Family Gathering at the Lake

We arrived last night for the weekend at the lake.  Burbidge family, Noriega and Towner family all came up too.  We have a cabin full.   Jaxon road up with the Burbidge family.  We brought the Thomas grandkids so Tasha could have some time to get ready for her new baby girl soon to arrive.  The cousins have all had a great time playing together.   It gets crazy with them all running around.  Just have to let lose and know things will clean up in the end.   Our little Annie has slept with us every night.   She is so anxious for her new baby sister to arrive. Burbidge family and Noriega family left Sunday afternoon.  It was a quick trip for them all.  Towners stayed till Monday afternoon it was a beautiful sunny day and grandkids had fun playing in the snow  sledding.  

Little Winston scared me to death -I happened to look out the window and saw him walking out on the frozen lake way too far out.  The ice has just frozen this weekend and not sure it has frozen thick enough to be walking on it.  I started yelling at him to get off the ice he was out to far- to come back quickly.  The ice could have broke thru and I’m not able to get to him quick enough.  So glad I saw him, he was just walking and would have kept going had I not yelled at him.  He had no idea how dangerous it is.  Thank the Lord he was safe. They had fun sledding.  Yael, Lincoln, Jude 

Eagle Scout Awards

Eagle Court of Honor tonight... I am soooo proud of these young men. We had 8 tonight, but one wasn't able to attend. My special thank you to Craig Symes and Clint A. England, our bishopric, for being so amazingly supportive,  Andrew Stokes for your example and leadership,  Stacey Malm for being the glue that kept us all together, my husband, Dennis Shane Rasmussen for giving up his days off this year to help us in Scouting and all of the scout leaders and family included in my numerous group texts that helped these boys! It really does take a village! I have to add a couple more extraordinary boys,  the Stokes twins, who have been with these 8 all the way, and just ran out of time, and the rest of Troop #697 -- YOU are AMAZING young men!! We've never had so much fun working so hard! I love each of you! BONSAI!!!!

It was a lovely banquet tonight.  So proud of my Hubby for all his support to the scouting program.  He road over 400 miles with them on their bikes this summer to help encourage them in completing their awards and earning what they needed to complete.  It was so amazing to have a real Eagle displayed by his trainer.  It was a huge highlight seeing one up so close and learning more about an eagle.  We have one that sits high in the trees here at the lake.   We have some awesome young men in ward.  

Our Family Christmas Party

We all gathered as a Family at 6pm Christmas Day.  Everyone was here all 31 of us and I invited Randy my Nephew.  It was a race all day getting things ready.  Up early 8am and enjoy Santa gifts with our Towner grandkids.  Clean up the wrapping paper mess.  We made sweet rolls for a yummy Christmas breakfast and then I had to get dressed to go to the pharmacy to fill Craig’s 2 prescriptions.  We went to the only pharmacy open on Christmas Day.  Craig started a steroid med and by evening it had kicked in enough that he was able to enjoyed the family a little, the pain was starting to let up.  I cooked a turkey and a ham, mashed potatoes & gravy.  Trisha made her yummy pear salad, Shar her green pistachio jello, we had several cheese balls and crackers, with rolls,  it was all yummy.  Chaudhry family were the traditional 2 hours late, she brought her yummy green bean casserole.  We didn’t wait on them.  By the time they got here we played the gift exchange game the grandkids all love to play.   We had some good laughs.  The 10 younger grandkids are crazy all together.  Guess because it is boys.  They are all so rowdy running around chasing a football and tackling one another.  I had to put a stop to that.  They moved to the one bedroom and bounced on the bed and played in there.  They tore Stacy and Chads bed apart.  Those crazy grandson they do have a great time together.  It all cleans up in the end.  The noise is what is so hard to handle.   I then handed out all our family gifts to the grandkids and each family. Wrapping things up everyone started leaving by 10:30 pm.   The Chaudhry family stayed longer.  Shannon and Randy visited till after midnight.  I was beat and ready for everyone to go home.  Finally got the Chaudhry family out the door by 1am .  It was all a whirlwind when the family all gets together. Our new places is large enough to host everyone and not feel like we are on top each other.  

