Thanksgiving!

I think I mentioned in the last blog that Josh played his guitar non-stop while he was here.  

Tara, the 18-month old daughter of the family that is staying with us, came down and snuggled in with Josh to listen to him play.  Joseph captured the moment.  Having our friends here with us has made me think about how much we're missing not having little children anymore.  We're in an in-between stage where we don't have much interaction with young children, and it's a true loss.

On the other hand, there are many things we can do that would not otherwise be possible, so we are trying to taking full advantage of those opportunities.  And one of those this week was to do a "Harry Potter" marathon in anticipation of the 7th movie coming out.  We started on Tuesday night and watched the first two.  Harry, Hermione, and Ron looked so young!  I didn't get to see the movies because I had to do some shopping, but most everyone else did.  On Wednesday we watched the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth movies.  It lasted until midnight!  That was a lot of fun, as the kids had friends over, and Josh was with us, of course.

 

For Thanksgiving we went over to Paul and Karen's house.  Karen is my 2nd cousin on my Mom's side of the family.  We have become good friends over the years, with Cider Festivals, Thanksgivings, and through the piano teacher's group that I belong to.  The highlight of the day, besides the meal, of course, was the Talent Show.  When we had Thanksgiving with these guys a few years ago, we had an impromptu talent show that inspired my children so much, that I wanted to have it again.  Paul and Karen's children are talented in the extreme, so it's always fun to have a show with them.

Libby played her duet of Ode to Joy and Sakura.  Peter played Libiamo, from La Traviata.

Mary

Mary played a Clementi Sonatina, and Jesse played Consolation, by Franz Listz.  Joseph played his original composition entitled "A Bite of Sunshine".  Josh played the guitar and played "What Child is This" and "Hallelujah" (from the Shrek soundtrack), with Jesse providing backup harmony on the chorus. 

Jesse and Josh

Bruce even sang John Denver's "Rocky Top Tennessee".  I thoroughly enjoyed ever minute!

On Monday night, we had a Family Home Evening where we wrote down a list of what we were thankful for and then read them to the family.  Mary was lucky because she kept writing things down while others were reading their lists, and read hers last, so she had the best list of all!  She was pretty sick on Thursday and Friday, but her fever broke late Friday night, and she was OK after that.  When her fever broke, it was so funny - she was totally out of it.  She sat up on the couch and said, "It's cold. It's cold, it's cold, it's cold!"  I could tell she was not awake.  I got her up and tried to get her to bedroom.  On the way she had to sit down and started talking about swimming.  I started to get a bit nervous and called for Peter to bring some Frankincense, which I put on her head.  That seemed to bring her to her senses somewhat, and I was able to get her to her bed.  She slept well the rest of the night!

On Saturday morning, we got up to a delicious breakfast cooked by Dad!  Thanks Bruce!  We then put up the Christmas tree, which always involves a great deal of commotion.

Josh is sporting a very handsome "cowboy athlete" outfit.

Libby dancing on the tree stand

Mom, Libby, Dad, Joseph and Jesse setting up the tree

Josh (aka Superman, or "Master of the Universe", as he likes to call himself lately)

It's up!

 The tree is not decorated yet.  I wonder how long it will take to get to the actual decorating?!  I started to yesterday, but the first string of lights I plugged in had only half the bulbs working.  Does this frustrate anyone besides me?

After setting up the Christmas tree, we played the rest of the day.  Grandma and Grandpa (Bruce's parents) were here, and they took Bruce and I shopping for awhile.  That is always fun!  Later in the afternoon, we all went to see Harry Potter 7, the Deathly Hallows, Part 1.  One time I looked over and Joseph had Libby curled up in his arms and comforting her during the scary part.  It was cute!  I thought it the movie was well-done, but I sure could have done with a few more happy moments.  But as Bruce said, it was a dark time, and they had to go through some hard things with Voldemort in power. 

Right after Harry Potter, we went to the Forgotten Carols, a musical production by Michael McLeane.   Jesse saw the DVD over at a friend's house, and loved it, so when I saw the tickets for sale, I decided I wanted this to be my present to her for Christmas.  But then I thought of everyone else that would want to go, and I ended up buying for everyone.  We don't do things like that very often because of the expense, so it was fun to go to a nice cultural event with the whole family.  I liked the singing at the end the best.  Even Peter said, "That was cool!" after the last strains of Silent Night died away.

