Latest Score: Hornets vs Melody 10-1

Never underestimate the power of the hornet! I am now on the 10th day from the hornet attack and I am starting to wonder when my immune system will start working for me instead of against me. Doug has kept me in a steam tent for the last 24 hours and I think my lungs are starting to clear out. Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts. I had such a wonderful 5 days despite the pneumonia. It is so uncanny how much Kristin and Melissa look, act, giggle and their mannerisms are. Doug said every time she went up and down the hall he did a double take. It is a miracle that we even let Kristin go home. (I think Bobby had some nervous moments in that concern....not really) I am excited to post all the videos and photos that Kristin took while she was here. The funniest one of all is the one that Kristin took from the top of the zip line at Park City. Somehow she managed to film the entire ride down, including some of my ride...it is so funny because we are screaming all the way down and when she realizes that she is going to stop while still going quite fast she is really shocked. It was also so much fun to play night games with all the little grandchildren. We will have to keep our "Family Night's" going, because I think they will all bond and become very close. I loved Sarrandon's card, she wrote a thank you card, then she drew a picture of all the aspects of the back yard and wrote..."What am I going to do there?" Her wit is already showing. I also received a special hug from Joey, which I will never forget...some memories never fade. Your families are all delightful and I love the time we spend together....photos to come later...all my love!

O.K. Life is still sweet. . .

Sorry no photos. I have to say that I had a wonderful day with Kristin today. It is amazing to me because I can see our genes run through our family. Kristin reminds me so much of Melissa it is amazing, her sense of humor, the inflection in her laughter, even her mannerisms. It's fun because when I am with Peggy I get to see my Mother. I was speaking to Robyn the other day for about 4 hours and finally she said, talking to you is just like talking to my Mother, even the way you laugh! When I speak to Heather and Joey it is like a wonderful visit with my dear sister Jeri, and my precious brother Joe....I love it! Family is everything!

Oh also, I posted the "life is sweet" with a warning....Friday I was moving wood from the back wood pile to the side of the house and was attacked by about 50 hornets. If I hadn't had my ipod on, I might have heard them swarming around my head but I thought it was just a branch hanging down tickling my head. Then I held about three logs up to my body and felt a sharp prick and thought a pine needle had pierced through my skin, then I realized there were hornets all around my body, under my shirt, and up my jeans, and by the time I was done striping off all my clothes I had over 10 huge stings and 30 nice attempts to pierce through my clothes.... I have known for a long time that I am allergic to hornets...so I spent the weekend soaking in a soda tub, and sleeping off the benadryl. Anne and I laughed about it later, and she said, "I warned you about saying that out loud!" We also agreed late last night, we still think it is sweet, it just has a few stings mingled in.

Life is Sweet

A few years ago my friend Anne was walking down the hallway of the school where she is an administrator. She drew in a deep breath and sighed "life is sweet". She called me bursting with love for life, and as usual I asked if I could borrow her rose colored glasses. I have been asking to borrow these glasses for years, she always says I am welcome to them, I think somehow it is like the oil and the bridegroom story, she always gives me the tools to make my own pair of glasses but she can't give me hers. Anyway shortly after her exclamation of life is sweet, life went terribly wrong for her. In a matter of days she was dealing with a embryo granddaughter with a heart defect, cancer, and many other very serious issues in her immediate family. She has never made that exclamation since, she feels it on almost a regular basis, but she never says it out loud. We laugh about it all the time, and there are many days, I must admit that I say it out loud, and here I am publishing it, wise or unwise, only time will tell. But as I come to the autumn of this year I look back at some of the most scariest things that I have dealt with and I realize that the message is still the same.

