A New Year 2011

As of this reading it is now January 14th, 2011. I had given up on my blog back in May of 201o I guess because I was just tired of doing it. But a few weeks ago I saw what Shana had done with her blog which was making it into books. They were beautiful and so I came home and made my own book of my blogs. I was so impressed and the cost was well worth it.
I'm so glad to put 2010 behind us and start a new one. We had many hard times that we want to forget. Just a reminder though, Roger had his quadruple bypass surgery in March. What a horrendous experience to watch him go through and for me as his wife. I'll never forget it and I'm sure he won't either. I've decided he's one of my heroes. I had a toe fusion surgery the end of May and was in a boot for 6 or 7 weeks walking only on my heel. That really put a damper on my summer. And now I find out the surgery was not successful and I'm going to have to repeat it. My big toe on my right foot is riding up too high and so it sits on my next toe and they're getting callous and sores. I'm so upset about it but life goes on. I think I'll repeat the surgery (by a different doctor in SLC) in the fall since I don't want to ruin another summer. In July right after I had gotten my boot off my foot I fell down our stairs all the way into the entry. I didn't think I had injured anything but my pride but I began to have horrific shoulder pain. It continued until the end of August and I finally went to a doctor and they ordered an MRI. Well, I had a full surface rotator cuff tear and needed surgery. I had that done in Sept. and was in a brace/sling for 6 weeks and did physical therapy for 2 months. It was such a joy and I'm glad I'm past that now. Through all of these things Roger and I have helped each other immensely. I couldn't have done it without him. So thanks to my adorable husband for all his help.
I've got 9 absolutely adorable grandchildren. I adore them so much. Brayden is
9 1/2, Daxton is 7 in a few days, Makinley is 6, Gentry 4, Colby almost 3, Easton is 1, Presley 1, Adaline is 1 and Hadley almost 1 month old now. I can't imagine my life without them. They give me so much to live for. I always think of my mom when it comes to grand kids because she was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 53 yrs. old and wanted so much to see her grandchildren grow up. She begged God to let her stay here but he had other plans.
If that ever happens to me I"m making sure that my grandchildren know how much I love them and trying to make wonderful memories for them.
Last night I had a sleepover with the oldest 4. We watched a movie, ate popcorn, played hide and seek and had so much fun. I love to hear them screaming and laughing. This morning they said "Grandma, don't peek. We're going to make a present for you." A little while later they each came out with a construction paper that had cute little sayings on them. They had used my stamps with ink to make cute pictures. They said "Grandma, thanks for everything. I love you." Another said "I love you" love Bboy.(Brayden) I cried as I read each one and hung them on my fridge to admire. Such simple things can put a smile on your face and make you feel so good.

I often think of my grandchildren and the life they're living in. I pray for them so much that they'll hold onto the iron rod, that they'll choose the right, make good friends and be good examples to others. I want them to respect their parents and to listen to their advice. I just want God to protect them from all the evils of the world.

I'll end this now..and I look forward to making this blog a big part of my life now that I can make it into a book.

To Realize

To realize
the value of a sister/brother
Ask someone who doesn't have one.

To realize
The value of 10 years
Ask a newly Divorced couple

To realize
The value of 4 years
Ask a graduate

To realize
The value of 1 year
Ask a student who failed a final exam

To realize
The value of 9 months
Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn

To realize
The value of 1 month
Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby

To realize
The value of 1 week
Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper

To realize
The value of 1 minute
Ask a person who missed a train, bus or plane.

To realize
the value of 1 second
Ask a person who survived an accident

To realize
The value of a family member or a friend
Lose one

The origin of this letter is unknown but it sure makes you stop and think.
Remember to hold on tight to the ones you love!!

