July 6, 2014

Hey Sweetie:

How are you?  I hope you are enjoying you mission so far!  It was so nice to get to talk to you when you left.    It was also AWESOME that the Bishop in your ward sent me a picture of you and your companion and told me where you are.   Your Aunt Cindy is real excited.  I guess her in-laws (the Landeens) are in your ward.  I hope your Bishop understands that we are not like my sister…oh well!

We had a fun vacation.  It got a little long though.  We spent the weekend at Grandma and Grandpa Porter’s.  They kept telling us how much they enjoyed picking you up and taking you to the MTC.    They felt that you are so ready to be on a mission.  They are so proud of you.  Did quite a bit of bragging.  Gpa donated to your mission…$2000.00.  You may want to make sure you send them a letter.  Do you need their address?  You don’t need to mention the amount he donated.  I just thought you would want to know.  I think they would just appreciate that you wrote to them.

Do you need me to send you some white socks? Or are you going to go buy some?  Just let me know.  I can always order them from Amazon and have them 2 day aired to your apartment…or to Cindy’s in-laws.  Up to you.  Let me know if you need/want anything else J

I know that Cindy is going to try to see you.  She has been having a real hard time with missing family.  I wonder if you weren’t sent there for her. J  You never know.  FYI…she was going to try to arrange to feed you and your companion lunch at her in-laws.  She is actually in your stake.    I hope that is alright…if not, tell Sister Landeen that you would rather not see her.  I don’t know if she is going to church regularly, she lives on the outskirts of her ward and doesn’t have a lot of interaction.  Then she has IDIOT children who are so mean to her (just my opinion).

So, back to our trip…So Monday, we left Gpa and Gma’s house and went back to Provo.  We met up with our mission president.  Not sure if dad told you, but I will tell you again if he did.  He and his wife have gotten REAL OLD!  He had a stroke so the whole right side of his body is sort of dead.  His wife has osteoporosis real bad…she is hunchbacked and has to wear a brace to support her.  She looks so frail!  They were real excited to see us.  Poor Tiffany was NOT a happy camper.  She thought that we should have left SOONER!  She kept telling me that we should go…but President kept talking to us.  She got so upset that we didn’t leave that she ended up in tears (really upset me).  We weren’t there for even an hour.  I doubt that I will ever see them again in this life!  Oh well, such is life!  I guess you can say that she was “bored to tears”.  We had dinner at the Spaghetti factory and then went back to Kaylas.

Tuesday, we went to the Life science museum at BYU.  It was fun…until David and Kim with their 2 little ones showed up.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE family, but I really don’t want to have to watch 2 little kids!  I already did that…ha,ha.  We saw the art museum there, but weren’t impressed.  Wednesday, we went up Provo canyon…then on to Heber City.  We ended up with an AWESOME shake there…when we got back down,  we went to a movie…we saw Maleficent.  It was AWESOME!! It is better than Sleeping Beauty.  It is definitely one to put on your list of things to see!

Thursday we went into Provo for their carnival…it was disappointing!!  Then we had dinner at Dave and Kim’s.   It was weird because none of us really enjoyed ourselves!  On our way home, we went and got fireworks.  It was a buy one get one free…so when we got back to Kayla’s, we lit off one of the packages.  Tiffany thought it was awesome…she had never done that before!  Friday, we went and saw the parade in Provo.  Tiffany was NOT happy…too many people.  I think she talked herself into being miserable.  It really upset me.  Then I got grumpy and it wore off on dad…then we were all grumpy.   (NOT a good situation)

Later, we went to the Powells (Tim and Jessica were flown in for the weekend).  We got to swim and hang out with them.  It was real fun.    We had a BBQ and then swam some more.  Then we watched fireworks (they were crazy good)  and Tim and his brothers lit off their fireworks and ours.  It was real nice.  It was fun to see Tim and Jessica.  It was hard leaving them though.

We drove home Saturday…Oh my goodness that is a LOOOOOOOOOOONG drive!  We are now home and ready to start the new week!

Well, I have rattled on and I need to write to Ryan still…I may copy parts of this letter (is that cheating?) 

Always remember who you are!  Mind your p’s and q’s!  Be strictly obedient!  Work as hard as you play, and play as hard as you work.  Know that I love you beyond measure!

Love ALWAYS

Mom

July 13, 2014

Hello my sweet baby boy!

How are you?  I just want you to know that I am so proud of you!  I hope you are working hard and feeling the Spirit a lot!!

This week was a little slow—but I think that is good.  I am hoping next week will be also since I have several papers to write for my class (ugh!).  Monday, I got caught up in my class and started the take home test.  Since it is open book/open note, it is very difficult!!!  It takes FOREVER to finish.  In fact, I finished it Tuesday.  I missed 2 questions, which means I still got an A.  We are currently working on a group paper that has to do with a movie we watched and writing about the ethical issues in it (there were a lot!!!)  I am in charge of writing about the ethical principle of veracity which falls under the principle of fidelity.  It shouldn’t be too bad.  I always have trouble just starting.  I haven’t look to see what this week’s topic is that we will write on. (I plan on that after I write to you).

Tiffany went to pre-camp this week.  She left on Thursday in the morning and returned on Saturday.  I believe she had fun!  Wednesday night they did a gun safety class.  Then on Thursday, they all got to shoot the gun.  Tiffany really didn’t say anything about it—maybe she didn’t—I’ll have to ask her!  Ha,ha.  It was weird being alone at home on those couple of days.  I kept busy with g-pa though. Friday, I met Aunt Lori in Castlerock.  There was a quilting show.  I was not real excited about it, but ended up enjoying myself.  In fact, I am going to attempt to make a quilt myself.  I have already bought the material.  Hopefully it will be as easy as it appeared to be.  Ha,ha.

While we were in Utah, we went to the Springville Art Museum.  There was a piece of art that really hit me…

It is called Faith of a Mustard Seed.  If you notice, at the bottom of the rock, there is a seed.  If we have enough faith, we can do miracles!  That tiny seed was actually able to break the rock in order to make it through its trial.  Kind of like us…sometimes we feel as though we are being crushed.  If we try to deal with it on our own, we will fail.  But with Faith in the Lord (even a little bit—even just a desire) we can accomplish all that we need to!  I am not a big art fan, but this one seemed to speak to my soul.  I am not sure if I was allowed to take the picture, but I couldn’t resist since it was so powerful to me. (Let me know if you would like me to print up the picture for you and I will send it).  I know the picture really isn’t beautiful, but the message is!

I want you to know that I have a testimony of faith!  He has helped me through a lot in my life time.  I did some extra praying when you left on your mission.  Yes, I did cry at the airport, but as soon as we left, a calm spirit came over me.  I knew my boys would be alright and that they were where they are supposed to be.  To me this is a miracle.  I was so afraid that I would spiral down into a depression…but it didn’t happen.  (Actually, I think I will just mail this letter to you.  Will you send me your address?)  I know that Christ leads our church.  I know that the Book of Mormon truly is the word of God.  I know that my Heavenly Father loves me AND my children.  He is very much aware of us all!  I am so grateful that you were worthy enough to enter into the Temple and make sacred covenants and then go on a mission!  Your life will be greatly blessed for this time.  Remember, this is the only time where you will be serving the Lord full-time.  Make sure you utilize every moment of it!  Enjoy it! Learn from it!  I sure love you!!!

