And it came to pass that at the beginning of the eighth month, I had three of my four wisdom teeth taken out. The fourth was not removed because I was still feeling pain after being given all the local anesthetic that they could give me. Yes, I was awake for the whole 2 hour procedure.
And it came to pass, that after one week, I could still not open my mouth more than a few centimeters. But after a couple dentist appointments and a few drugs (namely, two different types of muscle relaxants, naproxen and ibuprofen) and painfully stretching my jaw muscle open with tongue depressors, I can now fully extend open my mouth (3 finger width). To give perspective, I started at 7 tongue depressors and finally fit 21 or 22 in between my teeth.
And it came to pass that on the thirteenth day of the eighth month of the two-thousand and twelve year, my grandma, Barbara Kelly, passed away. I lived with her for almost a year and a half for the sole purpose of taking care of her. Beginning in June, she started showing signs of dementia that seemed to progress VERY quickly. My cousin Nick came to help me since there was no way I could help her on my own. Family came to visit and even within their short visits they could see her rapid decline. At the end of July she was put into Hospice. I could go into detail about how it all happened, but I'd rather not. Some fun memories of those final months/weeks were of her talking about wanting a BIIIIIIG party and she just wanted to eat ice cream. She hugged, played, and slept with two soft teddy bears just like a little kid. She called them her babies. Even though her time was soon, she could tell I wasn't doing well with my teeth and showed concern for me. She was always so positive and loving even though she was not wanting to do what we asked her to do. She'd say, "Because I love you" or "I like... (something or someone)" or "You're my friend" or "No, but I will anyway." She was so childlike.
I am grateful for my last moments with her. It was the day before she died and she was fairly awake and responsive. She said she wanted ice cream, so I spoon fed her ice cream for dinner. I then talked to her for a little bit and asked her what kind of party she wanted. She said she wanted a "BIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIG party" in a raspy voice and big eyes. I asked if she wanted ice cream there and she said, "You bet."
Serving her this past year and a half has been a wonderful learning experience for me. It was really, REALLY hard in so many ways, but I have no regrets. I could go on for a while saying all that I learned and I know that I will keep learning from the experience as I look back on it for years to come.
And it came to pass that I moved to west Provo. Sometime in June I randomly started thinking about looking for places to live. It seemed ridiculous at the time, but I went ahead and looked online and got an idea of where I'd need to look when I did need to move and how much to expect to pay for a private room, etc. In August, my aunt suggested that I look for a place to live since it was just before school was to start and it might be the best time even though Grandma could live for weeks to months longer. So I immediately looked on KSL and found a place that just seemed too good to be true: big bedroom (with a queen sized bed), one roommate close to my age, 5 minute drive to work, basement apartment. I went to look at it the very next day with my sister. As soon as I got talking to the landlord and the roommate, I knew that was where I wanted to move to. As I talked with them about it, I got several phone calls and my sister answered them for me. As we left the house and went to the car, I asked about the phone calls and she told me that it was my uncle an my mom telling us that Grandma had died that afternoon. WHAT??! Are you serious! I couldn't believe it!! I was shocked, relieved, happy, amazed, and everything all at the same time. I just kept saying "wow" all the way home. It couldn't have worked out any more perfectly.
And so began the chaos of family coming in and packing all my stuff. I felt an urgency to pack so that no one in the family would take "claim" to my things as if it were part of Grandma's estate. I also just wanted to leave. It felt really weird to go upstairs in the morning and not have Grandma there needing me to help her with something. Really weird. I was definitely more relieved than sad to see Grandma go. It's been hard to see her and help her these past few months. I think the hardest part is having a year and a half of memories with Grandma when the grandma I want to always remember is the one that lived back in California and we visited every holiday or more often.
I hope no one thought I was insensitive about her death with how happy/excited I was about finding a place to move to so quickly. It helps that I have a firm testimony of the plan of salvation and know that she lives and I will see her again. She is with her husband, baby daughter that she lost, and her parents again. Now that's a big party and something to be happy about!!