I enjoyed decorating the cabin and our new home this year.  This is our front door at our Draper home.

 our big tree up in the basement . Fun to use what I have and add white decor to the tree.  

Fun to have a fireplace in the basement.  

We set up tables again in the basement for our family dinner.  It was so hectic I didn’t take as many pictures as I would  have liked.  

Our three older granddaughters Aubrey, Saydee and Karlee

Noriega family. 

Our busy Bee Ashtyn climbing the stairs-

Opening Christmas gifts from the kids 

I was really excited to give Craig his Apple Watch gift.

We gave the three older granddaughters a soft blanket and $30 cash, they like having some cash 

The older grandsons Michael, Alec, Jaxon, Cole, Austin- we gave them all spider sweaters and gloves and socks.  

 

Younger grandsons we gave them all 7- a mega dart gun they were really excited to play with.  Let the dart wars begin as cousins! 

Little Enzo we gave him a Toy Story toy set which he loved and so did Ashtyn she wanted to take it all home with her when they left.

Annie, Ashtyn and Farrah we gave them princess shoes and backpacks filled with fun little play toys.  They were so excited.  So fun to see all our grandkids open their gifts from us this year.

Tasha is ready to pop with her little one

We gave baby Cora Rose a electric heater for her nursery to take the chill out in the basement and a couple cute outfits to wear.   Each family we gave a box of Fernwood mints and a Christmas envelope of money $300 for each family.  Dave and Shar fixes their tailor as their gift and we bought them a new dolly that we lost when we borrowed it.  Have to say we had a great Christmas this year. 

We gave Randy a sweat shirt and gloves-  Lincoln was so sweet he gave Randy some gift cards to eat out.  He was excited to give them to him.  

Christmas Day

The Towner family slept over last night.  Fun to see our Towner grandkids open their presents from Santa.   Jude was up set he did not get his mega dart gun,  which I surprised him with our gift which I got all his younger cousins he was a happy camper after that.  Stacy and Chad didn’t know this was one of his favorite gifts and was disappointed when he saw it was not there.  Santa got him an expensive go pro camera but he was not happy about that.  Glad I was able to easily fix the situation.  The Towners and Thomas family came over yesterday afternoon to let their kids play and make Christmas cookies.   It is a house full 7 grandkids running around 8 years old and down in age.  They love playing with our folding bed pads making a fort to play in.  It is crazy when they all get together.  The day got crazier.  I had to talk Craig to emergency about 7pm, his neck has been in severe pain the past few days and has progressively gotten worse.  We took him to the Chiropractor in the morning but it made it worse.  I had to make him go to the emergency.  I could see the pain was off the chart for him.  I wanted him to get some relief for Christmas Day.  We are sitting at the only pharmacy open for some pain meds and steroid for his neck pain.  I’ve got to get home and fixed a family Christmas dinner we are hosting at 6pm today- sure pray Craig can get some relief soon.  

