Canning

Green tomatoes turned to relish, and apples to applesauce. Many thanks to Charity and Carolyn for the loan of their 'labor saving devices'!

The Curse of the Black Thumb, or Two Red Tomatoes

On the left you see the 'fixins' for an end of season tomato sandwich grown in our garden. On the right you see the 14,725 green tomatoes that did not grow larger than an inch. (it seemed like that many when I picked them yesterday, one more bag is out of sight.) Thank goodness for a recipe for green tomato relish.

It began innocently enough- two new raised beds w highly touted dirt a la Square Foot Gardening. Chard, green beans, zucchini, yellow squash,and cukes with tomatoes against the fence. They began to grow nicely, and we enjoyed some meals of yellow squash.

There were literally hundreds of blossoms on the tomatoes and the cukes. I pinched off the suckers to encourage larger fruit growth. We were thrilled, thinking of the bounteous harvest to come.

One morning we woke to find monster plants. They had spread all over each other, and were threatening to take over the entire yard. The blossoms produced nothing. They simply sat there, tantalizing us.

Our entire take was 1 'mess' of green beans, 4 of chard, 8 cucumbers, 16 pieces of zucchini and 32 pieces of yellow squash. I kept looking for a partridge in a pear tree.

The last photo is dead plants. Note that 3 marigolds on the left are even bigger. I pulled them all up because I began to have nightmares of vines coming thru the windows at night to strangle us. So much for gardening.

Double the Fun

I love to see happy babies and hear them laughing! Spencer is 8 mos old, and Paige is 6 mos.Bet you can't tell they are cousins.....

Fun on the 4th!

We had a great time going to a Colonial Days festival - it was like a mini version of Williamsburg, Va. We heard Patrick Henry give his entire "Liberty or Death" speech,(amazing length for the actor to remember!), met Abraham Lincoln, ate some yummy Shephards Pie, and stood inside a full size replica of the aft section of the Mayflower.
As you look at the scale model, and the replica, remember that the Mayflower carried 126 people. The ship was only 102 feet long, and 19.5 feet wide. There were 2 levels, and the captains quarters (the part you see here), but there was no privacy, no bathrooms, AND they carried various livestock along. Measure it off and think about the stink and sheer claustrophobia of it! What brave people they were.

David had a nite of fun away from us w his buddy Leslie. They had a cook out, worked around the stables, and stayed up til almost midnight watching fireworks. He was so tired that he took 2 or three naps on Sat, and 2 on Sunday. We went to Tracie and Robs (post pix next time) and enjoyed watching Carter and fireworks.
Leslie has 16 horses and took David on the tractor to help feed them.

She also has a donkey named "The General". In this pix he had sneaked around behind the truck and came up to the window braying loudly.Hope you all had a great day too. We're grateful for this wonderful country.

Rodeo Week

Well, we TRIED to take the grandkids to the Lehi Rodeo. The city has a full week of festivities surrounding the Rodeo. They were excited to see the horses and "buckin' bulls". We've taken Cami, Carter and David to a smaller rodeo and had a great time including "Chicken Chasing" - just what it sounds like.
30 minutes into the fun, we were sitting in torrential rain, high winds and lightning bolts. Rusty and I were trying to cover the kids with blankets and sheets of plastic but everyone got drenched. We trooped home, and spent the evening playing Candyland and "jump on Grampa" which is a perinnial favorite.

All was redeemed the next day at the Lehi Parade. There were Firetrucks, Beauty Queens, Marching Bands and Floats throwing candy to the children. They danced and cheered amid running out in the street picking up fist fulls of the loot. Pulling them back to safety was my job while Rusty held David. Brooke had a harder time reaching candy before the big kids, so she was especially excited when she got some herself.

Brooke and Cami got really scared when a Mountain Man shot off a musket close by. When they saw him head our way again they covered their ears and backed up. Then they resumed scrambling for candy, or tree climbing.
We really enjoyed the day, and look forward to the next time.

Happy Guy

I caught him smiling! The lady who drives David back and forth to STEPS was on vacation for a week. He hates that 'cause who wants to ride to work with Mom or Dad?
He looks great in his new red shirt, and the cute half grin - (turn down your volume-the voices are loud). He's eating & sleeping better, down to 1 blood draw per week and see docs only 2 x month!

