CAMPING WITH THE JENNINGS- END OF SCHOOL YEAR-UNCLE MILT

the snowball bush (taller than the house)

Sunday was a wonderful meeting in that Zachary Jarman gave his farewell speech.  It was as if it were his homecoming speech.  He really preached the doctrine of Christ with great confidence and faith.  He was powerful and we all gained much from the meeting.  He is such a tall Jake.  The Spirit was in abundance.
That evening we went to a fireside where we learned about the rebuilding of the Tabernacle into a temple of our God.  It is amazing what they have done.  It has only been done in 2 other places in the world and they were not near as large as this.  We thought they had put the temple on risers but they didn't lift it at all  They dug 40 feet under and braced it.  It is way complicated.  He compared the work of this project with the things we go through in our lives.  It is a faith builder and they are doing everything they can to honor those pioneers who took 15 years to build this beautiful building and they are trying with all intensity to rebuild it to be as they made it.  They honor those great people and feel their reverence.  The best news of the day was that a man we had visited every week in Caswell was baptized Sunday evening.  His family is so excited.  His son will get the priesthood in a few weeks and the plan is for the entire family to go to the temple in a year.  Sure hope this happens.
When we went to the temple Tuesday we ended up in the same session as Uncle Leonard.  He is living at the Seville and is doing so good.  He looks great.  He was so happy to see us.
We went to Ava's pre school graduation.  It was the children singing the whole time.  They were incredible.  They sang more than 10 songs and she knew every word.

Thursday we got the trailer so we could go camping with Tiffani's ward at Pine Valley.  We do this every Memorial Day.  That evening we went to Riley's choir concert.  He even had some solos and was so good.  He was the tallest one there.  He is getting so big and handsome.

I've got to earn how to take pictures in buildings

Friday we packed up the trailer for the trip.  We took Ava with us thinking Scott and Bethany would come later but he had a job to do so they couldn't come.  We left at 11:30 with such an excited little girl.  Mom was not so excited.  She was so good in the car but didn't think we would ever get there. 

 She fell asleep after a short time and slept until Beaver where we needed a dish of ice cream of course.  

She ordered bubble gum flavor.  We finally made it to Cedar and then up the mountain to Pine Valley.  It was so beautiful but chilly.  Thank goodness for a trailer.  It took us over 6 hours to get there.  Ava immediately wanted to go fishing and caught her first fish.  Talk about excited. 

 I took a movie of it but then somehow deleted it.  Oh well.  Shortly after we got there Tiff and family came.  Of course they had to wait a few extra hours for Dave.  Ava slept in the tent with the twins, and Cameron and his bird, Flappy slept in the trailer with us.

ice fishing with Dad

It was also Scott's birthday which in all the excitement of the trip we forgot to wish him happiness.  We had already given him his present.  He is such a good father and husband to his family.  We love watching him in his different roles in life.  He is a good man.  We love that when he was little, he would crawl in bed with us and read his little book (look at the pictures).  We would ask if he was ready for bed and he would answer "Not yet"   Then a few minutes later he would say "It feels just right now.  I can go to bed."   Wish we had done that with all the kids.  He is always coming over to fix something for us.  We so appreciate that.  

can't have Scott without the family

The next day was Camden's birthday but we couldn't call him due to no service.  He is a treasure.  He is always so kind to everyone.  He loves to play with his brothers and cousins. 
 He is a super reader and has read several Harry Potter books.  That's amazing for a third grader.  He makes friends easily and comes up with some of the funnest statements.  He loves to choose the right and is just a good boy.  We love him so much.

The girl rode bikes, fished and played all day.  They have way too much energy.  Ava's fish died having been hugged so much and so the girls planned a funeral for her.  Ava gave the opening prayer, Clara gave a spiritual thought (second article of faith) Lauryn gave a talk and they all sang "I have a family here on earth"  It was a special occasion.  

roasting marshmellows

Sunday is so special in Pine Valley.  The building was built in the 1800's and is so beautiful.  There are so many Mormon campers that we sit outside on the grass and take lawn chairs and blankets.  They have a great sound system  so you can hear very well.  It's a sacred place.  We spent the day enjoying nature and took several walks.  Ava fell in the water.  Shocker.

chatting

We went to see Smokey the Bear and some people rode by on horses.  Of course the girls asked if they could pet them.

The girls love doing anything with granddad or just by themselves

hikers

Lauryn balancing

pine cone heart

hiking

the three

Our last day the girls played so hard.  They fished all day in that they couldn't on the Sabbath. 

 What did Cameron do the whole time?  Put his bird on his shoulder and walked all over the place.  That bird is amazing.  It absolutely loves Cameron.  He also spent hours playing Cribbage with the older boys.
Everyone caught fish.  It was so fun. 

notice the bird

 I even went fishing but dad and I caught nothing because we were always helping several kids  bait and fish.  Another funeral was held  for an unfortunate soul.  The girls loved the fish someone else caught and ate freely.  Even Ava and Lauryn ate fish.

