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!
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