I cannot believe that it is the end of May already! Wow, this month has just flown by. We only have 17 more days and everyone will be here!!!! We can hardly wait! We are so excited!!! Grandpa has been working on the attic room. He still has a lot of work to do, but he has also gotten a lot done too. We just made a big purchase the other night. We bought a small upright freezer. We have wanted to buy one, and now that we will need more freezer space while the kids are here we thought now would be the right time to bite the bullet and do it. We got a 12.1 upright frost free freezer. We bought it on sale so we really got a good deal. I have wanted to get a freezer for years, so this is great. Grandpa went grocery shopping last night and now we have food in our new freezer! Grandpa got into an accident a few weeks ago. He didn't get hurt, but the car really got crunched. The collision repair shop told Grandpa that he can pick up the car today. It will be nice to get our car back and turn in the rental. Our insurance covered all but $1.00 a day on the rental. Grandpa has enjoyed driving the rental. It is a Toyota Camry. It is a much higher class car than our little Aveo, but I am really grateful not have to worry about a car payment right now. In the accident Grandpa was driving down the main road in Keokuk. Grandpa heard an emergency vehicle and turned to look to see where it was coming from. As he did this the truck in front of him stopped. The truck had no damage. The police officer gave Grandpa a citation and his name and the story of this accident appeared in the Keokuk newspaper. Grandpa also has to appear in court because of the citation. They do things really different here. He is scheduled to go into court the same day I have my appointment with Dr Bozdech in Quincy. Luckily my appointment is in the morning, and he isn't scheduled to go in until the afternoon. We should be able to make it work. Tonight Grandpa and I are going out to dinner with some good friends. Randy & Kathy Douglas, and Dale & Cheryl Hunt. We are going to the Bistro to eat. I suggested it, so I am really hoping everyone likes it. It may not be my favorite place to eat, but it is one of the better places around here. I am feeling really uncomfortable about this evening because if my wheelchair. I know it may seem silly, and I guess it is, but the logistics of getting me up to the table and not being in the way is a really big concern. Grandpa told me not to worry about it, that it is not a problem. I guess I should take his advise and not worry so that I can enjoy this evening! :)

It is amazing to me how fast time goes. Here it is the 27th of April already! June is fast approaching and I hope we're ready for when everyone comes. We are so excited. I am glad the time is going fast! I hope that my health will be good and won't deter from all the fun. It seems that I am having more down days than days that I feel good. On my last visit to the doctor he said that there was nothing more that they could do for me. My job now is to find joy in where I am in life. I do love life. There are so many blessings to partake of. I know that on my bad days there is always help. If not from those that are here; then those who are beyond the veil. We are never alone and will never be given more than we can endure. I know this promise is real, because I see it fulfilled again and again in my life when the pain is so bad or a depression wants to set in. I pray and ask for help and help comes. Sometimes a meal is brought in, or a phone call or a friend may come for a visit. Sometimes the help comes from beyond the veil when a total peace comes to my soul, or sleep comes and frees me from the pain. I can't be up long before I get tired out. I usually just go to Sacrament meeting when I am able to make it to church. I know that Heavenly Father loves each one of us. We are His children! Jesus Christ is our Savior! The Atonement is real. Because of our Savior we will live again and can be reunited with our loved ones! I finished the Eragon series by Christopher Paolini that Matt gave me to read. I have just started reading Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. I enjoy reading. I am also starting a project for Christmas. I hope that it works and I get it done. That's all I am going to say about it, because I don't want to ruin the surprise. I am going to ask to be released from my callings. This is a very hard thing for me. I do really enjoy them, but things are jumbled a lot in my mind. I tell Grandpa that I am not in my right mind anymore, and he says that I should be because I am left-handed (People who are left-hand tend to use the left side of the brain, where as people who are right-handed tend to use the left side of their brains). Grandpa is also taking over paying the bills. Well, I guess it is about time to begin my day. It is cloudy out, but the birds are still singing. Buster is asleep at the bottom of the bed. There is a lot of traffic going by my window. I guess people are still on their way to work. Today should be a good day!

So much has happened since I last wrote! The biggest thing of course was the trip to Utah!! All I can say is that it was truly awesome!!! We loved spending time with all the grandkids, and family. Each day that we were there was full of visits and activities! Again we are reminded of what a wonderful family we have, and how much we love our family!

