Early a.m. phone call from ?‏

Myrna wrote: We were waked up this morning by a 6 a.m. phone call from an inmate from somewhere. Dad thought it sounded like a familiar voice but he dropped the phone and cut off the call. A quick call to several of you and we realized that you were all home--some just getting up, some in bed--and all of you were safe and sound. The phone would not let us recall the number (which had started to go into the answering machine). It was one of those numbers that comes up as "unknown." Strange. The beginning of the message said: "This is a call from inmate. . ." Then it went blank because Dad picked up the phone at that point. At any rate, some poor soul used his one phone call to call the wrong number. So no more worries about any of you having too many unpaid speeding tickets and speeding to work one more time. Rational thought soon emerged and we realized that NONE of you would be speeding to work at that time in the morning. (Hopefully, NONE of you would be speeding to work period. Those were the days of your youth, right?) SIGH! What a relief. At any rate, apologies are in order. Thanks for being such great kids and making it so that we don't have to be worried about an "inmate" call. Now it is your turn. When you get an early a.m. call from a nursing home, well, it just may be one of us. He, he, he, hah.

Love, M


Todd wrote: I love the way that you assume we all get speeding tickets AND don't pay for them. Your 6am is my 8am. It was me calling, I just now got to work. I didn't want Amy to know about the tickets, because she would just let me sit there.

By the way. I'm lying. Some poor sap is sitting in jail right now thinking they finally pushed the limits with their dad because he hung up on them. I hope they like the programs in jail.

LOL.

David wrote: Don't feel bad, we all know who mom and dad called to check on first. :-)


Todd wrote: Well, Amy told me they called, but she said I had gone to work already.

Kirsten wrote: I was wondering why I got that 5:30 call... must have been nice to
sleep in, Dave!!! :D

So, is this new email? dvein79@gmail.com?


Shawn wrote: Well, I finally got home. What a long day. Kimberly was so mad when the police hauled me off that I knew that was hopeless. I got one call, so I
called home and was hung up on. Thanks a lot. I have a new friend Bubba by
the way. I can't believe they kept my truck.


Myrna wrote: And here all the time I thought it was Bubba who called. The funny, or not funny thing is, that AnnMarie had sent three people to prison just the day before. Be glad you are not in her courtroom.

Todd wrote: It's a good thing BYU already did your background check. Good luck with that ecclesiastical endorsement in January.


Siovhan wrote: Well ... Grandpa always complains I never call.
...In my defense, it was only 5:30 my time.


Myrna wrote: We started with Jim because he was on his way to California with the bees. We were afraid there had been some horrible wreak (again). Now before you all jump to conclusions, we weren't really thinking about the "inmate" part of the thing as much as we were thinking about the being at the jail because of some awful accident. Love, M


Todd wrote: Well then.  When Jim is driving to California to work the bees, there just might be a horrible “wreak”, but in the business that bee-go is required.

Myrna wrote: David, we are glad you finally have an e-mail address again.

You know, Siovhan, you do have a point. Grandpa does complain that no one returns his calls. He doesn't like his calls returned when you all get around to it. He wants them returned yesterday.

Hey, Eric, why haven't you weighed in? AnnMarie is quiet and so is Kirsten. I have already heard, via phone call, from Julie. Shawn was having his own problems that day. He missed a half day of work because he was sick.

As for the early morning comments--the situation just gets worse and worse. I am sorry I mentioned it. I just wanted you to know that we love you all and we still worry when we get those early morning calls. (By the way, Dad has had a devil of a time paying his MO speeding ticket. So, Todd, perhaps you have been trying to pay a speeding ticket and couldn't. Only the jailers didn't know that. Dad has been trying to pay his ticket since we visited David. MO has no record of it so far. "It takes time for these things to show up in the system." So we were, at least, able to buy the 4-wheeler insurance before it showed up. I assume it will show up, right? Dad couldn't be that lucky.)

