ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

We knew that we would have a rough time of it this week, the week between leaving the MTC (that comfort zone where evil can't get into) and getting to North Carolina (where we have the relative safe surroundings of a mission zone). This was the adversary's last chance to get us to call it quits and stay home!

After Trevor's tumultuous accident last month (with a recovery that will extend to next month and beyond), my blasted hip which causes me enough pain that I've resorted to borrowing my mother-in-laws power chair (much to her delight because she can't be forced to use it herself), Mike's knee (injured while still on active duty) and the huge, seemingly overwhelming task of getting our stuff packed and put away or loaded onto our trailer, it seems that he has resorted to throwing fireballs at our feet! I'm talking BIG fireballs! If there is anything that will cause us to even think about not going on the mission to which we've been called, it will have something to do with our grandchildren and he knows it!

On Tuesday we were blessed to have Sara and Rachel come and give us a hand clearing out our bedroom and basement. Even though I'm not a pack rat, there was still so much junk to take care of. I think I'll take my friend, Bonnie Whitehead's lead and get rid of the books I've already read and won't read again. Anyway, just as we were calling it quits for the day, we heard a loud wail. Apparently Emily had fallen off of the top (4 1/2 ft) of our Total Gym, landing on the back of her head on the hardwood living room floor. I really didn't think much of it and didn't even go up stairs to see how she was. What a loving Grandma I am.

Break for a glimpse backward...when my kids would cut themselves I would tell them to bleed outside! I was working at Fred Meyer one day cashiering when one of my kids called me. The call went something like this.

Me- "Are they bleeding inside?"

Kid- "No"

Me- "OK, I'll call you back"

Old Man waiting to be checked out- "Wow, internal bleeding! That can be pretty serious."

Me (after pausing to think about what he'd said)- "Oh no. I just wanted to make sure they weren't bleeding in the house!"

Anyway, I wasn't too concerned...until Rachel called us from her car on her way home. Apparently Emily's injury was worse than any of us thought. She lost her vision and couldn't see her mom. She was vomiting and having difficulty staying awake. Poor Luke was charged with the task of keeping Emily awake and keeping the baby's binky in her mouth. All the while Rachel was trying to find Lakeview Hospital in Bountiful with directions from her dad and me who by this time had jumped in the car to meet her. Emily was freaking out, her mom was freaking out and the whole time I was just thinking about poor Luke!

In the event that we couldn't get to the hospital in a timely manner, we called Chuck (Mike's brother who lives close to the hospital) to give Rachel a hand in case she needed help. We didn't want Emily to have to wait for Grandpa to give her a blessing if she needed one before they treated her or sent her up to Primary Children's Medical Center. Chuck called his son, Jonathan (a newly ordained Elder) to meet him there. We did get there just after Rachel and Chuck. After they got Emily settled a bit they let the three men into the room to give her a blessing. Jonathan got to participate in his first blessing. I hope he recorded it in his journal. It meant a lot to us that he was able to do it. I find it important to say that I would be grateful if all the men in our family would keep themselves worthy to give blessings. That power is the power to move mountains. It has certainly been of benefit to us!

We were in the waiting room for about 4 or 5 hours and boy! did my hip feel it! What looked like a comfortable chair ended up feeling like a hard boulder! And poor Morgan, she knew she wasn't in her own mom's arms or her own bed. The poor thing didn't sleep for more than 15 minutes. It was worth it though because Em's head CT showed up clear. Mike later said he wished sometimes that they would let the doctor's do the testing before the blessing just to see a miracle happen! Anyway, even though they couldn't get her to stop vomiting completely, they let her go home. She said, "Grandma, I feel much better now!" For that I am thankful!

Now, about Isaac...it seems that he's been cursed with asthma! All of the smoke in the air from the fires in Herriman have wreaked havoc on his little lungs. Jana took him up to Primary Children's Medical Center (I will henceforth call it PCMC) and they put him on a nebulizer to help him breathe. They sent him home with a portable unit but it didn't seem to be doing much good so his mom took him back to the hospital and that's where he spent the night. If, while sleeping, he can't keep his oxygen level up around 90% then they have to monitor him. So there he is! Mom spent the day with him and dad spent the night with him. I feel sorry for them both but mostly for baby Isaac.

As I said earlier, he is trying to hit us where it hurts...through our family! However, we will prevail! We have more power in our weak little (aaannnddd not so little bodies) than he will ever have!

While we were in the MTC I had an opportunity to hear Elaine Dalton, President of the Young Women's Organization, speak in our Relief Society. I always find her wonderful to listen to but more than that her talk hit its mark and I found myself jotting the following in my notebook.

After we decided to go on a mission he sent stumbling blocks.

After we received our call he threw fire at our feet.

Today we have the faith to walk with Him barefoot across the coals!

(I want to point out the use of the big and little "h"...they are different people, you know!)

I also want to include the following statement from our beloved Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley.

"Faith in something greater than ourselves enables us to do that which we have said we'll do, to press forward when we are tired or hurt or afraid, to keep going when the challenge seems overwhelming and the course is entirely uncertain."

We ARE going on a mission. We WILL put aside the worries of home and family (all the while praying for their wellbeing). We WILL NOT allow our health issues to consume our minds.We WILL serve the soldiers and people of Camp Lejeune. AND...we WILL love every minute of it! WE WIN!