Week of May 26th, 2013

Sunday

Ellen is dictating this because I'm too busy eating ice cream. And because I can't write. (and eat ice cream at the same time). Since we just got home from the hospital yesterday, I stayed home with Dad from church and the home health care nurse came and got us signed up for that. Marion and the boys got home from church and all pitched in to make Hawaiian haystacks and was Grandma's left hand again. After dinner, Chris and family came down, so of course we had skits. The costuming is getting very creative. Can you guess who it is? 

(Mallory, Jared, Isaac, and Caleb)

Mallory, Steven, Isaac, and Caleb

Since it will be memorial day tomorrow but had Marion and Chris' family, we decided to go to the cemetery and visit the graves. The kids did some headstone rubbings and calculations of how old Grandma's parents and grandparents were when they died. They also found out who was born on Christmas Day. Ryan, Allen, and Lori were visiting their mother's grave, and it was good to visit with them. Ellen, my favorite daughter, labored in the hot sun to cut the lilacs for the graves. They are gorgeous. 

John, Spencer, Isaac, Josh, Caleb, and Great Grandma Capener and Great Grandpa Capener

Monday-Memorial Day

Uncle Bob and Aunt Ann with Mark and Susie came over to the cemetery and we ate lunch together, fixed by my favorite daughter who not only has two hands, but has a wonderful, youthful knee that might have to be replaced in a few years after doing all the chores asked of her. She is so incredibly hard working. 

Mark, Susie, Uncle Bob(sporting a Biblical beard since he is in some church videos), Aunt Ann, and Me (Ellen left for a phone call, so it's back to one-handed me and not as clever.)

Tuesday - Nursing Time & Happy Birthday Katrina

We don't know what we would have done without Mike and Ellen taking care of us all week. Strange, though, neither one of them want to become a nurse.

Mike filling Dad's ice pack 

Ellen's turn

Wednesday - Happy Birthday, Olivia
My surgery day. I thought I would breeze in and out and feel great. Wrong. Ellen took me to the hospital at 6:30 a.m. and dropped me off. I went in for surgery at 7:30. Dad sent her back at 11:00. I'm so glad he did. I had just come back to my room & it took until 1:30 before I could coherent enough to go home.  We got home at 2:00 just in time to see the therapist working with Dad. Thank you, Colleen for coming down and giving Dad lunch.
 
Dad and I (still pretty out of it)

Notice the little ambulance Caleb had brought in for us.

Grandpa's knee

Thursday- Happy Birthday, Timmy
Dad has been battling diarrhea off and on ever since he came home from the hospital. We finally took him in on this day. Actually, Mike took us in. He was very miserable and I was getting worried about dehydration. Dr. Schow put him in the hospital. I was relieved.

Mike fanning poor Dad in the Dr.'s office

Friday
The rest of Thursday and Friday were spent in the hospital. We thought it might be c diff like Marion had and Robert when he was a baby, but it wasn't. The medicine they gave him was the same treatment for it, and eventually he began to improve. Chris brought us home about 7:30 that night. Although we are both tired of hospitals, we were both glad he was there getting the care he needed.

Saturday - Save the Garden!
Last weekend Marion saved the lawn, and this weekend Joe & Tesha came to save the garden. Joe worked all day long. Mike, Tesha and I went out after breakfast and Chris and kids a little later on.
I can't believe all the rototilling, weeding, planting, spraying, and watering that took place that day.
I honestly don't know what we would have done without everyone's help, prayers, and phone calls. Thank you all so much. We are truly blessed.

New Kittens that are not ours, but entertained Noelle and Mallory

Lunch break at 2:00. We had taco salad with fresh cilantro from the garden! It was so good.

The end of a very productive day. 

Then Tammy and the girls came.  It was so good to see them. We had some good visiting, games, cousin time, and it was just so good to see Dad so happy to be home and beginning to feel better.

1828 Dictionary Word for the week:

Agency- “The quality of moving or of exerting power; the state of being in action;”

 I have been reading in Alma 32 this week, and I am reminded again of how careful Heavenly Father is with our free agency. It is our desires that he honors. He will not force, for that is Satan's way. He invites us to just "experiment upon my words, and to exercise a particle of faith, (that is not much) yea even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." Alma 32:27

The desire to believe begins very small, just like a seed. It is powerful because we have the agency to choose and act upon that "particle" of faith. It is a lifelong pursuit as we continue to grow.

The Lord has blessed us richly this past week. Thank you again for all your prayers and help.