LAURIE'S BABY SHOWER and other

Baby Shower for Laurie this Saturday -the 24th of April at 2:00 at her house. 642 Maurice in Twin Falls, Idaho. Go to corner of Elizabeth & Locust. Turn East-when you get to Maurice, turn North. Red brick apartments - back of drive. The twins are not out of the hospital yet. Mason will be soon.  A few days ago, he weighed 6-lbs. and was off of oxygen for 3 days.  He's eating on his own now.   Chantz is a little slower.  He only weighed 4.6 -lbs. on Saturday.  Both boys have good color.  I have not seen them yet.  They are still in the preemie unit of the Hospital.  This information is from Robyn.
Rick's attitude is improved.  He's been home from University of Utah for about a week.  He's still over-medicated.  He's pretty dizzy.  We've started cutting down on it.  The doctor called yesterday and told us to cut down just a wee bit more.  He's mowing the yard right now.  (It's a driving mower, so he doesn't have to stand up and walk with dizziness.)

UPDATE ON RICK AND MANY THANKS!

Thanks to all of our caring friends that have asked about Rick's situation. (He has been taking shock treatments for depression in University of Utah for about 6 weeks-with a few days off.) THEY HAVE NOT WORKED AS WELL AS WE HAD HOPED! He's finished with the treatments and now the dr. is trying to regulate the medication before Rick comes home. I believe he will come home at the end of this week-possibly mid week.
Again, thanks for all of your prayers and loving concern.

CONGRATS TO "MADY"

CONGRATULATIONS to our granddaughter-"Mady" for getting good enough grades to be on the National Honor Roll List. She had to get above 3.75 grade point average. She was one of 2 or 3 kids accepted-I guess that means from her school. I'm not sure.
Her name and information will be printed in a book that will be on display at the white house for a year. Way to go Mady! We're proud of her.

EASTER MESSAGE

SALT LAKE CITY - April 2010 -The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following Easter message this weekend:

DIANE'S FAVORITE EASTER PICTURE

"At this Easter season as we contemplate our own mortality and remember loved ones who have passed from this life, our hearts turn to Him who promised: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
"Jesus Christ is the literal Savior of the world, the Son of God, the Prince of Peace, the Holy One of Israel, even the risen Lord, who declared: “Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world…I am the light and the life of the world.” “I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.
"This Easter season, as His witnesses, we testify that He lives and that through Him, we too shall live."

A GOOD THOUGHT and CATCHING UP.

“The Lord does not expect that we do what we cannot achieve. The command to become perfect, as He is, encourages us to achieve the best of ourselves, to discover and develop the talents and attributes with which we are blessed by a loving Eternal Father, who invites us to realize our potential as children of God. He knows us; He knows of our capacities and our limitations. The invitation and challenge to become perfect, to achieve eternal life is for all mankind.”
Jorge F. Zeballos, “Attempting the Impossible,” Ensign magazine Nov. 2009, 33 .

Well, I took Rick down to the University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute on the the of March-for shock treatments to help with depression. I brought him home on the 23rd of March. That was a Tuesday. He did lousy. I took him back there on the following Sunday. Finally, this last Saturday, I felt some improvement. That's when the dr. noticed some improvement. Rick is tentativly scheduled to come home on the 14th of April.
Rick is scared that he won't wake up from the treatments. The dr. has changed the procedure so Rick is not under as much medication as he was.
It will have been 5 weeks-for the most part-that he's been down there. THANK HEAVENES FOR MEDICARE AND PRIVATE INSURANCE! THE BILL FOR THE FIRST TIME AROUND WAS OVER $36,000. I ASSUME THIS TIME AROUND WILL BE CLOSE TO THE SAME AMOUNT.
The dr. is going to adjust the medications before Rick gets released. I'm grateful for that

