A mother's right to brag......

So, my girls are doing great in College!

My oldest is at Salt Community College/pre-nursing and getting a 4.0. And these classes are very difficult classes like Biology, Chemistry, so on and so forth! I'm so proud of her determination.



And my youngest, is at BYU and got a 4.0 this semester and a 3.75 overall! And this is at BYU, really quite amazing! BYU professors think that BYU is Harvard and so expect that kind of work. I'm very proud of her as well! In fact this last year Allison was invited to join the Golden Key Honor Society, which I later found out that they only invite the top 10% of the College to join.



Aileen, my middle girl, just gets a 4.0 in life! And I love her dearly - well actually Aileen is the professor and Alan and I are the students...... I wonder what kind of GPA we are earning........

So, thanks for letting me have this moment to brag!

Spring + Blue Bonnets = Texas!

We have lived in Texas for 7 yrs now and every spring I say that I want to go and take pictures of my girls in the blue bonnet fields that bloom in spring! Every year something happens, like waiting too long, too busy with other activities to take a moment and make the trip, or the fact that not all of my girls were here and it just didn't feel right to take the picture with only 2 of the 3 girls, or only Aileen!!! But since that is who our family is now that we are Empty Nester's, just Aileen, Alan and I, it didn't seem wrong somehow this year to go and take the pictures! I also think that this life is so short that its a shame to not take advantage of the memories while you can. These past 6 months have really taught me if nothing else....life is too short to not make memories whenever possible! Not only did I lose my mother from this life, but my father had 2 heart attacks in a matter of days just recently and had to have triple bypass surgery. A family who are very dear friends to us loss their 25 yr old son in a tragic accident, and in our church family tragically a 17 yr old young man was shot when he disturb some robbers in his home just because he came home for lunch a few days ago! This life is too precious....... and can change on a dime..... so it is so important to cherish your time together!

So.......we took pictures in the blue bonnets today and it brought us all a lot of joy!

Spring is here and I love spring for what it represents with the Resurrection of the Savior! That I know that he lives! I know that all these dear ones that we have lost, live again and are in such a glorious place and with their Heavenly Father and Savior!

Tomorrow is my mother's birthday! I think she would be please with how we have continued on in faith and that we are trying to be better people in this life so that we will be able to see her again! That we are trying to continue her legacy of service. And that the Gospel and the Savior are the center of our lives! Love you Mom, and we miss you for now, but know that we will be together again!

Going to a garden party......

Today my VT partner had a luncheon for us and a couple of our Visiting Teaching ladies in her garden! It was a lot of fun! The food was awesome, the company FABULOUS, and the weather perfect!!!! We talked for so long we totally lost track of time and all had to run off at the last minute to go pick up kids from school and what not! But it was really really delightful MA, thanks so much! MA didn't have me bring any food, so I brought some really pretty pastel colored flowering plants for them to take home in keeping with our Theme! And of course i got one for our hostess with the brilliant idea as well! I really love visiting teaching! Throughout my whole adult life, visiting teaching is where I have found some of my most precious friends that last forever! Not just for a little while, but forever! For that I am extremely grateful!

Oh, and I got to hold this cute little boy all afternoon as well! BONUS!

April's theme......Emergency Rooms!

So this morning at about 5:00 am my Dad says, "Lois, I think I need to go to the hospital". which if you know my Dad, he is really concerned and has probably been dealing with some pain for awhile and finally decided he needed to check it out. I jumped out of bed so fast you would have never believed it and we were on our way. We just got home and it is 12:25 pm and they said that he didn't have a heart attack so that is good....but I still want to know what caused the shortness of breath and the tightness in his chest. So I have put a call into the Cardiologist myself and they will be seeing him today or tomorrow or they will have the wrath of Lois and if you've seen the wrath of Lois.....its not a place you or I want to go!

Monday, I got a call from my oldest who said that she was in the Emergency room getting a CT Scan and a Lumbar puncture test to make sure of no bleeding or problems in her brain.....She is in Utah and I am here.....not happy about that. But she is home and resting now and her tests came back clear.....but once again, why did she have the pain in her head and vomiting.....I hate that I can't seem to get answers!!!!

