Atrial Fibrillation - Round Two...

Scott is the picture of health, he's always been fit and trim and rarely gets sick, so the fact that he has atrial fibrillation doesn't seem to fit. (Atrial fibrillation is a particular type of heartbeat (arrhythmia) characterized by an extremely fast irregular rhythm.) Three years ago he had an ablation (Catheter ablation is a procedure used to selectively destroy areas of the heart that are causing a heart rhythm problem. During this procedure, thin, flexible wires are inserted into a blood vessel and threaded up through the blood vessel and into the heart under X-ray guidance. Then, your doctor will find the tiny areas that are causing the rhythm problem. The wires are used to send energy to those areas in the heart. This energy is in the form of heat or freezing cold. The heat or cold destroys, or ablates, the heart tissue. Destroying this tissue can cure your heart rhythm problem.) and we'd hoped his heart would be fixed forever.  In January the irregular heart beat was back and he knew he needed to have the doctor check it out. 

The tender mercies of the Lord, which are abundant in our life, has made this process easier.  Jeremy is the director over the CARMA (Comprehensive Arrhythmia Research and Management Center) at the University of Utah Hospital.  This issue is especially touchy because of Scott's job.  The first time he received treatment, the FAA pulled his medical endorsement and required documentation for the doctor that his heart was functioning properly.  Scott didn't want to raise any red flags this time until he knew for sure he needed another ablation.  Jeremy was able to have Scott be enrolled in the research at the CARMA center as a "John Doe" and have the evaluations he needed to have done completed without having to notify the FAA.  Once it was determined that Scott did need a second ablation, which is actually very common for those with atrial fibrillation, then he notified Skywest and the FAA.

Few are the men that can be happy being at home all day with small children.  After his last procedure,  he was able to work in the office at the airport.  There have been changes in short-term disability and he cannot earn any additional income this time around.  I told him the timing is perfect- it's the beginning of summer and we can have the greatest three months boating, staying at Scofield, going to Lake Powell, camping, and finishing up all the yard landscaping and projects.  I cannot imagine if this were like November and we were stuck inside for months... that would not be good for anyone.  Again, another tender mercy - the timing couldn't be better.

Scott's procedure was scheduled for Monday, May 17th.  A few days before I noticed a Google search on the computer "chances of death from heart ablation."  I felt sad that Scott was worrying about actually dying from the procedure.  The chances of death are exceedingly rare, but I guess that very small percentage seems monumental when you are the one having it done.

Mom watched the boys so that I could be with Scott.  Grandma always comes up with fun activities for the boys.  This time it was a treasure hunt.  She gave them each a bag and a list of things they could find outside.

As is usually the case, Scott had to wait four hours before he was finally taken back.  Annoying as it was to wait that long, the chance to have a minimally interrupted conversation for that long was incredibly nice.  The time spent waiting for Scott's procedure to be finished was the time my thoughts were spent reflecting on what really matters.  Those are the moments when the picture is really clear- when all of the little distractions of life that seem to consume so much of our thoughts and time fall away.  Life without Scott would be unbearable.  I hope that nothing ever happens to him and that we grow old together and find joy in watching our children grow and mature.  To quote the all-wise Winne-the-Pooh, "“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”

Thankfully, all went well.  Scott is on the mend and the care he has received is far superior to his previous experience.  At this point he is well enough that I noticed he'd done a Google search, "help wanted, Provo."  If I ever want to know what's really on Scott's mind, I can just look at the "history" on his Google searches- it reveals all.

Primary Gives Me a Complex...

I have been teaching the ten-year-olds in Primary since January and a few weeks ago one of the kids in my class asked, "Is your name Sister Smith?"  Seriously?!?!  It's been months and he doesn't know my name?  It did make me feel better when I noticed the other kids did call me by my name.

While I was singing in Sharing Time, the nine-year-old in front of me whipped around and looked at me, then leaned over and told the girl sitting next to her, "She is waaaaaaaay off!"  Even the young ones know I have zero singing ability- even in a room of 80 children singing!

