Sunday July 19th 2009
I have so many thoughts on the brain today that I thought I would write one big letter this week and try and get it all down. It has been an eventful month. We headed down to San Diego for the fourth of July and spent a wonderful two days packed full of activities. It was great to be in Joe and Daisy's home again and enjoy the fourth with family - just as we usually do. It made the summer for me and feel like we weren't that far away. We visited with my mom and dad and they were even able to come up to Joe and Daisy's for the fourth. Spent some "talk time" with the Abernathy's, visited with our old neighbor whose husband died, went to our ward's 4th of July breakfast and saw friends. It's always hard to say good-bye to everybody but we managed. We left on the 5th of the July and drove straight through. The next day Nathan and family drove straight through to spend a week with us. That was another absolutely wonderful week for me. I'm still taking my CNA course but always found time to go places with the kids. On Tuesday, Nathan and Colleen took the kids to Thanksgiving Point and toured the Dinosaur museum (Ammon went too) - that was fun for him. I went to my class and then was able to pick up Aubrey and Kaitlin in the afternoon for a nap which made the day nice for Nathan and Colleen.
Nathan wasn't feeling too well the week before he came up to see us and unfortunately continued to decline while he was here. We were all getting concerned that he wasn't his usual Gun- Ho person and felt more like sleeping and spending time in the bathroom and we all wondered what was going on. The real clincher came when he was all dressed and ready to go to the Salt Lake Temple with Colleen and fell asleep on the couch and just didn't have the energy to go. He was so looking forward to that! So Colleen and I came up with Plan B and took Ethan and Hannah to the Oquirrh Temple Open House so they could see inside a temple. It's in a beautiful spot on the west side of the valley. Before we left Colleen and I decided to have a prayer for Nathan with Hannah and Ethan. Colleen said a wonderful prayer praying that we would be able to discover what needed to be done to get Nathan better again. Then we took off.
We were only about five minutes into the trip talking about various things when Colleen mentioned Nathan's scout trip to the Kern River with his boy scout troop. A flash of light pierced my mind and I said, "Did he drink any of the water?" Sometimes there are these nasty microbes that live in the water in the mountains that make you very sick if you drink the water. It takes about 7-10 days to develop. Colleen and I both felt that was the answer to our prayers. Nathan went that night to the Urgent Care and actually walked right in and saw a doctor who had had Giardia before. He began gettingt back on his feet about two days later - in time to go out to eat with Rasmina. We are so thankful for the answer to our prayers so immediately. He wasn't cured instantly but was put back on the road. In the meantime, Daniel was able to give his first blessing (at Nathan's request) to Nathan. That was a spiritual experience in itself and we will always remember the great spirit that was present. ( We found out later the Salt Lake Temple was closed for cleaning anyway)
Well, we did a couple more things with the family. The "This is the Place" monument/frontier town was great! I would recommend it to anybody coming to this area. We took the kids to the swimming pool in American Fork and I slid down the whirly slide with Ethan two times. What a Grandma!!!!
They left on Sunday the 12th just in time to get Ammon ready for Scout Camp on the 13th He left the that Monday and so he had to say goodbye to Daniel early.Then we spent part of the day getting some picture frames to enter a couple of art projects that Rachelle did last year into the American Fork Art Contest for Steel Days.
Daniel was scheduled to enter the MTC on Wednesday. We scrambled to get the last minute items he needed and everything came together. He didn't leave too much of a mess when he left. He fit everything in two suitcases so we will see if that will see him through his mission. He figures if he doesn't take his mouthwash on the plane and takes his vitamins the three months he is in the MTC, and leaves his soap behind he might make it under the 50 lb. limit for international travel. It will be close. Wednesday did arrive and fortunately I had the day off of school (everybody else did clinicals that day). He spent the morning finishing up a birthday present from Erin - a Breakfast cereal box made into a scripture holder just the size of his scriptures which he pasted pictures from the Ensign and New Era. It actually turned out great looking. Now everybody else in the family wants one, so we are saving the cereal boxes we go through. It sure didn't take long to drop him off at the MTC. We followed the arrows to a side entrance where a very nice sister missionary was waiting with a clipboard asking for our missionary's name. There was also a companionship waiting to escort him into the MTC. They took a family shot of us, grabbed his luggage and before we could pull away from the curb he was inside. Very efficient and hardly time to get emotional. So there he is - haven't heard from him yet but we do have an address to send letters...
Elder Daniel Joseph Price
MTC Mailbox # 188-0928
Russian Samara Mission
2005 N 900 E
Provo, Utah 84604
I think the 0928 on his address means he leaves the mission home on September 28th. We were thinking three months but I think it will actually be 2 1/2 months.
Well, if you remember Rachelle auditioned for the Lone Peak High School Ballroom team and made it. So she has a few items she needed to get to get ready to be on the team - one of which was a $145.00 pair of ballroom dance shoes - that was only part of the expense. But she is so worth it! Right! We did that this week and a bunch of other things she needs for the team. I had a ten minutes presentation in my CNA class on Shingles on Friday. Kirstin and Philip arrived from being gone for the last 2 1/2 months. McKeltie has grown and is walking and is a non-stop kid. Don't plan on cuddling - she doesn't sit still long enough. I went to my first clinicals (actually working in a nursing home) on Saturday from 6:00am to 2:00pm. When I got there - silly me - I volunteered to be in the Alzheimer wing. Boy was that a lot of work! I think at my age I will try something less demanding. It was non-stop with about 18 patients. I think they were completely understaffed but who am I to say. It was quite the experience. I learned how to transfer patient using a sling which left the patient dangling in the air and then we position them over the bed and lower them. (that was the most fun part).
Woodcarving
Leather Work
Indian Lore
Pioneering
Orienteering
Enviornmental Science
Mammal Study
Soil and Water Conservation
Plus, the Religious Award
Then I came home briefly before going with Rachelle to volunteer for the Steel Days activities at 3:00pm. The family came at 7:30pm and we were treated to American Idol, American Fork Style, and the Biggest Loser Contest, American Fork Style, and then some extravagant Fireworks that made you think the whole show was the grand finale. Somewhere in between all this Ammon came home from scout camp packing several Merit Badges.
We also found out that one of Rachelle's pieces of art won first place in the Art Show in her division and so she won a whoppin' $10.00. You go Rachelle!!!
Now it's Sunday and we can slow down a bit - right? Some kid pulled the alarm in the building so we all had to evacuate - that was exciting.
Erin is planning on going to Disneyland this weekend with some of her sister missionary friends.
I am really ready for my CNA class to be over. I will start to look for something in that line of work - but I only want part time and no weekends - so we will see.
I know I've unloaded a lot of information - maybe more than you really wanted to know!. I decided this was the best way to journal this week and to let Daniel and everybody know what's happening around here.
I think I'm done for now. Next week seems a lot slower. I do have another eight hour clinical on Wednesday. I'm not volunteering for the Alzheimer wing this time!
Now, I need to find something to keep Ammon busy. It's been pretty warm. My garden is growing and I now have a peach tree planted - thanks to Rahn and Daniel.
Love you all lots and I do like to hear what you are doing. I like INFORMATION!
Love Me, Mom, Grandma, friend etc.