Then of course there was the infamous 2nd heart attack of my Dad's on April 2nd that we ended up in the Emergency room for that moved his surgery way way up.....obvious they couldn't wait like the wanted to, to do the triple by-pass! So I guess if this is the theme for April....I am ready for April to be OVER!!!!!

(the 1st emergency room visit for Dad's 1st heart attack was March 28th so it doesn't count for April but that would make 4 emergency room visits in a months time!!!)

I believe 3 emergency room visits in one family for the month of April makes it a theme!

But I am extremely happy and feel very blessed that everyone - even with the scares - are doing well!

a Different kind of "Care Package" to missionaries

Friday, I went to the post office and mailed off 3 care packages for the missionaries that are on missions from our Ward. These 3 young men also use to be my seminary students so that makes it even more fun! The last of our RS Qtrly Activity - Service Projects has been taken care of. We asked each sister to write their testimony. Originally I thought it would be so cool for the missionaries to get a package full of testimonies from the Ward members they remember and love back home. Knowing that it would be their teachers and leaders from their youth! But then a member of the RS Presidency who is a return missionary herself said, "and how cool will that be for the missionaries to use our testimonies with their lessons in teaching investigators or inactives, how nice will it be for them to share our testimonies with these people when they feel inspired to do so". And then we even thought that they could put them in with a Book of Mormon they were giving away if they wanted to.....so many uses.....so I was really happy to send these off to Chile, Canada, and California!!!

Cutting Boy's (Men's) hair

Tonight we had a RS Meeting on how to cut your children's hair, focusing on boys hair cuts, which could in turn translate into cutting your husband's hair! Our Bishop's wife is the mother of 5 boys and she cuts all of their hair and the Bishop's too! She says that she has saved thousands of dollars doing this and she learned when she was first married at a RS meeting!!! This gave her the courage to do it and practice, and she says that she is careful to stay up on the styles (within reason of course). Everyone that came learned something new even if they had already been cutting their husband's or children's hair before. I learned that if I am going to continue cutting Alan's hair (my husband) I have got to get clippers!!! That is why I can't get the back cut close enough to his neck! So that might just be what I want for Mother's day! Anyway, here are some pics of tonight, and thanks to J for being the perfect model!

Service project hits close to home....

Early March our Relief Society had a Qtrly Activity that was all about service. See this post and this post.

One of the service projects was to make "Heart Pillows" for heart surgery patients at a nearby hospital. These are pillows that the patients are given to hold on their chest so that they can move, cough, get out of bed etc... with as little pain as possible. Plus it keeps their breast bones that have been wired together again, together!

we made 25 pillows in about 45 minutes, some women cut fabric, some ironed, and 4 women sewed like deamons!

At the time I had no idea that this project would be so dear to my heart personally! I loved the idea of it and I lead the group that night in making the pillows. And when we didn't have enough pillows for the covers we made, I gathered coupons and bought the pillows as my donation to this service project! I guess Heavenly Father was behind my passion and drive of making this happen, because guess who got our first pillow from the Hospital! My Dad!

My Dad with his angel heart pillow on the road to recovery!

Some highlights!

Thursday night I got home about 12:30 am from the Hospital and this is what was waiting for me at the top of the stairs! It made my heart cry to know that I have been either at work or at the hospital for so long that when and if I did come home it was either when she was asleep or at Day Care! So we had a midnight picnic in my bed with Aileen's favorite food and diet coke and we snuggled some (which if you know autism, that is a rarity, so it was a HUGE bonus) then she got up and went to bed seeming to be content. I love being Aileen's mom.

Saturday Alan went to a Court of Honor for one of his Scouts, from when he was Scoutmaster, who was getting his Eagle! These are always special moments for Alan but this time was extremely special because the Eagle Scout gave him an award that the Eagle Scout can give to someone who played a important role in him getting his Eagle. It is a HUGE honor and Alan received this special recognition. I wish I would have been there to see it, but I took a picture of him when he got home with his pin. Its on the right lapel when looking at this picture. Anyway, it really meant a lot to Alan and I was very proud of him.

