Grandma Knight's Eighty-eighth Birthday

Grandma was so happy to have her three kids all together (Bob is living in Las Vegas); we gathered at Marilyn's. Dinner was delicious and for dessert it was birthday (ice cream) cake. Grandma tried cutting it with the knife Bob is holding..."cake" is too hard....

An electric knife....this should do the trick!

Doesn't she look GREAT at 88? We should all be so healthy and happy!

Hey! I thought this was supposed to be easier!!

Marilyn to the rescue...Bob stands by......waiting for the thaw!

Betsy and Emma Visit

Pretty Girl! Emma Isabella, age 2

Does this look like Betsy, or what?

Emma with (Great) Grandpa.

When we arrived at the restaurant for lunch Dad got out of the car and started walking with his walking stick....Emma looked puzzled; then looked at Betsy and said "Grandpa's hopping!"

Betsy says, "Give Mommy a kiss."

Boink....!

I'm feeling a bit like a ping-pong ball. The buyers have returned! Our real estate agent called yesterday, the buyers looked at some other houses and decided to negotiate a new offer...we accepted the new offer and are on the same time-line. I had prayed that we would get an offer on the house before the end of the week from someone who would be a good neighbor and that we would be able to proceed with our plans....when you get an answer it's time to exercise faith; not say "Oh, but I want to do this a different way." So today we start the packing process............
again!

OOPS! Spoke too soon.

Guess I should have waited until today on the house sale....our counter-offer wasn't accepted, so we are still looking for a buyer. Oh, well....as Dad says better to know now than later that the deal wasn't that secure. They didn't want to increase their earnest money and didn't want to negotiate with us....too many concessions for us to feel secure with this deal. Hope something surfaces this week or we will have to talk with the apartment manager about holding our deposit to apply to a different apartment or just let it go.

Dad's Nostalgia Trip

Breakfast with "Teddy" and Marilyn. Dad and Ted, together again after 54 years! Teddy had fun with Dad by telling the waitress, Mae (who was about our age) to say "Hey, Doodles, how've ya been? Good to see you again after all these years." We had a great time and have lots of pictures of Sadamsville, but Dad says that's the last time he wants to go back to the old neighborhood....says it reminds him of a chalk drawing on the sidewalk in a rainstorm. The neighborhood was so rough we were afraid to get out of the truck (4 well dressed white people in a new truck; taking pictures....we definately didn't blend in). I wanted to get a picture of the old school, but it was on the opposite side of the street so Ted said he would turn around at the end of the block and I could get the picture then....I said, "Okay, I'll just roll down the window and shoot the picture as we go by." "Don't say 'shoot' !!" he said. We stopped at Bold Face Park, where they had played baseball with Pete Rose, and took pictures of Mrs. Banfield's house (where Uncle Tim ran screaming for protective assylum after he squirted toothpaste into Uncle Walt's eye.) We ate Cincinnati Chili and went out to dinner and had the BEST ribs we've ever tasted. I really needed a tape recorder more than a camera....the stories they told and the memories they reconstructed were wonderful. It is amazing how much they have in common even after all these years. On Saturday we got a call from our realtor and we have an offer on the house. Today we counter-offered so we'll know by noon tomorrow if they accept our counter-offer; if so, we should "close" on the 15th of Oct. and vacate by the 19th (the apartment will be available on the 17th, so the timing is perfect if all goes smoothly). I'll post some more pictures tomorrow. Time to get some rest right now.

Dad Update

I took Dad to the U of U Neurosurgery clinic Friday (they finally decided to give us an appointment); they took x-rays of his neck and we had the CT scan from Salt Lake Regional Hospital. The Dr. was very nice; examined Dad and looked at the scans and x-rays then said "I just wish we had an MRI we could see the soft tissue on that." I was astounded! "You have an MRI!" I said, "I have a copy of the report and asked the receptionist if I should bring it with us. She said that wouldn't be necessary since the MRI was done at the U hospital in June." The Dr. left the room and came back about 15 minutes later..."You're right!" he said, "and now I can see exactly what is wrong." I thought, "It's about time. This poor man has suffered for 3 months or more and you've had the means to diagnose his problem since June." Ten minutes later, the Dr. had given Dad two shots in his neck and he has been pain free since. Evidently when he fell last May, he created two ruptured discs...we hope the shots will take care of the problem and give him relief for several months at least...next option is to put the medication directly into the affected area under anesthsia...last option is surgery (Dad isn't to keen on that.) I was awakened about 5:30 am this morning by a very loud thud...I jumped out of bed and found Dad had fallen while trying to get to the bathroom. He fell in a sitting position and didn't hurt himself but he decided socks on the hardwood floor isn't a great idea...no traction. Whew! we were lucky this time and told him to call me when he needs to get up at night from now on...I think when we move to the apartment I will keep the twin trundle-bed for me (just get a better mattress) and we will put Dad's hospital bed in the master bedroom with the trundle bed so I can be right there if he needs me. We will use the Den for a den/sewing/scapbooking/etc. room. We went to the Sugar House Ward today and the people there are very nice/friendly and excited to have us move in...just hope the house sells quickly so we can get on with this plan.

To Mothers I Love

While sorting through some papers today I found this in an email that was forwarded to me from Grandma K (who received it from Amy via Aunt Marilyn)...I usually hate forwarded emails, but this one heartfelt and worth passing along. I love you all and appreciate the efforts you make to raise my wonderful grandchildren and great-granddaughter...I know how tough it can be at times to remember that the effort is worth it, but oh. the joy that will come in those fleeting moments or wonderful hours as your child progresses from "grace to grace".
"Before I was a Mom-
I slept as late as I wanted and
never worried about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom-
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom-
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Spit on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom-
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests. Or
give shots. I never looked into teary eyes and cried. I never got
gloriously happy over a simple grin. I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom-
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop
the hurt. I never knew that something so small could affect my life so
much. I never knew that I could love someone so much. I never knew I
would love being a Mom.
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body. I didn't
know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby. I didn't know
that bond between a mother and her child. I didn't know that someone
so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom-
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to
make sure all was okay. I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love,
the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom. I didn't
know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

And before I was a Grandma-
I didn't know that all those feelings more than doubled
when you see that little bundle being held by "your" baby."


Thanks to all the Moms (and Dads) you have become and thanks especially for letting me experience all that "mom-ness" all over again...that must be what heaven (and hell) is all about. Remember the atonement covers all your mistakes and in the eternities, only all the joy remains.