So many tender mercies have happened lately.
Today, my stake primary presidency went to Jackson First Ward. We met at the Driggs Church, then drove over the Pass to Jackson. We've been in the Presidency almost two years now. We felt out of the swing a bit, because we have been off for Stake Conference and then General Conference, so we haven't gone to a ward conference for awhile.
President Cooke has his mother in law living with him right now. We get to hear a lot of his stories. He is such a good speaker, so I always can't wait to hear what he will say. The ward council was good. They have a little, struggling ward that reminds me of our old ward that we lived in for so many years. They changed the boundaries a couple of years ago. This Jackson ward was on the small side, but they are close and working hard together to pull the load. President Cooke taught us to be happy in service. He told about his mother in law being found on her bedroom floor, cold from a bath she tried to do by herself. She is 90 years old and forgetful. They found her one morning, dressed her, wrapped her in an electric blanket and put her in bed. His wife, Anita, crawled in bed with her mom and wrapped around her and stayed with her until noon time when the Mom finally started to get warm. He told how he felt the Spirit, felt the Lord's spirit in this service.
I love the women in the Stake Primary with me. Julie Woolstenhulme brought her sister, which was a treat. Her sister lives in California and is here to attend a funeral for their aunt. Lisa Foster brought yogurt parfaits, Susan Thompson brought warm mini crossant ham sandwiches, and I got the easy assignment of liquid/drinks for us. We had a car picnic. The children were wonderful.
Heather and Brandon went to Mammoth Falls in southern Kentucky on Friday. I admire them because they embrace where they live. They bought some camping gear and took Brandon's friend with them.
Derek had a huge tender mercy and was prompted to end a relations hip that had been going on for about four months, but which had not progressed beyond friends. Blaine and I had been praying fervently for him, that he would be guided, and he was. We are grateful for the promptings and guidance of the Holy Ghost. We feel very blessed. Derek stayed her for a few days of his two weeks before semesters. That is always a gift to have him here with us.
Derek went through 3 semesters straight. He was weary. This summer semester, he is off track, but will still live at The Nauvoo House, because he can keep his job on campus in the Career Development Office for 20 hours per week and he and Todd Anderson's group was awarded the "Jump Start Your Business" award or grant, so they get an office space, resources, two professors to advise and help them with Todd's Kente Style business. We feel it an honor and a tender mercy from Heavenly Father. It will count as Derek's internship for this summer.
Derek didn't know if he would still be his quorum's Elder's Quorum President, because he actually moved apartments. He moved to a section of the Nauvoo House, where they have washers and dryers and air conditioning! They did not have it at the other apartments. It's just one building over, and their apartment is on the very end, so it should be out of that quorum.
But yesterday, his Bishop told him he would like Derek to still be the Elder's Quorum President, and they will just extend the boundaries to include Derek's apartment. He was also asked to give the Elder's Quorum lesson for the two Elder's Quorums, because the Bishop has not called the other Elder's Quorum President yet. Derek was getting a lesson ready on Zion, last night, when we saw him in Rexburg. He was doing a Power Point, and was going to tie it in with how you can have Zion in your apartment this semester. Good idea.
On Saturday, Elizabeth, Carl, Blaine and I got to go out to Rexburg in the early evening, meet Derek's roommates, take Derek to dinner at Fong's and go to the wonderful new movie Miracles from Heaven. It was at the $ Movie. It was so good. It's about a girl who got a terrible intestinal problem, had a huge change in her life, then at the end, fell down a 30 foot hollow tree, and was miraculously healed. It just made us all think about how hard trials are, and yet what tender mercies the Lord sends to us to help us in our trials. I cried through the whole second half of the movie. The veil is always thin in those situations and I had a hard time when I hugged Derek good-bye at his apartment. He's been home from his mission for a year, but I still miss him when he's gone. Blaine and I talked about how Nikole will go to BYU-I in the fall and we will miss her. We never thought we would get to this time in our life.
I'm back tracking a lot, but Nikole was asked to Prom by a great, handsome young man named Clayton Campbell. He asked her in a cute way - see my Facebook scrapbooks I make for photos - and she answered in a cute way. She is borrowing a pretty deep blue dress from Bella Wilson. We had Bella and Olivia Wilson over to play games with Nikole and Derek on Friday, before Derek moved out. We had fun with them.
