Happy Anniversary

I love fall for it reminds me of our wedding and anticipation of a life together. Clyde and I celebrate 34 years today. We did a little shopping for house stuff - new glasses, cutting board, timer, and various other improvements. We went to the grocery store for a few items - Clyde had to push the cart due to my wrapped and restricted hand. We stopped for lunch at Pizzeria 712. Clyde cut the salad into fork size bites and he even cut my pizza that was too floppy to pick up. He never made fun of me nor complained. I have been a bit tender with my off balanced life of trying to cope with only one hand. Clyde asked me what were the highlights of the past year or years. I told him one of my favorite memories was the random times he came home from work in the past year and just told me, "I'm so glad I am married to you." These were not on a special holiday or anniversary, just an ordinary day. His words were totally unexpected, spoken in truth, and cherished dearly on my part.

Daily kisses and hugs in the kitchen weave the fabric of comfortable appreciation, tying our hearts together.
One of the best parts of 34 years together is knowing that in the moments that he annoys me (like forgetting to tell me where he parked car) - I will be annoyed only temporarily. It all melts away so quickly and I don't have any desire to be mad. Forgiveness amazes me and nourishes us.

Oh, and another highlight was when Clyde plucked my chin hairs yesterday -- just matter fact, no squeamishness, and with a kiss. That's happily married.

Time heals all

Surgery went really well - says Clyde per the doctor. (I was there but fast asleep). My arm had a nerve block that lasted 12 - 15 hours. Imagine the same feeling you have when numbed for a tooth filling. Multiply that to the entire arm. Weird. I had this big appendage I could not feel, and I had to remember to carry it if i moved or walked. When I got dressed in the hospital it just flopped like a dead fish and I did not feel a thing! That really surprised me. The docs promised I'd be glad for the block once it wore off and the pain began. I was prepared with plenty of percocet. By the next morning I was woozy after feeling 'out of body' all night pain relief. Clyde brought me the 'throw up bucket' and I used it. ugh.
Same story 4 hours later, but after the docs called in the anti nausea meds I was sleeping for hours and feeling more normal.
Please excuse the left handed photography.

Wed was better, still lots of sleepiness though. 9.5 hours between pain meds.

Black eye: 10 days later.
Time does heal all hurts.
This is the view that inspires me on my quiet days of healing:
And today I looked up a photo of KC as a six week old baby. Kind of looks like Alex and Bennett.

What's a klutz?

Me!!
Apparently fast walking for exercise on old uneven sidewalks is not good for some.

I tripped, caught myself with my hands, and barely hit the sidewalk with my head.
result?

Big shiner
and fractured wrist!

surgery tomorrow.
left handed temporarily.
ps: ever tried to close side zip pants or dress in female apparel with one hand only? That feels klutzy.

a grandparent's happy moment

Last weekend Clyde and I flew to Maryland to see the 4 week old triplets born to Emily and KC. I was so happy to see and hold these special little miracles. They are so perfect! Every moment with them was a new thrill. Each night I try to memorize and recall each sweet face: Alex, Bennett, and Ruby. I could not contain my tears of gratitude for this long prayed for miracle.

Bushed!

This week was a marathon work event. My responsibility was to oversee the implementation of a new product for communicating with graduate prospects and applicants, and newly admitted students. One person came out from Cincinnati and I spent 9 - 5 with her every day, intensely building content for web pages, 7 emails for 55 departments, filters for sending all the emails on a schedule, figuring out data issues and more.
Imagine trying to manage it all - 55 departments, 7 emails each, 7 areas of content for each program web page, 4 communication plans, 97 users. I can't even do the math. I am bushed!!!

And, I don't know how to find photos on the internet without the stock photo logo. oh well. On to my NAP.

Tender Mercy

Last night I had looked at my Google reader list (for the umpteenth time), just in case there was a new post about the triplets. There were no new posts but I saw a recommended link to a blog that I sometimes read - Light Refreshments Served. It is a group of different ladies who are all Mormon, but I'm not sure how they got connected.
I started reading the blog listed called How great shall be your joy The name in the story, the description of the person in the temple sounded all too familiar. By the end of the story I was sure she had written about my father in the Denver temple. I could visualize him exactly as she described him, and I knew about these few new names he had recently found that needed temple work.

It was a dear sweet tender experience to read the words of someone who was deeply touched by my father's pure intentions and desire to serve. It was a tender mercy for me, a reminder of my heritage and great example of my father. It made me thankful for many things - that my brother takes my dad to the temple, that my dad still wants to go to the temple, that he loves the temple, that he has no fear when in the service of the Lord, that I am his child and witness to his example.

I found her email address somewhere on the blog and I wrote to her.
Here is what she wrote back to me:

Dear Janice: THIS IS WHY I LOVE THE INTERNET!!! I am certain that you are right - another member of the group mentioned that he was 93, that he had been a sealer in the early days of the Denver Temple, and I believe they even said he served as the Temple President (?) at one time? Or maybe a member of the presidency? Anyway, it was a really neat experience for me, and I meant what I said about feeling like I was witnessing something special. I almost felt irreverent even being in the room. It was really good for me to witness, because attending the temple is sometimes hard for me. But watching him that day really strengthened my testimony of temple work. Sounds like you were a very lucky girl to have such a wonderful dad!

Thanks for sharing,

Kristy

Amen.

Blessings

Today we became grandparents. See this great post. I kind of wander around trying to do my Saturday stuff, but I keep coming back to the computer to gaze at the photos of KC and Emily's TRIPLETS! What a miracle we have witnessed. I can't stop the tears of happiness.