Life is Good

Not much new to report.  I think Facebook has taken people away from blogging.  It is so fun to see what is happening on Facebook, and it is instant and easy.  I still love reading people's blogs, but it is more work for people to update them.  Same for me. 

I did run the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 10K!  And now I have run two other 10K's since then, with another one I've signed up for in  2 weeks!  I still don't love running, but the races are fun, and they motivate me to keep running.  I know the exercise is good for me.  Especially since I am trying to lose some more weight. 

Speaking of losing weight, Gary joined Weight Watcher's a few months ago and has lost over 35 pounds!!!  He looks great!  And he says he hasn't felt this good in years!  We love Weight Watcher's!!  It is such a wonderful way to help you learn how to eat healthy!  And you get to eat anything you want, as long as you budget your points for it!  I love this plan, and I've starting tracking what I eat again. 

Reed and Andrea are expecting their second child in October!!!!  We don't know what it is yet, but we are so excited for them!  We hope and pray that all goes well with this pregnancy. 

I'm still working for the City of Mesa, but I am hoping to retire by the end of the year!  We should have our house paid off by then! 

Life is good, and I count all my blessings every day! 

What's New

It's been a while since I've posted.  So what's new?  Well, I've been running again to get ready to run in the 10K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day.  I am up to running 4.5 miles this week, but I'm really slow!  I hope that running will eventually become fun!  When do those running highs and endorphins kick in?!

Tyler and Natalie are coming down for Thanksgiving!  So we are trying to find a time when the whole family can get together for a family picture!  Preferably during the daylight so we can take pictures outside.  But with Reed and Andrea going to Utah that week, we might have trouble.

Wood Badge was great!!  I loved the people in my Patrol, and the Staff that did a great job teaching! R-C Scout Ranch was beautiful!  I met a lot of great people that love Scouting!  Now I have to work on my Ticket!  I am a Mesa District Membership Committee member, and April is the Committee Chairman.  It's fun to work with her on the committee, even though I don't do much!

Can't think of much else new.  We are happy and healthy!  What more do you need?  Life is good!

Updates

Blogging hasn't been high on my priority list lately.  But I hadn't realized that it had been over a year since my last post! 

My hair is growing back.  It's so nice to have hair again!  I have been cancer-free for over two years now!  Yay!!!

I got braces in December! I am so looking forward to having straight teeth for the first time in my life!


I got to fly to Utah for Women's Conference last month. It was so fun, especially spending time with April! And I loved staying and playing with Tyler's family in Mapleton. I love their mini-farm! One of their goats had triplets while we were there!

I just had an MRI on my brain this week, and met with my neurosurgeon.  Everything looked great!  He said he wants to see me again in 5 years! 

Gary is going to have to have partial knee replacement surgery.  He should find out today when it will be.

My knee has been bothering me, but luckily all I need is some physical therapy.  Hopefully I can start running again soon.  I ran a 2-mile Fun Run last Thanksgiving!

That's all the updates I can think of for now!  :o)

Brain Surgery

I thought I should update my blog with what's been happening lately. Last December I had an MRI on my brain, and they found a thickening on the outer lining of the right side of my brain - a tumor. After going to a Neurosurgeon that had the worst bedside manner ever, I decided to get a second opinion from a doctor at Barrow's in Phoenix. Everyone told me they were the best. They were! Both doctors agreed that it was probably a benign tumor (a miningioma) that is very common, but because of my history with breast cancer they wanted to take it out to make sure it wasn't cancer. So after feeling good about the diagnosis, we were able to schedule surgery for Monday, April 4. It's pretty scary thinking about having brain surgery, but I felt peace that we were making the right decision. The surgery went well. It was benign! I was feeling great on Tuesday, so they sent me home. Wednesday I woke up with the right side of my face swollen up pretty ugly. But the next day it was better. Ice bags, Percocet, and rest were the keywords each day. Sometimes I would feel great, other times I would have to climb into bed to get warm and sleep off the aches and pains. Not a whole lot of energy yet. But after all week of staying home, I was happy that I was able to get dressed and go to church on Sunday. That made me feel almost normal again! I have this week off work, and hopefully will recuperate enough to go back to work next week. I see the doctor this Thursday. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts, prayer, meals, and well wishes. I have such wonderful family and friends that do so much for me. P.S. I got a new camera for Christmas and haven't figured out how to download the pictures yet. That will be another post. :o)

So Many Blessings

With Thanksgiving just past and Christmas coming soon, I am feeling very thankful for so many blessings. We have had a really rough year with my cancer diagnosis, multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, losing my hair, missing lots of work, along with Gary's ailments, surgery, and other health problems. But through it all I have come to appreciate all of my many blessings that I sometimes take for granted. I have the most wonderful family in the world, who are always there for me, showing so much love, support, and setting such good examples. I live in a fantastic Ward that helps out whenever help is needed. I have a great job and friends that are so supportive. I am especially thankful for the gift of the Holy Ghost. He is always there to comfort me. In the hardest times I have felt cradled in the arms of the Lord. What a blessing that has been.