Always remember who you are!  Mind your p’s and q’s.  Be strictly obedient.  Play as hard as you work.  Know that I love you beyond measure and that I am proud of the person you have become. 

Love Always

Mom

July 20, 2014

Hey sweetie!

How’s it going?  How did your week go?  Did you get the other baptismal commitments that you talked about?   Are you getting along with your companion?  What is he like?

I am the most spoiled person in our family!  I know, you may think that others in the family are more spoiled…but it is not true!!!  Your sweet father bought me a new computer.  My computer would not hold a charge…it was very frustrating.  I could not take notes on it—it would die about an hour into the lecture.  Dad then bought me a tablet.  I hooked up a keyboard, but I could never really type on it…the keyboard was too small and I could not get the hang of using it.  It also lost it’s charge…it was so frustrating.  So, we went to “look” yesterday—and I came home with a MacBook Air—yep, I have an apple.  It is supposed to remain charged for about 9 hours.  We shall see!

It is an adjustment though.  Things are similar but different.  I am attempting to get acclamated before the semester begins.  Because I am able to get Microsoft office for the Mac through UCCS.  I have that…it is awesome!  As long as I have that, I don’t have to do too much adjusting.  I want to gradually move over to the apple word processing.  We shall see!  So far, it is working out pretty good.

Let’s see…what else to talk about.  I can’t remember what I wrote to you in my letter…hopefully you got the actual letter!  Did you like the photo album?  Ryan had asked for one, so I thought you would like one!

Tiffany went to a church dance last night.  It was the outdoor one that they do every year at the Liberty Building.  I think she really enjoyed herself!  She came home all smiles.  She danced basically with 2 guys!  She came home ALL smiles!!!  It was kind of cute!  I think she is really into boys!!  She actually put on makeup  and put a necklace and earrings on.  She looked smokin’ hot!  :)

OH, speaking of Tiffany….I think she is about ready to take her drivers test.  She has been doing real well.  The only thing I worry about is that she will get lost.  She has NO sense of direction…kind of like Jessica, ha,ha.  If you have time to write her for her solo experience that would be great!  You only have a week to get it to me.  I have to turn her letters in no later than Sunday…they would prefer earlier.  I think it would be nice…she really misses having siblings around.

I have hired Alex McManus to cut my trees.  The front tree needed trimming (he did that already).  Then there are trees in the back that need done.  Dad doesn’t have the time or inclination to do it, so he gets to.  He has really been working out.  I am surprised how buff he is.  He will be returning to New York (I think—somewhere back east) soon.  Ryan McManus graduated from the School of Mines.  He has a job in Denver.  He is dating some girl that used to be in bad (don’t remember who—looked on fb.  it is Rachael Scharp.  Anyhow, according to his mom, things are getting serious—may be a wedding in the near future.

I am healing real well!!!  I was actually able to mow and weed eat and trim the lawn on Friday…didn’t hurt my wrist at all.  My ankle is still sore, but that is life.  I have been walking every morning with Sheri McManus.  We are up to 3 miles a day.  My goal is to get 10,000 steps.  So far, I am doing pretty good.  How are your burpees?

Well, I don’t have a lot more to say—haven’t really done anything exciting!  I guess I am boring, ha,ha.  Well, always remember who you are.  Mind your p’s and q’s.  Be strictly obedient (remember tomorrow is always a new day!).  Work as hard as you play. Know that I love you beyond measure!!

Love, Mom

July 27, 2014

Hello my Sweet Baby Boy!

How are you?  I hope all is going well with you!  I also hope you had a good week!!!  It has been good here, just a little slow, or I should say, I have been procrastinating, ha,ha.  I am glad to hear that you and your companion were able to work out your differences.  Always remember to get things out in the open…the sooner you do it, the easier it will be!  Hate to say it, but that will not be the only time you have issues with companions—I have always told you that a mission prepares you for when you get married and have a spouse…so learn all you can from the companionship aspect!

So, this last week I worked on my final—I ended up with a 90% on it.  It frustrates me that I can’t seem to do good on the tests.  It is open book, open notes (just no working with other classmates).  I believe that they make them harder when it is open book/notes.  Oh well…no big deal right??  Ha,ha.  I also worked on my group paper.  That was really frustrating.  Everyone seemed to procrastinate (worse than me) and there were big areas in the paper that needed to be done (like the conclusion).  No one would offer to write it up, so I did my part of the paper, the conclusion, the reference page and the appendix.  Then when I asked everyone to please proof read…only 1 other person did that—there are 7 in our group.  Needless to say, I was NOT happy.  Then when I went to turn it in, there was NO link to do so.  I looked EVERYWHERE.  I even called the IT people.  They told me that the teacher didn’t put it in the assignment area.  She sent me an email telling me what was found and she said it would be good if I forwarded it to my professor.  In the mean time, I texted the teacher—she told me to just email it to her.  So, I finished it!  I emailed everyone in my group…do you think there would be even one thank you??? Nope!!  Rude people is all I have to say.    Oh…and I finished my last posting on the discussion board…so I am officially DONE with my on-line class.  Depending upon the grade we get on the group paper, I could either end up with an A or an A-…unless we TOTALLY bomb the paper!

Alex McManus and his dad came and finished cutting on the trees.  The one on the patio right next to the house, sort of makes me sad…we ended up taking out a huge branch because it was on the house…it has a hole in it now.  I don’t think anyone else would notice it, but I sure do!!!  Yesterday, Saturday, we rented a trailer and put all the branches in it and took it to a place that will recycle it.  If you bring can goods for Care and Share, it doesn’t cost anything.  After we dropped that off, we did our Saturday shopping…

So, on Monday, I returned my new computer.  I had a hard time adjusting to it.  An apple computer is just WEIRD!  I was told that it would take a little bit of time to get used to it.  Well, I don’t have time for a learning curve.  It also cost an awful lot for me to not be 100% happy with it.  I think it surprised your dad when I told him that I was returning it.  He asked if I wanted another computer to replace it.  I told him no.  It really isn’t necessary…in fact, I think this way is better.  I will keep doing my notes for class how I have always done them—I print out the PowerPoint’s and I take notes on them.  The more I thought about it, the more I worried that if I typed what the teacher was saying, I may not get it into my brain.  So, yep…I don’t have a new computer and I feel GREAT about it!

Also on Monday, I ended up going up to Littleton to meet with Lori and Jenni.  Lori guilted me into having lunch with her at the Melting Pot.  Supposedly, lunch is significantly cheaper than dinner.    What I did not know was that we all had to have the same thing because there is only 1 burner for the fondue pot.  Lori insisted on having the 4 course meal—it was the MOST expensive!!  It was good, but not FANTASTIC!  She also ordered the oil rather than the broth to cook our meat in.  Only problem was, that was an extra $6, which wouldn’t be so bad in and of itself, but when the meal starts at $35—it is A LOT!  By the time we were all done and we added in the tip, It cost me $45—JUST FOR ME!  WOW…your dad and I don’t usually spend that much when  we go out to eat for our date night!  Then it was a lunch…and that is supposed to be cheaper!  HUH!?!

