COVID-19 Week #2

Goody package delivered to our door from good friends

The current state of the hockey rink. The ground is finally thawing enough so we can almost get the stakes out of the ground to break down the boards.

A nice hike on a gorgeous day.

Luke's latest desert...graham cracker, marshmallow, chocolate chip cookie bar

Sleepover with all the boys and stuffed animals

Bike ride on a chilly but sunny day

Luke found the glasses on our hike

We just completed week #2 of quarantine here.  On Friday, the Governor of MN announced that we will be practicing a shelter in place so we won't be leaving the house except for groceries or other important errands.

We have had some ups and downs being at home all day everyday, but thankfully we are all healthy and happy (most of the time).  We have done many hikes, walks, and runs to burn energy.  We purchased a new bike so we could all ride together, a larger pair of rollerblades so Luke can get his skating in, new shoes for Aiden, and a bigger bike (from Aiden when he got Liam's bike and Liam received a new bike).  We are making the most of outdoor activities near our house.

On Monday, things will change a bit for us as we will begin the distance learning.  We have been doing things for the last two weeks that were primarily organized by me with the help of a few ideas from the teachers.  From here on out, we have lesson plans!  Very thankful for a plan!!  Luke and Liam will be using their chrome books to access plans on a daily basis while Aiden will use his iPad and Google meetings with his teachers.  Finn will mostly rely on me, but we have lots of worksheets, things to read, and a meetings with his teacher on a daily basis.  It will be a busy month!

We hope each of you is staying healthy as well!  

COVID-19

Finn's hockey jamboree was cancelled so we had a knee hockey jamboree in the basement

Finn's team won and he scored a hat trick and won MVP

Celebrating with a trophy!!

Social Distancing....the day before the governor announced schools were closing immediately .  This was our final bang before we said goodbye to friends for awhile.

Luke and Liam on one of our hikes

Finn and his poster for the Jamboree.  He was Finn the "Finnisher"

Finn on another one of our hikes

Aiden and Finn 

I read a quote on social media that said..."What a year this week has been."  That pretty much summarizes how I feel.  Just like the rest of the world, We went from having a full calendar of spring sports, a recorder and band concerts, birthday parties, end of season hockey parties, work, school, playdates with friends, church, etc...to nothing at all.  No time schedule, no practices, no school.  It all seems a bit like a dream.  Some aspects of the mandatory down time have been nice.  We have had a chance to play games, go on hikes, runs, bike rides, and long dinners at home with everyone present.  It has been nice to have time on our hands and not be rushed to the next activity.

School and work closed on Monday and we are on Day 5 of being quarantined at the house.  We have not been playing with friends or going places other than parks for hiking or the grocery store.  We have had some rough spots when the boys have begged to have someone over to play.  We have connected to friends and family via faceTime.  We have called grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, teachers, etc.  It hasn't been an easy week, but I think we are all adjusting to a new normal.  We hope you are staying healthy and making the most of this time as well.   

More End of Season highlights

John took the boys to the State hockey tournament to see Maple Grove High school play.  There were 19,000 people in attendance!!!

Aiden and his buddy, Mark at the State Tournament

Liam's PeeWee team was awarded bowties for the most ties in the State!

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Very intense Luke

Luke

Stopping a puck

A hug from a teammate

Focused!

Last weekend, we finished Luke's hockey season in a scenario that was hard to comprehend for all of us.  Luke's PWAA season ended in an overtime loss and they narrowly missed making a run at the State Title for the PWAA level.  It was an amazing and successful season overall where they were highly competitive and spent the season ranked among the top 5 teams in the state.  After we advanced to regions, we hoped to get a spot in the state tournament but we missed our opportunity after both a triple and single overtime loss in regions.  It was a great season for Luke where he grew leaps and bounds.  The speed of the game slowed down for him by the end of the season and he was comfortable in the net during the high pressure games.   The rest of us met some amazing families and had fun season getting to know everyone.  I am pretty sure Aiden and Finn were as sad to see the season end as Luke was with all of the fun younger siblings they met.  We are already excited about the prospects for next season!

Aiden's season ended this weekend with a loss in the district tournament.  He also had a great season.  He was given the award of the "Humble Bee" at his banquet.  He was described as the player who always gets his job done and is humble about scoring and making plays.  He brings an energy to the team when he celebrates each of his teammates goals as if they were his own.  He is a team player who works hard each and every shift making plays that will benefit the team as whole.  Aiden was also the only player on his team to receive both the Hat Trick patch and the Playmaker patch.  The hat trick patch is for scoring three goals in a single game and the Playmaker patch is for three or more assists in a single game.  Aiden got both this season which is remarkable.