Sunday, August 22, 2021

Presley's 18th Birthday

 And just like that, she's an ADULT (probably more mature and goal-oriented than most young adults).


We didn't do too much today, but we have a couple of fun things planned for this weekend for her birthday, which worked out nicely since we were officially still in lock down mode.  

Thursday, August 19th


Birthday Love from Dad

It rained on her birthday. 


ry keeping his distance for the kid picture :)

And masked up so he could be close


A Minnie cake since she's headed to Florida next week. 
We missed Logan and candles this year :(

Modeling her new fanny pack she's going to wear in Disneyworld and to football games. 

And only 4 years ago! 

























Presley's 18th Interview

 Our darling Presley Gem is an adult...her final interview!




Lea's Day-Lea's, Week 33 (2021)

 Day 225, Friday, August 13th

Ry's sweet text asking for some lunch from down in his room. 

Day 226, Saturday, August 14th

Dad and Logan toured both the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers stadiums today. 


Day 227, Sunday, August 15th

Logan was able to take Dave to his research room and greenhouse where he spent 8 weeks this summer. 

Day 228, Monday, August 16th

Hot tub and quarantine

Day 229, Tuesday, August 17th

A visit upstairs during quarantine. 

Day 230, Wednesday, August 18th

Harper and Ry talking with each other through the bedroom window.  

Day 231, Thursday, August 19th

Day 8 of COVID quarantine--a quick, outdoor, socially distanced yard game. 

A "POSITIVE" Time

 Well, we had a major change of plans for this upcoming weekend and the next 10 days.  

Ry started to complain of a headache and a runny nose on Wednesday.  I thought it might be smoke related because we had spent a lot of time outdoors the last week in hazy/smoky weather (zip lining, river rafting, paddle boarding, swimming, eating outside, evening walks).  I was being optimistic. 

The boys were supposed to leave on Thursday to take Logan back to school.   They didn't actually fly out until Friday morning but had an early flight out of Seattle and were staying the night on Thursday, parking at the hotel, and using the hotel's shuttle service to get them to the airport.  We opted to have Ry tested because we didn't want him to unknowingly expose anyone to COVID on an airplane across the United States and we didn't want his mild symptoms to worsen and for him to not feel good while being so far from home.  The testing site was so busy--when we travelled in January, we just drove up and was tested right away--but when I took Ry we had to go back home, call for an appointment, and come back.  We did that and he started quarantine that same day. 

After a few long phone calls, Dave was able to have one of the flights reimbursed and the other flights cancelled and able to be used at another time. 

Dave and Logan left for Seattle on Thursday afternoon. 

And  a nurse called to tell on Friday morning (about 16 hours after his test) to tell me that Rylan had tested positive for COVID.  

I made the necessary phone calls to anyone who may have been exposed to Rylan during his asymptotic time, including his football coach to let him know that he'll miss the first practices due to a positive COVID test and 10 day quarantine.  I placed a pick up grocery order and we stayed home.  

Thursday evening, after his test, but before we knew it was positive. 
Presley helping me bring Ry food.  
Masked up and ready to deliver. 

Ry really did stay in his room, almost 24 hours a day, for 7 straight days (by that time, he was symptom free and still wore a mask upstairs with us). 
He played a lot of computer games, watching movies and YouTube,  and texted us when he needed/wanted something. 
If there was any kid who could be okay with that much time alone, it'd be Ry. 
Luckily his symptoms stayed pretty much the same--slight headache, congestion and runny nose, and a low grade fever.  The headache went away first.  He had some tummy upset day 9 of quarantine but that went away by the next morning.  He did tell us on Day 10, Saturday, August 21st that he couldn't taste anything. 


The progression of texts over that week.  It started so sweetly with m'lady and breakfast was a delicacy to a pretty demanding "a boy is hungry downstairs".





Presley stayed in her room for 3 days straight, eating meals in her room too.  
Harper never had a symptom but stayed home for that 10 days. 

Time alone in the hot tub. 
Going back downstairs after a quick visit with us. 
We played Five Crowns masked up. 
This was before Presley was really sick.  
She had a headache, runny nose, and body aches. 

Meanwhile in Pittsburgh and West Virginia...
Dave and Logan flew back on Friday, and had a couple of fun things planned for Saturday. 
The took a walking tour of the Pittsburgh Pirates Stadium. 

They had wanted to do another tourist train ride, but they were talking to a street vendor who told them that the Pittsburgh Steelers were having an open practice and they could walk to that stadium and watch. 
They weren't sure what to expect or if there were limited seating, but they gave it a try and were able to get in.  
So they sat 4 rows up behind the goal posts and watched a practice. 



Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on the sidelines. 
He was running practices and doing drills for a while, but then he sat down and the back up came in. 

On Sunday, they drove from Pittsburgh to Buckhannon (about 2 hours 15 minutes). 
Logan could move into his room on this day, meet his new roommate Pedro, and had some team meetings. 

Dave and Logan had a few hours to walk around and tour the campus. 
Logan's name under President's List


Plant Dad in the greenhouse.  
All the plants that Logan helped grow this summer.  

Monday was Logan's first 2 practices on the field. 
Dave watched both practices--one was mostly conditioning and one was scrimmaging.  
It was good to get to see him play in an 11 v 11 game. 

Dave made it back home on Tuesday afternoon, day 6 of quarantine.
He didn't have anything for work for the rest of the week.  All elective surgeries have been cancelled because of the hospital being full with COVID patients. 








































Lea's Day-Lea's, Week 32 (2021)

 Day 218, Friday, August 6th

We took an evening walk over the bridge and along the loop trail . 

Day 219, Saturday, August 7th


Dave took the kids on a guided river rafting tour. 
They had a fun time.

Day 220, Sunday, August 8th



We spend a few hours in Leavenworth today. 
We did zip lines near Plain and then went out to dinner in Leavenworth and walked around and finished our evening with ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery. 
I didn't have my phone so I asked Ry to take some pics and this is the one he got!
Happy #23 Anniversary!

Day 221, Monday, August 9th

Chewy will miss his afternoon walks with Logan. 

Day 222, Tuesday, August 10th

Presley got her yearbook today and she was interviewed for the golf page. 

Day 223, Wednesday, August 11th

Our last dinner together before Logan left. 

Day 224, Thursday, August 12th

Presley delivering food downstairs in a mask can only mean one thing! 
Ry started to complain of a headache and a runny nose so we had him COVID tested today and he started his quarantine.  We scrambled to cancel flights for him because he was supposed to travel with Dave and Logan to take Logan back.  
His positive test would come tomorrow morning.