A TRIBUTE TO MY MOM AND GRANDMOTHER

As I sit here today, contemplating another Mothers Day I always have such mixed emotions. I hate to put a damper on this beautiful holiday but sometimes I just can't help it. Some years are easier than others for some reason but this year I'm actually having a hard time. When I look back over the 22 years I had my mom I realize what a great influence she was on my life. She was so full of spunk, always on the go and yet was the care taker of my father as he was dying. She loved to shop and always bought the best, she loved to dance, she loved serving others, she was on a bowling league, golfed with the ladies at Riverside country club. She loved her yard and had so much pride in it. It's where Roger and I were married. It was so beautiful. My mom was an artist, poet too. She wrote a lot of poetry especially after my father died. She missed him so much.
This picture was taken of me and my mom at a Treasures of Truth party in our ward in 1974. Many, many years ago I came upon several articles on mothers day and I have saved them for many years. As you can tell they're very yellow. If you click on the article it will enlarge. I hope you enjoy them as I have.

This beautiful lady is my grandmother. My moms mom. Oh the memories I have of her as we watched Lawrence Welk, played bingo, cards, playing eye spy and button button. We went shopping for yarn so she could crochet rugs for each of the girls when they graduated. I remember so well having to leave her after we had spent the weekend with her. Her little wave from the window always made me cry as we left. I love her so much. She died at the age of 82. I miss you grandma!

My dad has passed away the year before I graduated. So he wasn't there for my graduation. But this beautiful lady was.

Rog loved my mom. And she loved him. I know at first she wasn't happy I was spending all my time with him at such a young age but she grew to love him each day. One funny story was when I was 16. He had a dozen red roses delivered to me for Valentines. I wasn't home but she answered the door and then opened the big box of roses only to see a card that had my name on it. She thought my dad had sent them to her.

I'm sure I've posted this picture before but it's one that is so special to me. Shana and her cousin Becka were only 6 months old in this picture. It was taken just a few days before my mom passed away. As I get closer and closer to the age of my moms death which was 57 I know why she was begging God to please let her live. My mom had everything to live for. But God had a different plan for her.

I love you mom. I haven't had you to call or to ask advice. I haven't had your shoulder to cry on. This year I will be taking another card up to your gravesite telling you how much I miss you. Some might think it's weird but it does my heart good.

Happy Mothers day to my mom and my grandma. To my dear daughter and daughtersinlaw. I love you with all my heart. May you all cherish your times you have with your moms. Take pictures. That's one thing I regret and that's not having more pictures. I treasure them now. HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO YOU ALL!!

Open Heart Surgery Journey

Rogers battle wound from quintuplet bypass surgery.This was the day he was waiting for. The removal of all his chest tubes. They were causing him most of his pain after surgery. Jared works downstairs in the OR so he was able to help his dad and me each day. I had to call him one morning after Roger had a small seizure while eating breakfast and Jared was there within seconds to help his dad and comfort me. He then took the rest of his shift off because he knew we needed him.Deb and Steve spent from 7am to 5pm with me waiting for Roger to get out of surgery. It was such a comfort to see their faces that morning because I didn't know they were going to be there to support me. Wow!! Then they came back that night after Roger was in the ICU. I don't think Roger knew how many people loved him. We had our family and friends there to help us through this trial. I'm so thankful for them. I don't know what I would have done.This picture was at 5am on March 10th. He was having all body hair shaved. Poor guy! This picture of Roger and I holding hands depicts my committment to helping him through this scary time for him. I love you honey.

I am so thankful for this opportunity to serve my husband. To help him when he was weak, to feed him, to help him walk, shower, rub a cool washcloth on his face, to hold his hand when he was frightened. He has been such an awesome patient. Before surgery he didn't let on how afraid he was. He was trying to be so brave. In the holding room before surgery, Jared was there holding his hand and he and his dad were just making small talk. Trying not to think of the surgery. I know Jared knew from working in the operating room , how serious a surgery like this is. He was hating to see his dad have to go through it. That was a special moment for Roger and Jared. This experience has allowed me to appreciate Roger more, to realize how much I loved him more than I thought I did,it has brought us so much closer and know that we rely on each other much more than we thought. I'm so thankful for all the priesthood blessings that were given by my sons and soninlaw. What comfort they were to their dad when he was afraid, in pain and just plain down. Thank you to all our family and friends for helping us get through this trial.  All the prayers in his behalf etc. I don't know what we would have done.

