We can do hard things

My four sweethearts.  I love them so very much.

I spent a week visiting Jordan, Jake and their darling family from August 10-17.  This was a hard week since Jake had undergone his second brain surgery on August 11.  It was also the back-to-school night for the girls and then school started the next day.  Talk about a bag of various emotions going on. Excitement.  Dread.  Pain.  Happiness.  Anticipation.  Acceptance.  Fun. Work. Rest. Anxiety.  Love.
I went to the hospital to sit with Jordan while Jake was in surgery.  It was good to be together to talk and to just be there sometimes without talking.  Their darling sis-in-law Jessica came over and stayed with the children while I was gone.  A ward member brought dinner.  I got back in time to take the girls to meet their teachers and to help finish up the shopping for their school supplies. And then...off they went to 3rd grade, to 1st grade and to pre-school the next morning.  Jake's surgery went better than expected and he was able to come home to recuperate after being in the hospital for one day.  He is a brave courageous man who bears this trial without complaint.
We watched some movies together, swam in the pool with the kids, cleaned, mopped floors, put away summer toys, organized, grocery shopped, made raspberry jam, put a scrapbook together and just had a good time being together.  I got to spend some one-on-one time with each of the girls.  Jord and I had pedicures and leg/foot massages together.  Lauren opted to go to Village Inn for breakfast and then go shopping at Old Navy and on to get ice-cream at Cold Stone.  Ellie decided to spend her grandma Vonnie time going to get a happy meal and a chocolate Sunday at McDonalds, going to the mall to buy a new stuffy and getting some candy at Fuzzywigs. We also took some fun pictures at the photo booth at the mall.  Sweet Ada wanted to ride the ferris wheel two times at the mall and eat spaghetti at the food court and buy a bouncy ball from the dispenser because it would last longer than candy.  A new stuffy was also a welcome addition to her stuffy family.

The girls would have preferred that their parents took them to meet their teachers that night.  They would have preferred that their parents took them to the first day of school.  Jordan would have preferred to have skipped sitting in the waiting room for hours while her husband was in surgery, and Jake would have preferred have a clean MRI scan and bypassing this whole second brain surgery experience.  That wasn't to be.  This is hard on everyone.  Very hard.  But what can be done? Unhappiness and discouragement are of the devil.  Happiness and hope are from the Savior.  All we can do it keep putting one foot in front of the other and living life because....we can do hard things. Toughness runs in our families.

My darling daughter who is literally gritting her teeth and bearing it.

Smiles all around six days after surgery

Love these two strong, amazing children.  Oh how I love them!

Tommy can out eat his sisters and he will try anything

My adventure with Lauren...just the two of us!

Mall photo booth with Ellie and Ada.  So fun!

Swimming most days in the 110 degree heat

Ellie's fresh fruit platter

Yum!  fresh raspberry jam!

Making killer pancakes with daddy

After watching the Parent Trap, these girls wanted to be twins for a day!

Tommy doing what he loves to do...playing with his toys. He is such a doll!

All the cards and letters people have sent to Jake and Jordan in one inspirational book

Off to first grade!

First day of pre-school

First day of 3rd grade