Rewiring and Reunion

                I was the recipient of modern technology and medicine with ablation on the left atrium of my heart. The surgery is done using tools threaded through two veins and an artery and is very precise as it targeted an area identified as damaged. Wayne said that as I awakened from the surgery I answered all the questions from the nurse in Korean so he acted as translator. The hospital bed I was placed in had a mind of its own and randomly called the nurse or readjusted itself through the night. Wayne stayed in the room with me and slept through all the excitement. They changed the bed in the morning just before they released me to go home. I had wonderful care and was able to come home with my nifty ECG device that records my heart ECG through an app on my phone.

Doing baby songs with Henry

                While I was in the hospital my children and grandchildren began to gather. Debbie and her children arrived first and were here when Wayne brought me home from the hospital.     Aaron came followed by Michael with his family. Wayne treated a group of family to a viewing of the new Star Wars movie.

                The next morning Michael took the cousins to the Nickel Arcade that his friend, Dan, owns. They love to go play laser tag and compete to see who can amass the most tickets from the games they play. Playing and being together were the memories they will keep.

                We rented a lodge in Garden City with a beautiful view of Bear Lake. There was room for everyone to sleep and lots of activities we could do indoors. Our plans for snow play didn’t work because our only snow was a dusting of fluffy powder in time for a white Christmas. It was good for snow angels and tromping around. All the family assembled except Kara who is in North Carolina as a missionary. I think the count was 30 plus one Chinese foreign exchange student.

                On Saturday our children planned a celebration for our 50^th Wedding Anniversary with a wonderful meal, the chocolates served at our wedding reception, hand-made ornaments for the tree with our wedding photo, quiz games for Wayne and I that made everyone laugh, music from the grandchildren, a custom quilt with a block representing our milestones together, and a commemorative Christmas Stocking for everyone to remember this Christmas together. We certainly felt very loved.

                We celebrated Christmas with church attendance on Christmas Eve, dramatizing the Christmas story with props and costumes, and reading the story from Luke. There were matching pajamas, pictures, puzzles, karaoke, and carols. I love singing with my family.

Christmas morning there was a special brunch. a visit from Santa, and lots of presents.

This year, giving seemed to be more important than the gifts each received. The time together was a bit of heaven. I collected LOTS of hugs and read stories to the grandchildren every evening after our family devotional. It was wonderful to be taught by my children and grandchildren.

New Adventures in a Familiar Place

Our first week in Utah seemed like a whirlwind. We went from one appointment or activity to the next and tried to settle back into our house in the cracks. Here are some of the things we did:

• Doctor appointments at the University of Utah to check out the A-fib with my heart. The images were clear and the damage minor but serious enough that the doctor will ablate my heart on Monday.
• First visits with our great-grandson, Henry; and becoming reacquainted with his big sister, Olivia. Henry warmed up as soon as Grandpa fed him fresh blueberries. Olivia waited until Grandma had a tea party with her.
• Reunion with other grandchildren who were not able to meet us at the airport. Tyler finished his semester at Utah State and came to help us move heavy tools from our basement to the garage. He also gave us tech advice.
• Reunion with my siblings. My brother and his wife who live in Denver flew in for a sibling’s luncheon and we spent a few hours in heaven together. My brother and his wife who are in Phoenix participated electronically but came to hear us speak.
• Musical performances for our grandchildren. Graigry performed with a BYU university orchestra and we enjoyed hearing live orchestra music again. Ashlyn and Emily sing and dance with Clayton Productions and we were able to see one of their final holiday performances.
• Greeting people, we haven't seen in 18 months in Costco and in our church activities, catching up on the changes that have happened while we were away and getting to know new people who have moved in around us.
• New telephones so we can communicate in America. We didn't expect that task to consume as much time.
• Celebrating our 50^th wedding anniversary by making a decision and purchasing a car for transportation. It's a white Camry hybrid SE.
• Preparing a talk for our large ward plus many visiting family members. Our daughters planned food for a luncheon afterwards that lasted until dark. We were surprised by some of my cousins as well as siblings, nieces, nephews, and their children. My mother’s sister, Aunt Joana, spent most of the day. It was a happy reunion.