Where We Are For Two Weeks

Melanie wrote: So,  you are at the Waite's?

We are in Colorado with the Waites. We will be here for two weeks. Kirsten has extensive jaw surgery on Wednesday. She will be home on Thursday. I hope we have planned enough time for her to heal enough that she is no longer on pain pills when we leave. We will be here until February 3.

Shawn wrote: We're glad you can be there for the recovery. We hope all goes well.

At Kirsten's and Ready to Go

We are at Kirsten's home in Colorado Springs. We will be here for at least two weeks. Kirsten has extensive jaw surgery on Wednesday. She will be home on Thursday. I hope we have planned enough time for her to heal enough that she is no longer on pain pills when we leave. We will be here until February 3. 

Jared Really Had to Work

My tooth is out. It took all morning (9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.). My jaw had to be scraped clean and the bone transplant put in place. In addition, the tooth in front of it was badly decayed (under a 30-year old crown). I have a new crown there. I am still numb so I don't know if I hurt or not. It will be nice to be rid of all of that infection.

Atheism and Evolution‏

Dear All,
    I read an article the other day in which some of the tenets of those who profess to be atheists, are figuratively asking me to believe that there is no God, and no creation, and there is no Savior; but that I should believe that something came from nothing, that natural order came from chaos, that consciousness came from nonsense (or something).  And I am supposed to believe that complex DNA molecules and Protein (enzyme) molecules came into existence somehow by chance.  The fact is, as discovered by science, that DNA requires the action of enzymes to form, and that enzymes require DNA to form.  It has also been proposed by evolutionists that UV radiation provided the energy for these chemical reactions to come about; however, it has also been discovered (scientifically) that UV radiation is destructive to protein such as cell walls.
     Atheists claim that religionists, especially Christians, who have faith in God and Jesus Christ, have no valid evidence of their existence.  To me the very existence of this beautiful earth, and the whole universe, and our solar system, and the order demonstrated therein, denote a Creator and God.  The very existence of human beings, mortal men and women, who are literally children of a loving Heavenly Father, and who wants us to return to live with Him again after this mortal life is completed, also provides evidence of our Heavenly Father.
     It was because of the missionaries teaching me the Plan of Salvation of our Heavenly Father, and the idea of Eternal Families, that I came to understand what Mormonism was all about.  I learned that this Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only Church that understands these things, and that only through Priesthood authority from God, and bestowed on a Prophet, we could become worthy to return to live with our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  And it was only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and His taking upon himself the sins of all mankind who ever have or ever will live on this earth, that we can receive the blessings He has promised His children--and that is us. We are all literally His spirit children, and He has provided the way that we can find the way back to Heavenly Father.
     I wish I could explain fully just how much I love this Gospel of Jesus Christ as it was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith in the restoration of this Gospel.  It has brought to me more joy and happiness in my life since I have come to realize that if I can endure in righteousness to the end of my life, I can be with my wonderful wife and children in and for eternity.  There is an eternal existence, and we can enjoy the blessings of that life if we are willing to obey all of God's commandments, and strive to live the best that we can throughout this mortal existence.  God revealed that this life is a test designed to see if we will be obedient, and to obtain a physical body.  If we do these two things, we will literally graduate from mortality to a far more happy and joyful existence.  I came to understand that what the Savior told Nicodemus (in Matthew) was necessary; when He told him that "except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God," so I realized I had to be baptized and confirmed by someone who had the Priesthood authority--so in July 1954, I was baptized, and have enjoyed the blessings of the Gospel ever since.  Come join me.
     I would like to explain one more item which is thoroughly misunderstood and mistaken; it is that Adam and Eve should not be looked down upon for their transgression in the Garden of Eden.  If you remember, the Lord did forbid them to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of  good and evil.  But He also described their punishment if they did; He told them they would "surely die" if they partook, or in other words death would come into the world.
    However, if they did not partake, mortality and the opportunity to have children would not have come to pass.   In other words, they had to partake in order for them to "multiply and replenish the Earth."  But then an angel of the Lord informed them that a Savior would be provided to perform the Atonement for their transgression.  This is a major part of the Plan of Salvation of our Father in Heaven.
     My testimony is that these things are true, and that Joseph Smith, as a fourteen year old boy had a vision and saw the Father and the Son, and was told that he would be an instrument in the hands of God to restore the Lord's Gospel to the earth.  Also, we have a Prophet on the earth right now, and his name is Thomas S. Monsen, and he really speaks for God today, just as Moses and Abraham and Isaiah, and others did centuries ago.

