2011-Torgesen's Summer Visit

It was so great to see Lara and the children again. We have a whole week of fun ahead of us. Paige and Tyler are already enjoying the dogs.

Lara was interested in reading and seeing Teresa's life story. I always like Lara's input about things. She found it very interesting to say the least.

This morning I had Tyler and Paige picking up the cotton from our cotton tree. I told them I would pay them a dollar if they would pick it up for me in the back yard. We are going shopping at the Mall tonight and they were excited about earning some money. They did such a beautiful job and I was so pleased with how neat our backyard looked without the cotton.

It was time to count the quarters in my piggy bank. This is a tradition for the children when they come to grandma Julie's home. I save quarters all year long and then after counting the quarters it is theirs to spend.

We took the quarters to the bank and got the money. It ended up being almost $70. After dividing the money up we are ready to shop! YIPPIE!!

AN EVENING OF AMERICANA

Don was asked to give a pioneer story at our Stake's second President's Concert Series last night. He has been thinking, pondering, practicing and praying on what he wanted to share about Francis and Ann Elizabeth Webster's amazing story.

Don wanted to wear his family reunion shirt, cowboy hat, scarf and gun belt to look the part.
Tami came over to be a part of this special event and support her Dad. Here we are just before leaving for the Church building. Don did such a great job and even made Tami and I tear up with the story he told. We have heard so much of it during the years, but it never gets old to us. What an incredible pioneer history we all have in this family. Of course, Don told the story in his own words and every one was very attentive and listening.....even the small children. We were so proud of him and how he honored part of the history of this country.

After Don's talk, Tami and I left. I took her over to Memorial Gardens to see the new EAMES plaque that was placed this week. Tami loved it and we were both very moved by the plaque and the beauty of where it is located near the statue of Christ.
We even have our own bench that we can sit on as we look at the plaque and remember our loved ones. I really feel so good about where we buried the ashes and now the plaque. I can feel at peace about all of this. Everything has been done, that I wanted, thanks to the money that was left over from Teresa's burial account. Don will dedicate the plaque during our family reunion on July 2, 2011.

Tami enjoying a conversation with her Dad.

I was watching and listening to Tami and Don's conversation when we were at Red Robin on Saturday night. I got such a kick out of the expressions that Tami had. I decided to take some candid shots on my camera. I told her to not pay any attention to what I was doing so they kept on talking.

I loved doing this and showed her the pictures. Tami got a kick out of the them. I thought I would share these moments with you. Tami is such a beautiful woman. We are so blessed to have daughters that love and care about their parents and enjoy listening to them.

FATHER'S DAY...2011

I've thought so much about my dad today. He was such a great man and I loved him so much. Feeling safe, loved, protected and secure, describes how I felt about my dad. From the time I can first remember, he was always there for me.

I LOVE YOU DAD AND MISS YOU SO MUCH! I'M SENDING A HAPPY FATHER'S DAY MESSAGE TO YOU WHERE EVER YOU ARE!

FATHER'S DAY BEGINS ON SATURDAY

Tami and Jeff came over in the early afternoon. They wanted to be here before Don came home from work since he worked today. Jeff wanted to set up the BOWFLEX that Don has been wanting. I had asked Jeff if he would sell his to me. After thinking about it for a couple of days Jeff told me that he would like $55 because he wanted a pair of shorts that cost that much. I couldn't believe that this was his asking price since a BOWFLEX cost a lot more than that! I told him that I wouldn't pay less than $100 for it. What a deal I got!! Don got home about 3:00 p.m. and we started our Father's Day by him opening a gift from Tami and Jeff. Don loved the POW/MIA shirt they gave him. He also enjoyed the cards and money he got from Dadra, Tasha and Lara. The messages of love they wrote were very touching and full of love.

I knew that Don would be thrilled when he saw the BOWFLEX instructions that was the next gift. Then we went to the back patio and there it was! Don couldn't believe it when he realized that it was his.

What a great Father's Day gift for Don. It was quite a surprise for him.

Then it was a timed picture before going to Red Robin for dinner. We said our goodby's to Tami and Jeff after our delicious meal.

To top off the early Father's Day, Don and I stopped off at Cold Stones for a great treat....YUM! It was a fun afternoon and we still have tomorrow to celebrate and think about our Father's.

CELEBRATING LIFE!

Janet and I decided that every 3 months we would get together and do something special. Last night was our first CELEBRATION OF LIFE. We went to Leon's for dinner. It's a cute little Mexican place on 30 Road. I had never been there before. We enjoyed visiting and being together.

Our only symptom of chemotherapy is neuropathy. This can take a long time to heal and go away. Sometimes it never goes away in some people but we know this won't happen to us. We will get better and normal again. Neuropathy is tingling, numbness, pain, etc. in your hands and feet. I'm grateful that I can still write, type and do everything that I want to do. However, sometimes at night my hands feel like they are on fire. When I walk, I always feel like I'm walking on rocks. With neuropathy a person is unsteady on their feet and has to be careful.

It's nice to have someone that truly understands the world of colon cancer and the treatments. Janet and I are good support for each other. We now go to the Oncology doctor every 3 months for a check up. My appointment for my sixth month check up is next Thursday. I feel great and have good energy so I'm not too concerned over this Dr. appointment. However, I'll be glad to get it over with for another 3 months.

Do you remember my frustrations?

This was my hair back in December. It was interesting because I didn't lose any hair during my treatments. It was after my radiation and chemo that I saw my hair falling out.