FTC

Feeling A Little Better

I drove down Thursday afternoon.  I had the car loaded with stuff again to bring to our new place.  I have had fun decorating for the holidays.  I need to take some pictures.  Got down just in time to meet Randy downtown Salt lake with his PO officer.  Well that was a waste of time.   He was not in to meet with him.  I was right in the 5pm traffic coming to our place.  It felt good to be home and safe.  Meeting Randy was in a scary part of town with lots of homeless people and living a lifestyle that is very uncomfortable to me. I helped Randy put gas in his car, until he can get on his feet, Craig referred him to work for one of his clients,  I completed his resume on Tuesday for him and sent it over.  He interviewed Wednesday and they hired him- his first day of work was Thursday.  He also got a job working nights at Sizzler in bountiful.  So now he has two jobs.  Craig told him the best thing he could be doing is working and digging himself out of his hole. He needs to find some housing now.  He drove out last night and slept over at our new place.  I was to sick to visit with him much, I had to just go to bed.  Friday night Craig and I grabbed a burger at Rods we usually get Taco's but thought I would get something different that night after dinner I got the worse stomach ache,  I started feeling very sick- flu like symptoms.  I had the worse night and sick all day yesterday.  The day was a blur, I must have gotten food poisoning from my burger.  Craig had a different burger so he didn’t get sick like me. It must have been the pastrami in my burger.  My stomach was still hurting so bad when I went to bed at 6:30 pm.  Finally during the night the pain in my stomach lifted.  It has been the worst pain.  I' m feeling better this morning just really weak, so glad to be rid of this stomach ache pain.  I manage to eat a small bowl of oatmeal so far so good.  Stacy and Chad arrived late last night staying at the Towners. They invited me to attend church with them but I’m still not feeling up to going anywhere I just need more time to recover.  Craig came down Friday and headed back last night to the lake.  He is conducting church today and did not want to miss.  I was just to sick to head back with him.   Craig sold our Lexus to Scott he came and picked it up yesterday.  Sad to see it go it had been a good car.  So now we are down to three vehicles,  I have my Acadia, Craig has his truck and corvette which we can’t drive in the winter.  It was nice to leave a car here so we could have two cars here at our new place. Driving back and forth every week lately. We both have had lots of doctor appointments. I wanted to stay this week for the holidays. Craig is coming back down later today.  Randy is here so if I need to go anywhere he can drive us.  He said he would go to church with me so see if I feel up to going.  He hasn’t been to church for over 20 years.  I can't imagine that -the church is my whole life. Hope to keep improving my health today.  So glad it's Friday- I pushed myself to get things done.  I got all my wrapping done and grocery shopping for the holidays.  I just want to feel better and enjoy my family during the Christmas holidays so excited to have the Towner family in town. 

I managed to get myself dressed and Randy and I went to Church with the Thomas Family- Natasha is ready to have here baby.  Only one more week to go.

Relief Society Christmas Party

Tonight was our Ward Relief Society Christmas Party.  Sister Pope asked me to sing a solo for the party and lead the sisters in some Christmas carols.  It was a challenge for me to sing.  My voice is just not as good as it use to be.  But I gave it my best.  I sang -Christmas is a feeling.   I made five Christmas floral arrangement for the tables yesterday.  They turn out so pretty, I gave them away tonight as Christmas present.  I went over this morning and put the floral arrangement on the tables.  I could see sister Pope had already done a lot of the decorating.  It just needed a few finishing  touches.  I came home and got what I had to add to what she had done .  It looks so beautiful with the lights down low.  We had about 10 sisters attend.  Not many but still a success.  

The floral arrangements turned out so pretty.  I used fresh pine boughs I cut from the pine trees in our yard.  I’m dead tired. Just got things all put away and ready for bed 

Our Sabbath Day/ Teaching Gospel Doctrine

We arrived back to the lake yesterday late afternoon.   I spent several hours tidying and putting things away, and gathering things up to take to our home in Draper for the Christmas holidays.  I plan to head back down on Thursday to finish up our Christmas shopping, getting ready for the arrival of the Towner family and our Symes family Christmas

Party, Christmas Day.  Things I have to look forward to. I have been taking one day at a time doing what I can each day.  I have been recovering from my surgery that was on Tuesday.  I have felt like I’ve been in a brain fog, yesterday I was finally feeling like it was lifting.  I had to buckle down and prepare for teaching gospel doctrine adult class.  We are studying the last book of the New Testament-the Book of Revelations.  I have studied the past but relearning again.   There is so much in the chapters 1-11 to share.  I have got to figure out how to condense the information.  I have enjoyed learning and growing in my knowledge of the book of Revelations, a greater love for the apostle John and his mission in preparing the world for the second coming of our Savior Jesus Christ-   I woke up early 6am to study and condense my thoughts to an hour lesson.  I had to say a prayer for the spirit to guide me and to remember what I have prepared  I have been nervous teaching but I do love to teach.   I felt the Spirit of calmness overcome me in knowing I have prepared and that the lesson will go well- as I let the spirit guide me in my discussion of these chapters.  I was so touched by the spirit in Sacrament as we sang the Christmas hymns I could hardly sing,  My eyes filled with tears for my gratitude for My Savior, reflecting upon his life and many blessing he has given me.  The lesson went well.  We had a great discussion.  I had several members thank me for the lesson presented.  We only touched on the tip of many of the gospel messages in the chapters that are packed with knowledge-  in preparing for the second coming of our Savior, our responsibility is to share this message with the world to be a light and example- to share the message that Jesus Christ lives and will return, there will be peace in the world as we follow his teaching and learn to live a Christ like life.  I talked about the importance of temple work the most Important thing we can be doing for ourselves and our families, making the sealing ordinances available,  sharing the message families can be together forever .  We need to do our part in sharing the gospel message with the world.  Let our light so shine that men may see our good works.  I loved the symbolism of the candle stick being held up in Revelation sharing our light and leading others to Christ which is the center of our light and strength. 

