February 9, 2021

 Last Christmas the children gave us “Storyworth” as a gift. It is a site that sent both of us questions each week and allowed us to tell stories about our own lives while answering the questions. It was a gift from all four but Trevor monitored it. It was a great incentive for us to document our lives. We searched for and added pictures too after returning from our mission. It was especially good for Tom who is not the best at telling about his life, let alone writing about it. The “Storyworth” year came to an end with 2020 and was published in a nice book for each of us. My editing was not perfect, as I was the editor for both, but the finished work is lovely and we hope it will bless our family. It has been a lovely gift.

 Our dear friend Roger entered hospital this past week and his brother John called late one evening unsure if Roger was going to live. We love Roger and prayed for him as we always do and when we checked on him the next day, his condition had improved. Tom is a great ministering brother and we have been ministering to Roger since we moved out to Langley. Our history though goes back many years to the North Shore and Roger even served for a time as Tom’s executive secretary when Tom was Bishop in the late seventies.

We have been blessed by so many friends thru the years and we are grateful for their prayers and support right now. We still get calls, messages and emails as people are wanting updates and concerned about how we are doing. We are doing fine and waiting for Tom to receive an infusion tomorrow for his bone density and then meet with the oncologist, Dr. Bahl, on Friday for the first time. We are anxious to hear what his suggestions and directions are and to talk to him about the possibility of theranostic treatments in Germany or Australia. Travel is very difficult right now because of covid but if we need to go we will.

We have a wonderful family who send us their support and love daily. We enjoy our Sunday family zoom meetings when we can all be together for a short time. Jadyn (granddaughter) and all her roommates at BYUI have been dealing with covid this week and are in isolation. JayLynn (granddaughter-in-law) had her gallbladder out this week and has gone home to Enterprise with her family to recuperate leaving Justin (grandson) on his own with school work. Zach (grandson) is determining if hockey and the team he is with right now is where he wants to be. We are so grateful he is back at church and has the gospel to help him make his decisions. Ross (grandson) and Sarah posted the pictures of their winter wedding. They are awaiting their sealing in the Temple.

We continue to meet with Carol and take her the sacrament on Sunday and we have been working on our Temple workshop for the Bellingham YSA. We walk each day and do our errands and work at home. We love each other and love being together.

February 2, 2021

 We hear from friends regularly with phone calls, messages, cards and gifts. People constantly tell us that they and others are praying for us. How blessed are we and could we possibly ask for or imagine more love coming our way? Truly life experiences and the gospel have brought many wonderful people into our lives and we pray for all of them in return.

I spoke in sacrament meeting on Sunday via zoom so I did spend time this week past preparing my talk on “Living a Consecrated Life”. I entitled it “Here Am I” after the Savior’s wonderful words in Heaven before we came to earth and the young boy Samuel’s words as the Lord called him repeatedly in the Temple one night. I have truly been blessed to associate with individuals living lives of consecration throughout my life. We are now looking to prepare for a Bellingham YSA conference we have been asked to participate in this month. We will be discussing the Temple and the Power it brings into our lives.

We have had a phone appointment with Dr. Collingridge this week and bloods tests for Tom. He has felt quite good and though the hormones have alleviated much of the back pain, he does experience pain in his groin area and limps some of the time. He keeps working on the option of treatments in Australia. We walk everyday, take care of our home and go out to do errands and generally try to remain busy. Tom did another puzzle this week which he seems to enjoy doing. We have been to the bank for a meeting too. We continue to meet with Carol thru the week and take her the sacrament on Sunday. Tom insists on kneeling to pray and to do the sacrament. I don’t even kneel because of my bad knee. Tom has been working with President Irwin regarding our USA money left in England and our belongings left there in hopes of our return. Tom has been working on repairing the doorbell and getting a new SIM card set up on our mobile. All these things seem to take some time to do and also require someone directing you on the phone.

We had our family zoom on Sunday and that fills our hearts. We are very blessed and we both know if we were stranded on an island we would want to be with each other. We are in fact on somewhat of an isolation island right now and we are with who we would chose to be with. Our situation may look a little daunting but we are prayerful, hopeful and we are very grateful. 

January 26, 2020

 We were able to get to the North Shore this week and have Karl cut my hair. He is so sweet and concerned about Tom. He had written a poem for Tom and posted it to us. We stopped at the Vancouver Stake Center on the way home from North Van and met briefly with Elder Swan, Natalie’s son, to give him his belated Christmas gift. He is serving his mission here after being reassigned from South America. We shopped Costco on Thursday and continued the Temple Prep lessons with Carol. Tom did blood tests on Friday for Dr. Collingridge and the kidney levels were better. We have been trying so hard to find things to eat that agree with kidney levels, high cholesterol and cancer. We are both losing weight. We took the sacrament to Carol on Sunday. Did some banking this week and went to see Dr. Vrabec on Monday for Tom to receive the first hormone injection. He will receive an injection every four months and will continue taking the hormone pills for one month total and then stop taking  them. 

