Christmas Week

Christmas week started out with a blast. I got up at 2:30 a.m. and left at 3:40a.m. to drive to the airport in Kansas City to catch my flight which left at 6:00a.m. for Phoenix, AZ. This was the start of a very long but wonderful day. I got to Phoenix, rented a car and drove to Mesa to the motel that Anne was staying at. Anne, Emily and I drove to meet John and Sarah for a late breakfast. After that we took Anne and Emily back to the motel for a rest while I drove over to pick up Jennifer at her aunt Christine's house and took her back over to the motel and visited with Anne and Emily for a while. We then dressed for the wedding and headed over to the Phoenix Botanical Gardens. We met John there and walked to the area that they had chosen to have their ceremony, which was way on top of a hill overlooking the valley. It was had a beautiful view.

Sarah arrived with her step-father and we had a nice but short ceremony then took lots of pictures. I had to leave before the dinner because I had to get back to the airport to catch my flight. By the time I turned in the car, caught the shuttle to the terminal and literally ran to security and then to my gate I was the next to the last person to board five minutes before the plane took off. My plane got back to Kansas City about 11:45p.m., then I drove home to Topeka, getting home around 1:00a.m.

We got up a little before 5:00a.m. on Tuesday morning because Clinton had to be to the hospital by 6:00a.m.. We were there by 5:45 (he gets a bit anxious about these things). They took him back to surgery at 7:45a.m. His sister Charlotte and his brother Larry, and two sister-in-laws; Jody and Debbie came to wait with me about 8:00a.m. Surgery took about five hours instead of the three it was supposed to take because they found scar tissue and adhesions from his hernia surgery on his right side that they had to fix first. They made five small incisions, and one larger incision to do the robotic surgery to remove his cancerous prostate.

Dr. Rupp performed the surgery and said that all went well, we are just waiting now for the test results to come back on the tissue samples of his lymph nodes to see if they were also affected--then we will go from there.

Clinton is still very sore, but doing better each day. He hates having the catheter in, and will be very happy for January 3 to come when he can get it out.

We had the missionaries and Debbie and Larry over for dinner on Christmas Eve for ham, mashed potatoes, peas, rolls, and pie. CC came over later that evening. Christmas Day was very quiet. We had several phone calls, but no one came over, so it was very lonely. I went over about noon to a widow that I visit teach and took her another gift and talked with her for awhile. I am so happy for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for his love for us.

John's Surprise

Well my son John really surprised us last week with the announcement that he is getting married to Sarah Abdella on December 20th in Phoenix, AZ. We are really excited for them and scared at the same time since Sarah soon leaves for Afghanistan. We hope and pray that everything will work out for them. She has a strong testimony of the gospel and I will be proud to have her as a daughter-in-law.

Update on Clinton

We received the results of Clinton's bone scan this week and the cancer has not spread to his bones. This was very good news! He is still scheduled for surgery on December 21 st for the removal of his prostate and surrounding lymph nodes. After the results come back from the lab after surgery the doctor will decide if Clinton needs any chemo or radiation. We are keeping a positive outlook and have been very blessed. Thank you for all of your prayers.

News on Clinton

We had some shocking news about my dear sweet husband Clinton this week. At his appointment late Tuesday, November 16th Dr. Rupp gave him the results of the 12 biopsies that they did the week before. Clinton has prostate cancer! We were not expecting that news. He has a bone scan scheduled for Monday, November 22 then on the 29th we have a consultation with the doctor and to find out the results of the bone scan to see if the cancer has spread. He is scheduled for prostate surgery on December 21, 2010. Our Christmas this year may be in the hospital. We really appreciate all of our family and friends who are praying for us and with us. We have to put this in God's hands and accept whatever happens as part of our life experience.

John's Engagement

I talked to my son John last night to thank him for serving his country on Veteran's Day and he surprised me to tell me that he had asked Sarah to marry him and that they had already been ring shopping and he bought her ring from Kay Jewelers. He was really excited and yet scared because Sarah's unit just announced that she might be in Afghanistan for a year instead of only six months and she will be in a dangerous place. We must all pray for both of them during this time of war. They are both very brave souls for serving in the Marine Corps during this time. May God continue to bless and watch over them both. I am very proud of them.

November 2010

This fall has been nice, but I think winter is well on its way today. It is sort of cold and rainy and looks real wintery outside. This week has been busy but quiet. Clinton had 12 biopsies on his prostate on Tuesday. The doctor found a knot that should not be there and wanted to check it out. We are sort of anxiously awaiting the test results. His blood work came back okay though, so that is encouraging.

