FUN WITH THE GRANDKIDS #19

FUN WITH THE GRANDKIDS  #19

SUNDAY MORNING WOKE UP TO GRANDPA TAKING BAYLEE TO THE TAMPA HOSPITAL EMERGENCY WARD.  IT WAS REALLY A SAD THING TO FIND OUT THAT SHE HAD TORN HER RIGHT ACL, AND WE WERE JUST GETTING STARTED  SEEING THINGS TOO. HER RIGHT KNEE WAS SWOLLEN TO ABOUT THE SIZE OF A HUGE GRAPEFRUIT.    SHE CAME HOME WITH A HUGE KNEE BRACE  --WHICH SHE HAD TO WEAR MOST OF THE TIME NIGHT AND DAY AND OF COURSE ,  USING CRUTCHES—NO PRESSURE ON THE KNEE AT ALL.   WE ALL THOUGHT THIS WAS THE END OF THE FUN AND WOULD HAVE TO SEND HER HOME.  GRANDPA HAD THE ELDERS COME ASSIST IN  GIVING HER A BLESSING. WE DECIDED THAT SHE WAS NOT GOING TO GO HOME BUT WE WOULD GET A WHEELCHAIR AND ROLL HER EVERYWHERE, SO THAT BECAME OUR ADVENTURE. BAYLEE DID NOT COMPLAIN ONE BIT. I KNEW THAT SHE WAS IN PAIN BUT DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT.  JENI FINALLY WORKED OUT A SCHEDULE FOR THE PAIN MEDICATION AND THAT SEEM TO TAKE THE EDGE OFF OF  THE PAIN.  I DON’T THINK IT IS FAIR THAT THE KIDS CAN ADAPT TO THE USE OF CRUTCHES FASTER THAN OLDER PEOPLE.  IT TOOK ME SEVERAL DAYS TO GET THE SWING OF WALKING (WHEN I HAD TO USE THEM FOR MY FOOT SURGERY). IT TOOK BAYLEE A COUPLE OF HOURS.  (IT WAS A BLESSING THOUGH‼).  WE WERE SURE THANKFUL THAT RYAN COULD PROVIDE ALL THE INFORMATION FOR THE INSURANCE AND HIS CONCERN FOR HER AND THAT JENI COULD PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT MEDS AND CONCERNS FOR HER.  BAYLEE WILL NEED TO GO TO AN ORTHOPEDIC DOCTOR, WHEN SHE GETS HOME AND THEN DECIDE IF SURGERY IS NEEDED OR NOT.  THIS TAMPA DOCTOR FELT THAT SURGERY WOULD BE NEEDED. WE WILL SEE NEXT WEEK.

   WE ALL LAUGHED ABOUT ALL OF US IN THE CAR WITH OUR ACHES AND PAINS—GRANDPA A MILD TOOTHACHE, BAYLEE A TORN ACL, HEATHER NEW BRACES, MEGAN A VERY SORE BACK, AND ME JUST A SMALL BROKEN MOLAR. WE WOULD EACH DO A SMALL MOAN.  BUT WE KEPT GOING!   NOT TO LET THE FUN STOP‼

   THIS IS OUR SCHEDULE OF THE NEXT WEEK: MONDAY—THE FLORIDA AQUARIUM, AND CLEARWATER AQUARIUM, TUESDAY— MEGAN WENT WITH THE SISTER MISSIONARIES IN THE AM AND THEN IN THE PM WE WENT TO SAND KEY BEACH ( THEY HAD  A BEACH WHEELCHAIR), WEDNESDAY –ORLANDO TEMPLE (BAPTISMS AND CONFIRMATIONS) AND SWIMMING IN THE ST.CROIX POOL,  AND THURSDAY –BUSCH GARDENS AMUSEMENT PARK—My Birthday, I didn’t have to fix any dinner for the students –end of semester. That was nice. BAYLEE WENT EVERYWHERE IN A REGULAR WHEELCHAIR AND CRUTCHES AND HAD A GREAT TIME NEVER COMPLAINING ALTHOUGH AT TIMES SHE WAS IN PAIN.   GRANDPA: We were all tired, so we headed home (THIS WAS THURSDAY)for dinner and to have the girls pack for their flight home. After dinner we played “Phase 10” for a while and then read scriptures together. There was a sweet spirit as we read from the Book of Mormon. As we finished, I expressed my gratitude for the opportunity to have them visit us and then bore my testimony of the Gospel. Marsha expressed her testimony of the importance of putting the weapons of war down and being peaceful in our lives. I followed up with how the weapons of anger and hatred destroys us, not those to whom such feelings are directed.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