And thus we see that God blesses those who strive to keep His commandments and rely on Him. I am just full of gratitude of how things have fallen into place, making this transition smoother than I ever thought it would be. The Lord has truly been watching over me, preparing me, and preparing the way for me all this time.
Now I have a fresh start and it feels amazing.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Thursday, July 12, 2012
How it is
Here are parts of an email that my uncle wrote about our most recent visit to the doctor for Grandma. It gives a good summary of what she is up against now and what basically occupies my life at the moment (for who knows how long).
Britt, Michelle, and I attended Mom's appointment today. We did not have any new revelations from Dr. Mower today, but we did gain a better understanding of where mom is at. Her heart is functioning at or below 20%, which is quite serious. However, there is no timetable on life expectancy due to this number. She could have a rapid decline or remain stable for several months. We will find out more from the heart doctor tomorrow.
(The heart doctor said the same things, pretty much. The top part of her heart started "quivering" again, which has caused her difficulty breathing in the past month. She is stable at this point. It's just a waiting game.)
As for the kidneys, she is functioning at about 35%, which is chronic kidney disease level, but not kidney failure at below 15% which would require dialysis or a transplant...neither of which would be appropriate for mom. This is less likely to be a life-altering factor in the short run than the heart failure.
An additional water pill has been effective over the last 8 days and she has lost 9 lbs. Her legs are less swollen and the doctor noticed marked improvement there. Oxygen = 95% -- encouraging.
The most rapid change for the negative seems to be the dementia. She was tested with questions and scored 14/30. This is not yet severe but it is a problem that is making leaving her alone to herself less than ideal. We have witnessed this decline and yet were somewhat surprised that she had difficulty with such questions as what state she lives in or what year it is.
Dr. Mower was not at all surprised at the rapid decline mentally, though we have been. We feel like we can see it happening. More and more conversations are difficult. She forgets words or cannot complete thoughts. She can't remember the day of the week or whether she has taken her pills. Information given to mom is quickly forgotten and VERY seldom passed on to Michelle or Nick. Britt's favorite part of the memory test was when mom was asked to write a sentence. We were thinking of sentences like "Let me out of here." or "This test is SO stupid." What did mom write? "I love you."
Dr. Mower said she does not yet qualify for hospice care for the dementia, but she does for the heart failure. Once your heart is working at less than 20% you automatically qualify for hospice. We don't feel ready for hospice, but we do feel the need to have an aid come a few times a week to help Mom with shower time. Dr. Mower mentioned the company Symbii that he is the hospice director for, and we all thought it might be good to use that company since it would be easy for the doctor to know what is going on.
Michelle will be starting up work again pretty soon and although Nick is willing to be here for Mom and even help with shower time if needed, Mom is not comfortable with the male assistance in that arena.
Mom gets around fairly well and can physically dress, shower, use the restroom, etc., but the dementia causes problems for her in the dressing department. She forgets what step is next or puts her pajamas on over her clothes, or only partially dresses. She can physically do almost everything when she is reminded step by step what to do. (This also includes when she's showering. I have to tell her step by step what to do, and give some assistance.)
She has begun to resist taking medication. It can take hours to give her her medication. She often asks if she really has to take all that medicine and what the medicine is for. Although she wanted to go to church Sunday, she was very late because she wouldn't take her medication. This morning she said she did not have to go to the doctor. She protested and suggested we go without her for half an hour. So we rolled her rolly chair out to the car and she got in and went without incident after that.
We want Mom to maintain her dignity and whatever independence she is capable of, but it is very trying on the patience of any caregiver if she refuses to do what is good for her. We were pleased with the oxygen level, since that is something she takes off and is without most of the night, even when it is replaced repeatedly by Michelle, or Nick, or I. She does not put her feet up as much as she should, yet the new pills for the water retention have worked so that is not as big a deal as we thought it was either. We can give in on some pills like the less effective "memory" pill, but there are others that if she were to go without, the doctor said we would see a rapid decline. Of course we don't want to see that.