I share a picture of a painting in the Kirtland Ohio temple that is so moving and inspiring to me as the messengers of Elijah, Elias, Moses appeared to Joseph Smith in the Kirtland temple restoring the keys of the gathering of Israel- the sealing keys that are required and preformed in the temples across the world to seal families together and endowments needed in order to return to our Heavenly Home to earn a place in the celestial kingdom of God.  The dedication of the Kirtland temple was just the beginning on April 3 1836- In This great restoration of temple ordinances.  

Rev 3-He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. This scriptures refers to those who have over come the world and have kept their covenants and received the temple endowment, dresses in white showing our purity and cleanliness to enter the house of God.   

Annie’s Christmas Dance recital

Our little Annie had her Christmas Dance recital this morning at 11:30 am.  We were driving back to the lake last night but the weather was not good lots of snow and I wanted to see our little Annie in her dance recital.  I know it meant alot to her that we were there.   She is such an adorable little granddaughter that brings such joy in our lives.   She was so aborable in her dance performance.  So fun to watch her shine.  

Austin’s Wrestling Competition

We went to see Austin compete in his wrestling event.  He did well and placed 3rd.  So fun to see him compete.  Craig really enjoys cheering him on since he wrestled too in his youth.  Craig knows the calls to yell out and encourage him.  It is so funny to listen to my dear hubby - he would make a great wrestling coach.  

Recovering

Taking the time to recover is challenging. It make me slow down even when I don't want to.  I don't remember much -Wednesday I slept most of the day and rested.  Thursday I could tell I was feeling a little better.   I spent the entire day slowly decorating our Christmas tree in the basement.  It was a good distraction for me.  I woke up  feeling sad about the family Christmas drama again. This year  I did not want to deal with or have any drama.  My conversation with Sharlena didn't go well- which I don’t remember much because because of my surgery, but felt a sadness inside trying to please everyone.  I just need more healing time !  

Another Doctor -Appointment

My D & C surgery was yesterday morning by the time I woke up and heading home it was 4:30pm. The day was gone.  I have really been out of it.  So dizzy not able to hardly walk. No pain so far from the surgery and light bleeding.  Poor Craig -he had to walk in from the large parking lot.  It gave him a work out with his knee just operated on Thursday.  We drove back to the lake Saturday morning for the weekend and back on Monday afternoon for my surgery.  I don’t remember getting dressed and coming home or Craig feeding me soup that Buck and Trisha brought over for me.  I have been in a brain fog.  It just takes time to recover. 

