It's NOT All About Me After All

9 days since my last post? The silly season always wears me down - work is busier than ever which is good, the holidays require trips to the mall and hanging wreaths, setting up trees, and decorating the house. We had snowfall a few weeks ago which is a rarity in Las Vegas and yet the world continues to spin on its axis and the sun rises each day for us all.

We are enjoying having Alec and Tiffany with us this holiday season. They are busy with work and school in Salt Lake so it's nice for them to be able to sleep in and relax for 10 days. Alec takes his med school exam in a few months so he's been preparing for that day for...well, his entire life. Doc Briggs was kind enough to invite him to tag along for a 1/2 dozen surgeries the other day so Alec could see up close what a day in the life of a surgeon is all about. He'll be with Briggs again next week for a day, and then will spend a week in Peru in January assisting US surgeons as they operate on needy children in Lima. Alec will serve as the translator and be able to see spinal surgery up close. It's a great adventure for him and we look forward to hearing of his exploits in South America. Viva Peru!

We expect to hear from Jake any minute now. Missionaires typically call the day before their scheduled call to set up the time. What this means is we get to talk to him twice. The last time we spoke to our dear Jake-Jake was on Mothers Day. We miss him so much but know that his service in Ecuador is changing lives and helping him grow into a more compassionate human being. We're at the halfway mark of his mission and I can say, as all missionary parents do I suppose, that it's gone by pretty fast. The first few months were brutal for me but we're now in a good groove. We're just happy that Jake is happy and that he's kicking ass in Ecuador. I believe that may have been a first use of that phrase to describe a missionary. My bad.

Janae's mom moved in with us last week. Her health had deteriorated to the point where it just wasn't safe to leave her home alone. She suffers from Pulmonary Fibrosis which is a hardening of the lungs. She can't really walk much anymore since it tires her out to the point where she can't breathe properly.

We are glad to have her with us. Sure it's a change for us and a bigger change for Janae who lives the life of a gypsy and travels all over the place on a whim. That life is on hold for a spell. Our extended family has been great too - stopping by to visit, or sitting with gram for a longer spell so Janae can run errands. Being a caregiver is tough. As a volunteer at the hospice I was often asked to provide a break for the primary caregiver - let them out of the house to shop, meet with friends for lunch, or just get away from the constant melancholy that often exists with terminally ill people.

We don't know what the future holds with grammy other than she is likely here with us for the rest of her life. We embrace this experience as a family - it brings us closer together and illuminates what is truly important in this life and what the savior lived his life teaching: To Love One Another.

You see, it's not all about me after all.