Happiest Birth-week Ever!

What a great birth-week I had. I have been spoiled mercilessly by my family and friends. A couple of weeks before my birthday, LeAnn took my bike to have it fixed so we can ride together - a cleaver gift for sure! Besides that, I now have a lovely table cloth and place mats, beautiful flowers to welcome people to my home, a note pad and pen to write things on, hand-prints from Ammon and Abbie, a beautiful frame and game from Bailee, a pedicure plus from my married children, earrings, planters, a fire-pit, and a fabulous camera to record our wonderful life adventure on. To finish the day with a even more positive note, Jason called and told me I got the job from Worldmark. All in all a great week! Thanks you to all - your generosity is only exceeded by the love I have for all of you. No one could ask for more awesome family and friends.

I am sure I gained who knows how many pounds. I started celebrating on Wednesday, and did not stop til I finished a juicy, yummy dessert on Sunday night. Wednesday was Andy's 23rd birthday, so we went to lunch and they gave us free dessert, Thursday Anne Kowallis, Heidi Martell , Julie Davis and I shared a wonderful luncheon! (with dessert of course) Friday was an amazing girls brunch (Ammon was there as well) hosted by our budding chef Meg and attended by Janelle, Kathie, Bailee, Janie, Afton, Ammon, and baby Abbie. The meal was like dessert (Croissant french bread with caramelized apples, we had chocolate fruit on our plates as well. Then to top things off, Meg designed a beautiful fruit bouquet as the centerpiece which I refused to eat and took home for our Saturday celebration. On Saturday we celebrated Andy's B-day, My B-day and Mother's Day. We had foil dinners and enjoyed the bouquet along with them.(Bailee says she ate most of it!) It was a fun time for all. Then, Sunday was mother's day and we took sandwiches and fruit down to Grandma Betty for Mother's day lunch and then came home to have a luscious Mexican salad bar. Meg found the recipe, Dave and Jason grilled and Meg, Janelle, and I cut up toppings in the kitchen. For dessert Janelle treated us to a frozen Strawberry sensation. I could explain it, but you really just have to taste it to realize how good it is. Everyone loved it. Afton had a few pieces on her plate to finish and Janelle called her back to do so. She walked to the other side of Janelle where the rest of the dessert was on a plate. We all laughed as she saw it and said, with great expression, "HELL-O."
Anyway, like I said, there was great food all week long. I can always repent and get on track this next week.

Roughing It

It has been a hard couple of weeks. I am frankly tired of feeling this way.

I found this on a facebook page of one of my old friends.

Life's journey is not traveled on a freeway devoid of obstacles, pitfalls, and snares. Rather, it is a pathway marked by forks and turnings. Decisions are constantly before us. To make them wisely, courage is needed: the courage to say, 'No,' the courage to say, 'Yes.' Decisions do determine destiny. The call for courage comes constantly to each of us. It has ever been so, and so shall it ever be. Thomas S. Monson

So I need to take a page from my Mom's book. " Never waste a worry!"

Second quote. . . . .In this life trials and tribulations are mandatory . . . misery is optional.

Gratitude

"All of us have problems. We face them every day. How grateful I am that we have difficult things to wrestle with. They keep us young...if that is possible. They keep us alive. They keep us going. They keep us humble. They pull us down to our knees to ask the God of Heaven for help in solving them. Be grateful for your problems, and know that somehow there will come a solution." --Gordon B. Hinckley

I was blog hopping and found this. I think it really is awesome! I miss President Hinckley and his frankness.

OUCH!!!!

Well, this will take a while to write with 1 finger. Last night I put a movie in the DVD player and went to get a blanket from behind the chair.

When I stepped down, I tripped backward over the step stool and fell on my behind. I caught myself on my right wrist. As i ley there on the floor. I knew it was broken. Dave and I were in the ER til nearly 2 am.

SURE ENOUGH, IT IS INDEED BROKEN! JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS! (oops, I had caps lock on and I don't want to retype this. So, I hope I don't have to have surgery, but I will find out tomorrow.

The last few weeks have been pretty busy, considering the fact that I have no job. I have been working to get the garage, shed, and basement cleaned and orderly.(I have to admit it was Dan's idea, but we have all been working hard.0 We discovered that we had a mouse in the garage who apparently loved pears. We hope he is now gone, as all the food is. Bailee won't go in the garage without shoes now. That is ok though because it is getting colder.