Monday Blues

I tried to stay positive today.  I’m feeling so tired from our busy schedule.  I have been working hard getting things down, even having surgery on Tuesday I have not slowed down much.   I spent the day Thursday decorating our Christmas tree in the basement.  It helped me to be distracted from the family drama about when we should host our family Christmas party.  Sharlena is pushing to host our Symes gathering on another day during the month of December.  I told her I was open to the idea but we would have to plan it  in order for that to happen.  We were waiting this year to see when Stacy and her family is coming in town for Christmas.  She let me know last week they would be arriving the 21st or the 22nd  Sunday depending when they left California on Saturday they are going to try to drive straight thru.  It is a 12 hour drive which is long for the kids.  Sharlena called me Wednesday night one day after my surgery to check  on us.  She started to talk about. Christmas  and our family party.  I was still in a brain fog from anesthetic so I really don’t remember much of what she said.  I just know I felt frustrated after our conversation.  I don’t want any drama this year when we gather as family.  I do remember her telling me I need to be more assertive and plan things, which is very confusing to me. We have not hosted for five years.  Our lives were blown apart the Christmas of 2013.   I didn’t know what to do as far as family gatherings I was told I could not host at our home any more, which was devastating to me.  It took the joy out of my life and why I had my home to share with my children. 2014 and 2015 were hard years- I trying to bring the family back together.  Trisha hosted our Christmas family parties.  2016 we moved to Bear lake and we hosted our Christmas at Tasha’s home the past three years.  I have missed hosting in our home and not able to get anyone to come to the lake .  We have the prefect place for the winter months and still I have had to compromise and go to Salt lake in order to gather our family.  It has taken years for healing with the girls to want to gather.  I know I have to put forth the effort to try to keep our family some what close and not grow apart.  We bought our new place in Draper so we could have a place to invite our family over the holidays so I have been looking so forward to hosting this year.  We had a lovely Thanksgiving Gathering at our new home.  I have been so excited for Christmas this year and wanting to make it special for us all.   I felt my bubble burst after my conversation with Sharlena.  I felt a heavy cloud overcome me.  I have been trying really hard to not go in a dark place since then.  I have had lots to deal with emotionally helping Randy my nephew, our surgeries, and shopping for our new home in Draper, serving in our Garden city Ward , helping ward members, the back and forth to Draper and Bear lake , I’m feeling frazzled from it all today.  I’m sure Craig is feeling the same too.  I could feel his energy vibe on the negative side today which dragged me down too.  I’m trying to stay happy and not let the stresses of  life get me down.  I worked on all my ward Christmas gifts in Putting ribbon and bows on our gift to hand out.  I need  to practice singing for the  relief society Christmas party this Wednesday. I’ve just not felt like singing.  I have got to buckle down tomorrow.  The water was off again today.  They have been working on the main water lines the past two weeks.  I finally had to just lay down and take a nap about 4pm.  The day is over when it is dark for me and that is at 5:30 pm.  I lose my motivation to do much when it gets dark.  Craig and I have been trying to read In The Book of Mormon daily about 4 chapters and I was behind about four days.  I took the time to read my chapters to catch up with our reading daily goal, proud of myself I took the past few hours reading instead of watching  TV.   Trying to stay positive!!   I need to take time to heal and be patience with Craig and his healing process from his knee surgery.  I know he is fight depression too!  

Towner Family

Stacy sent us some darling Christmas pictures of their family.  Love the family pictures with Santa.

Beautiful family picture 

Sacrament December 8th

Divine means deity- to become like God to practice attributes to be like our Savior.  Striving to feel the Christmas spirit-  sister and brother Woods are our speakers today in sacrament.  They recently moved in our ward- getting to know them.  My dear husband was able to get up an dressed to attend his church meeting leaving at 8:30 am this morning.  He won’t be home until about 2pm.  It will be hard for him just having knee surgery.  Sister Woods give a beautiful humble talk speaking about the attributes of love.  We can inherent the qualities like our Heavenly Father . We can change and become a new creature in Christ....Brother Woods -talked about Music for trouble kids- getting the feel for what the kids wants to do he could make a difference-  work there 8 years and then let off - very tough emotionally  for a new job in the inter city of New York City. Hardest thing they ever did living there.  Teach like a Mormon- just love the kids- thing got better and kids grew to love him as a teacher with respect instead of him being mean to get their respect...an offering to the temple is to be kind to others -what gifts given me to bless others ? He gave a very powerful talk today 

Praying for insight and direction in knowing how to help Randy and not enabling him.  He had made lots of mistakes and not planned well so he is without a job and homeless not able to pay his bills and care for himself-pray for the gift to love and know how to care for his needs in a wise way. 

Taking Care of my Hubby

We ended up staying another night in Draper- getting back from helping Randy-  Craig’s surgery meds were wearing off and he was in pain now.  I need to chill and rest from the drama of the past few days.  We are enjoying g our new place.  I slept much better last night knowing Randy was taken care of for the weekend.  We. It’s woke up early this morning so we left to come back to the lake by 7am.  Craig was hurting and needed some pain medicine.  We still have some from his surgery in Jan left over.  I could fill his prescription but didn’t really need to.  We stopped by Walmart to get groceries and back at the lake by 10am .  I got him settled and some pain medicine in him.  It was so funny to see it kick in and make him loopy.  I went to the church to pick up all my Christmas decorations from the ward Christmas party last night that we didn’t make it too.  Felt bad we didn’t make back missed the only Christmas party we have this year.  It did turn out lovely.  I have spent the day putting things away .  I had to take a nap I was tired form wakkmy up early.  Feel good to be in our warm cozy cabin for the day.  I have it all decorated pretty for Christmas.  

