My Grandma...

This last weekend (since Thursday at 2:45 am) has been a really emotional and tender time for me. At 2:45 am Thursday morning, Mom called and said that Grandma was convulsing and incoherent, and her time was probably short. Mom and Dad couldn't drive to the care center to see her, because they had each taken some medication. So Jan and I drove up there with them, and ended up being at the care center until 9:00 that evening.

It was such a long day--but good to see so much family. I loved getting to spend time with my Aunts and Uncle, even under such circumstances. We were praying she would make it until my Aunt Annette could get there from Phoenix, which she did. But then Grandma rallied a little bit, and it became hard because she was now coherent, and wanted so much to die, to be with my Grandfather who died 19 years ago. She has been a widow for such a long time. We had a family prayer around 6:00, and my Grandma asked to say it. She gave such a heartbreaking and touching prayer, asking to know what she was doing wrong, and asking for strength to accept God's will. My Grandma has always been such an example of patience and willingness to accept whatever trial Heavenly Father gave her, and is still such an example at the end of her life.

She is still hanging on, and I have been pleading since Thursday that she can finally be released from this life. From what the nurse said last night though, it could still be a week. I continue to pray that this trial will be shortened for her, but felt last night that "all things must come to pass in their time" (D&C 64:32), and that God knows when it is the right time for her to die. But I also felt that when she does die and is welcomed into that beautiful, heavenly place, to see so many loved ones who have passed on, that all of this suffering will be made up, and she will understand the reasons for everything. So I am now praying to be patient and to wait on the Lord, and praying that Grandma will be comforted in however many days she has left.

Here are some pictures of my Grandma--my last living Grandparent. I'm so grateful for her life, her love for me, and her example. Even though my children will never know her personally, I'll certainly tell them about her and how much she impacted my life.

This is a picture of Grandma and Grandpa Spendlove with David, me, Jan and Jon when we were about 7 years old. It's the only early picture I could find on short notice.

Grandma has been in a care center for the last few years, and we have so enjoyed visiting her up there. This is me, Jan, my Grandma and my Mom in April 2005.

Grandma got shingles in her right hand, and it caused her so much pain. This is in September of 2006--Emilee is massaging her hand. Her hand eventually ended up closing all of the way, and she had to learn to eat with her left hand.

This is from a dinner they had at the care center in December of 2006.

This is in February, 2008, on my Mom's 60th birthday. Emma, me, my mom, Grandma, Matthew (1 month old), and Emilee.

One of the blessings that came from me leaving my job at BYU and not working for a few months was that I was able to go see Grandma almost every Friday with my Mom, Janice and Emilee. This was in July 2008--Emma was helping Jan to take Grandma to the hair place at the care center.


This is October of 2008, the Care Center's Halloween party. One of the great blessings of my job now is that my boss is often gone on Fridays, so I have been able to leave early quite a few times to still make the Friday visiting tradition. I've already been able to go a few times this year as well, which I'm so grateful for, and my work has been so good to give me time off to spend with my Grandma the last few days.

I love Grandma so much, and I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for her and is watching over her. I'm going with Mom to be with her this afternoon. I'll post more when I have time.

Happy Birthday Brendan!

It's time for another birthday post! As usual, I am doing it the night before, because I never have time before work. So Brendan's birthday is tomorrow, February 16.

Brendan was the second of our four 2002 babies. He was such a darling little thing, and we were so excited to have another little baby in the family. One thing we were sad about--he was born with no fingers on his right hand, and we were worried about how he would handle that. But it has never stopped him, and he is the most amazing little boy. He can do anything, and you would never know. Somehow I've lost some of my pictures from early 2002, so I don't have a picture from the hospital, but here are some of him as a baby:

Here he is with Uncle Dave

Aunt Stacey making him laugh while Mommy holds him

Dad holding him and big sister Holly

With Mom, Dad, and sis in November 2002. He was just the happiest little baby!

On March 26, 2003, (his Dad's 30th birthday), Brendan had surgery on his hand. The doctors were able to take one of his toes and implant it onto his hand. It went so well--he was such a little trooper! By April, even though he still had a cast on his foot, he was already trying to walk. That little boy could do anything!

I love this picture--with older cousins Ethan and Joshy at the end of 2003. (Josh is only 1 month older). We had three boys born in 2002--lots of little boys at once. We are having a boys sleepover this Friday. It should be crazy, but fun!