David is IN the Building

David has started smiling and laughing again which is truly a joyful noise. Of course he stops as soon as I pull out the camera. This little video is his "I do not perform on demand" look. At least Mr. Handsome allowed me to get two pix of his new haircut.(courtesy Tracie) I'll just have to be a little more sneaky next time.

Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes.....

Last night I noticed David had lifted up his arm and was looking at his hand. A little later I saw him taking turns raising each arm, rotating his hands slowly. When he went to bed, he was stretching his arms out backward up over his head.

Then it hit me, the steroid injections worked! His pain/stiffness, etc. had improved so much in 3 days that this movement was possible! Just as an extra test, he even let me rub his neck and shoulders some at the joint. How grateful I am that this was possible, for a great doctor, and insurance.

Normal

"Normal is just a setting on a washing machine". I'm going to make a big sign of that saying to hang on my front door. Today I was strongly reminded that Normal is when the Lord lines up ways to protect David. With all the pain David endures, the Lord has repeatedly guided our path when danger was approaching.

First, the good news! David went back to STEPS this week - half day Monday, all day Tues and Weds. Oh, he was one happy soul. ROutine is everything to him, and being with his friends.

More Good news - Late yesterday I found out that David could have the steroid injections in his shoulder done at 1:30 today. But, it must be under anesthesia.I start calling to get clearance for(anesthesia)from kidney docs. No response.

My girlfriend Leslie arrived at 5pm yesterday so I could go to a bridal shower.Rusty tied up with meetings for 2 days. After I got home, she spent the nite, and got up and down with David who wasn't sleeping well.

Sometime during the early morning, his feed bag of formula ran out. When we checked his blood sugar at 7 am, it was a 13. Once he went into a coma at 30.

My other girlfriend Charity shows up. Panicked, the three of us are shoving jam & juice in him. In 10 mins. he's back at 135, and we get to avoid an ambulance call.

Even tho I haven't gotten ok about surgery, we proceed with clear liquids as if it's going to happen. An hour later I finally talk to one of the docs - she had been given wrong message,thought I was asking them to schedule it! Gives the ok.

Arrived at the hospital at 8:45,get blood drawn at 9:15. Due to Prograf, David's very touchy, had a hard time sitting still for the lab work.

At 11 am we turn off the pedialyte and head over to anesthesia for pre op insertion of the IV line. Dextrose solution will keep his blood sugar steady.

Amid yelling, pulling and hurting, David gets stuck in 6 places, endures painful fishing for a vein, and 90 minutes later, still no IV. His blood sugar has gone back down to 85, so I start asking for a glucagon pen in case he drops again. They call in the anesthesiologist and he is finally able to get the line going, but with great difficulty. David relaxs, and Leslie and I take a deep breath.

Good news - the procedure goes great and is over in 15 mins. I went to sleep in the chair, Leslie went out to see the sunshine. Dr says 3 days to see results.

By this time Leslie has been with us for 20 hours, and has lifted David at least 20 times since breakfast. That is a friend, and a big part of the blessing.

Last nite she noticed D's right eye was red. I just figured it was irritation.
After recovery, I notice it is still very red. I assume it's an eyelash, so the nurse gives me an open vial of saline to flush it. If he had left it closed, I probably would have waited until later to use it.

When I open the eye, I freak out because there is a HUGE -pointed -knot, pimple thingy inside the upper eyelid! I call upstairs to his eye doctor, and beg to be seen asap. He's out of the country, but the nurse knows us, and gets us in.

Another doc looks, isn't happy, puts dye in D's eye, looks again, is less happy.
THEre's an obvious white dot on the cornea.

He calls in another, older doc - who becomes very, very unhappy.

He says David got poked, scratched, whatever, and has a really bad eye infection.

We get a prescription for the strongest eye antibiotic there is, to be used every 2 hours. Even tho the doc has surgeries all day tomorrow, he says he will meet us at 2:30 to recheck the eye. THIS IS WHY WE LOVE OUR DOCTORS and NURSES!!!!!!!!!

We get home at 5pm, get the drops, and after a stressful 24 hour marathon, Leslie heads home. (she also missed giving a 4 pm riding lesson). Rusty arrives, David and I pass out. Two hours later we wake him and do the drops again. By 9:30 the red streaks are greatly reduced, and he has stopped rubbing his eye.

