Hypnotic green numbers

Anxiously watching the green blinking numbers as the graph shoots up and down, willing the numbers to change lower.  I tell myself to look away and be a support to my friend but inivetably I'm staring at the little box that supposedly tells us what is happening in her body.  She is shaky, pale, breathing heavily and in distress.  After a day in the hospital sitting, talking, assisting sometimes, I'm exhuasted.  I've really done nothing but sit and talk all day.  And worry.  And look at that box with the green screen and numbers.  Please go down, please change.  Stop looking at the box.  What can I do to help? Just sit and wait with her.  I'm so out of anything else to talk about.  Stop looking at the box.  What is that alarm about?  Are the nurses coming in?  I don't see any numbers in that box that are different, why is the alarm sounding?  Talk about her life, talk about my life.  Worry some more.  Of course we only talk about the everyday details, never about the white elephant in the room. Willing the numbers to go down. Stop looking at the box.  Will power alone won't change anything. Green blinking numbers dancing in my head.........

I can talk about coming out of the hospital to a dark night, tired out of my mind.  When I travel down the street I expect to hit Alhambra (It was in front of the hospital for two day in a row) but when I finally finde the emergency room today and park near there I come out at night and drive down the street till it dead ends.  Great, I'm wandering around tiny streets in Martinez until I happen on Alhambra again.  So I pull out into the street and wonder where the heck the yellow line went, and of course there are two sets of headlights coming toward me, so I try to drive over into their left hand turn lane to get out of the way and of course one of the sets of headlights is a policeman.  He tells me to turn "over there" as he's going to pull me over.  After a sobriety check, flash light in my car, and my explanation of visiting a sick friend, tiny streets, and confusion, he tells me to drive better - A very nice man -  I'm totally awake and aware as I jump on the freeway and go home.

Another Quick Road Trip

It was a Tuesday morning while I was out walking with Laura that I got a phone call from my sister Donna who said she "might" get married on Saturday - she wanted to know what I thought about her eloping to the Salt Lake Temple.  After I assured her I would do whatever was necessary to be there she was happy.  Plans immediately went into play and many phone calls were delivered between all the sisters and my mom.  We all planned on the event even though it was still a maybe.  I made plans to travel with Rebekah and Rachel early Friday morning as it was the most cost efficient in getting the most of us there.  (But driving again?!!)

Does this look familiar to anyone?

This structure is slowly falling into deterioration each time we see it somewhere in Nevada

We drove up on Friday morning and left for home on Sunday morning.   Sure enough this time she got married!  There is something really special having the whole family seating in a sealing room watching the last sibling get married.   I couldn't help thinking of my grandmothers and the efforts and love they put into all their children and how legacies are passed along.

Donna and Parley Estes October 9, 2010

We couldn't resist putting on a reception for this elopement and since plans had already been made months ago and cancelled it wasn't hard to pick them all up again and go for it.  On Wednesday my sisters Laura and Sharon made and put out announcement invitations and we actually had quite a few friends and my mom's neighbors show up at the reception!   Of course with our large family and Parley's large family we had a crowd anyway.

Donna greeting a friend

Relatives gathering

The kids couldn't resist giving them a few more traditions

Actually it could have been worse

Now all of my mom's children are married, the first girl and the last being married in the Salt Lake Temple.  She has over 50 grandchildren with more expected this year.  It sure is nice when the children are something to be proud of and when they are contributing to society.  Life isn't quite so nice when they are ugly and not living up to their potential.  Here's hoping I'll get all of my children to be service oriented, happy, and productive citizens of the world.  It would be REALLY nice to see some of them get married..... in the temple.......to adorable wonderful spouses....... and let me play with some GRAND BABIES.  No pressure or anything...........