My tender mercies...

In no particular order, obviously, but these are things I have in my life that I appreciate my Heavenly Father blessing me with to get through some hard days...

Here's to getting up at least 3x a night...

The best way to end my day

The best way to start my day

Because no one else really cares what I have to say but them

When I see him with Max and London, I love him so much more

His contagious smile and constant questions

Her big smiles and laughs while laying in a major poopy diaper are what finally get me out of bed in the morning

TENDER MERCIES

AND SLIPPERS!!The other night Josh gave our FHE lesson, and he talked about "tender mercies". I love to think about the many tender mercies that we receive every day. To me they are tiny little messages sent to help us remember that we are loved and cared about. Elder Bednar was a newly ordained apostle, and that is what he talked about in one of his first talks. The opening song was his favorite, and he considered it to be a tender mercy from a loving Heavenly Father. It helped him get through a time that might be a little intimidating. I think it is nice to think about and nice to look for. These are a few of the things I consider to be tender mercies. I am so grateful for how much they mean in my life. What are yours??

Our trip to the ER

Today when Bill was at dialysis his blood pressure went really high....really high. They gave him some medicine and let him go. He was concerned and called Dr. Cline. He told us to go straight to the emergency room. His BP was OK when we got there, but soon thereafter it skyrocketed. We did get to come home. Evidently when they take less fluid, there is a greater need to take more BP medicine. This might be an ongoing challenge as he is on dialysis. He is feeling fine, and we did not have to spend the night. Just thought you all might want to know.

Update on BIll

Bill did much better with dialysis this week. On Wednesday and Friday, they took less fluid out, and it seemed to make a big difference. He was full of energy when he was finished instead of needing a nap. He also got word yesterday that the dreaded BK seems to be completely gone. A while ago they told us that it could still fool a lab test, but for now the labs show it is GONE!!

INDIANA JONES

We finally had our long awaited "Indiana Jones" movie night. We had a lot of fun. We only watched the first, third, and last one. The boys did well. We all fell asleep in the family room, including Josh and Liz. We had pizza, hot dogs, gummi dinosaurs, Doritos, and of course, root beer floats! It was a great night. We all decided that we need to do it again. But next time, we need two pounds of bacon instead of just one!!

UPDATE on Bill

The latest news is that on April 9th a friend of Bill's is going in to be tested for a possible donation. He will be having a physical and giving blood to be cross matched with Bill's. Bill is going in this week to have a blood test on the BK virus. He will go in next week to give blood for the cross match. He is feeling better than he did before the surgery. Dialysis is hard. He doesn't complain, but it wipes him out for a bit. Oh well, much better than the alternative!! Everyone please keep a good thought on April 9th.

THANK YOU KELSEY AND BROOKE

Thanks to Kelsey, Brooke, Jeff, and Todd we had a great dinner today. They brought fruit, cheese, bread, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, and stuff for root beer floats. It was so fun to get together. Thanks guys!! Afterwards Papa loaded everyone up in the truck and drove down to the pond. Fun day!! Weather better!!

UPDATE on BILL

Bill has been doing very well. The dialysis seems to help a lot without too many bad side effects. We did a 24 hour whirl wind trip to California, and we had a great time. He is quite restricted in what he can eat, but does get to eat lots of meat. This is a nice change for him. In the next week or two he will be tested to see if the bad virus is completely out of his system. He got his stitches out last week, and his incision seems to be heeling very well.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

To Craig and Jana,

It was a very lovely day. Thanks for inviting us to share it with you. You make a very nice couple. Fun to see you both look so happy!! VERY nice tie.....

"COURSE CORRECTIONS"

Over the weekend I have experienced a series of events that have caused me to reflect on this subject. Some are weighing heavy on my mind, and maybe writing about it will help me to understand my feelings.

I have been rereading one of my favorite books, "No One Can Take Your Place", by Sheri Dew. Late last week I read the chapter she calls "True Blue, Through and Through". She talks about integrity. She tells about when she was a fourteen year old girl working on the farm. It was her privilege to be able to drive at that young age. She was driving a grain truck from the field to the elevators. It was a straight ten mile shot down a country road except for one stop sign at a paved highway. First she slowed down to an "almost stop" and before too many days went by, she was just speeding on through like it wasn't even there. Soon she was noticed by the police and they helped her change her ways. She talks about how there is no such thing as a "slight break". Once we "break", it is a break. She quotes President Hinckley, "The course of our lives is not determined by great, awesome decisions. Our direction is set by the little day-to-day choices which chart the track on which we run".

I have met some people along the way in my professional life that I consider to be great friends. I don't see them often, but think of them and hold them in high regard. One of these such friends has made some choices that have completely changed the course of her life. She stands today in jeopardy of losing everything that is dear to her. I don't know what really happened. I only know that whatever happened, it didn't start out in a big way. It started out with an innocent text message or conversation that has led to ruin. I am heartsick for her. I believe that our greatest sorrow comes as a result of sin.

Yesterday our ward conference was divided into two parts. The second part was an interactive session. We were asked to respond to different situations. We were asked to share how we would handle certain problems that come up in family life. President Harbertson talked about how airplanes have to constantly correct their course in order to reach their destination. At conference a while back President Uchtdorf told a story about a plane that was off by a few degrees that ended up crashing in the mountains. When we get off by a small amount, that angle only grows and grows. We were asked to go home and think about the corrections we need to make in our lives.

I am so grateful for the good choices that you all make every day. I learn so much from you. You are great examples to me. Thanks for letting me share my grief with you.

Update on Bill

Hello Everyone,

Bill went back to work today. He seems to be feeling very well. He had his first dialysis at the clinic yesterday. It seemed to go pretty well. I think his color is starting to look better. The clinic will do labs every week. They will monitor all of the things that need to be watched. They will tell him if he is eating too much or not enough of certain foods

UPDATE on BILL

Bill is doing very well. He is up and around. He is going to the clinic in Bountiful tomorrow for his first "out of hospital" dialysis treatment. He is planning on going back to work on Tuesday. They will test his blood in about two weeks to see if the dreaded BK virus is gone. We feel like the giant step backwards has been taken, and we can now move forward. Thanks for your love, prayers, and concern.