Here he is dancing with Aunt Jan

And here he is in 2004, with me feeding him some cake.

This one was in 2005, at the April birthday party at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

And here he is in December of 2006, with four of his cousins. As I said, lots of boys born in a row! (Boy, are we going to have fun on Friday. :) :)

This is he and I watching Hallmark e-cards together in 2007. He especially loved the Hoops and Yoyo Irish Jig, and would laugh and laugh.

This is November 2007, playing checkers with me and Logan. He kept telling me that he was a "World Champion Chess player," so he would probably beat me (which wasn't too hard, since I don't know much about checkers). He certainly is a competive boy!

Here we are in February 2008, at the Dinosaur Musuem. We had so much fun that day!

I had to put this picture in, from this last Christmas Eve. Ever since he was a little boy, we've played this game where he will try to knock me over. When he was little he used to talk about how he had "strong powers." He usually succeeds in knocking me over, and we have so much fun playing our little game.

And finally, here he is last month skateboarding with Uncle Dan.

As I said, nothing stops this boy!

I'm so grateful for sweet Brendan, and all of the memories I've had with him. Happy Birthday, Buddy!

A great quote

I found this great quote by President Abraham Lincoln this morning, and thought I would post it here on my blog in honor of President's Day on Monday (because on Monday my post will be dedicated to Brendan). I'm so grateful our nation has had such great leaders in the past, and wish our leaders today would take a lesson from them on the necessity of relying on God...

"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power ... But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.” (ABRAHAM LINCOLN, proclamation appointing a National Fast Day, March 30, 1863)

Three posts in a row. Can you believe it?

So, I really should be going to bed, but Jan is going to come home in a few minutes, and I want to hear about her first day of being Assistant Supervisor at the temple, so I thought I'd do a quick post. I think this is a record for me to have three in a row. Just a few pics today:

This first one is the view from my boss's office. I love this view of the Church Administration Building, especially when the fountain is on. Incidentally, today I got to go over to the CAB to deliver some things, and I saw President Eyring and Uchtdorf (they were across the lobby, but it was still neat!) I always feel such a feeling of love for the General Authorities when I see them. They sacrifice so much to serve us, and are so good and kind.

Tonight I went to Mom and Dad's for Mom's birthday. Seth and Karla were there with the kids, and we had so much fun playing around. Steve and Chelle just got the bonus room all cleaned, and I went up with the kids (and J-bug, who had just come home) and they, screamed, ran and laughed while I played tickle monster. I love my kiddies! Here are some pictures:

Then Mom did the mailbox with them. Ethan found it hidden by the toy box. Here he is handing out the fruit snacks. I love the hat on Logan.

So, just a short post, in record time for me, I think. I'm going to get ready for bed.

Happy Birthday Mom!

It's my Mom's birthday (technically tomorrow, February 5th, but I have to do this post tonight), so it's time for a post all about my great Mom.

I've always looked up to my Mom. She is so incredibly talented, and has so much knowledge of the gospel and of other subjects--especially politics and things going on in the world.

Here's a picture of her and my Dad on their wedding day:

I always loved to look at this picture, and hoped that I would look this beautiful on my wedding day. My mom always kept her wedding dress in her cedar chest, and Jan and I loved getting it out and looking at it, and trying it on (although it never really fit us--she was so slim!)

As I said, my Mom is incredibly talented. She sings, and was in choirs all while we grew up. She has beautiful handwriting--I used to love to watch her write when I was little. She's very social and good at getting to know others. But the talent I love the most is her painting. I grew up studying her many paintings, wondering how she did it, and loving the way the oil paint stood out on the canvas with so much texture. She always had pictures hung up in the house. For Christmas 2006, she did paintings for each of us kids. I put a couple of my favorites in here:

Don't forget Mom, this last one is mine (it's currently hanging up in her room, because Jan has an identical one hanging up in our house). But when I get married, I get mine back!



A few years ago I took painting lessons from my Mom, and loved it. We had so much fun working together and I loved learning to mix the paint and look at how the colors could go together. This painting above was the first painting we did together. It took a long time, but I love how it turned out (and I could never have done it myself).




This one of Gethsemane is one we've been working on since 2004. Mostly I haven't been working on it, which is why it isn't done. I really need to go over once a week and finish it--especially because I love so much working on paintings with my Mom. I'm so grateful to Mom for sharing her talent with me.