Mom seems mostly content and comfortable and does not really complain. When we first arrived last week she mentioned a few times with a little smirky smile that she isn't going to live very much longer. If there is any kind of rapid decline, per her wishes and living will we do not plan to take her to the hospital or try to revive her.
(When I ask how she is doing or what she is thinking, she says she is fine, but confused about life. So, even though she doesn't or can't verbalize what she is thinking all the time, she is getting more and more confused about the things going on around her.)
Right now, though, she seems physically stable--though she now wants some support as she walks and reaches for walls or chairs to support herself. She still has some sense of humor about the dementia. When we were trying to convince her that she was supposed to go to the doctor's appointment she tried making excuses that didn't make any sense and kept saying we just don't understand, and she was right. This is a learning process for all of us, so I am sure we will make mistakes, but I am very glad that Michelle and Nick are here and trust they will do their best for her. Any help that she can qualify for though I think we ought to take.
When I look at Grandma, her eyes are all watery, and small, and tired looking. She says she's not tired, but that she's fine. It's really hard to see her like this and it makes my heart ache. I really hope she won't suffer for long.
Britt, Michelle, and I attended Mom's appointment today. We did not have any new revelations from Dr. Mower today, but we did gain a better understanding of where mom is at. Her heart is functioning at or below 20%, which is quite serious. However, there is no timetable on life expectancy due to this number. She could have a rapid decline or remain stable for several months. We will find out more from the heart doctor tomorrow.
(The heart doctor said the same things, pretty much. The top part of her heart started "quivering" again, which has caused her difficulty breathing in the past month. She is stable at this point. It's just a waiting game.)
As for the kidneys, she is functioning at about 35%, which is chronic kidney disease level, but not kidney failure at below 15% which would require dialysis or a transplant...neither of which would be appropriate for mom. This is less likely to be a life-altering factor in the short run than the heart failure.
An additional water pill has been effective over the last 8 days and she has lost 9 lbs. Her legs are less swollen and the doctor noticed marked improvement there. Oxygen = 95% -- encouraging.
The most rapid change for the negative seems to be the dementia. She was tested with questions and scored 14/30. This is not yet severe but it is a problem that is making leaving her alone to herself less than ideal. We have witnessed this decline and yet were somewhat surprised that she had difficulty with such questions as what state she lives in or what year it is.
Dr. Mower was not at all surprised at the rapid decline mentally, though we have been. We feel like we can see it happening. More and more conversations are difficult. She forgets words or cannot complete thoughts. She can't remember the day of the week or whether she has taken her pills. Information given to mom is quickly forgotten and VERY seldom passed on to Michelle or Nick. Britt's favorite part of the memory test was when mom was asked to write a sentence. We were thinking of sentences like "Let me out of here." or "This test is SO stupid." What did mom write? "I love you."
Dr. Mower said she does not yet qualify for hospice care for the dementia, but she does for the heart failure. Once your heart is working at less than 20% you automatically qualify for hospice. We don't feel ready for hospice, but we do feel the need to have an aid come a few times a week to help Mom with shower time. Dr. Mower mentioned the company Symbii that he is the hospice director for, and we all thought it might be good to use that company since it would be easy for the doctor to know what is going on.
Michelle will be starting up work again pretty soon and although Nick is willing to be here for Mom and even help with shower time if needed, Mom is not comfortable with the male assistance in that arena.
Mom gets around fairly well and can physically dress, shower, use the restroom, etc., but the dementia causes problems for her in the dressing department. She forgets what step is next or puts her pajamas on over her clothes, or only partially dresses. She can physically do almost everything when she is reminded step by step what to do. (This also includes when she's showering. I have to tell her step by step what to do, and give some assistance.)
She has begun to resist taking medication. It can take hours to give her her medication. She often asks if she really has to take all that medicine and what the medicine is for. Although she wanted to go to church Sunday, she was very late because she wouldn't take her medication. This morning she said she did not have to go to the doctor. She protested and suggested we go without her for half an hour. So we rolled her rolly chair out to the car and she got in and went without incident after that.
