Bookends

My last post of 2011 was all about David's dad, Merlynn Tanner. So, it is only fitting that the (almost) first post of 2012 would be about David's mom, Martha Tanner. Writing about Mom will give me some closure and their two stories are bookends to a 70-year love story. It is especially appropriate to write today- July 16th is Mom's birthday and 6 months since she died.

The first time I met Martha was in 1971, shortly after I became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. A couple of friends and I took a road trip to Utah, at Thanksgiving. David hitched a ride with us and we dropped him off in Payson, while we stayed in Orem with a friend of one of my friends. We did go up to Salt Lake City and it was like going to Mecca for me. Temple Square, the Temple, and the Tabernacle were so impressive and I felt like I was pretty near to heaven! On our way back to Albuquerque, we had to pick up David and we were invited to have Sunday dinner with his family. It was my first real experience with an LDS family. Before we left, I had a moment alone with Martha in the kitchen. I told her that it was my dream to have a beautiful Mormon family like hers. Mom later told me that when I said that, her heart just melted- she hoped that David would be interested in me, I would be interested in him, and that someday I would join her family. I'm sure her prayers for just that certainly helped make that dream come true!

From the very beginning, Martha and I were more or less "kindred spirits." We both were teachers, we both liked to write, and we both loved the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a passion- she was a seasoned life-long disciple of Christ and I was a brand-new convert who left all to begin a new life within the Gospel and who had so much to learn. She was my mentor, example, mother, friend, and one of my biggest cheerleaders. She always told me how much she loved me and how proud she was of me. Having the opportunity to have her close by, to serve her, and to share her last few months was a privilege, a joy, and such a tender mercy in my life.

I had the privilege of writing much of the obituary for Martha when she passed away and I will borrow some of the obituary for this story, mixed with some of my feelings and experiences. "A valiant daughter of God, Martha Ellen Ashby Tanner, 95, passed away after a short illness on Monday, January 16, 2012, in Bountiful, Utah, just five months after the death of her eternal sweetheart, Merlynn." David had given her a beautiful blessing of release a couple of days earlier. The night she died, David and I had just left her. Don called not long after we got home to tell us that she had passed away. A couple of days earlier, she had said that she never knew how hard it was to die. She had hoped to follow Merlynn much sooner, but I think there were things that she still had to accomplish- most importantly, bringing her family together like they had never been before and giving them the chance to serve her as they never had before. Surely, Heavenly Father was in charge and He took her home when she had finished her work here on earth. What a joyful reunion there was for Merlynn and Martha that quiet, peaceful night!

Martha was always a “Spanish Fork girl,” attending school there and then graduating from Brigham Young University with a degree in education. She first met "that handsome" Merlynn Tanner at a dance in Spanish Fork and danced with him again a couple months later at BYU Education Week. She let him take her home and she later commented, "I've been going home with him ever since, and have never been sorry." They were married August 6, 1941, in the Logan Temple and they built their home and their life in Payson, where they raised six children.

A consummate teacher, Martha taught hundreds of Payson’s children in the First Grade. She was known for her great ability in teaching children to read and she received numerous awards and recognition during her teaching career. She had a beautiful singing voice, which enhanced many community, church, and family gatherings. Martha found great joy in daily acts of service. The produce from Martha and Merlynn’s fruitful garden was shared with family, friends, and neighbors. Their fruit room and overflowing freezer were amazing to her grandchildren and Martha’s bread was always the most treasured treat of a visit to Grandma’s.

Martha was born a writer and was a poet extraordinaire. In her prolific verse, she rejoiced in the simple joys of life and pondered the deepest truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She was the poet laureate of the family and the Park Ward, composing for special occasions, programs, and to honor those she knew and loved. Her poems were filled with insight, inspiration, and gratitude for all the blessings of the Lord in her life.

In addition to her poetry, Martha wrote and published several family histories, including her own personal history as a legacy for her posterity. She loved music and the fine arts, as well as the art of rodeo and the joy of being in Payson Canyon with Merlynn. Among the greatest gifts she gave her children was a home filled with music, laughter, fun, and culture. At an age when others would have thought themselves too old to try, she tackled and conquered the formidable and frustrating task of learning to use the computer. A life-long learner, Martha loved to read and, up to the end, she found joy in expanding her view of the world, enriching her life, and sharing her insights and discoveries with others. She was an ideal teacher and example of the Gospel, in word and deed, and she left a legacy of hard work and service in all areas of her life. Martha served an LDS mission with her husband in Seattle, Washington, serving in the office and working with Cambodian refugee members of the Church. She and Merlynn served for nearly 20 years as ordinance workers in the Provo LDS Temple. She always loved traveling and enjoyed seeing the world with her husband. In 2002, Merlynn and Martha served as Grand Marshals of the Payson Homecoming Days parade.