Elizabeth has struggled with her calf muscles in both legs. Coach Gleichman and I, and Mike Haskell PA all feel like she has compartment syndrome. The Orthopod did not. A huge tender mercy was that Eric Kunz, a chiropractor, did believe us, and he told Coach Gleichman that we should roll Lizzie's calves after she runs, with a rolling pin, or something like it. She has been able to run in the last two track meets, which is quite miraculous, compared to what she was like a few weeks ago. We count this as blessing and see God's Hands in Elizabeth's life.
I have had a season of peace with my two teenage daughters. That says it all. I feel deep love back from them. We are excited for Nikole to go to Prom on Saturday. She's been tutoring Javen in Algebra 2, which has been great. She had her seminary graduation interview with Bishop Hill today. She started attending the adult Sunday School class with Blaine and went to Relief Society. I wish I could have been there with her.
My Dad has a GFR of 21 to 23, which is not the best news. He is 73, and one of the great pillars of my life. Levels below 60 for 3 or more months are a sign of chronic kidney disease. A GFR lower than 15mL is a sign of kidney failure and requires immediate medical attention. He's had it that low for at least a year, so I feel sad about that. He thinks it is familial. He has a cousin that has it, too.
Blaine's mom is doing well. She is 83. We took her on a trip to Las Vegas with us, during our spring break. We had debated on where to go. Blaine suggested Salt Lake. Our three children suggested Arizona. We settled on Las Vegas. I reserved our hotel for one room on a Saturday. On Sunday, Blaine spoke with his mother. She wanted to know if she could come on our trip with us! I called back and luckily the Mandalay Bay hotel had another room. She wanted us to invite Terry and MaryAnn to come from Safford AZ and meet us in Las Vegas. They agreed!
We had a great time there. Blaine pushed his mother in a wheel chair I had reserved for her, all over the big hotel and down the Strip. We had so much fun on that trip. Terry and MaryAnn were pleasant.
I had a huge surprise and tender mercy in the form of being given a scholarship from my local Intermountain Chapter APIC to attend the National APIC Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina!!! In my quest to gain Infection Control, APIC Association for Professionals in Infection Prevention and Control has been my #1 go to for finding information, networking friends and teaching myself many, many things. I found out about a month ago about the scholarship from a fellow Infection Preventionist from a little hospital by Twin Falls. His name is John Harding. He was helping me learn how to complete the NHSN inputting data. I asked him how he obtained his training. He mentioned our local APIC chapter awarded him scholarships to attend EPI 101, 102 and to go to the national convention. I never thought I would get to attend the national convention. You have to pay for flight, hotel, the convention fee of $656 and food, which would cost my hospital nearly $3000.
John told me to apply. He said the scholarship would be advertised in the e-newsletter they send in the next couple weeks. It was. I got permission to apply, my Angela Booker sent a little letter with the application I filled out, hers saying I would be allowed to attend if I received the scholarship, mine telling why I thought our hospital needed it. I only had a week to apply. I did it.
They said I would find out in a week, but I heard nothing. After two weeks, me thinking I did not receive it, I received the blessed email!!!! I was given the scholarship!!! I was excited out of my mind! I'm going to Charlotte!!
I made my hotel plans when I first applied, because it was filling up fast, and I could cancel if I needed to. So it was good I had it. Then I made my air flight plans after I was awarded the scholarship. I was blessed to work it so I get to stop in Cincinnati on my way there to see Heather and Brandon for one day!
Sunday, April 17, 2016
March 18, Heather's 25th Birthday and in Kentucky, 2016
March 18, 2016
My Dearest Heather:
Every year, on your birthday, I try to write a letter to
you. This year, you and Brandon have
moved to Taylor Mill, Kentucky for Brandon’s first real job out of college,
with Nielsen Marketing in Cincinnati.
This past year with you has brought us so much joy and we
feel so very blessed. We were able to
see you and Brandon graduate from BYU-Provo.
It is a big deal for you both to have graduated together, such a rare
thing. We are so happy that you
graduated from college.
We saw you work through some hard challenges with Extreme
Party Innovations. Even though there
were some very unpleasant events and challenges, we can see now that you both
gained knowledge and skills that you wouldn’t have obtained any where else. It will bless your future. We’ve seen it has already blessed you in
future jobs and situations.
We are grateful that you continue to accept calls from the
Lord. We are proud of you for digging
into Cub Scouting. Those 10 and 11 year
old boys are lucky to have you. You will
grow and learn a lot, so you will be compensated and blessed for your
efforts. It’s such an opportunity to
make a difference in the lives of young men and their families.