We have snow on the ground!  If it's going to be winter and cold, I like there to be snow!  But I just heard from Bruce that Josh had to turn around and come home from going back to school this afternoon because the roads on the way there are blocked. Well, I can't say I'm very sad about that!

I figured out this astonishing fact this morning: this is likely the last time our family will be together - the eight of us - at Christsmas time without either somebody gone or somebody added to the family.  Here's how it all plays out:

2011 - Josh on a mission
2012 - Josh on a mission
2013 - Joseph on a mission
2014 - Joseph on a mission
2015 - Everybody home!  (But Josh will be 23, and possibly married - so we could have an addition, or he could be at the in-laws!)
2016 - Jesse on a mission
2017 - Jesse on a misison
2018 - Mary on  mission
2019 - Peter on a mission
2020 - Peter on a mission
2021 - Everybody home! (But Josh will be 29 and maybe starting to have their own Christmas?  And Joseph, Jesse and Mary possiby married.  Yikes!!)
2022 - Everybody home!  (The "buts" are an even more likely scenario than the year before)
2023 - Libby on a mission
2024 - Everybody home!

Those are some sobering numbers for me.  I don't know how people can stand it that don't know the Plan of Salvation.  If you are reading this and don't know what I'm talking about, look up the link, but also know that families can be together forever!  (We sang this last night all together at Forgotten Carols).  This brief mortal journey is a sliver in the eternities, and if we make choices that lead us there, our families can be together in the eternities, with glorified, resurrected bodies and infinite possibilities ahead of us.  While we may experience scarcity of time and location on this earth, abundance lies ahead of us and we will be TOGETHER forever someday.

Handcart Trek 2009 - Part 2

In modern times, there is a bridge over the Sweetwater River close to Martin's Cove. In 1856, it was a freezing, ice filled river, with the only bridge being the arms of brave young men. To remember this event, we walked to the edge of the river and Josh and Joseph carried our whole "company" across the water. To say I shed a tear or two watching my boys do this is an understatement.

They started with Peter,and then Libby,and then on down through the company. Here's Joseph picking up Adam,and Josh carrying Jennifer. This picture is priceless. In two years, when he's turning nineteen, I won't be able to look at it at all. :)
Joseph carrying Mary,and Josh carrying Jesse.Joseph carried me across (without even grunting - ha ha),and Josh carried Bruce.Here are the "rescued", waiting for the others. Why Libby is sitting off to the side, I don't know!Three more to go.The missionaries here asked us to do the River Crossing in silence, to maintain a reverent atmosphere. It was a very tender and unforgettable experience.

Speaking of the missionaries - what a difference they made! They were sprinkled out all through the trek, and every time we saw them they told stories, bore testimony, brought the Spirit in, and made connections to our modern day lives. They were wonderful!

After the River Crossing, we stopped at Handcart Parking, as it's called, and had lunch. They had a whole bunch of picnic tables under a pavilion. I looked at the side of one table and saw a plaque indicating that this was an Eagle Scout Project. I think many of the improvements and conveniences all along the trail are Eagle Scout Projects. I know Jesse B. was in a troop where a Scout had started a project and then passed away. Their troop went ahead and finished the project without him, of putting up a flag pole at the Visitor's Center.

The next step was to walk around Martin's Cove.
In our meeting in Dan Jones Cove with Elder Llewellyn, he explained that when Pres. Hinckley dedicated Martin's Cove, he dedicated it as an open-air temple in Wyoming. He said that Martin's Cove and Rock Creek Hollow are two of the most hallowed and sacred places on the earth, because of what transpired there.When I heard this, I was so happy, because I knew that Mary would be able to keep up her streak! Mary has now been to the temple 6 weeks in a row. Five times doing baptisms for the dead in Idaho, and now a 6th time in a very sacred place in Wyoming.

