I'm back!

Thanks to all of you who reminded me that I have not updated our blog for a couple of weeks! Isn't there a saying like "life is what happens while you are living it?" ...well we have certainly been living life to it's fullest lately!

Since I last wrote Jamin's graduating needs have gone into overdrive (pictures, announcements, college visits, etc); in less than a month he will graduate as one of the top students and athletes in his class...woohoo! He is also a terrific young man in his strength of character and values and we are so pleased with the person he has become. What mom wouldn't absolutely love having her son open her car door for her even when she is the one who will be driving or take her arm to help her over a rough patch of ground or check with her each morning to see what he could do to help her day, among so many other thoughtful things he does? And what dad wouldn't enjoy having his son work on his car maintenance without being told, like reading the same hot rod magazine, and laugh hysterically together at the same ridiculous commercial that they play over and over again? Jamin is a wonderful son, great big brother and will be a remarkable adult.

Kaitlin was chosen to be SBO (student body officers) over Student Relations for this next school year (her senior year!) and was also accepted on the Yearbook staff. I was able to help her just a bit on her portfolio she had to submit for SBO and was amazed at her creativity and production skills. So this means that next year she will be involved in SBO, yearbook, the Standard Examiner as a teen reporter and act as one of sixteen high school representatives on the district's Superintendents Council...along with working and anything else she can manage to fit into her schedule! She also received the Leadership Award through the Teachers of Tomorrow program at Weber State University last week and she enjoyed having Larry act as her escort for the night.

Jonah started his first "official" job in April and now has finished his training time and is busy working 3-4 days a week. Larry and I had the chance to visit with his boss one night at a social event and he said Jonah was a great employee; parents like hearing that! I got to go with him last week to set up his checking/saving account with his own debit card; that makes four of our kids handling their own money now! He gets to start the balancing act of football conditioning, work, friends and family this summer (not necessarily in that order!), but I am sure he will rise to the challenge. It is neat to see your kids learn more about managing themselves and grow with added responsibilities.

Kimberlie is working hard learning her part for the Kindergarten end-of-the-year program. Can you believe she volunteered for a speaking part and has it memorized already?!! She also got to go to the Clark Planetarium last week on her first "bus ride" field trip; she was nervous about the bus not having seat belts :-) but I also think the bus ride was the best part of the adventure when it was done! I, surprisingly, had a hard time letting her go at the last minute and was lurking around the corner of the classroom listening to the instructions to the chaperones and keeping my eye on her! After all my other children having gone on sssooo many field trips through out the years why was it suddenly difficult for me to let her go??? I don't know if it was the fact that she is the youngest or if it was all mixed up with feeling so protective these days of all my kids or what, but I need to say "thank you" to Jenny, a dear friend and neighbor, for understanding my wacko feelings and taking it upon herself to arrange for Kimberlie to be with her on the trip!

Several more "thank yous" first to my sweet husband, Larry, for taking time off from work and making me go to Women's Conference as planned! Prior to Khloe's hospitalization, I had arranged with Larry to be home in the mornings the two days of Women's Conference to get Kimber off to school, with the older kids being home with her in the afternoons until he was home at night, while Karissa and I stayed down in Provo for those days. In February I was really looking forward to attending with her for the first time and hoping to start a new mom/daughter tradition of a Women's Conference retreat, with the other girls joining in as they became adults. Of course all that changed with Khloe's health and I was going to cancel out for this year, when Larry insisted that I needed to go ahead with our plans, especially now with so much on my plate. We compromised at my attending, but not staying overnight and just driving back and forth each day...benefit of living in Utah! Thank you to Myrna and Susan for saving us seats in the Marriott while we searched for parking each day and for sharing their experiences of the classes they took! The conference was great, and being with Karissa and sharing some classes with her was fabulous! She and I were also able to connect with friends from Washington that now live in Utah and all of us where able to eat lunch on Thursday at the Gartz's restaurant "Dew", next to BYU campus...YUMMY food and highly recommended...thank you Simi and Andy! Then the reason I was supposed to attend became clear in a class Friday afternoon I had previously looked right past in the brochure...it was tittled "Difficult but Precious: Our Last Days with Those We Love". This was a class meant just for me and it was the most uplifting, strengthening, and faith building class I could have taken. I learned a great deal about this journey and I was able to add a lot to my reservoir to prepare for those times I need to draw from it. Most importantly I was able to see the possible blessings and growth that could be ours with a humble and loving approach vs. an angry, despairing attitude. A special "tender mercy" was meeting and being encouraged by a special daughter courageously supporting her mother through her final mission here on earth...Heidi, your instant friendship and kind words of understanding made the message of the class complete and my thoughts and prayers are with you, too. I drove home Friday afternoon with a whopping headache from all the emotions of the conference, but even that was welcome as I thought over all I had gained those two days, so my final thanks goes to my Father in Heaven for inspiring so many people to provide just what I needed in giving of their time, offering their support, passing on what they have learned, and sharing their experiences.

