I guess it's time to update.  Much has happened of course, but that's life.  I'm busy living and blogging falls to the wayside.  I guess that's good enough.  At least I'm updating eventually.

To begin with I'll update the information floating around about my mom.  She fell October 22nd.  I saw it happen and everything.  It looked like she lost her balance, tried to correct herself several times, and then she fell on the soft rug.  I beat myself up about it for a long time, thinking I could of softened the fall, or helped her in some way, but mom and the doctors have assured me that it was inevitable.  It was going to happen someday I guess.  Mom says she's just glad it happened at home, when she wasn't alone or out and about in the city doing errands.  Anyways, she fell and was taken via ambulance to the BC hospital, and then was transported to McKay Dee soon thereafter.

She was in so much pain and it was obvious that something was wrong with her leg, because it looked odd and it hung in an unnatural way.  They told us that she shattered her femur, breaking it in 14 places, and then she went into surgery the next day for about 6 hours.  It was really long and the surgery was very risky.  They inserted a long rod to become the new femur bone I guess, and then wrapped it with more metal to support the bone as much as possible.  The doctor and many of his friends stayed late and mom received the best medical care possible...of course that's my opinion.  I was impressed by the doctor though.  He spent so much time with us afterwards, answering all of our questions and stuff like that.  You could tell that he really cared about mom too.  I will appreciate his help for forever!  I think he did a great job.

Mom stayed in the hospital for awhile and then she was transferred to a rehab. place in Bountiful, near my sister Julie.  Julie is now taking care of my dad, and I must say that she's doing a very good job at it.  Mom's been in Bountiful ever since and she is working ever so hard.  The therapists come and get her twice a day to work on her leg and arm muscles.  The nurses check on her constantly to make sure she has clean everything, and the family seems to be in a steady stream of visiting throughout the week and she gets many phone calls.  She just wishes she could watch more of the BYU sports on TV.  She has a hard time finding the right channel at the right time.  She's been well looked after at the rehab place basically.

I couldn't see mom for a long time because I was sick, but I got to see her last Wednesday.  I had a PET scan and I had a day off so I drove a little further to see my mommy.  She was surprised and delighted to see me.  We had a wonderful visit and I left feeling like my "cup over-filleth".  I feel so blessed.  Mom seems to be doing well.  She has a long way to go before we can say she's out of danger however, but she's alive and at the moment she seems to be free from infections and blood clots. 

We all pray daily that she won't have any infections and that she won't get sick, and we hope that those blood clots will stay away.  For now she seems to be avoiding those threats.  Our big goal is to keep sickness away.  It was hard staying away while I was sick, but that's what she needs.  Even dad had to stay away for awhile while he was sick.  It's a good thing we have phones.  She used to tell me that she loved the calls and was glad we were staying away while we were sick. 

She is weak physically and of course she's in a lot of pain and struggles still, but she's working really hard and I just couldn't be prouder of her.  It's amazing that during our greatest struggles, that we seem stronger that we usually are.  Mom seems that way to me.  She is weak physically and yet she seems stronger somehow.  She doesn't complain or grumble.  She just sees what she has to do, and though it's hard, she presses forward.  Some of the patients seem really unhappy and yet....mom still smiles.  I think her therapists love her more because of it.  She's just an amazing lady.  She doesn't complain, she just gets the job done!

It's been about 5 weeks since she fell and I've been alone at home all that time.  When dad was sick last year, I spent most of my time bawling.  I never realized I could cry so much.  I missed them so badly, and I was afraid of the outcome.  I didn't know if he was going to survive and I was worried about the kind of life he would have afterwards.  Anyways, I have really missed my parents and I've cried some, but not nearly as much, which I hope shows that I am getting stronger.

My brother-in-law Scott C. one day talked to his wife Julie about how Temple Square was already hanging the lights for Christmas, and in my conversations with mom she mentioned it to me.  I thought to myself that I should put my Christmas tree up so, the day after Halloween, I put mine up.  It has been one of the best decisions I have made lately.  I look at that tree and think of Christmas, specifically the healing powers of Jesus Christ, and it makes me feel a heck of a lot happier and a lot less lonely.  It also makes me think of the seasons that are to come.  The seasons will change, and this trial will change too.  Next Spring the snow and coldness will be gone and it'll warm up and the tulips will bloom and mom and dad will come home, and mom will feel much better.  Basically, this will pass and things will get better.  That's how my mind is working lately.  I'm looking forward to Spring, although I hope that mom and dad will return sooner than that.

I mentioned earlier that I had my PET scan.  I'm at my one year mark!  One year of remission, one year of being less likely of having it return, and my chances are getting better and better all the time.  It's a great time for me.  I am just so happy.

Now I just wait, and wait, and wait!  Hopefully I'll know of the results before the 30th of November.  That's when I go in again....for my one year mark physical exam.  I feel good.  Of course I'm always a little worried and I wonder how I'll be able to get through it again if it comes back, but I'm trying to remain positive.  That scripture that says that God won't give us more than we can handle comes to my mind quite often.  If it comes back, I guess I can handle it, BUT I hope it doesn't come back.  I've decided that I have a lot of livin' left to do, and many ways in which the Lord wants me to serve too.  So, let's pray the cancer shows up clearly if it's there and hope it isn't there.

My life is consumed with many things lately.  Before mom's fall, we were consumed with sorting.  I was sorting my stuff, since we moved, and mom was sorting her and dad's stuff.  We were so busy with the house and with all the sorting that there was little time for much else, but it was a good thing.  It wasn't fun, but we had a lot of opportunities to "look back" to our pasts, as we looked at all the stuff we've saved over the last 30+ years.  I've come to one big conclusion and that is, that "stuff" and "things" don't really matter.  If I have the people I love in my life and they love me, that's enough.

I've learned a lot in the last several months.  I've learned that I can use tools, the kinds my dad has used my whole life, and I've learned that I can do anything with the Lord's help.  I've also learned that I am much more appreciative for the things my dad used to do for me, that I didn't realize he was doing...since now I do more of those kinds of things and I suck at them basically.  I've prayed a lot and I'm feeling like the Lord's answering my prayers.  Some have been the really important BIG prayser and other have been little, like needing a brownie from a specific place and not knowing where that place was, and being guided there.....just amazing basically!  Amazing that God loves us so much that he'll even answer the little prayers....as simple as our desires for a brownie.

This last week has been a heart-breaker of a week too.  My past student and four other little boys were involved in a fire, and my heart was broken for awhile as I realized that it was MY former student (my kid) that was hurt.  I don't want to say too much.  I don't want to say more than is my business, but I just want to say that T's mom is a good mother.  I'm sure the other ones are good too.  You hope you've prepared your kids for all sorts of dangers and sometimes they find NEW ones you'd never thought of as dangers before.  I hope the mom's don't feel bad and think they're to blame, because they aren't.  It was an accident and I know that T is a very good boy.  He's 7 and he just didn't know what he was doing.  I've cried a lot over it and I'm hoping this little boy will be okay.  I pray daily that he will heal and be able to live the happy life he's meant to live, because he REALLY is a special kid.  Anyone who has met him would say the same.  There really is something special about him.  Until then I will pray that he'll have more toe wiggles, less swelling, and that he will heal very FAST. 

I have to take the same outlook on this as I am with my mom....I am looking forward to Spring, for a time when things have to improve, a time of rebirth and of warmth, and a future day when things are better than they are today.  God bless you T.  God bless you mom!  I love you both.