The last months of Mom's life were spent at Welcome Home Assisted Living in Bountiful. It was hard for her to leave Payson and the home that she loved, but the reality was that she needed to be in a place where she was safe, comfortable, and loved. Welcome Home was a warm and wonderful place and she was close to family. We were able to be there at least once a day and Don and Kris were 5 minutes away. Glen was there often, as well. Her days were full of reading, lots of visits from family and friends, and activities at Welcome Home. She especially enjoyed the musical programs and Relief Society. She wrote in her journal, " I've found this 'Welcome Home' a very good place to be. The people are friendly, the food is good and they have a lot of planned activities. And, I have time to read. Pretty soft, I'd say." Shortly after she moved into Welcome Home, Mom told me that during her prayers that morning, she had asked Heavenly Father to take her home to be with Merlynn. And then she told Him, "But if not, help me to know who I can help today." That comment has stuck with me ever since. In spite of her great loss and desire to join Merlynn, she always had her priorities straight and she desired to finish her life in the service of the Lord. She was my example, mentor, friend, and mother until the end. Thank you, Heavenly Father for the tender mercy of having Martha Tanner in my life!

Oh, What a Year!

It's been almost a year since my last post! Life has been challenging, downright hard, busy, crazy, sad, wonderful, and full of joy. The challenge now is to document concisely all that has happened in the last year. I'll have to do it in small bites, beginning with just one picture that represents the greatest joy of the year- the wedding of our son Brian David Tanner and Amy Jeppsen in the Bountiful Temple on May 25, 2012. All of our children were with us as Brian and Amy were sealed for time and all eternity. It was one of the most joyful days of my life. All our grandchildren were waiting outside when Brian and Amy came out of the temple and we had a rare moment when we were all together. It felt like a grand preview of what a family reunion could be in the eternities!

Well Done, Thou Good and Faithful Servant

Early Saturday morning, August 13, 2011, a giant of a man returned to His beloved Father in Heaven. Merlynn M. Tanner, died quickly and quietly, just as he had wished. Only two weeks before, David and I had visited him and his sweet eternal companion, Martha, and he expressed the desire to just quietly slip away in his sleep. He said he had a good life and it could be as soon as the next week, although his cardiologist recently joked that since he’d made it to 95, now he was going for 100.

We were in Oregon, staying right on the beach, with all of our children and grandchildren, when we got the call. It was David’s birthday, as well. While it was not totally unexpected, the reality is that nothing really prepared us for the finality of Dad’s death. But the timing for such an experience really could not have been better, with our family gathered all around in a beautiful, comfortable home and the opportunity to tell them of the goodness of their Grandpa Tanner, that his greatest desire for his posterity was for them to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to bear testimony of Our Heavenly Father’s great Plan of Salvation. We were quite overwhelmed with the immediate response of our children to all be in Payson to celebrate Grandpa’s life and to support Grandma. They and their spouses have made great sacrifices to allow this to come to pass. Grandpa would be so proud of them and Grandma will be so happy to have them all there.

Merlynn grew up in Payson, Utah, where he had a childhood of one adventure after another and a number of brushes with death. He recently made a CD of stories from his life, which focused on his childhood and which delighted the family and really connected with the great grandchildren. He served in the Navy during World War II, which was ironic because he never learned to swim during his long life. He returned to Payson after his service and spent the rest of his life in the place that he loved and where his roots went deep, the descendant of pioneers who helped settle Payson. He was smitten with a pretty girl from Spanish Fork and they married and built a home in Payson, where they raised 6 children. Two weeks ago, they celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Dad was devoted to his wife and they worked side by side throughout his life, raising their family, making a comfortable home, bottling the fruits of their garden, and always serving those around them. His garden was legendary and much of their produce over the years was shared with neighbors and those who were in need. Each of the grandchildren and many great grandchildren spent time in Grandpa’s garden, where he taught them how to harvest, where they enjoyed lots of fresh tasty samples, and where Grandpa shared important life lessons. Dad and Mom enjoyed traveling and loved seeing Europe, Scandinavia, the Holy Land, among other interesting places. They served a mission in Seattle, Washington, working primarily with refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia, teaching them life skills that they would need in their totally foreign new culture. Following their return from their mission, they served for 19 ½ years as ordinance workers in the Provo Temple. Most recently, Dad was the tender care-giver for Martha, never missing a beat, even with a tired heart that just kept on ticking. We were all amazed that he just kept going and going!

