Dad is Finally Free

It was one of those insane December days where you have more things to do than there is time for in one day. The boys were helping me pass out invitations for the street Christmas party that we are hosting this year (it’s our turn). We were in a rush because Darryl and I were headed to dinner and the Hale Theater with Rhett and Stephanie. My phone rang while we were out and it was Buzz. He said that Dad had taken a turn for the worse and the nurse was at the house and they didn't think Dad would make it through the night. I could tell he was crying so it shook me up a little. Buzz is usually so solid so I knew things were rough. I called Darryl and he came home to stay with the kids and I left for Aurora. My mind was whirling the whole drive down. I spent most of the drive on the phone with the Primary President going over things that I'm not going to be able to take care of while I'm gone. I did talk one more time with Buzz while I was driving. He'd called to see if I wanted them to wait to give him pain medicine until after I got there. I just wanted him to be pain free so it wasn't an issue. Buzz told me too about what happened when he took a turn for the worse. Buzz, my mom, and Doreen were showering my dad. Everything had been pretty typical and they were drying him off when he suddenly just slumped over and seemed to be gone. They checked for a pulse and he didn't have one. He quickly turned gray so they figured he had passed. After having a moment of crying Doreen left Buzz and my mom to go and call in that he had passed. After at least 15 minutes they decided they should get him back to his bed so when the mortician came to get him it would be easier. They loaded him into the wheelchair and shortly after he began breathing again. His breathing was really groggily-- basically just his lungs filling full of fluid. I arrived at about 6 PM. Wayne, Buzz and my Mom were in the room with my dad. He was breathing so hard and seemed to be in so much pain. They were giving him pain medicine every hour but it wouldn't last the whole hour so he would start moaning loudly. He couldn't communicate with us in any way because he was so drugged. Lisa and Ron arrived soon after I got there and then Kerry and Karen Sorenson came too. Kerry is currently the bishop so my mom had called him to come and give him a blessing. They stayed in with us after the blessing. Dad's breathing sounded so bad and all of us were having a hard time watching him suffer. Wayne, Lisa, and Buzz had gone out of the room. They were talking about giving Dad the pain medication more frequently. We all agreed that we would rather have him over drugged than in any pain so Buzz went in to talk to my mom about it. She too thought it would be a good idea. Buzz left the room to get more medicine and it was instantly that my dad started breathing differently. Somehow I knew it was the end and so I shouted for Buzz to come back in. Dad took a few more breaths and then he was gone at about 10:30 PM. We called the nurse and she came, then the mortician came. It was so nice that Darryl had stayed with the boys. My mom, siblings, and I just sat around and did nothing but it felt right. We finally went to bed at about 2 AM. The next day we wanted to just sit around and hang out but there were things to be done. We had to start planning the funeral and the program, and calling all his friends and family. There were many friends that came to see my mom. It was so hard to see his good friends and brothers cry. They love him so much and feel so bad that it had to be this way. I know we're all going to be together again and it is so comforting but it's still hard. I wasn't really prepared for how hard. I hated seeing him suffer. I guess our minds just can’t accept that good people can be so innocent and have to suffer something so terrible. You know it’s not that way but I think your mind just correlates a horrific death with someone who is involved with bad things. I know it is part of his plan and in the bigger picture that moment will be insignificant. For the next 2 days we all just hung out, made funeral plans, and visited with those who stopped by and called. I was shocked by the number of people that called and stopped by. The door was constantly swinging and the phone was constantly ringing. It was so great to not have to worry about the boys for the weekend. I knew Darryl was home with them and he’d take care of anything. I just shut my mind of for a few days. I did have to be back to teach Monday morning so I left my mom’s house late Sunday night. It was the week before finals so I just reviewed all week with the class and then Thursday after the boys were out of school we went down to Aurora to help my mom get ready for the funeral. Side Note: For a little over a month after my dad passed away my mom had company at her house, was really sick, or was playing catch up for work. She never had alone time. I think this might have eased her into being alone. She was so desperate to just have time to herself to do whatever she chose. I know she’ll be lonely often but I think it was nice not to deal with the loneliness and the loss at the same time. As we’ve said many times though, it is a good thing that he passed—so good to know he is free and can walk and dance again.