I did get one break from the Hospital that kind of ended up being a little bit for me, one of my Visiting Teaching ladies was having a very hard time and called me to see if I could break away and do something with her so that she could talk. So even though I felt extremely guilty that I was not up at the hospital....when Alan came home from his Eagle Court of Honor I went with this dear friend to see the movie "Date Night" It was very funny and I think not only good for my friend, but good for me. And I was able to be there for her and listen to her concerns about the trial she is going through right now! But I have to say, if it would not have been a "cry for help" from one of the sisters I visit teach I probably would have said, no, I need to be up at the hospital with my Dad. Maybe Heavenly Father knew I needed this time away before Dad comes home today.

Last, after 1 1/2 weeks of doing what the Dermatologist has told me to do, I thought I would show you a picture of what my psoriasis looks like now! Amazing! It will be interesting to see how it all ends up.

To see what it looked like 1 1/2 weeks ago go to this post .

Allison's first photo shoot!

I'm so excited for this new adventure that Allison is taking with her photography. Although this hobby is an expensive one.....she does have an eye for it and that is a direct quote from others not just her mother! Here are a few shots from her first photo shoot, where she was asked by someome to document a precious memory!

Her photography wesite is http://allisonrexphotography.blogspot.com/ if you would like to go and check out more!

To get more experience and lots of practice she also has a coupon for anyone intersted in having a setting! Just in case you want to go for it.....

Lessons remembered

All went well with the triple bypass surgery! Yay! Dad is off of the respirator today and will be sitting up and drinking clear fluids. And if all goes well with that, hopefully he will be in a room out of ICU (Still in the Cardiac Hospital) that isn't so limiting to visits and visitors. We are very grateful and feel very blessed! Thanks to everyone for all the prayers and well wishes!

A couple of weeks ago I was asking myself and Heavenly Father, if we (Alan & I) were being too complacent, or lazy, or whatever you want to call it by still living in my parents home. Sometimes I worry about what people think, but mainly I worry what my Heavenly Father thinks - to which 2 Sunday's ago happened. If we had not been here, and my father was living in this home alone....I shutter to think what could have possibly happened. Every time I have asked this question, I have been shown one way or another that we are exactly where we are suppose to be. So, of course I then said to myself, quit asking that question, so that things will stop happening to my parents......but I also feel there is some responsibility to re-visit a question with Heavenly Father, to make sure the answer is the same, because situations change, and just because the answer was "Yes, Lois, you are living where you are supposed to be living" last year and 3 yrs ago, doesn't mean its the same for this year. But I must be honest and say that I am happy to know that we have not been slacking or being lazy, but we have been following answer to prayers.

We have also been told along with this other question, that yes, we want to and need to buy this house from my Dad, to make his transition easier and better when getting married. I know that we owe him that! There are so many foreclosures out there and houses that you could get at so much lower costs, but Alan and I know that we are to buy this home. So we are excited that we will be home owners again.

Also, 2 weeks ago, when I was so sick the night before my Dad's first heart attack, my father and husband had given me a blessing. Alan gives beautiful blessings and has the gift of healing. So I was surprised when early Sunday morning I was still so very sick and throwing up etc... (you really don't want to know the etc...) but I believe that this was also for a reason. If I had started feeling better - because of being dehydrated, so tired and worn out from being sick, I think I might have slept through the fall and maybe even if I had heard it subconsciously might have just thought it was Aileen making noise. But because I was AWAKE in a big way and had actually just gotten back in bed from another episode, I knew exactly where the bang from a fall had happened and knew it was my father and I needed to run downstairs! Immediately after my father was taken to the hospital, I immediately felt better and was able to fall asleep and get better so that I could go visit my father in the hospital on Monday! What a difference 24 hrs makes!

Another blessing is that My Dad, myself, my sister and my brother (who quite frankly is taking my dad getting remarried very hard) all have had the same impression from the Holy Ghost over the last week. We only found out that we had all had this spiritual experience when Pres. Willden, Barbara's Home teacher came up and stated it at his visit with my Dad and Barbara. Heavenly Father and my mother would have absolutely known that this was going to happen to my Dad. And before he fell in love and planned on getting married again, he was very depressed. Very Depressed! And if he would have been in that depressed state when all this happened, we all feel that my Dad probably would have said, "Well, o.k. then" and just given up. But because he has so much to live for (yes, meaning Barbara) he is willing and wants to fight through this for which I am incredibly grateful! I know I would not have liked to lose both parents in 6 months time! And I have seen a definite change in George (my baby brother)and his acceptance and understanding of Barbara and Dad getting married! Thanks Mom! We miss you and love you so very much!

