The Rampton Family: 2021

In my last post, I posted a picture where I remember reading that the first Covid case was discovered in Hawaii, in Waikiki where we were staying the weekend. Crazy to think of all the life changing that has happened since then.

It seems like not that long ago that it seemed like the end of times, waking up every morning reading about the cases and the closures. I got a text from the Rampton family thread that the NBA was canceling all their games and it really hit me that the world was closing. I remember driving to church and Bobby told me that Seattle stakes had canceled church. I couldn't help but gossip in the pew thinking that it would be so exciting if church got canceled.

Then it all happened. Everything, literally everything got closed. Schools, church, stores, restaurants, beaches, parks, playgrounds...It was so surreal. It would have been very dark and depressing if we didn't have our neighbors and cousins to play with outside. We were already homeschooling that year so life for us didn't change like it did for others. But there was a time that we were on house arrest and we wondered if the cousins were going to get in trouble for playing with each other in the conjoined backyard (!).

It lasted two weeks, then a month, then all summer. Then we thought school would start up again. We wondered if we'd have to wear masks to school. We bought all the school supplies...then another waves came and everything closed again. This time worse. Trails and beaches closed. You could be in the water (maritime rule), but couldn't be on the beach. How do I keep 3 kids in the water without going on the sand? You could hike alone but not with another person. How were the kids supposed to hike without an adult? The kids were hit the hardest at that time. They really couldn't leave their houses, and even if they could, there was no where they were allowed to go. We read a facebook post from a woman in our neighborhood who had to go to court for looking for sea shells with her kids.

We kept hoping we'd go back to (public) school - after first quarter? Halloween? Thanksgiving? New Year? We are supposed to be going back later this week. I think it will happen, but who knows for sure. And for how long?

There have been advantages for sure. Connecting with the Rampton family and the Marshall family over text threads that never existed before Covid, more family time with way less distractions, slower pace, things available online for streaming (a stay at home mother's dream), less driving around and busy schedules, and the memes and humor that got us through. I loved all the world coming together with one single purpose in mind. It felt connecting. A common enemy.

But we are also REALLY tired of it. We appreciate what we had and long for hugs again. We want so badly for just one sport to open for the kids to be a part of. We want to go back to school. We want to take off our masks and to see other's faces. I worry that things may never be the same again. When will it be safe to go to work without a mask on? I fear never. I hope the new vaccine will be our answer to prayers. That people will get it and it will work and erradicate Covid and I will laugh about this later. But for now. It's at the forefront of our mind every time we leave the house.

We are mostly lucky to be living in Hawaii during this all. To have near perfect weather everyday and the most gorgeous views every. day. I am just filled to the brim with gratitude for this lovely island and the opportunity to live here. I get anxiety thinking about leaving. How could we leave? For a time it was a difficult place to live during Covid because no one could come and no one could leave. We felt a little trapped. But with my sister here I have nothing to complain about.

It has also been an incredibly unique experience to be able to have Oahu all to ourselves with no tourists. Ample parking, less traffic, just knowing everyone here lived here and was going through the same things as you, not people with a lot of money vacationing was fun. It felt like a tighter knit community.

Troy has online school. It ends at 9:20 AM. He has a handful of assignments that he can finish within a couple of hours if he sets his mind to it. I held Rocky back so he's in PreK at a private Christian church PreK, which has been the absolute best. No masks, which I am so grateful for. Tyler is dying to go to preschool with him.

We still haven't fully adjusted to life post-residency. Life feels unusally stress-free and wide open. And his SCHEDULE! Man. Bobby is liking his job and role and he helps so many people every day.

In April the Red Cross made a FB post about nurses volunteering for the predicted influx in hospitals due to Covid. I signed up, got the training...then there was no work for me. We never got overwhelmed. Covid tents go closed. They asked if there was anywhere else in the hospital I'd like to volunteer. I asked if I could go to Labor and Delivery. I go in once a week and learn as much as I can. I've been so grateful to be there for the few hours I can go in. I think it is a win win situation. I am learning so much and also have so much to learn. I feel like a new grad and I've forgotten so much.

We are happy to start getting visitors again recently. Hawaii is opening up with proof of a negative test. Despite covid, we have had a LOT of fun this past year. Pictures to prove:

Christmas in Colorado

We had a great time. The kids favorite part was just exploring Grandma and GP's house. They love it there. Here is a picture of our traditional "first day of Christmas" at home

Flying for 10 hours making kids wear their masks was fun

Garden of the Gods, trying to recreate a picture from my childhood

Celebrating Chelsea's 31 birthday in Waikiki

Beach with friends!

Loved having Jack and his cousin Simon visit:

This is a picture of when a monk seal came onto land right where Tyler was playing on the beach and scared him!

One of our favorites, Paradise Cove:

Political comic break:

Hiked to Makapu'u Puka with Lucky and Camilla Sherry

Stairway to Heaven with Lucky, Marcus and Eliza. It was thrilling! Mostly hiding from the guards.

Marshall cousins come to visit

2021 New Years Sunrise Hike with my early birds

Got my Covid Vaccination

Haleiwa, we saw a manta ray this same day here

Paddle Boarding date night at Kamehameha Beach

Hiding on the beach during state quarantine, between Kawela and Turtle Bay

Troy turns 6

Paddle Boarding Haleiwa

Bobby's homemade slip-n-slide with the neighbors

Beach Cabins at the Marine Corps base

Closing the road for bikers in Waikiki

See Troy waiting to jump at Waimea

Beach cottages at White Plains

Haleiwa with the Richards girls

Lanikai pillbox hike. Forgot Tyler's shoes, whoops. Carried him most the way.

Bobby sustained the 2nd counselor of the bishopric

Are they twins?

Dog beach

Dukes for date night

Catamaran

Babysat this cat for a week. It was lots of fun for the kids. Poor cat.

Picking guava at Tripler ridge. Don't normally like guava, but fresh on this trail it is incredible!

Date night with Rocky, we rented a metal detector and found trasures

Troy at his school which he's never attended. Only online

Marriott with the Drapers

Back for more guava. Eliza and Troy are shoeless!

Lanikai with Eliza

Pink pillbox

My year of flight benefits from mom was year 2020, which was an unfortunate year to fly. At the beginning of the year we had grand plans. We got to one of them: Japan in January. We hoped to go to Machu Picchu, but then covid. Finally in November, Machu Picchu opens and it looks like it might be possible for us to go with a negative covid test within 72 hours of your flight. Friday afternoon I take my test. Monday afternoon we were supposed to head to Lima.

I get to Houston, my last leg and I still don't have my negative test results back. They don't let me fly. (I didn't get my negative test back until about 72 hours after I took it. By the time I got it, it was expired.)

My mom stayed back with me and we looked at the departures board and decided where to go instead. We ended up going to Disneyworld, Wichita to visit Michael and Preslee, then Phoenix to hike and shop. I tell my sob story, but in reality, I loved spending time with just me and my mom. We had a great time.

Here is me with an oven mitt over my entire face for the flight. Not weird at all