Boys Are Laundry Free...

Today as I was folding what seemed like my 100th load of laundry, Eli walked by and commented, "I'm glad I'm not a girl- I don't want to do laundry."

I guess I'll be going on Eli's mission with him and to college so he can have some clean clothes to wear.

Compliment?...

As part of my Exercise and Nutrition class, I had a fitness evaluation done.  When the darling evaluator, who is probably in her early twenties, asked for my birth date, she said, "WOW!!! I would never have guessed!  You look fabulous!"  Did she mean, "You're so freakin' old I can't believe you can even walk without a cane or walker or something!!!"  I think she meant to be complimentary, but she was so over-zealous in her response, it made me feel like I was 37 was really close to 107.

To add insult to injury, a few days later we had a contractor here who was looking at our wedding picture on wall and asked, "Is that you?"  Is that me?!?!  Who does he think it is- our neighbor's wedding picture?  That I'm old enough to have a married child?  Okay, so I was still in my working-around-the-house clothes with no make up or anything.  But I was completely unrecognizable?!?!

Priorities...

In kindergarten class, Eli had an assignment to write a grocery shopping list.  The first item he listed?  Diet Coke.  I guess my addiction is obvious to even the wee-ones.

They Like It...

The boys actually ate their spinach- as long as they were allowed to eat it with their fingers....

Treasures...

For my birthday gift this year, Mom went through and collected a lot of my baby and childhood memorabilia and put it in a Treasure Box for me to now have in my own home.  It was unbelievable to look at some of the baby items and consider that I had once been that small.  Each item is associated with a flood of memories.  It's especially fun to share the contents with Scott and the boys.

I have had such a blessed life. My Treasure Box runneth over!

Storytime...

Asher has been THRILLED to have the chance to go to Story Time at the library with Grandma Fotheringham.  Grandma said he was a bit reluctant to sit with the kids down on the rug the first few weeks. But he slowly built up his courage and by the last session he would march right in, put his name tag on, and find a seat by the rocking chair of the librarian reading stories.  After a few stories there would be a group activity and then time to make an art project of some kind.  On the way home, Grandma would always stop for an ice cream cone.

Thanks, Grandma!  Asher loved Story Time and Mom loved the couple of hours of peace and quiet at home alone.

The Weird Old Lady in Class...

I remember when I was a college student and there would be an "older" person enrolled in one of my classes, I would think, "Oh, how nice.  That lady is going back to school even though she's so old."  As of 27 April 2010, I'm the weird old lady in class.  I enrolled in a Exercise and Nutrition class at B.Y.U. just for the sake of educating myself.  I had a friend that teaches Health and while having lunch with her a few months ago, she was talking about this great conference she had just been to.  She mentioned the man who was teaching was a professor from B.Y.U. and I decided to email him and ask about a recommended reading list.  He said if I was really interested, I should enroll in his class.

I'm embarrassed to admit how much I LOVE this class!  I am the nerd who wants to sit on the front row, take a ton of notes, and hangs on every word from the professors mouth.  The human body is completely fascinating and it's been so fabulous to learn just for the sake of learning, not because I'm being forced to take a class so I can earn a degree.  I was nervous that that area of my brain had been out of use for too long.  Although definitely needing some awakening, the class isn't too academically demanding- so I'm easing back in.  I desperately miss challenging my intellect! 

I am looking forward to the day when I do achieve my goal of earning a PhD.  I will do it, oh yes, when I'm at the right season of my life.  As for right now, Mom being gone to a class 2 days a week for a couple of hours seems like scheduling a space shuttle launch.  Without the help of Scott and Grandma, this great experience couldn't have happened.  Grandma has stepped right in and shuttled kids to swimming lessons and Scouts and got them home and made them dinner- she is such a huge help!  Today Scott made me laugh when I reminded him he needed to take Oakley to piano lessons.  His response, "Take Oakley to piano AND make dinner?!?!?"  As if this was just too much for one human to be able to handle.  But he does it and doesn't complain- at least too much.

