Merry and Missionary and Medical Moments

I forgot to mention something that happened yesterday.  I was either cleaning or fixing a meal and Terry was on the computer when we heard some children talking and laughing.  It seemed to be so close and it was so fun to hear.  I walked to the window and saw that there were children on the deck below us.  It's not a very big deck but it is larger than the two foot ledge we have, and it was so fun to hear and see them enjoy the moment.  It was kind of a tender mercy for us, bringing some light and joy and cheerfulness to our day.  It reminded us of the fun times we had with our children and grandchildren when we were here over 3 years ago.  We have missed the grandkids, so it was a pleasant sound.  I even wanted to go out and thank them but didn't want their parents or grandparents to worry.  If we ever meet the people who live below us I will share our feelings of this merry moment with them.


First thing this morning I wrote to our missionary sons, as I normally do each Sunday morning.  We don't hear from them till sometime on Monday, but I like to be sure to get an email out to them early.   I always get to re-read their letters before I write them, so I was reminded of something Connor told us.  A little 7 year old girl was telling her grandpa that her favorite missionary was the black missionary.  The grandpa was confused because they have never had a black missionary in their area.  As they kept talking he learned that this little gal's favorite missionary was Elder Hebdon, the missionary who has black hair.  Connor's hair does look black when he gels it or when it's wet, and that is why she was calling him black.  So now Elder Connor Hebdon has become the first black missionary in the ward and everyone is having fun with that.  I thought it sounded so cute, it made me wish I could be a part of it, yet very happy that he shared that with us.  ;)

Chase sent a short email last week, but it was sweet.  He thanked us for being great examples for him.  His letters from previous weeks have shared that he is in a Tongan ward and enjoying the members there.  He says they are spiritually strong and very compassionate and kind.  He loves to hear them sing because of the sound and also because of the feel, as it touches his heart.


We enjoyed listening to a few speakers from the Saturday morning conference session.  Each Sunday during our stay for the first transplant (in 2010) we listened to past conference messages so we decided to do that again this time.   It's something I look forward to all week.  I love the counsel those great men and women give us and the spirit that accompanies them.  Each message makes me want to be better.


We walked to the clinic for a chemo teach, which means we learned about the chemos coming up and all of the medicines that Terry is and will be taking.  It becomes very confusing information, but we listened carefully, kept notes, and received a medicine schedule to help us.  We walked home and the first thing I did was pull out our notes and schedules and reviewed them and combined them so that I could be more prepared.  It all starts tomorrow at 7:30am.


We had a nice visit with Skyler today (on the phone) for about 50 minutes before we walked back from the clinic.  The nurse let us stay in the room to talk.  The clinic was pretty empty today - we were the only people in the waiting room, and we saw maybe half a dozen patients in the halls or other parts of the clinic. That's kinda the way Sundays are. 

There is a table of complementary coffee and cocoa set up in the lobby on weekends so we made some hot cocoa to help make our walk home a bit more pleasant since it was a chilly, windy, rainy day.


Thank you for your comments, emails, cards and letters.  We thank you for loving us, and letting us know that you love us!  It feels good and helps us along our way. 
WE LOVE YOU!