In his younger years, Merlynn was the proud owner/manager of Payson Furniture and was known for his honesty and customer service. For over 30 years, he personally delivered furniture, appliances, and installed carpet and drapes in a multitude of homes in the Payson area and in Utah and Juab Counties. He was involved in his community, principally with the Chamber of Commerce and the Lions Club, and was instrumental in saving the historic Peteetneet School to be used as a community center and in establishing the Tanner Room in the center, which contains Tanner Family history. It was, however, as a member of the Park Ward Bishopric and then as the Bishop of the Park Ward that he had his greatest influence for good in Payson. He was known for his charity and service to his beloved Park Ward. He was also known for helping to start the annual Salmon Supper in the city park as a means to raise money for the Ward budget and his legacy continues today as Payson City later took over the wildly successful event, holding the latest Supper just last weekend. His lifelong love affair with horses began when Dad was 4 years old and he reluctantly gave up his horses only a few years ago when he felt that he was getting too old to ride. One of his favorite sayings was “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” One of his last big adventures was riding into the Grand Canyon, at the age of 86, on the back of a mule named Hoot.

Dad was a man of integrity who taught by word and deed the importance of living worthy of the great Tanner name. His dry humor was legendary, but he will also be remembered for the many times his voice choked with emotion as he expressed his love for his children and grandchildren and his testimony of the Gospel. At the end of the CD he made in January, his parting counsel to his family was to serve the Lord and keep the commandments. His life-long example of faith, obedience to the Gospel, working hard, and of charity and service is an amazing legacy to his posterity. Elder M. Russell Ballard told a story in the last General Conference of a prospector who patiently accumulated flecks of gold until he had great wealth. Elder Ballard spoke of the flecks of gospel gold patiently accumulated over a lifetime until they grow to be our ultimate treasure- the precious gift of eternal life. Though losing Dad is hard and sad, we are filled with joy in knowing that Dad patiently accumulated those flecks of gospel gold over his lifetime and we know that he has earned his reward of eternal life.

Words to Live By

Last night, David and I attended a lecture by Virginia Hinckley Pearce, daughter of President Gordon B. Hinckley and Marjorie Pay Hinckley. Her lecture was part of a series of lectures, "Women of Conviction," sponsored by the Church History Library. Sister Pearce is a wonderful speaker and the perfect person to give a lecture on her mother. She is wonderfully upbeat and she reminds me of her mother, with her ease in speaking with any audience and her cute sense of humor.

Sister Pearce said that it was hard to narrow down what to say about her mother, but she settled on three themes that reflect the essence of her mother:

Be Content with Yourself and Your Life

Sister Hinckley was content with her life and herself and that led to her always having gratitude in her heart and expressing it often. She was "thrilled" with her life much of the time. She never had a feeling of entitlement, a theme that is being talked about a lot these days and which ensnares many of today's youth and society. She had a practical approach to life and she was known for doing whatever was needed with a cheerful heart. She met life with optimism, was not a complainer, and she had a wonderful sense of humor. She was once asked, "What is the key to a happy marriage?" and she replied, without missing a beat, "Lower your expectations!"

Encourage Others

When you are content with yourself, you can reach out and encourage others and appreciate others. She always found those whom she knew and and those she met, around the world and in many different situations, to be so interesting and she learned from them, encouraged them, and appreciated them. She did what she could and didn't deride herself for what she didn't do. She knew that encouragement touched and entered hearts and made people better.

Consecrate Yourself to the Kingdom

Whatever her situation, the situation of her family, or that of her husband and herself, she joyfully embraced the situation and did all that she could to build the kingdom of God and uplift His children. She jokingly said, "It is ridiculously exhausting to be a member of the true church!" But, she loved every minute! Her whole life was lived to be "one more voice to declare that God lives and this is His work!"

The lecture was so refreshing and uplifting! These truly are great words to live by! Here is a favorite quote by Sister Hinckley that expresses the theme of her life and how she did arrive at the pearly gates! Click on the quote to enlarge it and enjoy more words to live by . . . .

Stood Up

A postscript to the last post, "Back to the Books!" . . . I was supposed to teach the Prenatal Class for LDS Family Services on Saturday (they are held every 2 months). I was doing it solo since both of the other R.N.'s were busy. Since I didn't know exactly who would show up and how far along they were in their pregnancies, I prepared for teaching about the first half of pregnancy/nutrition, etc. and the second half of pregnancy/labor and delivery/postpartum, etc. It was a lot of preparation!

Three birth mothers were signed up and two others were expected. I was there early and got set up and the caseworker who has responsibility for the prenatal class was there early, as well. Then, we waited, and we waited, and we waited. None of the birth mothers showed up! After waiting 45 minutes, we gave it up. The caseworker told me that one of the hardest things about working with birth mothers is that they are predominantly teenagers and they are less than responsible.

Maybe they were all extra-tired on a late Saturday morning, maybe it's summer and a class is not on their summer radar screens, maybe they just forgot. Oh,well . . . The best part of a disappointing situation is that I'm prepared for the next class, whichever segment they want me to teach!

Back to the Books!

Yesterday, I had the exciting experience of attending a prenatal classs for birth mothers at the LDS Family Services office in Centerville. After working with the agency for 3 1/2 years as Church Service Missionaries, it has been hard to leave such a wonderful calling. I had told our supervisor that I would love to be involved with the prenatal class, but he indicated that there was not an opening at the time. But, a couple of weeks ago, I got a call saying that they had lost a nurse and would like for me to be involved. I was really excited!

