9/30/10

Almost There

What a ride! We finally got on the road twelve hours later than we'd hoped. I can't believe that it took so long to clean out one room. But finally, we got going and hit Parley's Canyon at 7:30pm. We had wanted to drive just six to eight hours a day but that first leg started out so far behind that we would have been checking into a hotel for just four or five hours so we drove until 5:30am (Tuesday), slept in a rest stop for a couple of hours and got back on the road for the seven and a half hour drive to Cathrin and Jay Hales home in St Joseph, MO. That drive caught us up for the rest of the trip.

Cathrin is my sister! We say that one of us was born into the wrong family and we should have been born twins. Our friendship goes back twenty years beginning with Desert Storm. Her husband was an officer, mine was enlisted. In the military, you don't mix officer's with enlisted. It is a culture of class distinction. It didn't matter to either of us OR our husbands. We just had the greatest time and we still, to this day, remain "sisters".

We spent a wonderful time with all the Hales' clan to include the spouses and grandchildren. It felt like home and I felt a pang of sadness that we'd be gone for a long time from our own children/grandchildren. I think that it helped that each of their grandchildren had a counter-part in our family. For example; they have James, we have Owen. When I watched James I realized quickly that he and Owen (Nagle) were so much alike. The evening went something like this...
Me: "Is your name Owen?"
James: "No, it's James!"
Me: "Are you sure, because you sound like an Owen?"
James: "No, my...name...is...James!"
That went on all evening as I teased him and he remained firm in his answer, "My name is James!"
At the end of the evening, as he got ready to leave I asked him, "So, Owen are you going home?" to which he responded without even missing a beat, "Yes!"
It was the laugh of the evening! Thanks, "Owen"...

We left Hales' at 10:00am on Wednesday and drove through Missouri, part of Illinois and ended up in the small town of Dale, Indiana. It's located near the town of Santa Claus. I would be excited if it were not still September...
We hope to make it to Raleigh, NC this evening but after watching the news we're not sure if that will happen. It seems that the East if suffering with huge amounts of rain and are having a problem with flooding and wet roads. So, we'll travel while the sun shines and then see what happens from there. We've been blessed with alertness and, get this, little pain with my hip. I've only taken one Ibu 800 ONE TIME and I'm traveling in relative comfort. Yes, we're blessed!

We do have an update for Trevor. It seems that after his visit with the Dr. yesterday, he has fluid built up in his lungs. He also has (as Alicia put it) a gnarly sinus infection. They've put him on antibiotics to try and clear it up and he'll be using a respiratory apparatus to build his breathing strength. If that doesn't help, back to Primary Children's for more aggressive treatment. To add insult to injury, he hasn't added much weight to his skinny frame. The stress of all that's going on has caused him to lose some of his hair and mess up his skin. HOWEVER, he is alive and the surgery to the jaw is stable.

It seems that the insurance company for the driver of the truck that hit him has been less than cooperative and information has not been provided in a timely manner. Alicia finally had to hire an attorney (McConkie) to help her. The bills are now beginning to come in. The first one was for $39,ooo PLUS. And that was just for the first three days/daze and didn't include the helicopter or the ambulance (which took him from the street to the landing zone, just 5o yards away! We told Alicia, as did the attorney, "Your job is to take care of Trevor. We'll take care of the medical bills." Great advice!

Just getting ready to leave for the last leg of the trip. Thanks for the continuing prayers in behalf of our family and for us.

Much love,
Elder and Sister Zollinger

9/23/10

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!







9/15/10

That Which Does Not Kill Us...





Makes us stronger!
I was going to try and journal our MTC experience everyday but the truth is by the time we got back to the room (usually right after dinner at 6:30pm) I studied for a bit and then went to bed by 8:00pm. Classes were vigorous and wonderful but the chairs were murder on the hip. I lived on pain pills but the walking to and from all of the study rooms and our room were just too much! I'm so disappointed that the painful injection I got the Thursday before had no effect at all and now I'm left wondering how I'll survive the rigors of a full time mission. I'm totally going to rely on the blessings I've received to be able to fulfill my desire to serve. I'll leave it at that and go forward in faith that I'll be able to make it!

I don't know where to continue with our MTC story. Our daily instructors, young returned missionaries, were so great. We had one of the biggest Senior groups (40 couples and 1 single sister) and they split us into about eight districts (5 couples per district). I would have never imagined the love that was shared in each district. We became family! These are people who we will think about for the rest of our lives as dear friends. I know now why young missionaries like to keep in touch with each other long after their service ends.

