Color Run and Diabetes Run

A couple of Saturday's ago, Todd and Adrian's family and Marc and Brittney's family participated in some fun runs.  Great way to get the kids involved in the world and the community.

Adrian's family participated in a color run - not sure what it was for, but it sure looked like lots of fun.  At the end, everyone was colored!  It was a 5K and everybody in the family made it to the end.

Marc's family ran the Race for Diabetes.  Brittney's brother's son has diabetes and so they ran to raise money for research.  Everyone made it to the end of this race, also.

Good going family!!!

Mason turns 5

WOW - where does the time go.  It was only yesterday that Mason was born and now he is 5.  He wanted an Angry Birds birthday party so Marc and Brittney went to work and made the cutest backyard Angry Birds game.

Marc designed a large sling shot and Brittney painted and put eyes on milk cartons for the pigs.

Everyone had a fun time shooting balls and stuffed animals at the pigs which rested on cardboard boxes.  Now that's creativity at its finest.  It is so fun to see you children become parents and to see their creativity and love.  Kisses Mason and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

A Pain in the Back

For years I have suffered with pains down both legs and numbing feet.  It finally got to the point I said enough is enough and I became a partner with Dr. David Stevens.  He first recommended physical therapy - I think this only compounded everything.  I would feel better for a couple of hours and then the pain was back.

Theron and I took the trip to Montana and each morning I would literally cry with pain until I could get enough ibuprofen and heat and cold on my back to give me a little relief.  Poor Theron was suffering along with me and it just wasn't fair.  We had planned a trip to Nova Scotia in September, but I finally said lets use the money and have back surgery.  Our deductible is $10,000 - no small amount and then another $5,000 for the 80-20 split.

The MRI showed that one nerve was completely closed and damage to other nerves was apparent.  The L4 vertebrae was slipped forward to a grade 2 spondyliothesis rating (that's the back problem I had).  Surgery was scheduled for August 15.  I could not wait!

The surgery consisted of putting three sets of screws, bolts, etc. into my vertebrae.  I will always have the hardware because that is what is holding the vertebrae into their proper place.

This is now my 3rd full week of recovery and there is NO pain down my legs.  I enjoy walking and am getting along great.  I can't bend forward not move side to side, but Theron has been my pick up person.  He has been a fantastic care giver!!!!  I just can't tell him enough how grateful I am that he is my husband.

There is now 4 more weeks of recovery then maybe I can start picking up the grandkids again and cleaning the house to a higher standard.  For right now, I am just glad to be able to walk and feel pain free.

Montana Trip in the Fifth Wheel - July 17-26

July 17, 2013
Steve and Jackie Duerden have been wanting us to take a trip with them now that we have our new fifth wheel trailer.  I have mentioned several months ago that I would like to go to Glacier National Park and Cour'd aliene, Idaho.  Steve is so good at listening and he had a week and a half off to take this trip. (July 17 - 27)

We loaded up the truck and drove the first day to Dillion, Montana.  After getting all set up, we decided to go another 40 minutes to Bannack Ghost Town, a State Park.  The four of us were the only tourists in the park and we were strolling down the wood boardwalks and taking our time looking in the old buildings.  It started to rain a little as we arrived at the church building.  Our thought was to wait out a little rain storm.  Well as it turned out, it not only rained, but then it hailed and hailed with some hail the size of a quarter.

The rain started to let up a little and Theron opened the Church door and was met by a flash flood coming down main street - it was carrying with it boulders, dirt, the boardwalk sidewalk sections that were about 20 feet long and whatever else was in its path.

We stood on the steps of the church for about two hours and watched as the flood did its damage.  We even saw the majority of one of the buildings go down one wall at a time.

When the State Park people finally could drive a pickup truck up the road to retrieve us, we were glad to be "going home".  The fellow told us that in Bannack had stood all kinds of disasters but this one was the worst and they would probably have to close the park for some time.  We got back to our truck and found several small dents in the hood from the hail.  As we drove back to Dillon, we noted that all the roads were dry and that no other area had received this type of storm -- isolated  -- yes!

Day 2 - When you start out your vacation with a flash flood, it can only get really good, or get ho-hum.  The rest of the trip was just ho-hum.  It had some good moments and we saw some very wonderful scenery.  The second day we traveled to Virginia City, Montana where we walked around a bit and took in a vaudeville show.
Day 3 - We traveled from Dillon to Hungry Horse, Montana, which is about nine miles from the west gate of Glacier Park.  We set the trailer up and noticed that both TVs would not work, they wouldn't turn on.  The electrical plugs are good.  So, no TV.  Theron began diagnosing the problem.  The campground was great.