As for the concern, there is no rationalization to it, it just is. I am running up to Mom T. when I meet her on the other side and apologizing for wondering why on earth she would think some of the things she did and worry about some of the things she did. She called us all early a few times to check on us because she had similar circumstances. Once it was just a bad dream that seemed too real. I am old now, also, and I know what she was talking about.

"The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out,
The worms play pinochle on your snout.
They eat your eyes, they eat your nose,
They eat the jelly between your toes."

That's why I'd rather be seen than viewed.

We have been worrying about Auntie Eva so, had it been a call from Auntie Helen, we would have had a whole other set of issues.
Love, M


Myrna wrote: Sorry, I have heard from Kirsten. I take that back. So only Eric has to respond.

Love, M

More About the Heart Attack

Julie remembered that the two of us had gone to the market in her car. On our way home, David was dropping off the Belliston's at their home. He waived us down and told us that Dad was at the hospital. Julie took me straight there. She went home and put away the groceries. Then she started calling everyone. (Melanie flew home.) When David got cleaned up they came up to the hospital. They drove to Provo in Julie's car.

Do you all remember that, just before Dad left Provo, his doctor gave me a prescription for pneumonia because he did not want Dad to get it from me?

Thank you. It is helping put it all together for me. I wonder why I didn't write something down at the time? Love, M

Do you remember when Dad had a heart attack?‏

What do you remember about the time that Dad had the heart attack? Do you remember what you were doing? 

Dad had been at Scout Camp by Mona Reservoir with David and the troop. He had run up a hill, there was also something about rolling a log up the hill, as I recall. He could not get his breath afterward. David told him that he thought Dad was having a heart attack. They loaded up and drove home. 

I remember being home, in the kitchen, when David came running in the house to tell me about it. Dad had driven to the hospital and David had driven home. I am not certain who had dropped off the other scouts, Dad or David. Shawn and Dad remember that Shawn drove to the hospital and gave Dad a blessing. Shawn said he had come to Nephi to study. (I think he had a paper due.) I went right to our hospital, which was located at the old site at the time, and stayed with Dad while he was treated in the emergency room. I think, but am not certain, that Shawn may have driven me there. I then rode with Dad to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in the ambulance. The ambulance crew were very kind to me, I will always remember that. I think I was in shock and needed kindness.

The doctor there said that Dr. Bessingdorfer had done all the best things for Dad and had kept him from having long-term disability. It was not the same day that they decided to do a die test, was it? I remember that David and I were waiting together in the waiting room when they came to get me to tell me that Dad had died and they had shocked his heart back into action. I had to sign a paper, they did not trust Dad's ability at that point, giving the doctor permission to place a stent. They asked Dad if he wanted to go back to his room and wait and he said he preferred to wait where he was. He had to be scheduled in. However, the doctor pulled some strings at the facility and Dad underwent the stent placement that day. I asked what would happen if the stent was not placed and the doctor told me that Dad would surely have another heart attack and, perhaps, a second one would kill him. I asked what would happen if they did do the surgery. He told me that, most likely, Dad's heart would quit again but that they would just start it up once again. I signed the paper.

I do not know how anyone else got to the hospital in Provo. Did Julie, Kirsten and David come up with Shawn? Did Shawn drive his own car and one of the others of you drive our car? It is a muddle for me. 

I remember staying with Dad in recovery that night. He did not like having his leg weighed down and did not understand why the nurses wanted to put burn salve on his chest. He did not know that the shocking paddles had burned his skin. I also remember being very tired and very scared. I also remember, that somehow, you all got to the hospital and you all were loving and caring. You fed me and made sure I had clean clothes. I just don't know how it all happened. 

Hopefully, you will all remember and can fill in the missing blanks for me.

Love, M

Nanci Meets Her Bio-Mom

Nanci Done wrote: I don't make it a habit to send out group emails, especially when the subject is a matter so close to the heart.  