2012 Christmas Card

I got our Christmas card done really early this year because there was a FABULOUS deal-- and I'll do anything for a killer deal. This one was through Cardstore.com. They printed my cards and sent them in a stamped addressed envelope all for $.29 per card. That makes no sense! Seeing as how stamps are like 45 cents I knew I couldn't pass this deal up. I found a decent picture and quickly typed a note. Then I had to enter each address. I wanted to see what they were like so I sent one to ourselves. I wasn't super impressed with the quality but figured I got what I paid for. I realized I'd missed a few people so the next week I sent a few more. This time they sent them to me first, still stamped and addressed just not sealed. This time the printing quality was much better. I still think if I can get a price like that again I'd do it again. Christmas Cards. . . I love getting these from all our friends and family. It's so fun to see how much their kids have changed and read about the new adventures in their lives. I think that is likely why I enjoy sending one-- because I want one. :)

Round Table

Well since I was just put in as the 2nd counselor in the Primary I am over Cub Scouts. Our stake was in charge of the opening for Round Table so I made sure I attended tonight. I don't know why I thought I could help out. I told them I would help with anything. They said we were doing a little "skit" like thing and we had to hold a candle and read a strip of paper-- easy enough. We got up to the front they handed my my paper and it began. I read my paper; PANIC! "Please say the Cub Scout Pledge with me." I have NO idea what that is or what to do to start it. Do I raise my fingers, do they go on my head, what are the first words to get it going? Yikes! I shot a look down the row to our Cub Master. She could see the panic on my face. I read my slip and thankfully she started it and I just copied her. :) I knew I didn't know a lot about scouts but at least I know some. In one of the break out groups we kept talking about the Pine Wood Derby and a guy finally said, "Sorry, but what is the Pine Wood Derby?" I felt like I would be okay after that. ;)

A Shooting We Will Go!

Darryl took Kade out shooting while we were down for Thanksgiving and such in Redmond. Kade was excited to finally be able to try out his squirrel target. He brought back his target paper to proudly display. He's a pretty good shot for just starting. Way to go buddy!

Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving going back and forth like we usually do between Redmond and Aurora. We did stay in Redmond and spent the majority of our time there but I did get over to see my folks a couple times. Dad wasn't doing so well. He couldn't really communicate. He hasn't been able to communicate super well for about a month but this week he couldn't hardly talk. Mom said there were moments when something would come out but I don't think it was clear words when it would. Oh this is hard. I can't stand to watch him be so restricted and imprisoned by this body, but selfishly I enjoy being about to see him and get a hug from him when I'm down. Thanksgiving was great. Gary, Greg, and Jackie were all staying with the Bosshardts. We spent many late nights playing games and doing puzzles--that's a holiday tradition that I love.

"The Magic of a Moment . . ." Reflections Contest

Kade entered the Reflections Contest this year. Ever since the day they announced it he had been looking for something "magical." One night Darryl and the boys were headed to Provo for some guy-time while I was hosting Bunco at our house. Kade asked Darryl if they could pull over and take a picture of Bridal Veil Falls. This is the picture Kade took with Darryl's phone and entered in the contest. When I asked him how it went with the theme of "The Magic of a Moment," Kade said, "Because the leaves changing colors is so beautiful and magical."-- Good answer. ;) He won at the school level but didn't win at the region level. He got a picture frame and candy. He was pretty proud-- as were we.

Meet The Masters

I volunteered with Meet the Masters this year at the boys school. Meet the Masters is an art program that entails highlighting a different artist each month. The kids talk about the artist in their classes throughout the month and then they do an art project that is similar to the kind of art that particular artist did. It has been a lot of fun helping with this program. Each of the projects use different mediums too. It's so fun for the kids to be able to experience all kinds of art.