We want Mom to maintain her dignity and whatever independence she is capable of, but it is very trying on the patience of any caregiver if she refuses to do what is good for her. We were pleased with the oxygen level, since that is something she takes off and is without most of the night, even when it is replaced repeatedly by Michelle, or Nick, or I. She does not put her feet up as much as she should, yet the new pills for the water retention have worked so that is not as big a deal as we thought it was either. We can give in on some pills like the less effective "memory" pill, but there are others that if she were to go without, the doctor said we would see a rapid decline. Of course we don't want to see that.
Mom seems mostly content and comfortable and does not really complain. When we first arrived last week she mentioned a few times with a little smirky smile that she isn't going to live very much longer. If there is any kind of rapid decline, per her wishes and living will we do not plan to take her to the hospital or try to revive her.
(When I ask how she is doing or what she is thinking, she says she is fine, but confused about life. So, even though she doesn't or can't verbalize what she is thinking all the time, she is getting more and more confused about the things going on around her.)
Right now, though, she seems physically stable--though she now wants some support as she walks and reaches for walls or chairs to support herself. She still has some sense of humor about the dementia. When we were trying to convince her that she was supposed to go to the doctor's appointment she tried making excuses that didn't make any sense and kept saying we just don't understand, and she was right. This is a learning process for all of us, so I am sure we will make mistakes, but I am very glad that Michelle and Nick are here and trust they will do their best for her. Any help that she can qualify for though I think we ought to take.
When I look at Grandma, her eyes are all watery, and small, and tired looking. She says she's not tired, but that she's fine. It's really hard to see her like this and it makes my heart ache. I really hope she won't suffer for long.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Progress
Sorry I haven't posted in a while, it's been really crazy. About two weeks ago or so I went home as a surprise to my family! I loved being home, of course. The best part of being home is going back to be a child again where I'm dependent on my Mommy and don't have any responsibilities. I wish I could be completely free of responsibility when I go home, but what I got was close enough. The second best thing was that I could do absolutely nothing if I wanted to. I love watching TV shows with my family. Amanda was getting last minute things ready for college, so we went shopping, too. I finally bought a new computer with my bonus money, which is awesome! It was nice to have my dad help me set that up.
Miraculously, we were able to fit all of Amanda's things into two cars. She has LOTS of clothes, mostly. It was fun to drive back with her thinking about how from now on, whenever I go home, she will be going with me.
We got Amanda settled into her new apartment, which is in the same complex that I used to live in. I'm very excited for her to begin her own college experience. Her roommates are already better than my first ones were, by far. We went to her ward this past Sunday, which was fun because I know about a dozen people who still live there. It was great to see them, but at the same time it was hard to be back there because it reminded me of everything that I left behind to live with my grandma. I know I am where I am supposed to be, but it took a whole day for me to internally accept that again. Thankfully, my family was patient and kind enough to put up with me as I went through that again.
My parents left on Tuesday. Amanda has called or texted me everyday with different questions and I love it. I enjoyed escorting her to her first class and seeing all the other freshman that are just as new and confused as she is. I laughed out loud right in front of them because I remember being in their spot many years ago.
On Wednesday I had a date to the rodeo. It was fun. I asked him for his number a few weeks ago and originally invited him to dinner, but changed it to the rodeo. Don't know if there will be another date, but I hope so.
As most of you know, I've been inviting guys and girls over for dinner whenever I tried out a new recipe for Grandma. This week I've decided that I most likely won't be doing that anymore. Maybe I'll invite girls, but not boys. Mainly it's because Grandma's condition is progressing and it's a little too much to introduce to a guy on a first date, or a second date for that matter. Part of my adjustment when I came back from home was seeing the state my grandma was in when I came back. I won't get into details, but I will say that her short term memory is getting worse. She's to the point where she struggles to find the right words or phrases to tell me something and there isn't enough said to even put the pieces together of what she is trying to say. She's also had some confusion on the day and what time it is, which has caused confusion and mistakes in taking her meds. So, this week I've had to change some of the ways I do things to help lessen the confusion and possible mistakes with medicine. It's not too hard, but it is a lot of work and emotional energy. Most of all, it's needed patience and charity.