With love, Dad and Russ Bender

Lucy Jones' Nephew Joe (Houston) is making his own video game!‏

Lucy Jones wrote: Hi Everyone!
     This is my sister who has sent this e-mail to me, and I'm forwarding it on to all of you.  Some of you may have already gotten it from another source.  I think it's pretty neat, and I'm very proud of my nephew.  He's a very intelligent boy with a lot of ambition.  
     Enjoy the beginning of the ride with him!

Hi,
   I don't know if I have already told you about Joe (my son) and his latest exciting adventure!  He and his team are striking out on their own to put out their own video game.  They do this with the approval of Arkane Studios, Joe's former employer.  They have been very supportive of his effort.  Shana (my daughter-in-law), has also been very supportive of this venture, and she describes her feelings about it so well below that I am forwarding excerpts from her email in the body of this one.  
   If you could forward this email to any video game-lovers you know, Joe would really appreciate it.  NO pressure to contribute, by the way, but you might be interested in looking at what he has put together so far.  I'm not a video-gamer myself, but I am proud of Joe and how hard he has been working on this project.
Estella

From: Shana Lanzetta <lanzetts@gmail.com>
Subject: Joe is making his own video game!

Hi everyone!

Okay, so I'm not sure if everyone knows but Joe quit his job two months ago to pursue making his own games.  He's spent the last two months getting his kickstarter campaign together in the hopes that he will get to finish making this game.  He's got 30 days to raise the money he needs in order to do this. 

It's been hard on us all with a toddler and with him pulling extra hours - meaning I'm also pulling extra hours.  But all of that seems worth it for what he stands for and what he wants to do.  Check out his game and his company Roxlou Games.

For $15 of support you get a copy of the game when it's finished and all the tools he used so if you are so inclined you can make your own mod (and a note about kickstarter, you only have to pay if the total goal is reached).

I'm so proud of him and excited!  Please check out his campaign and share with all your friends.

Thanks!
Shana

From Joe:

Friends & Family,

The Kickstarter campaign for our indie game "Unwritten" has just launched.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1599677835/unwritten-that-which-happened

I won't distract you with the project details since they're all there in the link above. I will say that if you got this email you're in our "first tier" of friends and supporters. This means that we care an awful lot about you and want you to see what we've been working on the past few months.

It also means that you sharing this link is vitally important to our success. No matter how you share, (e.g. Facebook, Reddit, email, tip submissions to gaming sites, plain old word of mouth), it's all good stuff. Getting exposure will be our biggest challenge, and you can help us get started.

Also be sure to "like" our project page on Kickstarter, and back us with a contribution. If possible this is best done early in the campaign. A strong initial showing increases our chances of being noticed as a "staff pick" or "popular" project, further increasing our chances for the future.

Thank you. I've already asked for a bunch of stuff, but you might also wish us luck!

Joe
   

The Latest on Factor V

Julie also has Factor V Leiden. David's doctor told him that he had it just a few months ago. That makes all of you except for Shawn and Kirsten. AnnMarie hasn't been tested. Only 50 percent of the kids in a family (where there is a single zygote) should get it. Julie's doctor had to be funny--he said that I was most likely supposed to have had two more kids. There were probably two angels in heaven who would have come to the family and not had it. ;)

About the musical‏

When is the date? Dad needs to have his shoulder operated on--the other side. I only hope they can fix this one, not like the other. At any rate, he couldn't remember when the musical was so was not sure if he could schedule the surgery when they wanted him to or not.

Madilyn's Winter Guard Competition Dates

Here are all of the competitions, dates and addresses for you. Sorry it took me so long to get them to you. Competitions usually start around 4:00 pm. Except for State is usually an all day thing.

