Yellowstone

I forgot to pack my journal and so I am putting some of the memories of our trip on my blog so that I have somewhat of a record somewhere.

May 4th: We packed the van with a mattress and enough supplies for the three of us for a couple of days. Dad layed comfortably on the bed in the back all of the way up to West Yellowstone and read the whole time. We arrived at the hotel and got dad out into his wheelchair and he just grinned ear to ear and did a couple of wheelies in his chair which I then caught a couple more on video later. He took a big whiff of that mountain air and I think that it did him some good. He has been saying for a while now that he just wanted to get to Yellowstone one more time. Here we are! We got dad settled into bed with the remote in hand and left on a food quest because we were hungry. Everything was closed or sit down and so we ended up getting salads from McDonald's and went back to the room to eat with dad. We settled in pretty early to bed.

May 5th: I woke up in the morning to my parents talking quietly. It reminded me of when I was a girl and I would wake up in the morning and hear my parents in the kitchen talking to one another. It was one of my favorite sounds and favorite memories from my childhood-it still is. I heard my mom say this morning, "Guess where you're going today?" and I heard my dad giggle like a child. He was so excited. We got up and got ready and then went to eat breakfast. I thought that he was doing really well until he wheeled back to the room and promptly lost what he ate. We ventured out to the park with dad sleeping on the bed in the back. We kept trying to talk to him and wake him up but he just wouldn't. He was so groggy and tried to open one eye every once in a while, but couldn't. Mom and I drove to Old Faithful and sat in the car for quite a while before mom finally went to the back and tried waking him up. He did wake up, and wanted to get out of the car-which is why we went there...there was just one minor problem, precipitation! All the way into the park, there was rain, snow, and hail. It was still raining when we wanted to get out, but it's why we were there and so we followed instruction and got him out! With all the gear that we had, we got out and started walking. It would stop raining for just a minute or so so that we could enjoy the walk a little more and mom and I got quite a work out pushing dad a long the path. It was beautiful and I will treasure today even with the rain. When we asked him if he was ready to be done, he kept pushing forward. The only thing that made us turn around was the big pile of snow that was on the path that we couldn't push his chair through. We saw a lot of geysers, hot pools, blue birds, an eagle, a ground squirrel, buffalo, and buffalo poo! We got back into the car and drove around to find some lunch. We stopped and ate at the Grill and dad kept asking me if Jeff was meeting us for lunch and if he drove the other car with the kids. I know that he is getting close. He is so disoriented sometimes. He slept he entire time back to the hotel and then for 4 hours after we got back. I slept too and mom read her book. When I woke up, I asked mom what she wanted to do and she said that she really wanted dad to wake up and so we tried to wake him up and started talking about dinner. He perked up when I said Pizza and so started my quest for pizza in an "off season" West Yellowstone. Every place is closed! I did finally find some and brought it back to the room and is tasted pretty good. We enjoyed dinner together and then mom asked him if he wanted to get in his jammies and he said no-he wanted to go for a ride. We hopped in the car, with dad sitting in a seat. He sat down and said that the seat was ingesting him. He is saying the most funny things. He has always been a joker and so sometimes I see that joker in him. He emptied a bag of souvenirs, faked throwing up...ha ha very funny dad-and we were on our way. We drove a few miles towards Bozeman, saw an eagle, turned around and asked if he was done and he asked to drive back into the park. So we did! We drove a few miles into the park and the sun was setting and we saw a swan, more buffalo, a bull elk with a large rack, some geese, and another ground squirrel. It was fun to have him awake and commenting every once in a while. We got back and he got ready for bed while I talked to my family on the phone. I have to admit...It was nice to say good bye to Jeff as he was breaking something up in the back ground while trying to get Mack to bed. I am kind of on Vacation. It's wonderful!

Pirate Ship Quilt

As if I needed another project-let alone a project that intimidates me like quilting....I bought this pattern the other day while I was with my mom that convinced me that I could do this (and that she would help me)!! I am going to make it for Mack's bed for his "new" room (if I ever get around to finishing it)!! Isn't it soooo cute?

