Mom Update & Replies (July 1&4 2015)

Wednesday July 1, 2015

The Home Health guy is here, but will sign Dad off today, so they won't need to come back. Dad starts Cardiac Rehab tomorrow afternoon at the hospital--lower level of the same Bldg. 4. They said the first visit is about an hour and is a lot just evaluation, then subsequent visits you don't need to make an appt.

Our monthly Belgian Waffle party is this coming Sunday, July 5, starts around 4-5 p.m. Hope you can all come and visit with us and each other. Shane, perhaps you can bring the hard drive and install my itunes.

I found this stock yesterday that is doing very well: FBIOX if you want to investigate it. It is a "fidelity pick" and averaged a return of +61.18 percent last year. We sold a couple bond funds this morning that were losing money and plan on buying some of this other mutual fund. $263 a share, expense ratio of .73 and $2,500 min. to buy in.

I went to a bridal shower last night for our new bishop's daughter. I had pulled a bunch of plants in the yard out yesterday. Carolyn next door saw the piles and had her two little boys come and pick them all up to compost, so Dad wouldn't be tempted to.

Alicia, I'll bet you will be glad to have Shane return from Europe today. Gray is flying to Italy next week to join his brother's family for some days of touring. Scott will be flying to DC, I think the same day Gray flies out, and will get to visit with McKenna. World travelers!

From Derek (July 4th 2015)

Hey family,

Unfortunately we won't be able to make it to the waffle dinner on Sunday - Danielle's brother Jake is in town from Nebraska and he is only here for a couple days once or twice a year so we are going to spend some time with him while he is here.

It was SO nice to have Dad at the Father's Day party and to have everyone there (expect Rick). We are very grateful that Dad is doing so well. He gave us all quite a scare and I (for one) never expected the amazing recovery that he has had. What a miracle modern medicine is!

We have had a bit of a rough couple of weeks at our house. Danielle had a golf-ball sized ovarian cyst burst a week and a half ago and was in the worst pain of her life. We were pretty concerned for a day or two about the possibility of an eptopic pregnancy, or the cyst/hemorrhage hurting the baby, but we were able to get into her doctor last Monday and she said that everything looked healthy :)

Layla and I got a bad flu with a high-fever, and we were really worried that Danielle would get it too, since she seems to catch everything that goes around. I gave her a priesthood blessing that she wouldn't get sick, and she has avoided it. My flu has been pretty bad. We had H1N1 a couple years ago and this one was actually worse for me! I got a bad ear infection from it, and I still can't hear anything with that ear. The doctor said that I won't get my hearing back for another 14 days. It's been very painful and annoying, but certainly gives me more sympathy for my kids when they get ear infections!

Yesterday we went to Inside Out with Ani and Layla and Danielle's parents and Jake. It was Layla's first movie. She lasted about 40 minutes and then had to go run around outside. We then went to Fetal Foto just to check on things. Our doctor only provides ultrasounds at 8 and then at 20 weeks, and Fetal Foto is not very expensive so we just went to see what is going on. They actually have better equipment and a better experience than the doctor's office for much less. :) It was really cool - we could see the baby's head and legs and arms already. The little kiddo moved around quite a bit while we were there. It was really cool to see. They give you a DVD of the ultrasound and Ani wanted to watch it over and over again last night. She said "I just keep crying happy tears when I see the baby in Mommy's tummy!"

We have a ward 4th of July breakfast this morning. July is the slow month at my work when all of the Quorum of the Twelve and the General Authorities are on vacation, so we're planning to get a lot done. We're starting the basement finishing project this next week (hiring pretty much all of it out). Sad to hear about President Packer's passing, but he was in a lot of pain and I think this is a blessing. Elder Nelson will take over as President of the Quorum of the Twelve at age 90. I think President Monson won't be too much longer.

My team does the apostle tribute videos when someone passes. You can see President Packer's here: https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/biographies/president-boyd-k-packer?cid=HP_FR_07-03-15_dPAAST_fBIO-PCKR_xLIDyL1-B_&lang=eng

Sorry we can't see you tomorrow!

Derek, Danielle, Ani and Layla (and "Bree" (short for Em-Bree-Yo)) :)

From Mom/Margie:

Thanks so much for the update! I really enjoy hearing from you kids! We will miss your family tomorrow! Glad you will have an easier month at work. We hadn't heard about Pres. Packer until Scott called and told us yesterday. There will be several new General Authorities come Oct. Conference. Several more Church leaders are in poor health and things can change quickly.

Frank Linthorst next door backed into one of the worker's cars sticking out in front of our house, and hit it pretty hard. I'm very surprised it hasn't happened before now with the crowded circle the past 3 years.

Another 100 deg. scorcher today, then it cools down to the 90's the rest of the week. I'm sure St. George is a lot hotter--glad you got a rainstorm, Wendy.

That's cute what Ani said. When Dad got home from the hospital and we were outside and Linthorsts came over, Carolyn told us that 5-year-old Mia had said about Dad, "I just want to see his face!"

Everyone has loved that movie. Scott offered to take me to it when they went while Dad was in the hospital, but I didn't dare leave Dad at that point--when he was awake and not knowing why he was at the hospital.

From Scott:

Do you have tribute videos on file for all the general authorities? Do they have any editorial authority over the content?

Hope you get and stay healthy, especially "Bree"!!

We have been up in Park City since Thursday. Taylee has been here the whole time and Alyssa and Kemery have or will make an appearance. Kellen is doing his best to stay off the grid.

From Derek: 

Good question Scott. We're only doing these biographical tribute "life sketch" videos for the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve, and no - they don't have editorial oversight of their own videos. :) In fact, they haven't seen their own videos -- they haven't wanted to. So far, we're only ready with those who we were told we should be ready for (President Monson, and Elders Packer, Perry, and Scott).

It will be an interesting time to see some new Apostles called after six years of consistency in the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. We're not supposed to speculate, but I could see Elder Robbins and/or Elder Rasband being called to the Quorum of the Twelve.

Wish we could join you all today. We held a special ward fast today for a 5 year old boy in our ward who drowned yesterday. They did CPR for 45 minutes and finally got his heart beating again but he is in a coma and they are worried about whether he will come out of the coma and brain damage if he does. The emotions are fresh since we had similar concerns about Dad two weeks ago, but I can't imagine with a small child. It's neat to see the ward family come together on behalf of this family. We live in a tight knit community and it has been touching to see everyone rally around this tragedy.

Have a fun waffles and cousins party. We'll miss you!

 

From Scott:

Waffles and welatives.