Evaluation Show January 19 (Parents are no allowed to come. Sorry)
Mountain Ridge Junior High
5525 west 10400 north st
Highland, Utah 84003

North Ridge High School February 2nd
2430 north hill field rd.
Layton, Utah 84041

West Lake High School February 16th
99 north Thunder Blvd
Saratoga Springs Utah 84045

Bear River High School March 2nd
1450 south main street
Garland, Utah 84312

American Fork High School March 16th
510 north 600 east
American Fork, Utah 84003

Lone Peak High School March 30th
10189 north 4800 west
Highland, Utah 84003

State Competition  April 6th
Davis High School    
325 south main street
Kaysville, Utah 84037

Myrna wrote: Thank you. We will attend one of them for certain. We cannot be to all because they are on Saturdays while we are at the temple. We will make arrangements to be at one of them and we will let you know in advance which one.

The Best There Is--Flu Vacine

Myrna wrote:
I did go to the clinic as I said I would. There is no updated flu shot. The CDC thinks that the one being given, and having been given since last fall, is the right one to prepare us for the flu epidemic. It is 62 percent effective and, if you do still get the flu, you will have a much lighter case. I still wished I had known about Tamiflu. If you are one of the ones who did get a shot and still got the flu, you should call your doctor and ask about Tamiflu and find out if it is right for you.

Melanie wrote: If you need Tamiflu, you have to obtain it within 36 hours if the first manifestations of the flu...otherwise it is useless.

Myrna wrote: I did know that about Tamiflu. Thanks, Melanie.

Kirsten wrote: They only give tamiflu to those who are immune suppressed or people who are around others who have suppressed immune systems.  The rest of us don't get it.  bummer!

Amy G. wrote: We don't have a problem getting Tamiflu here in Ohio...

Myrna wrote: Thanks, Dear, Siovhan! This is good to know and I am glad that I got the shot--NOW! Next year, I am getting it in September. I have had the pneumonia shots--two in my case. Gramps only had to have one because he was older when he got his first one. You are right, I have three temple friends who have been in the hospital with pneumonia. I do love you!



KirstenDad had read that you should not get a flu shot until December because it was more effective then. HA! The doctor said that the effectiveness lasts a year and should be taken in September. I knew within 20 minutes, after having sent four very sick women home from the temple (and two very ill men) on Friday, exactly what I had. I stayed home, drank lots of fluids, tried to keep my 105 temp down, and slept, when I could for the aching). I actually got it at a program at the school where this very sick person, sitting behind me, kept coughing and coughing. It only took 24 hours for me to come down with it. I didn't know it could act so fast. I stayed home from the temple, from church and from meetings. I had the thought that I might be the fourth woman in my family to die at 72. I didn't bother calling the doctor because I didn't think there was anything that could be done unless I got sick enough to go to the hospital. I finally called because I wasn't sure if I was getting pneumonia or not. Three of those women who left the temple did. I hurt in my chest but it wasn't that. I found out that I could have come in for a Tamiflu but by then it was way too late. So I just struggled through two weeks and am now thinking that I just might live.

Flu Vaccine

Melanie wrote: I very rarely comment on emails that are sent to everyone, but, as a person who is required to get a flu shot every year, I have learned many things about the flu and vaccines over the years. The benefits completely and totally outweigh the negatives, especially in people who are prone to illness, due to compromised immune systems, i.e., the elderly, the young (infants and children), people who are asthmatic, people without spleens, those who have just had major surgery, or are recovering from treatment for cancer, teenagers who are active in their schools and work, people who suffer from diabetes, etc. Even after receiving a vaccination for the current flu (the flu mutates and changes over the year, because everyone who catches the flu has different side effects from it), when it is passed from person to person, it mutates according to your body and the person you pass it to. If you have received a flu shot, you might still be suseptible to the flu, but will not get the extreme effects. In other words, you might get the sniffles, a slight sore throat or even a low grade fever. The effects won't be as severe and will last fewer days, than those who haven't been inoculated. If you get the flu, you pass it to more people, so you help to keep the flu season active. It reminds me of the old saying, "I had something and I gave it to two friends, who gave it to two of their friends, who gave it to two of their friends and so on, and so on, and so on..." Please, if you haven't received your flu shot, get one. There are pharmacies with trained pharmacists that can administer the flu shot...they are licensed to do so. There aren't any excuses any more....
Mel 


