Thanksgiving and Surgery

We had Thanksgiving at our house a few days late this year since I returned Thanksgiving evening from Nicaragua. We enjoyed Kristy's family & Jared being here, but missed Lindsey & her family & Jacob. Jacob had 3 dinners on Thanksgiving Day so we know that he's being well taken care of.
Thank heavens for Jazlyn who reminded us as we were eating dinner to go around the table and each person say what they were thankful for. I love the innocence and sweetness of children.

 Hanging out with Uncle Jared

Grandma with 4 of her 5 angels

The Monday after Thanksgiving I went in and had the saphenous vein in my left leg cauterized. It's the longest vein in your leg. The blood was flowing the wrong way in it, which was causing the huge varicose veins in my leg. I was awake during the procedure and felt every poke in my upper thigh, but I have been through worse.  I had to lay flat for the first 24 hours & elevate my leg. Next I had to wear those REALLY tight socks that go to the top of your thigh. I had a reaction on my skin (huge red welts) from the fabric at the top of the sock so the doctor said to put an ace bandage on and then the sock over that. Today is the first day I haven't worn the sock and it was so nice to not have to pull it up all the time. I really need it done to my other leg also, but the doctor said it's not a real good candidate for that (the veins are way to curvy). Its been kind of hard to be laid up when I was gone for so long and Christmas is just around the corner, but hopefully it'll be worth it in the end.

One thing that has brightened me up is my sister Delina came over on Sunday evening from Spokane for the week. We went out shopping the past two days.  I had to cut it short yesterday because of my leg, but today I obviously felt better because I ended up with a trunk full of shopping bags. I always LOVE going shopping with my daughters and sisters.

                                                               Kay Lynn & Delina

Smiles For Central America

   After several years of my family & friends encouraging me to start a blog, my daughter Kristy finally sat me down & set one up for me. I can tell it's going to take some practice to get this down. Maybe this will even be the journal I'm not keeping!! I might have to go back and post a few posts from the past month or two just for journal keeping sake. Hope you enjoy it!!

I just returned from Nicaragua last night with my son Jared on a Humanitarian trip.  We went down with 130 other people from all over the US and did physicals and dental work on 600 youth to help them prepare for a mission. My assignment for the week was to take pictures and video of the whole trip & put together a video that everyone will receive. It's a great job because I got to go on all 8 of the Humanitarian excursions while we there along with documenting what everyone's job was at the clinic (at the church).

This is the cultural hall at the church in Managua that was set up as

a dental clinic. We had around 26 dentists there and 7 oral surgeons.

Jared assisting Matt from Utah.

While we're there we go on several outings to help local people.

This was an orphanage with mentally & physically disabled kids & adults.

This cute little guy was 5 years old.

This was one of the "home visits" we went on where we brought  

 basic food supplies & other things we thought the family could use. I love the "home

visits" because we'd sing a hymn with them & many of them would bear their 

testimony & then a few people from the group would also. I would always feel better

after going to these humble people's homes. Many of their homes had dirt floors & no windows 

and the bare necessities yet had strong testimonies of the gospel.  

We were at a fireside Sunday night & Jared spotted one of his companions

from his mission. I wish I could have filmed them running into each

other's arms. They were both so excited to see each other.

Here's a few of the awesome ladies I rubbed shoulders with all week.

Another humble "home visit"

We went to a hospital and gave out newborn kits, blankets & stuffed animals to the 

new mothers. This was a large room where all the mothers would come to nurse their babies.

We also visited some smaller children who were sick. I brought 25 of these stuffed

animals with minky blankets attached. This little girl loved this one I gave her.

Here's Jared and I on our last night in Nicaragua. We had a great week & it was 

fun to hang out with him.