Surgery, yard work and beet soup, etc.

  To celebrate Nan's birthday this week, Nan and Christine and I went to lunch. It was fun to get together.  Now that we live close we can do this, but we definitely don't do it often enough.  I never thought I would turn into my mom, but I really am a lot like her.  I don't think Nan and Christine and I compete, though, like my mother did with her sisters.  I remember a lot of fun Christmas dinners when I was young.  My mom, my Aunt Carol, and my Aunt Louise would take turns hosting, and each year the favor for each family to take home would get better and better.  The first party I remember we went home with a bag full of carameled popcorn from Aunt Louise, the next year my Aunt Carol had topped that with something (I actually don't remember what), and one year my mother made ceramic snowmen music boxes for each family.  That must have taken her many hours. I am grateful for my sisters!  Happy birthday Nan!

Wednesday I took Roy in to get his torn rotator cuff fixed.  We arrived at the hospital as directed at 8:30.  About 11:15 they finally took him to go to surgery and I was sent to the waiting room.   Apparently, he waited in the hall for at least an hour before they took him into the operating room.  Sometime around 1:30 I was told he was done and I was taken into another room to wait for the doctor.  I waited there maybe 15 minutes.  The doctor told me that Roy should feel a lot better after his arm mends, because the muscle was really shredded.  After talking with the doctor, I went back to the waiting room until Roy was taken to the final room before checkout.  I was there another hour, then I joined Roy and had another hour or so to wait while they watched his vital signs, etc.  Finally, about 5:00, we headed home.  We had terrible rush hour traffic, especially since Victory Road and the parallel street were both closed.   Thankfully, Jieun had prepared some sushi.  It was waiting for us when we got home.  I was starving (not literally, of course), and even Roy was hungry enough to eat his share.  Adrienne contributed some meatballs to the next day's dinner.  Thanks, you two.  And thanks to Sara for driving Caitlyn around for me.  

Wednesday night, I went to book club (Roy insisted he'd be fine), and Caitlyn went on a hike with the young men, young women of the stake.  Sara and Nick and Ori went too.  There were some cute pictures on Facebook of Ori hiking "all by herself".  Nick sent me a cute picture, too.  

Caitlyn had upwards of 25,000 steps the day of the hike.  She is seriously competing with Nick, Sara, Dan and Jieun,  Nan, Rachel, and David, and John and Sierra--all with their fitbits.  I think she is doing quite well!

At book club we talked about the book "Wonder" about a little boy who was born with a disease that caused him facial deformities.  Somehow we got on the subject of God and agency.  My LDS friends said that they had a hard time with the idea of God knowing each of us personally because of the "bazillion" people who have lived on the earth.  I said that I believe that He truly does know us individually as we are literally His spirit offspring.  I think of my father with his 7 children, 45 grandchildren, 81 great grandchildren...Of course, he knew them all by name.  Can our heavenly father possibly have that kind of a relationship with everyone who has ever come to this earth.  I believe He can. His omniscience is something that our finite minds cannot understand.  

Saturday I weeded the garden, while Roy tried to be a compliant patient (he hasn't been very good at this.  He went to work Thursday and Friday and has tried to be independent when he should be asking me to help him).  After lunch we cleaned up and watched Ollie run around at his first soccer game.

Ollie is #6

We also went by Jieun's art booth that she had on main street.  She said she did quite well with her sales.  Her art is really beautiful.  

I believe dad is going to buy the original of the rooster.

                                                                             Elise sent me this picture of a race car (below)-- a painting she did for Max:

I didn't realize it was a painting when she first sent it to me.  I thought it was a toy car.  Then I looked closer.  She is very artistic also.  Something she didn't inherit from me.  I understand she and Andy have been a little under the weather this week.  Hopefully they are both feeling better.

Yesterday I cooked Beet Soup.  I would have never thought this would be something I would try, but while we hosted the Lithuanians, the girls that were with another host family made beet soup.  They told their host it was their comfort food.  They brought it to a group dinner one night and it was gone within just a few minutes.  I just got a little juice from the bottom.  It made me want to try it, so I bought beets at the Farmer's market and made a big pot.  I cooked it like a beef roast but with water to cover.  It had potatoes, carrots, onions, and beef with the beets.  I spiced it up with apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, and dill.  I invited everyone to come over and try it, and so we basically had a Beet Soup Party Saturday night.  It turned out pretty well if I may say so myself- AJ even tried a beet.