Little Grammy update

Grandma Wilbur went back to the hospital this weekend. The rods and other hardware that was already in her arm from her break about ten years ago came out of her skin where the bandages were rubbing. Well, yesterday they took all of the old hardware out under local anesthesia. Today she was meeting with a plastic surgeon to see what he could do for her wounds. She is a tough lady!

Grandma Wilbur

Scott got back from Massachusetts on Sunday. Grandma Wilbur is doing better. Her congestive heart failure has improved and she is breathing much better. They have not scheduled her surgery to set her arms yet. That will still be sometime down the road. She is living at the Quabbin Nursing Home, the same place that Grandpa Wilbur was in. Melissa works there as a nurse now so we are quite fortunate that someone can spend time with her and we have the inside track concerning how she is really doing.

Swimming Lessons

Another chapter has begun. We have all begun swimming lessons. What an adventure we have daily getting everyone to the pool on time and out of the dressing room in a timely manner afterward! AAUGH!! The kids are doing quite well with it all though. Leo and Will have jumped to level 3 already. Jaxon is in level 2. Seth and Chacity are both in level 4 and Chelsea is already in level 5! Brad will not come and play with us - football consumes his life!)
Every day I take a quick walk down memory lane ... oh, the sweet memories of past swim lesson sessons - long summers sitting at the pool with babies while watching the others swim and the all day swim meets. What great fun it was!

The Shooting Trip on New Year's Day

Just got these downloaded from New Years Day.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Rolling with the punches

I was reading my friend's blog last night and was impressed to stop and count my blessings once again. She is battling breast cancer that has metastasized to her bones. She is so very brave. She never misses a stride. From an outsider's vantage point, you may not even realize that she has cancer in every bone including her skull and in her liver. The doctors have given her 1 to 3 years. Yet, she volunteers at her sons' school, works out with friends, and maintains a seemingly normal life through all the pain and sickness of her disease and treatment. I guess her battle puts many things in perspective.
It seems that life is a lot of rolling with the punches. I guess that is how it will all play out in the end - how well we learn to roll. Scott's mom fell the day before Christmas breaking both of her arms severely and her nose. She was fortunate that the neighbor came shortly afterward to stoke her fire and found her. After a short hospital stay, she has been at the Quabbin Nursing Home where Melissa works for rehab and evaluation. When she visited the doctors last week she expressed her desire for corective surgery despite the risks. Without which, she would be relying on others for everything including eating for the rest of her life. So, Scott canceled his school and the kids weekend in St. George and made reservations to be with her before and during the surgery. We were so fortunate to find a ticket so affordable. I will not be able to go at the same time as we could only get one ticket and I have a screening interview with Canyons School District the same day her surgery is scheduled. It is good that he will go alone these days! They have scheduled two highly reputable surgeons to cut down on her time under anthesesia and increase her chances for a positive outcome. We are so blessed to live in a time when medical science can do so much.

Down come the Decorations

Well, another holiday season has come to a close with school starting again today - THANK HEAVENS! I still have about three weeks off to clean it all up and put it away. The two weeks went pretty peaceful. The kids helped Grams accomplish her goal of quilts for all (well - almost). No one had any explosive encounters. Token visits were experienced by those who felt moved to do so and extended family tolerated each other uneventfully, although obviously offended. All in all...pretty successful. Especially when most members of the family still found at least one opportunity to feel the spirit of Christmas sometime during the holidays!
Seriously, we are so blessed! All of our children are healthy. Our family circle is growing larger and richer with each new addition. Thirteen and counting grandchildren with three more grandchildren coming this summer. Grams is healthy. Grandma Wilbur is recovering under Melissa's (and Scott's) watchful eye. Our home is a safe, secure place and we are all progressing towards our goals. WE ARE BLESSED!

Happy New Year!