February Update

I have been quite a slacker in updating my blog lately. I just haven't felt motivated for some reason. So I guess I need to make up for lost time. February was actually quite eventful, in good and bad ways.

At the beginning of the month Layne's brother, Daren, and his sons, Clayton and Mackay came and spend two Saturdays helping us put the sheeting on the ceiling of our shop. It was quite an ordeal because Layne had bought the sheeting last fall and it had been sitting in the shop and was beginning to warp. Plus they found out that they guy that built the shop didn't square up the rafters. So between it being out of square and the warped sheeting, it took three guys to put up one sheet.

Luckily our home teacher is a contractor and so he let us borrow his scaffolding. Now that the ceiling is finished we will save to get the insulation blown in. Next we will insulate the walls and then put up sheeting as we can afford it. It is small steps but it will be nice when it is all done.

On February 6th my dad was complaining of terrible pain in his lower abdomen. I gave him some pain medication and he got some short term relief. But before long it was back. My dad is in pain all of the time. But this was different and we were both concerned. He thought maybe it was because he was having trouble urinating. So we went to the E.R. so he could get a catheter. After being in the E.R. for three hours and after they had done blood and urine tests, they took him in for a cat scan. It turns out he had a pretty big hernia. The doctors were surprised this was the first time he had noticed any pain. So they admitted him and he ended up having surgery the next day. He spent two nights in the hospital, which was miserable for him.

The same day that Dad had his surgery, my brother-in-law, Dan Knight, was in SLC for an abdominal wall reconstruction surgery. It was such a massive surgery that they had to do it in three separate surgeries in the same week. They just used super velcro to close him up between the surgeries. He ended up spending three weeks in the hospital. He is home now but still rehabilitating.

This same week, Layne's uncle, Merrill, was in the intensive care at EIRMC, due to congestive heart failure. He was doing really well one day and then the next day he had a heart attack. I guess the hospital is the best place to be if that is going to happen. He had a pace maker implanted while he was there and he is now home and doing better, but he is still battling the water on his heart.

The same week my niece, Sara, who is pregnant with twins was put on extreme bed rest at 25 1/2 weeks, because her cervix was thinning too soon. She was only allowed to get up to use the bathroom and to shower every other day. Thankfully, she has just hit the 30 week mark because she has been diligently following doctor's orders.

So needless to say the prayer list was long and intense since we had so many loved ones in need.

For Valentine's day I got Layne a new chair. He had literally worn the "pleather" right off the old one. I was a little embarrassed to have it in our living room. So in a way, it was a gift for both of us.

The offending chair is now upstairs for movie watching.

Last year for Valentine's day I got Layne some Polo cologne. The boys have been helping themselves to a squirt every now and then for "special occasions," that seemed to become more and more frequent. So I took the plunge and got each of them their own bottle so that Layne can have some left for himself. Both of them were thrilled to have their own.

Layne got me this beautiful bouquet of flowers and a box of Florence chocolates. Grandma Terry got us a box of Cherry cordials.

Karlee got a gift card for Itunes so she could get some music on her new ipod. This is big brother generously and willingly helping her get some songs downloaded.

Shortly after Valentines day, Zak's friend, Brian introduced him to a girl from Rexburg who is in one of his college classes. Her name is Shaylee Riley. They have been pretty much inseparable ever since then. When he checked in with us early (like 1a.m. early) on February 18th he informed us that he would have to buy us ice cream the next day. For those who don't know that rule, it means he got his first kiss. Of course he never paid up, and he will kill me if he knows I am blogging about it. So mums to word!! But I guess since he has declared to be "in a relationship" on Facebook, I shouldn't get in too much trouble.

February 18th was a special day in more ways than one. Tera and Brendan Grayson were sealed in the temple exactly one year after they were married. It was so special to go through the temple with them and be able to see them sealed to their daughters, Tenlee and Paisley.

Well that pretty much wraps up February, now on to March!