Myrna wrote to Kimberly: How about your newsletter stuff? Also, remember that you were going to send me the photo of the "twins" that you took. Thanks, M
Kimberly wrote: I sent you the pic last week.
Myrna wrote: I got the pic but I didn't get the news. Love, M
Kimberly wrote: :) I started the news. I forwarded to Shawn.....
I will really miss David, Bree, Erin and Donovin. I am having a difficult time with this. I guess I am going to have to get used to having half of my family out-of-state. Shawn, in Layton, and David, in St George, are far enough away. Now David and family will be out-of-state. I know how few times I made it to St. Louis when Melanie was there and how few times I make it to see any of the rest of you. Period! I don't even see Julie more than a couple of times a week and she lives in the same town. I think it is hard for me to let the grandkids know how much I love them when I live so far away. It is hard to let the grown-ups know how much I care. I don't think I do a good long-distance job of grandmothering or mothering. Perhaps you all have some ideas for me.
Michael is now a Teacher. We did the ordination today in quorum meeting. Then we stuck around while he cleared away the sacrament from the morning's meeting. It was a cozy little setting with myself, the Bishop and the YM 1st Counselor. Amy and the kids were present as well.
I will really miss David, Bree, Erin and Donovin. I am having a difficult time with this. I guess I am going to have to get used to having half of my family out-of-state. Shawn, in Layton, and David, in St George, are far enough away. Now David and family will be out-of-state. I know how few times I made it to St. Louis when Melanie was there and how few times I make it to see any of the rest of you. Period! I don't even see Julie more than a couple of times a week and she lives in the same town. I think it is hard for me to let the grandkids know how much I love them when I live so far away. It is hard to let the grown-ups know how much I care. I don't think I do a good long-distance job of grandmothering or mothering. Perhaps you all have some ideas for me.Love, M
Todd wrote: The circuit just became a lot easier. 8-hours to Kirsten. Stay the night, or two, or three. 8-hours to David. Stay the night, or two, or three. 9-hours to Todd. Stay the night, or two, or three. 12 hours to Melanie. Stay the night, or two, or three. Return home. Second verse, reverse the first.
Melanie wrote: I've often said that we needed one more in the middle. Somehow I thought it would be Shawn or Julie--but I am glad it is family.
Love, Mel
I guess I didn't explain well what happened as far as the recall for more views on the mammo. I went last week for my annual mammo. I didn't think anymore about it until Monday afternoon. We went to Provo to the dentist that morning because he wanted to check on my tooth. We also took the old TV up to Siovhan. When I got home, I had the news that I needed to have "more views" because there was an area of concern. I called Amy J because she knows about mammos. She told me not to worry because out of 125 mammos each month, 20 or so are called to come back in. (By the way, I didn't even tell her happy birthday.) However, that was telling a worry wart not to worry. I could not get back in until Friday because they have to have a radiologist present to review the films so you do not have to worry so long after having the second mammo done. However, the first shots were not satisfactory and I had to have another, more specific view taken. I have an area where there is something but it compresses and, therefore, cannot be cancer. I meet with my doctor on Thursday and he will explain what they found and why I don't have to worry. It just looked white to me. Don't feel unloved. I love you all. Do you want to hear about everything that happens to Dad and I? I think not, you would just be concerned. In fact, when Dad said he was giving me a blessing "for my problem" and that Jim was going to help, I said, "Which problem? My mammo results, my tooth, my hip, my elbow, my shoulder, my lower back?" He said, "I'll just bless you from your head to your toes." And he did. It is a good plan. Now we just need to do the same for him. Lots of love, M
After having so many children, you should realize that you can't save them from everything. How were you to know that she would fall and break her wrist. She isn't going to hold you responsible. You know you can't keep children in a bubble. If you are responsible for that, then I need to be held responsible for Siovhan breaking her ankle because I allowed her to take band and then I am responsible for Braden's broken arm, because he was playing tag and fell on the sidewalk. Things like this happen. Ask my other siblings how they feel when bad things happen to their children. Most of the time we with our children when these things happen, it doesn't make it anything but an accident. I know that you will show and increased love to Maddie and she will enjoy that. Be glad that it happened during the summer and not during the school year. (I was going to say "Fall," but knew that Shawn would say, 'Melanie, it did happen during the fall.' " I love you and know that you love the grandchildren. My siblings know that you love their children.Melanie
I am sorry that Maddie got hurt. I hope she is feeling somewhat better today. I am also sorry it happened while you were watching. Melanie is right, but whenever a child is hurt on our watch it is always easy to question yourself. Melanie is also right that I might have said it did happen during the fall, but I might have also said that it happened at the beginning of the winter (it wasn't the fall that hurt her, but the abrupt ending of the fall, that would make it the winter). Not to contribute to your feeling of worry Mom, but next time maybe you should just send her outside with a salt shaker and a mission--like your grandma did to you. I can still almost picture you chasing around after the slightly concerned robins. Love,Shawn
...or even better, give her the salt shaker, pull up some weeds near the pear tree, show her the worms and let nature take its course. Cousin Don used to feed kids cat-food while he was watching them and his mother was at the store. He didn't spoon it to them, he just pointed them to the "snacks" in the dish on the floor. I hope all is well with Maddie. It was all an accident. I think we all have at least one scar from an accident of some sort. Of the collection God gave me, I only have one digit of the ten on my hands that is scar-free. Four of those scars happened in the time I have been married. It's all part of growing up and unfortunately, I am still growing up. Love you. - Todd
How many years have I done a good job watching kids? Well, a fairly good job. I blew it all on Thursday. My history is shot. I had AnnMarie's three youngest (the two oldest were at youth conference with Brandon) and Eric's four. It had rained all day long. Finally, about 3 p.m. the sun came out. I decided it would be good for all of us to get out of the house. The older kids headed for the swings. I have a horrible fear of some little kid running in front of a swing and getting cut. That happened to Melanie when she was two while I was watching all the kids in the ward during a funeral. At any rate, I was playing with Rachel over by the pear tree. I pulled up some weeds and showed her the worms. Then Megan and Jason climbed up the apple tree. Everyone else was still on the swings. In just a second, Maddie had tried to climb the tree. She slipped and fell and caught herself with her right arm. She broke her wrist. We got her in the house and laid her on the floor by the fridge. That kept her arm flat. I filled a baggie with crushed ice and put it on her arm. Then I made a sling out of an old sheet that I tore up and put a big sweater of mine around her. Meanwhile, Dad called Amy and Eric. We got the kids in the car and then got Maddie in. We gave her a fleece blanket to rest her arm on during the ride and Dad took them to Payson to the emergency ward. He stopped by their house and Jason took charge of the other kids while Dad went on to the hospital. Thank goodness her arm did not swell so that she could have a cast right away.
