What's Wrong With Me????

I have sooo much to tell you and not a whole lot of time to share all of my experiences these past few days. But I'll get to one of the funniest stories. At least I can laugh at myself ... and you will too, I promise!

So ... my neighborhood grocery store put in the cutest kitchen area with all kinds of gadgets and gizmos, which I am a sucker for. I needed new salt and pepper shakers and I saw the cutest ones that I just had to buy. Hmmm ... should I get red ones or gold ones to match my kitchen? Then I thought to myself. "How am I going to tell the salt and pepper apart if I buy the same color lids? I know ... I'll buy one lid Red and put the pepper in it so everyone knows that Red means hot and that has the pepper in it. And the Gold will mean salt because the color is more soothing. So I purchased the salt and pepper shakers ... one Red lid and one Gold lid ... problem solved.

Got home ... filled my cute salt and pepper shakers and set them on the table. Later that night we were eating dinner and I looked at the shakers and then it hit me .... DUH ... the shakers have a clear bottle and you can see which one is salt and which one is pepper! I even admitted my dumbness to my husband who just sat there and laughed! Now every time I use those salt shakers I think of my creative reasoning and laugh!
On to more news. Reese graduated from the Army's Advanced Training as a Crew Chief for the Apache Helicopter. We're so proud of him. It wasn't an easy feat, but he made it. He was even given a special certificate for leadership. And he earned his wings. They call them the 'bloody wings' because when the officers pin them on their chest they don't put the little stopper on the back of the pin. Later they slap the soldiers on the chest where the wings are and the pins push into their chest. Hence .... bloody wings! Someone did it to him, but it didn't puncture his chest. Strong muscles, I guess! He looks great and it's great having him home.

This is where he worked in the hangar on his 'bird'.


He loved his trainer!


Now for some sad news. A very good friend and cousin of mine was just diagnosed with stomach cancer which has spread to his liver. We had an apostle who came to our Stake Conference yesterday to speak. He had met with our friend prior to the meeting at which time he gave him a priesthood blessing. How very special to have an apostle of the Lord lay his hands on his head and give him the strength to endure what he has to go through in this life! As Elder Hales, the apostle, got up to speak, he asked our friend to come up to the pulpit and share his experience. He gave the most beautiful testimony and there wasn't a dry eye in the room. I felt the spirt so strong and knew that he will have the strength to endure the trials which has been placed upon him and his family. Our prayers are with you, Jim and Sandra! We love you!!!

Mom has slipped rapidly in her health. I'm hoping that those on the other side of the veil are getting her mansion prepared fast so she can slip peacefully away. It's so difficult watching her struggling for air. She can't talk much anymore and doesn't eat. I've kept her in a pretty medicated state to ease her suffering. It's just hard to watch your loved ones struggle. I wanted her to wait until after Christmas to die, but now I'm praying that she can go quickly. Thank you for all of your prayers in our behalf. I know that's what's kept me going and being able to endure this. My health has been wonderful and I've had strength beyond measure. The Lord has really blessed me abundantly and I'm so grateful to Him.

Let me share some words that gave me much comfort the other day. I was cleaning out 'stuff' and ran across something that Laurel had given me.

"What a wonderful thing is death, really, when all is said and done. It is the great reliever. It is a majestic, quiet passing on from this life to another life, a better life. We go to a place where we will not suffer as we have suffered here, but where we will continue to grow, accumulating knowledge and developing and being useful under the plan of the Almightly made possible through the atonement of the Son of God."

And one last thing ... TAH DAH ... I weighed in at 166 this morning. I'm down 91 pounds in 5 1/2 months! It's amazing!!! Only about 21 more pounds to go before I hit goal. My original goal was 160, but the Dr. said I'll probably get to 140 or 145. That will be a great weight for me. Don't think I've weighed that little since I was 15 years old.

Be good and don't drink out of any strange toilet bowles! :)