Surgery is done!

So this week was a lot nicer than my 80 hour work week last week. I actually had time to spend with the family and get some things done at home. And now I am done with my surgery rotation and get a nice schedule with dermatopathology (looking at slides of skin specimens under the microscope – cancers, etc.). I let you know more about it with my next post.

Monday night we had Jared and Jill Owen’s and their kids over for family home evening. We were in charge of the scripture and lesson and they did the game and treat. We are working on the 10th article of faith for March: “We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the new Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.” The lesson was about being thankful. We had so much fun just talking and playing games. And the kids always have so much fun together. It was great.

I was on my last scheduled call of intern year Tuesday (that really felt good), which means I was at the hospital from 6:00am Tuesday until 12:00 noon on Wednesday. It was a busy day Tuesday and we were in the operating room on and off most of that time. I had a patient that we tried to remove his gallbladder but were unable to safely do so because of a previous operation several years ago that had left a lot of scar tissue, and so everything in that area was just all meshed together. I got quite a bit of sleep that night, which was good, because we ended up with 3 consults from the emergency room at 6:00am Wednesday morning. So I had to see them, then round on all of our team’s patients alone, since the others on my team have a meeting up at the University every Wednesday morning, then call the attending doctors to go over the plan for the day, and get out by 12:00 noon.

Kolby had piano lessons that afternoon and I was able to go with him. He played his last song in his Christmas song book and started to learn the last song in his other book, so next time he will be starting into the next level up. He is doing so well. Steph went to the dentist to get work started on a crown for a tooth that had a root canal several years ago and still needs some work. She was really worried that it was going to hurt a lot, but she said it went fine. She took Kolby out for his night out with one of us that evening. They went to the library and she found some books that rhyme a lot and have good pictures, and he can actually read a good portion of them. He is so excited to start kindergarten next year.

Thursday night I was able to go and play in a basketball game at the stake center with others from my elders quorum. The other team had a lot more younger guys and they pulled an early lead, but we were able to come back and win. It was so much fun and one of our best games; and I was only a little sore afterwards. :)

Friday night I was able to get off early enough to take Steph on a date (thank you to Grandma Faun for always being there to watch the kids so we can do these things). We took Courtland with us and went and saw Marley and Me. It was a very cute movie and we enjoyed the time together.

I had to work Saturday morning. Steph had a Stake enrichment activity for Relief Society in the morning, and they had babysitting, so she was able to go. They worked on some humanitarian aid projects. After my shift at work I was able to go out to the Jordan River temple for an endowment session, which was so nice. I got the laundry started and then Steph and I relaxed while the boys were napping. I ended up falling asleep on the couch with Courtland, while Steph and the other boys made cookies. I finally got all the laundry done and Steph got the basement vacuumed and cleaned up.

Today was a wonderful fast and testimony meeting. Grandma Faun wasn’t feeling well, so she stayed home and kept Isaac with her, which meant I only had the three oldest with me, and they did great. A well known and cherished member of the ward passed away this week and had his funeral yesterday, so several spoke about the great Christ-like example he had been in helping and serving others his entire life. In Sunday school we spoke about the restoration of the priesthood (which is the authority to act in God’s name) and how the power of godliness is manifest through the ordinances that are done under priesthood authority. It is one of the reasons why the Church of Jesus Christ had to be restored – in order for the saving ordinances to be done under the proper authority. In our priesthood class we spoke about the importance of living today and finding the good in the world. It is so easy to see bad and evil things, but it we take the time to look, we can find goodness and beauty all around us. That was a nice reminder.