This update would not be complete without mentioning the wonderful two nights we had first with Kindahl and then a week later with Khloe as they each received their Patriarchal Blessings. I can share that Larry and I are so blessed to have these special daughters in our family, each with her own divine mission to fulfil in her own unique way! We are both humbled to realize that we were given the opportunity to be their parents and yet thrilled at the same time to understand their tremendous potentials! You go, girls!!!!!!!!

Now for our medical update: Khloe has had some hard days these past couple of weeks with blood pressures entering that 130 zone several times and having more bouts with breathlessness and just feeling worn out. Her cardiologist has been watching all this closely, increasing one of her meds and scheduling some more tests for our next appointment with her on the 21st. She woke up with a slight cold on the 4th and I had to check with the cardiologist again for what medication she could take, finding out she can only have a straight antihistamine because any decongestant would increase her heart rate. So she had a few days of being pretty congested which didn't work well with the breathing problem. A little funny note, when I called about the cold it took me a minute to understand why the doctor seemed more intense in gathering the information from me...she thought Khloe might have picked up the Swine Flu virus and it never even occurred to me that it would sound like that when I first started to relay her symptoms! Moving her bed back upstairs has had mixed results; she likes being with her sibs and having a door to close for privacy and a feeling of protection at night, but going up and down the stairs more often, even with resting on the bench at the landing to regain her breath, has been part of the cause for her higher pressures and fatigue. We are working on the possibility of adding a room and bath edition downstairs which was recommended by the doctors because of Khloe's disability status with physical limitations that will progress, but it is a big (make that huge) step with today's home equity decreases. I hate (make that SUPREMELY DISLIKE as we teach our kids that to hate is to be totally negative) having to balance a decision that would be the best support for one of my children with a financial position!!!! However, if we do proceed with the new room we have some great friends and neighbors who have volunteered their services in different construction related areas that can help offset the costs so for them I am truly grateful!!!!!

Speaking of friends, I need to alert my neighbors that in the near future the Syracuse Emergency Response Teams, ie: the fire and paramedic departments, will be visiting with us to familiarize themselves with Khloe, our house, her medical equipment, etc, in case they ever need to respond to a call from our home. Because we know that Kimberlie is scared of the sirens we asked if they could show her how they work when they come to visit and they said she could even turn it on for a trial if she would like. So now we want to prepare all of you that if you hear sirens and look out your windows to see emergency vehicles in front of our house, don't get worried unless you actually see Khloe leaving with them!!! :-) As there are more than one shift in each department, this scenario may repeat itself several times so I will try my best to inform you before they come. We have been joking about using their loud speaker system to announce "this is a test of the Syracuse Emergency Response system. This is ONLY a test" so you wont be concerned but I can't promise that will happen! :-)

Here's to looking forward to a good week, with great weather and days going according to plan with no surprises; negative ones that is, positive ones are always welcome!