About the time that I took Rick down to Utah, someone in the ward gave us some coal. The scouts delivered it as a service project. We figure we got close to 2 tons. At the time, we thought it was a blessing. For several days, I tried to get the coal to burn. It would only burn for a little while. Finally, I gave up on it. I've been using our baseboard heaters-that's only in 2 rooms. Later, we called the guy that we get coal from. He said that coal does go bad. (Rick's brother says it won't.He says we just need to mix it with good coal. That's a good plan is all of the good coal wan't buried with the bad coal.) We got a little extra back from taxes this year-not much. It's still under $900.00, but close. Rick's brother is going to help us get a new used furnace that we won't have to use coal anymore. That will be a blessing because it's blown up on us several times. HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE THAT HEAVENLY FATHER ALWAYS BLESSES US TO BE SAFE AND PROVIDES ENOUGH FOR US TO MEET OUR NEEDS.
Andy called Stephanie yesterday. He felt the earthquake that California had. His was at his in-laws place. Everyone is safe. THANKS HEAVENLY FATHER FOR WATCHING OVER THEM.
I spent the weekend watching and listening to Conference. I really needed the Spiritual Nourishment. I stayed home on Saturday and watched the conference by my self. Yesterday-Easter-I spent the day with mom. We watched conference together. I didn't get quite as much from Sunday's conference - because she wanted to visit a lot. It was still a good day.

THANKFUL FOR THE GOSPEL.

This last Sunday, I had to take Rick back down to the University of Utah-Neuropsychiatric Hospital. I was feeling overwhelmed with anxiety and stress. Of course, I have to be strong for Rick's sake. However, I was really missing getting spiritually fed by attending church. On the way down to the hospital, I mentioned to Rick that I thought he should get a blessing if possible. He reminded me that the hospital has a Sacrament Meeting every week at 2:00 p.m. He said that if we got there in time, there would be someone that could give him a blessing.
That brought some hope for me. We got there a little late. We had missed the sacrament and the first talk was just about over. The brothers offered the Sacrament to us after his talk. I was feeling a little embarrassed because we weren't dressed for church. It felt good that they accepted us no matter how we were dressed. (The patients don't dress up for church, but it still bothered me.)
After the meeting, they willingly gave Rick a blessing-no questions asked. I was so grateful that they would do this for him-in our time of need.
IT'S WONDERFUL TO KNOW THAT THE GOSPEL AND ALL OF IT'S BLESSINGS ARE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE-AND WHEREVER YOU GO-NO MATTER WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE.----THANKS HEAVENLY FATHER, I NEEDED THAT.

RICK'S UPDATE & QUOTE FROM BARBARA BUSH

I thought I'd get caught up.  This picture was taken the day before Mom's birthday in February.  It took this long before I could get a copy of it into the computer. 
The gal at the Nursing Home that actually owns Mom's dog now, had it taken so she could give the picture to her for her birthday.  That was a nice gesture on her part.  (This picture is not as good as quality as the original, but it's a good picture of Mom.)

Well, I haven't given an update on Rick for awhile.  I took him down to Salt Lake for Shock Treatments for his depression on the 7th of March.  In the beginning, it appeared that things were improving slightly.  He came home on the 23rd-a week ago tomorrow.  That day wasn't great, but still looked like possibly things may improve.  The next day, he fell apart after talking to his mom (that happens often).  I spent all day and all day on Thursday trying to get him a bed back at the hospital.  They didn't have one.  I took him back down to Salt Lake yesterday.  Rick was on a waiting list for a bed.  We were just going hoping he would get one because he was scheduled for another treatment this morning.  The hospital called us as we were traveling.  They had a bed available for Rick.  We got there in time for most of Sacrament Meeting that is provided at the hospital.  Afterwards, they gave Rick another blessing.  I readmitted him into the hospital.  I came back home.  I got home about 8:00 p.m.  I saw MANY DEER AND 2 GROUPS OF ELK on the way home.
As far as Rick is concerned, time will tell.  Right now, things don't look great.
I'D BETTER CLOSE WITH A GOOD THOUGHT.
Barbara Bush, wife of former United States president George Bush, spoke wisely when in Wellesley, Massachusetts, in 1990 she addressed the Wellesley College graduating class and said, 'Your success as a family, our success as society, depends not on what happens at the White House, but on what happens inside your house.' "   This quote was taken from a talk given by President Gordon B. Hinckley in the Ensign magazine -"Four Simple Things to Help Our Families and Our Nations," Sept. 1996




 

I REALLY LIKED THIS ARTICLE.

