July 24, 2008
At the moment I am sitting at my mother's desk in Colorado. She is now in a physical therapy hospital in a nearby town and I am taking my two week turn being with her. There is quite a change in her, which I'm having a hard time adjusting to. She is greatly diminished, physically. I feel she is a bit depressed, being cooped up in a hospital room, even though it is the nicest facility I've seen. She is sad about losing her independence. Her life will be greatly changed now. My sister and I plan on rotating being here with her until we can determine the extent of her recovery. Layne will come next week to help me bring her home and spend some time with her here in her own little place. Her mind is unaffected; just her body is now handicapped. I feel like she is being redirected. I am telling her that she has something left of her mission and that the Lord will guide her to it, if she will seek that out. She has become a bit mentally lazy; an easy thing to do in the hospital. Yet she is so vibrant a personality; I feel that the Lord wants her to do something that she has, perhaps, been avoiding thus far in favor of other good things. Perhaps it is a choice between the good, better and best that Elder Oaks spoke of recently. She is getting regular physical therapy but I've decided to exercise her inbetween those sessions. The therapist showed me what I can do with her so I'm excited to begin that today. I think it may speed things up and help her right side to reawaken.

So that has changed my life quite a bit. I'm on leave from the temple for a couple of months and will only be able to attend once or twice a month for awhile. The mission must be postponed as well. But the Lord is in charge; I can feel that. I also feel a sense of joy being with my mother and trying to help her along. It makes a difference that she is mentally sharp. We can have a sweet time during all of this, I feel sure. There are blessings in it and I don't dread my time here in any way. It is raining outside right now; we don't see summer rain at home and I love it here. The sky has a beautiful rainbow just outside the window. I can't help but feel a sweet peace as I look at the beauty that is here. Colorado is a lovely place.

Layne is now in Idaho, spending time with Gerald and family and Chinese students. I’m glad that he went; I think it’ll be good bonding time with Gerald. Layne loves his children so much but doesn’t initiate time with them. I worry that they will not realize his feelings for them.

Layne has a lovely garden going in our yard. It is bearing, especially the squash. Our tomatoes are growing but so very small. I think we are giving them too little water. Layne is trying to ration the cistern water so it will last the summer. But we just got two more cisterns so next summer should give us enough.