My Mom did so much to instill in me a love of the scriptures. When we were young she had family devotional every morning, and we didn't just read the scriptures, but she expounded them. I remember in Sunday School they used to ask Jan and I not to answer the questions, because we knew so much because we'd been taught so well by Mom. We also memorized poems, and I still remember some of them ("Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and sorry I could not travel both....") I'll be forever grateful that Mom took the time to give me such a foundation in the gospel.


My Mom loves children, and talked about being a grandmother for years before she had her first grandchild. Now she has 19, and loves to spend time with them. She has a "Grandma's box" that she will take over to play with them individually. She also has a mailbox at her house that she will hide, and then lead the kids by the hand to find it, saying, "Is it under the table? No..., Is it behind the chair?...." They love it. She always has a fruit snack for them before they leave. So to end this post, I looked for some of my favorite pictures of Mom with one of the kids. I wish I'd had time to find one with each of the kids, but then that would have been 19 pictures. So here are the ones that I could find quickly:

I love this one of little Binana sucking her thumb. What a cutie! And Mom looks so beautiful.

This one was on Joey's birthday--both grandma's getting a first look at him when they brought him out of the delivery room.

Grandma helping Logan choose what food he wanted. I think this was Christmas Eve. I love how they are both pointing their fingers.

I love this one of Mom and little Brina.

And finally, one of my Mom and Dad this last fall.

Mom, thanks for all you've done for me. I love you, and hope you have a wonderful birthday!!

Work pictures

I'm on my lunch break at work, and thought I would type a quick post. (I usually go walking during lunch, but am fighting a little cold, so that's why I have time to do this).

There's not much going on these days, so I thought I would post a couple of pictures from work.

Last week one of the men in our office retired, and we all went to lunch at the Garden Restaurant (top floor of the JSMB). I had a veiw of the temple from where I was sitting. I just love being so close to the temple every day at work. It was really nice to get away and just talk as an office, and the best part was, my boss was able to break away and come too. Here is a picture. My boss is the one on the right in the very front:


I am just continually grateful for my job, and that I have come to love these people so much. I especially continue to love working for my boss. (I don't like to use names of work people on here since it is public, so I'll just keep calling him "my boss.") He is so kind to me, and we get along so well together. It was a year ago this week that I wrote my official resignation letter at BYU, and I was just so sad about leaving all my friends there and going into the unknown. I'm so grateful it turned out so well. God always knows what He is doing, even though it is hard to understand at times.




Yesterday morning I was sitting at my desk and Sister Ann Dibb (from the Young Women General Presidency) walked in with a pie. She gave it to the guy in the office right across from my desk (his office is right next to the man I work for). He has been helping with some projects with the YW PResidency, so she brought him a homeade banana cream pie to thank him. I thought that was so sweet and thoughtful--that someone so busy as Sister Dibb would take the time to do that. It was fun to get to see her.


Other than that, things are going well. I'm certainly ready for spring to come--especially because I'll get to see all the tulips up here at Temple Square every day. Just a few more months!

Well, I'd better get back. I'll write again soon...

Two posts in one day (and on the right blog this time)

I think this is a record for me to have two posts in one day! But I actually got home a little early tonight, and had time to download some pictures. So I thought I would put a few pictures in from our family birthday party the other night. But I've got to hurry so I'm not up late again. So here goes (I did this whole post, and then realized I'd posted on another blog that is on my dashboard. So I did it twice--so much for being quick):

Here's the promised picture of the kids all together watching a cartoon downstairs in the new family room. They are so cute! Joey was sitting on the couch, and there are five others missing,

but otherwise, these are 13 of our 19 kids!

Here's another amazing cake of Emilee's, which she made for Josh since he likes Spiderman.

Josh was pretty excited about the cake. The four birthday boys this month were Dad (who you can't see), Josh, Dan and Matthew.

I had to put this picture in to show our five boys that are close to the same age. Jan and I are going to have a boys sleepover soon--I hope our house survives!! They are crazy, but so cute!

And finally, here is one from last night. Little Maf suddenly started figuring out walking, and took something like 22 steps (Dan knows how many, but he never reads these blogs, so I can just make up a number that's close). I had to put this darling picture of him in. The collar on his neck is because he still leans his head a little bit.

That's it for now. It's 10:10 and I need to get to bed!