I am happy that you are willing to share all your talents
with your ward members and Matt. We are
always given more talents when we share ours.
I’m really excited for all the adventures and life you and
Brandon will get to make together in Kentucky.
I’m proud of Brandon and his new job.
I’m excited and hope you have a job soon. I’m excited to make a trip out there to see
you sometime.
Thank you for being kind, loving and helpful to each of your
siblings. Thanks for being good to my
parents and Dad’s.
I was remembering back to the evening you were born. You’ve heard it before, but I was at work on
campus at USU up until the day you were born.
I was about a week over due. I woke up on your birthday, and felt
strange. I called my work ladies – Teri
Price and Debbie Brunson in Range Science.
I told them I thought I better not come in today. They laughed and said,
“By all means, stay home”.
I called my doctor’s office.
I went in later that morning, was checked, and told I was in labor and to go to the
hospital. I went home, grabbed my over
night bag and Dad and I went to the hospital in Logan.
We were happy and naive.
We had attended a birthing class while I was pregnant. We had practiced La Maz breathing techniques
and other things to help me relax during labor.
As the day went along, the labor progressed. Contractions came closer. Things got serious. I wouldn’t listen to Dad’s coaching any
more. I ended up having an
epidural.
My nurse kept calling our doctor towards the end, because
your heart rate would decelerate with every contraction. So, we knew you weren’t doing well. My doctor didn’t come for a long time. When he did, he saw you were suffering and we
all tried to get you delivered quickly.
When you were delivered, we were overjoyed and
exhausted. We only got to hold you for a
little while, because your umbilical cord had been wrapped around your neck
three times. That’s why your heart rate
would go down with every contraction.
When you were floating in the amniotic fluid, you were okay, but when
you were squished in a contraction, the cord would clamp down too tight, and
cut off your air supply and your circulation.
You had go to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where the
sick babies go. You were the biggest one in there. Most of them are pre-mature, so they are
tiny. That wasn’t your problem.
Grandpa and Grandma White came to see you. The nursery nurses let them in, they had to
wear gowns, masks and hats. I remember
Grandpa White stroking your little back.
You would quiver when his finger went down your back. They had you laying on your tummy.
My heart was sad and broken, because I couldn’t have you in
my room with me. Bishop Fife came later, and he and Dad gave you a
blessing. Bishop Fife told me, after the
blessing, that he knew you were going to be fine and come home.
However, I was discharged first, so I had to go home without
you for one night. The next morning, the
hospital called to say you were ready to go home! We had gone to the nursery as often as we
could while I was there, to see you, talk to you, hold you. Not long after your deliver, the nurses asked
if I wanted to go see you. Of course I
did, but the first time I tried to get out of bed to get into the wheel chair
they brought for me, I nearly passed out, and had to wait a while before we
could go.
We did get ready and went to the hospital two days after you
were born, and got to pick you up and take you home with us. We were so happy and grateful you made it.
Grandma White was with me for a day or two. I must have felt fairly good, because I wanted
her to go grocery shopping with us. She
took us, but of course, that was a mistake.
I should have kept you and I home, and let her go get the groceries I
needed. I quickly ran out of steam, and
I sat in the car with you while she got the things we needed.
We had so much fun getting ready for you birth. You were Grandma and Grandpa White’s first
grand child, and our first child, so it was a big deal. Grandma Williams made
some cute quilts and blankets for you long before you were born.
When we blessed you, it was at the church house where we
attended our USU ward. We had rented a
building in Providence, Utah to have the dinner afterwards. My friend from work, Teri Price, had some
connection there and helped me find it.
We had all of Blaine’s siblings and the children they had at that time,
the Ripp grandparents, the White grandparents and my parents brought your Great
Grandparents White and Williams.
Dad’s Ripplinger nieces and nephews snuck downstairs in that
rented building and found roller skates.
They helped themselves and skated all over in the basement. Grandma Ripplinger found out, and had a fit
and made them put everything back where they found it. That would have been Terry’s three oldest,
Mike’s three oldest and Shaun.
I had sewn your long baby blessing dress myself. It was gorgeous. Dad gave one of his first beautiful blessings
when you received your name and blessing that Sunday.
We had a fun, beautiful day that day. We were a family. We were in love with our darling baby girl. It was the start of a wonderful journey.
We’ve loved you ever since.
Love you,
Mom
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