Like I said, I am grateful to see that Normal is the Lord blessing us - because Leslie was here, she noticed his eye. Because we had the procedure, we were at the hospital. Because the nurse opened the saline, I looked in his eye. BEcause the eye nurse knew us, we got right into the eye doc. Because of eye dye, ultraviolet lights, and research, we have an Rx for antibiotics. As much as I hate the ups and downs, I am thankful to the Lord for his version of normal.

Sleep, Drugs and Bones

David has started sleeping again - the last two nights he's been peaceful, and a nap or two in the daytime, but he's still biting his fingers and moaning when he's awake. Ortho/bone doc thinks an injection of cortisone in the AC joint might help with the pain. David touched my "yes" hand when asked if he wants to try it...
Prograf apparently was the culprit with being wired all night. It is a very powerful anti-rejection med, actually toxic to the kidney if the dose is too high. David's level was out of whack, and as soon as they had us skip a dose, then lower it, he began to sleep again. There are lots of things they don't tell you pre-transplant....

David

I kept waiting to do a post about David cause I wanted to take a picture of him. His skin color looks good, but he is having a very hard time with pain. He goes to the doc twice a week, his labwork shows that the kidney is working great and the incision looks good, but he's hurting. He's hurting all the time. Rusty hasn't slept all night except twice in 2 weeks when other people spent the nite, because David is awake and moaning off and on all night. Various docs are talking, and done some extra tests looking for infection, but so far nothing and everyone is baffled. At first the muscle relaxant helped, now it doesn't seem to make any difference. The pain killer oxycodone doesn't make a dent in it, and the sleeping pill ambien is only working for a few hours at a time. It's hard to not be discouraged right now.

Flowers in Our Garden

I borrowed these adorable pictures from Kristi and Tracie. Top to bottome are Spencer, Carter, Brooke, Cami, Peter, and Paige. Today we had another encounter with the Phantom Phamilee Photos. For two years my wonderful kids have tried to set up a portrait shoot for my Mother's day gift. After all the planning - we woke up to rain today. Then we learned that Peter had developed a red rash that wasn't responding to benadryl...turned out to be viral, so even with sunshine we would have canceled due to David's suppressed immune system. A shame, because David and I both got some springy new clothes. We'll have a little fashion show soon.. Thanks to my sweeties for all your efforts. Trying to dress your children in Easter finery early on a Saturday morning (and keep them all clean) is no small feat...

Out the Door

Goodbye, goodbye to David's home dialysis machine! For 22 months we've alternately blessed and cursed this large hunk of metal that took over our house and our lives. No one cried yesterday when it was loaded onto the semi. We won't miss the infections, alarms, boxes of supplies, or betadine spills on the sheets.
Also, goodbye and thanks to Dr. Willem Kolff, the inventor of the modern dialysis machine. Known in medical circles as "the father of artificial organs," Dr. Kolff was one of a team of surgeons who made headlines worldwide when they implanted the first artificial heart at University Hospital here in Utah. He died Feb 11 at the age of 97. Be sure to Google his name and read about blood pumping thru sausage casings, an old Ford water pump, and parts from a downed German Fighter.. He and Southern moonshiners would have gotten along just fine!

Pre and Post Op

We have such amazing family and friends! A few days before surgery my friends planned a girls nite out, (this photo), our kids cooked a wonderful dinner, other friends cleaned our house, and even did the laundry! Everyone is still spoiling us - cooking, shopping, cleaning, and spending time with us so Rusty can get some work done! Ya'll are great!!!! (Thanks to Danielle for the great photo!)

Our family was at the hospital all day waiting thru the 4 surgeries. That evening a dearest friend from Ga. flew out with my 81 year old mom to be with us. Post op our kids took turns going back and forth between rooms sitting with me, checking on David and relieving Rusty. They rented hotel rooms for Mom and Charlotte, fed them, and shuttled them around for 5 days.

I did some really bizarre things - most of which I don't remember.... I had my cell phone, and called practically everyone I knew in Utah and Ga. I would talk a little, fall asleep in midsentence, then talk some more, usually saying things that made no sense. Mixing up the time zones, I called Molly Mills at 5 am, and after babbling I SANG to her. And she didn't chew me out!