Calling for Help...

While on a drive back home, Scott had his fill of the boys disobedient behavior.  He made the infamous parent threat, "If you guys don't stop it, I'm going to drop you off on the side of the road and you can walk home."

Eli's response, "I don't care.  I'll just call Eagle Gate College at 1-866-284-8680 and they'll come and get me."

When Scott got home (with the boys still in the car), he checked the number and it was right!  Does Eli watch too much TV or have a photographic memory?  I'll bring comfort to my Mother Mind and choose the latter.

Happy Easter 2010...

The egg spinner was a hit!  The eggs were really pretty after a ride...

Easter morning came cold and snow-covered.  The Easter Bunny had hidden the decorated eggs outside the night before.  By morning, they were buried in the snow.  The boys didn't seem to mind at all- although all of the eggs never were found.  (I'm sure they were later found, and consumed, by Harley- the lover of hard-boiled eggs.)

The Easter Bunny was appreciative of the snack left for him.

After an egg hunt in the snow and a rifling through the baskets of candy, the boys were excited to blow up in the inflatable pool the Bunny left and load it up with all of the plastic balls.  Oh the joy!  Of course within a few hours they had put a whole in the top level of the pool.  Boys are so darn rough on things!  We'll have to see what magic we can work with a patch.  I'm sure Easter Bunny was hoping the pool would survive long enough to actually be used out of doors filled with water on a hot summer day.

The Bunny also left each of the boys a skateboard.

Mom and Dad will be glad when they are wheeling around outside, not in the house.

That afternoon an Eater Tea Party was held at Grandma and Grandpa Fotheringham's.  We each donned our Easter Bonnets and had finger sandwiches and lots of other great finger food.

We weren't sure if Harley would be alive when we returned from the Tea Party.  While down in the toy room inflating the pool, the dog had helped himself to at least three pounds of chocolate candy.  When I first noticed how much candy was gone from the baskets that were on the living room floor, I gasped.  I couldn't believe the boys had eaten that much candy!  Then I realized there were no wrappers anywhere- not on the floor, where they usually just drop them, or in the garbage can.  All it took was one look at Harley and the guilty hanging of his head that I realized he was the culprit.  He was still alive and kicking when we returned.  I was sure he had to have puked, but the floor was throw-up free.  I swear that dog has nine lives- hit on Canyon Road by a car going 50 m.p.h., eating three pounds of chocolate (which I keep hearing is supposed to be deadly to dogs), and we'll see what is next.

His Own Path...

The road to getting Oakley Scott Beeson as an official member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not been smooth.  Preparing him specifically to be baptized started last fall when Scott and I tried to teach him, from the best of our memories, the basic principles of the missionary discussions during Family Home Evening.  Oakley seems to grasp, at least at an age-appropriate level, the basics of the gospel and was accepting and believing.  Then we started to focus FHE on baptism- what it is, why we do it, what we are promising, etc.  This is where to waters (no pun intended) became turbulent.

Oakley DOES NOT want to attend church meetings.  He DESPISES (am wanting for a stronger word here) Primary.  The child has had the very best teachers since the beginning of his Primary experience.  I honestly couldn't have hand-picked better teachers for him.  Divine intervention was my thinking.  Now I don't know what I think.  The battles about going to church start on Saturday and get intense.  By the time we actually get ourselves to Sacrament meeting, I am in a foul mood having spent hours arguing, threatening, and pleading with Oakley about going to church.  For a while he was attending Sunday School and Priesthood with Scott.  He actually listened to the lessons and could tell you what they were about.  His teachers and the Primary President put out a huge effort to get him to attend Primary, which he started to do.  What a relief!  Then, for a few weeks in  a row when we thought he was at Primary, he'd actually walked home, helped himself to some snacks and parked himself in front of the TV until the rest of us made it home over 2 hours later. (The funniest incident, in retrospect- not the day of, was when Oakley had talked Eli into walking home with him after Sacrament Meeting.  Those two hauled this big bag of entertainment and snacks that I bring in each week, hoping beyond hope there is enough entertainment contained therein to catch a few bit of the talks given by the speakers that day, all the way home.  When asked how they managed to carry it the whole way, there reply was simply, "We took turns carrying it."  Oh the picture that conjures up in my mind! It does make me smile- the teamwork involved in their devious act!) Arrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhh!!!  Back to square one....