Today while I was scouring over the pattern at McDonald's waiting for Mack to finish his lunch, the girl that designed it came up to me and told me that this was her design. If you would like to peek at some more of her designs, check out her blog at www.sweetandshabbydesigns.typepad.com I fell in love with everything of hers!!!

DAD

So may of you that read my blog have been wondering about my dad and his condition. I am so grateful for all of the concerning thoughts, sentiments, and prayers that have been said in our behalf. I have written a lot of my own personal thoughts and feelings down in my personal journal. So many of my thoughts and feelings are so personal and private, but I realize that all of you want to know and are curious and so I just wanted to let you know and keep you in the "know". It is part of my life and so a perfect thing to record on my blog.

Things have progressively been getting worse. That really is the progress. It has been very difficult to watch him and my mom as he has struggled with pain and with the reality that is at hand. It has also been a very sacred time in their home and in our family. The time is drawing near and I just can not express my gratitude enough, nor put into words my feelings about the time that we have been able to spend with him.

He has been wanting to go to Yellowstone one last time and the thought or possibility of it all has been in question for a few weeks. Yesterday, the Doctor gave him the go ahead to go and told both my parents that at this point, we are looking at days left-not weeks and so if he wanted to go...NOW would be good. I feel selfish in the fact that I get to be the one to take them. We are heading out in a few minutes after Jeff gets home to gut the van so that we can get a mattress in the back so that he can lay down on the way there and the way back. I am anxious-but so excited and feel privileged to go with them. I am hoping that I can hold it together while we are there. It has gotten harder for me-I am realizing that I am still not ready to let him go. Everyday I pray for strength to just remember that it will be for only a short while until we will be together again. I am going to try to just enjoy and treasure these days that I get to spend with him in his favorite part of the country.

Thank you again for all of your concern and love that you have shown our family.

Blessing #16

I have been born of goodly parents. What a blessing that is! I am so lucky to have these two as my parents and to have been raised by them-and still am being raised by them. I treasure every word that they have to say and any advice is welcome still after all of these years. Sometimes I have something to say for them-but not nearly what they have to offer for me! I was blessed to live with them while growing up and learn what I could from them. I am also so grateful for the love that they had for me and the love that they have, and show, one another. I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for them. It has been difficult to watch them struggle the past few years with dad's illness getting worse and worse every year, but I have been blessed to be here in town to see the love that they have for each other grow even stronger! Was that possible? I am so blessed to have them as an incredible example that I would like to follow in my own life. The way that they conduct their lives and serve one another and others around them is an excellent model to anyone. Even now when dad's time is short, they know how to laugh, listen, share, live the gospel, and serve. Blessing #16-Goodly Parents!

Four Generations

I feel a little guilty saying that it has been a joy to have so much family in and out of town because of dad. I would rather those visits not be under the circumstances that they are, but because this is what is at hand, I am appreciating these special times to spend with some people that I may not usually see or spend time with. This past weekend, my grandparents came up to Idaho Falls for a visit and so my Grandma (Grammy), my mom, my daughter, Calli, and me took some four generation photos. It is precious to have a Grandmother, and grandfather still around for me to enjoy. I love them so much and are so happy that we were able to get a FOUR generation picture together. Calli was really getting into it about the third picture and so we kept taking them.

Blessing #15

These ducks have been making an appearance in our yard recently. Last year, I saw a pair of ducks in our yard as well, but they didn't stick around. This year, they have been coming back over and over again. They really like our little waterfall/pond in the back yard and keep quacking around back there. I keep wondering if they are scouting out a nesting spot. I would love that if we had a bunch of little ducklings in our yard. How do I warn them about all of the kitty cats that prowl the area? Do squirrels matter to them? Anyhow, it has been a lot of fun to have them visit us almost daily. They did disappear when it was yucky weather but are back now that the snow is gone once again. They were timid at first, but now every morning they come to our back porch and almost demand a feeding! The kids have loved it and so have I. I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has given us these creatures to enjoy. I am not an animal lover by any means, but am grateful that I get to enjoy them from a distance and have them bring wonder and joy (and from some of them food) to our lives.