The highlight of our week was our family zoom meeting on Sunday. Max’s Jacqui joined from Australia and that was lovely. Rissa gave the spiritual thought on being kind and then Zach then told everyone that he was going to play with a hockey team in Pensacola Florida and was leaving the next day to drive down. He had played a game with them while they were in Tennessee. He also told us that he had received the Melchizedek Priesthood that day and we were surprised and thrilled. This is a miracle and a result of his time at home with his family during covid. Having both he and Max back at church and holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood is a blessing we treasure greatly and our hearts are full.

After our visit to Dr. Vrabec and his second message to Dr. Bahl, we received a call that Tom had his appointment moved up to February 12th with Dr. Bahl. That too is blessing. We are still working toward the theranostic treatment options in Australia or Germany, calling the dietitian, various doctors and others for help.

We so appreciate our family, our friends and the prayers of so many. We are praying hard and working hard here at home too. We are busy each day going for our walk and trying to stay healthy, along with appointments, calls and messaging. Seeking to find our path to health and healing.

January 19, 2021

We went to Dr. Vrabec, our urologist last Tuesday and he ordered hormones to be picked up at the cancer clinic. After we had lunch and visited Costco, we went to pick them up, feeling we had given them enough time. They informed Tom that he would have to have a phone meeting with the pharmacist tomorrow and only then would the hormones be couriered to us. We left empty handed. On Tuesday Tom had his meeting with the pharmacist and was told that we would receive them within the next two days. Tom told them we were driving out to pick them up immediately and we did and he started taking them that day. Dr. Collingridge called to to say that CT scan results came and no cancer in lungs or abdomen but prostate impinging on areas around it. High cholesterol is showing deposits on the arteries. Potassium also high which could mean kidney distress. Now we are trying to eat for cancer, cholesterol and high potassium - which means there is little left to eat and cooking and planning is stressful. We have both lost weight. We have talked to the B.C. Cancer nutritionist a couple of times and she appreciates our plight. We are walking our full length walk each day, shopping and doing choirs. Tom keeps his pain under control and we are looking forward to the high dose of hormones as that is supposed to relieve the pain. Our days are all about dealing with this. How swiftly life changes. We are so grateful for the gospel for all the kind words and all the prayers being said on our behalf. We receive messages, calls, cards and love everyday.

Our children are wonderful and in touch with us constantly. They decided to have a family zoom meeting every Sunday for a brief devotional and pray. The grandchildren are right there with our children and we feel so blessed. Everyone was at the “zoom” on Sunday. It was such a treat to see everyone.

The highlight of the week was our trip to the Temple Tuesday morning. The Temple President called a week or so ago and offered to open the Temple for us. We were so touched as our Vancouver Temple is only on phase one for live sealings. The Carlsons and Brother Bigler met us there and helped us perform ten couple sealings and then they just allowed us to spend time in the Celestial room and walk thru the Temple. We have been experiencing a drought and this experience helped fill our reservoir. Oh, how miss the Temple. 

We love each other so much. We laugh, we cry, we pray and we have hope and faith.

January 5, 2021

It has been a difficult week but we feel extremely blessed and almost overwhelmed with love being extended to us. After Dr. Collingridge called with the news that the cancer had gone to Tom’s bones, I told Tom that I felt we needed to tell others. It is too much for our family to carry alone, especially with the isolating affect that covid is having. Surprisingly, he agreed. I emailed and messaged some of our close friends and both Cindy and Liza explained the situation on Facebook and from there things exploded. People began to call, message and respond that they would join with us fasting and praying on Sunday for Tom. We let our Temple President and mission friends from England know and they jumped in with support and love too. By Saturday people all around the world were committing to pray for Tom. The ward decided to fast and then the Stake joined in. Several of the Vancouver Stake ward leaders asked their members to fast. Our extended family put the call out for prayers too. We were deeply touched to listen to people’s comments and hear expressions of love for Tom. I know how precious he is but in his quiet humble way he served and touched the lives of  so many thru the years and they love him in return. He has trouble understanding the love, respect and concern people have for him but it is being expressed at this time. I am blessed to have him in my life. I have always known that. We went for a CT scan this morning and we are hoping and praying that we can get into the oncologist quickly. Calls and messages continue to arrive.

