Mother's Day 2020: Covid-Style

I was at Kristen and Doug's house for Mother's Day this year and it was a fantastic celebration. Sarah and Cameron came up late Friday night and by Sunday they had purchased ingredients to make the best breakfast. We had French toast made from rich brioche bread, bacon, and fruit. It was so kind of them.

Kamiko and Bekki bought me a t-shirt that I love. I follow a friend of Kamiko's on Instagram. Her account is "the Bad Broadcast." She's just witty. Anyway, Kamiko knew that I really liked her content and he and Bekki bought me one of the t-shirts that she launched and designed. This one is Orange Juice. I just think it's so clever. A very thoughtful gift for sure. Kamiko and Bekki are doing great. Bekki is entering her last year of her PhD and will put herself on the market in the fall for jobs. I selfishly hope they end up in Utah, but they'll be great wherever they go. Kamiko is a hard worker and he's smart and good at what he does, so he'll succeed in whatever he does.

Allie gave me a choice of a bracelet or a hydroflask water bottle. I had to think long and hard, but in the end I picked hydro. I selected a slim light blue one and I really do like it. It keeps water cold for a long time. It helps me drink my water. So good for me. Allie has been a great teacher this year. Even with school abruptly ending, she's given her students meaningful assignments and has connected with them. She's also enjoying spending time with James and Allison and kids. I think it's fun for Allison to have some adult companionship. They enjoy their walks and errands, etc.

Mel called and we had a fun chat. She's such a light of a kid. If I had to guess, I'd think this divorce and all of our family's changes have been hardest on her. We moved from her childhood home the day after she came home from her mission. Shortly after that, her brother got married and moved away. Then a year later, mom and dad were getting divorced and the dad you thought you knew is gay. It's kinda a lot to take in.

Kristen and I arranged to have a Zoom meeting with mom for Mother's Day with our mom. I set up the link and secretly sent it to all my siblings and they passed it on to their kids. It was a fun way to visit as family. Jen wisely had everyone share something they had learned from mom/grandma. Kamiko told a story about when mom taught him to have an opinion. He was visiting one day and she asked him something simple like "do you want mustard on your sandwich? He said he didn't care and she told him to have an opinion and to voice it. We laughed about that. Another funny thing was that when Kamiko saw James Sykes and his wife with 2 kids, he said "James, you got another kid! When did that happen?" Mom was surprised and it really was fun to catch up. All of my kiddos showed up at some point. Kelly couldn't make it due to recovery from a procedure on her mouth. Poor Derek missed it by an hour due to the time change.

Top row: mom and dad, Sarah, Kris, and me, Jenny
Middle row: Kamiko, Bekki and Dottie, James Sykes, Melia
Bottom Row: Eli and Ingrid Evans, Karen Crockett, Debbie and Mark Amundson