  The girls decided to play with their fish for a little while and then set them free to be with their brothers and sisters so their families could be together forever.  They threw them back in and were so happy.  We left later than we had planned because everyone was having so much fun. 
Of course we stopped in Beaver again and Ava had play dough ice cream. Ugh! 
 Ava didn't think we were ever going to get home but she was just so good.  She colored and played with her Leap Frog thing.  It was a great family reunion.  She could not have been better.
On the way home we found that Uncle Milt, my younger brother, was in the hospital and not expected to recover.  His foot infection that has bothered him for years had gotten so bad that his kidneys shut down (has diabetes) and his liver was not doing as it should.  They felt he had an infection in one of his heart valves and his blood pressure was way low.  They were planning on amputating his foot that night.  He was not responsive at all.  

TOO LATE TO END THIS BLOG SO JUST STARTING THE NEXT ONE NOW YOU GET 2 WEEKS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE

We went to SLC the next morning and Dad gave Milt a priesthood blessing. Someone in the hospital had already given him one but he likes Dad to give him blessings.  We didn't stay long because he was so out of it and needed rest.
He was doing better the next morning but they decided it was best to amputate that afternoon.  Karen had been in SlC for 9 days with Uncle Bert so she was there when he came out of surgery.  They felt good about it.  Bert is still having a difficult time with his heart.  He has a great attitude and is so positive.  Bert and Karen went home the next day.  It has been a hard few days.
  
Wednesday we went to Camden and Kolton's dance festival and then to Asher's Kindergarten graduation.  All three were so much fun.  The boys danced so well.  Kolton's class danced to "Let it go"  Camden knew every step of his dance.  Asher's graduation was all music.  They sang songs from every month of the year and he knew every word.  He was so darn cute.

After the graduation we went back to SLC and the hospital.  Milt was not coherent due to all the pain meds in him.  The good news was that they had taken him off the blood pressure meds and he was holding his own.  They are now very optimistic.  We are so relieved.  He knew we were there but could not respond.  He did open his eyes a few times.  I feel so much better about everything.  He has a long road ahead of him.
Thursday, we are now on May 29th, we worked in the yard for a short time and then went to Asher's dance festival.  He knew every move and was so cute to the little girl behind him.  She has never spoken and when Erik asked him what his favorite thing about school was he said "Riding the bus home and making the little girl happy."  What a precious little boy to think so much about someone else.  He will go to school at Central next year and be with his two brothers.  He will be in first grade.

After the dance we headed back to the hospital.  We went to the VA this time because Milt had been transferred there.  He looked better to me but still does not communicate.  He was in a lot of pain.  The doctor talked with us and said he is better than he was but is not by any mean out of the woods.  They took him off the continual dialysis and just give it to him a needed.  He is still holding his own blood pressure but is very jaundice.  They are trying to find where the pain is coming from because they feel he should be more responsive.  They did another ultrasound and some more tests where he has to drink dye.  Good luck with that.
We are just praying and know that the Lord is in charge  We hope for the best for him.  I have a very hard time seeing his leg without a foot.
I ended the day by finishing the top of our swing.  It needed to be replaced.

Friday the 30th we headed to Payson to see Dr. Nelson about my knee and foot.  He feels it is just arthritis but when I told him I was taking 2 teenage grandsons to Disneyland he gave me a shot of cortisone in my knee and the prescription I take 6 first day 5 the next day and so on 'till they're gone.  This is the first time since Dec. I have been pain free.  I'm ready to go dancing.
After the doctor's apt we went to SLC to see my brother.  I was so thrilled when we saw him.  He was higher in his bed and sipping on broth.  He looked so much better.  I fed him a lemonade freeze and a cup of cranberry juice.  He took it all and smiled.  It's the first time I have seen him with his eyes all the way open and his body not so puffy.  He stayed awake for an hour.  He is sill not on the no worry list but having him responsive was so exciting.  They were going to do a blood transfusion this afternoon because his foot has lost a lot of blood but it is not necessary, they just want to be cautious and boost up his resistance.  He loves the VA.  It's not fancy but he loves the care.

We got up Saturday to clean the church.  We have three wards in our building so we only clean every 6 months.  A huge group comes and it is done in 30 minutes.  Every ones assigned shows up.  It's great.  After the cleaning we hurried to Salem to watch Scott in his triathlon.  He came in 12th and beat his own record by 8 minutes.  There were many competitors, several hundred.  We love to go watch.

waiting in the bushes

After the run we took all out for lunch at Kneeders to celebrate Scott's birthday that we missed while camping.
We got home in time for the boys to mow the lawns and wash the basement windows.  While helping hold up the grate on the family room window, the grate accidentally fell and landed right across both of my feet.  It just doesn't seem like a foot summer.  It will not hinder Disneyland.  I'm tough. We went to Erik's home for pulled pork sandwiches.  Yumm!  Riley was there for our trip tomorrow which will be on the next blog.  We celebrated Parker's birthday because he will be in Disneyland during that day.  He is finally a teenager and a great one at that.

We love our families and the restored gospel of Jesus Christ that makes it possible to be together forever.  We even love each other.