Peter found a rabbit along the trail. (Click on the picture to get a close-up!)
It was so satisfying and wonderful to be there together as a family.
Elder and Sister Sorenson were at the "top" of Martin's Cove, and talked to us there. Sis. Sorenson said something that touched me deeply. She said that Pres. Faust, when asked why the wind and the elements were not tempered by the Lord for the Saints in Martin's Cove, answered that he did not know why, but that those who were involved came out of it with a deep faith, as did those who were involved in their rescue. That was the First Rescue, and in the recent past, those that were involved in the Second Rescue were deeply touched. Sister Sorenson continued, with a break in her voice, that now a Third Rescue was going on, with all the people that were visiting Martin's Cove and going on the Trek, and being touched by the Spirit because of their experiences there. That resonated deeply with me, as my children can testify because I've already told a dozen people about it! Ha ha

I shared the story with her about one of our ancestors, John Clark, who served a mission in Palestine, against the will of his father, who had already lost one son on a mission when he contracted a disease and died while helping the immigrants on Ellis Island on his way home. John and his companion also lost their lives when they contracted smallpox from German immigrants that they were teaching. Ezra Thompson Clark, his father, traveled all the way to Palestine to retrieve their bodies and bring them home. He was not allowed to do so because of the smallpox, so he buried them in Haifa, with a gravestone engraved with their names.

More than a hundred years later, when BYU was attempting to build the Jerusalem Center, an obscure law was brought forth in an attempt to thwart the building, stating that any church that wanted to build a new structure in Jerusalem had to demonstrate a presence in Jerusalem more than 50 years prior to that time. BYU authorities were able to show the graves of John Clark and his companion, with their gravestone, as proof of the Church's presence. John, although unwittingly, just as the Willie and Martin Handcart pioneers, did their part to build up the Kingdom! And they did so with faith and resolve. I am very grateful for their sacrifice!

It truly was wonderful to be in Martin's Cove. I wanted more time there, to sit and meditate, but that wasn't really possible with all the family, so I gathered our family around in a circle and told them I was so glad to be with them there and wanted to be with them forever. Bruce said, "And I kinda like you too." Ha ha We put our hands together in the middle, and did a "Sure love ya" like my family does. :)

After Martin's Cove, we trekked back to the Visitor's Center, which was about 1.3 miles.
Jesse and Britani start teaching their kids early! :)From here we dropped of the handcarts, loaded up the cars, and drove about an hour to Sixth Crossing, which is where the Willie Company crossed the Sweetwater. There is a Visitor's Center here and a nice campground. While Bruce was in talking to the missionaries, it was raining, and Mary took a million pictures of the beautiful double rainbow,while I sat in the car and read "Remember", a book published by the Riverton Wyoming stake about the Handcart companies and the Second Rescue (highly recommended).After we got camp set up, the missionaries called for Square Dancing. We went over and did the Virginia Reel a few times. The other group took too long, so Bruce started calling our own dance, and we moved right along. It was the most fun to watch Brenlee and Libby twirl around and do the reel!Right after the Square Dancing, a wind and rain storm whipped in that made us all hop around. The tinfoil dinners were ready, so we dished out the food to everyone the best we could in the rain and wind. I said, "This is pretty extreme!" I told our friends, "Only certain families I know could handle this, and you guys are some of them!"

Our tents thankfully were all together under a small pavilion, but they were literally inches from each other. Since it was storming so much, as soon as food was eaten, everyone hurried into the tents. The cacophony of sound that ensued was amazing!! I started to laugh so hard. Then Bruce started to crow like a rooster, and of course others followed with mooing, barking, etc. I had to give Peter Peace & Calming essential oil before he would calm down and stop hopping around the tent.

And that was the end of Day 2! To be continued...

Family Gathering

After being at the hospital, most of us went over to Mom and Dad's house, and as we sat around talking, we got going on Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, our favorite family movie.
Craig and Angie "practically" have every line memorized, and with what the rest of us threw in, we basically reenacted every scene and laughed ourselves silly. I commented that I had never cried so hard and laughed so hard all in one day.

Bruce naturally got a hold of Macy.
Who IS this guy??We took advantage of all of us being together to take some pictures. Clark, if this is not the funniest picture...
then, this one is -
or this one.
This is all the bretheren together (sorry Macy - you got included with the bretheren).
and the sisters, minus Angie. I think she was with Mom at the time. This is why she's the favorite daughter. :)This is most of the family that was there.
I have to put in this close-up of Caleb and Carson, Angie's two youngest boys. They are darling!