On the 10th of Dec was our Ward's Christmas Party. Grandpa was asked to Sign a song and I was asked to sing it with him. We chose to do "The Star Carol". I was scared to death. I asked for a blessing the night before and felt comforted. As I started to sing I got really nervous, I felt a prompting come that told me to watch Grandpa as I sang. As I did so, I felt a peace come over me and I could sing.

I haven't done my Christmas cards yet, and I missed sending Matt's b-day card yet. I have been really sick for about a week now. Today I am finally starting to feel good again. It seems that I get sick alot more now. I am glad that I am feeling better for now.

I can't believe Christmas is this Sunday! I love Christmas. I wish that we could be with you all and share the day with you! Jacob and Tally and the girls are going to come over to eat dinner with us. Grandpa put up our decoration this year and he decorated the tree. I did a little bit, but because of being sick I didn't get to help like I would like to.

When I came to my blog this morning and saw that I had not posted since July, I was a little embarrassed. I knew it had been awhile, but hadn't realized it had been that long! Life sure goes by fast! I will work at doing better!

Today I have had a slow start. I didn't feel very well when I first got up so I was just on facebook and noticed that Karen and others had updates on their blogs so I went to read their updates then I came to update my blog and that is when I realized it had been forever since I last wrote and made changes. As I started to type up my entry I glanced at the clock and it was 8:30am. Today is Wii bowling and Lisa and Heather are supposed to come at 9:00am. I got up and started to get myself ready. Heather called and she was sick. I called Lisa and she said she was coming so I finished getting myself ready and was out in the family room waiting when she got here.

We had fun bowling as usual. We are trying to do the special things on the game to get the leaves. On Tuesday we started trying to get one where you have to throw it down on top of the gutter guard all the way to the end and by doing that all the pins will just fall down. We tried and tried on Tuesday and couldn't do it. Today the first ball that Lisa throws, rode the guard all the way down and all the pins fell! I tried the first game we played and couldn't do it. On the 2nd frame of the 10th shot I did it, but because it was the 2nd frame it didn't count it! We played a 3rd game and couldn't do it. By then we were out of time for the day. I will just have to try again next time!

On Friday of last week. Jared the man that Grandpa has been helping to get a job with NRI came to live with us during the weekdays until December. His family isn't able to move until then, so he will stay with us during the week and go home on weekends. We are so glad that an opening finally came up at NRI that he could take. The opening that he got was Grandpa's previous position as head of the paint crew! It works out well having Jared here, because he will be able to take care of Buster while we are gone. His family is going to come and spend Thanksgiving here with him.

I am using my wheelchair more. I am now using it when I go to church. I can't walk very far without it causing me pain, and other problems. I just had my lungs checked and they are doing good! We are very grateful for that!

Buster is doing good. He is getting better about letting people come to our home. He seems a lot more accepting of people.

Grandpa is enjoying working on the plumbing crew. He is still not sure when the State will let him take the test for his license. Until then he will just have to keep working as an apprentice.

It is starting to get cold here already. The leaves are changing and it is beautiful. We are so looking forward to coming to visit you all in Utah for Thanksgiving. October is half over and November will be here, and then on Nov 22nd we will be there!!

Wow, I can't believe almost a whole month has past since I last wrote in my blog! Time seems to go so fast.
Grandpa has been very busy this month. Every Tuesday and Thursday he has been volunteering at the concessions stand for the Nauvoo Pageant. On the days that he volunteers he leaves home in the morning to go to work at about 6:15am. He goes straight from work over to the concessions stands. He usually doesn't get home until about 10:00pm. So he comes home pretty tired, but he loves serving.
Grandpa still has the opportunity of serving in the Temple every other Saturday. He loves to serve in the Temple. He has had many great experiences while he has served.

Yesterday we celebrated Pioneer day with Jacob and Tally. We started the day by having a waffle breakfast. Grandpa loves making waffles, and eating them! After breakfast we all had errands to run and grocery shopping to do so we did that. After shopping we met back at our house and played games and had lunch. For lunch we had ham and cheese sandwiches. Later for dessert we had banana cream pie. I was going to make cookies, but when I found the pie I decided that would be a lot simpler. While we played games I sat in my wheelchair with my legs elevated. It really worked well, and kept my legs from swelling as bad as they usually do when we play games. It was really a fun day for everyone. Except probably for Maggie. Because Buster is still mending we decided that she should stay home. But next time she should get to come because Buster is almost all healed. He is going to have some big scars but he is doing really good!

