Catch Up

Let's try again. We had a great summer at the cabin. We were there more often than at home. We had a great family reunion with the Hull's. We had around 85 or so family come and beautiful weather. It was so great to see everyone. Thanks to everyone who made the effort to be there. Life has been interesting with Robert having a Implantable Cardioverter Defibrilator in his chest. If his heart beat gets irregular it will shock him so it feels like a horse kicking him in the chest. We got to spend time with all our children and grandchildren at the cabin. Everyone is back to school and Jaxon and Paige are off to school for their 1st year. They are pretty excited. We have been hibbernating already. we had snow twice so far. Just a bit but it was a bit of an awakening as to what is to come. Robert's 60th birthday was on Sept 3rd and we all met at the cabin and had a great time. Well I'd better get to work and do my exercises. Hope all is well with everyone.

Catch up

NEWS

Well were do I start. Megan called in church on Sunday May 9th. Mother's day and her birthday. Her baby was due June 2nd but she was quite swollen and her blood pressure was high. She thought she was in labor. I drove to her house and she was definitely in labor. I was afraid she was too close to delivery so I took her to Cardston Hosp. They sent her from there to the Lethbridge hospital with the sirens on and at top speed. They said the only reason she didn't have the baby in the ambulance was that he got stuck on the way out. All was well but we had planned on doing our shopping and preparing in the next 3 weeks. I had to do some rush shopping so he would have something to wear and a car seat to come home in. We love our little Kingston and he is a good baby. That's the good news.
On May 16th at about 3 am I woke up because Robert was struggling for breath. He was white as a ghost and barely breathing. I shook him and turned him on his side and called the ambulance. I was scared to death. Just before the ambulance got here, He woke up and ran to our bathroom and vomitted in the sink. He appeared to be awake and even answer the ambulance attendents questions. They said he had the flu. I told them he wasn't breathing and was struggling in bed. They said he had the flu. They agreed to take him to the hospital. When we got there they had convinsed the Dr. and nurse he had the flu. They put him in a back room and proceeded to tell me he had the flu. I was so frustrated because I knew he was going to die. Well he did. They worked on him for quite awhile and got him semistable and rushed him to Lethbridge Hosp. were his heart stopped again. My good friends the Leavitt's drove me to the hospital. Andrea met us at the hospital around 4am and was a true blessing. She took care of me all day and was recieving and calling family members on her cell phone most of the day and evening. Her house was a mad house because she had to make room for me. She also thought all of Robert's kids were coming so she had her 5 kids sleeping on her bedroom floor. When we first went in to see Robert he had numerous tubes in him. He had approximately 10-12 bags of IV running and a nasogastric tube into his stomach and he had a tube into his lungs so they could get oxygen to his body. He looked gastly. I was sure I would lose him. We cried and prayed and cried and prayed. The nurse was awesome. She took care of all of us. They had to sedate him so he wouldn't fight. Glenys, Dave, Brad and Robert's Mom came to see him and give him a blessing. Grandma was very upset. The men also gave me a blessing in the waiting room. Andrea and I sat there most of the day holding his hand and telling him to get better and that we loved him. The rest of the day was a blurr of tests and talking to the Dr. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with him so they sent every test to the Foothills hospital in Calgary so they could help diagnos the problem. The afternoon was stressful because he started waking up and fighting the tubes etc. They kept talking about possible brain damage and that was really scarey. the nurse we had said the fighting and restlessness was usual for someone who had coded so many times. That is about all I can do right now. The outcome was good but I think it is also good for me to write this out and get rid of some of the feelings of helplessness and dread. We are at home and doing well. We have to follow aup at the Cjhildren's hosp in Calgary for genetic couselling and go to the pacemaker clinic in Lethbridge to have his Implantable Cardioverter Defibrilator checked. What a change to our lives but the most important part is that he is alive.

Riley

We have a new dog and his name is Riley. He is still a puppy but quite big, he is a black lab cross of some kind. He loves to run and play and chew things. Every morning we wake to see what he has dragged out of the garage. Yesterday there was a shoe (luckily an old one that we gave him), a frozen potpie box, a popcan box, his food dish, and a few papers torn to shreds. He loves to chew. He used to run in front of the cars as they left our farm but must have been hit a bit or something as he now runs out in the field beside the car. He loves to come into the house on cold days and is pretty good at staying on the floor and not going on the carpets. I give him a chew toy everyday and a handfull of dog biscuits and fill an icecream bucket with food. Obviously it isn't enough chewing. Of course the magpies go into the garage one at a time to eat his dog food while one keeps watch outside. He is really fun to walk with and loves going to the cemetary at the end of our road. It's funny how much I love to have him around. I try to walk him but I think he walks me. Animals are such good therapy especially when they are as cute as Riley.