Last night I made my plane reservation to go to Chicago for Christmas. That is my Christmas present from Clinton. I am really anxious to see how much Emily has grown and she is walking now. I know Sarah and Kaley have grown up a lot too, and I miss them all.

I also cannot wait until Thanksgiving to go to Oklahoma to my mom's. Laura and family are coming and my brothers and sister and their families. It should be a nice visit.

Time goes too fast now days! Never enough time to get things done that I want to do, especially at my home.

Halloween in Texas

I finished up all of my quarterly tax reports early, so I was able to take Friday off and head to Texas. On the way I picked up my mom and dad in Norman, OK and took them with me. We were able to see my son John and his friend Sarah before they head out to their new Marine stations. John goes to Hawaii and Sarah is heading to Afghanistan via North Carolina. We were able to see Laura, Jeremy, Kirsten and Katie. We also saw Philip (my brother Vester's son), his wife Bridgette and their nine month old Audrey. We had a quick but very nice visit and traveled safely there and back.

Katie and Kirsten are both growing up too fast and were just darling in their Halloween costumes.

Fort Worth, TX trip

I was very happy last week to be able to see Laura, Jeremy, Kirsten and Katie while I was in Texas on a business trip for BNSF. I had to attend two days of tax meetings at the annual 'Tax Forum'. I really appreciate Jeremy taking off of work early and picking up Kirsten from school then Laura and Katie and driving all the way over to Forth Worth to meet me at my hotel. We had a fun time that evening going out to dinner, coloring and talking. I am glad everyone was safe!

We were so excited last week to be able to go to Oklahoma and then to Texas for the blessing of our newest granddaughter, Katie Anne Alleman on September 5, 2010. Katie has dark hair and dark blue eyes and has a darker complexion like my mother. She is very beautiful. I am so thankful that Laura and Jeremy are active in the church and that Jeremy honors his priesthood and was able to give Katie a name and a blessing.

We are so proud of all five of our granddaughters. Each one is so very special.

Kansas City, MO Temple Groundbreaking Ceremony

Yesterday, May 8, 2010 was a memorable day. The groundbreaking for the Kansas City, MO temple was held. It is the first temple to be built in this area since the Mormon pioneers were run out of Missouri in the 1800's. It took 18 months to obtain the permit since the temple was announced. It is going to be a large temple, 4 stories high on a hill top west of the KCI airport close to Liberty, MO. It is going to be on an 8 acre parcel of land. This was a very historical occasion. We were able to watch the groundbreaking from our chapel in Topeka via satellite on the internet.

We had a wonderful trip this last week. First we went from Topeka, KS to Nauvoo, IL where we saw a Senior Missionary couple that we know; Steve and Pat Jones. We went through a session at the Nauvoo Temple, which was wonderful, then we went to the play that is put on by all of the missionary couples about Nauvoo. We stayed in the Hotel Nauvoo and got up early in the morning and traveled to Aurora, IL to my oldest daughter Anne's house and went to church with them. I got to hold Emily on her six month birthday (March 28, 2010) and play with her--it was so much fun.

After church we drove to Salem, WI to see Tony, Clinton's oldest son. We visited with him and his son Luke who is 15. On Monday Tony took us around showing us a few close places around Salem, then we went to an auction Monday evening with him and we saw his daughter Danyel and her son that is 9 months old. Yes Clinton is a great-grandpa! Tuesday we went to House on the Rock in Wisconsin to see the granddaddy of all collections! It was really cool. Anyone going to Wisconsin should go and see it.

Wednesday we met Anne, Kaley and Sarah at Great Wolf Lodge in the Dells, WI. We went on the water slides and went to the outlet mall for a while. We ate at a little local restaurant called the Cheese Factory--but it was not a cheese factory. It was a vegetarian restaurant and the food was actually very good. Thursday we went on more water slides again, to a Wisconsin cheese store, then headed back to Aurora, IL to Anne's house. (My sister Donna would have been 60 years this day on April 1, 2010)

Friday, April 2, 2010 we all headed to downtown Chicago where we went to the Shedd Aquarium until it closed at 5pm, then we all walked to downtown Chicago to Giordanos for real Chicago Style pizza that was wonderful! Otto and I then took a cab to get the cars and drive back and pick everyone up because we were too tired and too full to walk back that couple of miles to the cars---but it sure was good!

Saturday Sarah made french toast and Sarah and I cut up a lot of different kinds of fruit and had a wonderful family brunch before heading home to Topeka. We got home about 10p.m. on Saturday night, but had an uneventful and safe trip home.

Easter Sunday was good. We watched General Conference with Debbie and Larry, had lunch with them, then watched the last session of conference with them. A good long week ended well. It was so good to spend time with family and especially grandkids--there is nothing better!