I went to the eye doctor today for my follow up after the bad experience of my last visit in January. Dr. Mehr said he will not use the dye to take pictures of my eye again because of the bad reaction last time. He said he can find what he needs in other ways.

I had two questions for him today. Does he have and AED in the office and the answer was no, but he made a note that he will get one for the new office downstairs. He jokingly said he will name it "Eva". The other question  was,  does my condition have a name? Dr. Mehr said that I have a branch retinal vein occlusion. However, he said that the Lord must want me on another mission because the one in the right eye appears to be healing itself. He had to do laser surgery on the one in my left eye. He didn't mention the progress of the cyst that is growing in my left eye.  I go back in two months.

The pressure in my left eye has been normal since returning from our mission. Previously I have had shots two different times to re leave pressure in the left eye. The vision in that eye has not gotten worse, but I notice some depth perception problems with threading a needle and playing pickleball. The left eye is affected by bright lights.

I have a testimony of priesthood blessings. Dr. Mehr mentioned another time that I must have been blessed because of the mission at Cove Fort when he found the high pressure in the left eye had not returned. I had had a priesthood blessing shortly before that visit as well. I am grateful for a righteous husband who can administer them. Thanks for your prayers in my behalf.

A new expenditure

I went to California to visit my mom a couple of weeks ago. I flew over and rented a car. We went shopping and out to lunch a couple of times.
She is doing well living alone and she is happy to be back in her townhouse. She has a care giver come in a couple of times a week for 2 hours. It was fun to visit with Alan and Connie, Wes and Jan and Julie and her fiance.
I went a little crazy Thursday night and bought a quilting machine. It was set up in the spare bedroom on Saturday night after the quilt show. I thought it was going to be much easier than it is. I have a long way to go before anyone will want me quilting for them! I was planning to give the baby quilt on the frame to Abe and Angela Schoppmann, but it may not be something someone would want. We'll see how it looks once it is finished. It may make a good packing blanket.
We are hoping to go to the title company with our current offer on the house on Thursday when dad returns from Colorado. We have had one other person really interested. So, it may sell! We will keep you posted.
Mom

Blessings

We have more blessing than we can count! We had an excellent stake conference this weekend that challenged us to endure to the end and continue to become more Christ-like. I came away feeling very blessed.

We are excited to attend the blessing of Gideon on Feb 3 at 1:00. It will be grandchild number 20 to be blessed, and we have attend all of the blessing, which is another one of our blessing to be able to do that. I am in awe of what a wonderful family I have been blessed with and how well each of them is doing. We pray for each of you each day and we know Heavenly Father is mindful of you and your trials as well as ours.

For those of you who know Marilyn Jaques, she isn't doing well. She did come home from the hospital today. Her blood pressure has been extremely low and she has had a urinary infection. Her blood pressure is stable without meds as of today. She is in the last stages of cirrhois of the liver from the Hep C she has had for several years. Andrea, Matthew, his wife and 2 year old came on Friday. They will be here until Tuesday. It is possible her other two sons will be coming soon. It has been very hard on Clark. He had knee replacement surgery a few weeks ago and is getting around pretty good. Keep them in your prayers.

We are fine with the 4th of July weekend for the reunion. It is busy in the Duck Creek area all summer. Hopefully, we will be moved by then, if not you can all help!

We are getting the house appraised tomorrow. It will take a couple of days for the results, then on the market it will go. Hopefully, someone will buy it and let us rent until we need to leave.

Grandma Peters is moving back to her place in Laguna Woods this coming weekend. She hasn't liked her apartment and having to go downstairs (on the elevator) for her meals, etc. A couple of days ago she had an offer of the place but she turned it down and said she needed to move back.
Have a great week!
We love each of you so much!

As 2006 closes down, I have had a reoccurring memory running around in my head, perhaps it is old age. It was 1966 or early 1967 and Opal Allen was addressing the Relief Society, or perhaps bearing her testimony in RS, but it was in the RS room. I had on a red plaid maternity dress. She was talking about how many years she had been a visiting teacher and various other jobs, etc. I was thinking that the most I could say was that I had been a visiting teacher, for not even a year, had been a YW advisor for a year or so, was currently holding a couple of jobs with the youth, had taught high school English for two years, but that was about it. I had no credibility. At that time I thought it would be forever before I could say I had been a visiting teacher for 5 years, let alone 35 or 40. Needless to say, the time has come and I wonder where the time has gone.

Another time comes to mind, I had recently had my 5th baby and someone in the ward commented that I should cancel a scheduled tennis match because it conflicted with a time they wished to have an event, and this happened more than once. I am glad I didn't give in because tennis was an outlet for me, an esteem builder, as well as good exercise. I limited the number of times I would play during the week, as some ladies played every day and sometimes twice a day. It would have been easy to follow suit if I hadn't decided where I would draw the line. Soon dad was playing and we had several years of enjoyment from tennis with our friends. Had I listened to someone who said that I could do that when my kids were raised, I would have missed a very satisfying part of my life.

Tennis has not been a big part of our life in Page because of lack off partners and facilities.
In July, we will have been in Page 20 years. What an exciting and fulfilling 20 years! We came here with four children, as we were in the downsizing phase of life. We married off five children, gained five incredible sons and daughters, and had 20 awesome grandchildren (with a little help from our children). I went back to teaching, got my ESL endorsement, received my special education endorsement, and earned a master’s degree in administration.

There is a time and a season, and it is different for everyone. For recreation we played a little tennis, took up racquetball and golf and grandparenting. Of course, we didn’t do them all at the same time and some of them not very well. It has been a good 20 years here in Page.

2006 was rougher than usual on our family, each family unit has its own crises and trials with many prayers answered. My testimony has grown through it all. We did get two beautiful new grandchildren. 2007 is looming before us with new challenges and victories.

I am grateful for my testimony of Jesus Christ and all that he does for us when we ask. I am thankful for a super marriage and a loving husband without whose support, I would not have accomplished half of what I have been able to do. I am very blessed.

I am almost ready for the next phase, leaving Page, going on a mission, etc.

Still Trying

This is actually Dad trying to get Mom set up. We'll see what happens.