Rusty asked Tracie to go find the cell phone and take it away from me - I called him about 10 times one day. She found it under the covers, and thought I was hiding it. Nope - just hurt too much to reach left sided to the table.....

Everyone has asked me if I scared - yep. At first i was just nervous. Then a few days before surgery, I saw a photo of a preop belly with magic marker circles on the places they were gonna poke me, and I freaked out. For some reason those little black marks made it real.

Afterward, I had a priesthood blessing, and from that point on I was very calm. It was one of the few times in my life except after the day I was baptized that I felt all was just right between me and God. I surely wanted to stay in this life, but if I didn't make it, I knew it would be ok and I would see everyone later on.

Today David has felt great and his labs are good. I also talked to K the donor and M the recipient ,and both are fine. It was all so worth it!

The Lovely Good Samaritan

This is a tribute to K., the perfect example of Christlike love exhibited in a modern day Good Samaritan.

We all know the story. In our case, substitute a lovely young woman, age 30 with 3 children who has rescued David. Before reaching her destination, she and her husband traveled on that road for 10 months, driving back and forth from Idaho Falls, Id, to Salt Lake- 10 hour round trip of 450 miles. (plus the time spent at the transplant clinic)

A few days before the surgery, we had the privilege of meeting K., this beautiful lady. Everyone has asked the question "Why would someone donate their kidney to a total stranger?"

Here is her story - up front I apologize to K. if I mix up some of the timeline or facts.....After seeing a movie about transplants, she was moved to investigate the process. Over more than a year's time, she researched transplants, hospitals and did a lot of praying. Initially her husband, C., wasn't sold with the idea, but came around as K. felt more confident that God was directing her actions.

All along the way she prayed and prayed and prayed, and always felt God's hand in the decisions she made. Once certain that she was going to donate, her next choice was which hospital to work with, and eventually she knew that the University of Utah was the place. The U is where the first heart transplant was performed years ago.

She also knew there was a particular person that was to receive this precious gift, tho she had no way of knowing who.

When she was approved and we were notified that a kidney was available, she finally told her parents. She had not previously mentioned it, no one knew what she was doing(and as befitting her desire for anonimity, still no one outside of her family has been told) Her mom was not very happy - I can understand that.

A few days before the surgery, we were blessed to meet her and her great husband. It was an emotional meeting - and all our fears were relieved when she said that the minute she saw David, she knew that he WAS the person that she had been led to. As I've said before, God's methods are mysterious and miraculous.

Our children had the privilege of spending the day in the waiting room with her family. They had many hours to find out about each others lives, backgrounds, fears and hopes for the future. (ps, her mom was totally on the bandwagon too)

How can we ever thank her or honor her and her husband enough? We look forward to being able to spend time with them in the future. There are no words to express our amazement at her sacrifice and to God for his willingness to grant our heart's desire. Thank you thank you thank you.

A DATE WITH A KIDNEY!!!!!

Yesterday I was cleared to donate a kidney, and this will allow David to get his kidney!!!!! It's nothing but a miracle!!! God is so good. THis will totally change David's life, and ours.
On this Friday the 10th there will be 4 simultaneous surgeries, as a GOod Samaritan living donor and I give kidneys to two strangers. I am so excited but so nervous. When I ask David with our yes and no hand signal system, he says the same thing.

Part of the miracle is that he has been very very sick with some respiratory thing for 3 weeks, and suddenly it's cleared up. I haven't heard him cough today at all.

His recouperation will be about a month, with about 1 week in the hospital, and he will need to take 2-3 anti-rejection drugs daily for the rest of his life. (what an improvement over just 10 years ago!)

I'll be in the hospital about 4 days, but my recovery will take about 6 weeks. Other parents who have donated said they didn't get their full strength back for up to 3 months. Our children all live close and will help Rusty care for us, and neighbors and church friends all are planning to help .

For those of you in Georgia, please pass this info onto our old friends - we need all their prayers for David's transplant to be, and stay successful. Love ya, Lisa

Neighborhood Handyman

Rusty has always been so great to help out friends and church members with home repairs. He is now the official "go to guy" for the neighborhood - if he doesn't know how to do it, he knows how to find out... that's from an accumulation of 30 years of remodeling and building...
Here is a couple of great pix (in cold/winter/snow)that our friends the Batson's took when their water main broke.

