11/14 – Post Craft Day Night/Birthday Party

There were several people that didn’t get to come to Craft Day on Saturday, so I decided that since Elliot is gone this week on a business trip, I’d invite the Relief Society over to finish their crafts and have some birthday cake with me. There was only 3 people that actually had crafts to do, but everyone else just came because they are awesome! Kimmie made a yummy cake with a big “W” on it and Lynnae made homemade icecream . . . I’ve been craving homemade ice cream for about 4 1/2 years! It was so yummy and I’m so happy that my friends care about me!
Kim Curry (holding baby), Carli Lee, Tiffini Robinson, Lynnae Fosburgh, Larissa Thorne (in the back), and Carrie Turano (the newest member of our ward and such a sweetie!)

Meagan Graves (due in January), and Corinne Webb (yawning)

Stella playing with Jameson Webb

Stanton Curry

Lindsay Update 11/13/06

Lindsay was released from the hospital this afternoon. She is still having a hard time breathing and is frustrated with that, but I know she’s SO HAPPY to be out of the hospital!

Lindsay 11/13/06

I called Keith today for an update to see if Lindsay was doing better than yesterday. He said that they were on a walk around the hospital and Marci was with them. He was joking with me about Lindsay, and so I’m assuming Lindsay was in good spirits if he knew what was good for him (beware of the wrath of Lindsay Bangart)! I talked to her for a minute and she said that she was going to be released from the hospital tonight. If that is the case, she said they’ll fly home on Wednesday or Thursday. Lucky, she gets to be pushed around in a wheelchair instead of walking to the terminal.

Lack of Updates

I haven’t updated my blog for several weeks due to the lack of time since Stella’s sudden “no sleeping” routine. I have been writing down stories and keeping pictures, so I’m going to update my blog fully starting with the middle of October. So if you haven’t looked at my blog in a while (or you have and are seriously frustrated with the lack of updates), start with October 12, 2006. Thanks for looking at my blog and especially for not leaving any nasty comments about how I don’t update it!

Lindsay 11/12/06

As I promised yesterday, I called Lindsay so that Stella could sing her the Ariel song. After she was done, I asked Lindsay how she was doing and I heard “awesome” which made me very happy . . . but then I heard crying, so I decided that she said “awful” instead. She said she couldn’t breathe. Keith got the phone and said that they’d call back later. That makes me so sad that baby girl can’t breathe. Those darn lungs! Work already!

Comedy Hour . . . oh, I mean Sacrament Meeting

The funniest and yet awful thing happened today during Sacrament meeting. As usual, there were 2-3 young men passing the sacrament along with several more men from the Elders Quorum. After the bread was passed and just before the second prayer was said, one of the deacons was obviously trying to correct one of the other young men on how to pass the sacrament. This young man who has a reputation for loosing his cool, said OUT LOUD “Get off my back!” as he shoved his chest into the deacon. The deacon quietly said, “Shut up,” and the other young man proceeded to say, “Why don’t you make me shut up!” shoving his chest into the deacon again. The deacon’s mom was sitting in my row and I could see that she was about to go break it up and I was also trying not to laugh and watch Elliot’s reaction on the stand. I think it took him a second to see where the ruckus was coming from, but then he calmly stood up with his 1st counselor and went down to take the unruly teen into the foyer to discuss the situation with him. Travis calmly took his place passing the sacrament and although the Spirit was totally absent during that time, it didn’t take long to get it back . . . not to say that I wasn’t still laughing about the situation. Elliot is so sexy when he just handles things!

Ian’s Marathon

Ian has been training this year to run a marathon. Running a marathon is on my list of things to do in my life, but I don’t really know what goes into running one. Apparently you have to run . . . problem #1 . . . and I really wonder if people know that it’s over 26 miles when they start running . . . so that’s problem #2. Perhaps I’ll transfer this item onto my “Things I Thought About Doing in My Life” list.

Ian’s brother had friends and family email pictures so he could make a huge sign for Natalie to hold up during the race so that Ian could see that we are supporting him even though none of us were there. Here is Natalie’s email to the family:

WOW!!! Ian and I have the best FAMILY and FRIENDS in the whole world! What a wonderful surprise for both of us to have so many people we love be a part of Ian's first marathon! I felt so proud to be holding that amazing banner with all of you cheering him on!!! (Besides, I figured it was better to be the one holding the banner than to be the one running!)