Helping Randy

My sister called me just before Thanksgiving worried about Randy.  He had been in jail but out now.  I haven t seen Randy for over 5 years.  I invited him to our family Thanksgiving dinner but he said he was invited to one of his friends home and felt he should go there.   He told me he was out of money and could not pay his rent and had to be out of his apartment by the 1st of December.  Monday Michele called crying said he was sleeping in his storage unit she was worried he would commit suicide.  He has to have a place to live and job or he goes-back to jail.   He was in desperate need.  He was hungry and out of food.  I called around Sunday and found the bishop that was in his neighborhood growing up.  He had to move out after his dad died in March this year.  He was still in jail  when Rodney died and was not able to go to the funeral.  So when he was able to go home he had nothing.  The home he was born and raise in for 30 years.  Ryan his brother and wife Janie got rid of his dogs and most of his stuff.  The house was in really bad shape when Rodney died.  They have been working on it the past 8 months fixing it up so they could sale it.  They told Randy he could not stay at the house.   They were actually putting it up for sale this very week.  Randy had broken in and slept there for a few nights until they found out.  It is a tough situation.  I have not wanted to even talk to them.  They have disown my sister and will not have anything to do with her.  It has been since their wedding in 2005.   I have tired to encourage them to have a relationship with Michele but Ryan and Janie have not wanted to.  It has been a great heart ache for Michele not being able to see her only grandkids over the years .  They have even blocked her from Facebook so she can’t see their pictures -the three girls know nothing about their Grandmother Michele.  They would not even see my mother when she would come in town.  I don’t understand them.  I know it is the influence of Janie the daughter in law.  She lied to Michele about money owing for Rodney’s cremation trying to get money out of Michele to pay for fees that did not accurately accrue.  It is such a sad story.  I was done trying since Rodney died and now I’m dragged in again.  I told my sister I would see what I could do to help. I gave Randy the phone number of the bishop and told him the situation.   I pasted Randy’s phone number to him and asked he follow up on Randy.  Randy did call and talk him and made an appointment for Tuesday night at 7pm.  Monday I was crying and wanting to go down and help him out stressed concerned about him too.  I was comforted that he had contacted the Bishop and I knew he was sleeping at the house so he did have a warm place at night.  The meeting went well and he received a food order from the Bishop for the church food pantry.  He had called his brother  Ryan telling him he was hungry.  He ordered him a pizza.  Wednesday we drove down to Kaysville and meet Randy at the church store house and helped him get his food order filled from the bishop.  I was so impressed with the process.  It is a full Mimi grocery store to care for the needy. We then took him to lunch and visited.  I haven’t seen Randy since 2014 when we meet him for lunch when my mother was in town.  That has been 5 years.  We got more details out of what he is going thru. He has been out of prison for 8 months. Having a hard time finding a job or keeping a job and now he is out of money and a place to live he needs to get somethings in place or he will be sent back to jail.  We told him we would do what we could help him. We took him to his storage unit where he hangs out during the day. He has a setup hanging out  with a friend next to him.  He does have a coffee maker, a mini fridge and microwave.  He mention in conversation he had no clean clothes so I helped him gather up his clothes to wash.  We left him at his storage unit.  At least we knew he had some food.   We headed to our Draper home.   Thursday Craig has his knee surgery and I was at the Hospital.  When Randy texted me saying he needed an address for his PO officer.  I didn’t know what to do.  I just told him he could come to Bear lake with us for the weekend and gave him our home address for Bear lake and our draper home.  The next thing I knew he had changed his PO officer to a Salt lake county and was meeting with them on Friday.  They would be coming to check our home as a safe place and that he is there.  I told him he could not live at our home in draper. I got myself in a pickle!! I did not have any furniture in our basement yet,  I don't want want him living in my new place, he smokes.  The timing is terrible for both Craig and I with Craig’s knee surgery and I’m having surgery on Tuesday the 10th so I’m going to be out of it next week too.  I need to take care of my hubby.  Janie called while we at the hospital waiting.  