From a devotional address given at Brigham Young University—Idaho on October 30, 2007.
(I'M ONLY SHARING BITS AND PIECES OF IT. IF YOU WANT TO READ ALL OF IT-SCROLL DOWN THE SIDE OF BLOG UNTIL YOU FIND MY FAVORITE SITES. CLICK ON THE CHURCH SITE. THEN GO TO: GOSPEL LIBRARY, MAGAZINES, ENSIGN-2010 MARCH-LEARNING THRU LIFE'S TRIALS)
The trials of this life will ultimately lead to joy if we patiently trust in God’s plan and discover how to use adversity to grow stronger. ......
I’ve learned that the way I respond to trials can have a great effect on whether they become roadblocks in my life or expressways to learning and growth. When I anguish over difficulties, the experiences only serve to weigh me down. But remembering that these trials are part of the great plan of happiness helps me to see them as opportunities to grow and learn.
The Purposes of Adversity
Apostle Orson F. Whitney (1855–1931) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explained: “No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude and humility. All that we suffer and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender and charitable, more worthy to be called the children of God …
Trials give us opportunities to show the Lord and ourselves that we will be faithful. We can choose to feel sorry for ourselves and ask, “Why me?” or we can grow from our trials, increase our faith in the Lord, and ask, “How can I be faithful in the midst of this trial?”..... We can let adversity break us down and make us bitter, or we can let it refine us and make us stronger. We can allow adversity to lead us to drift away from the things that matter most, or we can use it as a stepping-stone to grow closer to things of eternal worth......
Benefiting from Adversity
Since adversity will come to us all, consider the following ideas to help face trials and benefit from them.
•Rely on Christ
One of the purposes of trials is to help us come to know Christ, understand His teachings in our minds, feel them in our hearts, and live them in our lives. Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explains that God loves us perfectly and “would not require [us] to experience a moment more of difficulty than is absolutely needed for [our] personal benefit or for that of those [we] love.”

FRIDAY MARCH 12 -BIG DAY FOR OUR FAMILIES

Well, I had another opportunity to perform the Temple Initiatory work in Spanish.  I only got to do 2 of the booths, but it was great practice.  The Spanish Sister was just leaving and one of my regular English speaking sisters came.  She heard me speaking Spanish.  When she realized who I was, she said she speaks Spanish fluently. She said she didn't care if I practiced with her also.  I had one English Speaking patron also.  I would do Spanish with one, then do English with the next one.  I was able to practicve my Spanish for the whole hour that I was there.  They said they could understand me.  I didn't have to use my card (for help) hardly at all.  That was a pretty great way to finish the day.  I'd started out with a terrible headache.  In the evening, a friend asked if I still had my headace.  I didn't.  I had forgotten about that.  I was in too good of mood to dwell on my headace. 
I stopped by mom's place after my Temple shift.  I just missed seeing Gary & Debbie by about 15 minutes.  I ate supper with her.  I was pleased to hear that Jeremy asked Gary to baptize him tomorrow.

Laurie had her twins in the morning.  One was born at 10:00 a.m. and the other one was born at 10:01.  All 3 are doing well.  However one of the boys is not as good as the other.  Laurie is supposed to get to go home on Monday.  The boys are premature and will have to stay in the baby unit at the hospital for awhile.

Most of you probably know that Allison had her baby on Friday afternoon.  I'm not sure of the time.  She had a little girl.  Last I heard, they hadn't decided on a name yet.  It wasn't even a year ago, and Gary & Debbie had less grandkids than us.  Then, they got 2 new ones just before the end of the year.  They caught up with us then.  Well, with Alllison's new baby, Gary & Debbie have surpassed us now.  How wonderful!

ANOTHER UPDATE ON LAURIE

Steve just called me. He wasn't aware that Robyn had called me. The babies are over 4-lbs. each, their hearts are beating good. The Dr. doesn't think they will last the 2 weeks that they hope for. Probably, Laurie will have to have the surgery sooner.
Steve & Laurie have already named the twins. Mason Edward and Chance Alan. (Chance is spelled odd, but I don't remember how he said. It has a "Z" in it.) They will be known as Mason and Chance.