Birthdays, Valentines, Sick Again, and Ice

Two birthdays have come and gone in our family. Grant turned one year old on January 25th. I thought he’d be walking by now since he learned to crawl so early, but he’s pretty content just zipping around on all fours. Grant loves to help us empty the dishwasher when we’re emptying or filling it (any time he sees it open, he crawls to it as fast as he can and starts pulling things out). He also loves the vacuum and will follow it around or plop himself in front of it whenever we vacuum a room. Still, his favorite thing to do is to play catch with me. He especially likes to throw the ball back and forth to me under the couch. He is actually really good at throwing and catching a ball and we think he must be left handed. Grant is a very happy boy and usually gives us no problem going to sleep. He likes to be held much more than any of the girls and we can even rock him before he goes to sleep. Finally, Grant loves food – specifically oatmeal, yogurt, tomatoes, and fruit, but he’ll eat just about anything.






Just before Grant’s birthday, he, Lily, and I got pretty sick. This has been the worst year for sicknesses in our family. I had what I thought was a cold, but it went into my throat and I got very little sleep for almost 2 weeks because I couldn’t stop coughing all night. Lily had the same thing and had a fever to go along with it. She started to come out of the sickness just as Grant and I got into the worst of it. Grant had a fever of over a 103 for three days straight. Even Tylenol wouldn’t bring it down more than a couple degrees. When it would get over 103 he would moan and toss his body around the bed. When he’d eat, he’d throw it up. Those were some really rough nights. Finally, he and I both went to the doctor. I had an ear infection, a sinus infection, and bronchitis. Grant had RSV and Pneumonia. His temperature was 104.5 when the doctors checked it and they had us run to the hospital for X-rays and blood work. After medication we are much better than we were, but the virus part of this sickness has been going on and on. I’ve heard several people say they’ve had it for about 2 months. We are all going on about a month and a half of stuffy/runny noses, coughing, and being tired. I guess we need these difficult times to appreciate when we are feeling well.

The week before Amy’s birthday we went on a date and I took her to JC Penny where she spent an hour trying on pants and eventually getting some new jeans. We were trading off watching kids with the Young’s and we didn’t really know what to do with ourselves once we were done shopping. We got our car washed and then Amy wanted to pick up our kids. I relented and drove back to the Young’s at 8:00pm. Angie answered the door by opening it halfway and whispering “what are you doing here? I just started a movie for the kids!” After some prodding (we are new at this) she coaxed Amy to go see a movie. We rented one and returned to our quiet home to watch it. It was so nice to do something just a little spontaneous and not have to worry about the kids. I know we need to do more of that. With the challenges of scheduling and lack of money, we just haven’t done it enough.

My parents came up and stayed with us for a few days and celebrated Amy’s birthday with us. Since Amy’s birthday is on Valentines, I also planned to have a “Cold Box” done for her garden, but it’s taking me a lot longer than I thought. My dad and I spent some time working on it while he was here. We also were able to talk several nights after the kids were in bed, and watch a few movies. On Valentines/Amy’s birthday, we drove to McCall and enjoyed seeing all the ice sculptures. The official event was a week earlier and the sculptures were beginning to melt, but it was still really incredible and the kids enjoyed it. Since we all packed into our van for the long drive to McCall and back home, it was quite an adventure. We even had a picnic lunch in the van, while we parked at a grocery store. It was funny to see the looks we got from all the ritzy people with a single or no child living in McCall. It reminded me of being a kid and always getting looks like that when our entire family, all six kids, went out together. By the end of the drive, we were all tired and thankful to be home again.

We enjoyed dinner at Angie and Gary’s the next day and celebrated Amy’s birthday a little more. I told Amy I think she is the most loved person I know. For several days people called and brought gifts over. I think the attention she gets from others is an indication of how unselfish and caring she is. Everyone loves my Amy, including me!

Finally, I just want to write a quick note about how I am feeling during the worst economic condition this Country has faced since the Great Depression. For now, I am working and still getting paid, but the future is definitely uncertain and in fact doesn’t look good. This month I have been battling my fears regarding losing my job. I’ve read several inspiring talks by apostles and have pondered the words of scriptures. I’ve concluded that righteousness does not make one exempt from hard and difficult conditions (although sometimes the Lord may step in to help). I’ve determined that the main blessing from living the gospel during difficult times is that it helps us be happy despite the horrible situations we are in. One thing Pres. Faust said is that sometimes the greatest blessings come from the worst challenges. As an example he referred to the greatest blessing ever given coming from the worst suffering ever endured (the atonement). While I am unsure of the future, I hope I can have hope, faith, and an attitude that reflects I know God is in control. I’m sure we all needed these difficult times to test us and cause us to rededicate ourselves to the Lord. I know that a major part of my judgment will be how I responded to the challenges I faced here on earth. I hope I can endure it well.