We took Christmas down on Saturday and Paul and Max came to give Tom a blessing on Sunday. So thrilled to have Max assist with this blessing. We are keeping busy and going on short walks each day. Tom has completed yet another puzzle these last few days. 

We feel very blessed and loved.

December 29, 2020

 It has been a very nice week with Christmas on Friday. We have never been alone for Christmas in our lives. We have always been with our parents and family (Tom was alone on his mission with missionaries and members) or with our children or some of our children. Covid has resulted in many people having quiet Christmas’ without family and friends. We were blessed to have each other and we had a fun family zoom meeting on Christmas morning arranged by Rissa. We did a scavenger hunt, I told about an experience we had at the London Temple and Tom recited Melvin J. Ballard’s experience with the Savior and then bore his own testimony of the Savior and we visited with each other. Everyone was there except Ross and Sarah who were still with her family. We contacted people during the day, had our Christmas breakfast and ate leftovers in the evening.  Joanne and Dave FaceTimed us and we had a nice visit. We were blessed. We had our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and took a plate to Carol at that time.

Sarah and Ross were married on Tuesday the 22nd in a park behind her house. John Adams performed their ceremony. They were having trouble filming it for both family and others to see so Cindy just FaceTimed us. It had snowed the day before and they had their winter wedding. It was sunny on that day so there should be some lovely pictures. Sarah had not gone to the Temple when the Temple was open to receive her endowments and their sealing, which was scheduled for today, had to be postponed until the Temple moves to phase 2 again. They had a drive by reception at Temple View in the evening and that was cute. They had their bridesmaids and groomsmen stationed along the way with lanterns to welcome, take gifts and hand out treats. The bride and groom stood under an arch with a heater on them. The Nativity we bought them has been held at the mailbox in Lynden and Gerry Moore picked part of it up when he was down for work. He said he would get the rest the next time he is there.

Tom has been recovering from his biopsy this week and still dealing with stomach upset and back pain so not feeling his best. Yesterday Doctor Glen Collingridge called with results of the biopsy. It is prostate cancer and Tom’s levels are high so Glen is moving quickly to have a bone scan, PET scan and CT done. We already have the bone and CT scheduled. They will done at the Abbotsford hospital. The PET scan will be done at a private clinic. We are concerned but praying and they children are praying and concerned as well. We have informed Joanne and Dave and Wayne. We go for bone scan tomorrow. That will take two visits - one for the injection and back a few hours later for the scan. We have been walking this week but trying to be a little more restrained with our pace and distance. We feel very blessed and know that the Lord is mindful of Tom and taking care of him.

Challenges and blessings.  

December 22, 2020

 Today is Ross and Sarah’s wedding day. Because of covid restrictions, only ten people were permitted to be in attendance and that eliminated not only grandparents but siblings. Sarah wanted it in a park behind her home. Because it snowed yesterday, it was a little chilly and there was snow and water dripping on them from the trees but they seemed happy. They were having trouble broadcasting the ceremony for others to see. Cindy FaceTimed us and we will watch the filmed version later, as will the rest of the family. They are having a drive by reception this evening over by the Temple. We look forward to the time when Tom can perform their sealing in the Temple.

We went to Karl on Wednesday to get my hair cut, then picked up some Chinese food at Capilano Heights restaurant, went to see our old house and over to the cemetery to place little Christmas trees on Mom and Dad’s graves. The yard at our old house is overgrown and out of control. We have been trying to post more Christmas Cards and email and phone our friends to check on them and for Christmas. Our Willoughby Ward Devotional “Silent Night, Holy Night” was broadcast Saturday evening. We had previewed it first and were thrilled with what the Vernons had done with it. It was lovely and people seemed to enjoy it. We had wonderful performers and we feel that the Lord blessed us as it all came together. We had a busy but nice Sabbath day. We watched the London Temple Christmas Devotional and heard from all the presidency members. It was lovely to see them and hear from them. We watched our sacrament meeting and Cindy spoke and did well. We then zoomed Betty Small’s funeral and Tom gave the closing prayer. It was nice to see everyone from our old ward. We took Carol Jones the sacrament  after all these meetings. Sundays can be busy even when we don’t go to the church.

We went to the hospital on Friday morning for Tom to have a biopsy of his prostate. The security fellow told us that only the person having the procedure was allowed to enter but he could see that we wanted to be together and he would make an exception for us and so I went in too. They took 12 biopsy samples. He took it easy that day and did fairly well recovering from the procedure but his tummy has still been upset and his back has still been causing him a lot of pain. He is now feeling better overall. He has had some good sleeps except for one night.

Tom has completed another puzzle. We are not sure how many he has finished during our isolation time. We have lost count.