Florida cancelled

Well, I took my March "Goose" pictures the very end of Feb.  We still had snow on the ground from a snowstorm earlier in the week.  It warmed up enough but the end of the week that I had the girls get in their swimming suits and we did a fun photoshoot.  I had planned to say something like, "Florida, we are coming for ya!" At the time I took these pictures, there was a virus (Coronavirus, or COVID-19) taking over China.  Mike and I watched the progression with interest and sadness.  I didn't think much more about it other than the fact that Mike had said, "If this spreads, this is bad news."  Well, it did spread.  Our trip was getting closer and the week before the trip, Felicity got a cough and some sinus stuff.  As the virus got to the US and people started getting worried and things started getting canceled, Mike and I thought long and hard about if we should take our trip.  Our plan was to spend some days at Anna Maria Island, just south of Tampa, go to Sea World, spend time with Grandma and Grandpa Richards, and head over to the Space Coast for a few days to see our friends and go to the beaches and old hangouts that we know and miss.  Our thoughts were that we might get sick and flying on a plane and being at an airport and at a crowded place like Sea World would increase those chances but the reports were that healthy, young individuals weren't being that affected.  We thought, "We don't want to live our lives in fear for something that might not be that bad."  The other thought was, Florida is full of retired, old people and even if it doesn't affect us, we didn't feel good about adding to the chances of passing the virus on to people who could be badly affected.  Also, Felicity was still coughing and we didn't think they would let us on a plane if she was coughing.  We decided to wait until Monday, 24 hrs before we had to get on the plane.  I was so sad.  I cried throughout the day.  I've had a few people tell me those common, uncompassionate statements like, "It could be so much worse."  Yeah, well, shut-up.  Honestly, just keep those kinds of comments to yourself.  Of course it could be so much worse and I am the first to admit that.  I've experienced my daughter dying and I know first hand how these kinds of disappointments don't have eternal consequences and seem small in the big scheme of things.  I never acted like this was something of that nature.  But I am allowed to be sad.  I am allowed to admit that this was a trip I have waited for for almost a year.  When our first snowstorm came in early October Mike bought the tickets (after we talked about it for a few months before).  He said, "You need to go somewhere warm."  This was a really big deal actually because we had to pay for seven plane tickets and a VRBO.  His parents are going on a mission in the summer (making this our last time to hang out with them before they leave) and we had to move a year early.  We had all kinds of plans of things we wanted to do and see before we moved and then he got deployed and they told us we were moving early.  We don't go on vacations like this.  Our vacations are generally very inexpensive, somewhat local (or a day's drive away).  I like those vacations and love the memories we have made on them but having Mike buy tickets and being willing to fly with all of our kids across the country was not something that he ever wants to do.  His willingness to do this for me was a big deal to me.  It has been a cold and snowy winter and I would tell myself, "Just get through this winter and you can go to Florida."  I was so excited.  

It felt kind of yucky to be willingly giving up our trip to help not spread this virus when honestly, a lot of older individuals that we know have been really dismissive about it.  I kind of felt like, "Why would I give up this trip just to keep people safe who honestly don't think this is a problem."  Anyway, this was on Friday of last week and on Saturday we woke up to a memo saying that all military members and their families were banned from traveling."  So, we didn't end up making the decision anyway.  

As of now, the beaches have been closed, restaurants (and bars but we don't drink so...), theaters, theme parks, etc.  Also, gatherings of over 10 are discouraged.  So, had we gone to Florida, we would have been disappointed anyway with nothing to do and worried that we would get his parents (in their 70's but healthy) sick.

To rub it in, it snowed on Friday (the day we were leaning towards canceling) and we are getting a foot of snow with possible blizzard conditions today.  Those swim suits I bought earlier last week will have to go back in drawers for a bit.  The airline gave us credit and tickets have to be booked by June and used by October.  Honestly, I know this virus junk is affecting so many people in different ways and I am not the only one disappointed.  Mike still has a job, we are healthy, and we have plenty of toilet paper and food.  We are doing just fine.  I am not sure if we will get to use our tickets or not and if we do, Steve and Carol will probably be gone on their missions.  Also, one last complaint:  I have lived in Florida.  I know what it is like in the summer and if I get a chance to go back, I certainly don't want it to be in the summer.  We will have to try and aim for the the fall and hopefully the world will be back to normal by then.