It is after 11:00 pm. Grandpa is at my side snoring away. I was sleeping a little bit ago, but woke up in pain. Since I am awake, I decided that it was a good time to write in my blog.

On Monday we had Jacob and Tally and three others come to dinner. The three who came were Heather and her son, and I can't think of his name right now, and Dorthy. Grandpa is one of their home teachers. Grandpa and I made "Fiesta Spaghetti". We had that and garlic toast and green beans. For dessert we had peaches that had come off of Dale and Cheryl Hunts tree. We served the fresh peaches sliced with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Everyone seemed to enjoy dinner, so we sent them all home with left overs. I always get really nervous to have people eat my cooking, especially when I have made up the recipe!

Jacob and Tally stayed after everyone else left so that we could play a new game. It is called "Curses". It is a pretty fun game. Grandpa has a hard time playing games like that, but he did pretty good trying.

Grandpa and I ordered a new bedspread for our bed. The one we had was wearing out. A catalog came in the mail. When we looked thru it we found one on sale that matched the wallpaper in our room! So we broke down and ordered it. That was on Friday and today I heard a doorbell and went to the door to see who it was. Nobody was at the side door where most people come. Then I looked at the front door and there was a huge box! The door was stuck! I had tried in the past to open it and couldn't. I called Grandpa to see if there was something I could do to open it. He said it was just the lock that was hard to open. Well, I wanted my package. I knew that there was no way that I would be able to walk around outside and climb the steps and then get that huge box and go back down those steps and walk back to the side door with it, especially with my foot the way it is. Since it was just the lock I decided that I was going to get it open! I did it! It was hard, but finally it clicked open. (It is a very old lock that uses an old skeleton key) I rolled the box in, opened it and sure enough it was our new bedspread set. The set came with the bedspread, and matching trow quilt, 2 pillow shams, a bed skirt, and two decorative pillows! Now since I had the package I wasn't about not to put them on the bed! So I got a new set of sheets out of the closet. The only ones we had that were clean are our pink set, but I used them anyway. Our new bedspread is blue and yellow. But we only have two sets of sheets that fit our bed and the one set is pink. Anyway I had to take the mattress off the bed too so that I could put the bed skirt on. I know this is really a two person job, especially when one of the people is me, but I really wanted to get this all done before Grandpa got home. Well I finally got the bed skirt on and the mattress back on the bed and the bed all made. It all matched the wallpaper so well. It was like we planned it. And the colors are bright and cheery!

I also worked at hanging pictures in my office. I hung all my family pictures I had growing up, and one some of Great Grandpa and Grandma Lemon. I also hung one up of the Layton family taken just before we moved back to Utah, and I hung one up of Great Grandpa & Grandma Pierce.

Grandpa got off work early today so he could take me to my Dr appt with Dr Joe. He went over my dexa scan. It didn't even look at my feet. It measured the bones in my spine, hip and arm. The results showed a little thinning in the spine. Everything else was ok. When I last had my labs it showed that my calcium levels were in the normal range, but at the bottom of normal. I was told to start taking a calcium with vitamin D supplement. So after my appt. we went to Walmart to pick it up and do some shopping.

I am so excited. Tim & LuJean, and Allison are coming! They arrive on Tuesday afternoon which is the 3rd and stay until the 10th!

Today has truly been a wonderful day. It started out with me waking up and looking at the clock and seeing that it was just before 6:00am. I woke up Grandpa and asked if he had forgotten to set his alarm, because normally he would be leaving for work in just 15 minutes from that time. He smiled and told me he had the day off because of the 24th of July holiday! I was so excited! He got me good. He was originally going to come home early because I had a eye doctor appt. in Quincy that he was going to take me to. I had totally forgotten about the holiday! So Grandpa made us breakfast and I rested still. Then Grandpa got his lawn mowing and edging done. Buster went out with him. Grandpa put a bowl of water out for Buster. It was so hot and humid! By the time Grandpa had finished, he was wet from head to two, and had to come in and shower and change before we could go.

We left home just after 1:00pm for my appt. On the way to Quincy I read to Grandpa from the book we are reading, "Digging up the Past" We are about halfway thru the book and just trying to figure out who the real murderer is.

My eye appt went really well and the dr said that things look really good. Because my eyes were dilated during my appt they were extremely sensitive to light so I had to wear my sunglasses. It was even to light while I was still in the building and I had to wear the sunglasses, in the building, and when I was outside I had to close my eyes even with the sunglasses on or I would start to feel sick.

After my appt. Grandpa and I were both really hungry so we went to The Maya, Mexican restaurant. We enjoyed our meal and then we decided to go see "Despicable Me" I knew it was playing at the Mall there in Quincy, but I didn't know what time the movie started. We got there at 20 minutes to 5:00pm and found out the movie started at 5:00pm! We couldn't have done any better if we had actually planned it!