Last ~ here are some pictures of Tytan having fun at the hospital visiting Grandpa! Then a picture of my brother........Yes, the acorn does not fall far from that tree......!

Special memories even while in the hospital....

Even though Dad is in the hospital some special memories have occurred that I would like to document so I don't forget them after all this is done!

Barbara went and picked up Dad's wedding ring as the special order had come in. She brought it up to the room and showed it to him and had him try it on to make sure it fit etc..... Dad really liked it and they were very cute together and Barbara said "Even if they have to wheel us in on a gurney we are getting married in the Temple in June!" They both were too cute!

Another neat thing, even though I already knew this, still always nice to witness this....but my Dad and Barbara (and me too) were feeling really cheated because they were not getting to see General Conference this weekend. Barbara's home teacher brought up his laptop so that they could watch General Conference and that probably meant more to my Dad than anything else anyone could have done (I was actually going to buy a laptop, but Pres. Willden made it so I didn't have to have that expense right now, but I was going to do it so we could watch Conference!). It was very cool to watch my Dad and future step-mother watching conference in the hospital and raising their hand to the square sustaining the General Authorities of the Church! Comforting to know we can do this wherever we are!

Watching Genderal conference on the laptop!

Sustaining the General Authorities!

And I was able to meet more personally one of Barbara's sons (my step-brother). It has been really humbling and amazing to watch Barbara's family rally around Barbara and Dad as they have already accepted Dad as part of their family. All of her sisters have came up to see Dad, one of her sons, the other has called several times to check on him, and even Barbara's ex-husband has called to say that he is praying for Barbara and Dad and hopes that all goes well. Barbara is such an amazing woman and obviously loved by and supported by her family.

Not that ours isn't amazing and supportive -- just nice to see that Dad is becoming apart of another wonderful family.

One time just isn't enough.....

So, we are back at the hospital on Friday April 2, 2010, because one time in the Cardiac hospital just isn't enough! Friday morning it actually started at 3:00 am but my Dad didn't tell anyone so Alan and I all went off to work thinking he was o.k. Barbara came over to see him and kiss him good morning and said, "you feel really clammy, are you o.k." and you can imagine that he said yes he was, but she asked a few more questions and said, I think we need to call your doctor to which he was told to go straight to the emergency room. He passed out again while getting another e.k.g. and we were told he had had another mild heart attack. And that they were getting him a room in the cardiac hospital again. They told us that if they sent him home, they were sure he would just end up here. They took him off the Plavix that was to help heal the stents they put in and keep a blood clot from happening. Originally they wanted to have him be on this medicine for a couple of weeks to make sure all was well with the stents then take him off the medicine for a week and then do the bypass surgery....but things have been moved up a little and he has been taken off the Plavix Friday and then Tuesday if his platelets are o.k. they will do triple bypass surgery at 7:15 am. The Doctor that I work for really likes the surgeon who is going to do the surgery so that is a comfort.

Picture is of Dad with his nurse in Triage in the Emergency room, smiling all the time even though he is scaring me half to death!

Easter is almost here!

I love my wreaths that I hang on my front door for all the holidays, except for one holiday, Easter! I have made all the other ones, but for Easter I didn't ever find a pattern I liked, and/or I also, have never really found one that I wanted to buy. Well, last month, I was shopping with my sister Elizabeth, at Hancock Fabrics of all stores and found a Easter Wreath I adored! But I had just spent a lot of money getting my hair done, so didn't feel that I should buy it right then. But my sister was with me and saw that I was wavering on whether I should get it right then or take a chance that they would still have some in a couple of weeks and bought it for me as a surprise! Well every time I walk in my door, I love it and I think of her!

Thanks Elizabeth I love you!

Itching and scratching and scabbing oh my.......

