March 29, 2022

It is Liza’s 43rd birthday today and they are in Disneyland for Spring Break. She FaceTimed while we were eating lunch and we had a nice chat. She is going to run a half Iron Man race while she is in California. Her hips are bothering her though so we pray she will be okay.

Larissa’s family arrived last Tuesday and we were excited to have them. They were able to do some things with Cindy’s family such as the Trampoline Park, which the boys loved, and a trip exploring the area around Fort Langley. Ross and Sarah came in one evening and we all went to White Spot for dinner and came to our house for a visit. Wyatt and Colton were able to get their “pirate pack” dinners. Cindy took Larissa, Tom and I for brunch in Fort Langley to celebrate our birthdays and that was fun. Because our new stove had not arrived we went out to eat or ordered in and we managed. We were just glad they were here. Scott kindly  put a railing on our our stairs going out into the garage. The stove arrived on Friday after they left of course.

We served on our Saturday Temple shift and Tom performed sealings all afternoon. He loves it but it was tiring. I helped Maria Cerna receive her endowment. She grew up in Burnaby Ward with her family and Cindy was her Young Women President and she loves Cindy. She has married and been inactive in the Church but her husband became interested and joined the Church and she is thrilled to be back and hopefully to bring her parents back. Special day for her and for me.

Tom had a PSMA pet scan on Monday to determine if he can return to Germany for further treatments. We are hoping and praying that we are able to go back. The scan showed that the cancer has spread in the bones but not in soft tissue areas and that in one area there has been a burnout or spontaneous regression. He has emailed the results to Sabine in Germany. This could be a discouraging journey but we are determined to move forward positively. His stomach is really bothering him and he has no desire to eat and he normally loves food. He has made an appointment for a stomach ultrasound.

We had a small group on our Sunday family zoom but we were so grateful for our wonderful oldest grandsons, three of whom put the effort in to be with us. Max was at work or he would have been there too. We are so blessed to have our wonderful family.

March 22

 I had a very nice birthday with calls and birthday wishes from the children and Joanne. Tom worked very hard to make me a lovely “Eggs Benedict” breakfast and he took me shopping later. I bought some new shoes. Tom was the sealer in the Temple that Wednesday evening and I always go with him but he insisted that I attend the Relief Society Birthday party at the church with Cindy. I missed him so much and just wanted to get to the Temple to meet him at the end of the shift. We went out for dinner the next day at Beatniks in Fort Langley to complete my birthday celebrations. 

We had a fellow come on Thursday to check our gas furnace and fireplaces. It was to cost $210 for the visit but with repairs and parts it was closer to $750. Oh, dear! We visited the naturopathic Doctor Lemmon in Burnaby on Friday. He specializes in cancer treatments and he gave Tom a number of suggestions for extra supplements, juicing and such. We will give some of these things a try. We visited a chiropractor in Langley to see if he had some suggestions for Tom’s back pain but he was limited in his capacity to help due to Tom’s cancer. We don’t want to damage any of his already compromised bones in his back. We went Tuesday morning for Tom to receive laser surgery on his eyes to allow the fluid in them to drain. He was in and out of the office in literally minutes and now we wait to see if it is beneficial. 

Our challenge came Tuesday with delivery concerns of our new induction range - also for my birthday. They had called Monday to let us know they would be delivering Tuesday morning. Tom told them we would need a later delivery as Wayne Lavender could not come until after 1:00 when his morning Temple shift ended. They said they would talk to the the Brick manger and arrange it in the morning. After Tom’s eye surgery the delivery people called twice saying we are on our way and we said “no”, it had to be after 1:00  and the plumber’s visit. We attended a Temple session and Wayne came over to turn the gas off the stove. I gave him some lunch and we had a visit. Later in the afternoon when now stove delivery was happening, Tom phoned and they said that they had come at 1:00 and we weren’t home and they could not deliver until Friday. Tom said we should probably cancel the order and I drove down to the store. I wasn’t having much luck until an older lady started to help me and she and another gentleman said they would check with their manager tomorrow morning to see how they could help us but we now had a disconnected stove and Rissa’s family arriving any minute. We were both very disturbed especially when Tom checked on our front door film footage and noted that no delivery people had been there all day.