The movie was really fun. We loved the 3D effects. Yes really, Grandpa even enjoyed it! I know that there is a thing there to put your glasses in as you are leaving the theater so that they can be recycled, but I told Grandpa that I wanted to keep them and then if we go again to a 3D movie we would have them. I am not sure but if they work for TV, but if we rented a movie that was 3D we could try and see if they work for that! By the time the movie was over, my eyes were doing much better and I could keep my eyes open while I was outside,as long as I was wearing my sunglasses, and I still needed to wear them indoors too.

After the movie as we were walking out of the theater I noticed one of those picture booths were you can take silly pictures. I coaxed Grandpa and he finally gave in and went and got a five changed to ones so we could have our pictures taken. It was fun and after we finished it showed a video of us while we were in the booth getting our pictures done. I have always wanted to do that, but we could never find one of these booths. Now we have the pictures to prove we sat in a picture booth and had our pictures taken.

Alot has happened since my last entry. Just the very next day I was having alot of pain in my chest. It was on the right side and not my left, so I was thinking that it might be a blood clot, or even another pleural effusion. But then I thought maybe it was nothing and I should just forget about it. The pain had actually started during the night and I wasn't able to sleep very well. So since it was even worse in the morning I decided that I had better tell Grandpa. We decided that it would be a good idea to get a Priesthood blessing. In the blessing I was counseled that I should call the doctor. So after the blessing we called Dr Joe (Tally's Dad) and asked him what I should do. He instructed me to go to the hospital. He said that sometimes women have pains on the right side when they have heart attacks. He also instructed us to go to Keokuk Area Hospital because it is closer. So we did what he asked us to do. At the hospital they took my blood pressure. It was higher than I had ever seen it! It was 168/112! They wanted to give me some baby aspirin, and I had to tell them that I couldn't take it. So then they gave me a nitroglycerin tablet. It started to bring my blood pressure down. Then they gave me a patch with a nitroglycerin paste on it. Then they told me that they needed to send me down to Blessing Hospital because they were better equipped if something were to happen. I told them that I would go and that Grandpa could drive me, but they said that I needed to go in an ambulance! Well now I can say I have ridden in an ambulance. It is not something that I want to do again. I did fine and all my tests after the nitroglycerin were normal. I got to go home after 24 hours. It was very nice to be home!

The next day Grandpa called from work and said that there was a couple that needed a place to stay while they were here in Nauvoo. Of course we were happy to have them come stay here. I started to get things ready for them. When I was in the guest room I noticed a box that had some of my wall hangings in it. There was one that I really wanted to hang. I found a spot and got a chair. I had to stand on my tip toes to get it hung. Finally after dropping nails and lots of praying to be able to finish this project, my prayer was answered and I finally got it hung.

Our guests came that afternoon. I just barely had things ready. They stayed that night and the next. The morning that they were leaving when I got up my right foot by my big toe was hurting. I was thinking like in that play that we saw "Just plain Anna Amanda", I could say, "Right toe, right toe". :) Grandpa and I thought that I might have sprained something when I was standing on my tip toes. That night I was in severe pain! It was still really bad in the morning! So since it was Friday morning I needed to call Lisa and let her know that I wouldn't be able to go to the YMCA. Lisa offered to take me to the doctor's office. When I called Dr Joe's office they said that I should just go to the ER. At the ER they took x-rays. They didn't see a break on the x-ray but they thought that I might still have a hairline fracture. The x-ray also showed that I have osteoporosis in my foot. I was given a prescription for a walker. I was also instructed to stay of my foot as much as possible, then after 3 days if it is not better, I need to have it checked again. Well tomorrow is my follow up for last Sunday's stuffs, it has also been 3 days on the foot, and it is not any better. So I will just go in and get both things checked out.

Oh, something else..... When the doctor came in to talk to me about my foot, I realized that he was the same doctor that had taken care of me last Sunday! I was really embarassed! What were the odds in that?

I just got a call from Great Grandpa & Grandma Pierce. They are going to bring me lunch in a little while. That is really such a nice thing for them to do.

Thursday Tally, Lisa, and I drove the hour to Quincy. We treat ourselves with lunch
then Lisa & I had our mammograms.Tally came as support. Originally she was coming, but then we found out that unless there is a family history you don't have to have one done until you are 35. We heard that Quincy had a machine that is better and less painful. I was really skeptical. But it was much better. After the mammograms we stopped at Dairy Queen for ice cream. We all had a nice time. The weather was great, the food was good, the company was great, and even the mammogram wasn't too bad. When Lisa dropped Tally and I off at Grandpa and I's house I got a phone call from Great Grandma asking if I would like to come in to play games. So Jacob, who had been sleeping (or trying to sleep) at the house dropped me off at Great Grandpa and Grandma's house on his & Tally's way home to their house. Great Grandpa Pierce and Nickolas went to the Temple to do baptisms for the dead. The rest of us played a round of Phase 10. When we finished that we went in to watch Touched By An Angel. I don't remember much after sitting down to watch the show. I feel promptly asleep. I woke up when Grandpa came to pick me up to take me home at about 10:00 after he was finished with the concessions.