At the class, there were 2 birth mothers, both 16, one who came with an aunt and one who came with her best friend. One was 7 months along and placing her baby boy and the other was 4 months along and undecided at this time on whether to keep or place her baby boy. Since both were past their first trimester, the lesson focused on labor, birth, and postpartum.

The nurse who taught the class was so cute and she did a great job. When I met her, we both thought we knew each other. It turns out that she was a friend from high school of my daughter,Julie. She has not been able to have children and she has adopted two children through LDS Family Services and has been a volunteer for years, in various capacities. The atmosphere was very friendly and casual and lunch was served, so it made a very comfortable experience for the birth mothers. A cute adoption case worker was there, so she participated, and I was able to make a few comments, as well.

I am excited about this opportunity to teach and to serve. It will be a fun experience, but I'm afraid I am going to have to do some studying about obstetrics. My experience has been in Allergy and Urology and it has been a lot of years since my OB/Peds classes and rotations at the hospital. The manual for the class is wonderful! It is very comprehensive, with lots of pictures, illustrations, and diagrams and it is very understandable for the birth mothers.I've also pulled out my book from nursing school and I have a copy of The Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy. It would be great if I could attend a labor and delivery sometime. Maybe I will have the opportunity with one of the birth mothers, if they need a support person during labor and delivery. The other part of the assignment involves attending the birth parent support group one or two times a month, to be on hand for questions that may come up and to encourage attendance for the prenatal classes, which are held every other month.

I guess I'm official since they had me listed on the card that they handed out to the birth mothers. Now I'm on-call for questions and issues so I'm serious about getting back to the books and learning so that I can be prepared!

It's Good News!

(Hopefully, the same could be said of all nurses!)

Yesterday, I went for my stress echocardiogram and, while my diagnosis remains the same, everything looks really good. Dr. Fowles said that the results were even better than he expected and he expects me to do really well with the condition. He showed me on the echo images exactly where the thickening is and said that it is in the best possible place it could be and not obstructing the blood flow into the aorta. The stress test did not change things- no arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat), no worsening of the flow with exercise, and it ruled out two more serious conditions. He cleared me for exercise, saying that I would not have a sudden cardiac arrest because of my condition. He said I couldn't run or train for any marathons, half-marathons, etc., (Sorry, I can’t run a Wasatch Back!) but I can run a 5K if I stay within the bounds he has set: heart rate no higher than 120 and stay hydrated. He went over the history of how the pericarditis had initially brought me in but was unrelated to the hypertrophy, and he showed me the labs that showed dramatic improvement with treatment for the pericarditis. He also reported that the month-long cardiac monitoring showed no abnormalities, as well. So, it’s all good!

It is crazy to think that I am now a cardiac patient and I am now on Dr. Fowles’ "radar screen." He says that he will follow me closely- check-ups every 6 months and yearly re-evaluations with echos and stress tests. His biggest caution was against dehydration. He emphasized that I would be in big trouble if I became dehydrated. He wants me to “drink enough to pee every hour!” That will be hard since I have never been good at drinking water, but I’ve gotten better since my last appointment and his instructions then.

So, it is a big relief to finally have some definitive data and “a plan.” However, I cannot deny nor forget the absolute peace and calm that I have felt from the very beginning of this experience. What a tender mercy of the Lord! I have felt that I have been in His hands, no matter what the outcome. While I have prayed for the blessing of healing if it be the Lord’s will, I have also felt ok with a “but if not” outcome. I have been blessed by the prayers of my family (What a tender experience to hear my grandsons praying for my heart!) and friends; having my name on the prayer rolls of a number of temples; and having been anointed by my son, joined by my son-in-law, and blessed through the holy Melchizedek Priesthood, by my husband. It is true that my heart is literally enlarged, but it has been enlarged, as well, with gratitude for my many blessings!

Time Out!

My daughters are all busy moms, right smack in the middle of raising our 12 grandchildren. Each of them have 4 busy, amazing kids. As in most families, on occasion, the kids get a little challenged and need a some personal time out for their own good and for the good of the mom and the family. What's true for kids is true for moms, as well- sometimes in the midst of busy, challenging lives it's good for some personal time out for the good of the mom and the family. So, that's just what happened last weekend. My daughters came from Portland, Los Angeles, and Seattle, and I came from Salt Lake to enjoy a time out experience in Seattle.