In the middle of all the crisis I had an abscessed tooth, I kept putting it off using antibiotics and pain pills to get through until I had time to go to the dentist, finally when there was a small window of time I could use to get to the dentist I went. As I sat there with my mouth full of cotton Dr. Hincks assistant kept asking him questions about the gospel. It was obvious that he had dealt with her and her questions before because instead of getting into a confrontation with her he would just say, "that's a good question!", I knew that Dave knew the answers because we have talked for over 20 years about deep gospel issues, he had been a bishop, so why didn't he just answer the question? Finally she asked, "Does God feel sorrow?" Dave said, that's a good question and walked away, now even though my mouth was packed with cotton I still had to let her know that yes indeed God does feel sorrow, obviously. So she asked me, "how do you know? And if that is true than I am not interested in going to Heaven!" I muttered with cotton flying out of my mouth that I had heard all morning how much she adored her little girl, she is her world and if anything ever happened to her little girl it would kill her, so I said look at your feelings about your little girl, God lost one third of his children, his only begotten Son he sent down as a sacrifice to be mocked, ridiculed, tortured, pay for all the pain and sins of the world, does God feel sorrow? of course he does, look at the wickedness of this world, and this is the two thirds of his children that made it down here. But we also know he has a fullness of joy. After they repacked my mouth with cotton, I tuned their conversation out and reflected on my own life. I looked at all of the challenges I had when I left that chair. I thought to myself, God has so many challenges and no doubt even more than I can comprehend, he must have tools....I know he loves me so he has shared these tools with me....I am going to study these tools and apply them in my life. Many of you already know this story because you have shared the tools you use, and I am very grateful. If anyone remembers my blog where I talked to my brother Bobby and told him I was going straight to the book store to buy inspirational CD's this is while my mouth was still numb from the Novocaine, (Dave probably gave me a little extra as punishment because he was now going to have to listen to his assistant go on all day with the ammo I gave her).

Some of my very favorite lessons were from Sheri Dew, especially "The Savior Heals Without a Scar" there are many others that were wonderful. Doug actually sited this book to the young men on Sunday, and used his own experience when we were in the hospital at 2 am and I requested a priesthood blessing for Doug before he left for exploratory surgery. The moral to this story is that the men who gave Doug the powerful blessing were prepared and in tune with the spirit. We never know when we will have an emergency situation when we need the power of prayer, and are we prepared? Well the point to this blog is that during one of the most difficult years of my life, I have tried to use all the tools that God has provided and it has made it possible to not only endure the trials but yes, even to say "Life is Sweet"!

Doug will be helping to clean up the damage

I am grateful to say that James and Tauna were spared from the hurricane, but Texas has been devastated. Doug will be heading down there with his crew to help restore the power. It is hard to conceive so much damage and destruction, I feel so sorry for those people who have lost everything! It makes we wonder how long it will take to get their entire power grid back up, especially with all the water; power and water don't mix. I am sure James and Doug will be working together down there. I think it is ironic that Doug has to clean up after Ike.

Have I gushed about my cute husband lately?

I can't help it, I am once again gushing. I know I don't need to tell you how cute he is, but here I go again. Corey wondered if he could go to Hawaii this fall, so Doug said sure, if I can come too! Doug is letting Corey have the condo and has booked us a suite at the Wikeloa Hilton Resort. He has picked out a room right over the Dolphin Quest, and the Lani looks right over the ocean. He has a convertible mustang so our hair can blow in the wind, and purchased a non-stop flight to Kona (to spare my back). He is packing our Temple clothing so we can spend time in "Our Temple". Now just in case you think I am bragging....beware, I am blogging about this because as all of you know, lately I have been a little bit blue (to say the least) and because of this I really wanted to cancel the trip. He again is being my "knight in shinning armor" lifting my spirits. I know I don't tell him enough how much I love him and appreciate all that he does for me, how would I ever get through this life without my man.
P.S Last time we were there Wayne Newton and his family were staying in the tower, Doug kept teasing them saying he was a "Wayniac".
And we had dinner next to Woody Allen and his family.

Kristin is Coming

I am organizing another family get together. I am excited, Kristin is flying in from Phoenix just to see us, isn't that wonderful! She said that Friday the 26th of September is the best time for her and Rob to meet with everyone. Since the pool will be closed I wondered if anyone has any other ideas. We can have the party at my house, back yard, park ect. So pencil in the date, and comment on your ideas O.K.?
Kristin will be flying in on the 23rd and staying until Saturday morning, then her and Rob will be spending a day in Delta, then driving back to Phoenix to see their new nephew.