Day 109 - Sunday April 1, 2012

So Bridgett got up and drank a Boost and then instead of napping (like usual!) she wanted to watch conference (yeah!).  She sat on the couch, where she usually lays down.  After a while Mark asked her why she was sitting instead of laying down and she said so I don't fall asleep!  Good idea Mark said.  Later on she did get tired and she did lay down, but she stayed awake for the whole morning session.  We took off and went to Jenn's for a quick lunch and a little visit.  Then we hurried back to the apartment to visit with President and Sister Busick, who stopped in to visit from Montana.  They were in town for conference.  Their youngest son had a traumatic brain injury in October.  It was very good to visit with them.  Bridgett talked/listened for a bit and then headed to her room for a nap.  That digital monitor I got works great and enabled me to come back to visit with everybody.  The Busick's also have a son in the Marines, so they had a short visit with us along those lines as well.  I keep forgetting to mention--whenever we drive in the car, all of the bumps in the road really bother Bridgett's neck.  When we drive to Salt Lake, she wears the soft collar for support.  When we drive around Provo she doesn't wear it.  Going in and out of the apartment complex is always painful--especially hitting the bumps when we cross the gutters.  I put my blinker on and slow way down and most people pass us.  I take the bumps slowly and at an angle to hopefully help them be less bumpy. Everywhere I drive, I try to be mindful of the bumps and avoid them if possible.  I know when people are driving behind me and I slow down around corners (because of the gutters or whatever)or when there are bumps they are probably annoyed.  So the next time you are annoyed about somebody's  driving, maybe they have a passenger (or even themselves) that has had a neck or back injury and they are doing the best they can. Just a thought.  I keep thinking about how Bridgett is so tired and it's probably just the healing process, although she was being given Amantadine to wake her up from the coma.  Perhaps without this drug she is very sleepy.  We will have to ask Dr. Speed on Tuesday.  I don't mind if she is sleepy I just wonder what is the best thing for her--just to sleep as much as she wants or to keep her awake more like the rehab guy is saying.  Hmmmmm......Anyway, it was a very good day.  The conference talks were wonderful (as usual) and so many seemed particularly applicable to our situation.  My heart was very full all weekend.  I learned of the death of several people who we have known or whose families we have known, including the passing of one the daughters of my very good friend Bobbi, the  passing of Melissa's mother (our secretary) as well as of the suicide of the son of one of the Parmenters. Their son was a Marine who Tyler knew. Of course, our family is still mourning the recent loss of my father and we deeply miss him.  In some way or another all of us have great challenges in life and have difficult situations to work through.  At times these challenges may seem insurrmountable.  We wonder how we will ever survive them.  No one is exempt from heartache and sorrow in this life, although we may have different sorrows.  However, we know that the Lord will guide us through these situations and that we will be able to endure them if we trust in Him. In a very small way we can feel the agony that the Savior felt in Gethsemane and we know that He knows the pain we each feel.  Jamie gave Bridgett a beautiful picture of the Savior that says "The way may be difficult at times, but I will always be there."   I pray daily for faith to endure and for inspiration and guidance. I pray for the same for all of us. I pray for each of us to have comfort and healing in our lives.