We need some extra prayers in the family.  Well, Aunt Lori put off going to the heart Dr for a long time (as in years).  Then ended up doing a heart cath, where they go into an artery that goes straight to the heart and measure the pressure in the chambers.  They determined that she is in heart failure.  Dr said it was a good thing that she finally came in…if she hadn’t of, he said she would have been lucky to live 6-8 months.  Right now they are trying to get the extra fluid off of her lungs, heart, body, etc.  Then next month they will do another heart cath.  They need to begin treatment for her pulmonary hypertension, but as of right now, the congestive heart failure is the priority.  I’ll keep you posted.

Then, Grandpa got the results from his echo cardiogram (like an ultrasound of the heart).  He has been REALLY short of breath (worse than normal).  Evidently, the Aortic valve is severely blocked.  He sees his cardiologist in August, so we won’t know what their plan is until after that appt.  On Friday, he had a procedure done on his back where they put in a TENS unit…it sends electricity into the nerves to trick the brain into thinking it is not in pain.  This one is a “trial”  where they insert the wires directly into his spine.  He has it on for a week to see if it makes a difference.  If it does, in about a month, they will put him in the hospital and put it permanently into his back, then they tunnel under the skin and put the machine (not sure what else to call it) into his back.  I guess he will charge it while he sits against some charging unit.  Sounds kind of cool.  I really hope it works.  It is so hard to deal with pain!

Now that the fish tank is gone (YEAH!!!) I need to paint the living room.  I am hoping to be able to get that done this week while Tiffany is at girls camp.  Although, I probably need to clean your bedroom.  We had rain and the window didn’t get shut and the whole room really smells.  It also could have been Chipper—he may have gone in and thought a nice pee would be nice…Dad says the whole house smells like pee, so I guess I will just do some deep cleaning.  Then, if I have time or energy, paint the living room.  I guess I will have to crank the music and just GO!  J

Well, my love, I sure miss you.  I know that you are doing what you are supposed to be doing!  Always remember who you are!  Mind your p’s and q’s.  Remember that YOU are a child of God and He loves you!  Be strictly obedient.  Know that I love you beyond measure!  Keep up the good work!

Love, Mom

August 3, 2014

Hey My Sweet Son!

How are you?  I hope you are beginning to settle in to being a missionary.  I hope you are happy and finding people to teach!  I remember how hard it was at first…then I remember when we were not teaching many and had to really work to try to get someone…anyone!  They were frustrating times!  I still would never change those experiences!

I have debated whether to tell you or not, but I feel that I need to tell you.  Grandpa Bill is having open heart surgery on Thursday.  They will by-pass his heart (stop it from beating using a machine to keep the blood moving in his body).  They will then replace his aortic valve.  It is the last valve in the heart before all the blood goes to the rest of the body.  Basically, the valve opening is about 1 inch in diameter.  His is about the size of a pin head---you know just a couple of millimeters.  It is really weird listening to his heart.  It sounds like his heart has asthma.  It wheezes through the “lub-dub” sound.  I won’t lie, it is a bit scary!    I have also had a very strong feeling that if he is given the opportunity to go to the other side, he will take it.  Uncle Rick gave him a blessing today and promised that there would be many “surrounding him”.  Afterwards he told me that he had a strong feeling that my mom and others would be with him.  I am not sure if that means he will not make it, or if it means that they will help him through.  Honestly, I am okay with whatever happens.  We have spent last week going to Dr. appt and getting his Will in order.  I feel prepared  emotionally for whatever the Lord wants!  It is a great feeling to know that I can turn it over to the Lord.  If he doesn’t make it, do you want to know?  If you do, I will call your Mission President, and he will most likely tell you.  If you do not want to know, you will have no clue until you come home from your mission…your choice!

On to good news!  I hacked into your gmail and got the info needed to obtain your AP score….you got a 5!!!! Woo Hoo!  What a smart boy you are!!  Dad kept saying “Dang I have smart boys!!”  ha,ha.  Pretty awesome huh?

I got your room ALL cleaned!  I don’t think I have EVER seen it look this good!  Chipper sure enjoyed peeing on your things though!  I did get everything cleaned up.  We ended up putting a baby gate in your doorway to keep him from going in.  Your dad has to remember to close the door to his office or he will go in there.  I think that it is painful for him to go down the stairs…easier to find a convenient place lol.  We put a gate in TT’s door also…now Nala can’t get in to eat the “tootsie rolls” out of the cat box. 

We have been cleaning up the dining room.  That I where Gpa will come to recover when/if he leaves the hospital.  We are going to take down the table and put TT’s bed in there…then TT will sleep in your room.  AT least we are getting things cleaned…that is awesome!  I have even cleaned out the cupboards in the garage—we threw out all the expired food (there was a LOT!)  I am sure the trash man won’t like it tomorrow!

Well, say extra prayers for the family!  Know that I love you beyond measure.  I am proud of you!  Always remember who you are.  Mind your p’s and q’s. Be strictly obedient.  Work as hard as you play!  Always keep your head up!

Love Always!

Mom

August 3, 2014

Hey My Sweet Son!

How are you?  I hope you are beginning to settle in to being a missionary.  I hope you are happy and finding people to teach!  I remember how hard it was at first…then I remember when we were not teaching many and had to really work to try to get someone…anyone!  They were frustrating times!  I still would never change those experiences!

I have debated whether to tell you or not, but I feel that I need to tell you.  Grandpa Bill is having open heart surgery on Thursday.  They will by-pass his heart (stop it from beating using a machine to keep the blood moving in his body).  They will then replace his aortic valve.  It is the last valve in the heart before all the blood goes to the rest of the body.  Basically, the valve opening is about 1 inch in diameter.  His is about the size of a pin head---you know just a couple of millimeters.  It is really weird listening to his heart.  It sounds like his heart has asthma.  It wheezes through the “lub-dub” sound.  I won’t lie, it is a bit scary!    I have also had a very strong feeling that if he is given the opportunity to go to the other side, he will take it.  Uncle Rick gave him a blessing today and promised that there would be many “surrounding him”.  Afterwards he told me that he had a strong feeling that my mom and others would be with him.  I am not sure if that means he will not make it, or if it means that they will help him through.  Honestly, I am okay with whatever happens.  We have spent last week going to Dr. appt and getting his Will in order.  I feel prepared  emotionally for whatever the Lord wants!  It is a great feeling to know that I can turn it over to the Lord.  If he doesn’t make it, do you want to know?  If you do, I will call your Mission President, and he will most likely tell you.  If you do not want to know, you will have no clue until you come home from your mission…your choice!

On to good news!  I hacked into your gmail and got the info needed to obtain your AP score….you got a 5!!!! Woo Hoo!  What a smart boy you are!!  Dad kept saying “Dang I have smart boys!!”  ha,ha.  Pretty awesome huh?

I got your room ALL cleaned!  I don’t think I have EVER seen it look this good!  Chipper sure enjoyed peeing on your things though!  I did get everything cleaned up.  We ended up putting a baby gate in your doorway to keep him from going in.  Your dad has to remember to close the door to his office or he will go in there.  I think that it is painful for him to go down the stairs…easier to find a convenient place lol.  We put a gate in TT’s door also…now Nala can’t get in to eat the “tootsie rolls” out of the cat box. 