Her arm sure looked awful but she was very brave and barely cried, only a bit when it first happened and then when I got her arm in the sling. After that, she didn't shed anymore tears. Of course, she broke her right arm. So much for the summer and swimming.
Love, Dumdum
Hey everyone! The month of May was a busy as ever and June isn't slowing down either, even with school out now. Todd is out of town again, he was in Orlando earlier this week and is now in Colorado Springs. At least this time he gets to see family and is staying with Kirsten & Jared. We are so jealous, especially Emily. She wanted to go with her dad and play with her cousins there. Just an FYI, we will be baptizing Emily in Spanish Fork on June 30th at 6pm. We will also be doing a dinner afterwards. I'll be sending more information later, just wanted to give everyone a head up so you can mark your calendars. We would love you see you there! As you all now by now, Hailey got stitches a week and a half ago from falling off the couch and hitting our heavy solid wood coffee table. Eight stitches over her right eyebrow. She is healing up very nice and looks like it will be just a thin line of a scar and hardly noticeable as time goes on. The coffee table is now moved away from the couch and sitting under our big window in our family room so it won't happen again. I was too big of a mess and don't ever want to experience it again. Other than that, Hailey is getting so big, where has my baby gone? She thinks she's as big as her siblings and tries to keep up with them outside. Good thing they and their friends enjoy having her around (for now) :). Emily did real well in her piano recital and is now gearing up for her dance and gymnastics recital on the 16th of June. She is also staying very busy with her (machine pitch) softball games and is an awesome shortstop. She never lets any balls get past her. Emily also hit a double on her last game, clear out past the left fielder. Tyler also was great at their piano recital and still enjoys playing his pieces on the piano everyday at home. He's glad school is over, but is missing playing with his best friend everyday at recess. Tyler is now gearing up for scout camp which starts on the 12th of June and out here Cub camp goes for 4 days. Obviously they don't sleep over but go every morning and come home every evening worn out. Michael was wonderful at their piano recital and was the last student to play which is an honor because his teacher saves the best one for last. He surprised his teacher by asking for a four page piece called "Midnight Chase" and she gave it to him with the understanding that if it wasn't performance ready (by her standards, perfect and memorized) by recital he would have to save it for another recital. Well, lets just say that he had it performance ready a month before. I think she underestimated his ability, but now she knows and is moving him at lightning speed through his books. Michael also tested for 3 honors classes for upcoming freshman and passed all of them. So now he is in Honors English, Honors 19th Century World Studies, Honors Physical Science and two other advanced classes. He already has homework for the summer to be handed in on the first day of school for 2 classes. You'd think he would be mad about this, but he says he can't wait for school to start. He definitely did not inherit this from me! Michael is now 14 and will be ordained a teacher on Sunday the 10th. He's excited to start going with the older boys, but still will be passing the sacrament since our ward is very slim on young men. My excitement for the month of May was to go with Mike's 8th grade to Washington D.C. It was a great experience and Mike didn't mind his mom hanging around. We saw so much and walked 23 miles in 3 days, I know this because I took my pedometer. It was awesome to find Ben at Union Square (he has grown so much!) which is an amazing feat considering the size of the place and the sheer number of kids that were there with their schools. Well, I think I've taken up enough space and will close for now. We will see you all before the next newsletter is out and we can't wait! We will get to Utah on the 26th of June and will be there until the 22nd of July. Hopefully we can get together and do some fun things while there. See you all soon! Love, Todd, Amy, Michael, Tyler, Emily and Hailey
From Myrna: I went back and got the second and third mammos this a.m. The tissue compressed and, so on the third view, they were able to tell that it was not cancer. I guess all of your prayers worked and Heavenly Father blessed me. Dad and Jim gave me a blessing also. At any rate, I have been smashed but I am going to live and not have a breast removed. That is good news to me. Love, M
From Amy G: This is the first I've anything about you having a cancer scare! I feel so bad that we didn't know, we could have been praying as well. It's good that you got good news and that it's not what everyone was worried about. I just
wish we would have heard before now. Had anyone told Todd, maybe over the phone? I would think he would have told me had he known.
We also had not heard anything about David and Bree moving to Missouri until
the email yesterday. Todd found out from Kirsten yesterday also. Is Barbara moving with them also? When are they actually moving? How are the kids doing with the news? The poor things have really been bounced around a lot.
Oh well, I guess this is what we get for living so far away. Is there
anything else going on that we should know about? Have a great weekend and
we are happy for your good news.
Love,
Amy