July 28, 2013 Keep Moving Forward

Table and benches we built last week

1-2-3 Smile!  What is up with the boys?

President Uchtdorf and his wife

Progress on Bryce's painting- He now has rocks and trees.

I believe the last time I updated you, Bryce had slipped on July 3 and hurt himself. Unfortunately, the pain has not let up. On a scale of 1 - 10, his pain is an 8 (most of the time with some spikes of shooting pain down his leg.) He took his steroids for the 6 days and was told that after two weeks he would feel much better. We called the Doctor's office on July 22 and they told him to do his stretches only and to lay flat for the remainder of the time. No exercises! Tomorrow we have an appointment with the Doctor and his therapists to find out what other steps to take in getting him better.

We also had visit with Dr Barlow- the Ear, Nose and Throat specialist who put him on some antibiotics for a sinus infection. He was getting dizzy and his head and ears felt full of pressure. I was hoping that it would get better if we got him up more. My biggest concern was his hips, not his head. It was good to get that figured out.

In the meantime, we have kept busy doing other things. One of the highlights of this month was going as a family to see the movie, Ephraim's Rescue. If you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend you go see it. The boys (Matt, Bryce and Tyler) spent the ride home trying to decide who gets to name their first son Ephraim. Ephraim was a man of great faith. He learned to be obedient and became an instrument in God's hands.

Every year, we go to Salt Lake to watch the Pioneer Day parade. The night before, we hadn't decided if it was worth the trip or not. Bryce is usually the deciding factor in just about everything we do as a family. He so badly wanted to go, so we packed up our breakfast and headed for Salt Lake at 7:00 a.m. Every year, one of the First Presidency members rides in the parade. This year we were fortunate to see President Uchtdorf and his wife. I'm not sure how to describe my feelings in words. We have a lot of respect and love for him and ALL he represents - as we stand as he rides by. At this time my testimony is strengthened, as I feel in my heart that he is a living Prophet and Apostle of God. It is the highlight of the parade and this is what keeps us coming back year after year. (Besides the fact that Emma loves to see all of the horses.)

We are truly blessed to live in this great country and for the gospel as our foundation. We had a lesson in Relief Society today from Elder Cook's talk in General Conference, Personal Peace: The Reward of Righteousness. Before Bryce came home, we had fasted and prayed for him. We had been to the temple and put his name on the prayer roll. We all had received our own confirmation that everything would be alright. Even though he is experiencing difficulties and his own trials, he also knows that everything is going to work out according to the Lord's will. We rely on that peaceful feeling when difficulties arise. It is what keeps up moving forward with faith.

We thank you for your prayers and for your friendship. We thank those who have come to visit and those who have also put his name in the temple. We feel your prayers and we in turn pray for you too. May the Lord bless you.

We love you all!