It's obvious that since my last post was more than a year ago, I am truly a procrastinator or I'm just lazy! Or maybe both. This post will be to catch up to this point. I'm sure I have forgotten tons of stuff but what I do blog about will be the most important in my mind.
When I last posted, Bob (also known as Dad but I will use given names so there is less confusion) had just been formally diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimer's along with all his other physical problems. We came back to Utah in April and got a puppy that Bob had always wanted. Little did I know how much work a new puppy was going to be so I had two "babies" to take care of. The puppy was cute but was way too energetic and hyper and I had a melt-down. Just couldn't handle it so we sold her. We miss her but certainly not the extra work and stress it put on me.
Bob isn't the same man that he was even a few short years ago. It's been hard seeing the man I married and the father of my children lose what he was. He is still very cognizant most of time but very forgetful of recent events. He loves to talk about the times when we were in Vernal. The fact that he is in so much pain doesn't help because exercise would be good for his memory but he says exercise is a four letter word.
Jeff would have liked us to be closer to him so he could help and planned on building his family a home with a guest house on the same property. We sold our Condo in Bellingham, Washington. The plans were all set to build until the costs came in way high and put a kink in the chain. I resigned myself to the fact that we would just stay where we are and make due even though the house was too big for us. A little while later, our daughter, Nikki, called and said she and Mike had been talking and they would like us to come down to New Braunfels, Texas and build a house next to them so she could help with Bob when needed. Mike is a contractor and EMT which helps both financially and medically. I prayed, and prayed, and prayed some more but kept getting the same answer: This would be a good thing for Bob on so many levels. I don't like the heat but his health and helping him to live a longer, healthier life were of utmost important to me, so back in January of this year, we started planning our move. Mike and Nikki found a new piece of ground to build on that will give the boys a chance to hunt during hunting season. The pictures below do not do it justice but gives you an idea.
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| A view of the new property in the clearing where the houses will be built. |
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| Another view. The clearing in the rear. |
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| Showing some of the growth. Cedars and Oak. |
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Another view into the clearing.
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The house is coming along quite nicely but we are having difficulty with even having people come and look at our house, let alone get any offers on it. I turned it over to Heavenly Father and I know we will sell when the time is right. I just have to have faith and trust in Him. I am learning patience, although that is not an easy task for me.
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| Preparing to pour the foundation |
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| Foundation poured. |
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| Foundation poured. |
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| Framing almost complete. |
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| Framing as seen from the front. |
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| It looks like a house! |
I had a very special experience last Thursday. I was privileged to attend the Timpanogos Temple with my son, Jeff, his wife, Wendy, her parents, and our first grandchild to go on a mission, Joshua Daegen. The experience was too sacred for me to go into detail but I will tell you as I sat and observed my grandson taking in all he could with a look of wonder in his eyes and on his face and then watching his Father talking to him afterwards with his mother next to him, both with tears in their eyes, my joy was full! Never have I felt such joy as I did that day. I stood and listened as their Bishop gave Josh some simple counsel and was overcome with the things of which he testified. He truly is a man of God. His counsel was so pertinent to our time it overwhelmed me. Josh was called to the Ecuador Guayaquil South Mission and will enter the Mexico MTC on September 10, 2014.
Jeff and Joshua outside the Timpanogos Temple
