Home for a few days

My mom came home from the hospital on Hospice Care last Thursday. Because of her permanent chemo treatment port we've been able to give her pain and nausea medicine by IV every few hours around the clock. She has been unable to keep any food down for over a week, but is still with us and able to hold conversations. We feel very blessed.

Dear Friends

I know you all come here to find out what's going on in our lives. I love you all so very much for keeping up with us and praying for us during this hard time with Mom's cancer fight.

I just want to let you  know that the girls and I are flying down to Texas today on a one way ticket to say goodbye to Mom for the last time.

If my dad were writing this he would say something wonderful like, "The Gospel is true. We have a loving Heavenly Father who knows and loves us, and we know that Families are Forever."

Families ARE forever. I know this with every ounce of who I am, and I know that although Mom won't be here on earth with us much longer, she will be able to help us and love us in very surprising ways for many many years to come.

Love you all!!! I'll see you when I get back.

Secret Hide-out

All of the cupboards under our sinks are to remain empty at all times.
If I forget this new house rule, I have a little helper who will kindly clean everything out and place it on the floor for me.

Piano Lessons

While she was in Idaho, Sister Beck shared a lovely story about Sister Funk, the General Young Women's President in the 70's and a concert pianist.

I told the story to Jill, and she thought for sure she could be that good if she practiced hard enough.


But it's hard to know just how many hours of practicing one should do to become a master pianist.

Perhaps if you bang the calculator against middle C, the answer will come to you.

Happy Birthday Rebecca Tate!!!

Bio-Algebra 101

Are you ready for your first lesson:

XY + XX = ????

XY

Plus

XX

equals

XX

and

xx

 

but the real question is, who do these two babies look like? Mom or Dad?

Adversity

My dad called me yesterday. Mom will be home from the hospital soon, and the doctors who have been treating her know much more about the type of cancer she is fighting. That is one blessing that came from her hospital stay.

Very honestly Dad said, "What happens next? There is only One Person who knows the answer to that question . . . She has been living on the Lord's time these last two years."

During this week, this April 2009 conference talk, Adversity by Elder Eyring, has come to mind several times. Elder Eyring shared these thoughts shortly after we found out that Mom was diagnosed with cancer, and that we were expecting our first daughter Jill. There were many times that year, and many more times since then, that I've asked the Lord, "Why?" Elder Eyring couldn't have shared a more appropriate message for me at a more appropriate time.

Because my mom got sick there are many things that I expected to happen that didn't, but many more things that I didn't expect to happen have happened. From my mom, because of her sickness, I've learned so much about love, service, helping carry other's burdens, and letting others help me when my burdens get heavy. I've learned about my mom and her incredible ability to feel the spirit and learn from all of the experiences this life has offered her. I've learned about her trust in the Lord and about the depth of her testimony of the Savior and his atoning sacrifice for us. I've learned about her love for me and her desire for me to feel the Lord's love for me and build that same trust in him that she has built. We have had many conversations that would not have happened under different circumstances.

And I've learned to count my blessings and not get too upset when things don't go the way I expected.

But, like Dad said, even though things don't work out we still make plans, because, "when you have plans, enduring to the end is a lot more fun."

Happy Mother's Day

What a wonderful day!!! I told Matt that he makes every day feel like Mother's day because on Sundays he is usually the one who cooks breakfast. Its lovely to be married to such a wonderful man.

This mother's day I'm extra thankful for my mother who is in the hospital due to some complications with her cancer battle. I love her so very much and don't remind her enough that I'm grateful for everything she has taught me and how she is still teaching me every time I talk to her.

Having my mom very far away has given me lots of opportunities to be mothered by others. I'm thankful for all of my friends here in Idaho who have helped fill that need. Thank you for cooking me dinner, for coming over to play with and hold my babies, for talking to me over the phone and giving me wonderful advice. Thank you for doing my laundry and mopping my floor and  keeping Jill while MaryEllen and I took a few days to recover. Thank you for lending me books, for lending me support, and for letting me know that I wasn't the biggest baby on earth when I felt like I was in over my head.

Thank you for mothering me. I love you all.

Happy Mother's Day!