Long End of the Week

I have lots to write about only to cover a few days.

Thursday:
Hattie still wasn't feeling well. She still had a fever. I called the nurse and she said the medicine needs a good 72 hours to be most effective. (She is doing better now, thank goodness!) I've had about as much sickness for a week! I've carried Hattie around practically all week!

At night I had a camp meeting with just the other young women presidents. Libby had a bad night--just a lot of coughing. I ended up keeping her home from preschool on Friday. I let her sleep and she slept in until about 9:40. She must have needed some rest! On Thursday night when she woke up I was telling her we would have to play it by ear to see about going to preschool because she wasn't feeling well. She got big alligator tears! She just loves preschool and all her friends there. I felt so bad!

Brian took Eliza and Ellie on a daddy daughter for his parents' ward. Originally he was going to take Eliza and Libby, but Libby decided she didn't want to go, so at the last minute he took Ellie. She was SO excited as they were getting ready, knowing that she was going. So cute. Brian was a little nervous about taking her because of the potty, but she did awesome and didn't have one accident! His friend brought his RV, so they were able to go in there to use the bathroom. Here are some pictures from her maiden voyage called camping! They climbed up into a watchtower and got to look out. One of the activities was the "sawdust shuffle." They had a lot of sawdust and the girls looked through to try to find candy and quarters. Dirty but fun!




Since they were gone I had Libby and Hattie. We decided to go to Paradise Bakery for dinner so Libby could have her favorite--Paradise Pasta. I had their new summer salad which I loved--it's a summer berry salad with greens, fruit and a yummy fat-free lemon poppy seed dressing. We sat down to eat when I got a text message from Brian saying that 3 boys in our ward were in a bad rhino accident and that one was not doing well. It wasn't long after that that we had heard that he didn't make it and had passed away. So that put a big hush on our night! I couldn't really explain it to Libby, so I tried to stay upbeat even though inside I was just so so sad. So many feelings were going through my head--mostly sadness and sorrow for his family--his parents and brother and sisters. It hit me hard, too, because he had just been in my group for the Where's Waldo activity and having associated with him so recently. It makes you want to hug your kids a little longer and tighter and realize just how fragile life is and that we don't know when someone will be taken from us. So...make every moment count. Say I love you a little more. Be a little kinder and forgiving. It's been a draining couple of days. I was on the phone a lot of the day on Saturday with things related to that. The family wants the youth to sing at the funeral, so I was trying to arrange that. I also tried to stay in touch with his sister who is in my laurel class.

Last night we got a babysitter and I took pictures of my brother and his family, then we got dinner at Motu's at Westgate. Then we went to Cabela's to look for a tent for Havasupai. Brian bought--in his words--a really nice, light 2 person tent for us to take down there. I thought it was too small. It was the same size that Rachel and I used when we went down there 2 years ago. It was a tight, tight squeeze and Brian is a little larger than she is! Well, we found a tent and it's probably the biggest tent that has ever been taken down there. Ha! It's only 9'x9' but it looks huge. All I know is that we'll be comfy!


Today at church was quite a somber, quiet day. I was supposed to get my Personal Progress medallion, but I had told Bishop that I didn't want to do it today in light of everything that happened. So I wasn't planning on getting it, but he decided to do it to try to keep things as normal as possible. My parents were planning to come, but since it was last minute that he was going to do it, they didn't make it. But after I got my award he had me bear my testimony. I said it wasn't fair! I was a cry baby but made it through. After the sacrament was over, the Stake President and Bishop decided to change the meeting from having speakers to a testimony meeting. It was really neat and touching. The parents of the boy got up and bore their testimonies. They did amazing and were so composed. I don't know how they did it.

During young women time, we met together with the young men and Bishop spoke along with the stake president and had kind of a discussion time with the youth since so many of them were friends with him. It was an amazing meeting and it even helped me feel better.

Tonight Brian and I went over to the Colyar's house to take dinner and we visited for a minute. Then we had dinner with my parents and brother and his family. I scarfed down dinner before going to seminary graduation with Eliza.

It's going to be a long week I think. It's also my BIG birthday. 3-0. Ouch.