Today I woke up in quite a bit of pain. I took my pain medication and after Grandpa went to work I went back to sleep. When I woke up about 8:00 I felt a little better. Today being Tuesday was Wii bowling. Heather and Lisa came and we played three games. It was fun. We enjoyed the bowling, talking and laughing. We also enjoyed the lemon poppy seed muffin that Lisa brought for each of us.

It seems that I am having a lot more pain and more down days. But even tho I don't feel good and can't do much, I am happy. I am so blessed. One of my greatest blessings are you all. You all bring such great joy to my life!

I can't believe that it is the 28th already! This month has just whizzed by!

I had something very special happen with the program I did for church on Sunday. Normally I get the program all ready to be printed by deleting old announcements and adding all the new announcements that I have been given. I change the dates, update the Sunday School reading assignments, and change the thought. The thought is usually a quote from a General Authority, or something the Bishop has asked me to put in. I also make changes to the calendar and Ward leadership that need to be updated. I also pick the picture that goes on the front of the program. Usually after I get all this done, I print up a copy and wait for Grandpa to proof read it. After he proofs it and we do any tweaking that it needs Grandpa prints it up. Right now with all the visitors in Nauvoo, we are printing up about 90 copies! Well this last Saturday Grandpa had to work all day and into the evening. Which meant he wouldn't be here to proof read the program and to print them up, and I knew he would be to tired when he got home to want to fold them. (The programs are printed on legal size paper so that they can be a trifold. So because I knew I had a huge task ahead that day, I prayed to Heavenly Father to bless me that I would we accurate in my typing and that I would be able to pick a picture that would go well for the meeting, and that I would have the health and strength to complete it all. I had pretty much everything done on the computer except I needed to find the picture. The theme was on the Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ. I went online and started looking for pictures. I found a couple that would fit, but I didn't feel that they were what I wanted. Then a picture popped up that I felt would be perfect. I just knew it was the one I needed for the program. So I added the picture and after a few more changes had it ready to print. With only a few quirks I had to fix on figuring out the printer, the printing was all done! I had about 1/2 the programs folded before Grandpa got home! I was tired, but I did it! That was one of the tender mercies with the program, the next happened the next day at Sacrament mtg. The brother who was to speak passed out a stick figure drawing that went along with his talk. On the left side of the paper depicted Christ's life on earth in the old world, and the bible that records this and then on the right side of the paper it depicted Christ coming to the people on this side of the world. Well the picture that I had found online had on the left side a map of the old world in the background, a picture of the bible at the top, and then a picture of the Crucifixion. On the right side it had a map of the American continents in the background. At the top was a picture of the Book of Mormon, and then there was a picture of Christ appearing to the Nephites. I was so excited to see how the Lord had blessed me! He will truly bless us when we pray!

Today a group of us ladies are going to go to the city of Macomb for lunch. It is about an hour away. We are going for Shirley Evans, she is going to be moving to Florida. Looking forward to getting out and going to lunch. It will be sad seeing Shirley go.

Yesterday Lisa came over to do wii bowling, but we both decided to just watch a movie instead. Lisa had brought a movie with her. It was the movie, "Yogi". It was a really cute movie. We even popped up some popcorn to eat during the movie. After the movie Lisa mentioned that she really wanted to get her hair cut. I have been wanting to get mine cut too, so Lisa called Robert Saint at "The Nauvoo Salon". He had some openings in a couple of hours. Lisa had some errands to run and so she decided to run the errands and then come get me and then head into Nauvoo for our haircuts. Before she left shopping Lisa helped me with Buster so I could change his dressings. They were coming off. Lisa decided that while she was out shopping she would look for something that would help in keeping the gauze pads in place. She found something that seems to work pretty good, it just needs some fine tuning. Buster is getting better, but he still has a long way to go until he is all healed up.

I really enjoy my new haircut. After Lisa dropped me off at home, I was still feeling good. I decided it would be fun to go to a movie with Grandpa. We called Lisa and her husband Ken to see if they wanted to go too. So we all went to the little theater in Keokuk. At this theater you only pay $6.00 for your ticket and you get a drink and a popcorn to go with it! We saw the movie, "Super 8". We were really disappointed with some of the language, but other than that we all enjoyed it. It was scary though!