Hull Family Reunion

Sorry about that I pressed the wrong button. We have wanted to have a Hull reunion for the last few years and this year we are going to do it. I voluteered to have it at the cabin. Now I am stressing about it. This is how I do things best. We need to decide on a date and then do the planning. My sister Shirley had the great idea that Robert's sisters and I should go to the cabin and plan things out. I can't wait to go. Anyways the biggest problem is when? Andrea has booked time at the cabin and my other sister Sharon and her husband are coming from Ontario for two weeks. It will be a blast I"m sure. Everyone will bring trailers or tents etc. If you have any good ideas send them to me at ldhull@toughcountry.net please. There will be all ages from 2 newborns to Robert's Mom in her 80's. We have a few boats coming and lots of beautiful lakes to go to, a firepit sandy beaches etc. I hope lots of the grandkids and great grand kids can make it and all of Mom's children. For those who haven't seen the cabin or pictures this is it.

Hull family Reunion

Lonely on the farm

I love my family anf I love Robert's family. I just wonder some days if there is anyone out there. It seems like we don't communicate all that well or at all at times. I miss the old days when people used to come to visit or just drop by. We would sit on out front porch and talk to all the neighbours passing by. Now life is too busy. Nobody has time for others. We have made our lives so busy with silly things that we don't live life to the fullest. I miss work because I had people to talk to. We had fun and discussed all sorts of important and weird things. We laughed until we cried some times. I sometimes drop in on people uninvited and feel like I am intruding. Those of you who welcome me with open arms know who you are. I miss all the neighbours in Calgary walking by and stopping in. We'd play games or just visit. Or sit outside and enjoy the fresh air. Life was different then. I wish it would come back. I guess it's been a long winter.

Grandma's birthday

Robert and his Mom at Lake Kookanusa

With Grandpa

With her children

Grandma and her children again

Grandma and her sister, brother and sister in law

We were invited to Robert's sisters for his Mother's birthday. She is an amazing lady who raised 5 children on a dairy farm outside of Cardston. She was converted to the church by her husband and they worked side by side for many years. They grew and sold potatoes, strawberries, rutabagas, carrots, eggs, chickens and other vegetables. They grew great corn on the cob and had a huge garden, they both had green thumbs. They owned a dairy and milked twice a day. They did their church callings and rarely missed a Sunday. She has grown older and Grandpa is gone but she still enjoys life. She loves to read, quilt, sleep in and stay up late reading. She is game for just about anything. She even went tubing last summer at the lake. I admire this wonderful lady. She has been good to me and the kids and loves to see the grandkids. My hat is off to her for the life she has led and hope we will have her in our lives for awhile longer. She is an awesome example of perseverance and faith. Love you Mom

Pictures from the front of the Temple

Andrea, Robert, Lorraine, Jason and Candace

I tried to add these on to my last post but for some reason it didn't work. We had a beautiful night and a warm feeling of contentment and belonging after being sealed in the Temple.

The Christmas Holidays

Well here I am again. I shouldn't read every one elses blog's before I write mine. My life isn't as exciting as all the young couple's blogs that I read. We had a great Christmas. For a change Robert and Iwere alone Christmas morning and I didn't even cook a turkey. Megan and Mitch came and spent the afternoon with us before heading to his parents for dinner. Thanks to the Yuill's for inviting us over to join their family. It was yummy. We woke up at 9:30 and quietly opened our presents. The best gift of all was the binder full of life memories that Robert's Mom made for him. It was full of report cards, mission letters, letters from him at University etc. It was such an awesome idea. Andrea and Dan and their 5 kids arrived Christmas night and we had a fun 3 days of board games, WII, food, hot tubbing and more food. We got to spend time with Robert's Mom and family on boxing day and it was great to catch up with everyone. Sorry we missed a few of the niece's and nephews that couldn't make it. Before Christmas Robert and I were sealed in the Cardston Temple for Time and all Eternity. It was so special. Lots of family and good friends were there. I was also sealed to my Mom and Dad. Andrea acted as the proxie for my Mom and Robert for my Dad. Jason and Candace made it up from Salt Lake to go to the Temple with us and have a little bit of pre-Christmas fun with us. For New Years Andrea and her family came to the Cabin with us for some well needed R&R. Reading, tubogganing, snowman building, trecks thru the bush and watching all the deer and wild turkey's run around the yard. All in all it was a fun time. We try every year to remember the true meaning of Christmas and not get caught up in the present's etc but family and unity is a big part of our Christmas time. This is probably too long already but I feel the need to thank my Heavenly Father for all the blessings our family recieved this year.