The whole idea started "cooking" back in November when I attended Time Out For Women in Salt Lake with friends. As I looked around, I saw so many moms with their daughters. Having experienced many BYU Education Weeks and BYU Women's Conferences, I had always hoped that someday I would be able to attend a Women's Conference or Education Week with my daughters, but having a baby in tow is problematic. But, at TOFW, there were lots of nursing mothers in the group. I sat there and thought, "We could do this!" I checked the locations for TOFW and found one in Seattle.Perfect! So, for Christmas, I gave my daughters an experience rather than a tangible gift. Each received an invitation to Time Out for Women as her gift. Judging from one daughter's reaction (She was visiting us at Christmas.), it was a pretty exciting gift. She had tears in her eyes as she read her invitation. We have all been excited for 4 months and it really did happen- last weekend! Of course, lots of arrangements had to be made and, it never could have happened without the help of our awesome sons-in-laws and cooperative kids. I owe a huge "THANKS!!" to husbands/dads, Lance, Brad, Tom, and husband/grandpa, David. THEY made it happen!

Emily had the great idea of going up on Thursday instead of Friday morning, so we met Julie and Amy for lunch at an Italian restaurant, before Amy got a new "do" for her birthday and, later, Emily got a new look at the Olson "salon," while I taught my daughters and granddaughters how to make organza flowers, just for fun.
Friday morning, Amy had a "gig" at Julie's daughter's first grade class doing a dramatic re-telling of "The Real Story of the Three Little Pigs." Amy was famous for her rendition in her younger years. What a fun flashback for all of us and the first graders loved the story and the popcorn we brought for the show.

We met my sister, Jennifer, for lunch at a fabulous Vietnamese restaurant in the Asian district of Seattle. The food was incredible, as well as beautiful,and it was so fun for Jennifer to visit with all my daughters at one time. What a GREAT memory!! After lunch, the girls and I went shopping at our favorite spot in Seattle- Goodwill. A trip to Goodwill to do school clothes shoppping was always a highlight of our summer trips to Seattle, so this was a trip down memory lane, plus Emily really scored this trip. We used our Marriott rewards points to stay in downtown Seattle- very convenient for the TOFW events Friday night and Saturday. After the session on Friday, we went to the hotel for a chocolate fix and surprised each other with Mothers' Day gifts.
Though the best part of the weekend was just being together, the TOFW events were great. The speakers were wonderful and the music was fun- Saturday especially, since none of us are big fans of the Friday night music guy. We all took away significant thoughts and impressions and we all were "recharged" and ready to go back home and implement things that we learned into our real lives. The theme of the conference was "Choose to Become," based on the scripture in Mark 9:23, "All things are possible to him that believeth." Each speaker took a different "take" on the theme. Michael Wilcox was one of my favorites and he spoke about learning and knowing as the key to becoming. He recently lost his wife and he shared some tender thoughts and told us that the only question that the Lord has answered about his wife's experience in the Spirit World is about what she is doing. He has gotten a definitive answer- "She is learning." She is doing more of what she was doing on the earth- learning and becoming. My other most favorite speaker was Emily Freeman, who challenged us to choose to become closer to the Lord; choose to become His. She wove Mosiah 5:12 and Isaiah 49 together, speaking of taking upon us the name of Christ and having His name written always in our hearts and never forgetting the promise that the Lord will never forget us, for we are graven upon the palms of His hands.

The whole weekend was non-stop fun and full of great experiences with my daughters. Here we are enjoying another great meal, this time at the Seattle Art Museum Cafe, during our lunch break on Saturday. Notice that Amy's Jack was having a great time, as well. He was awesome!It was great that the weekend was so close to Mother's Day, as well. It was the best gift I could have ever given them AND myself. We all agreed that it was an awesome "time out" experience and that we'd love to do it again. Yeah for TOFW!

I Know That My Redeemer Lives!

All of our children and grandchildren live out of state and do not have immediate access to the LDS Church News which arrives in our home each Saturday morning. Yesterday, the front page of the Church News had the First Presidency Easter Message.

For my children and grandchildren and other loved ones who won't see this Easter message from our Prophets, here are their beautiful words for this Easter season:

Among the most cherished thoughts and writings in this world is the divine statement of truth: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

This precious Son, our Lord and Savior, atoned for the sins of all mankind. That memorable night in Gethsemane His suffering was so great, His anguish so consuming that He pleaded, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Later, on the cruel cross, He died that we might live, and live everlastingly. Resurrection morning was preceded by pain, by suffering in accordance with the divine plan of God. Before Easter, there had to be a cross. The world has witnessed no greater gift, nor has it known more lasting love.

The message of Easter is that the Savior lives! And because He lives all shall indeed live again. This knowledge provides the peace for loved ones of those who have passed on, "Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: 'I know that my Redeemer lives!'"

Thomas S. Monson
Henry B. Eyring
Dieter F. Uchtdorf

You Never Know . . .

. . . when life will take you down a path that you didn’t plan on. But then, that’s what this life is all about- unexpected detours and challenges to face and overcome or endure well. That’s part of The Great Plan of Happiness and I, for one, am so grateful for Our Heavenly Father’s Plan! For the most part, I have had a blessed life, with occasional and assorted challenges, so it is about time, I guess, for a little stretching and growing.