I did not want to talk to her but Craig did.  He wanted to get their side of the story.  As he talked with Janie we learned that Randy ran Thru about $12,000 and was still not working.  He had one job but got laid off according to her he was not showing up. Janie is so first frustrating she will not let us talk to Ryan she is the between person and I don’t trust what all she says.  I asked Randy about the money and a few things she said, which Randy said was not true.  He was furious and started sending them nasty text messages.  He already had a fight with Ryan about not being able to stay at the house.  Randy says Janie just wants him back in Jail which could be the case make her life better with Randy out of  the picture.  By Thursday evening he had no place to sleep. We did pay for him an alternator for his truck and a tank of gas.  The alternator cost $175.  He ended up sleeping in his truck.  I was so worried about him and what we were going to do!  Craig was stern he was not coming to our place.  Which I agreed but having a hard time telling him.  I wanted to help but not having him live with us who knows when we could get him out once we let him stay.  It is for sure going to be a month or longer getting him back on his feet to support himself.  Craig called his PO officer and talked with him on Friday.  We learned he could take a two week leave and visit his mother so we are going to work for that to happen.  I had a good cry Friday morning stressed from everything, taking care of Craig, dealing with Randy, anticipating my surgery, after working hard getting ready for the ward Christmas party that evening.   I didn’t feel up to going home yet.  We had hoped to head back for the party .  I wanted to see my grand babies before we headed back.  I didn’t want to be stressed with Randy over the holidays . We called Tasha and Annie were home from school so we took her to lunch with us so Tasha could work and see our Annie girl which was helpful for her.  We took Annie with us so we could see Ashtyn and visited with Shannon.  When we got there Shannon was visiting with my mother and talking about the drama going on with Randy.  Shannon was good to visit with and understood our feelings of not letting him stay with us.  Randy texted saying he needed his clothes so he could met with his new PO officer.    We dropped Annie off and headed to North Salt to meet Randy at his storage unit.  We had terrible traffic getting there.  It was 4:30 pm and Friday evening traffic.  I had washed five garage bags of his clothes for him.  We were able to visit with him again and told him he could stay not at our draper home.  Craig has no problem telling him, but we told him we would help any way we could.  We told him what we learned from his PO officer that he could go to Texas.  So he needs to meet with him and get the approval forms filled out.  It was too late by the time we got there so he will have to wait till Monday.  He did get a referral from the Bishop to go to the Deseret Industries for a job and he met with them at the Centerville locations. They scheduled for his orientation on Tuesday. So at least he would have a job for the time being.  It doesn’t pay much.  But it.s a job.  We have worked to get him the resources to himself.  The Bishop called and said they had no housing for him in their area.   I called on our way back to draper and reserved a hotel for the weekend.  He was very grateful.  He hadn’t had a shower all week long. It was getting cold and dark by 5:30 pm.  He was very grateful to have a place to go that is warm.  I felt better knowing he had a place to stay and not with us for the weekend.  A sigh of relief.   We will see what happens on Monday.   

Craig’s Knee Surgery

Craig had his knee scope surgery Thursday afternoon.  I had a doctor appointment at 8:45 am so Buck took him to the Alta view surgery center.  He arrive about 9:30 am.  I got there at 10am from my appointment.  They had delays in  the surgery schedule so he did not go into surgery until 1pm.   I was able to grab some lunch and back to the waiting room, everything went well.  They did find lots of floating tissue that had broken off.  This is what had been catching in the joint- Hopefully cleaning things up inside will buy him some more time before he has to have a knee replacement.  We got home about 5pm.   Trisha  Buck and Boston brought us dinner.  It was so nice to have them come visit us.  So nice to rest in our new place and care for my hubby.  He had no pain medicine since he left the hospital.  So he did ok until last Friday afternoon the pain set in.  We didn’t make it back to the Ward Christmas party.  I did take all the decorations over before we left.  I made over a hundred Christmas trees out of wrapping paper to put on the tables.  They sent me pictures it all turned out pretty.  

Wish we could have made it back sad we missed the party.  I always look forward to the Ward Christmas party each year.