Last night Layne and Marlisa, Nickolas, Sydney, Grandpa and I went to see "Eclipse" Aunt Marlisa had made T shirts for herself, Sydney and I. We all wore them to the show. We really enjoy the show. I was disappointed it ended when it did. After the movie we all went back to Great Grandpa & Great Grandma Pierce's for dinner. We had Spaqhetti, salad, and garlic bread. Then we all played the card game golf, using Rook cards. After playing a few rounds Grandpa and I realized we were completely worn out, and my pain level was way out of control, so we decided we better head home.

Buster was very happy to see us. We have now decided the best place to put Buster when we have to leave, is in our bathroom. We put a bowl of water for him to drink, his doggy bed, and we put down one of those pad thingys that you use on hospital beds (So in case he has to go potty while we are gone). Well we found out he knows what the pad thingy is for. Buster seemed in much better spirits when we got home.

Today we are driving down to Quincy again. We are going to see the movie "Karate Kid". Great Grandpa & Grandma Pierce, Layne & Marlisa, Nickolas, Sydney, Grandpa and I are all going. After the movie we are going to the Adventure Zone. It should be a fun day.

Great Grandpa's birthday dinner went really well. It was nice to spend some time with them, Jacob and Tally, and Jay came to Great Grandpa's dinner too.

Saturday Grandpa and I went over to Jacob and Tally's. We had Buster with us. Maggie and Buster were very happy to be able to have a play date. Grandpa, Jacob and Tally and I went to eat at the sandwich place in Nauvoo. While we were gone Maggie stayed in her kennel, and Buster stayed in the bathroom in Jacob and Tally's bathroom. We enjoyed dinner and went back to Jacob and Tally's to watch a movie.

On our way home we noticed people lined up along the Mississippi. We realized that they must be doing fireworks that night so we found a good place to stop and we watched the fireworks. We learned that Buster doesn't have a problem with fireworks. I think it is funny that he doesn't mind fireworks but thunderstorms really upset him.

Sunday was Testimony meeting and I took the opportunity to bare my testimony. It took everything out of me. As I was going to my seat I got to the stairs and was concerned about going down them because I felt unsteady. Well all of a sudden I felt as though I had people helping me down to my seat. I felt very blessed.

Monday was the day that Grandpa got off work to celebrate the 4th of July. Jacob and Tally came by after Jacob's appt at the dentist. Jacob had to have a tooth pulled. The dentist office is just up the street from where we live, in fact in one of the rooms there you can see our house while you are in one of the chairs to have dental work done. After Jacob and Tally left to run errands, we also went to run errands. By the time we got back, I was totally exhausted. I really wasn't feeling well so I laied down until it was time to go to the bbq at Uncle Kent and Aunt Jane's. When I got up I was feeling much better. We went to the bbq and found our way without much problems. The funny thing we found was that we were under the impression that the bbq started at 6:00pm but actually started at 4:00pm. We found the reason for the confusion was that Great Grandpa & Great Grandma weren't able to be there until 6:00 because they were serving in the Temple. But it all worked out. It was nice to see Great Grandpa Pierce's side of the family.

Today is the first day of the pageant. Grandpa is there at the concessions. There has been alot of rain today. I hope that it clears up and dries out in time for the pageant to begin!

Here it is Thursday and I haven't posted since Monday. It is sad how if you miss one day, it can stretch into another day, then another. I started on the blog right after Grandpa left for work. I decided to make some changes on the setup. Oh, what a project. I would make a change and then it would mess up other things. So here it is after 11:00am and I am just finish up!

On Tuesday I got a call from Bonnie Trapp. She asked if I could help her with her apricots. I had the time and so she came and picked me up at about 2:00. Grandpa called just after we got started and I told him we could really used some help. He said that he would be there as soon as he could. Grandpa came right after work, he was a lifesaver! He really helped out alot! We stayed until about 9:30. Bonnie sent us home with some of the apricots that we bottled and some jam she had canned before. It was a fun project. It was really nice to talk to Bonnie and to be able to put up the apricots, of course. The picture that I am using for this blog entry are some of the apricots that we canned!

I didn't go to the pool yesterday. I was thinking that Grandpa and I's appts with the dermatologist was at 1:00. I found out that it wasn't until 3:45, but I had so many little projects around the house that I didn't change things. Our appointments went really well. We like this Dr. and will follow thru and make appts in the future if we need too.

Today is Great Grandpa Pierce's birthday. Great Grandpa & Grandma are going to pick me up at around 1:30 to bring me to their house. Great Grandpa Pierce is going to go help Grandpa as soon as he gets off work. They need to hook up the lights and the fans at the concessions trailer. After they are done we will be eating dinner at Great Grandpa & Grandma Pierce's house.