So, what is this all about? Here’s a little history. . . In February, during the middle of NAEP testing, I came down with a viral flu-like illness with the usual chills, fever, aches, and cough. When I started having chest pain along with it, I knew something else was going on. I couldn’t lie down, because the pain on the right side of my chest was so severe. Thank goodness for an awesome primary care doctor who figured out what was going on. (May I say that I was NOT impressed with the urgent care doctor I saw first.) I was diagnosed with acute pericarditis, an inflammation of the sac that surrounds the heart that was caused by the viral infection. I was put on high dose ibuprofen and it was quite a miracle drug. Within a day or two, I was so much better. I am still on it for another couple of weeks to completely get rid of the inflammation. In addition to the frequent blood tests, I was sent for an EKG (which was normal) and an echocardiogram. A couple of days after the echo, I read my results on my laptop at home and I was dumbfounded! The echo showed that I have “severe left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic dysfunction.” The translation is that the muscle in the bottom chamber of the heart on the left side is severely enlarged. It is doing ok in pumping blood from the heart, but when the heart relaxes so that it can fill with blood returning to the heart, it can’t relax and fill correctly because the muscle is thickened and stiff so less blood can come into the chamber. When I read the report, I was in shock thinking, “How could this have happened? I have been doing everything right- exercising, eating a low-fat diet, keeping my weight down, and my blood pressure has been well-controlled for years.” And yet, I had an overwhelming feeling “This is a tender mercy of the Lord!” I had the echocardiogram for an unrelated problem and this is what was found. The key here is that it was found! Not on an autopsy report! Seemingly young healthy people do die unexpectedly, especially after exercise, and this condition can be a reason for their deaths.

My primary care doctor wanted to see me ASAP. He said that he just couldn’t understand it since I live such a healthy lifestyle and I am young (as opposed to OLD!) In fact, he said that it looked like the report was for a person in their 70’s or 80’s. In the words of my doctor, “This is very troubling.” So, he referred me to a cardiologist. Since they were booking out 4 months, my doctor called down and said I needed to be seen right away. I did have to wait 3 ½ weeks and that was long enough! In the meantime, my doctor told me to stop exercising completely until I could see the cardiologist. Even with the wait, I continued to feel that the whole situation was a tender mercy. I have not felt panicked or “freaked out,” but I have felt calm. A couple of weeks ago, we went to the temple and during the session, a prayer that was given asked for peace and calm for any who were in the session and needed a special blessing. The tears came as I recognized another tender mercy. I acknowledge the hand of the Lord in my life at this time and it is a great blessing to have this feeling of calm and peace.

David and I met with the cardiologist last Monday. I went into the appointment thinking that it would be all bad news. However, the cardiologist was very upbeat. He told me up front that it was his job to help me get better. We spent about an hour with him and he was very thorough in taking my health history, my family medical history, and in his examination. All along the way, he kept saying “This is good,” in response to my answers to questions and information given, listening to my heart and looking at my EKG, and looking at results of various medical tests. In other words, I have a number of good things going for me, even though the diagnosis is not good. He even said that there is a promising new medication that can actually reverse the hypertrophy, when added to a medication that I have been taking for years. So, here’s the plan for the next month or so: I am to wear a heart monitor 24/7 for the next month. I went the next day to the hospital to get instructions and to get hooked up for the first time. I will be monitored constantly at Intermountain Medical Center and at some other location in the U.S. My cardiologist will be able to monitor me during the month, as well, and if anything shows up, he will be in touch. If I have any heart symptoms, I simply touch a button on the cell phone transmitter and then call an emergency number. At the end of the month, I will have a stress echocardiogram with the cardiologist right there and we’ll see how everything looks then. In the meantime, I am able to do some minimal exercise (the key word is minimal!). It really makes me laugh. On the treadmill, I can advance from 0-4% grade over time and 1.5-3.5 mph over time. I have to do a 10 minute warm-up (how do you warm up with those parameters?!?) and I can exercise for an hour at a time. I’ve done it a couple of days so far and it is crazy slow and dumb, but I will be a compliant patient!

My bottom line is that I will do everything I can to work with the cardiologist to get this condition figured out and to overcome this challenge. I’m also working with my Heavenly Father on the situation, as well, and I appreciate the tender mercies which I have felt all along the way. I know of his love and I look on this as an opportunity to grow spiritually and come closer to my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ. I appreciate all the prayers of and family and friends and I thank all who have put my name on temple prayer rolls. I surely couldn’t do this without the support and love of family, friends, and, especially, from my greatest supporter and cheerleader, my husband David.

I love the poem by Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken.” The two last lines are especially meaningful to me as I head down a path that I wouldn’t necessarily have wanted to take: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."

I end as I began, “You never know when life will take you down a path that you didn’t plan on.” I now find myself on the path “less traveled by,” not by my choice, for I probably would have taken the path that was easier and more well-traveled. I trust, however, with this opportunity to stretch and grow, I will be able to say, in time, “that has made all the difference.”

