a few other random things...

Even though my abilities are limited at the time, I'm keeping plenty busy.  Our calendar is full and are days fly by.  In the past twelve days, here's a few totally random things...

First, and most important, our sweet friend, Reed passed away last week.  His viewing was last Tuesday evening.  Doug and I went early because of Young Women and YSA commitments.  The funeral home was filled with lovely photos of Reed and his lovely wife, Betty.  Reed and Betty built our home and lived her from 1961 until she passed away and he was here until we bought the home two years ago.  Throughout our two years in this home, we have heard many stories of the love that Reed had for Betty, how he took such tender care of her in her later years of poor health and how he simply adored her.  We have felt that love in this home from the first time we walked into it and will continue to fill the home with the love of family.  I stood by his 92 year old body, still full of the most handsome head of white hair you have ever seen, and thanked him for building us a home that we can love and live in!

Quayd is doing well.  He's had a great couple of weeks, but he misses Elders Houskeeper and Bailey immensely.  I think that's been a big challenge for him.  His new companion, Elder Allen, sounds awesome and Quayd is really appreciating his temperment and great personality.  I can't believe he's been gone eight months already!  That first two months seemed like eternity but now, it's going by so quickly!  

Denise asked me to help her with some ideas for her Ward Relief Society Birthday Party.  I suggested that she have several sisters set their own tables however they wanted.  She ended up doing two tables and asked me to do them for her, so I was excited to have a project!  We worked on it for three days last week. I also came up with ten questions for each table to have table talk about Relief Society.  The questions kept the conversation going and, although I didn't go because Liza was coming, Denise said it was a wonderful evening!

A little TV talk... Survivor!  We are so excited for an All-Stars season.   We are only on Episode 1 because Liza arrived, but it looks like it will be a great season!  Our new favorite TV show is "This is Us."  It has to be my new favorite of all time series!  I love every character.  We were talking about the characters and when I was asked which is my favorite, I said, "Whoever is on the screen at the moment."  I love every single one of them!  What a beautiful story of love and devotion and family! 

This is totally TOTALLY random... but Liza and I bought a couple of bags of OREOS.  And this is what we got.  Lemon and Thin Mints.  TOTALLY crushed and smashed.  We came straight home from the store with them. No, Aylabelle didn't step on them.  They were like this off the shelf.  I've never seen anything like it, but Oreos are to be dipped in milk and these were not dippable, so they will be part of Oreo Rice Krispy Treats.

ZJ and I love to visit in the hottub.  After Physical Therapy, the hottub always calls my name.  Zee was out tanning on the trampoline and saw Doug opening it for me.  She instantly wanted to join me.  When she got in, she said, "What are we going to talk about today?"  I love that we have real heart to heart talks whenever we have that uninterrupted time.  I love, even more, that she knows it's coming and wants to get in with me.  Not too many 16 year olds, or at least not many of mine, have, at that age, asked for serious talk time.  Have I mentioned that I love this girl?  She's my hero!

Denise called me the other day and said that she was sending something over to me and that I was NOT to post it on Facebook.  She had made these delectible brownies that were like Samoa girl scout cookies only a thousand times better!  However, she warned me that they "look like dogpoop".  Denise is funny.  When I posted a trifle that Carol had brought over a few weeks ago, she said, "THAT is why I will never cook anything for you."  Throughout my recovery, she's taken me to dinner, brought Texas Roadhouse for the whole family but never cooks anything.  She says that she can't match up to my other friends in the kitchen.  So, when she sent these brownies over, which she literally took out of the oven and cut them to send a plate home with Doug, they fell apart and were a gooey chocolately heavenly mess on a plate.  She said, "I'm dishing these onto the plate, watching them all fall apart everywhere and all I could think of was that Trifle Carol made for you a few weeks ago."    We have laughed so hard at how they looked BUT oh, my, they are a must have recipe!  She's sending it to me today, so I'll post it soon!

Seriously, they were DIVINE!!!

I've just come home from physical therapy.  He took it a little easy on me today and Monday because I had a very very bad weekend, pain wise.  Friday, he'd pushed me a lot and I paid for it all weekend.  This is not an easy recovery.  I'm so NOT whining.  It's just a fact.  It's pain.  All of the time.  Literally.  Every minute of EVERY day.  And the more I push to get better, the more pain it is.  BUT, if I don't push, I won't ever recover fully and that's just not acceptable.  I haven't got time for the pain!  HEY!  Like Carly Simon!  Annnyyyyywaaaaaaaaaaaay, I digress. Each day I'm getting a little better.  It will be months more before I'm fully functioning again.  But, I'm determined!

 My friend, Katie, had her mom, Karla, visiting her this past week.  Karla is my age.  She was riding a bike around the block, fell and broke her shoulder in two places and her hip on Monday.  Karla had emergency hip surgery on Monday evening and today is having shoulder surgery.  I can only imagine what she is going to have to experience.  She will have much more pain to deal with than I have.  My heart goes out to her and my prayers are for her.  

This getting better when you aren't 29 anymore isn't as fun or easy as you would think.  Even so, life is good and full of so much joy and so many wonderful things!  Blessings all around us, if we just look for them!  Keep looking!  Enough said!