My Dish Towels

Growing up my Grandma Munson had dish towels that were so enchanting to me.  They were towels she had made out of flour sack material and embroidered a picture and the day of the week on each one.  I loved looking at them hanging on the towel rack in her kitchen.  At about age 10 I started my own.  I didn't put the days of the week on them.  I like the idea-- I don't know why I didn't.  Maybe it was because I never got 7 towels done.  I think I finished 4.  Here are what is left of the last 2.  I wanted to remember them and the memories they hold before I let them go to the rag pile.  (I found this picture on  e-bay of the days-of-the week towels that were similar to my Grandma's.)

Bowling

The boys got free bowling passes to Jupiter Bowling in Park City so we went tonight. The boys have been playing bowling on the X-box so they knew they were going to do awesome! Well turns out that Xbox bowling and real bowling are very different. :/ They didn't get strike after strike like they are use to and so they were a little frustrated. However, they still had a ton of fun. Cole loved dancing to the music that was playing while he waited for his turn. Unfortunately these were the only pictures we got-- doesn't really capture the fun.

Great To Be 8!!!

Kade is going to be 8 next year which bought us an invite to the Great To Be 8 program tonight.  This is a night where the Primary leaders talk about all the great things that can happen when you turn 8, like baptism, scouts, Faith in God program, and activity days.  They have a spot on the program where each child has a parent talk about them.  This was something I wasn't expecting so what I quickly threw together was this:

• Kind:  Kade wants to be everyone's friend--young or old.  It pains him to see others in trouble, hurt, or sad.
• Active:  He likes to always be moving.  He wants to ride a bike, play a game, gymnastics, Bakugan, Ninjago, Pokemon, swimming, amusement park rides.
• Doer:  He wants an assignment.  He loves to accomplish tasks.  He enjoys building things.  He really thrives when you can explain something to him, he gets it, and he can just go to town working on it.  He even enjoys cleaning or things like that if it is proposed as a project to conquer.
• Educated:  He's always been quick to learning.  He is not just educated on school things but he his educated on gospel things as well.  He surprises me all the time with the connections he's able to make involving math.  I'm always caught of guard too by the comments he makes pertaining to the gospel.  He knows and understands more than I think is possible.  I'm glad he proves me wrong.  Even today he said he needed a Father's Blessing because he has a cold and is under the weather a little.

I love this kid.  I can't believe I've had him for 8 years.  I can remember so well the days sitting in the hospital staring at him and wanting so badly to find a way to be able to read the end of that book.  That book turned out to have a happy ending and the current book is full of adventurous chapters. 

Mentors Gala

Tonight was the Mentors International Gala. It's always so neat to me to hear the stories of the people who are affected by this group. It's exciting to me to see the business sense that they are able to give to the people in struggling countries. I think of it like a cliff notes version of an MBA. These people likely will never be able to participate in a college course but through this program they are able to get aspects of it that they can directly apply to their business. It's wonderful to see how it just snowballs after that; More people are hired which brings more people food and a sense of hope. It's all just neat. It is always a fun night too because we are able to get dressed up, see a lot of Darryl's family and friends, and listen to great music.

Silly boys!

Every time I'm getting ready in my bathroom the bathtub seems to become the playpen.  I'm not sure why the need to be by me when I'm getting ready but for whatever reason they can't leave me alone in there.  It's been like this for 7 years!  The boys had a blast today climbing all over each other in the bathtub. It didn't look like fun but they sure sounded like they were having a great time.

Pathfinder(s) of the Month

Pathfinder of the Month was monopolized by the Bosshardts this year in November. Both Kade and Clint were selected for the award. I'm so proud of them both. I know they are kids and they get carried away sometimes but they really take JR Smith Elementary's motto seriously: Safe, Kind, and Responsible. There are many times they'll correct me, each other, or people on TV and say that they aren't being safe, kind or responsible. :) Love it.