Time Off for a Little Culture

Our lives have become pretty much consumed by our jobs with the National Assessment of Education (NAEP) for the last several months. David is the head of a 6 person team and I am his unofficial assistant. He attended training in Los Angeles in December (I enjoyed a mini-vacation while David was in class and then we visited Amy and her family for a couple of days.) and then in January, we started pre-assessment visits to each of the 17 schools where we will be testing students. We had to figure out all the details for the testing, gather information from principals and teachers, and try to figure out accomodations for students with special needs. We started testing two weeks ago. Our garage is full of boxes of booklets for testing (3 schools were done by the time I took a picture)

and our living spaces have become work spaces.

In addition, this week we were "on loan" to another testing group on a day that we weren't testing. That meant finishing up at a school in Salt Lake, driving out to Vernal, Utah, to test the next day in a school in Roosevelt, and then driving back to test the next day in Salt Lake. We stayed at a great hotel, with a great pool, jacuzzi, and breakfast, so it wasn't too much of an "ordeal" (except for the -16 degrees + windchill factor). We will be going back for a "Valentine's Day getaway," so we can help with testing the next day in Vernal. In the meantime, I work at the Bountiful clinic tomorrow before heading back to schools again for the rest of the week.

In the midst of all this testing, we had a day off and David suggested that we take a day for a date. We went down to the BYU Museum of Art to see a special exhibition, "Carl Bloch : The Master's Hand." (See at http://carlboch.byu.edu/.) Bloch was Danish religious art painter whose works have been adopted by the LDS Church for many publications, covers of manuals, and art found in chapels, temples, and Visitor Centers. The exhibit featured 4 altar pieces, removed from churches in Denmark and Sweden, plus one altar piece that the BYU Museum of Art owns- "Christ Healing the Sick at Bethesada." The exhibit also included other masterpieces- my favorite being "The daughter of Jarius." The exhibit was magnificent!! Several times, I had tears in my eyes because I was so moved by the works. The painting of Christ being supported by an angel in Gethsemane was especially touching.Having an ipad with additional information and videos was wonderful, as well. After visiting the special exhibit, we had a fabulous lunch at the museum's cafe (famous for its inexpensive, yet gourmet, fare) and saw the other exhibits at the museum. Next, we headed down to the Springville Museum of Art and saw a special exhibit of photographer Don Busath's work and then checked out the rest of the museum. We think it is quite the jewel of a museum! Then we visited Grandma and Grandpa Tanner for a couple of hours before heading back to Salt Lake to the Conference Center Little Theater for an evening of dance by the BYU Ballroom Dancers. It was a marathon day of a date and a wonderful cultural experience!

This weekend, we took another cultural break and attended "Les Miserables" at Woods Cross High School.

It truly was spectacular. The sets and costumes were awesome, the choruses of idealistic students at the barricade, "Lovely Ladies," in fact, all the choruses were strong and powerful, and the leads were amazing. Eponine (played by Laura Alley, of our ward) and Cosette were especially amazing and Marius and Jean Valjean were great, as well. Janet Cook and company (including Kate and Sandra doing costumes) pulled off another miraculous musical and everyone is talking about it and flocking to it. Glad we went the second "premier" night and had wonderful seats.

We loved all the cultural moments and they certainly brought a needed break, lifted our spirits, and gave us perspective as only art and music can do.

Our "New Home"

It's about time I posted pictures of our new bathroom and bedroom. There still are some painting, installing, and unpacking projects to finish and I need to make curtains, nevertheless, we are loving our new rooms. First, the closet. I love having "a place for everything and everything in its place." It is great to go in and know exactly where to find something instead of having to rummage through so much "stuff" crammed into a small space. Next up is our bedroom. The extra space is so wonderful! The new room feels spacious compared to our old room. We even have room for a comfy chair. We love the sunny yellow walls which are especially cheery since we've had a lot of dreary weather outside. Our bed has a new look with the set that we received for Christmas from two of our daughters.We love having a fireplace! It is so great- we can lie in bed and with the touch of a button, we turn it on first thing in the morning and voila! the room is toasty in a matter of minutes! And, we have entered the world of HD TV! We never knew what we were missing- especially watching gorgeous wildlife shows and sports are pretty awesome. We still have to get the blu-ray player hooked up so we can watch movies in HD.Here's a sneak peek at the bathroom . . .There are so many things to love about our new bathroom! David often says things like "I really like this bathroom!" which is great to hear after the frustrations that came with the remodel. But, what's not to like? It is such a luxury to have a nice big bathroom! Our old bathroom was really more of a hallway into the closet with an adjoining small toilet/shower area (The old shower was 3' x 3'- I don't hit my elbow on the walls or doorway anymore!). It is so much fun to have such a great space! Included is a small toilet area that can be closed off with a pocket door and there's a linen closet next to the vanity with space at the bottom for light and dark clothes "hampers"and floor to ceiling shelves.Here's the vanity area . . .Here's the new shower that feels like we're visiting a spa . . .And, last but not least, our new bathtub area. It is an air-jetted tub rather than a jacuzzi and the bubbles are wonderfully soothing. It is a great place to relax with a good book!So there you have it. We love spending time in our new home and hope that we can show it to you in person some time soon. Visit us anytime and we'll give you the "official" tour!

