I was able to get in a pretty good run before I needed to get ready to go and do swim lessons. In fact Hilary was able to join me for the second half, so that is always fun. Perfect. (this is vital to my mental well being. Don't underestimate the importance of a good workout)
The hospital called and my partner was able to do the call because I was going up the canyon to help with the Cross Country camp. Life Saver!
I got to sit and visit with a few friends at swim lessons. Always a bonus for the day.
I was able to go up and see Halea and her amazing friends up Provo Canyon above Vivian Park. It is soooo gorgeous up there right now. It was a perfect day. Halea rode home with me and the two ladies that I rode up with. Despite the crazy driver we made it home in one piece and we didn't throw up in her car even though we were both super car sick! Bonus (I am still a little queasy 10 hours later, it was that bad)
We were able to go to the High School and fix Hayden's schedule so that he doesn't have Physics and Chemistry in the same year. Who let him sign up for both of those? I may not have been paying too close attention at that time, whoops. He doesn't even like science, what was he thinking? We were also able to squeeze drivers ed into his schedule, which I was not sure they would have any available. Phew. Schedule changed, CHECK!
Took Halea to get a debit card. All grown up, done.
When we were getting ready in the bathroom today, Halea told me that I was pretty. What a sweet girl. I asked her if she was being sarcastic and she assured me that she wasn't. Sometimes you need to hear little things like that. Especially since I haven't had my hair done in about 10 weeks.
Ahh, 10 weeks. Yes it has been 10 weeks today. Double digits. Ugh. Maybe this is why the angels were aligning my day so perfectly. My load is heavy today, and yet lightened.
There was a knock on my door about mid day and it was the friend that we were going out with later that night. She handed me a letter and said that her son who is on a mission had sent a letter for us, so she just wanted to drop it by. I was amazed as I read his letter. What a tender mercy for this particular day. What timing. As if the Lord Himself was communicating with me through this letter. He started out by saying that he was reading scriptures and ran across something that made him think of us and that he felt impressed to share it. And unlike the rest of us, he acted on that impression and just did it. He shared Hebrews 11 vs. 35 and 40. It is talking about trials and basically that we are given trials because without them we cannot be made perfect. I feel like I should be pretty close to perfect. Too bad I am far from it. Darn it. I just loved that he took the time in all of his busyness to share that with us. What an incredible young man.
Then I went and got the mail and there was a package from the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. They had sent a nice card and a book, wishing us the best. Another sweetness in the day to know that people are thinking of us.
I needed to run to the hospital to do a hand mold for a patient. I was thinking that I was not going to be able to do it until late tonight, but luckily I had a few hours this afternoon that freed up. When I got to the hospital the social worker and 3 other nurses were sitting in the employee lounge. I peeked my head in to say hello. The social worker said to come in and join their conversation. He had asked everyone if they could do any job in the world and get paid for it, what would I do? That was a hard question. I started humming and hawing and one of the nurses said not a mom or a homemaker and laughed. Then I said, well I guess I would do what I get to do at the hospital. I really do love it. Then they got back on being a good mom and one of the nurses said "are any of your kids dead?" I looked at the social worker and said "that is an odd question, especially for me". One of the other nurses there knew that Tatum had died not very long ago and of course the social worker did. He said "yes that is an odd question". Then the nurse that said it rephrased the question and said "You haven't killed any of your kids, you haven't murdered them, so that makes you a good mom and that you have done good at that job". By this time I was laughing to try and ease the suffering of the people in the room who knew what was happening and to hopefully ease the embarrassment of the nurse that was asking the silly questions. I replied with "nope I have not killed or murdered any of my kids". Then the social worker broke the news that I had two kids that died. She quickly apologized and I told her that it was not necessary. I felt bad because I knew that she did not mean to be insensitive. You had to be there. It was actually quite funny. Just absurd really. Luckily I was able to find the humor in it all so the nurse didn't feel bad once she realized what she had said.
When I came out of the hospital it was like a hurricane, and it was starting to rain. I wanted to go and meet Lance on my bike and ride home with him from work. I was a little hesitant because there were some pretty ominous clouds forming. I decided to go for it. There was quite a bit of wind, at one point I was almost laughing because I felt like I was hardly moving. I came around a corner and a gust of wind came right at my side and almost blew me over! That was a little scary. In true Utah weather form, however, I rode for a few more minutes and everything was fine. I met up with Lance and we headed home. We never hit rain, which I was sure we would. I was worried that the trail would be wet and slippery and it wasn't. So lucky.
We got home in plenty of time for us to both get showered and ready for our date. I even had enough time to fold the laundry that was on the couch that I had neglected all day! Again, bonus.
We went and picked up our neighbors to go bowling. When we got to the bowling alley I realized that despite my telling myself a hundred times to bring a pair of socks (I was wearing shoes with no socks) I had forgotten. I was not about to wear those shoes without a pair of socks. I remembered that one bowling alley I had been at had socks in the vending machine. Sure enough this one did too. Unfortunately neither Lance or myself had cash:) Ahh, but they had an ATM. I went to the ATM fully confident that I had this problem solved. Wrong. I could not get my card to work. I even tried another card, and it wouldn't work.
We were laughing at how many balls we ended up with. We all bowled so poorly and we kept thinking that surely it was the ball we were using.
We ended the night with shakes from Sammy's. Pie shakes. They actually take a piece of pie and blend it into the shake. What!? We sat outside and ate our shakes and talked for a long time. It was so much fun. It was safe because these fun friends have traveled this journey with Tatum with us. We just love their family. As we were leaving Provo we drove by the Provo City Center Temple that is being built. This building used to be a Tabernacle where when Lance and I lived in Provo we used to go there for performances or for Stake conferences. I always loved the building because it was old and just had a powerful spirit. A few years ago after a performance, someone had left something like a curling iron on and it started the building on fire. The inside was destroyed but they were able to salvage a lot of the outside. This is how it got to become a Temple. We were talking about this and our friend started talking about a scripture in Isaiah 61:3 where he says there will be beauty from the ashes. He was talking about how that is what he thinks of when he thinks of what has happened with that building, and how that applies so much to all of us as we go through life and face trial. It is how I feel. I can feel myself becoming better through all of this. Some days I only feel like the ashes, but I know that this can cause such beauty in our family and in each of us, if we allow it to. So grateful for good friends that are solid in the gospel and help us and teach us and encourage us along the way. None of us have trial free lives, luckily. It is because our Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to become more beautiful inside so when we return to Him we can be in His presence and partake of the fullness that is on the other side of the veil.
I am so grateful for this day. I felt a little bit "normal" today. There were so many good things that happened. I am truly blessed.
Halea is right...you ARE pretty! I have always thought this....you are beautiful! And I also have to say that I think it is so cool of you to ride your bike to meet Lance after work. I love that. I'm so glad you had a good day. :) Love you!
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