To My Siblings and Your Spouses

Dear Tyler, Tenielle, Troy, Tristen, Tony, Tanner and Your Spouses,

Thank you for your support and love over the past 2 1/2 months as I've battled a unimaginable battle.  Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to travel distances several times a month to be with me, to sit with me when I was in the hospital, to spend uncomfortable nights in the hospital so that Mom and Dad could have a few comfortable nights in their own beds and I didn't have to be alone.  Thank you for leaving your children so that you could spend time with me, but also thank you for bringing your children to visit me, even though they can't possibly comprehend my illness.  I love your children like my own and am so grateful for each of them and their different personalities.

Even though Tanner hasn't been able to be home this Summer I'm grateful he was able to come home for the one, short weekend that I was so ill in the hospital so that we could all be together as a family.  I'm grateful for our nightly phone calls to hear of your successes and the impact that you have had on others live's through your Summer job.  I'm excited for you to come home this weekend and to be closer to our family as I continue to have my treatments and fight this fight.

I'm grateful for your hugs, for your children's hugs and for your gifts of love.  I love watching you with your children, how you teach them obedience, responsibility, and especially how you teach them in their young ages the gospel, that you take them to church on a weekly basis even though you may have to wrestle with them a bit; and you might wonder if it's really worth it.  They will appreciate it in the years to come when they have testimonies of their own, just as it has because of the traditions that our parents instilled in each of us; and we know it wasn't always easy, especially when shoes were missing on Sunday mornings!  I'm grateful for spur of the moment pizza and swimming parties that bring me joy as I watch your children swim like fishes in our pool.  I love when you unexpectedly drop by, especially in the mornings when the kids are still sometimes in their pj's, or when you come late in the evenings when they are in their pj's.  I don't know what it is about kids in pj's but they are so cute.  I'm grateful for Sunday evenings that bring us together after church to eat ice cream cones, kids sticky hands from dripping ice cream and happy faces; which we need more of!

I'm grateful for this illness that has brought us each a little closer, taught us that time is so precious, that it's the relationships that we build with each other that truly matter in the end.  Mom has always taught us that friends come and go, but our family will always be there.  She is so right, even though we have been blessed with amazing friends that continue to be by our side.

I love each of you and am so grateful for the love we share as a family, for the many memories we have made over the years and the memories we continue to make.  I know that families are forever, especially ours and am ever so grateful for the temple that binds us together here on earth and in the eternities.

Much Love, ME.

Dear Mom and Dad

Dear Mom and Dad,

Given I have had chemo the last 2 days and fell asleep before 8pm last night, I am now up at 2:30am.  As I was laying in bed I began thinking of both of you and how you have been by my side over the past 2 1/ 2 month's.  No words will ever be able to explain the gratitude in my heart for your support and love as I have battled an illness that I and you never ever imagined I would be diagnosed with.
Through my tears, I will never forget the look of sorrow, yet strength on mom's face as we sat in Dr. Klomps office as he gave me a life threatening diagnosis.  But I will never forget the feeling of peace that I had and the strength in your arms as you wrapped your arms around me as we cried.  I can't imagine the pain and sorrow you both felt knowing your first born child, even though she is an adult had a disease that might take her life at such a young age.  I am grateful for the worthy priesthood holder that my dad is, for the blessings he has been able to bless me with, for his strength, courage and love as he brings our family together in prayer each night.

I am ever so grateful for the long nights and days that you spent with me in the hospital as you watched me go from healthy to dreadfully ill.  I can't imagine the heartache it must have been to watch your daughter become so helpless, as she couldn't even do the simplest daily acts.  Mom has told me this is the most difficult thing she has ever experienced, even harder than losing her mother at age 23, which I can't imagine.

Thank you for your support, for your mighty strength, your heartfelt, pleading prayers, your faith, courage, silently crying in front of me and crying behind closed doors so that you remained strong in front of me, but also at times crying with me, for drying my many, many tears and telling me we will get through this.

Thank you for doing my laundry, fixing my meals, making sure I take my pills and stay hydrated, walking with me, making sure I get enough sleep, getting up with me to shower in the middle of the night because of a leaking ileostomy (so not cool), rubbing my feet and my back, patting my feet and telling me, "You are going to be okay; you WILL win this battle."  Thank you for telling me that I'm beautiful without hair, even though I sometimes don't feel so, that I'm not my hair and that it's the person that I am and the heart that I have who is ME!

Thank you for your faith in a loving Heavenly Father who you know hears our prayers and the thousands of prayers in our behalf.  Thank you for giving me the courage to live each day to the fullest so that I can be an example to many of determination and hard work through difficult trials.  Thank you for teaching your children the gospel of Jesus Christ; for instilling in each of us the principles of the gospel, of teaching us to serve others through your examples and showing us that true joy comes from serving those around us, but also teaching us that others need to be blessed by serving our family at this time.  Thank you for teaching us to pray; for having morning and evening prayers with us from the time we were born and that continues now, to study the scriptures to find answers to our prayers, to have virtue, integrity and faith, to be hard workers, to have determination, but most of all teaching us love and charity which is the true love of Christ.

I love each of you so much and am so grateful Heavenly Father gave me you to lead me, guide me and walk beside me in this life and through this and so many other trials I have experienced in my life.  May you feel Heavenly Fathers consistent love as you continue to parent each of us and teach us through our adult lives.  You are so loved by many, especially me!

Love Me

Dad's Big Day

My dad has been the bishop of our ward for 5 years, which is standard.  He has loved this calling and loves the people in our ward as do we.  We have seen the blessings as a family from his service.  This is not a paid calling, but the blessings that come from him serving is more than money could buy.  Dad's 5 years were are up and he got released yesterday.  It was a great opportunity to hear both of my parents testimonies of the gospel as they shared them with our congregation. I loved how my mom talked about  how she supported my dad by having his white shirts cleaned and ironed when he needed them and how it was her little part in supporting him in his calling.  All of my sibling except Tanner who is wrapping up his sales in Indiana were there.  It was nice to be together.  We had a lovely afternoon together as well.  It was rather funny that all of us girls wore polk-a-dots to church and we wore stripes when we changed out of church clothes.  Totally a coincidence and not planned.  I guess we all just have the same sense of style.  Sure can't wait to see Tanner on Saturday!

Playing pick-a-boo with Bridget; sure love this girl!

 

Such cute nephews!

Dad got a Sunday afternoon nap amongst all of the loudness of the kids.

Sweet Stella!

Love my brothers.  

Laurens Last Day in Idaho

For years we have had brunch with Grandma Betty.  Since I was young we would have it on her patio surrounded by her beautiful flowers.  It has been quite a while since we had it on the patio.  But on Saturday she had brunch for us and Lauren got to experience it with us.  We had such a great time.  The weather was perfect 74 degree's and the conversations were enjoyable.  She always makes it special for us.  Of course we had to capture the moment in pictures.

 It wouldn't have been a successful trip without some crafting before Lauren left because she is so good at putting things together, painting, cooking, etc.  She even got a new skirt made by mom.

Saturday afternoon the kids came over and we all basked in the sun and enjoyed pool time.  That evening they all got babysitter's and came to our ward adult BBQ where we had a delicious dinner of ribs, potato salad, baked beans, rolls, corn on the cob, pies, and homemade rootbeer.  I was in charge of it and felt it went off pretty well and was very well attended.  I basically just delegated it all out!  We stayed up late chatting and enjoying each others company.  It was so fun to have Lauren here.  We will definitely have to have a girls trip in the near future!