We were excited to have the Bulls this week and they arrived Tuesday evening. Lacking a range, on which I had planned on making dinner, we ordered pizza. Just glad they are safely here.

Tom’s tummy is still upset and really affecting his desire to eat. It just seems as though he has one thing troubling him after another. We just keep praying, hoping and trying to do our best. He is remarkable and still works to keep serving in the Temple.

March 15, 2022

 It is the day before my 72nd birthday and I have already received flowers from my ministering sisters and cards from Joanne, Eric Muir, the Relief Society presidency and Carol Jones. Celebrating in advance. Tom wanted to know what I wanted for my birthday and I said a new stove so we went to the Brick and put in an order for a new Samsung double oven induction range which should come in about six weeks. I had been looking at GE Cafe stoves but they said the wait for that model might be up to a year. Rissa just ordered all new Cafe kitchen appliances and they arrived in about two weeks but that is in the USA where they are made.

They have lifted the mandate to wear masks indoors but due to Tom’s lowered immunity we will continue with masks. They are still wearing them in the Temple however and in medical situations they are required. Limits on numbers in church gatherings has been eliminated too. Covid still goes on but people and the economy are tiring of restrictions and the government is turning responsibility over to the people.

Tom keeps being asked to take on more standing responsibilities in his Temple service and he keeps accepting and miraculously (literally) he seems to do fine. His back is still bad and his pain down his leg bad. Standing is the most difficult thing for him to do but in the Temple he manages. His tummy has been bothering him lately and he is not enjoying eating as much which is concerning as I try to keep weight on him. We are talking to  naturopathic cancer doctor this week and have an appointment with a special chiropractor who doesn’t do bone cracking adjustments. Hopefully the naturopath has suggestions to protect his organs from intense treatments and support his immunity and the chiropractor can help his back and sciatic pain.

Jack seems to be doing well on his mission and is making adjustments. Sianne broke up with him after his departure to the MTC but he seems to coping. Max got the accounting job he interviewed for in Australia so that is wonderful. Trevor is adjusting to his new job in Charlotte, North Carolina. He works remotely. It is spring break and Rissa and her family are coming to visit next week. Liza and her family are going to Disneyland next week and Liza will be running an Ironman race in California. Cindy and family are doing staycation activities with Sam and Treyvn only gets a week off. We watch Zach’s hockey games when he is playing. Our baby Treyson has cold. We pray for these children all the time and hope they feel our love.

It is two years ago tomorrow, on my 70th birthday, that we were returned home from our mission due to covid. We expected to go back out in a couple of months. We could not have imagined what the next two years would bring. Grateful for the Lord and his guiding hand and my wonderful husband who has taught me more about Christlike behaviour than anyone else in my life.

March 8, 2022

 Our missionary Jack arrived safely in Benin, Africa and is now experiencing jet lag, culture shock as well as climate shock. He flew from Salt Lake last Tuesday with his companion, Elder Greer, stopping in Minneapolis, and Paris before arriving in Africa and connecting with his mission president and wife. He is remaining in Benin and has a companion from the Congo. They are living in a four elder apartment with the other two elders being Americans. This will be an experience for him. They are riding bikes to their numerous appointments each day and had six investigators at church on Sunday. Very different experience than that had by his brother Ross in the Winnipeg mission. The traffic is crazy and his companion does not really speak English. French it is.

Our little Treyson was blessed on Sunday in Enterprise, Utah at his mother’s home ward. Trevor and Tammie flew out for the blessing and we were able to zoom in. Treyson and his father Justin both did very well. JayLynn has a large family and many came to participate so the circle was large. We made the decision to go down the weekend before and have our time with them as we realized that the blessing weekend would be busy with many people around Tom who is immune compromised at the moment. We were happy to be involved by zoom.

Zach was in Texas playing hockey this weekend and caught a stick to the mouth during one game and has two broken front teeth. There goes the orthodontic’s down the drain. His grandfather is not happy, especially because he was not wearing a mouth guard. He had a root canal that night after the game on one tooth and his pain is minimized until he gets home. Oh dear!