I LOVE canning, or rather, I love looking at the fruits of my labor. Those jars look, and taste, so beautiful! Thank you to Meg and her Father for the gift of the pears. If you don't have to purchase the fruit, it makes it soo worth it! The storage room is shaping up nicely. We are looking forward to our "GIRL'S" apple canning days ahead. This time thanks to the Packer's apple tree. We even know how to make fruit leather this time. Fun, Fun, Fun!

Also, for the past few Wednesdays, I have had meetings at the temple to be trained. Then every Friday at 5 I go to the temple to do my regular shift. I am pretty tired, but the whole process seems to fit together. I feel more prepared in my home and thus more prepared in Heavenly Father's home.

A Birthday Tribute

This year we are a bit limited as to what we can do for Dave's birthday. We are saving as much as possible for our family vacation that begins on the 27th of September. Bet you can't guess where we are headed? You guessed it . . .

DISNEYLAND

So, I wondered what I could possibly do for my awesome husband? Then I figured I could write this tribute. Dave and I met thirty years ago about this time of year. We did not waste much time before we were engaged. He proposed to me on conference weekend. This December 19th marks 31 years. When you say it out loud, that is quite a long time. He really is amazing to have put up with me all this time. I have always said that it is because we laugh together every day. I try to give that counsel to everyone getting married. I remember when we lived in Orem. Someone in our ward saw us driving down the street. They told us later that they noticed we were both laughing and talking as we drove. I love that about our relationship.


We have had our share of trials, and haven't always felt like laughing, but even through our Gethsemanes, we have found things to make us laugh and smile.

One of the things that I love most about my Dave is that he is a big kid at heart. He has managed to find time to be a loving husband as well as a supportive father.


I cannot complain one bit about the love and devotion he has given me over the years. How many husbands would sleep on a cot at the foot of a hospital bed, shower in a hospital room shower, then head to work every day for three weeks, and stay up all night with their wife, when they couldn't sleep? Dave would, and did. I will adore him forever for that. I even learned the rules to soccer in the process. Ha Ha.


And last year when I could not take my sweet Mariah to be put to sleep, who did that for me and for her? Yep, my wonderful man! And then when he really did not want a new puppy, who allowed me to get not one, but two sweet puppies? Yes again, Dave. He really is the best. Those who know him know that he is there to help whenever he is needed. I actually felt a bit foolish when he suggested that we offer to take the grandchildren so that the kids could attend the Oquirrh Mountain Temple dedication. But that is the kind of grandpa and father that he is.


One of the things that Dave has been doing lately with his sons is to have a day each week or two that they go to have a guys lunch. This gives him a time to bond with the guys. They have even managed a way to keep this lunch under 20 dollars by eating off McDonald's dollar menu. It doesn't matter what they eat, it is that they have the undivided time with each other. This was his idea and I am glad that he is doing it. Sometimes I have kicked against the pricks on this one, but he tenderly tells me how important it is to him to have that time with his sons. He is especially happy that Jason is able to attend now. He is looking forward to next month when Dan will be here and they can all be together. He really is a thoughtful man.

And as for loving his grandchildren, there is nobody that can compare in my mind. Although sometimes at a loss for what to do with them, he is more than willing to try. We still laugh and smile a lot about the time he tended Ammon. He was reaching for Ammon's hand and he got his finger instead. I guess Dave pulled Ammon's finger, which hurt Ammon a bit. When Kathie got home, Ammon, who is getting very verbal, said, "Papa, finger, owie." Yep, Ammon told on Papa Dave.

Dave is very patient with all the grand-children, and he is a sucker for the girls. I have watched him and notice that he has a special connection with our Janie. The love in his heart seems to spill out when she smiles and reaches for her Papa.


So, Have a wonderful day, my wonderful man, I do not say it enough, but I wanted the world (or at least those that read my blog) to know the man inside the man I married. You really are spectacular! (and like I always say, "a Genius")

Love, Suzy-Q

Pills, Pills, and less pills

I had a doctor appointment last week. He decided to have me stop taking my water pill as well as my potassium. I have to admit that I am a bit nervous to stop taking them as I do tend to swell up (especially my cankles) I was looking at a photo of myself from many years ago and realized that I did indeed have ankles. Oh, well, I am alive and I am grateful. So now I get to watch my sodium intake and wear lovely stockings that keep me from swelling, but not sweating! I actually like the way they feel, except for feeling hot. They look sort of dorky, but soon it will be fall and nobody will notice with long pants.

The doctor also had me go to a vein center and make sure I did not have any signs of blood clots, so I did that last week as well, all is good, so that was a relief. ( I feel like an old person talking about all these doctor appointments), but I thought some people might want to know that I am doing well. Just to let you all know - when I left the hospital following the transplant, I was taking 47 pills a day, now I take 6. Wow!