Ian said, "I saw this really big sign with my name on it and thought, cool, someone else named Ian has a really awesome sign. Then I realized, I WAS THAT IAN!!! It was the best sign along the whole route!"

Ian did an awesome job! I saw him at the starting line, then again at mile 9, then mile 13, and finally I saw him cross the finish line at mile 26.2 in Ford Field, where the Detroit Lions play football. It's one thing to set goals, but it's quite another thing to achieve them! HE DID IT!! IT WAS AMAZING TO WATCH! I just love him so much! And I love all of you for helping me cheer louder for him!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Love,
Natalie

To see the process that Ian went through during training, look at his blog on my links (2L Rather Be Playing Soccer) or look up www.ianservice.blogspot.com.

Well done Ian!

Craft Day

I had my first Craft Day as Enrichment Leader in the ward. All I heard since I was called as Enrichment Leader was that Craft Day is the worst day of the year! I wasn’t looking forward to it. I have a good committee, but sometimes they don’t get to help because I have a hard time delegating . . . some of them also have deadline issues.

Anyway, we had a few cute crafts and inexpensive so that almost everyone could do something. We got some ceramic statues (Christus, Gethsemane, and Christ with Children) and glazed them. That’s a long process because I had to drive all the way out to Queen Creek to get them, try to get them back here without breaking them (we only broke 1), and then drive them back out to Queen Creek for the last firing. Then I have to go back out to get them and then try to make everything organized enough so that people can get their statues right. I’m still nervous about it.

Kimmie had a cute wreath that we put together (mine isn’t done yet, I didn’t have time). I also found some inexpensive wood Santas, Snowmen, and Trees to paint. I also arranged to have card making. Next year I’ll only be in charge of one craft. It was a little stressful to feel like I needed to be supervising everything (which I didn’t really need to do, but I’m a micromanager).

I think everyone had fun . . . at least there were several people who complimented me on it. I had lots of great helpers at the end during the clean up phase and I’m so grateful that for the most part, Craft Day is over! It wasn’t as bad as I had expected.

Lindsay Update 11/11/06

11:45 a.m. – Email update from Mom
Yesterday Lindsay was moved to the 3rd floor (out of ICU). She got to eat some food and is only on 2 liters of oxygen. Karen said that she has an unmerciful PT, but he’s very good.

When she was down in ICU, several teams of doctors do their rounds and they have one spokesperson to bring the team up to date. One of those doctors was a very tall, large boned woman who seemed to instantly connect with Lindsay. I noticed it when I was there as she was listening to another case, she kept turning her head and watch Lindsay who was attempting to sit up. She left her group and came over to tell Lindsay that we would be getting her up soon, to stay relaxed until someone comes to help her. Lindsay obeyed.

Before Lindsay was moved to the 3rd floor, this particular doctor came and gave Lindsay a kiss on her forehead. Karen told the doctor that Lindsay has felt of her care and concern and felt a friendship. The doctor said, “Let’s hope it’s a short friendship and that she’ll never be back again.”

Yesterday Lindsay was drinking soda out of a baby bottle with a straw. She knows she’s getting better each day. She still has the drain tube that is draining very little fluid from her right lung.

Marci is going to California to help relieve Keith tomorrow. Dan and Karen are going to Utah to see their new baby granddaughter.

Lindsay 11/10/06

I got a surprise phone call from Lindsay today. If you haven't talked to her recently, she sort of sounds like (get ready for your bottom to tickle) someone is pushing on her chest to get all of her words out. If I asked her a question that may have been too complicated for her to think of an answer, she'd just say, "I like drugs" or "this is a pretty room" (she didn't really say that last one, but it was funny when I said it to her). She wasn't sedated, but still on a lot of pain medications.

She gave me some details of how she's doing including the information about both of her lungs collapsing recently. I haven't been checking my emails, so I don't know if there are other updates, but this is what she told me today. She is still in a lot of pain . . . obviously, her sternum was just cracked open a week ago! But after talking to Keith, apparently her heart has responded perfectly and they just took her off of the last of her heart medications. It's those darn lungs that are keeping her in the hospital. I guess collapsed lungs are common when you've been on the heart and lung machine during surgery. She has to do breathing exercises which I know she hates.