Anyway, we learned new methods of teaching and have come to understand the importance of the scriptures. Mike and I have very different teaching styles; he likes to prepare way in advance and I don't! I'm much better at the "feeling" style of teaching meaning, I like to prepare but am well aware that things can change midstream. We were taught "teach people, not lessons" and I feel that's where my strength lies. However, Mike and I can balance the two styles sucessfully, I think.

Food at the MTC is plentiful! And that's not a good thing. After receiving a "health" class on eating healthy and portion control, we found it really odd that the food at the cafeteria was heavy on carbs and portions were way too big. I think it was done to feed those young folks who weren't going to recognize much of what they were served once they hit the mission field OR the young men and women burned it off running to and fro. It seems that the only way to get from point A to B was to run! Oh to be young again and pain free!

It would be hard to describe all we learned and the feelings we had while in that sacred place. It seems as though Satan has no power on those hallowed grounds and the peace of the surroundings was humbling. I wish everyone could have that experience. Mostly I want to impress on my grandsons and maybe my granddaughters, the importance that the Gospel has played in our lives and why we would desire them all to work towards serving our Father in Heaven in this work.

As Mike and I continue on our journey in this endeavor we encourage each family member who is able to work to become missionaries. It is the most important thing we've ever done and we know our family will be blessed because of it.

9/8/10

Senior Means OLD!

We just completed day 3 of our missionary training and we are exhausted! We get up at 6:00am, eat breakfast at 7:30am, hit the classroom until lunch at 12:00pm, back to class at 1:30pm and finish by 4:30pm, dinner at 5:00pm and bed by 8:00pm! I know that sounds pretty cushey for most of you but for Elder and Sister Zollinger and 90% of the couples in the class, it's grueling...and we love it!

Not having done this before we were pretty green coming into it all. Some of the couples have served as many as two and three times before so they kind of knew the drill. It's all exciting and a little scary. It's not that we don't know the material, it's mostly that we need to begin to "teach the people" rather than "teach a lesson". There is a huge difference in concept.

We begin class time with instructions on how to teach the lesson/concept. Then we break into small groups. Dad is the "district leader" of our group. We love our group; the Wheeler's (called to the Ohio Akron Mission), the Pattee's (San Salvador Belize Mission), the Howell's (Africa Congo Mission) and the Weber's (Samoa Mission). We have two trainers (Brother Sillitoe and Brother Johnson), returned missionaries, who lead our small group class everyday. We've really grown to love our group and parting will be sad, but we'll all be prepared to do what we've been training to do.

I'll have to make time on our prep day to write more because evenings are meant to study. Leaving family in the care of others is difficult but Trevor's on the mend and we have to continue in the faith that the ward is taking care of him and his family. We love what we're doing and feel that the time is right in spite of the challenges. We definitely have much to write home about!

Much love,
Elder and Sister Zollinger

9/4/10

Rough Go

It will be a learning process; to find things Trevor can eat, that will get him healthy AND that he will enjoy eating! I've made him a book of sorts with information taken from various internet sites pertaining to "wired jaw" eating (sipping). The possibilities are pretty endless IF you have and open mind and an experimenting type brain, which Trevor has. Well, not so much the open mind as the experimenting type brain. The good news is he likes to cook and he likes to make smoothies. He will be OK.

Trevor's first night home was, to say the least, difficult. We're all tired but mostly sad to see him struggle with the pain and discomfort of less than adequate sleeping conditions. We thought we'd be able to get a recliner of some type but the funding for such is pretty sparse so we'll make do with lots of pillows. Hopefully each passing day will improve his condition.

Mike and I (maybe mostly me) feel less than prepared to go into the MTC (missionary training center) on Monday. We were unable to get any of the things done that we felt needed to be done i.e. clean out garage, de-junk and put things in one storage area, make sure our home was ready for winter and make it possible for Alicia's family to be in a designated living area. I've also been trying to get my clothes ready to go and am a little envious (actually I'm a lot envious) that Mike's stuff was so easy to get together. Suits and white shirts with ties, shoes and socks is definitely soooo much easier to round up. I, on the other hand, require skirts and blouses (easy to care for), stockings and shoes; women just need more to live! It's been hard to find suitable skirts that are long enough and not crazy wild in print or color. D.I. (the church equivalent of Goodwill or Salvation Army) has been, thus far, my best friend! I'm grateful to all those ladies who can't do without a new wardrobe year after year! I keep trying to remember that we will have a little time to work on all of this before we leave home on the 26th of September. After that...well after that we can't worry about it.

I posted a quote on FB this morning, from our beloved prophet Gordon B. Hinckley and found it to be what I needed to read and am grateful for its wisdom.

"Faith in something greater than ourselves enables us to do what 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."

Joy in the journey...amen!