Myrna wrote: I agree. LHT and I are going back to the clinic the a.m. because we heard that they had adapted the new serum to the new strain. I guess I will let you all know if that is true. I just know that I do not want to try to die again this year. Once was enough for me. I get my shots and have even updated the whooping cough and the pneumonia shots. I did not know about Tamiflu. I certainly wish that I had. (When I went, I found out that the strain of serum being given is the best there is and there is no updated version.)

Siovhan wrote: We've talked to DOZENS of Doctors at work and all of them say this strand of vaccine is totally ready for the current virus strand. And they suggest that if you've had pneumonia at all to DEFINITELY get the vaccine because the flu can turn into really bad pneumonia. 


Myrna sent this: The flu is getting major coverage in the media this season—and for good reason. With 22,050 reported cases so far this season (26 times more than last year), 47 out of 50 states reporting widespread flu activity, 20 child deaths, and hospital employees in Chicago and cities in four other states getting fired for refusing to get vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control has confirmed it: we're in an epidemic.

Boston and New York State are both in a state of public health emergency, and though the South and Southeast have started to see a decrease in flu cases, CDC director Thomas Friedan said the epidemic will continue for at least several more weeks.

And unfortunately, people age 65 and older represent the overwhelming majority of confirmed flu-associated hospitalizations, says the CDC. So what do you do if you feel it coming on?

We talked to Jonathan Olshaker, MD, Chief, Department of Emergency Medicine at Boston Medical Center, to get practical advice for getting over influenza faster — or avoiding it altogether.

Surprising fact #1: It's not too late to get vaccinated.
The flu season is not over. From 1982 through 2012, flu activity has always hits it peak in February, according to CDC data, and since the vaccine only takes 10 to 14 days to kick in, "it's not too late," says Dr. Olshaker. If your regular doctor doesn't have the vaccine available, you can find a flu-shot provider in your area using HealthMap Vaccine Finder. 


Surprising fact #2: The flu shot serum is made with eggs.
People with an egg allergy could have a reaction to the flu shot, since the serum contains small amounts of egg protein. According to the CDC, people who have an allergy to eating eggs should discuss flu vaccination with their doctor, but many egg-allergic individuals can safely receive influenza vaccine. "Benefits of the vaccine are overwhelming," Olshaker says. "Unless you're highly allergic to egg, you'd be crazy not to get it. The vaccine has a 60% success rate in preventing flu, plus it lowers the risk of complications, if you do get it."

Surprising fact #3: There is a way to ease flu symptoms.
If you have flu symptoms — extreme fatigue, high fever, body aches, cough — there's only one surefire way to shorten the duration, according to Dr. Olshaker: a prescription drug called Tamiflu. "If started within the first couple days of symptoms, it shortens duration by 1 to 2 days and it has some effect in reducing risk of complications," he says. Not sure whether you need it? Calling your doctor's office nurse is always a good first step.

Surprising fact #4: Even if get the flu and you feel awful, you probably don't need to go to the hospital.
If you're an average, healthy person and you come down with the flu, Dr. Olshaker says: stay home from work, get lots of sleep, and drink fluids—basically what every grandmother in the history of time would recommend. "The vast majority of flu sufferers don't need to go to doctor," he says. The flu is only life-threatening when you experience complications, he says. To avoid sitting in a hospital or doctor's office when all you really need is rest, look out for the following warning signs:

Trouble breathing or chest pains
Feeling faint (a sign of dehydration)
Extreme shaking chills
Persistent diarrhea (some strains of this year's flu has included gastrointestinal symptoms)
Persistent confusion

Surprising fact #5: In rare cases, the flu can lead to viral meningitis of the brain.
Persistent confusion could be a warning sign that the flu virus has spread to the brain, which could lead to meningitis. Viral meningitis typically isn't deadly, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, but it can cause painful swelling in the brain and spinal cord that harms or destroys nerve cells and causes bleeding in the brain.