With that said...

Tomorrow is the day I have been waiting for, my entire life!  I will finally meet my bio-mom!!  I don't possess the words in my vocabulary to adequately describe my excitement!!  I am blessed beyond measure that I have been received with such love, open arms and welcomed into this family.  

During this journey, that all of you have been such an integral part of, I have become humbled, beyond belief, at how each and every person that my path has crossed, has brought so much to my life and how important the timing of each encounter with each person has been!  I only pray, that in some way, I have or will be able to give to each of you, even a morsel of the love, strength and support that each of you have given to me. When I reflect on my life, all the wonderment and struggles included, I can now see, why each and every experience needed to take place and take place when it did.  It's like a gigantic "connect-the-dot" puzzle.  I'm off to connect, yet another dot!!

My deepest gratitude to each and everyone of you, for just being you!!!  I love you!  I treasure you!  And I thank you for all of your love, support and patience with me throughout this journey!

xoxo
Nanci.. your daughter; your mom; your wife; your step-mom; your sister; your friend; your neighbor


Myrna wrote: We are excited for you. Mom Helen is also excited. When she was here on Thanksgiving, she was so happy that she was just bubbling. It is an interesting time in your life. I can't even begin to imagine how you feel. 

We love you, as always. We wish you happiness in all of your tomorrows.

Love,
Auntie Myrna and Uncle Tim

Gordon and Punctuation

Myrna wrote: "Grammar Gaffes and How to Avoid Them" by Marg Gilks is a great article. I recommend it to all. Just look it up on the internet at writing.com.


Gordon wrote: I appreciate the hints.  The problem is, I just don't give a damn.  I put the commas right where they make sense to me, and that makes me feel good.  I guess I will just drive someone who is has commaphobia crazy.

When I write my book, I will have you proof it for me.  I write peoms often.  I don't dare let you look at them.

Love,

Gordon



Myrna wrote: I like poetry. You should let me read some of yours. Poetry has its own life. It doesn't have to follow rules--some poetic structure--but few rules. If you like it, then it is good. Oddly, it is the folks who really just write because they have something to say who become rich and famous. The rest of us get lost in rules.

Love, M

Christmas Light Parade and Lighting Ceremony

Here we are, Myrna and LHT, at the edge of the fence around the Old Mill Park just after the lighting ceremony and the light parade on Saturday (Nov. 30) evening. It was a lot of fun and the city is really brilliant. The Veteran's Memorial, Rose Park, Old Mill Park, City Park, the city buildings and the area where the FS kiosk is located are all decorated. It is beautiful. We were surprised at the turn-out and at how many entries there were in the parade. Dad said they just kept coming and coming. One fellow, standing nearby, said it was better than the Ute Stampede Big Parade. I think he was right. Of course, there wasn't as much candy.

New Toy

Grandpa T has a new toy. He bought it, of course, so that the grandchildren (and their parents) would have something to do when they come to visit. It doesn't hurt that it also has a snowplow. We all know that LHT digs out half the town with every snowfall.

Kyle and Koda

In the photo, Koda and Kyle are playing catch in the backyard. Koda, as you all know, is the Colorado Trauntvein family dog. He couldn't live with David and family because they are, for the next six months, leasing a home. Therefore, he has taken up temporary residence with us. Kyle was most happy to have a new friend to play with when he comes to visit. I think Koda likes it as well. I have found that Koda is a picky eater. He only likes one brand of dog food. Go figure!

Myrna's Baby Photo

Taken of Myrna on July 12, 1941. I was born on December 24, 1940.


Melanie wrote:

Mom,

Isn't the date supposed to be July of 1941 and not 1940? I think you would have been embrionic at the date you stated. :-)

Happy Birthday, Todd and Mikaela

Happy Birthday to two awesome people who just happen to share a birthday. Another wonderful person, Grandma Smith, shared the same birthday. Maybe good things do come in threes.