May Flowers

Do you ever feel like a month takes forever? That was April. Ever feel like one flies by? That would be May for me! The kids, Owen and I have done so much and had so much going on!!

First, Family Update:
1. My mom has been through it like crazy lately. First, in March, she had knee replacement surgery on her left knee. 2 weeks of rehab and 5 weeks later, she had knee replacement surgery on her right knee. This time, she only got about a week of rehab when a symptom of another problem going on surfaced. They took her to the emergency room and soon after was scheduled for a hysterectomy. She had her hysterectomy this past Tuesday. She is on day 2 of recovery and is in very intense pain. The good news? Surgeries are done!! The bad news? Trauma to the extreme in a 3 month period. Prayers, love and definitely time is what she needs now to recover fully.

2. Grandpa Hathaway, about a year ago, was told his cancer was back and did not have very long. He was given the 2 year mark. Recently, he has been very tired and found he was low on blood. This week he had a blood transfusion and on June 4th he will be tested to see if his cancer has spread to his bones. Prayers for him are strong right now. And for my Grandmother at this time.

3. Dennis has been having a difficult time with his intestinal situation for the past 6 months if not longer. Apparently his body developed scar tissue around his small intestine after his surgery years ago in removing his large intestine. This time, he has had some major trouble and it got pretty dangerous. He checked into IMC hospital on Monday and was scheduled Tuesday for an emergency surgery. We waited...both of my sides of the families were in the waiting room for my mom and for Dennis. It was weird for me. Dennis's surgeon came out and let us know that his surgery went as a "best case scenario". The scar tissue had wrapped the intestine and caused it to kink and flip. All they had to do was clip and remove it. This is good news as they thought they may have to remove a section of the intestine and sew it back together in the worst case scenario. The surgeon also said when they opened him up, instead of the intestine being about a quarter sized around, it was the size of his forearm. Crazy! Anyway, Dennis is on the mend now and eating more solid foods I believe today, so Thank you to all who prayed and were there to support!!

I am so incredibly grateful for the gospel and the priesthood in my life. God knows the roller coaster I have traveled with it and I know he really loves me because I know he knew I could never really live without it and without him in my life. He believed in me when I don't know that I believed in myself. I'm so grateful to have the family we do. To see us all come together has been wonderful. I'm sad it's because of tragic happenstance, but I'm grateful that it happens nonetheless. Because, in the end, what do we have but family? I really have witnessed all friends do come and go. Knowing something really can last forever has changed my heart.