9/2/10

Life!




One of the basic principles in life is the principle of opposition in all things. It's the part of the plan that teaches us how it's possible to have joy because we have known pain. Where am I going with this; this week we experienced pain, last week we experienced joy. With those two events we found "joy in the journey".

Baby Morgan was born last Saturday, August 21, 2010 and weighed a mere 6 lbs 2 oz and measured 18 1/2 inches. She made her entrance at 3:37 in the afternoon to loving parents, Jamie and Rachel (Zollinger) Moroz. I'm writing this for Morgan so she doesn't ever feel lost in the shuffle of Trevor's accident.

Morgan joins the previous 23 grandchildren. Alex, the oldest, has already grown to manhood as he will be 18 yrs old in October. Where has time gone? We have all shapes, sizes and ages. We have blonds, brunettes and a red head. We have blue eyes, brown eyes and hazel eyes. And we love them all. We even had the wonderful privilege of adding one to our family who came to us ready made and became a legal Zollinger several years ago. It was fun to see his excited face when he walked into Lake Ridge Elementary to make the announcement to his grandma, who worked in the office, so she could change his records; Alexander Forbes ZOLLINGER. We've been so very lucky that for the most part they are all healthy. Even the smallest ones who came early have grown to healthy stature. Only one little one did not stay with us for more than a half and hour. Michae Shae Zollinger was born at just 5 1/2 months and she left us; she didn't need to stay longer, she had accomplished all she needed to.

The miracle of life never ceases to amaze me and I will never tire of watching newborns enter this world. The greatest miracle, and the one I want to point out to each of my grandchildren is this. You were born at this time, in this country, in our family because you are one of our Heavenly Father's choicest, most valiant, most prepared for the battle. He saved you to be here right now...this is YOUR time.

Choices are always difficult; remember the law of opposition is in play. However, the choice to trust in Him makes all of those choices easier. I will end this by listing all of you by name and tell you how much we love each of you; your humor, your obnoxiousness, your antics, we love it all and the challenges you bring. So here it goes and I hope I don't forget anyone.

Amy (Zollinger) and Duane Mortensen's Family
Alexander Duane
Gabriel Michael
Samuel Alton
Andrew Bryant
Danielle Yvonne
Josephine Elizabeth

Michael Zollinger's Family
Micha Shae
Taylor Jo Gibbons

Sara (Zollinger) and Matt Nagel
Miles Thomas
Owen Michael
Harper Eugene
Henry Stanton

Scott and Lisa Zollinger's Family
Alexander Forbes Zollinger
Cassadee Janae
Kari Rochelle

Alicia Zollinger's Family
Trevor Willard
Kyle Scott
Charley Marie Pustyak

Rachel (Zollinger) and Jamie Moroz Family
Luke Manning Zollinger Moroz
Emily
Morgan

Kent- still waiting, get a move on

Jana (Zollinger) and Christopher Escobar's Family
Alivia Victoria Zollinger
Sophia Ann Zollinger
Isaac Enrique

And there you have it! Welcome baby Morgan, I know you'll add to the excitement; can't wait to see who you become!




For Trevor

Wednesday, 1 September 2010- This first part of today's journal is all about me! You know my hip has been causing me lots of grief over the past several months and I've made lots of visits to the chiropractor and then the orthopedic doctor. I've been pushed, pulled and twisted like a pretzel. I've had a procedure done on the hip that was so painful that I'd rather have had a baby. THAT is not an exaggeration! Lying on a rock hard table on your back is not the best position for someone with a bad hip. Add to that the dye they inject to the joint and the pressure it causes, a painful pressure I might add; let's just say an arthrogram is now on my list of "you'll have to knock me out first" procedures. At least it allowed us to see that the hip, while hip dysplasia isn't a good thing, was not injured but the joint was really inflamed; don't know why. I was given a pain shot which allowed me to function pretty much pain free for several weeks. The good new; I was able to walk on the treadmill. The bad news; just because you don't have pain, you shouldn't work like everything is normal and overdo. Apparently, I overdid it and I'm paying for it now. I've been in a lot of pain for the last few weeks and it's taken its toll i.e sleepless nights, not as much fun camping because I couldn't do all the fun camping things, worrying about what it would mean to our mission.

Today I went back in to the hospital for another shot to the hip. Before I went in I took some meds to help with the pain. I told the doctor who sent me in for the shot, "Make me happy, I want drugs!" Well, I got drugs; vallium to make me calm and hydrocodone to relieve the pain. While the vallium did space me out a little, the hydrocode made me nauseated and I spent the rest of the day just really sick. The pain shot to the hip; just as painful as the first procedure! They told me the relief could last up to three months. Now I've learned from the first time not to overdo, but at the same time I will have it in the back of head, pain from walking or pain from shot? So visiting you today was miserable for me but how could I not?