David and Sebastian

I love this picture. Last week was Pet Day at STEPS. Leslie, one of the awesome staff members, raises horses and sheep. She brought a brand new lamb named Sebastian in for everyone to see.
When they put him down, David he reached his arm around it and began to smile. Of course, by the time they got the camera ready David had stopped smiling, but sat for quite a few minutes with the lamb. Those women have wonderful ideas and try every day to find interesting things to do. Thanks for helping David have fun in his life.

PS - Transplant update - I have to repeat one more test. Won't know for sure until next Thursday. The tentative date is April 15. It all depends on my passing this last test. IF not, I don't get to donate, the person on the waiting list doesn't get a kidney, and David doesn't get the other person's kidney. Hard to wait.

Rusty's bday and 4 Gen redux

We finally celebrated Rusty's birthday - all 67, oops I mean 57 of them - the kids cooked an awesome dinner with all his favorite things - Tracie baked fresh salmon and made key lime pies, Kristi did cousoous, Gramma Frances did rolls, and Shelly made passion fruit ice cream (Travis went to Brazil on his mission and that's a big thing there.)YUMMY. Thanks to you all.

There will be some cute videos in a day or two - the kids played a hilarious game of pin the tail on the donkey - with the requisite peeking. Brooke carried on entire conversations with the WALL-E robot that she thinks is real. Peter started walking (and falling), with a little bit of aggravating Brooke by wanting to share her toys. Meanwhile the babies ignored all the chaos around them while chillin out in various loving arms.


Frances has about 500 grandkids and great grandkids - well it seems like that many - There truly are over 70 descendants. What a great lady. She will be 90 in May - time for a BIG party.

So adorable, handsome, gorgeous, goodlooking, cute and wonderful. Just love em!

More Transplant News

There is always a roller coaster ride when you wait for a transplant. I got a call today saying there is a living "good samaritan" donor - that is someone with no connection to a recipient, they just want to do something good in the world.

She matches David.

I am registered to be paired donor, a new program in the US that only a few hospitals participate in right now. I have to go spend the day at the hospital on Friday, to have all of my body systems checked out. If I am healthy enough, they will schedule the surgery (surgeries) by or around April lst.

Some results will be ready on Friday, but some not until Monday or so. Will post as soon as I get the full report.

Blessings

We have so many blessings in our lives. Particularly the 6 little people in the pix below. This first one was at Spencer's baby blessing. Trying to get them all together was a feat of incredible proportions! Left to right - Paige, Carter, Spencer, Cami, Peter and Brooke

Spencer at his blessing
Cami, Brooke & Spencer
Paige at one month. Her mommy is having so much fun playing dress up with her sweet little doll.
Peter's first birthday
Travis is a mechanical engineer. For the birthday boy he made a book. But it's not just any book - it's an ABC book for baby geeks in training. Each letter is from the ?scientific? alphabet - as in A is for Alpha...you get the picture...The kids doesn't stand a chance.

Thankful, thankful, thankful.

Birthday Buddies

Last week Danielle planned a TOTAL SURPRISE bday party for me, and this great looking bunch of women showed up. They are just as beautiful on the inside too.

This is a tribute to them, and the rest of my book club friends. There have been so many times this last two years that you have pulled me out of a pity party, and helped save my sanity. You are so wonderful. They have laughed and cried with me and laughed AT me (like when i was late because I couldn't find my shoes). Sometimes they even think what I say is funny! Gotta love em for that - oh yeah, and putting up with my non stop talking. Thanks to you all.

Happy Birthday Two You!

Jonathan and Tracie were born in during 2 snow packed winters. They celebrate their birthdays 2 days apart. Here are some of my favorites photos, which was a hard choice, cause when you are 31 and 29, there are SOO many to choose from................
One Happy Boy
Who loved Superheroes,

All Sports(which earned him 6 broken bones)
And everything Music


A Little Girl with Big Eyes

Who Loved to Be Stylish

Play Softball
And do all things Hair and Make-up

May there be many more happy days to come!