Keith's sister Nikki had her baby girl on Wednesday, so Dan and Karen (Keith's parents) are going to Utah to be with her after this weekend. Lindsay is probably going to be in the hospital until next Thursday, so Marci is going to California to take turns with Keith at the hospital.

I know Lindsay didn't call to talk to me, she wanted to talk to Stella (who was sleeping . . . yes, she sleeps again!). We'll call her again tomorrow for another update and we'll try not to bust her stitches open by making her laugh.

Lindsay Update 11/09/06

3:05 p.m. – Email update from Mom (as reported from Karen)
“They sedated Lindsay and inserted a tube into her right lung to drain the fluid that is causing problems. She has pain in her right lung. Dr. Hanley said her heart is perfect. Keith gave her another blessing for her lung to improve. She is extremely tired as she hadn’t slept in 24 hours. The tubes in her neck are out which is an improvement. The night nurse wasn’t giving Lindsay her meds soon enough so she got a different night nurse. Lindsay didn’t like the PT (therapist that gives her a beating to clear her lungs and make her cough – which is a good thing), so she got another PT, and Karen (mother-in-law) thinks he’s great. It wasn’t a very good night.

Keith called about noon today to explain about the diaphragm. The nerve to the diaphragm was nicked, but will not require surgery. A blessing. Lindsay slept well during the night. She is still nauseated when trying solid foods so she’s getting IV nourishment. They are weaning her off her meds and bipap very slowly. They will be taking the catheter out today. She is anemic so she will be receiving blood later on today. They will be pulling the tube to her lung possibly tomorrow and are waiting to have a room out of ICU.”

Happy Birthday Alex!

Happy #7 Birthday to my nephew Alex! Alex is quite the character. He basically started his life wanting to be an actor. From a very young age he started acting out Wizard of Oz (he’d LOVE Wicked!), and then he moved on to every production that his brother and sisters were in. I guess he has a great ability to memorize lines and . . . well, basically the whole play. It was so funny to see him acting it out, whether or not anyone was watching him.

When he came here for Lindsay wedding in August 2005, he spent his time at my house drawing pictures and using nearly a whole stack of printer paper to do it. He always needed “just one more paper” even though his Mom and Dad kept saying no. It wasn’t hurting anyone, so I kept giving him the paper and now as the pack rat that I am, I have a whole stack of my nephew’s drawings . . . which are fabulous by the way!

Happy Birthday Alex!

Lindsay Update 11/08/06

9:30 p.m. – Email update from Mom
Lindsay had the central line removed from her neck and she’s alert and cracking a few jokes. She also got to eat. Her lungs collapsed, but they are improving. The doctors say that perhaps the reason she’s having difficulty breathing is that they knicked her diaphragm during surgery.

Lindsay has a smaller oxygen mask on, which she hates, but likes better than the other one. They sat her up in the chair again which apparently was a fiasco. She started asking for the oxygen mask, so she’s realizing the good it does.

Mom got to help brush Lindsay’s hair and teeth and she was so drugged that she would just sit there with her eyes shut and the toothbrush hanging on her lower lip.

“When Lindsay tried to take the bipap off (the larger mask), Keith said she would pull a “Stella,” meaning she would continue to reach for the strap to undo it, inspite of our telling her not to, and do it anyway. That’s a Stella, an adorable 2 year old!”

Running

I ran yesterday morning with Emily instead of going to the gym. Who in their right mind actually does this for fun? I ran 1/2 a mile straight, which is the longest I’ve ever run in my life at one time. It’s a whole lot easier to run on the road than it is on the treadmill. I can’t balance on that thing. Anyway, I’m more sore from the run than I think I’ve ever been doing a full body workout. Geez louise!

Lindsay Update 11/05/06

5:09 p.m. – Email update from Marci
Mom said today was much better. They put a smaller C-pap on her which has made a great difference, but Lindsay still wants it off. She moves her hand up to the Velcro to take it off and they all tell her “no, no Lindsay.” They got her out of bed and sitting up in a chair. Mom said the ordeal takes about 5 people because she’s hooked up to every wire in the world. Mom and Dad go home to Idaho tomorrow afternoon.