We have been cleaning up the dining room.  That I where Gpa will come to recover when/if he leaves the hospital.  We are going to take down the table and put TT’s bed in there…then TT will sleep in your room.  AT least we are getting things cleaned…that is awesome!  I have even cleaned out the cupboards in the garage—we threw out all the expired food (there was a LOT!)  I am sure the trash man won’t like it tomorrow!

Well, say extra prayers for the family!  Know that I love you beyond measure.  I am proud of you!  Always remember who you are.  Mind your p’s and q’s. Be strictly obedient.  Work as hard as you play!  Always keep your head up!

Love Always!

Mom

August 3, 2014

Hey My Sweet Son!

How are you?  I hope you are beginning to settle in to being a missionary.  I hope you are happy and finding people to teach!  I remember how hard it was at first…then I remember when we were not teaching many and had to really work to try to get someone…anyone!  They were frustrating times!  I still would never change those experiences!

I have debated whether to tell you or not, but I feel that I need to tell you.  Grandpa Bill is having open heart surgery on Thursday.  They will by-pass his heart (stop it from beating using a machine to keep the blood moving in his body).  They will then replace his aortic valve.  It is the last valve in the heart before all the blood goes to the rest of the body.  Basically, the valve opening is about 1 inch in diameter.  His is about the size of a pin head---you know just a couple of millimeters.  It is really weird listening to his heart.  It sounds like his heart has asthma.  It wheezes through the “lub-dub” sound.  I won’t lie, it is a bit scary!    I have also had a very strong feeling that if he is given the opportunity to go to the other side, he will take it.  Uncle Rick gave him a blessing today and promised that there would be many “surrounding him”.  Afterwards he told me that he had a strong feeling that my mom and others would be with him.  I am not sure if that means he will not make it, or if it means that they will help him through.  Honestly, I am okay with whatever happens.  We have spent last week going to Dr. appt and getting his Will in order.  I feel prepared  emotionally for whatever the Lord wants!  It is a great feeling to know that I can turn it over to the Lord.  If he doesn’t make it, do you want to know?  If you do, I will call your Mission President, and he will most likely tell you.  If you do not want to know, you will have no clue until you come home from your mission…your choice!

On to good news!  I hacked into your gmail and got the info needed to obtain your AP score….you got a 5!!!! Woo Hoo!  What a smart boy you are!!  Dad kept saying “Dang I have smart boys!!”  ha,ha.  Pretty awesome huh?

I got your room ALL cleaned!  I don’t think I have EVER seen it look this good!  Chipper sure enjoyed peeing on your things though!  I did get everything cleaned up.  We ended up putting a baby gate in your doorway to keep him from going in.  Your dad has to remember to close the door to his office or he will go in there.  I think that it is painful for him to go down the stairs…easier to find a convenient place lol.  We put a gate in TT’s door also…now Nala can’t get in to eat the “tootsie rolls” out of the cat box. 

We have been cleaning up the dining room.  That I where Gpa will come to recover when/if he leaves the hospital.  We are going to take down the table and put TT’s bed in there…then TT will sleep in your room.  AT least we are getting things cleaned…that is awesome!  I have even cleaned out the cupboards in the garage—we threw out all the expired food (there was a LOT!)  I am sure the trash man won’t like it tomorrow!

Well, say extra prayers for the family!  Know that I love you beyond measure.  I am proud of you!  Always remember who you are.  Mind your p’s and q’s. Be strictly obedient.  Work as hard as you play!  Always keep your head up!

Love Always!

Mom

August 10, 2014

Hello my Sweet Boys!

Yep, I am writing to both of you.  I am sitting at the hospital with Grandpa and he is sleeping, so I don’t know if I will get the chance to write individual letters and I wanted to make sure you got them from me!  I know Ryan has been able to read the updates on Facebook, but Chris hasn’t, so I will give the rundown of events.  Hopefully it won’t be too tedious for you Ryan.

As you probably know, this has been a horrific week for me.  I am very tired, but still going!  Wednesday, Gpa was admitted to the hospital to have a heart catheter.  I picked him up at 5:30 am since he had to be at the hospital at 6am.  That went great with the exception of the extra blockage they weren’t expecting.  But it is better to get it all done now than go through this again!  The cardiologist said he could not even get his tiny camera through his aortic valve.  If he didn’t get it fixed, it would have been fatal!  I spent the rest of the day with him at the hospital.  Ellen showed up around 1 or 2 in the afternoon.  Nothing big happened that day. J

Thursday was a hard day!  I made it to the hospital before 6 am.  I wanted to be able to see him and talk to him before his surgery.  It is a good thing because Ellen (aka It) didn’t show up.  I went to down pre-op with him.  You would have been proud.  I was strong and happy for him.  It was really hard to give him his hug and kiss goodbye.  I did manage with a big smile.  When we went in opposite directions, I lost it…not before asking the nurse if it was ok…I did not want Gpa see me break down.  She told me that she was so glad that I didn’t break down when I gave him a hug and a kiss or she would have started crying with me!  I had the unfortunate privilege of sitting in the waiting room by myself.  I think back now on it and it still makes me want to cry.  The surgeon and his staff were WONDERFUL!  They kept me updated.  The hardest update was hearing that he was on the by-pass machine that bypassed his heart.  I wish I had someone with me!  The Lord works in mysterious ways!  Right after that update, the bishop called to ask about Gpa.  He couldn’t remember when his surgery was!  Talk about knowing that Heavenly Father was aware of me!!!  It showed up about the time they said that he was taken off the bypass machine and his heart was beating on its own.  Shortly after, It decided she needed to have lunch (low blood sugar don’t you know—NOT)  While she was gone, they called me up to the ICU/recovery.  I called It and told her I would meet her there—I was not waiting!  They explained that everything went well.  They did a bypass on the blockage and they replaced his aortic valve with a cow valve (yep, gpa is part cow…MOOO)  He said that gpa was a bit “leaky” which is normal for a 2 time heart surgery patient (so he lost a lot of blood).

I was able to go into the ICU/recovery…he still wasn’t awake, but it was comforting to see him.  His color was pale, but still looked good.  It was hard to see the ventilation tube down his throat still, but as long as it was sustaining his life, I was good with that.  Their philosophy here is to let them wake up on their own…it is easier on the system.  Because they had a hard time getting the ventilation tube down his throat, they kept it in longer—just in case.  He would wake up and then fall back asleep.  He seemed very calm.  Around 9pm, I decided that I needed to go home to get some sleep.  Dad had started getting agitated, so I said a prayer with him…all that pent up tension let go—amazing what talking to Heavenly Father does.  I felt as though gma was in the room with us and she was pushing me out, knowing I needed rest.  It was comforting to know she was there!