Bryson was accepted into UofA, Wyatt’s team won their hockey tournament, and Max has a job interview this week in Australia. We pray for and love them all. 

We carry on with Temple service and attendance and with our cancer concerns. Brother Beaumont asked Tom to officiate a session on Saturday as they were short on workers. Tom agreed even though he would be required to stand for long periods. He did it and did well so I am told. He was thrilled but his leg has been hurting since. There is no stopping him and we continue to pray for pain relief and cancer relief. Sandra Barroby brought us dinner one evening and others continue to phone and message us almost daily. Mary Harvey had appendix and bowel surgery this week and we try to be mindful of others like her that need our prayers and concern. Where much is given much is required and we have been given much.

March 1, 2022

 

We had an exciting weekend in that we had the opportunity of meeting our first great grandchild Treyson. We drove ourselves out to the airport in Vancouver on Thursday morning and obtained our pre travel covid test at the airport, receiving the results in about 15 minutes. We flew to Seattle, changed flights there and on to Salt Lake. We had wheelchair assistance in each airport. We were shocked as to how large the Salt Lake airport now is, how busy and how beautiful. It is no longer a the sleepy little airport it once was. Doug and Cathy Bull picked us up which was so kind of them. The day before we left I asked Justin if he could pick us up as I was worried that Tom would be tired and then stress over driving a rental car to Justin’s. Justin is doing a practicum in Salt Lake and was picking Jadyn up at the bus there and would have to return to pick us up later. I suggested an Uber but Rissa insisted that one of the Bull family members pick us up and that is what happened. We had a nice catch up with the Bull’s as we made the journey and Tom did realize that the rental and the freeway to an unknown destination would have been difficult for us to navigate in the dark. We were grateful to have Jadyn there too and we appreciated JayLynn’s hospitality. She is a good little wife and mother and very capable and kind. We loved our time with the baby and the kids. We bought them some groceries and gas and took them out for two meals. We went to see the townhouse that Trevor has bought and is being built, tended the baby when they went to church (we zoomed our church) and Tom gave Jadyn and Justin each a beautiful blessing. We watched two of Zach’s hockey games and Bryson and Keaton’s provincial wrestling championships. They all did well and it was nice to be able to watch.

The last part of our long weekend was spent with Carolyn. She picked us up on Monday and we took her for lunch and then she took us to see a play - Treasure Island - at the Hale family theatre. It was an excellent production and most enjoyable. We then went back to their home where Rebekah had dinner ready and Ephraim and Hannah and her new husband Caleb also came to be with us. Rebekah lives with Carolyn and the other three are there a good deal of the time and stayed the night we were there. Ephraim is doing very well with his business and the rest of them seem to be doing well too. They are all driving Tesla cars, happy, travelling and busy. It helped Tom feel better about Carolyn as he has been worried about her financially and in every other way with this difficult ongoing divorce with Tom Olson but she is a resilient, happy person and seems to be fine. She and Rebekah drove us to get our return covid test in Salt Lake while they got their hair cut and we then took them for lunch before they dropped us off at the airport and we retraced our route back home. Although we had help in the airports there was still a lot of walking for Tom and his leg was hurting and he was very tired by the time we got home. We did feel blessed for having made the trip and recognized that we had been helped along the way.

 Jack left the Provo MTC on the day we were flying out of the Salt Lake airport but his time of departure for Africa did not correspond with our departure time at all. We were hoping we could be his farewell group. He and his travel companion have arrived safely in Benin into the arms of their mission President and wife and other missionaries. It has begun. We are excited for him. He will be a good missionary. 

Rissa, Scott and the boys flew to California this weekend for their friend Jared Wall’s funeral. He died suddenly from an apparent heart attack leaving his wife Lindsey and four children. They had flight problems getting there but got home safely the same day we arrived home. Jadyn got back to Rexburg too.

We attended a Temple session on Tuesday morning and Tom worked as the sealer in the Temple Tuesday evening. We have been catching up on our correspondence and phone calls.