Summertime and Fresh Strawberry Shakes

Summer decided to show up for quite a few days lately--we love the sunshine! This week has been the Pleasant Grove City celebration--Strawberry Days (don't you love that name--so much better than Steel Days or Black and White Days, don't you think?). We don't get too involved in the festivities--guess we're old, but we do love the fresh strawberry shakes available at Taco Amigo in Pleasant Grove for a "very limited time". The owner is actually our stake patriarch and usually brings the famous shakes to the High Council Meeting, which Art attends because he's the Stake Clerk. This week High Council was cancelled because several of them were volunteering at Strawberry Days that night. Art was very disappointed (rare to be disappointed about a meeting being cancelled!) because he was sure it was the night Brother Keetch would bring shakes! So, we just had to go get some to make up for it!  We love sitting on our deck in the evening with one of those delicious shakes--mother shared one and enjoyed it very much. Anyone wants to come visit soon and we'll spring for the most amazing strawberry shakes you've ever tasted! (If you don't believe me, just ask Kent and Sheila!)

Thanks to Andrea and Pam for their visit this week--mother was so glad to have you come and she enjoyed the delicious lunch. I take my grandsons to the library on Wednesday so it was nice that someone was here with mother while I was gone, but I was sorry that I didn't get to see you!

Mother has been up and down this week--somedays I think she is doing better, but then it seems like she has a couple of bad days. She does a lot of sleeping. I was quite worried that she was getting an infection again, but they did some tests and said she doesn't have any infection now. Thursday was an especially hard day--she slept so much and I couldn't get her to eat--I was very discouraged. She has been a little better since then--tonight she enjoyed our Father's Day dinner of steak, baked potatoes, salad, watermelon, Lion House rolls and brownies with ice cream.

We very much enjoyed the Concert in the Park in American Fork last Monday night. The group that played was Joshua Creek--David and Amy bought three of their CD's, which we've enjoyed listening to all week. The concerts are held at the American Fork Amphitheater and it's so nice because it is so wheelchair accessible. We try to get there early enough so mother can sit in her wheelchair on the front row. She really loves it and so do we! We're excited to go tomorrow night and see Jenny Oaks Baker. I sure hope mother feels well enough to go.

I'm so amazed at mother's determination. Yesterday I went to the grocery store and she rode along--she rarely goes into the store with me anymore. I had quite a few grocery bags and when we got home
I was helping her into the house--she has her cane in one hand and I am holding her other hand and supporting her back somewhat. She says to me, "I need to go in and use the bathroom, then I'll come and help you carry those groceries in." I honestly don't know how she thought she could carry a grocery bag, but I'm sure she would have tried! I just told her that David and Amy would help me and she didn't need to worry about it. She's amazing!

Thanks to everyone for your love to mother and especially your prayers in her behalf. Sometimes it's hard to understand why she has to go through this difficult time of life, but we are trusting in the Lord and know that He knows what is best for all of us. I know that I've learned from this experience and I'm grateful for the opportunity to take care of her. It is so touching to me how very appreciative mother is--she says "thank you" for every little thing we do. How blessed we are to have her example of enduring to the end.

No pictures this week--I know she wouldn't be happy with pictures until she can get to the hairdresser!

Love to all!

Time With Family

Gratefully, this week has been better than the previous two. Mother has finished her antibiotic and seems to be doing quite a bit better. I was concerned when, on Saturday morning, she refused to get up for Carolina (the home health aid) have her shower. Said she just couldn't do it. However, after resting for a while she said she really wanted to go to Kirrah's bridal shower. We made it right at the end of the shower, but she seemed to enjoy getting out of the house and seeing some of the grandchildren. Some pictures follow (I'm so proud that I figured out how to add pictures--now if I can just remember!) She smiled, laughed and visited. It was so fun to be together--she loves being with her children and grandchildren. We are hoping to make it to the Logan Temple for Kirrah's wedding! 



Kirrah's Bridal Shower




A beautiful bride and Great Grandma



Friday mother enjoyed having Kent and Sheila visit. Appreciate them taking time to come here--Kent flew in Thursday night and they flew out Friday night with their grandsons who are spending the summer with them. I know it was an extra effort for them to come. Mother always remembers when Kent and Sheila are coming and looks so forward to their visit. By the way, Happy Birthday to Kent and Sheila within the last week!