Sometime in the middle of the night, they took out the ventilation tube.   He was still pretty out of it.  Once again, It showed up around 2pm—lots of support huh?  Dad came and picked me up for dinner.  It was so nice getting that break.  When we returned, I wanted to just make sure everything was fine, and then go home.  However, they decided to transfer him to the regular unit’  They started to take him in the bed, but the charge nurse stopped them and said that he had to follow the rules…which meant he had to walk to his room from the ICU.  Oh It was fit to be tied.  She was spitting mad!  I just encouraged dad.  He made it to his room like a champ!  It’s a good 200 yard walk!  I felt like putting on a cheerleading outfit and shouting for joy with him!  I felt much better leaving to go home!

I got a call at 7 in the morning on Saturday—I guess I forgot to leave gpa’s charger for his phone…I needed to bring it.  It was an EXTREMELY stressful day.  The nurse and her tech were fighting and it really bothered gpa…in fact those idiots really let him down!  I was so frustrated!  Then It shows up at her normal 2 pm and accused me of moving gpa on my own and hurting him..ect…I went off on her.  AS I watched gpa, he seemed to be getting worse.  He was getting paler and panting and sweating a lot…very different from before.  I tried to tell my nurse but she said that she had talked to the Dr and they would not do more blood tests or anything on him.  I started feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was VERY wrong!  Between the nurses fighting, It being It—I felt that no one was listening.  Finally the nurse yelled at me, “What do you want from me?”  I told her that I felt something was wrong!  I know just enough to be dangerous but not enough to know what is really wrong.  I told her that I wanted his blood retested..and to do whatever other tests were necessary to figure out was wrong!  The nurse left, the next thing you know, someone came in to do an EKG (electro cardio gram—ultrasound of the heart), then she returned and got some blood.  About 30 minutes later, I was informed that they were going to do a blood transfusion…his numbers were real low.  Normal is 11.6, his was 7.6.  His heart was doing what is called atrial fibrulations—basically the atrium is quivering and not beating in sync with the ventricles.  They gave him meds for that.  He was pretty out of it though, he kept telling me that he needed to “pick up mom”.  I kept telling him that she was taken care of.  I have to say, I actually felt compassion for Ellen.  She even asked him if he knew who she was—he did!  But he still kept telling me that he needed to pick up mom.  It was so hard to leave him last night with him being confused!  I knew if I didn’t sleep, I would be useless and have NO patience for It!

Well, we lost a whole day—we are starting fresh today!  He has already been up to walk, he had a shower, he actually ate some lunch—ok, a whole bowl of beef broth and some fruit which is more than what I have been able to get him to eat.  They gave him more meds for his atrial fibrulations and then removed the chest tubes.  He is now sleeping.

Here he is walking today

This is gpa the day after surgery

This next picture is disturbing, so I will attach it you may not want to see it.  Gpa wanted to see what his scar looked like, it is also about the time I felt something was wrong.  It looks bad,  but just know, the Lord is really watching out for him!

He told me before surgery that it was NOT his time to go—6 of his grandchildren need him—those 6 are Diana’s 4 and you two boys.  He loves you all so much!  He feels a strong bond with you!  He is fighting and getting stronger for you!

Please don’t think too bad of It.  I know she really bothers me and I think she is stupid, but….she loves my dad and my dad loves her.  I will continue to pray for strength to deal with her.  I am hoping one day I will be able to look at her and not see ALL of her flaws.  I may never be close to her, but I want to be able to tolerate her for my dad.

Keep praying for him…he still has a long road ahead!

Always remember who you are!  Mind your p’s and q’s.  Be strictly obedient.  Work as hard as you play and know that I love you beyond measure!!!

Love, Mom

Hello my Sweet Boys!

Yep, I am writing to both of you.  I am sitting at the hospital with Grandpa and he is sleeping, so I don’t know if I will get the chance to write individual letters and I wanted to make sure you got them from me!  I know Ryan has been able to read the updates on Facebook, but Chris hasn’t, so I will give the rundown of events.  Hopefully it won’t be too tedious for you Ryan.

As you probably know, this has been a horrific week for me.  I am very tired, but still going!  Wednesday, Gpa was admitted to the hospital to have a heart catheter.  I picked him up at 5:30 am since he had to be at the hospital at 6am.  That went great with the exception of the extra blockage they weren’t expecting.  But it is better to get it all done now than go through this again!  The cardiologist said he could not even get his tiny camera through his aortic valve.  If he didn’t get it fixed, it would have been fatal!  I spent the rest of the day with him at the hospital.  Ellen showed up around 1 or 2 in the afternoon.  Nothing big happened that day. J

Thursday was a hard day!  I made it to the hospital before 6 am.  I wanted to be able to see him and talk to him before his surgery.  It is a good thing because Ellen (aka It) didn’t show up.  I went to down pre-op with him.  You would have been proud.  I was strong and happy for him.  It was really hard to give him his hug and kiss goodbye.  I did manage with a big smile.  When we went in opposite directions, I lost it…not before asking the nurse if it was ok…I did not want Gpa see me break down.  She told me that she was so glad that I didn’t break down when I gave him a hug and a kiss or she would have started crying with me!  I had the unfortunate privilege of sitting in the waiting room by myself.  I think back now on it and it still makes me want to cry.  The surgeon and his staff were WONDERFUL!  They kept me updated.  The hardest update was hearing that he was on the by-pass machine that bypassed his heart.  I wish I had someone with me!  The Lord works in mysterious ways!  Right after that update, the bishop called to ask about Gpa.  He couldn’t remember when his surgery was!  Talk about knowing that Heavenly Father was aware of me!!!  It showed up about the time they said that he was taken off the bypass machine and his heart was beating on its own.  Shortly after, It decided she needed to have lunch (low blood sugar don’t you know—NOT)  While she was gone, they called me up to the ICU/recovery.  I called It and told her I would meet her there—I was not waiting!  They explained that everything went well.  They did a bypass on the blockage and they replaced his aortic valve with a cow valve (yep, gpa is part cow…MOOO)  He said that gpa was a bit “leaky” which is normal for a 2 time heart surgery patient (so he lost a lot of blood).

I was able to go into the ICU/recovery…he still wasn’t awake, but it was comforting to see him.  His color was pale, but still looked good.  It was hard to see the ventilation tube down his throat still, but as long as it was sustaining his life, I was good with that.  Their philosophy here is to let them wake up on their own…it is easier on the system.  Because they had a hard time getting the ventilation tube down his throat, they kept it in longer—just in case.  He would wake up and then fall back asleep.  He seemed very calm.  Around 9pm, I decided that I needed to go home to get some sleep.  Dad had started getting agitated, so I said a prayer with him…all that pent up tension let go—amazing what talking to Heavenly Father does.  I felt as though gma was in the room with us and she was pushing me out, knowing I needed rest.  It was comforting to know she was there!

Sometime in the middle of the night, they took out the ventilation tube.   He was still pretty out of it.  Once again, It showed up around 2pm—lots of support huh?  Dad came and picked me up for dinner.  It was so nice getting that break.  When we returned, I wanted to just make sure everything was fine, and then go home.  However, they decided to transfer him to the regular unit’  They started to take him in the bed, but the charge nurse stopped them and said that he had to follow the rules…which meant he had to walk to his room from the ICU.  Oh It was fit to be tied.  She was spitting mad!  I just encouraged dad.  He made it to his room like a champ!  It’s a good 200 yard walk!  I felt like putting on a cheerleading outfit and shouting for joy with him!  I felt much better leaving to go home!

