Not sure anyone follows this anymore and that's okay

With Facebook, Instagram and other social media, not too many people keep up their blogs anymore. I am a little guilty myself. However a few years ago, I dropped a hard drive. It was full of pictures I couldn't get back or replace. I realized if it hadn't been for my blog, I would not have any photos from Gavin's first two years of life. I determined to do at least an annual photo update.

I just finished catching up for the past 6 months. It's been quite a semester. There are definitely experiences I won't soon forget. Feelings that I didn't expect for occasions I thought I was prepared for. Living it is so different than the anticipation of a life event you know is inevitable. I remember Brother Christensen telling us that there are things we must experience to fully understand. We "knew" a great deal in the Spirit world before we were born. If knowing were enough, we wouldn't have needed to experience life. Our wise Father in Heaven knew we needed to experience things because it's the living that takes everything to a whole new level of understanding and appreciation.

This week my Sunday School lesson is on keeping a journal. As I read the article, it said that we need to find a journal that will withstand generations and keep a record. I thought about all the paper journals I have. My mission journal that was all but destroyed by mold and moisture when it was being stored somewhere that flooded. I still have many of my paper journals from my youth, but cyberspace is not going anywhere anytime soon. If I can get online, I can find my blog.

My kids love to go back to the old videos and watch themselves. What I uploaded and wrote about because I was bored, is a treasure trove to them. You never know how little things from your past will inspire your future. We are admonished to write about the Lord's hand in our lives so we can recognize His love and blessings for us when times are tough.

I'm living through difficult times, but I'm calm. I trust that the Lord will provide. We will be sustained and blessed somehow. My husband quit his job. It's a little scary, but it's taking a step into the dark to find something better. Something more that we need to improve our lives and our savings for the future. The first thing that happens when he quits? I require emergency surgery. I'm not looking forward to that bill, but as I said. I am not panicking.

My husband recently gave me a blessing as I was going back to work. It was evident that both of us need to trust in the Lord. He has plans for this little family. We just need to have faith that all things will work out for our good. He is fighting our battles for us and a way will be provided. I'm sitting back and waiting for the miracle. I know it will come. He's not let us down before.

Appendicitis

Surgery was successful. Now on to recovery. 

couldn't eat even much of the liquid diet at first. That's slowly changing.

Friday July 28th I woke up with an upset stomach. It felt like trapped gas a little, but was making me a little nauseated. Jhonny was camping with the boys and Jessica was sequestered in her room. Lily had a couple of friends over and they kept to themselves. I tried to rest and help the feeling pass, but it didn't want to go anywhere. As the day progressed, it slowly got worse. I tried to sleep, but I couldn't really rest. It just kept consistently bothering me and wouldn't let up. I tried going to the rest room, but nothing would happen. I took Lily to the orthodontist because her apparatus broke and I took Jessica to a birthday party that evening, and by the time I got home, I didn't feel like driving anywhere else again. I went to bed about 9pm after taking my strongest over the counter drug that I could find. Only it didn't work. The pain continued to increase and I noticed that if I pressed down on my right side it was a sharp pain. I looked up appendicitis and I seemed to have several symptoms listed there. I didn't want to overreact like I did a few years ago and that cost me a whole lot for nothing. I called the nurse hotline around midnight at the encouragement of Jhonny. After listening to me, the nurse suggested I go into the ER within three hours. We begrudgingly went in to the ER. After a CT scan, they determined I indeed had appendicitis and referred me to surgery at the hospital. Jhonny drove me over there and I was admitted. I was worried about all the activities that day for Gavin and the girls in two different locations. Jhonny was exhausted from camping and staying up most of the night. He left me at 6:30 am to go help the kids. Jessica woke up to find me missing and read my text about having surgery. I posted online and the response was quick and overwhelming. So many friends and sisters from the ward clamored to help. We have food to last the whole month if we are careful. We had apologies from people who couldn't help. I assured them we were being well taken care of. It was such a relief that so many stepped up to help. It made me feel loved.

The pain subsided once the surgery took place. It was a 22 minute surgery and I was awake after 1.5 hours and back up in my room to recover. I ended up going home by 5 pm that same day. I'm still recovering and the pain from recovery is uncomfortable and I'm having aches I never imagined, but I'm recovering relatively quickly. I'm so grateful for the food, rides and friendship people have offered. It's been quite a busy week. 

Spring Break trip to Mexico 2017

We traveled to Mexico via car over Spring Break. We stopped in Monterrey, Real de Catorce and San Luis Potosi. We saw a lot of buildings and had some adventures. On the way home, Jessica and I went to the temple. She did some baptisms and I was able to do some initiatories. We met a family that was doing baptisms that night. Jessica exchanged social media contact with the kids,  a girl about her age and her two brothers. She enjoyed texting them while we were traveling home. 

We had to travel by jeep to get to the top of the mountain where the city Real De Catorce was. Gavin convinced us to let him ride on top instead of inside. He wouldn't take my no for an answer. We were squished with at least 20 people on that jeep up and back down again. It was quite an adventure. 

The town down the mountain where we stayed for two nights.

The execution wall

Little church where the cemetery is

Breakfast in Mexico

The ice caves in Monterrey are not alive like they are here. You could touch the formations. The caverns were the most open and large I've ever seen. We hiked a couple of miles through these caverns.

The outer walls of our hotel. It was pretty scary at first, but comfortable once we were inside the gates.

Breakfast in Moneterrey

The park in Monterrey

Ice cream shop in Monterrey