I looked up dementia online (I know, not the greatest resource) and I believe that she is in stage 5 of the 7 stages of dementia. Maybe on the boarder of 4 and 5. She's not diagnosed or anything, but that is what I think. The doctor said he wants to take care of her heart first before trying to do anything with her memory problems. As for her heart, her legs and stomach are swollen up again, but still 20 pounds less than she was at her greatest weight.
Tomorrow my cousin is coming to help me with Grandma for a week. The following week my uncle and his family of 9 1/2 kids are coming to visit for two weeks. I am afraid that will tire Grandma out, but I'm glad they are coming so that others will see the state she is in and help me know how to take care of her.
Today I'm going to have a day with Amanda. We are going to the mall so she can get some things she needs for her job and then we are getting pedicures. This afternoon we are going to watch Brave, which I am very excited about. I'm super excited to see the short that comes before it. :)
Miraculously, we were able to fit all of Amanda's things into two cars. She has LOTS of clothes, mostly. It was fun to drive back with her thinking about how from now on, whenever I go home, she will be going with me.
We got Amanda settled into her new apartment, which is in the same complex that I used to live in. I'm very excited for her to begin her own college experience. Her roommates are already better than my first ones were, by far. We went to her ward this past Sunday, which was fun because I know about a dozen people who still live there. It was great to see them, but at the same time it was hard to be back there because it reminded me of everything that I left behind to live with my grandma. I know I am where I am supposed to be, but it took a whole day for me to internally accept that again. Thankfully, my family was patient and kind enough to put up with me as I went through that again.
My parents left on Tuesday. Amanda has called or texted me everyday with different questions and I love it. I enjoyed escorting her to her first class and seeing all the other freshman that are just as new and confused as she is. I laughed out loud right in front of them because I remember being in their spot many years ago.
On Wednesday I had a date to the rodeo. It was fun. I asked him for his number a few weeks ago and originally invited him to dinner, but changed it to the rodeo. Don't know if there will be another date, but I hope so.
As most of you know, I've been inviting guys and girls over for dinner whenever I tried out a new recipe for Grandma. This week I've decided that I most likely won't be doing that anymore. Maybe I'll invite girls, but not boys. Mainly it's because Grandma's condition is progressing and it's a little too much to introduce to a guy on a first date, or a second date for that matter. Part of my adjustment when I came back from home was seeing the state my grandma was in when I came back. I won't get into details, but I will say that her short term memory is getting worse. She's to the point where she struggles to find the right words or phrases to tell me something and there isn't enough said to even put the pieces together of what she is trying to say. She's also had some confusion on the day and what time it is, which has caused confusion and mistakes in taking her meds. So, this week I've had to change some of the ways I do things to help lessen the confusion and possible mistakes with medicine. It's not too hard, but it is a lot of work and emotional energy. Most of all, it's needed patience and charity.
I looked up dementia online (I know, not the greatest resource) and I believe that she is in stage 5 of the 7 stages of dementia. Maybe on the boarder of 4 and 5. She's not diagnosed or anything, but that is what I think. The doctor said he wants to take care of her heart first before trying to do anything with her memory problems. As for her heart, her legs and stomach are swollen up again, but still 20 pounds less than she was at her greatest weight.
Tomorrow my cousin is coming to help me with Grandma for a week. The following week my uncle and his family of 9 1/2 kids are coming to visit for two weeks. I am afraid that will tire Grandma out, but I'm glad they are coming so that others will see the state she is in and help me know how to take care of her.
Today I'm going to have a day with Amanda. We are going to the mall so she can get some things she needs for her job and then we are getting pedicures. This afternoon we are going to watch Brave, which I am very excited about. I'm super excited to see the short that comes before it. :)
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Where Birds Still Sing at Midnight
I know I said this in my last post, but life is good, really good. On Monday I drove home for a surprise visit to my family, particularly my sister for her birthday. I've always wanted to do that and it was fun. It feels good to be home again and to be home longer than I normally am able to be.