I got a call at 7 in the morning on Saturday—I guess I forgot to leave gpa’s charger for his phone…I needed to bring it.  It was an EXTREMELY stressful day.  The nurse and her tech were fighting and it really bothered gpa…in fact those idiots really let him down!  I was so frustrated!  Then It shows up at her normal 2 pm and accused me of moving gpa on my own and hurting him..ect…I went off on her.  AS I watched gpa, he seemed to be getting worse.  He was getting paler and panting and sweating a lot…very different from before.  I tried to tell my nurse but she said that she had talked to the Dr and they would not do more blood tests or anything on him.  I started feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was VERY wrong!  Between the nurses fighting, It being It—I felt that no one was listening.  Finally the nurse yelled at me, “What do you want from me?”  I told her that I felt something was wrong!  I know just enough to be dangerous but not enough to know what is really wrong.  I told her that I wanted his blood retested..and to do whatever other tests were necessary to figure out was wrong!  The nurse left, the next thing you know, someone came in to do an EKG (electro cardio gram—ultrasound of the heart), then she returned and got some blood.  About 30 minutes later, I was informed that they were going to do a blood transfusion…his numbers were real low.  Normal is 11.6, his was 7.6.  His heart was doing what is called atrial fibrulations—basically the atrium is quivering and not beating in sync with the ventricles.  They gave him meds for that.  He was pretty out of it though, he kept telling me that he needed to “pick up mom”.  I kept telling him that she was taken care of.  I have to say, I actually felt compassion for Ellen.  She even asked him if he knew who she was—he did!  But he still kept telling me that he needed to pick up mom.  It was so hard to leave him last night with him being confused!  I knew if I didn’t sleep, I would be useless and have NO patience for It!

Well, we lost a whole day—we are starting fresh today!  He has already been up to walk, he had a shower, he actually ate some lunch—ok, a whole bowl of beef broth and some fruit which is more than what I have been able to get him to eat.  They gave him more meds for his atrial fibrulations and then removed the chest tubes.  He is now sleeping.

Here he is walking today

This is gpa the day after surgery

This next picture is disturbing, so I will attach it you may not want to see it.  Gpa wanted to see what his scar looked like, it is also about the time I felt something was wrong.  It looks bad,  but just know, the Lord is really watching out for him!

He told me before surgery that it was NOT his time to go—6 of his grandchildren need him—those 6 are Diana’s 4 and you two boys.  He loves you all so much!  He feels a strong bond with you!  He is fighting and getting stronger for you!

Please don’t think too bad of It.  I know she really bothers me and I think she is stupid, but….she loves my dad and my dad loves her.  I will continue to pray for strength to deal with her.  I am hoping one day I will be able to look at her and not see ALL of her flaws.  I may never be close to her, but I want to be able to tolerate her for my dad.

Keep praying for him…he still has a long road ahead!

Always remember who you are!  Mind your p’s and q’s.  Be strictly obedient.  Work as hard as you play and know that I love you beyond measure!!!

Love, Mom

Hello my Sweet Boys!

Yep, I am writing to both of you.  I am sitting at the hospital with Grandpa and he is sleeping, so I don’t know if I will get the chance to write individual letters and I wanted to make sure you got them from me!  I know Ryan has been able to read the updates on Facebook, but Chris hasn’t, so I will give the rundown of events.  Hopefully it won’t be too tedious for you Ryan.

As you probably know, this has been a horrific week for me.  I am very tired, but still going!  Wednesday, Gpa was admitted to the hospital to have a heart catheter.  I picked him up at 5:30 am since he had to be at the hospital at 6am.  That went great with the exception of the extra blockage they weren’t expecting.  But it is better to get it all done now than go through this again!  The cardiologist said he could not even get his tiny camera through his aortic valve.  If he didn’t get it fixed, it would have been fatal!  I spent the rest of the day with him at the hospital.  Ellen showed up around 1 or 2 in the afternoon.  Nothing big happened that day. J

Thursday was a hard day!  I made it to the hospital before 6 am.  I wanted to be able to see him and talk to him before his surgery.  It is a good thing because Ellen (aka It) didn’t show up.  I went to down pre-op with him.  You would have been proud.  I was strong and happy for him.  It was really hard to give him his hug and kiss goodbye.  I did manage with a big smile.  When we went in opposite directions, I lost it…not before asking the nurse if it was ok…I did not want Gpa see me break down.  She told me that she was so glad that I didn’t break down when I gave him a hug and a kiss or she would have started crying with me!  I had the unfortunate privilege of sitting in the waiting room by myself.  I think back now on it and it still makes me want to cry.  The surgeon and his staff were WONDERFUL!  They kept me updated.  The hardest update was hearing that he was on the by-pass machine that bypassed his heart.  I wish I had someone with me!  The Lord works in mysterious ways!  Right after that update, the bishop called to ask about Gpa.  He couldn’t remember when his surgery was!  Talk about knowing that Heavenly Father was aware of me!!!  It showed up about the time they said that he was taken off the bypass machine and his heart was beating on its own.  Shortly after, It decided she needed to have lunch (low blood sugar don’t you know—NOT)  While she was gone, they called me up to the ICU/recovery.  I called It and told her I would meet her there—I was not waiting!  They explained that everything went well.  They did a bypass on the blockage and they replaced his aortic valve with a cow valve (yep, gpa is part cow…MOOO)  He said that gpa was a bit “leaky” which is normal for a 2 time heart surgery patient (so he lost a lot of blood).

I was able to go into the ICU/recovery…he still wasn’t awake, but it was comforting to see him.  His color was pale, but still looked good.  It was hard to see the ventilation tube down his throat still, but as long as it was sustaining his life, I was good with that.  Their philosophy here is to let them wake up on their own…it is easier on the system.  Because they had a hard time getting the ventilation tube down his throat, they kept it in longer—just in case.  He would wake up and then fall back asleep.  He seemed very calm.  Around 9pm, I decided that I needed to go home to get some sleep.  Dad had started getting agitated, so I said a prayer with him…all that pent up tension let go—amazing what talking to Heavenly Father does.  I felt as though gma was in the room with us and she was pushing me out, knowing I needed rest.  It was comforting to know she was there!

Sometime in the middle of the night, they took out the ventilation tube.   He was still pretty out of it.  Once again, It showed up around 2pm—lots of support huh?  Dad came and picked me up for dinner.  It was so nice getting that break.  When we returned, I wanted to just make sure everything was fine, and then go home.  However, they decided to transfer him to the regular unit’  They started to take him in the bed, but the charge nurse stopped them and said that he had to follow the rules…which meant he had to walk to his room from the ICU.  Oh It was fit to be tied.  She was spitting mad!  I just encouraged dad.  He made it to his room like a champ!  It’s a good 200 yard walk!  I felt like putting on a cheerleading outfit and shouting for joy with him!  I felt much better leaving to go home!

