September 2012...A Month to Remember.

As seen in my last post... September started out great with our Labor Day road trip. I am so glad we took that little adventure! Little did we know what was headed our way just a few days later. 

On Friday night, the 7th, we received that dreaded phone call at about 9 pm that night... my parents were in the emergency room and something was REALLY wrong with my Dad. We rushed down and found someone to help Dan administer to my Dad. Thank goodness for Priesthood blessings! 

We found out within a couple of hours that they would be doing surgery on him in the morning to remove his gallbladder and that he had a VERY serious sceptic infection. They were also very concerned with his breathing... something we have been worried about for awhile... but it would be addressed after the other things were taken care of.

LONG story short... he spent the next 10 days in the ICU and another 2 on the regular floor of the hospital... on a respirator for the first 3 or 4 days in the ICU...not leaving the hospital until Tuesday the 18th. His gallbladder was so bad that it had started to erode the wall of his abdomen. They were really worried that it was cancer and the surgeon told us that he had only seen one that was worse than my Dad's. Thankfully the pathology report came back negative... prayers are answered. We got the results 4 weeks after losing my father-in-law to pancreatic cancer... I was grateful we weren't going down that road again! He did develop pancreatitis but that improved and he is now eating a normal diet. I spent all but 2 of the days at the hospital with him and my mom... and I am so grateful to my sweet husband for supporting me and making that possible! (And Kenna and Courtney! And of course the neighbors that brought in a few meals... it gave me one less thing to worry about! Love you!!!) 

 My cute mom... spending the day in the ICU... just a few doors down from her room in January!!! I told them we are done with the hospital! No more ICU visits for any of us!!!! When the nurses recognize you that can't be a good thing!! She is doing great... and although not able to run a marathon again at this point... can run about 6 miles!

 Also this month... our adorable neighbor Tyler began what has been a trial of faith for his sweet family. There is nothing harder than watching a child have to endure pain beyond imagination and not have any good concrete answers for him. The only thing we could do is make sure he knows how much we love him. He is family to the Floyd's...period. We have known him from the day he was born... and loved him that long too!! (His sweet momma too!!!) One of things we did was make this huge poster to hang in his hospital room. I went up while he was in surgery and we hung it up. Little did we know that he would be the talk of the hospital... apparently no patient has ever had one as cool and big as this one!

 And several of us ladies made sure that Caryn would have some treats...

 Caryn and her adorable boyfriend Alan... this guy is awesome! Not only was he there the entire day of his first surgery... but he has been there to help make this difficult time a little easier for Caryn ever since. They are such a cute couple! I won't post any pictures of Tyler... but this one I couldn't resist! She looks amazing!

 This one is from a different day... as of yesterday Tyler has had a total of 5 surgeries!!!! Poor little man! Papa (the BEST grandpa ever!) , Alan, Caryn, and Dan passing some time playing cards...

 McKenna's friend Heber also lost his father after a long battle (10 years) with cancer this month and we attended his funeral on the 29th. It was by far the most amazing funeral I have ever been to. The Stake Center was packed...with people even sitting on the stage... AND was broadcast to another building. Two general authorities spoke along with family, his current bishop, and former bishop. It was so powerful and we left feeling like we had just attended a session of General Conference. While this month has been challenging... we sure spent a lot of time in hospitals!... it has also been a month that has strengthened my testimony and made me grateful for the good in my life. Things may not always go the way we want or plan... but I KNOW that we are not alone in our trials and challenges. I know that the Lord's hand is always in our lives... even when we don't recognize it. I wanted to end this post with a happy picture of my girls. I can't imagine what I would be without these two! They have been amazing this month... both of them fasted twice on behalf of others....once as part of a ward fast for Tyler. And they didn't do it because we told them to... they did it because they wanted to and they have faith in the power of fasting and prayer.  (However, not an easy task when you have to go to school and watch everyone else eat!) But I know that they have had their testimonies strengthened by these experience as well... and we know that our pure testimony comes AFTER the trial of our faith.