What a week ! ! ! !

     On Sunday we arrived at the church at 7:30 a.m. for our monthly correlation meeting with the Bishopric, and the leaders of the different organizations in the 2nd ward.  It had snowed during the night and there was ice on the sidewalks.  When we arrived at the church, we were the first ones there so we sat in our warm car and waited for someone to come and unlock the doors.. well no one came, it was 7:45 and not a soul arriving for the meeting.. so we decided to go back home (5 minutes away) and call someone and find out what the deal was.  We called a couple numbers and didn't get an answer and then on the third call we talked to Gary Ramon and found out the meeting was changed to the following week.. we had been left out of the loop.. no worries.. we will be ready for the meeting next week.. Sister Brown stayed home from church because her back was really hurting, so I ventured out in the snowy weather.. the roads were clear by then and it was no problem driving to church.  I attended 2nd ward and was lifted and inspired with the talks and lessons.. I just love the people in our wards.. That evening we had invited Roz over for dinner..to discuss the needs and concerns of the sisters in the first ward.  We fixed chicken pot pies, and salad.. Roz brought dessert.. it was a great evening and we shared our success stories with her on some of the sisters we have been visiting.. It really is so much fun to just visit these wonderful women in their homes and get to know them a little better..
     Monday we planned our week and decided who we would visit and called to make appointments.  We also worked on the recipe books for the tasting table on Thursday evenings relief society that we were in charge of.  Sister Brown had chosen soups for this time of year and had put together 6 wonderful recipes for soups. Corn chowder, chicken noodle, minestrone, clam chowder, potato cheese soup and her Dad's stew. 
      Tuesday we had made arrangements to visit Dedria and her beautiful new baby girl Gretchen.. Since we didn't make it to her baby shower we wanted to take our gift over and see them.  It was a beautiful drive and the weather was warm and sunny.  Dedria is a counselor in the RS and such a fun person.  She has 5 older children, 4 girls and 1 son.. It was so much fun to visit and the first thing she asked us was " if we wanted to hold the baby?".... YES we did.. such an angel, we were there for an hour and she was just sleeping and so happy the entire time..

Deidra's beautiful home

 What a fun backyard.. great place to play in the trees.

 What fun to hold such a sweet baby girl

                                                 Opening our gift for her new baby girl

Diedra & Gretchen

   

  On the drive home Sister Brown said she was so tired, really exhausted and worn out..

we stopped by Costco to pick up the prints for the covers of the recipe books and then stopped at the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for the soups we would be tasting on Thursday evening.. Sister Brown took and nap and I worked on some projects and in the evening I was getting dinner and Sister Brown got up to come in the kitchen and get a glass of water.. All of a sudden she started shaking and grabbed the counter and it looked like she was having a seizure.. She looked panicked and I was too.  I helped her to a chair to sit down and she said she was fine.. but that it was a really weird feeling.. We had dinner and I noticed she was moving really slow and didn't eat hardly anything.  Her grandaughter called and as she was talking to her it looked like she was having trouble carrying on a conversation in her usual up-beat manner.  We then started working on putting together the recipe books and she was having a very hard time figuring out what to do.. I was very concerned and said that I thought we should call the Bishop and get a blessing for her. Bishop Vance and our visiting teacher Brother Michela came right over and gave her a wonderful blessing and suggested we go to the hospital and have her checked out.  It was around 9:00 pm & we didn't really know where the hospital was, so Bishop Vance drove my car and Brother Michela followed in his.  After getting her settled into a wheelchair they called her up to the desk to check in and asked her to fill out the forms.  She took the clipboard and tried to write and couldn't.. it looked like a first grader and the look in her eyes was fear.. I offered to help her fill out the paperwork and when we finished it they took her into triage and checked her vitals.  We told Bishop Vance and Brother Michela to go home to their families, we would keep them updated on the progress. I called President Matuomori and let him know what was going on and he asked to keep him updated.   Then about 20 minutes later Bishop Martin and his wife Suz walked into the ER.. and said they were there to be with us for the night.. They are so fun.. we talked and talked and talked and then about 3:30 a.m. they finally put Sister Brown into a room in the ER. (after waiting for 6 hours in the waiting room) The first thing they did was a cat scan on her brain..to see if that was the problem. It came back clear and then they took her to get x-rays of her lungs.. I told Bishop Martin and Suz to please go on home and I would let them know how things were progressing.. The doctors said they wanted to keep her overnight for observation and would move her upstairs to a room as soon as one was available.  I finally decided to go home around 6:00 a.m. to see if I could get some rest.  Sister Brown was sleeping and I knew she would be watched over by the amazing staff at the hospital.  We live about 20 minutes from the hospital so by the time I got to bed it was 6:30.. I set my alarm for 8:30 so I could get up and make some important phone calls. The temple to let them know we wouldn't be there for our shift, Pres. Matsumori, and our District leader Elder Noel and both Bishops..After I called and talked to everyone I got ready and returned to the hospital to find out that Sister Brown was still in the ER.. asleep..  They had run blood tests and everything came back good except that she was dehydrated and her blood showed a virus in her system. They still wanted to run a electrocardiogram on her heart and a Doppler radar test on her carotid arteries to rule out any complications in that area.  They finally came to do the heart procedure and when that was over she was taken to do the test on the carotid arteries and then she was finally moved to a room up on the 3rd floor at 3:30, after spending 18 hours in the ER.  Several people from the ward came to visit, Bishop Vance and Kelley Cheney the RS president and the Sponaughle's.  The nurses and CNA's were so nice and gentle.  We finally got the news that the tests had all come back clear and the only thing they found was that she was dehydrated and her blood work showed a virus so they were starting the release paperwork.. We left the hospital at 11:00 p.m. so happy that all the tests were clear and we were ready to head to bed for a good nights sleep.  Sister Brown is resting and getting her strength back and drinking a lot more water..  We have been the blessed recipients of wonderful service by those in our wards, they have been bringing over meals and what a blessing they are.

Elder Cotteral & Elder Shurleff

     The Elders have been keeping track of us and we so appreciate them and their concern. They have made visits and checking on us this week.  We have 2 new elders in our wards and they are such great young men.. It is really fun to get to know them..

      We will rest this weekend and then be ready to get back to work on Monday.. Thanks to those of you who sent wishes and offered prayers. . . I love you all..

"Our lives should be examples of goodness and virtue as we try to emulate His example to the world. Good works by each of us can do credit both to the Savior and His Church. As you are engaged in doing good, being honorable and upright men and women, the Light of Christ will be reflected by your lives."  --L. Tom Perry