Memorial Day and Orie's back surgery.

This is my father-in-law, Gary.
This is Memorial Day.
He has just come back from a special remembrance ceremony at Kaysville Cemetery.
Most Memorial Days we are usually doing yard work or something fun with the family.
This year we spent it at my in-laws.
Gary suffered through multiple strokes last June. He is paralyzed on his left side. He is lucky to be alive.
***
Orie, my mother-in-law, had back surgery on Monday. She should have had the surgery last year but then Gary had his stroke and she has been caring for him since. Finally, she was left with no choice but to have the surgery. The doctor said that her back was such a mess. He has no idea how she did everything that she did while caring for Gary this past year. Most people with backs like hers can't hardly walk. She is a strong woman. The girls and I went down and spent the last few days with them. My hubby is with them tonight and I will go back tomorrow.
I am tired. But I am so glad that I could help them out. Orie was in so much pain. I feel for her and she is so worried about being such a burden. We will do the best we can to help them. I am concerned about their home. Lots of stairs. It is not a home for a stroke victim or someone recovering from major back surgery. Plus they live an hour away from us. I am looking at some one level homes closer to us. It may be the only way that my husband and I see each other this summer. We will just keep praying for them. I know that they have been very blessed already.
***
Dillan will probably be on his way to Colorado next week-end.
He is going there to work for the summer.
And to write music with Ben.
I thought that I would have one more summer with all of my family together.
I will miss him very much. His humor and sense of fun will be missed by all of us.
It is really hard to think of my children going out on their own.
I hope that I have done enough to teach him about being a valuable person who contributes and makes a difference in the lives of others.
I want my children to be givers, not takers.

What a day! The ER and graduation.

Dillan accepting his diploma.
After threatening to turn his graduation garb into a wizard outfit complete with hat, wand and a lightening bolt scar.... Or changing his name card, so that when it was his turn they would read his name as, "Frodo Baggins!", everything went smoothly.
I was nervous there for a minute.
Although, I have to say that when he left my house he was in a shirt and tie. When he took off his graduation robe he was wearing his Jimmy Hendrix costume from Halloween.
Oh well, at least he didn't wear the wig!

The dignified graduate!

Dillan and Brian Stevens,
his partner in crime through-out the years.
(Notice the blank spot where his diploma should be?
Turn in the graduation robe, then you get your real diploma.)
Congratulations Dillan!

***

Yesterday was kind-of crazy! It began in the emergency room with Austin.
We had been there since a little before 11:00 pm. We didn't leave until 4 am.
We were almost certain that she had appendicitis.
But after 5 hours, an ultra sound and a CT scan it was determined that it was NOT appendicitis. We left not knowing what was causing the pain, maybe an ovarian cyst,
but who knows.
But at the follow up with our own wonderful Dr. Isaacson, who reviewed the results of all of her tests, we are much releaved to find out that it is most likely
Mesenteric adenitis
which is, a self-limited inflammatory process that affects the mesenteric lymph nodes in the right lower quadrant. Its clinical presentation mimics that of acute appendicitis.
Why didn't they just tell us that at the emergency room?
So, the good news. No surgery for Austin, just lots of rest and pain medication.

Hannah's new dress is...

Perfect for wearing to school.

Full of flowers.

Oh, so pretty.

Oh, so happy!

Little girls and new dresses make me smile.
***
Nathan is awesome.
Today he went over to his Tagen's house. Tagen's mother is a wonderful, single mother raising two boys and almost a third (my son is called #3). Nathan is always concerned about Susan and tries to help out when he is there.
So today he fixed their lawnmower.
Mowed their lawn.
&
Weed wacked their yard.
Awesome job, Nathan!

Why am I blogging?

Last week I watched a wonderful video called "My New Life". It is about Stephanie Neilson. A young mother who has had to face much adversity since she was left severely burned after surviving a plane crash. I knew of her story and saw her and her husband on Oprah. I was impressed then with the love and optimism that was seeing their family through this trial. But when I saw the video "My New Life" I was so touched. I went to her blog. I had never even read a blog before and just thought that blogs were for people who had too much time on there hands. As I read her blog I was immediately drawn into the life of this courageous woman. Her love of family, her creativity and joy of being a mother is very apparent. But what struck me the most was the thought that if the worst had happened and she had died in that plane crash her family, especially her children would have years of their lives with their sweet mother documented in such a way that their mothers love, humor and creativity would not be forgotten. Her blog is a journal. It is family history. Her children will have this as a legacy of love.

That is why I am blogging. Most of my children are now teenagers. Two of them will soon be leaving home. And I want them to not only to know, but to remember, that they have a mother who loves them. I would have loved to have my life with my children so well documented. I would love to remember!

(To read her blog click on "I read NieNie" on the right hand side of my page. You can also find the video there.)

Seminary graduation and 1st grade field trips.

Seminary graduation was last night.
They did a very nice job putting it all together.
I am glad that Dillan went.

***

Hannah had her first grade field trip today.
She was so excited to pack a lunch and ride the bus
all the way up to USU to see how they make
AGGIE ICE CREAM!
She chose chocolate chip fudge ripple.
She must take after her mother.
They also went to a park to play and have lunch.
She came home tired and a bit grumpy.
Nothing a good nights rest won't cure.

***

We are pretty sure that McKell has mono.
The doctor gave us antibiotics and said that they may make her break out in a rash if its mono. She broke out in a rash. It is kind- of fun to tease your 13 year- old about why they have come down with the "kissing disease."
ha, ha, ha

Heartbreak.

Before break-up.

It is 2:09 a.m. I couldn't sleep. Austin came into my room around 1:20-

sobbing about the break up, missing Danny. Austin and Danny have been dating for almost two years now. Danny is the fun, cool kind of guy that everyone likes to be around. Austin is a vibrant beauty who laughs easily. A little more than a year ago Danny was baptized and became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This made everything perfect and I think that Austin was expecting a ring, not a break up. Her sadness tonight was the realization that she was to blame too, that she hadn't been as nice and as considerate as she should have been, and that she took things for granted. When she is hurting, she doesn't talk much about it. Those few moments when she comes to me upset and needing advice are precious. Tonight it lasted about ten minutes and then it was done and she didn't want to talk about it anymore "because she still loves Danny". Period.

As I laid awake in bed wondering if I said the right things that she needed
to hear (maybe not necessarily the things that she wanted to hear),
for some reason, couldn't help thinking of the movie Pride and Prejudice. And Elizabeth's father telling her that "it is good for a woman to be crossed in love"
at least once.
Maybe that is true. If we have experienced heartbreak at least once, then true, enduring,
real love is all that more precious to us. We begin to understand what it takes to keep it.
I'm not sure what the outcome of all of this will be, but Austin has learned some things and grown and for some reason, growing isn't usually easy.