I am a FIRM believer one does not get baptized just because one turns eight.  Especially in Oakley's case, there has to be an age-appropriate agreement to the promises one is making.  The promises one is making with Heavenly Father with the knowledge of the blessings He gives in return.  I wasn't expecting Oakley to have this General Authority level of understanding and commitment to the Gospel.  But he is old enough and mature enough to understand that when he is getting baptized, he is making a promise to Father in Heaven that he will attend Church as one of the basic requirements of Church membership.  I could sense some resistance by some to my theory.  I was grateful for the agreement by others, namely Bishop Hulbert.

Of course Oakley would say he wanted to be baptized.  That kid was all about having a whole special day focused on him and him being the center of a celebration.  That part was absolutely clear in his mind and he was very much committed to that.  But attending Church meetings, not so much.   It finally came down to him meeting and talking with the Bishop.  The Bishop said they did discuss the commitments of baptism and he said he felt Oakley was ready.  So 10 April 2010 Oakley Scott Beeson had his name added to The Church of Jesus Christ's membership record.

I did tell Oakley he could pick out a new suit for his big day.  He told me he wanted a jacket "with metal buttons and a red bow tie."  Are you aware of any other eight year olds who would make that same selection?  Oakley is his own man for sure.  I was able to find a navy blazer with brass buttons and a red bow tie.  When dressed up in his duds, he looked so much like a professor to me.  It tickles me how particular Oakley is about his clothes- he has definite tastes and is not easily swayed.  I think he looked great for his big day.

Oakley was absolutely beaming when he entered the font.  Scott and Oakley had gone to the Stake Center earlier to get dressed in their whites and Scott told me later that when Oakley had put on his white jumpsuit he said, "I hope this doesn't make me look fat."  Again, his super-consciousness about clothes made an appearance.  Scott assured him he looked great.

When Scott confirmed him, I was very impressed with the words of the blessing.  There is no doubt these are the words that were inspired by Heavenly Father that Oakley and his parents needed to hear.  The highlights we can remember are:

Father in Heaven is proud of the decision Oakley made to be baptized and that Oakley did not take lightly. He is also pleased with the commitment Oakley has shown to following the example of Christ. Oakley has been blessed with a strong will and admonished to use his will as a force for good in the world. He was also directed to always rely on Father in Heaven through faith and prayer. He was told he was a bright star in our family and he will lead the way by example for his brothers who look up to him. Oakley was instructed to please be kind and show an example to all those with whom he comes into contact.

Oakley's unbelievably wonderful Primary Teachers

Carrie Wilson and Mary Roskelley

There were two other children from our ward who were also baptized that day.  I tell you, they are the PERFECT families I always make a conscious effort to NOT sit by in Sacrament Meeting because all of their children are so much better behaved than mine.  I end up feeling like the worst mother ever if we sit by them and I see how quiet and perfect all those kids are during the entire meeting.  So, Murphy's Law always abiding, they end up being the two families we are with for Oakley's baptism.  I think we ended up being okay.  No major problems- whew!

After we finished up at the Stake Center, we came back to the house for a yummy lunch, visiting, and sighing a huge sigh of relief.  I'm going to have faith that my son will continue on his journey headed in the right direction, although it might not be in the exact way I choose, I will be happy if it is in the right direction.  While I was talking to my friend Tana about Oakley and asking for advice, hers, as usual, was insightful.  She said, "Everyone has their own path back to the Savior."  Yes, Oakley is on his own path.  I need to love and be supportive, but it is his own journey.

The "It's Great to Be Eight" cookie bouquets were a hit.

I'm sure it will become a Beeson Baptism tradition.