Week of March 17, 2013

Sunday

I don't always write about birthdays, but Happy Birthday Max and Kaden! They our are St. Patrick's Day boys.  I missed talking to both of them, so I hope they listened to our birthday song on the answering machines.  

It was a wonderful Sunday, and to top it off we went to Marri's special 12th birthday gathering to welcome her to Young Womanhood.  Here are the pictures:

It was great to just sit around in the living room and visit about being a woman.  I didn't take a picture of the food, but it was wonderful.  We had turkey steaks, rice, sushi that Sarah made that I actually really liked, crackers, and pumpkin roll for dessert.  Thanks, Emily!

Noelle, Marri, Emily, and her sister Sarah

 Sophie, Marri, and Noelle when it was over and they could go play!

 Cecily and Mallory in matching dresses that are also like Kirsten's

Cecily and Mallory playing

 Time to say good-bye

 Monday

I always say I will remember, and I should know better by now that if I don't take a picture I don't remember.  For FHE we looked up the family history of Sister Meyer (the one from Hawaii that gave me all my clothes) to see if we could extend her line.  We hadn't been able to find anything to this date, but then it opened up and we connected in and extended way back for her.  We are going to Salt Lake 

Tuesday

We went to Salt Lake to the Family History Library to help Sister Meyer.  We really had a good time and then went to lunch with her and Elder Meyer and back to the library.  They go home after conference, so we won't see them until we go to Hawaii!  We forgot to get pictures, but we stopped at Aunt Janet's on the way home and then also Uncle David's.  (The one with the donkey)  It was good to see them both. 

We got home just in time to hear Ellen on the radio.  She was invited to read a couple of her stories on Aggie radio.  She will send us a link when she has one to hear it again.  It was fun to listen to her on radio!  This is the computer so I would remember what day she was on. You will all be old one day.

Wednesday thru Friday

As you all know, Colleen went in on Wednesday to get the two stints taken out that were put in last Wednesday.  They thought they would be in and out, but it didn't work out that way.  The one stint was very difficult to get out and it irritated the pancreas too much.  She didn't come home until Saturday morning.  I have learned a lot about the pancreas and have new respect for it.  Still on Friday she could not even tolerate water in her stomach without the pancreas flaring up.  It took Eileen and I (who are the mothers of 20 children) to take care of things, although Eileen did the most.  Little Zander is very determined that he would not take a bottle. We had had some luck, but it was Dad that got him to take his first bottle of 2 oz. late Thursday afternoon.  After that, he decided if that was all there was, he would drink it. Here are a few pictures:

Eileen giving Zander his milk from a cup.  That was more successful at first than a bottle.

 Mallory making Zander happy. 

 Noelle stayed home from school on Thursday to help us out, and she was a big help.  

He knows his siblings!

 Wednesday night I took the kids to Riverside Corner for Wacky Wednesday ice cream.

Josh, Mallory, Noelle, neighbor friend Sarah, and Caleb

Also Wednesday night Dad and I went and cleaned the temple from 9:00 p.m. to shortly after midnight. It is wonderful to clean the temple and contemplate life.  I put Colleen's name in the prayer roll.

 Friday night with dad before he goes back down to Salt Lake to be with Colleen

Saturday

We get the good news that Colleen will be coming home.  I cooked a bunch of vegetables so there would be some broth for her and made some jello.  It was sure good to have her home.

Chris, Caleb, Colleen holding Zander and Noelle in the background.

In the afternoon, Dad and I went to Logan to go to the temple with Mike and Ellen.  We sure have a lot of names to do if anyone wants some, PLEASE let me know.

When we got home I made Navajo Tacos and had Chris's family come down to eat so Colleen wouldn't smell the food cooking.  We played scum and they went home.

It's been an up and down week, but filled with blessings.  We have so much to be thankful for.

This weekend is Easter and I look forward to celebrating and thinking about His life and the gift of the Atonement, which if we did not have we would have and be nothing.

We are having children/grandchildren come Friday night, going to the Easter egg hunt Saturday morning, and helping us out with yard work until about 2 or 2:30 and having a cookout (I hope).  Anyone is invited to come because, "Many hands make light work." We really could use some help as we are one year older than last year and this is a big yard!