 FRIDAY THE GIRLS WERE READY TO HEAD FOR HOME AND START THEIR REGULAR SCHEDULES AND TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO BAYLEE.  WE TOOK  THEM TO THE TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO FLY OUT IN A DELTA PLANE AT 12:01 PM  OF COURSE EVERYTHING WENT REALLY SMOOTH UNTIL 11:30 AM. THEY ANNOUNCED ENGINE PROBLEMS. THAT BEGAN THE PROBLEMS AND IT CONTINUED UNTIL 9:30 PM THAT NIGHT WHEN THEY TOLD THE GIRLS THAT IT WOULD BE NO FLIGHTS OUT THAT NIGHT, COME BACK TOMORROW.  BUMMER DEAL‼.  WE WERE TEXTING MEGAN ALL DAY  (PHONE BROKEN) TRYING  TO FIGURE  OUT WHAT TO DO. FINALLY WE WENT BACK AND PICKED THEM UP FOR A NIGHTS REST AND START EARLY THE NEXT MORNING FOR ANOTHER FLIGHT. GRANDPA TOOK THEM TO THE AIRPORT AT 4AM  AND ACTUALLY GOT THEM ON A EARLY FLIGHT  YEAH!   THEY ARRIVED IN LAS VEGAS ABOUT 1PM   AND HOME ABOUT 3PM    A VERY LONG, LONG DAY…

  IN THE MEAN TIME I HAD TO FIX A SEMINARY IN-SERVICE BREAKFAST FOR 40 TEACHERS.  ELDER JUDD AND I WERE RUNNING ON FUMES BUT THE BREAKFAST TURNED OUT OK.  IT WAS A FRUIT PLATTER , JUICE, DONUTS (PURCHASED DID NOT MAKE), AND A BREAKFAST CASSEROLE.   ELDER JUDD: The forty or so participants enjoyed the food and my presentation on the Background and Setting of the D&C and Brother Patrick’s teaching about teaching. We were finished by about 1 pm and went directly to a baptism for three converts in the building.  

Sunday we slept in and then got ready for church. President Emery (St.Petersburg Stake) spoke in Sacrament meeting and talked on the atonement. He is impressive, speaking for 15 minutes without notes, quoting scriptures and explaining aspects of the atonement with ease and graceful articulation.  Before sacrament meeting I spoke with an investigator that was invited to church by Sisters Howard and Miller. His name was Carmen, a very thoughtful young black who was boldly approached by the Sisters at a bus stop. They were so bold he said, that he had to agree to come to church. He said that he and his wife were looking for a church to be a part of.  I testified to him that it was the Lord who guided those bold Sisters to him. I am looking forward to seeing what develops from the Sisters efforts in this case.

ALL IN ALL IT WAS A GOOD WEEK WE LEARNED HOW THE GIRLS HELP EACH OTHER, HOW THEY TALKED TO EACH OTHER, HOW THEY LOVED EACH OTHER, HOW THEY LOVED THEIR PARENTS AND MOST OF ALL HOW MUCH THEY LOVE THE SAVIOR.  WHAT A BLESSING TO US AS GRANDPARENTS TO HEAR,SEE AND FEEL THEIR TESTIMONIES.  IT IS TRULY  A BLESSING THAT WE  HAVE SUCH BEAUTIFUL GRANDDAUGHTERS.