Happy Birthday AJ, Dan, Doyeon...

October is a big birthday month for our family.  Last week was Ollie's, and today is AJ's.  Dan's is this coming Thursday, and Doyeon will be celebrating birthday number 4 on Monday of next week.  So, Happy Birthday to all of you! 

Last Sunday night I stayed up until 11:30 working on my weekly letter because I knew that Monday would be a busy day.  When I finally got to bed,  I couldn't sleep because, of course, my mind was still active (that and all the screen time).  I fidgeted and tossed and turned trying to get comfortable.  I must have dozed off because all of a sudden, I could hear this rhythmic pounding and I absurdly thought the bed was causing it.  Then I realized it was my heart going crazy.  My chest hurt and I wondered if I should wake Roy up.  I didn't want to, but I only deliberated a few seconds because I was scared.  I sat up while telling him I thought I was having a heart attack.  He woke up slowly and it took him a few seconds to process what I was saying.  I felt horrible and faint, and according to Roy, I was as white as a sheet and my eyes were bloodshot.  We made the decision to go into the emergency room.  Of course, by the time I got there, the episode was long over, but I was extremely shaky for the next 30 minutes or so.  Hooked to the monitors, my pulse was great (low 60's), my blood pressure was great, and I slowly started to feel better.  The Dr.'s diagnosis: Sudden onset supre ventricular tachycardia.  Sounds pretty serious, but I guess not really.  If it happens again, I may have to have medicine to keep it from happening, but so far there has been no recurrence.  I wasn't too happy that Roy texted all of you (my kids) to tell you of the incident because I wanted to put it in the newsletter (journal), and he stole my thunder (I'm full of clichés today).  Plus, I had determined it was nothing serious and I was a little embarrassed that we went to the emergency room.  Sweet Jennie was very concerned about me, so she posted it on Facebook, but quickly (and rightly) decided I wouldn't like that so she took it off--but not before Cynthia and Tiffany had informed my brother, David that something was wrong with me.  

Monday morning I was fine, but wiped out and I was not comfortable going to my skating lesson (mostly because we hadn't gotten into bed until 4:00 AM). I also got a sub for my Tuesday morning Water Aerobics class for the same reason.  However, Tuesday I did go skating, and about 45 minutes into it, the Dr. finally called and gave me the okay to exercise and do whatever I wanted, so I finished out the hour without any concern.  

I am still taking the quilting class on Monday nights.  I am still unsure of it, but the blocks are looking good.  The part I'm unsure of is how we're treating each block as a separate element and my colors seem to be all over the place, but the teacher assures me that it will all come together.  Here are a couple of pictures of a few of the pieces. 

Do you like the 3D effect on these flowers?  I made a mistake on the first one,
which is why they are 3D, I kind of liked it,
 so I repeated the mistake on the next 3 flowers to make the block.

Thursday evening dad and I drove to Provo and took grandpa and grandma Rasband out to dinner.  Poor grandpa, nothing is helping with his the pain in his lower back (it's really nerve pain that bothers him as it travels down his leg).

I was only going to use the bottom picture, but Roy said it would
be good to prove that I was actually there.

Roy has been finishing up his "tickets" for Wood Badge.  As I understand it, the tickets are goals he made at Wood Badge.  In order to complete everything to earn his badge, he must finish his goals.  He stayed up late Friday night preparing to do a training session on Saturday morning.  After his training session, he got on a conference call with me for the Web Committee of the Cook Family Organization.  I desperately needed him because, until he got on, the whole call was defining what the need was and how various web sites and possibilities had been researched to take our Cook Family Web site to the next level, etc.  A lot of talk and no action.  Well, dad gets on the call and offers some expertise, and then almost immediately says, "I'll take an action item," which he then defined.  He is such a great leader and so willing to give of his time.  When the call ended, we had some breakfast, and then he left to take his scouts go carting to complete another of those "tickets."  This was a diversity activity that he did with another troop--not of our faith.  The leader of this troop had done wood badge with dad and they had made this goal together.  I heard they had a great time, that Sam Richards was the fastest driver, then Riley Bain, with Joseph Hansen taking the cake for craziest driver.

When dad got home, we got ready for Caitlyn's violin recital.  She's getting really good.  I was her accompanist.  The worry there is that I'll make a mistake big enough to throw her off, but all went well.  I did make mistakes, but they were small and only Caitlyn noticed.  

Following the recital we headed to the home show.  On the way I thought to myself, I wonder if there'll be any possibility we'll run into John and Dale Evans.  I dismissed the thought because it was ridiculous.  John and Dale (Dale is female) were our very close friends when we lived in Kearns, from just a year or so after we were married.  We have seen them maybe 5 times in the past 30 years.  Once was at Adrienne's reception, once at their only son's reception (who they adopted), and the other times we had run into them accidentally--Once at a chocolate expo, once at the Jordan Commons Theaters, and once at some other expo.  I think we visited them at their home once, too.  Anyway, as we were working our way down the aisles of the Home Show, there they were.  We had a short visit and then decided to meet for dinner when we were all done at the show.  We ate at a restaurant called Del Mar Al Lago Cebichiera Peruana.  It was wonderful to see John and Dale again.  They were our friends when Nick was born, and we were there when they adopted their son.  What's amazing, is that after all we've been through, and after all they've been through, and all the time we've lived apart, we can maintain a connection and sit down and visit and have it feel perfectly normal.  They still look the same as they did in 1985 when we moved to Atlanta (except that Dale's gone blond).

 Roy and I ordered a seafood sampler and it was fabulous.  I am definitely going back there sometime.  

Today, Caitlyn fulfilled her new calling for the first time--leading the music in Sacrament meeting.  She did fabulously.  Jennie sent me a compliment by text, leaving only a scripture reference: Alma 56:48, It says, "We do not doubt our mothers knew it."  I laughed because I thought she was finally admitting that I knew something, so I responded, "Ha ha ha"  She said, "What?  I'm saying that you taught me the gospel and I know that your testimony is true."  That made me feel really good.  I hope all of you know that I have a testimony of the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ that we are privileged to be a part of. 

 Here are some pictures sent to me during the week.

 We had a wonderful "Cafe Rio" homemade dinner at Adrienne's tonight in celebration of AJ's birthday.  Here are some pics from the evening:

Finn was grabbed from his bed just in time for this picture.  He was awake, luckily or unluckily,
because he had just blown out his diaper--which is why he is being held in such a way.

Ori can't work the child lock door knob.  She wanted to go outside.

Posing for grandma

Last thing:  Aubrey Guynn made Roy and I walking sticks.  Laura Guynn had a car accident a few months ago.  She is still recovering from the head injury she sustained.  I have taken up soup or leftovers a few times.  I wanted to and certainly didn't expect him to do this.  Anyway, I wanted you all to see a little of the intricate work he puts into these sticks.