I got a call at 7 in the morning on Saturday—I guess I forgot to leave gpa’s charger for his phone…I needed to bring it.  It was an EXTREMELY stressful day.  The nurse and her tech were fighting and it really bothered gpa…in fact those idiots really let him down!  I was so frustrated!  Then It shows up at her normal 2 pm and accused me of moving gpa on my own and hurting him..ect…I went off on her.  AS I watched gpa, he seemed to be getting worse.  He was getting paler and panting and sweating a lot…very different from before.  I tried to tell my nurse but she said that she had talked to the Dr and they would not do more blood tests or anything on him.  I started feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was VERY wrong!  Between the nurses fighting, It being It—I felt that no one was listening.  Finally the nurse yelled at me, “What do you want from me?”  I told her that I felt something was wrong!  I know just enough to be dangerous but not enough to know what is really wrong.  I told her that I wanted his blood retested..and to do whatever other tests were necessary to figure out was wrong!  The nurse left, the next thing you know, someone came in to do an EKG (electro cardio gram—ultrasound of the heart), then she returned and got some blood.  About 30 minutes later, I was informed that they were going to do a blood transfusion…his numbers were real low.  Normal is 11.6, his was 7.6.  His heart was doing what is called atrial fibrulations—basically the atrium is quivering and not beating in sync with the ventricles.  They gave him meds for that.  He was pretty out of it though, he kept telling me that he needed to “pick up mom”.  I kept telling him that she was taken care of.  I have to say, I actually felt compassion for Ellen.  She even asked him if he knew who she was—he did!  But he still kept telling me that he needed to pick up mom.  It was so hard to leave him last night with him being confused!  I knew if I didn’t sleep, I would be useless and have NO patience for It!

Well, we lost a whole day—we are starting fresh today!  He has already been up to walk, he had a shower, he actually ate some lunch—ok, a whole bowl of beef broth and some fruit which is more than what I have been able to get him to eat.  They gave him more meds for his atrial fibrulations and then removed the chest tubes.  He is now sleeping.

Here he is walking today

This is gpa the day after surgery

This next picture is disturbing, so I will attach it you may not want to see it.  Gpa wanted to see what his scar looked like, it is also about the time I felt something was wrong.  It looks bad,  but just know, the Lord is really watching out for him!

He told me before surgery that it was NOT his time to go—6 of his grandchildren need him—those 6 are Diana’s 4 and you two boys.  He loves you all so much!  He feels a strong bond with you!  He is fighting and getting stronger for you!

Please don’t think too bad of It.  I know she really bothers me and I think she is stupid, but….she loves my dad and my dad loves her.  I will continue to pray for strength to deal with her.  I am hoping one day I will be able to look at her and not see ALL of her flaws.  I may never be close to her, but I want to be able to tolerate her for my dad.

Keep praying for him…he still has a long road ahead!

Always remember who you are!  Mind your p’s and q’s.  Be strictly obedient.  Work as hard as you play and know that I love you beyond measure!!!

Love, Mom

August 24, 2014

Hello my sweet boys!

I hope it is alright that I am writing one letter to the two of you!  I guess if you don’t like it, I can always write one and copy and paste the other…but that is so much work. J  I am sitting here on the deck under the gazebo.  There are a few clouds, but it is late enough that there is no sun and the breeze is to die for!  Best of all…it is quiet!!!!  I sure miss having a quiet house!  You don’t realize how nice it is until you no longer have it!  With Gpa and Ellen here, the TV is ALWAYS on and Ellen never shuts up!  I don’t know how Gpa deals with it.  It drives me up the wall!  Ha,ha

Gpa is doing pretty good.  He is improving everyday!  It is still hard for him, but he is working to get better!  He is continuing to go farther with his walking!  In fact, on Thursday or Friday (can’t remember which) we went to Costco to walk around.  It was a good thing that I grabbed a wheelchair though.  He thought he would not need one, but I knew better.  He made it to the back of the store and then fizzled out.  He tried to walk a few more times, but really, he had reached his limit!  He was so exhausted, he could not even eat…it would be too much for him.  I did get him to eat a yogurt, but that was about it.    I felt so bad for him!  He has continued to try to walk around the house.  At times, he gets so tired he doesn’t want to do it.  Problem is—he needs to keep moving!  He starts physical therapy on Tuesday.  I think he is a little nervous—it will be very tiring, but if he wants to get better, he needs to do it!

Gpa told me to tell you boys that he is very proud of you!  He wants you both to know that he has not forgotten either of you and that he loves you both (he is sitting here next to me and wanted me to write that to BOTH of you!!!)

I started my statistics class.  I even took my first test today and got 100%.  I did have dad check it for me.  There was only 1 question I was not sure of.  He was able to explain it to me.  So, I got the question right. J  I start my pharmacology class on Friday.  I am a little nervous about that—I am really kept busy with Gpa and that class will take a lot of work!  I am happy that I will be out of the house for a couple of hours on Friday. J  I did get an email telling me that they are going to let me keep my dual enrollment status…woo hoo!

Ryan, did you feel the earthquake, I understand it was a 6.5ish on the Richter Scale in Northern California?   

Well please keep praying for me!  I am still struggling with Ellen.  I am trying though…I even make her pancakes today for breakfast (YUK…I don’t like pancakes).

Always remember who you are!  Mind your p’s and q’s.  Be strictly obedient!  Play as hard as you work!  Know that I love you beyond measure!

Love, Mom

September 1, 2014

How are my favorite missionaries??? :)

I sure hope you are both doing GREAT!!!  Sorry Ryan that I had to call your mission home last week.  I was a bit scared due to the earthquake.  I need at least a note from you. :)  Chris, thank you for your beautiful emails. :)  Jessica is being great and posting them on a blog for you.  I just didn't have time!!!  So, I am very grateful to her.  She has been really stressed lately.  They were in an accident (no one was hurt).  Their car got hit pretty good (it was Tim's fault).  They were supposed to leave back to Idaho this weekend...their car isn't fixed.  They won't give them a time frame as to when it will be fixed.  Needless to say, that is really stressing her out!  So, I am sure she would appreciate some prayers.

Grandpa is really improving! He has gone to physical therapy a couple of times.  Really, he only had 1 real pt.  The others were assessments.  It really wears him out.  He is now going to go 3 times a week for 1 1/2 hours.  He will be in the cardiac rehab program for 12 weeks.  This week we have a couple of appointments with various doctors.  The first one is with his primary care doctor, the other one is with his cardiologist.  Hopefully, he will continue to get better and better!!!!

I started my pharmacology class.  I love it.  I sure miss being in the program, but it is all good. I also started the statistics class.  That one isn't so bad, but there is NO lecture involved.  I am supposed to read the chapter, take notes, and then do the questions at the end of the chapter.  Then  after "studying" I am supposed take a test.  Problem is....the stupid text doesn't teach very well.  In fact, I have to find "lectures" online from other places.  Dad has helped a little, but you know how he is...he goes WAY over my head!  It is all good though.  I have taken 2 tests so far and got 100% on them both.  Yep, I'm that good..ha,ha.

Tiffany got her Driver's License.  Only problem is that we went down on Wednesday after she tested to the DMV.  We barely made it before it closed.  Then we waited and waited and waited (you get the idea).  We were finally called up only to discover that Masterdrive did NOT sign the mandatory paper...UGH!!!  We got it signed and went on Thursday and spend about 3 1/2 hours before we were out of there...it is HORRIBLE!!  So, she was able to drive to seminary and then to  on Friday.  She thought that was GREAT!  I am not going to lie...I thought it was great!