Grandpa and I went to the hospital around 5pm because your surgery was scheduled for 6pm. Upon arrival we found out that the time was changed to 7:30pm. They prepped you for surgery and I won't tell you much of what they did. Suffice it to say that in order to have a clean lower system they assisted you by giving you a solution placed by tube where "the sun don't shine!" And we got a chuckle as Kyle asked, "Is that the stuff in the bag what they're putting in or the stuff they got out?" I just learned another use for molasses! Yes, I said molasses! Finally, they wheeled you out with your entourage in tow and we parted company after saying our goodbyes and good lucks. We got a call from the surgical nurse that they had to reinsert the NJ and surgery didn't start until 8:30pm. We groaned because if it was to take 2-4 hours then it was really going to be a long night. Your mom fell asleep folded in half with her head in her lap (I have no idea how she did THAT)! I tried to rid myself of my ever present nausea by laying in the fold out chair bed. After awhile your mom, Grandpa, Kyle and Amy (who'd come to sit with us), left me alone in the room. A doctor came into the room at 9:30pm and I thought he was there to give us a report. It was the surgeon and he came to tell us the operation was done! WOW!

So here's what they did. First let me backtrack and tell you that you neck had been earlier cleared of injury and if you wanted to you could take off the neck brace. You didn't want to; more comfortable for your jaw to keep it on. Anyway, they put in two small stainless steel plates, one on each side of the break. They put rubber bands on your existing braces to keep it all in place so that meant no wiring your jaw together. As far as the NJ tube, we're a little confused who told us they had to replace it because that wasn't the case. You were in a lot of pain but after they got you settled they would give you more meds. We left you in good hands and even your mom was comfortable about leaving you to go home to a real bed to get some much needed sleep. She did, however, ask your grandpa to stay with you. He was a much willing volunteer! Grandpa would move the heavens for any of his family who needed him so it wasn't much of a sacrifice; he loves you so!

When I got home, I found it difficult to shake the nausea. I think I'll opt out of using the hydrocode from here on out and put up with the remainder of the pain from the injection. It should all be good by tomorrow.

Thursday, 2 September- I was up by 7am and tried to write the above entry but it became clear that I was still suffering from a car sick type nausea so I left it undone and went back to bed. I just woke up (10:30am) and feel a little better but will now leave my part of the story to share some really good news.

I called Grandpa and he says you woke up at 2:30am and played video games and watched t.v. He says later in the morning you wanted to get up and go for a wheelchair ride but they couldn't find a wheelchair. The best news is they removed the feeding tube (NJ) and you sipped your first liquid from a straw; Gatorade. Next they'll try some clear soup. You've been taken off some of the other monitors so you're a little freer to move around. They are trying to get you home by this afternoon and into the care of your family. So I'll put this writing aside and try to make ready for your return and the lines of friends and well wishers that will be here. And I'm sure you'll do your best with those puppy dog eyes to put on a show for the girls!

I don't know if you really understand why you sit here this day. I'll do my best to remind you. You received two Priesthood blessings; one shortly after you got into your room and one the day before the surgery. Both times the blessing stated that a) you would heal quickly and fully and b) that your caregivers would be prompted to know what to do. Is there any doubt that those two things have, indeed, come to pass? I say, "NO! There is no doubt! To the very core of my being, without reservation, I say to you now. I know you are here, alive, because of the power in the hands of the men who gave that blessing. Here is another thing I want you to know. We pray for our family everyday that each of you will hold fast to the things you've been taught, that you will remember who you are and why you are all so special. Trevor, I would leave you with the reminder that your talents, your quality to make those around you (well, maybe mostly your friends and not so much your family) feel special. You were blessed to be especially smart. Every one of those gifts come from a loving and ever present Father in Heaven. He has, perhaps, used this knock on the head to remind you of your duties. You need to fulfill your promises (covenants) to Him to take full advantage of all the blessings He has in store for you. Don't waste anymore time harboring feelings of anger towards those who you feel have let you down. Relish in the joy of those around you who fill your life with their love. More than that, begin anew to rebuild a loving relationship with your mom, brother and sister. Dedicate yourself to being the kind of family you always say you want. Do your part to make it happen. I would encourage you to go morning and night and give thanks for all that you have and use this experience to refocus on that which is important; getting back home to Him. I'm looking forward to seeing where each of us will go from here. On Monday Grandpa and I leave for the mission home. I know we'll leave you in good hands. How do I know? I've prayed it so! I love you...INFINITY!