We were driving over to my parents home one afternoon and this is the sight we saw out our car windows. Many years ago, God sent the rainbow as a symbol to Noah and his family that he would not flood the Earth in that way again. All of us have seen a Rainbow and they are beautiful! I was obsessed with rainbows when I was a little girl. There is just something about all of those colors being placed together and how they blend and compliment one another...it's incredible! On this day, this rainbow meant a little bit more than no more floods and colors. It was a personal reminder to me that my Heavenly Father knows us and he knows our struggles and our joys. He really is there for us. Who can doubt that he exists when there is such beauty to be found in all of his creations? Blessing #15 All of the Nature around us to remind us of our Heavenly Father and his love for us.

Blessing #14

I have a friend who is an amazing cook. Anyone can cook better than me (or at least enjoy it better than me) but this friend can cook and bake and make wonderful creations in the kitchen!!! I have decided to not be jealous of these kind of people anymore-just to be grateful that they exist and that they can lead those of us "culinary challenged" and give us great pointers every once in a while!! Thank you for possessing your talent!

So...my friend had this bread recipe that she called 1 Hour Bread! YEA RIGHT!!!!??? Whatever! I decided to go to a presentation that she was giving and it looked easy enough-but if you knew my bread history-you would know that I do not do bread-or bread doesn't do me-one or the other! I have tried many recipes-including my mother's infamous recipe that she does and none of them have ever worked!!! I am not exaggerating this fact! So...I decided to try my friends recipe and it actually worked!!! I thought it was a fluke and so I tried it again...AGAIN it worked!!! Again and again, I tried it and it continued to work!! Imagine my shock and surprise and with all of these successful attempts, I started trying rolls, pizza crust, cinnamon bread, the focacia bread, etc etc! I make it every week. When I haven't gotten to it yet, and have had to use store bought bread for lunches, my kids complain! They love my bread!!!! I finally have a recipe that is so easy and fast!!! I haven't perfected it to an hour, but I have gotten it down to 1 hour 15 minutes-but it still doesn't take all day!! Thank you friend and thank you Bread Gods for finally smiling down on me! Here is the recipe if any of you are interested...

Blessing #14 My 1 Hour (& 15 minutes) Bread Recipe.

2/3 cup honey or sugar

1/4 cup oil (rounded)

3 T. yeast

5 cups hot water

4 cups Flour

2 T. salt

Additional Flour

Put sugar, oil, and yeast in mixer (Bosch mixer you can do whole recipe, kitchen aide you can only fit 1/2 recipe). Add water and mix. Let sit 3 minutes to activate yeast. Add 4 cups flour and the salt (add salt last-it will kill yeast if you put it n first). Mix well to form a paste. Let raise 7 minutes. Add additional flour until dough pulls from sides of mixer pan (about 4-6 more cups). Mix it for about 4 minutes on high. Place bread in 4 greased loaf pans and set in warm oven (about 175-200 degrees) Let raise until dough is 1 inch over top of pan. This takes about 15-20 minutes. Without taking bread out, change temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes.

A fun tip that I love is to spray your counter with Pam when you take dough out of mixer to divide. It makes the dough less sticky and easier to make it into really pretty bread shapes.

The Focacia bread is one of your dough loaves spread into a bottom of 9X13 pan. Dimple the dough, spread liberally with olive oil, sprinkle with dry Italian dressing (about 2/3 package), garlic salt, dill, Parmesan cheese, or whatever else you want or have on hand. Raise for about 10 minutes in warm oven and then bake for the 20 minutes. YUMO!!!!

On Easter, I even made these bunny rolls that my mom always made. Later, I frosted the tails and sprinkled them with coconut. They were delicious!!