An Update

We are taking a break from the remodel, spending several days in Los Angeles. David is attending training in preparation for heading up a team for testing in the schools again in January and February. I'm hanging out and getting some projects done during the day- one of which is posting a few pictures of progress on our new bedroom and bath. We really are getting close to moving back in and enjoying our new rooms.

The closet is done and it will be great to have everything in one place, instead of scattered in closets all over the house. Love the new shelves! The narrow ones are for shoes.

The bedroom has a new light, as well as the bathroom. The bathroom is almost done. The vanities are installed and the granite is in place. The water is on, the lights are working, and the tiling is done. We are just waiting for a mirror and shower door and glass to close off the shower. They will arrive next week when we return.

The last project was painting the hall and entry before the carpet arrived. It looks wonderful- so clean and bright! And, we love the carpet- we walk into rooms and feel like they are brand new!
What a lift and such a gift! We are in the process of cleaning and moving back in. We will have to work fast when we return home, for Tom and Amy and their family are arriving a couple of days after we return. How exciting it will be to have them see the fruits of two month's worth of hard work.

This December, our home is feeling pretty happy as we celebrate living here for 32 years! Happy anniversary and thanks for all the memories!

Family Christmas Party Highlights

Yesterday, our extended family gathered for the annual family Christmas party. We rejoice as a family each year that we are able to celebrate another Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa. This year, they are both 94 years old . . .-but not too old to sit on Santa's knee! In fact, Grandma joined Grandpa and then the great-grandchildren gathered around. What a great memory-maker and it certainly was a "photo op!"We missed a number of family this year. Some were out of town for the Thanksgiving weekend, the big BYU-Utah game claimed another who scored a ticket to the game, David's sister and brother-in-law are serving a mission in Tokyo, Japan (a bit of a commute), and a few others were missing here and there, but it still was a fun time and a chance to visit and do some "catching up." With all of our family living out of state, we just find a family to "adopt" us and this year we had the pleasure of visiting with Mark and Kellie and their family, from Green River, Wyoming. I also had the great joy of holding the newest member of the family, Paige and Dan's adorable son. This picture is especially for Barbara and Rulon . . .David got a chance to talk to Santa.

Then Santa asked the two of us what we wanted for Christmas. That was a "no-brainer!" We told him we wanted to be done with our new bedroom and bathroom and the house back in order and clean!It was a fun party and we appreciate the work that Michael and Marilyn did to prepare for such a large gathering. Just getting to see David's mom and dad with their family was a joyful occasion. That's a big part of what Christmas is about!Have a wonderful Christmas season!

The Tortoise and the Hare

You've heard the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. Our remodel is a little like this story. It seems that the hare is taking lots of time off these days, but the tortoise is plogging along, making good progress. So, who is the hare and who is the tortoise, you may ask. Our contractors show up some days for a while and some days not at all, but David is on the job every day. He is amazingly dedicated. He is painting every day, running around picking things up all over town (I bet he'd like to have a dollar for every trip he's made to Home Depot or Lowes!), working on some part of the project, and enduring it all, although he has said that this remodel is getting really old. I'm at work almost every day, so I haven't been able to help him, but I will be having a few more days off so I can help here and there. Yesterday, I actually got quite a few nail holes filled with spackling compound!

So, for those of you who are wondering how things are going and what's happening, here are a few more shots of our progress. . . .

Supplies such as tile and grout are ready to go.

David has been painting around all the mess. He made sure he got the bathroom painted before they started on the tile. He is also going to paint the hall, entry, and down the stairs. Yesterday he painted inside the double closet in the hall and it looks so bright and clean- it even made him feel great to get that done.
Although its hard to tell from this angle, our room looks much bigger with the lighter walls. The color is "Tea Cookie." Sounds good to me. The crown molding is up and the baseboards are in, as well as some of the trim around doors. The carpet is ordered and the vanity is in boxes in the garage. We're hoping the vanity will be installed tomorrow so that the granite guys can come and template for the countertop.
The floor has been tiled and grouted
and the floor of the shower is almost finished. We hope the shower will be done in the next day or two so the guy can come and measure for the glass and door for the shower.

The best surprise of all was when I came home from work the other night and this is what I saw!

It was so beautiful!! It still needs to be grouted, but we love it! When things turn out this great, it makes the dust and the disarray and the displacement worth it, but we will be happy when we can move back in and enjoy our beautiful new rooms- hopefully, before Christmas!