I got my second installment of my bonus this week, so I finally purchased a new computer. My laptop has had at least 2 heart transplants and was on it's last leg, so after 6 years, I got a desktop computer. It's a Mac, of course. I'm loving it! It is SO much faster than my laptop and I can actually do more than one thing at a time without fearing something bad might happen. And, I can finally have all my music and pictures on my computer again rather than on an external drive. Best of all, I finally have the new imovie that I can do slideshows and movies with. :)
I was originally thinking to also get a new TV with the bonus, but changed my mind to getting new clothes and other stuff that I've been needing. It's something I don't usually do, so it's kind of fun.
My little sis is having a birthday party tomorrow night and the house will be all decked out with blue and white for BYU. She's turning 18 and going to college! Man, so I feel old! But I'm very happy and excited for her.
I have a Taco Bell date with one of my brothers today and planning to go to the beach on Monday. Mostly, we are all just hanging out. Tonight we have our good friends the Hoyts coming to stay with us, so it will be a full house. I've been sleeping on the couch as it is, but not I'll be on a blowup mattress in my sister's room.
Something that I noticed and love about my house is that there are always birds singing outside, even after midnight. Seriously. The other day when I was talking to my family on the phone, I could hear the birds singing outside. It's awesome to be home and enjoy it in person.
I got my second installment of my bonus this week, so I finally purchased a new computer. My laptop has had at least 2 heart transplants and was on it's last leg, so after 6 years, I got a desktop computer. It's a Mac, of course. I'm loving it! It is SO much faster than my laptop and I can actually do more than one thing at a time without fearing something bad might happen. And, I can finally have all my music and pictures on my computer again rather than on an external drive. Best of all, I finally have the new imovie that I can do slideshows and movies with. :)
I was originally thinking to also get a new TV with the bonus, but changed my mind to getting new clothes and other stuff that I've been needing. It's something I don't usually do, so it's kind of fun.
My little sis is having a birthday party tomorrow night and the house will be all decked out with blue and white for BYU. She's turning 18 and going to college! Man, so I feel old! But I'm very happy and excited for her.
I have a Taco Bell date with one of my brothers today and planning to go to the beach on Monday. Mostly, we are all just hanging out. Tonight we have our good friends the Hoyts coming to stay with us, so it will be a full house. I've been sleeping on the couch as it is, but not I'll be on a blowup mattress in my sister's room.
Something that I noticed and love about my house is that there are always birds singing outside, even after midnight. Seriously. The other day when I was talking to my family on the phone, I could hear the birds singing outside. It's awesome to be home and enjoy it in person.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Happy is as Happy does
Life is good. School's out for the summer and Grandma is doing a lot better (after losing 30 pounds of water weight). I'm still cooking for her, but she doesn't need as much help as she has had these past few months. I love learning how to make new meals and inviting people over to share it with us. It's been a great way to get to know and make new friends. This past month I've worked on a couple different projects that have made me very excited. The first is I scrapbooked. That always makes me happy, especially to watch TV shows and movies while I do it. The main project I've been working on is upgrading my basement. That's the best way to put it. Although this sounds a little tacky, with the help of my friends, I hung up sheets and curtains on the unfinished walls and put up paper on one wall. I'm planning to get a new TV with my bonus as well as pictures to hang on the walls to make it a very home-y place. After that, I will have movie nights or whatever. Since Grandma doesn't sleep in her room anymore, I can do that and the noise won't bother her.
With my bonus and summer pay (yay!), I'm planning to buy some things I've been needing/wanting for a while. Today I bought a new swimsuit. :) Tomorrow I'm thinking to get the next season of Chuck that I don't own yet.
This summer I'm planning to go on lots of hikes and go to lots of plays. I only realized recently how much I enjoy going to plays, even by myself. I made a page long list of all the plays that are going on and I know I'm missing some.
The thing I am most excited about is my sister is coming to BYU this summer! It will be awesome to have my sister nearby at last! It's only hard to believe that she is starting college.... Man, do I feel old.