That evening when Mom got back from the hospital, we came back to reality, and had a family council on what would now happen to Dad. The doctors said that he would not be able to chew or swallow, which would entail a feeding tube; that he had lost the sight in his right eye, and could only see shadows in his left; that he would not be able to move much. This was sobering, and we wondered at what kind of quality of life he would have. After much discussion, in which everyone was able to express their feelings and be understood, I believe, we knelt down in prayer and Mother pleaded with Lord, just as if she was talking to him face to face, to know His will and to be able to do the right thing. I won't soon forget that prayer. I was deeply grateful to be reminded of what a close relationship my Mother has with our Heavenly Father, and as He has always been her constant friend and guide, He would continue to be during this trying time for her.

These pictures were taken at the end of that Family Council.
Need I say more about why my life is so happy and what a blessing I've been given.
This picture represents what I'm now trying to give to my children. I want them to have the kind of family that I have. Although we didn't have ten children, we work hard to create the environment in which our six children can be close their whole lives, which is what I have with my siblings. Truly, I would rather be with my brothers and sisters and parents than anyone else in the world, besides my own husband and children. And I'm pretty sure they all feel that way too. (If you don't - I don't wanna know about it!! Ha ha)

During the night that night, I heard Macy crying in the next room. After awhile, I got up to see if I could be of some assistance. I found Cedric there sitting by Conal and Macy. Conal said she had just thrown up and was just wide awake. After a moment, I picked her up, wrapped her up in a blanket and walked around the room. She stopped crying, but she was still wide awake. Conal fell back asleep, and pretty soon Cedric spelled me off. I went upstairs to my purse and got some Peppermint essential oil, and had Cedric put it on his hand and rub it around so Macy would be able to smell it in hopes of calming her stomach down. We walked her around for probably forty-five minutes, although in the middle of the night, it's hard to tell the passage of time. She finally fell asleep and we laid her down in the crib. That was a fun thing for Cedric and I. I know I feel a deeper connection to that cute little Macy now!

About the time we got her to sleep, 4:00 am alarm went off and we packed up to go back home. This time Bruce drove most of the way, with me driving about an hour. Thank you Bruce!

On Thursday evening, I got a remarkable phone call from Mom. She said that Dad had been chewing and swallowing, and saying some words!

This is an email I sent out to my family on Thursday evening:

Mom held the phone up to Dad's ear and said, "It's Lorena, Dad. Say hi." There was a pause, and Dad said, "Hi." I started talking away. After I paused, he said, "OK." This is what he normally says to me, after I've been talking to him - right in line with how he usually responds. At some point Mom said, "He's smiling Lorena." I talked some more, and then he cleared his throat (just like he usually does) and started to say, "I ..." but then he couldn't finish. Mom said that he was holding the phone up to his ear with his own hand. I said a few more things, and then I said, "Dad, I love you." There was a pause, and then Dad said slowly, "I love you." The "love" sounded more like "lub", but it was clearly an "I love you". He said "OK" more than once also. At the end, Mom said to me, "Tell him to say bye, bye" so I did, and he said, "Bye bye." These are the words that Dad has said, that I know of: hi, bye-bye, yes, no, OK, I love you, and April (the name of the nurse). Lyle and Alice Farnes also reported that they fed him soup, mashed potatoes and gravy, and meat, and that he ate it up. Clark hit the nail on the head when he said that Dad is "on the edge of the bell curve" with the things he is doing right now that the Doctors said he could not do. It's quite a miracle. When I hung up with Mom this evening I think she was in a bit of a state of shock - not physically - but emotionally. She said, "I guess I'll keep him in the hospital a few more days," as opposed to starting the hospice care that they had planned on earlier in the day. This is quite an emotional roller coaster for all of us, but especially Mom. But I'm happy we're on the upswing. Maybe now we can actually ask Dad what he would like us to do. Way to go Dad!!

As of today, almost a month later, Dad had one small relapse where he slept for 24-30 hours and the CAT scan showed some additional bleeding on the brain, and a seizure. But other than those two things, he has shown a slow but consistent improvement! He can now put on his own shirt and button it down, say words, and feed himself almost a whole meal. He can almost stand up on his own power, and can take shuffling steps with a walker.

For the last two weeks he has been in a nursing home where he has been receiving good care and rehabilitation. Mom is taking one day at a time, and has been handling things in a remarkable way.

A VERY special thanks goes to Angie, who is a constant help to my Mom, Cedric who stayed and did all sorts of yard work and house work for Mom, Curtis, and especially Jeana, who stayed for two additional weeks and helped Mom get the finances under control, as well as being there for her at night.

We still have my Dad with us! What a blessing and a miracle!