Todd and Kiersten are Married!

It was a beautiful setting, her mother's ranch, where they were married and had the reception. Marriage is good!

Introducing Rife Logan Hammer

Rife Logan Hammer weighed in 8 lbs 5 oz and was 21 inches long.We got there around 8 pm, Jenny and Laura and I. He was born at 11:57, just before midnight on 8/20/2012. Mary did awesome! I was able to stand and give her morale support during the evening!

Temple Day

We Went to Gateway

The girls met up at Gateway to do the splash pad.  Then Mary took the kids for a cousin sleepover.  It was fun to watch the kids at the splash pad.  And I even got a new dress and make-up at Nordstrom.

NieNie

As I picked up the copy of LDS Living, I noted that NieNie was on the front holding her newest baby, Charlotte. I subscribe to NieNie's blog and I've read her book, Heaven is Here.  I was interested to see what she said.  The contrasts in our lives: I have raised all my children, she has yet to raise hers; I have little to no pain, she lives with pain every day of her life; I have a terminal disease, she is at the prime of  her life. And yet we have much in common in dealing with the challenges we both face.

She wrote:
 "There is a divine purpose in all that we do. We can be grateful for what we have and make it into something better. We can gain strength from our experiences rather than dwell on how horrible they were. There is a loving Heavenly Father who wants us to grow from trials and it's up to us to do that. We have all been given the tools and more to get through anything that comes our way."


And this:
"I am so much more than a human going through some problems. I am a daughter of God getting through with God's love and help."


I needed this perspective coming off the cold I just had. She's so inspiring!

The Fourth of July!

We had a BBQ at our home and then fireworks!

We had fireworks!

Sophie did a cheer for the fireworks!

I'm thankful to Jenny who I snagged these pictures off her blog

Cold: Kicking My Trash

I have a cold for two weeks; in fact I missed Church for two weeks in a row! That's unheard of for me. But when you have a cold, and you don't have muscles to cough, it's an impossible situation.  I went to the ER twice to get suctioned out. I'm feeling better now, but I still get mucous in my throat.

Rich is my hero; he went online and ordered everything that would help in getting the mucous out of my throat.   So far, the drops called Mucous Clear are working well.  And papaya enzymes. So far what works is sticking my finger down my throat (I have no gag reflex any more) and just pulling the mucous out. It's disgusting, but it works!

My Office and Bedroom Paint Match the Sky

When I lay in bed in the morning, as I look out my window, the sky matches the paint.  Interestingly, I didn't pick it to match.  But the sky is the same color as the paint in both my bedroom and my office.  The sky is lighter in the south and darker in the north.  

this is my view as I lay in bed

you can't tell but it's the same color as the paint

I did plan this one, I took the swatches outside and matched them to the color over Timpanogos

I'm very happy with the color of my office

Hannah's Build-A-Bear

the kids with their Build-A-Bears and me!

I got the kids in New York a Build-A-Bear last time I was there, unfortunately, Hannah wasn't born yet. So I needed to get her a bear.  There's no bears involved here, Connor has a penguin, Abby has a monkey, and Andrew has a dog.  Hannah picked out a pig which she named NANA.  I just need to get Myla one now!

Hannah enjoyed playing with the computers

A Day at the Mall with My Girls

Mary came on Wednesday and we went to the mall. I had a coupon for 30% off at the Gap.  I bought each of the girls a cardigan. I love going to the mall with my girls.

MicKey

I'm the proud of owner of a new feeding tube!  It's called the MicKey and it's more low profile than the last one with the tube attached.





They just pulled the old one our and put the new one in. According to Rich who was in the room, it made a loud popping sound and there was some blood. It hurt but just for a second.  The MicKey is kept in place by a balloon that it filled with water.

Unfortunately, two days after I got it, the ballon deflated and it came out. Rich rushed me to the hospital and they easily attached a new MicKey.  Of course, my stomach contents came pouring out of the hole. By the time I got to the hospital I was a wet mess.  They put a bigger size in and so hopefully it won't happen again.

Braden's Mission Call

We were invited to witness Braden's mission call opening.  He's my fourth son and lived with us for a time.  He's going to Warsaw, Poland!

Venus Transit

Venus transitted the sun on June 5th.  It will happen again in 105 years, I don't plan to be here.  Or as a friend of Laura's pointed out, it looks like a pregnant stomach with a mole!

Choosing Happiness

Rich recently pointed out an article about a man, Ben Thomas, who has ALS. However, he is only 31 years old and he has two-year-old daughter.  But he stated in the article:

"Happiness is a choice. People can take things from you, or your health can be taken from you, but you can always choose to be happy."


I am eternally grateful that I got to raise my children to adulthood!  And I feel the prayers of so many in my life. In fact, I feel that this scripture applies:


"And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; Yea the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, . . ."


I feel that the prayers of so many in my behalf; and the loving care that my husband and daughters and sons that is given to me,  make my burdens light and I am able to bear my burdens with ease. 


And that is why I am able to submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.


Mosiah 24:15

Solar Eclipse

Our home teacher, Michael, gave me some eclipse glasses to watch the eclipse with. And my dear friend, Diana, sent these photos to me because she knows I like all things astronomic.  The kids came over to use the glasses, the clouds covered the sun while they were here.

Hannah trying to ride Annie

The kids played in the truck

Hannah so happy to see Papa

Letting the Butterflies Go

Karen Bodily gave me a butterfly net and certificate for caterpillars, for the grandkids.  We ordered them and let the caterpillars grow into butterflies.  We let the butterflies go yesterday.

Andrew's Buzz

Happy Mother's Day

It was a Happy Mother's Day for me.  My husband got me a corsage, so I felt special at church. My daughter spoke in Sacrament Meeting and said some very kind things about me.  My children bought and cooked all the food; we had Korean!  Michael got to skype with us! It was such a lovely day!

Basement Sewage Flood

On Friday afternoon I went downstairs to get some food for the mailcarriers drive.  And I stepped on wet carpet.  I looked in the bathroom and saw sewage all over the floor.  Then I went to the storage room for food and the sewage was coming from the drain in the floor in there, too. Apparently, the sewage drain pipe was clogged from our house and sewage was coming up through the drains and toilet. The first step was to solve the problem with the pipe. It was Rich's temple night, so he called my parents and they came right over and Keith and Trevor came, too.  They made calls for me and got a plumber here and went through the pipe with a camera and they discovered a crack in the pipe that was causing the clog.  The insurance doesn't cover the pipe after it leaves your house. So that little problem cost $4375.  Fortunately, the basement is covered but only to $10,000.  

  the big hole in the front yard

scenes from the basement