Danna Lee also visited this week--or was that last week?? She brought the fun bags that Nyla sent from Singapore. Thanks for your visit!

Danna Lee and Grandma at Kirrah's shower

Today when we sat down in Sacrament Meeting, mother looked at the date on the program and said, "June 12--today is my mother's birthday". I didn't remember that and it was nice to take a moment to think about our wonderful ancestor and her example--what a great family she has here on earth and with her in heaven. For Mother's Day, I did a "Maternal Line" photo for mother and each of my girls--at least as far back as I had pictures. Thanks to my cousin, DeAnn, for her help with this project. I really felt the spirit of these wonderful women who have made our life so blessed.

Mother's Maternal Line--Great Women!

Today has been the best day of the week--we all attended Sacrament Meeting, then after dinner, Sarabeth and Morgan came and we enjoyed visitng with them and having some treats together. Mother had a dish of chocolate ice cream and two dishes of orange sherbet (with chocolate sauce)! Maybe her appetite is returning! We also went to the Pleasant Grove Concert In The Park--a summer tradition that we love. Today the Utah Children's Choir performed and it was great. Such a pleasant thing to do on a Sunday night! Later, we watched the end of "The Music Man" on TV and enjoyed a Skype visit with Nyla.



Enjoying Ice Cream and Popcorn with the family on the deck

 Thanks for reading about Mother's week and have a great week ahead. Love to all!

"A Very Young Heart"

It was another difficult week for mother. After the episode at the ER last week, she seemed to do a little better for a few days. She was even looking forward to going to Logan for Jennifer's wedding, but when Saturday came, she didn't feel well enough. I was encouraged on Sunday because she attended all three church meetings. Things went down hill from there and by Wednesday I knew we had to do something--I really hated to take her to the hospital again so I called her doctor. She prescribed a stronger antibiotic, but after I described mother's situation, she said, "It would not be wrong to take her back to the hospital." So back we went to the ER. When we arrived, they took vital signs and seemed quite relaxed about her condition. I think they anticipated that she would need some fluids and more antibiotic and then would go home. Suddenly, her heart rate went very high, her blood pressure went very low and they started asking me if she had advance directives. I started crying. Mother was very anxious and agitated, but I'm not sure she was totally aware of all that was going on. However, at one point, she asked me, "Am I about to die?" The doctor asked if she had ever experienced heart arrthymias and said that may be what was happening. They gave her some medication that stops the heart momentarily and then it restarts--kind of like "re-setting" the heart. After administration of the medication, her heart rate immediately went back to normal and her blood pressure started to increase, though they were rapidly giving fluid to try to increase the volume. She received three doses of IV antibiotic and they admitted her to ICU. She was still very agitated and unable to get to sleep--she was very sleepy because they had given her a sedative, but she would drift off for about two second, then kind of jump and wake up to more tossing and turning, kicking and moaning. It was such a hard thing to watch and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't calm her down. It was around 3:00 a.m. before she was finally able to get some sleep.


Thursday all her vital signs seemed good, but she was having a difficult time breathing. The doctor ordered tests--CT scan of her lungs to check for blood clots, then an Echocardiogram to look at her heart, and an EKG. Friday morning test results revealed no blood clots, no heart problems and she seemed to be breathing a little better. Dr. Hill said, "You have a very young heart!" Then he smiled and said, "I've been trying really hard to find something wrong with you, but I can't!" He gave permission for her to go home.

Since coming home, she has done a lot of sleeping. Her breathing was difficult on Friday, but has improved every day. I think maybe the fluids they gave her have caused the breathing difficulties. So far, I've seen improvement every day and hope it will continue.

I am grateful I took her to the hospital when I did--I had considered just giving the new medication for a day and seeing how she did. I think she would have been in a lot of trouble by then We're hoping this week we can do our favorite thing--go out to lunch!


She enjoyed talking with Nyla on Skype last night--good visit. Sarabeth and Morgan also came and visited for a while. She loves to have visitors!