Week of January 19 - 25

I am happy to report that Kevin is doing much better this week. He had a followup visit with the doctor on Wednesday and received a clean bill of health. Wow! The doctor was suprised because he doesn't usually see pnemonia clear up so quickly. Kevin is sure grateful to be feeling better and I am grateful to have him up and about and teasing our children into better moods, once again.

After having a few days of inversion which locks all the pollution in, we were happy to get a storm to clear the air. However, instead of snowing, it rained. It has rained and rained. It did clear the air! It is also working on melting the giant hills of snow that have collected alongside our houses. For us, the melting snow and the falling rain means water in our basement. Heavy sigh. I just do not have the emotional energy to panic over it anymore. I told Kevin that we just need to get rid of the carpet, put a colorful glaze over the concrete, keep everything off the floor, and when the rains come down and the floods come up, we'll just pick up our throw carpets and let our subterranean river flow towards the drain. I have always wanted to live on a river. I just didn't realize I would actually live "on" a river. I am exaggerating, of course. It is more a seeping. I have lived in the Midwest where "water in the basement" meant water to the knees or worse! Compared to that, this is quite livable. (I say cheerfully as Kevin vacuums away downstairs with the wet-vac, fighting the good fight!)

We had basketball games again this week. That was great fun. Sarah and Megan are both having a great time as are Kevin and Katy in coaching them. We did some craft projects, I am happy to report, and did activity days and young women activities.

On Friday, I took Sarah in to the dentist because her front tooth was bothering her -- the one that got knocked out a year and a half ago while playing softball. We thought we had gotten through the danger zone and that it was going to live and be fine. Unfortunately, that is not to be. The dentist xrayed it and found that the root was dying. He said it was just about ready to abcess. (!!!) So, he did the root canal. We'll go in next week so he can finish up. Everything will be fine, of course. What can't they do nowadays? Sarah was still mortified, though, and had a heartbroken cry over it. She is doing better now. I guess we all learn that there are things that just happen and we just have to deal with them the best we can!

Our big, Big, BIG news of the week is that Elder Robert D. Hales of the Twelve Apostles came to our Stake Conference this weekend. Can you believe it? It wasn't an area conference or a regional conference, it was just our stake. AND we weren't getting a new stake presidency nor had we done anything wrong! (I was just kidding, here -- I know they don't typically come for that reason either!) Anyway, it has been fabulous. We had a ward temple night Friday. Saturday evening we had the adult session. I always love the adult session of stake conference, anyway, because (as much as I love my children) you can concentrate far more easily when your children are not with you! I always feel the spirit so strongly. But, with Elder Hales there, it was even more amazing. He speaks humbly and quietly but with such power. He knows things. He is sure. He understands the doctrine completely. I want to shout to the earth, "God has given us Twelve Apostles on the earth! Can't you feel that it is true? I know that it is! I heard one speak to me today!" Today at the general session, he spoke incredibly well, too. He taught us as Jesus did on the road to Emmaeus, "opening the scriptures up to our understanding." He would open his scriptures and say, "Let's see what he says here." And then he would explain it to us, almost like he'd been there, definitely like he'd had it explained to him. It was wonderful. I feel so lucky. It was a blessing to have him there today and my heart is full of gratitude for it.