We had an awesome sacrament meeting today!!!!  The bishopric all spoke.  It was all on Charity.  I think I need to really work harder on it..especially where It is concerned.  She still is driving me nuts, but I am trying to make things easier.  I don't know if I will ever like her, but I will continue to push forward.

Oh, Dad bought me a new computer.  It is pretty sweet!!  It is NOT an apple this time!!!  It was actually cheaper than the Apple that I returned and it is much FASTER!! I already love it! 

Well, it is getting late and I need to sleep. :)  I sure am proud of you both!!!  Always remember who you are!  Be strictly obedient.  Work as hard as you play.  Mind your p's and q's.   Know that I love you beyond measure!

Love,

Mom

September 7, 2014

How's my sweet baby boy?  I decided to write to each of you separately. :)  Actually, I lied, I'm just gonna write to both of you!

                                                                                                                                                               

It has been an interesting week.  One I am not overly proud of!  Really it started out pretty good. We really enjoyed having Monday off.  We really didn't do a whole lot though.  Tuesday we had an appointment with Gpa's   with his primary care physician.  She is an awesome Dr.  However, It did not agree with the doctor and at one point told her that she should have her arrested.  I could not believe it!  After the appt, It would not shut up about how wrong the dr was.  Finally, gpa had enough and told her to "go to hell" (remember that is a direct quote).  We got home and things escalated rather quickly.  I went upstairs to read because I didn't want to hear it.  It kept yelling at gpa and I finally had enough!  I came downstairs where I was accused of eaves dropping..hmmm last time I knew it was MY house!  Well, I LOST it!  it was real bad!!  I think that suffering her abuse for the last month all came out!  I told Gpa that she was no longer welcome here.  I even said that I hope he regressed and died, then he would be with my mom and not HER!  I apologized to gpa and he just said he was sorry that it turned out that way.  I was so upset, I went to leave and decided that it was not safe to drive, so I went across the street and talked to Rita. 

After a little bit, gpa texted and asked me to come home.  It said that she didn't want to leave like this and proceeded to tell me why she was right.  I was good and didn't say anything.  I was so ANGRY that I felt dizzy and my fingers and toes were tingling. 

Dad took me out to lunch and of course, I cried to him. I feel as though I gave up so much and this was the thanks I got!

Wednesday,  I got up early and took Gpa to physical therapy.  When I got home IT was all ready to leave and very happy to be going!  I told gpa that I was worried about him, and he blew me off...oh well

I can't be around her anymore.  So, I guess that means that I won't be around your gpa anymore  It has felt kind of like when Gma died.  Makes me sad, but he made his bed and now has to lay in it.

At church today, I talked to the Bishop--I am still so upset that I didn't feel worthy enough to take the sacrament.  We have an AWESOME bishop!!  He totally understood and even gave me a blessing.  It really helped!

I didn't realize how much contention was in our home! It is nice to just be us again!!!!  Hopefully things will get back to normal...whatever that is.  ha,ha.

My 2 classes are going good!  Tiffany is still doing good in school...let's keep praying that it continues! ha,ha.

Well, I sure love you guys!!!  I am so proud of you too!!! Always remember who you are! Be strictly obedient!  Mind your p's and q's. Never forget that I will always love you!!!

Love, Mom

September 14, 2014

Hey Chris,

You get your own letter today since Ryan's Pday will be on Wednesday. :)  How are things going with you?  I hope you have not wasted too much time thinking/worrying about Gpa.  He will be just fine!  I have not seen him since he left, but I have talked to him several times.  I am still not ready to see him, but I am sure that will change in the future.  If not, It will still be alright!

I had a hard week trying to come to terms with what happened.  The first part of the week I walked around in a fog...then things just kind of clicked.  I started to see more clearly and wanted to actually do stuff.  So, I cleaned all the carpets on the main floor.  That was a LOT of work!!!  My hands hurt after from squeezing the trigger.  I actually rented the machine from Home Depot...I think it did better than the other machines that we have rented. 

I am currently working on the dining room.  With everyone gone, I have pretty much emptied it all out. (Even the china cabinet is in the living room).  I started to tape it off.  I am hoping to get to painting it sometime this week.  Guess what color.....it's "mushroom bisque"...no joke!  Every time I think about it, I chuckle :)  After I paint that, I would like to paint the living room.  I think I will paint it the same color.  It really needs it!  I am so sick of the pink color!!!  I am trying to get dad to buy into the idea of changing the baseboards to white...then I would paint the window sills white...I think it would look pretty awesome.  So far, he is not on board! (give it time...he'll come around to my thinking...ha,ha)  I will send you a picture when I get each room done. :)

I am still doing GREAT in my statistics class.  I have taken 4 tests...in all those tests, I have only missed 1 question....not too shabby huh??  I am also really enjoying my advanced pharmacology.  I am a little nervous, as I have the first test on Wednesday.  I have been really studying, but it just doesn't seem to be sinking in.  I am hoping that since I am in a better frame of mind, things will start sticking better.  I think I am going to listen to my lectures on tape tomorrow while I am cleaning (I prefer music, but I think this will be better).

Did I tell you that we have a system for cleaning now?  It is amazing how the house has stayed relatively clean since there is only 3 of us here.  Actually, I think it is because of our cleaning system (basically, I do almost everything..ha,ha)  It is working well since I am not in school full-time.  I am now seeing how the house has been neglected.  So, I plan on doing something about it!!! :)

So, Dora got the drive cam put back in it....Tiffany is not real happy about it...but it seems to me none of you guys were happy about it..lol  Can't wait for her to get her first trigger!  Lol  I do still think it is a great tool for continued learning.  It is scary to let your kids out on the road with all those other cars!!  She still hasn't gotten lost, but she has only really gone to the Lexington Building, our building and school.  I thi nk she could make it to King Soopers and  Walmart...lol

So, Lori gave me a surprise!  I am going to Arizona the last week of the month...from the 27th to Oct. 1st.  Lori is also flying there and I believe that Jan is going to meet us there too.  We will have a kind of "Sister's retreat!"  I am expecting to have fun!!!  I thought that was very nice of Lori...and Diana is so excited that we are coming!

So, how do you feel about becoming an Uncle???  Jessica was so excited!!  Then the morning sickness hit her with a vengeance.  She has called crying several  days in a row.  Hopefully it will get better (which I doubt it will until she is about 20 weeks--which is a LONG way to go since she is only 6-7 weeks!)  I am so excited about becoming a grandma.  I still think I want to be called "Me-maw".  I can't believe how happy this makes me.  I know it changes a lot of plans for her, but this is what she has wanted for a long time!

Transfers are next week huh?  When will you know if you are being transferred?  This is all so new to me :) I always look forward to reading your letters!

I am so proud of you!!!  Always remember who you are.  Be strictly obedient!  Play as hard as you work!  Mind your p's and q's.  And most important...know that I love you beyond measure!

I love you!!!

Mom   AKA  Me-maw :)