Chipper Nana

Well it is a crazy week, but here is the update. All the kids are down for the Christmas season so it is a hustle and a bustle at our house. Nana is in a rather chipper mood. She loves Christmas time and so she has decided to be hillarious, which is great. She lost 1 1/2 pounds and another 1/2 centemeter in her arm, but somehow that has not stopped her at all. Here is a funny picture take on Sunday evening after dinner we went over to say hi and get her ready for bed. She was in rare form singing songs and laughing and holding Lexee and really seemed to be enjoying the moment. I am so glad that we got this picture. Anyway in asking what the Hospice Nurse thought of all of this, she said that if a person loves a certain time of the year or babies, or certain people, well then they seem to rally and it really makes you wonder what to expect. We are done wondering, mom will do what she will do and we are going to just enjoy these moments as they come. Herb and I are taking our family up to a friends cabin for Christmas. We were going to leave today, but I have been sick and so we are leaving in the morning so Cina is taking over the care day to day until we get back next week. But today we got a call from the Nurse that Mom had answered the door for the Hospice Pharmacy guy. Dad was gone to Walgreens, and she kept telling the guy to come in, but he is not allowed to just do that so she got herself up somehow and got to the door, signed for the meds and then shut the door. The pharmacy guy said he heard a loud thump. She had gone down, so he went back in a helped her to the couch, which was so nice of him because he is not suppose to do that either, but I am so glad that he did. I know that if she was hurt that wouldn't have been a great idea, but she thankfully was not hurt at all. He called the Hospice Nurse who called me and met me there with Herb. We checked out all of her bones and joints and she can move them all, nothing swollen or bruised and nothing hurt her at all. So thank heavens for that little tender mercy. Well I really hope that all of you have a wonderful wonderful Christmas. I am so grateful for the Birth of the Savior and for His life and His love for all of us. I know he loves each one of us and is watching out for every one of our needs. Remember Him...

They made it home safe and sound...

Here they are those wonderful boys. Jesse Porter, Jaden Turley, David Hunt and Jordan Sunderhaus. Jordan said after they session all these people just swarmed them and wanted to know who they were and where they were going on their missions and then the Temple President pulled them into his office and gave each of them a new tie and pair of cuff links. Jordan said that is was really cool. He loved the Snowflake Temple and said so far it is his favorite Celestial Room. It is such a pretty one for sure.

Here is a huge manger scene right in front of the entry. I wonder where they store it!!!

Check out the beautiful fountain. It has ice cycles all over it. I love ice cycles.

Aren't they so handsome. Watch out world here they come!!!

If you haven't been to the Snowflake Temple. It sits on this wonderful hill so you can see it so well. It is beautiful and at night it just lights up the sky. So if you ever want to do a road trip, call me I'll go with you. I am so glad they got to go and that they were kept safe in their travels.

This kid cracks me up!!!

So Jordan, and David, and Jesse, and Jaden all headed up to go to the Snowflake Temple. These are such wonderful boys. They love going to the Temple and they love going together. He just called on his way home and said it was amazing. That's what he always says, it was AMAZING MOM!!! Isn't that great, I sure love it. Jaden is going to the exact same mission as Jordan only he leaves next Wednesday. They are so excited to be able to serve in the same place. David is going to Brazil and Jesse just got home from Hong Kong. Thanks boys for being such a great example of service.

Latest Update on Nana...

Sorry no pictures, but loads of info. Every Monday morning at 11:00 the Hospice nurse and I meet at the house to check how mom is doing. For the past couple of weeks she has kindof just stayed the same weight. When I arrived the CNA had already been there to get her bathed and ready for the day. But her hair was not wet...She was way tooooooo worn out from her huge adventure to see the Christmas Lights last night. Man who knew that just driving around in a car would poop you out that badly. Well evidently it does when you are so weak. I really felt badly at first, but when I talked to Herb later we decided we were really glad that we had done that for her. It will probably be her last adventure out and she really really appreciated the beauty of the lights. So not gonna feel bad, just really happy for that wonderful memory. The nurse and I got her to the scale where she weighed in at a whopping 104.2 That's right she lost 4 pounds in just one week. (I think I am gaining for her!) This is not good. Both the nurse and I tried really hard not to look astonished, but we were. That is a ton of weight to loose in one week. She really does think that there is a mean cancer that the scan did not pick up. Maybe in her bones or somewhere, but it is really working fast. She really does not want to even read anymore which is another sign of the end coming. So we are now really praying for her to be blessed with no pain, and to be able to not suffer at all. We are praying that she can be here as long as she needs to be, but really hope for her sake it does not take too long. She is ready, you can tell. Am I? Well I thought that I was, but of course when it gets right down to it, NOT! I know she will be so happy to see her Dad again. He has been gone for so long, and her Mom as well, and her Sister, and you know all of those other wonderful family members and friends. It will be a great reuion. So thank you for your prayers we feel them and appreciate them. We certainly feel blessed for having mom in our lives and our prayers now are for her just to be as comfortable as she can be and especially for DAD. He is having a tough time. Sometimes very very sad, and other very very mad. It is him that we really do worry about. But we are all going to just love him as much as he will let us and hope that he will feel that comfort. We'll keep you posted.