We have also had a lot of fun lately! Here are a bunch of pictures to show what we've been up to!

Sweet Lauryn turned 4 years old on July 30!

Cute Nolan turned 3 years old on September 2!

Nolan and Jason shared blowing out candles on a Birthday cake!

We had a wonderful time camping on Labor Day weekend!

Heather and Ethan looking kind of like twins. :o)

Connor and Lauryn having fun.

Going for a walk!

The rest of the walkers!

We had a really fun Tiffany Family Reunion that Jana & Max planned!

We made potato race cars to race on a Pinewood Derby track! Here is Sophiya's entry!

Granny and Gary getting ready to watch the races.

April, Ethan, and Gavin eating some snacks.

The Ward Halloween Party was lots of fun. The Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, and Rapunzel made an appearance!

Gary and I went to our 1970 Mesa High School Class Reunion. It was lots of fun to see old friends!

One of my best friends growing up, Mickey Williams, was there!

I turned 58 on November 17th. Mom made me a yummy German Chocolate cake!

Molly turned 4 on October 31! She had a fun Princess party in her backyard! Becky went all out with lots of amazing goodies!

Here's funny Nolan!

Crazy Marina and Lauryn!

Molly the Birthday Princess, Marina, Lauryn, and Nolan! So adorable!


We went to Utah for Thanksgiving to visit Tyler and Natalie. On the drive up we went through a rain storm, a sand storm, and a blizzard! Poor April had to drive through most of the blizzard! But she did a great job for never having driven on slippery roads before! We did have to stop and put on snow chains! And poor Gary had just had his hernia surgery a few days before. He ended up driving the last leg of the trip, because April and I had had enough!

This is just before the blizzard.

While we had to stop to wait for a car to be pulled back onto the road, I got out and threw a couple snowballs!


It was absolutely beautiful at Tyler and Natalie's house! Look at those gorgeous mountains! (but soooo cold!!) The kids had a ball building snowmen.

Everyone was amazed that you can really roll a snowball into a huge ball to make the snowmen! See the tracks in the yard!

Ethan decided to build a snowchicken! He's so creative! Hadley helped him finish it!

We went for a walk to a nearby park! It was probably 20 degrees out! Brrrrrrrrr!

Melissa, Blake, Brooke, and Tanner came for Thanksgiving dinner! It was fun to have them come down from Logan!

We had lots of good food, family, and fun!

Our last day there we went to Temple Square. This is the view from the top floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

Another freezing day! But fun!

Gary and I in front of the Salt Lake Temple.

The kids in the Tabernacle.

Gavin, Hadley, Ethan, Cole, and Sophiya. A fun time was had by all!

I just had my last reconstruction surgery yesterday, and I'm feeling pretty good today! So many things to be thankful for!

Lots of Pictures

I know I haven't posted lately. So here are a bunch of pictures to catch up on what we've been doing.


I won free tickets to the Grand Canyon Railway last year from the United Blood Services for donating blood. So we finally used them in June.

Here we are on the train.

We took a long hike along the edge of the Canyon.

Gary resting in the shade.

We made it a one day trip, and it was fun, but I don't think I would have paid the price it would have cost to ride the train, if I hadn't won the tickets.

Here is a motorcycle cake that Gavin (age 10) made for Father's Day. Didn't he do a great job?!! He made the whole cake by himself.

Here we are on Father's Day. It's always fun having everyone over!


Andrea decided she wanted to have a Surprise 30th Birthday Party for Reed. It turned out really well. He was totally surprised!!!

Here Reed is coming in the door as we all yell "SURPRISE!!"

Some of the group inside. We had it at Andrea's friend Andra's mom's house in Gilbert.

Silly Reed!

Ron at the food table.

Gary, Mom, and Joel getting some grub.

Joel and his girls eating.

Andrea and Andra hamming it up!

Hanging out at the pool.

Ron, Mary, Mom, and Gary.

Notice the horses in the background? The kids had fun feeding them some baby carrots.

Reed blowing out the candles on his cake. My Mom made his favorite - Oatmeal cake!