From Hungry Horse, we traveled the next day to see an old mansion in Kalispell, Montana.  Jackie took in a quilt store which was great fun, for Theron.  He enjoyed going to look.  For me, I did a lot of sitting in the truck.  My back and legs were killing me.  I have scheduled back surgery for August 15; I'm just tired of living like this.  It took me several hours in the morning to get going.  Lots of ibuprofen and anything else I could find.

The next day was Sunday and I so wanted to go to Church.  However, my hip is hurting so bad and I was crying and trying to get some relieve.  We didn't make it to Church.  That afternoon, we drove to Logan Pass in Glacier Park.  Theron, Jackie and Steve did a little hike.  I sat on a picnic table bench and read a book.

On Monday, we again drove to Logan Pass and they took a hike to the glacier.  Tuesday found us on the road to Cour 'd aliene, Idaho, where we took a lake boat trip and had dinner on the lake.  We had lunch at the golf course that has a green on the water - you boat out to it after you hit your shot.

The entire time we were there, Theron worked with an RV place to get the TVs replaced.  What had happened is that a piece in the antenna box had come lose and sent 15 volts into the TV rather than to the antenna.  It took three days and we finally got the TVs.

I couldn't take it any more and we headed home.  If I knew I had to live like this the rest of my life, I would never travel again.  The pain was getting more intense every day.  Home was sweet and I can see a light at the end of the tunnel within two weeks to get this back surgery.  We'll see how the recovery and success are.

Masonism

So this morning Brittney had to report for jury duty.  She tells the kids that she has to go to the courthouse because somebody did something bad.  I stayed home to help out with the kids.  Mason said that he wanted muffins for breakfast so he and Ali helped me make them.

As we sat at the table I said, "Let's say the prayer." And Mason raised his hand and said "I'll say it dad!"  We all folded our arms and Mason proceeded to say the prayer.

"Dear Heavenly Father.  Thank you for the blueberries, the raspberries, and the blackberry muffins.  Please bless mom that she can go to the Big House."

It is a difficult task to remain reverent when you hear something like that.

Needless to say Brittney was dismissed from jury duty and when she got home Mason asked her "Mom, so how Big was the House?"

We think that he might be getting confused between "Courthouse" and "Bear in the Big Blue House"

(Keep them coming Mason, it lightens our day.)

Camping in the Uintahs with Cameron and Taylor

Adrian used her vacation, well her days of doing fun things with the kids, to go to girl's camp.  Theron and I got to opportunity to be with Cameron and Taylor for an entire week.  Being the good grandparents that we are, we took the boys to the Uintahs where our trailer was parked and let them chop wood, make fires, drive the Ranger, haul wood, make fires, roast marshmallows, and so forth.

I think they had a great time.  We rented National Treasure 2 and they only watched it four times - always in the evenings.  After playing and working hard all day it was a wonder that they could stay awake but they did.

It was fun to see Cameron learn how to split logs with the splitting maul and wedge.  He got so he could make a small log split in just one or two hits.  Taylor had a great time finding tinder and other burnable items and making small fires - in a safe environment.

These are two great boys and it was fun being grandparents for a week.  We did take a break one day and traveled over to Provo River Falls.  They are really quite nice.

June 21, 2013 -- The Wedding

On June 14 of this year, we celebrated our 39th wedding anniversary.  Curt has been with us for 35 of those years and today, June 21, 2013, he was going to leave us and start his own family. 

The wedding day was bright and sunny, we gathered at the Bountiful Temple for the 10 a.m. sealing and the sealing room was full with friends and family to celebrate this event.  We had asked Elder Gary J. Coleman to be the sealer and it was wonderful to see him again.  Temple sealing ceremonies are not long events, but they are eternally meaningful and this was no exception.  A few short words and your life is changed forever -- literally.

I had all kinds of emotions wash over me especially the most sacred of having joy and rejoicing in our posterity as we were promised those many years ago.  How wonderful for all of us to be in the Temple.  I will always remember the day Theron and I were married, my mother wanted to be in the Temple with us, but she did not have a recommend.  What joy it is for her to have been a witness in Marc and Brittney's wedding and now in Curt and Melanee's wedding.  She is the most precious person there at this time in my mind.

Theron and Zoonie (Melanee's father) were the witnesses.  I'm so glad we have kept our Temple covenants all of these years and hope we continue in years to come. 

It is important to remember this wedding in pictures, so below are several that illustrate our time at the Temple after the ceremony.

Thanks always to my Brother Dawain and his wife Jana and to Lisa and Christian who traveled so far.

Curt's friends that always stood beside him.

The bridesmaids

Oh how lovely is our family!!!