Yesterday I went to the Dermatologist to see about getting some help for my psoriasis. A little over due, but with the wedding etc.... I have been putting it off. And now I know I was right to do so....even with my Rx discount from my Insurance I still ended up spending $185.00 for the boat load of stuff I have to use, take, apply, soak in etc.... but I have taken a picture last night of what my arm looked like pre-regimen (it was after I had already applied meds etc...., but still nothing works instantaneously, so it should still work) and in 4 - 6 weeks we will see if there is any difference. All the School students are doing science fair projects.....well, this is the Adult version if you would like to play along!!!!

The Doctor injected the big bad sore on my back with something, so it will be interesting to see what that does as well.

It was funny, I waited for 1 1/2 hrs to see the Doctor and he stayed all of 3 minutes in the room and looked at everything and then just started running off a list of things I was going to need to do and take and then said, "We are going to clear this up for you, but only if you put I what I tell you on your psoriasis only and do everything exactly I tell you to do"! To which I said, o.k.!

But we shall see.....

Then he was out the door and off to the next room! I had to chuckle. So, I was telling the Doctor I work for about the experience and he and his wife both said, that's because he is a genius! My Doctors wife has been going to him for 30 yrs and he has taken care of anything and everything for her she swears by him. She said he can look right at you and tell what's wrong without you saying anything, she said, and he clears it right up.

There must be soemthing to him because I also had another funny experience standing in line at Walmart's pharmacy to pick up a prescription for Allison while she was home for Christmas and this women kept staring at my arms and finally she said, "my Doctor can clear that right up". So I asked her who her Doctor was and she said....this particular Doctor that I am going to.

So not only do other Doctors swear by him, but his patients do as well.....so their is hope!

Before all the excitment of Sunday......

I had a really awesome weekend this past weekend before all the excitement of Sunday morning with my Dad happened. So I am going to catch up on some things. Saturday was a 2 baby shower day! It was so fun! I love parties. And I love having parties, going to parties, decorating for parties etc.... I just like everything about it. The first baby shower was for a dear sister in our Ward. She is one of our Relief Society teachers and I always really enjoy her lessons! This is her first baby and those are always kind of special and it's a girl! Her Visiting Teacher's (VT at its best) gave her a shower and it was beautiful. The cake looked like it came from a bakery, but they made it (I think there is a RS class in there somewhere) and even had a baby shower mum for her to wear! Great fun.

The baby shower Mum - this was the first time my friend had attempted to make one and I thought it turned out great! She looks like the party is for her!!!

I love shopping for girls - this is what I got her and it has a cut pair of white jeans with pink flowers appliqued on them and a blue polka-dot belt --- they all match too much fun!

Then as soon as that was done I headed to the next shower....this one I was asked to help host to which I said, of course!!!! It was for one of my blogging friends.....it's the only way we know each other this group....isn't that kind of fun (except for Ashley, who is my friend and who I visit teach, she is the common link between all of us). But it was very fun to see people I see every day through their blog....but not so often in person. Ashley decided she was going to do a movie theatre, Hollywood, star theme....to which I said, "Oh, I have all the perfect decorations" (Are you watching Elizabeth..... these are from your shower you gave Allison for her wedding! Small world!) So that worked out nicely, then I helped get things ready a little bit a head of time...but really Ashley was so organized it left me little to do but to enjoy! I was in charge of the game gifts so keeping with the theme I did the big popcorn bowls with microwave popcorn that you can buy at blockbuster and filled it with the big boxes of movie candy, they turned out great and those who won the games loved getting the gifts. The Shower was awesome. Ashley and I (Ashley's idea) got Sarah the clothes line of clothes....and I loved the one that said "Future Edward Cullen". Yes, she is having a boy and it is very exciting because she has 2 girls!

The gang - Ashley who hosted this shindig is in the back with the gorgeous red hair!

Really thought this was a fun idea - thanks Ashley for making me look good! Love the no paparazzi t-shirt as well as the Edward Cullen one.

more of the decorations! We had movie theatre treats right down to the hot dogs wrapped in foil.

Sarah - whom the party was for....we are so excited for you!

And my other friend, Cheree, whom I only know because of blogging! It was awesome to see her and Sarah in person again!