Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Korea

Korea Daejeon Mission.

An amazing day as he opened his call virtually (thank you, Skype) and we all knew instantly that it was the perfect place for him.

Now we're just euphoric and excited and smiling, smiling, smiling.

More later.


Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Waiting for the call

I am waiting for "the call". Mission call that is.

I have been waiting since Saturday. Our bishop called on Friday and said that the status of my son's paperwork had been changed to "call sent". I have great faith in our postal service and told my husband so when he said I shouldn't get my hopes up that the letter would show up on Saturday. "It's only an hour away," I reasoned. But no call.

Sunday, of course, there is no mail service, but I was primed for Monday. "They've had all weekend to get it here," I said. Alas, no call.

Today, I am beginning to get desperate. I woke up at 5am. I've only checked the mailbox once so far, but I've been watching since 12:30. My son has already called. My husband has already called. Thankfully, my neighbor put up her red flag so I don't have to keep walking out to the mailbox in the snow (that's spring in Utah for you).

How do people stand this?




Saturday, March 19, 2011

Happy 14th Kellie girl!

On March 20th, we celebrate the birth of my beautiful girl, Kellie Lynne.

I have never been so sick in my whole life as when I was pregnant with her. Turns out there were twins and I lost one of them, but Kellie hung in there and came into the world on the first day of spring. So appropriate.

In the hospital, I had her laying on the bed by me while I waited for the doctor to come in to release me. He entered and asked me a question. I answered and Kellie heard my voice and deliberately turned her head and looked right at me. The doc said in surprise, "She knows you!" Yes, she does.

Kellie inherited the "brown Gresko gene" which means she turns the color of a chocolate chip cookie if the sun even touches her skin. At 6 months old, I had people ask me if I took her tanning because she was so brown. (Seriously?) I love seeing her brown skin in the summer - she carries a part of me in her. Lucky me.

These are some of my favorite things about Kellie:
  • her smile - it's a little metallic right now, but it lights up her whole face & makes you smile right along with her.
  • her organization - her room and life are in order, she likes to have her day planned, her week planned, her life planned. A girl after my own heart.
  • her drive - Kellie gets things done. She sets goals, she works hard, she accomplishes much.
  • her charisma - Kellie connects with people. She can reach them and they respond to her. This is especially true with little children. She has been a "mom" from day one. How lucky her children will be to have her.
  • her athleticism - Kellie has arm muscles! None of the women in our family were blessed with this. She is strong and fast and I love watching her shoot the basketball and serve the volleyball and swim the butterfly. Poetry in motion.
  • her love - most every night, Kellie comes in to my room and "tucks me in" and lays next to me and we talk and laugh. I am so blessed.
Have a wonderful birthday, my Kellie. You were worth every moment of sickness it took to get you here and then some. The world is lucky to have you!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Rex Lee Run

I ran in the Rex Lee Run today for my mom.

The run has been going on for many years now in memory of former BYU President Rex Lee to raise funds for cancer research at BYU. When I was working as a nurse, I took care of Rex Lee when he was undergoing cancer treatments. Sadly, the cancer claimed his life, just like it took my mom's, but the work of the researchers at BYU has been effective in advancing treatment in the fight against cancer.

In the opening ceremony, I thought about my mom and my love for her and how I missed her and the tears flowed. As I ran, I felt so strong and good and at the end when I got so tired, I thought about my mom and all the others with cancer who suffer and fight and struggle when they think they can't bear it anymore.

I love you, Mama.....glad I could run in honor of you today.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Happy Birthday Alissa!

Today my Alissa Jean turns 12 years old.

I like to think about the moment I first saw her. She had had the cord around her neck, so they whipped her away pretty quick and were working to get her breathing. Then, her body temp was low, so they had her in a warmer. I was thinking, "I worked hard to get that baby here; I want to hold her!" The doctor was talking about sending her to the NICU at another hospital if her temp wouldn't come up. Then, the nurse came in and said, "I want to try something." She brought Alissa to me and laid her right on my chest, skin-to-skin, and I held and snuggled her close. In 15 minutes, her temperature came right up, her breathing settled, and she was alright.

Now, that once tiny little girl is my tallest 12-year so far. At 5'6", she is long arms and long legs and well, tall! I love to watch her enter a room. She is confident, her head high, her shoulders back, quick to smile. She is quickly mastering so many new things: math and reading and basketball and cello. She is extremely perceptive and often makes us laugh at the way she truly gets the world. Like the time Josh came home from college and he was saying "freakin'" before and after and in the middle of every sentence. After a half day of this, Alissa asked him, "Why is everything 'freakin'?"

I love the artist in her, that joys in paint and pen and paper and creating. She is excellent at drawing and I have determined to stop asking her, "Did you trace that?" She gets very insulted. I am delighted that she decided to play the cello and that she keeps me on my toes in my own practicing: "Watch your thumb, Mom." I rejoice in the affection she has for her dad, who is the best at helping her through her trials and troubles and teases and challenges her.

You are a wonder, Alissa Jean--Lissy bear--Lulu--thanks for being my girl!