Overall, I'm happy... and that is the best feeling ever.
With my bonus and summer pay (yay!), I'm planning to buy some things I've been needing/wanting for a while. Today I bought a new swimsuit. :) Tomorrow I'm thinking to get the next season of Chuck that I don't own yet.
This summer I'm planning to go on lots of hikes and go to lots of plays. I only realized recently how much I enjoy going to plays, even by myself. I made a page long list of all the plays that are going on and I know I'm missing some.
The thing I am most excited about is my sister is coming to BYU this summer! It will be awesome to have my sister nearby at last! It's only hard to believe that she is starting college.... Man, do I feel old.
Overall, I'm happy... and that is the best feeling ever.
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| Rock Climbing at The Quarry... I set a new record height and didn't freak out nearly as much! |
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| First UT Temple Tour Trip with Laura |
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| Homemade pizza with Italian herb crust. YUM |
Friday, May 25, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
Happiness is Homemade
I've made some small, but significant changes in my life in the past week that have really helped me to finally feel genuinely happy again. It's been a hard year so far, but things are getting better and I am growing. Grandma is doing significantly better, although she is not exactly back to where she was before the surgeries in February. She is doing most everything on her own again. I have concerns still, but not as many worries about her, which is nice. Things have settled somewhat, at least for the time being.
One change I've made is I'm making low-sodium meals for Grandma and me. I bought two cookbooks and I absolutely love them. I'm very excited to learn how to cook new foods and use spices/seasonings other than salt. I invite someone over to eat with us most every time I cook because there is always too much for the two of us to eat. There are always leftovers! So far I've made chicken fettuccine and pork roast with sweet potatoes. I also made home made BBQ sauce. So far so good. It feels good. I really enjoy inviting people over to share the meal because it is giving me a great opportunity to get to know new people as well as get to know people I already know, better. I've already seen the blessings of doing this, so I'm exited to keep going with it.
The other thing I've started is indexing through familysearch.org. Wow. I kind of wish I'd started sooner because I really like it. I do have lots of other family history things I need to work on, but it's a really easy and fairly quick way to do family history and know that I am making a difference.
Tonight my ward, along with two other wards, hiked to the G on the mountain in PG. It was a lot of fun. That is a big deal for me to say because I actually REALLY HATE that hike. But this time it wasn't so bad and I think it's because I was surrounded by my friends who were going as slow and breathing as hard as I was. This time I hiked to the top of the G. That's hard after a tiring hike, but I did it! It was a great way to begin the season of hiking.
Scripture that's been helping me this past little while:
D&C 122: 5-7
"Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee, for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever."
One change I've made is I'm making low-sodium meals for Grandma and me. I bought two cookbooks and I absolutely love them. I'm very excited to learn how to cook new foods and use spices/seasonings other than salt. I invite someone over to eat with us most every time I cook because there is always too much for the two of us to eat. There are always leftovers! So far I've made chicken fettuccine and pork roast with sweet potatoes. I also made home made BBQ sauce. So far so good. It feels good. I really enjoy inviting people over to share the meal because it is giving me a great opportunity to get to know new people as well as get to know people I already know, better. I've already seen the blessings of doing this, so I'm exited to keep going with it.
The other thing I've started is indexing through familysearch.org. Wow. I kind of wish I'd started sooner because I really like it. I do have lots of other family history things I need to work on, but it's a really easy and fairly quick way to do family history and know that I am making a difference.
Tonight my ward, along with two other wards, hiked to the G on the mountain in PG. It was a lot of fun. That is a big deal for me to say because I actually REALLY HATE that hike. But this time it wasn't so bad and I think it's because I was surrounded by my friends who were going as slow and breathing as hard as I was. This time I hiked to the top of the G. That's hard after a tiring hike, but I did it! It was a great way to begin the season of hiking.
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| Shirt says, "What happens at Grandma's stays at Grandma's" |
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| At the bottom of the G with Heather |
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| At the top of the G. I could see my house from there, but not the bottom. |
D&C 122: 5-7
"Know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee, for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever."
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