Struggles, and Strenghts

I know I don't post too often, but I wanted to write about a few things that have been going on over the past month. Dad had some kidney stones that landed him in bed for a couple of weeks. It was an excruciating ordeal, and he finally had a procedure done to blast them, so that the smaller fragments could pass more easily. Luckily, Mom's health held out so that she was able to help and take care of him- but then she started having her migraines come back. Unfortunately, because of them, she has been unable to enjoy the most pleasant time of year in St George, before she has to start battling the heat again.

Grandpa Stromness passed away a week ago. His viewing was on Easter Sunday, and his funeral was the next day. It was so nice to go and see so many of my family members on that side of the family, many of whom I just don't see that often. I'm so glad Grandpa is no longer in pain, he struggled with Parkinson's for so long. I'm glad he and Grandma are together again. ALthough, I do feel sad too- mostly because I miss how things used to be, when I was a kid. I miss the 4th of July picnics in Santaquin, and the trips to Kearns. I guess sometimes I just miss parts of my childhood.

And to top it off, Jim's Mom underwent surgery on the same day as Grandpa's funeral, to remove a cancerous tumor in her colon. Thankfully the surgery went well and she is recovering quickly. But the Dr's found some cancer in her lymph nodes, so she will be undergoing chemotherapy this summer- in conjunction with Emily's and Scott's weddings, both of which will be happening this summer also. The Dr's feel confident that everything will go well, and that they caught it in time. But cancer just scares me- considering what happened to both my Grandma's. I'm just so thankful for this time of year. Easter has such a more personal meaning for me, after losing Baby James. I'm so grateful to my Savior for making it possible to be with him, and other family members again one day.