Proud to be a Woman

One Flaw In Women
Women have strengths that amaze men.....
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in..
They stand up to injustice.
They don't take "no" for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what
makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their
family and friends.
Women have vital things to say
and everything to give.

HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT'S THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH!!

 I truly believe that God put us here on this earth for a reason. Men couldn't do it without us. I'm so grateful I'm a woman. I'm a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandma, aunt, friend. Each one of us are sent here to be doing exactly what we're doing right now at this moment. I hope each of you will know how important your role as a woman is and take pride in it.

Lake Havasu Trip

Our wonderful friends, Mike and Teresa invited us to go spend a few days in Lake Havasu with their kids. We stayed at Jeremy and Steffanies place and got treated to a fun time. They took us to the London Bridge, a car show, garage selling, flea market, a huge fireworks show, and we ate at some good places and played rock band. It was 74 degrees there so it was a nice break from the cold weather.

Teresa is one of my very best friends. We are so much alike and have so much fun. I love hanging with her whether we're shopping at the mall, dancing, going to lunch, you name it. She's a BFF.

Steffanie is Teresa's daughterinlaw. She's so cute. She told us how much she loved hanging out with us so that made me feel good.

This is the beautiful London Bridge. From what I understand a man bought it and disassembled it and brought it here for a tourist attraction. It was beautiful walking along the lake.

I love this man. I want to hold onto him forever.

We asked someone to take a picture of us all together. Mike, Teresa, Rog, me, Jeremy and Steffanie.

There was a huge fireworks production for 3 nights in a row. People come from all over the United States to see it and buy whatever they are wanting for their big holiday fireworks shows. It was well worth it and so beautiful.

We were quite a ways away sitting on a hill so I'm so glad these turned out so good.

What a fun time we had that night watching the fireworks. We bought pizza and treats and had a great time sitting on the tailgate of Mikes truck. Beautiful night for fireworks.

Hi Honey!! Say cheeeesseeeeeeeee ..

Teresa reminds me of Prisilla Presley. A younger version. What do you think?

An Afternoon With Grandma

I think I'm the luckiest grandma in the world. I"m so fortunate to have my grandkids so close by. I complain that Shana's kids live an hour a way but then I have to realize it could be much worse and they could be out of state. Thank goodness they aren't.

Makinley loves when I pick her up at the school bus. Today she ran to me and jumped into my arms. Wow!! Way to make my day!

We picked up Gentry and off we went. We met Papa for lunch and it was so cute. Makinley said "I love it when Papa meets us for lunch too." After we had lunch we came to our place and the girls and I made some cookies for them to take home. Of course they loved it. I had bought some new lipstick and we all put it on. I couldn't resist leaving my lips on their cheeks.

I told the girls about when I was little and how much I loved going to my Grandmas house. My grandma was incredible to me. She taught me how to crochet, we played many, many games, we would watch the Lawrence Welk show, eat maple nut ice-cream, walk to town with her little cart behind us. Oh how I loved my grandma. I remember seeing her many times on her knees at her bed saying her prayers. She was from England and had the cutest accent. I used to have tears in my eyes as we drove off and Grandma was at the door waving goodbye to us. She died on Christmas Eve and that was the hardest Christmas ever. It was the 2nd time I had ever seen my dad cry. He loved her so much. (it was his motherinlaw). He called her Lizzy to make her mad. Her name was Elizabeth and wanted to be called Elizabeth. lol

I hope I can be the kind of grandma that she was to me. I loved spending my weekends with her. I never realized how important the calling of being a "Grandma" would be. I never realized how much joy all my little sweethearts could bring to me. I pray that I will be able to be healthy for many years to come so that I can watch them grow up and have them come to our home to spend time with us.

Thank you Makinley and Gentry for sharing your time with Grandma today. I love you!