Look who came to visit

Do you remember these!!! I have always wanted to try and use these old rag curlers on Anna's hair. I use to put them in Jacque's every single Saturday Night so that her hair would be perfect on Sunday. It never failed that one or more would fall out in the night and so she would have this head full of darling curls with a couple of spots bone straight. Well Anna did'nt even last an hour. Poor little thing, she hated those things in her hair, so she began pulling them out and we gave in and helped her pull out the rest, but not before I caught it on film. Good old Grandpa kept her occupied while we put them in though and she gave him lots of kisses for it!!!

Christopher came this weekend for his last Rugby Tournament in Scottsdale. So that was really fun. What a crazy sport, I have no clue what is going on and it changes so quickly, but fun to watch. It was great to be together as a family all rooting for BIG RED!!! They did great. Won 2 and Lost 1. Not bad for a day of rugby. So they stayed and came to church with us today and so did Stephanie. Well Rachel, Anna, Stephanie and Lexee all came, the boys ditched.....DITCHERS!!! Anyway it was great to have them there. Today was Anna's first day in the nursery. She is a pro. Not a moment of concern for being left at all, just joined right in and had such a great time. You go Anna girl. So Nammie was so happy that she came to her nursery for her first time. She turned 18 months old on Dec 1st. Then tonight Stephanie fixed us a wonderful meal of Chicken Enchilada's. MMMMMMM...... Thanks so much Stephanie, they were delicious. After we ate we got the girlies all dressed in their SANTA jammies and took pictures. So here we are. We love these little ones so much and it is so cute how they are really becoming close friends. Lexee watched Anna when she would walk by her and Anna was pretty sweet with little Lexee, so I am glad that they are warming up to each other so well. I love my cousins and so I am anxious to see these cousins build that relationship.

So happy to be their grandparents!!!

I hope all of you are having a wonderful season. I have decided to try really hard to really enjoy it instead of rushing to get all the things done that we always think we need to do. We get to go to the mountains this year again. Thank you Petty's your so amazing. We are looking so forward to being together in the beautiful COLD mountains, with a wonderful fire going to keep us warm. CAN'T WAIT!!! Tonight after all dinner, Herb and I went and got his mom who had requested to go see Christmas lights and took her on a long drive all around Mesa. She did really good and seemed to really enjoy herself. It really wore her out and so she will sleep really really good tonight. She was really cute looking at all the pretty lights. I am so glad that we got to do that. Wish his dad would have felt better to go with us, but his knees were really hurting him today and he did not want to go out in the cold. One day at a time, that's our motto.....

TAKE TIME TO ENJOY THIS AMAZING SEASON...

Love to all

Wendi

Thanks Aunt Amy and Uncle Kurt

Thanks Aunt Amy and Uncle Kurt for having such a great Thanksgiving.... It was great. I love my sister's new home. It has so much room and so we were all so comfortable. The food was the best (perfect turkey uncle Kurt).

So thanks for hosting it this year.

We took family pictures and at the top is Kurt and Amys family, Holden, and Jarrett, My mom and Dad.

Our little family who was there when we took the picture. Christopher and Rachel and Anna were there earlier and then went to her families for their Thanksgiving. Curt and Jacque came after the Dana's had their Thanksgiving, so really all we were missing was Cody and Stephanie and Lexee. They are in California with Stephanie's family having so much fun I am sure. But we missed them.

This is my nephew Jarrett, he is so great. they have this crazy bull dog names TANK... that dog is the best. He was so much fun and I think this is the best picture ever. A man, his leather chair, and a bull dog. Does life get any better then that!!

I am totally thankful for this guy. He was so sick with allergies this weekend, but always so good to his family. We love that our house is full of family this week. With a cute little redhead that melts her papa's heart.

Here she is, that crazy redhead that we adore. She loves the olives on her fingers. She was very precise which finger she wanted them on. By the way she loved TANK!!!

Here we are out back. It was a beautiful day to be outside. What a great Thanksgiving day.

And low and behold, look what Auntie Amy found, a cute little reindeer!!! She loved those antlers.

It was a really great day. And we got some amazing news. There will be another wonderful little one to love. Christopher and Rachel are going to have another baby in July 2010. We are so excited. The more grandbabies, the better is what we think. Hope all of your holidays were wonderful as well. Good food, good people, pretty much LIFE IS GOOD....

Pretty in PINK

I'm telling you if you want a really good pedicure do NOT go to this place!!! Just kidding. I just need to blog this for posterity!!! I am sure they will appreciate it. Today was the final toenail removal day. Two weeks ago I finally (after 13 years of pain and agony) got the gutts up to go and have my big toe nails removed. Really people, it is not that bad and I so wish that I had done this sooner. It isn't a blast and the healing process is not fun at all, but so much better then those dumb toe nails that hurt all of the time. Anyway I did it. I think I changed the appointment like 3 times before I just finally bit the bullet and went. The have to numb the nerves of your toes with the wonderful shot. That is the worst part, but really not as bad as you would think, just a little pinch. Then they just take them off. They burn the root so that it won't grow back so I guess thank heavens for Lee Press On Nails!!! Actually the nailbed is not bad at all and I think I can just paint it. Anyway I know..... TMI, but normally they will only do one toe at a time and I talked them into 2 last time and so I went back today for the 3rd toe. Then I had them wrap them all so I could get a funny picture. The big toes are healing and in 6-8 weeks I can maybe go get a real live pedicure. We shall see. Anyway, people, don't wait, if you injure your toe nail, or get an ingrown toe nail, go get it taken care of. It is so worth it, don't wait, go now and in just a few short weeks, you will feel so much better. And you too can look PRETTY IN PINK!!! I know I do!