Walt's Post-Op Day 34 - Monday, June 4, 2012

Our last week in Utah for recuperation...
David drove down from Draper and took Grama A, Walt, and me out to dinner at Applebee's tonight.  Thanks, Julie, Josh, Anna, Sam, and William for giving up your Dad for us to be with him one more time before we leave. It was fun seeing a photo of you around the table for your Family Home Evening planning your summer goals.

Each of our children has been so kind and thoughtful of us...
We so appreciate each one of them.

Julie and John are at the Palisades Campgrounds near Manti for their Mon-Tue-Wed Ward Campout.

Julie said that John is such a great camper....you could almost camp out for a year because he is so prepared.

Jacee, Jackson, and Maddie were excited to go camping with their Mom & Dad..

David helped set up the scanner for me to scan some of Grama A's photos into her life story...

Walt is working on the computer tonight...
We fly out Thursday, June 7th, so his 5-week Utah recuperation time is about over...

Sunday, June 3, the 4 Utah families gathered for the monthly fast-breaker Dinner...

Josh was dx'd with walking pneumonia Sunday morning, so Julie B stayed home with him...
    Most of the kids were outside playing...

Saturday we drove to Rexburg to spend a day with the Fishers...

We had a walk through of their new home: "Greystone" on Saturday.  It is beautiful and we are so happy for them...

Then we helped them write names on the 220 tickets for their Idaho Ballroom Academy dancers and parents who are performing at Disneyland June 4-9 this week...

Friday, June 1 we were invited to D. Kelly and Marcia Ogden's home in Provo for dinner. They are very dear friends from our
Guatemala-Central America Mission...

Our good friends, Gilbert and Michelle Sandberg picked us up and drove us to Ogdens.  They are building a new home in Lehi east, that borders Highland.  They were the temple president and matron of the Guatemala Temple when we were there...

Thursday, May 31 was the last day of school for the Saratoga Springs, Utah, families...
    We had a fun cookout up American Fork Canyon with Steve & Natalie, Julie & John, Grama A, Kimble, Carter, their friend Gavin, Jacee, Jackson, and Maddie.

The kids were kind to roast hot dogs and S'mores for us...

Earlier that day, Thursday, May 31, Dr. Charles C. Rich, Jr., neurosurgeon and his N.A. said Walt was ready to go back after his final check with them...

Also that day, Walt called the temple department who cleared him to return to his calling in the San Salvador El Salvador Temple if he promised to keep one temple rule.  He promised.  Then Elder Larry Gibbons told him what it was: "Don't Fall!"
    So our flight is scheduled for Thursday, June 7.

We appreciate everyone's love, concern, and prayers for Walt's recovery from this back surgery.
      And we are thankful to the Savior for His healing influence in Walt's behalf.  Priesthood blessings and prayers are powerful!

We're thankful for our family and all they have done for us during this time, for their goodness, for their love for us and for all their many kindnesses.  
    We're thankful for Steve & Natalie putting us up before surgery, and Julie & John for after the surgery.  We're thankful for Gary & Kathy, McKell, Abbey, Jacob, and Isaac bringing several kinds of ice cream (including his very favorites of peppermint and dulce de leche) for a treat on Walt's Post-Op Day 3. 
     ....Families and Friends are Forever!