Today Is A Good Day

It's a beautiful day here in Salt Lake City. This morning we had the pleasure of attending the Salt Lake City Temple with some dear friends. Dr. Lambert came to town to attend General Conference and to go through the temple. We were so excited when she invited us to go, and it was wonderful to see her again. We were also accompanied by Nate's sweet Mom, Nancy, our friends Tim and Tami (fellow HIPEC patient from Layton), and her sister Judy and her husband. We also had the pleasure of meeting a man and his wife who live in the Salt Lake Valley who also underwent the HIPEC procedure back in 2009. The friend of Dr. Lambert who introduced her to the church, along with his family, and the two missionaries who taught and baptized Dr. Lambert were also there! Dr. Lambert had quite the crowd! It just goes to show that she is a very special friend to many people.

It was also so great to be there with Nate. I love to see him feeling good, and able to do the things he enjoys. We went up to Bear Lake for Conference Weekend and had a very relaxing time. The kids had a great time hanging out with each other, taking Ranger rides, and playing games together. Can it get any better?

At the moment, we are sitting in the Infusion Clinic. This marks the beginning of Nate's third round of chemo. He's halfway done! The time seems to speed by so quickly in many ways, and drags on in others. I still feel like I'm in a time warp! Nate continues to get stronger with the passing weeks. He hasn't needed as many pain meds, and for the past week or so, only takes them as needed. That's a pretty big change for him, and I'm happy that he's had some breaks from the pain. Last week we went camping with our ward, and as part of the entertainment one of the youth was DJing a dance. Our family went out onto the dance floor to bust a move, and before I knew it, Nate picked Emma up and  flipped her around in one of his fancy line dancing moves! For about half a second I was kind of ticked (I've been a Nazi about him lifting anything heavier than a gallon of milk), but then I saw the smile plastered on his and Emma's faces. It's hard for me to believe, but it seems that he's slowly moving back to his 'old self'. I'm thankful to see some 'normal' creeping back into our lives.

Nate continues to work as much as he can, and his co-workers continue to be so supportive. Last week another friend from work donated more personal leave to Nate. Nate told me about it in a text, and when the tears cleared from my eyes, I asked him how we would ever be able to express the gratitude we both have for all the many ways our friends have blessed our lives. We both seem to be at a loss for words when it comes to the gratitude we feel for all the friends and family that have helped us in so many ways.

While Nate still doesn't have a lot of energy, he pushes through the 'blahs' and is getting on with life. We're so appreciative of the patience everyone has had. I know that Nate's absence at work causes extra work for those picking up the slack, but I've never heard anything but understanding and encouraging words from those most affected. I don't know if they will ever understand the burden they've lifted from our family.

This path of life is certainly not easy, and I know we aren't the only ones facing a hard trial. Our eyes have been opened to the adversity that so many of our family and friends deal with. I've said it before, but it's like being pregnant...when you're pregnant, you notice all the other pregnant women, and it seems like everyone is pregnant! Likewise, when you're in the middle of the muck, you notice the muck others deal with, and it seems that everyone has something going on.

My dear friend's dad passed away unexpectedly Saturday morning, and my heart broke for her when I heard the news. We're praying for our friend and her family, and hope we can provide some type of comfort to them. I don't think we can ever truly prepare ourselves for trials like this, but I'm so grateful for good people who can help us pick up the pieces and guide us back to a hopeful place.

Thanks again for all the love and support you send our way. Prayers are being answered, and we are getting moments of 'normal'. We are forever grateful.