Its Wendy's turn...

This is my first post, but I figured it was due.

Many of you who have followed this blog have seen Wendy ask for prayers and give updates regarding the health of many family members and friends. She is a great woman that is very compassionate and loving, always putting others before herself.

Now; however, she is the one in need. Over the past few weeks she has had several health issues, has fainted on a few occasions and is barely able to get out of bed most days, yet she does and goes about her motherly duties and working part time. She just keeps going and going regardless of how sick she feels. She is very anemic and we may find out why sometime this week. She has been poked and prodded like a pin cushion lately and she really does not like needles.

This week she called me right before I was to leave work and she told me her Dr had found a tumor the size of a tennis ball in her uterus. This really got me thinking, what if she has cancer? how has she been able to keep up lately? how serious is it? So they biopsied the tumor on Friday and we should find out what the deal is on Monday(I hope). Her mom is a nurse and she reassures us that it is probably not cancerous. We are hoping and praying that is the case.

I love my wife and am so happy she is in my life. She, along with my children, are the light of my life. I would be so lost without her.

Father's Day Blessings...

My life might not be very glamorous or exciting as some, but I have been blessed immeasurably with Amazing Father's in my life! I first have to pay tribute to the Boy that I married because that's exactly what he was when we tied the knot. He has been everything I could have asked for in a father to our children, and more... Loren has never put anything above his children, he has worked his tail off to provide for our Family for the last 18 and a half years, he doesn't really have a hobby, although there are several he would like to have, but any of his extra time is spent with his Family. He has done many a ponytail and even used a curling iron on the girls, he coaches, dances and cheers for them at all their events...He is an example to our son who in turn worships him. He has been a care-taker since he was a boy (an only child for 14 years), a boy who loved and cared for his Mom , who struggled with Cystic Fibrosis, his whole life. He lost her at age 14. I do realize that because of his trials he, is the Husband, and Father he is today.

I love you Babe, thanks for being such a wonderful Dad! I am so thankful that you are getting even HOTTER as you age, even with your gray hair.

I also have to pay tribute to the amazing Father who raised me.... He has been such an example of love, charity, and compassion. He is one of the hardest working and most Spiritual men I know. When we lost my Mom and little Sister in a car accident he could have easily been bitter and turned his back on his relationship with the Gospel and Heavenly Father, but he did quite the opposite, always reminding me that we would be a family for Eternity if we lived righteously. He would tickle the burns I had from the accident on my back until I would fall asleep every night, and then sometimes I would hear him crying alone, missing them, at times falling asleep with his scriptures on his chest and the lights on. He taught me how to have a relationship with my Heavenly Father through prayer, I would say hi to my Mom, and Stephie in my prayers at night, and ever since then I've known that my Father in Heaven is listening to me. I also have to mention his awesome discernment abilities as a Dad, he always knew when we were naughty, or when we needed him. But that's a lot more story than I want to write about now. I am so thankful that he found us a new Mom, Sister and little Brother whom I love very much, and that he has always loved Loren like he was his own Son as well. I love you Dad, THANKS for everything. You're pretty goodlookin in your old age too!

Medical updates....

Barton and Me. Finally!

Grandpa and Emmi...

My Uncle Jim is still in Cleavland at the transplant center, but he is getting stronger every day, a true miracle in progress... This is one of his Daughter's and a grandaughter.

I was able to get my arms around Barton for that; "I am am so glad you are alive hug", he has come a long way since he lay on that dirt road in Uganda. We were in St. George, My Grandpa Brooks recently collapsed and had to have heart surgery, he is another Amazing man in my life, for whom I am so grateful. I love you! Grandpa is on his road to recovery as we speak , it was so great to see him and Barton in the same trip. Barton is on his way back to NYC for more surgery, he still has a long way to go, but he looks great as usual.

Char just got her family pics done, and I thought they were gorgeous.. it is such a great lo-cal, they went to Antelope Island at the Great Salt Lake, who knew they were so close to the beach!

We sure miss you guys!

A picture worth a thousand words...

They took his breathing tube out today! And this is how he is....The sweetest picture.

He still has a long road ahead of him, but he is doing a little better every day!

Update..

The transplant was successful! They had a few complications, and they are still concerned about bleeding. The Doctor's have warned that the next few days are critical and that there will be several hurdles to cross, so we pray... and fast and ask our Heavenly Father for the bleeding to stop, and that he will continue to recover, we are very thankful for all of the prayers and well wishes, but we still need more, THANK YOU....

My Uncle Jim...and his MIRACLE...

James Baker, one of the most Amazing, humble, wise and FAITHFUL men I know...I blogged sometime last year about his fight with Pulmonary Fibrosis, and then prostate cancer in the middle of trying to get a lung transplant! They planned on moving to L.A. for a transplant from UCLA, and was heart broken when he was turned down because of a technicality. They kept the Faith, the doctor's were doubtful, but not Jim, he would just keep saying that it was gonna happen, and he knew that his work here in this life was not done. We would get dire news, and then have a Family Fast, or a ward fast, and prayers...We were fasting and praying for a MIRACLE, an against all odds MIRACLE....Jim would hang on...

I don't know a lot about this disease, but I do know that there is NO cure, and that your lungs are just rendered useless, he was suffocating, every breath a fight, constantly, his oxygen as high as it could go, he would be exhausted just getting up to go to the bathroom or get into bed, but he kept going to work, and attending all Family functions, even Baptizing my cousin Ray who is battling Cancer himself, it was a beautiful thing to see his faith in action... My sweet Aunt Charlene, never leaving his side always keeping the faith even when it looked VERY bleak.. Every night she would lay awake and listen to him breathe, waking him if his Oxygen would get too low, I witnessed her love first hand...Cleaveland (The Cleaveland Clinic) has a transplant program, and they were determined to get there and get on the list, getting him there was a huge risk but they went, a Family effort driving the Motor home cross-country to get an interview with the program director to see if they would think about putting him on the list, they had no guarantee that they would help him. They got there, they got an interview, the director didn't think it looked good because of Jim's current health status being so poor. She had to leave the room for a moment, that's when Jim and Charlene shared a prayer that her heart would be softened, she came back in the room with a new attitude, and said she really liked him and that she would do her best to get him on the list. Then Jim took a turn for the worst, almost as bad as it could get, they had to admit him and put him on a ventilator, he would NOT be put on the list, he also had a fever, and we were told that he would not come off this machine, it was what was keeping him alive. Devastating after coming so far. His family, his daughters, and Son's in Law, his Brother and Sister's in law all got on Planes and flew out to be with him and my Aunt, we kept praying.....we had a Fast...My Dad was able to communicate with him at 3 AM, he asked him if he wanted to fight and keep going, and Jim without a doubt let my Dad know that he wanted to fight! So we kept Praying...When my Dad relayed this news to me he was crying, we all love Jim so much, my Dad and Jim have not only been brother's for most of my Dad's life but best friends, there is no-one that my Dad respects More...The next day his Fever broke and went away, Jim was breathing better, and yesterday they turned the machines down and he breathed on his own! This is UN heard ofwith lungs as bad as Jim's, unless you have Faith and believe in MIRACLES! My Dad just called and they HAVE A LUNG! How grateful we are! for another family's sacrafice...And they are getting ready to put it into this AMAZING Man! I will keep you posted.. Prayers Please..