Eli to our family. We love our little guy, born during a pandemic. We are doing our part to keep him safe, face masks and all. 

I love how he is looking right at me in this one.

Virtual Baby Shower

Rachel's new baby will be coming soon and we were so disappointed that we had to cancel her shower due to the quarantine. But then her sweet friend came up with this creative and fun idea...a digital shower! So grateful for the kindness and generosity of dear friends and family...something the virus cannot cancel or take away from us. 

Global Pandemic 2020

This is the Coronavirus Pandemic, March-April 2020...

*School cancelled March 14 for two weeks. Then extended to May 4th. Then through the end of the school year. Unbelievable.
*Church shifted from meeting at the church building to in-home worship starting March 14.
*No public was allowed to attend General Conference, (April 4th and 5th)
*Temples have all closed.
*U.S. missionaries serving in other countries are returning home including Alec (California) and Maren (Brazil).
*Self-distancing measures on the rise.
*Limited number of people inside stores.
*Non-essential stores and businesses closed and many employees working from home--Stefanie's job at Dillards and Braden's job at Enlite furloughed, George working from home. 
*Playgrounds are off limits.
*Gyms are closed.
*City buildings have locked their doors.
*NCAA tournament cancelled.
*Entire sports seasons cancelled.
*Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events - cancelled.
*Weddings, receptions, family celebrations, holiday gatherings - cancelled.
*No gatherings of 10 or more.
*Don't physically socialize with anyone outside of your home. 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--especially toilet paper, disinfecting supplies, paper towels, laundry soap, and hand sanitizer. 
*Store shelves are bare. People in stores are wearing masks and gloves. Plastic shields between cashier and customers. No eye contact or communication in stores. And eerie feeling of unease. 
*Government closes the border--Stefanie and Erik cancelled their Spring Break trip to Mexico.
*Non-essential travel discouraged--Kent and I cancelled our spring break trip to Nashville.
*Press conferences daily from the President and Governor. Daily updates on new cases, recoveries, and deaths.
*5.7 Earthquake hit Utah March 18.

This is how it is affecting us individually as a family...

Kent and I are both teaching school on-line from home. We were given no preparation or warning, just bam! We found out that school was cancelled the afternoon of Girls' Night, that was unsettling! For the past three weeks I've gone to the school once each week to meet with my team and get our lesson plans and website ready. I have made a little video each morning and tried my best to stay connected to each of my students and their parents, but it is definitely not easy and definitely far out of my comfort zone. I miss seeing my little students, and miss the routine of the school day. The highlight so far was a teacher parade where we decorated our cars and drove through the streets of our school boundaries. It was so fun to see their cute little faces! It brightened my day. This week is spring break, Kent and I were supposed to be on a plane headed to Nashville, I was so excited about this trip! I have been looking forward to it for YEARS! Hopefully we will eventually get there. 

Stefanie's job at Dillards was furloughed and she applied for unemployment. She is getting random jobs as a CNA--Certified Nursing Assistant that she enjoys. I am trying not to worry about her going into random people's homes during a pandemic! She and Erik seem to be going strong, and it seems like there may be an October wedding, yay! I am just very glad we did not plan a wedding during a quarantine. We know of at least a few friends who have had to cancel or postpone their wedding receptions and temple ceremonies, so heartbreaking! Erik and Stefanie were planning to go to Mexico for Spring Break with a group of friends. They were so sad when the border was closed the day before they were supposed to go. So disappointing for them! I'm glad the two of them have each other, they are so cute together. 

Rachel's baby is due in a month, she is understandably nervous about bringing a new baby into this mixed-up world. George has been working from home which has been nice for her and Ivy. So glad George's job is not at risk, especially since they are building a new home in Eagle Mountain. Their new home is coming along, the foundation is poured and it should be framed this week. So exciting! A bright spot in this dim world we are living in right now. It is fun to drive past their lot every few days and see the progress. Kent and I were with them when they drove past to see the hole had been dug, hooray! They were so happy. 

Braden's job was also furloughed, he moved home the end of March. I am so glad he is here. He thinks he will only be here for a month but I'll bet it will be longer than that. Having him here brightens our home, everything is more fun when he is around. He had originally planned to work in Puerto Rico this summer but it looks like that is now on the back burner along with so many other events and activities. He is especially missing all the cancelled sporting events and tournaments, there really is not much to do or watch. 

For the most part we've been able to find the food and supplies we need. I've stocked up on toilet paper which is one of the things that people are panic buying, so we will be okay.  We have also made the most of home church--we have the sacrament each week and a little gospel lesson. I am actually really enjoying it! Other than that we are getting by and taking note of this unprecedented time in history. What an event to live through! It is definitely one for the history books.  We will never forget this.