A Very Different Easter

I don’t know about you, but I feel like Easter just crept up on us this year. We didn’t get around to putting up any Easter decorations, we didn’t paint or decorate any eggs. One thing I did make sure of, however, was eating lots of Mini-Cadbury Eggs. Can’t pass up on that opportunity....love those things!

The week or so before Easter, my grandma received the shocking news that she had a very large tumor growing on her ovary. She had been feeling very sick for a long time and was having a hard time breathing, that was being blamed on the medication she had been taking. It finally got to the point where her breathing was so bad, they decided to check her out more closely. That’s when they found the tumor that was about the size of a volleyball! Surgery was quickly scheduled for a hospital in Salt Lake. The Idaho family came to support and be there with Grandma during this challenging time. After the surgery, we found out that they were able to remove most of the tumor, and shockingly it had not attached to any other vital organs...not even the other ovary! While that was good news, and Grandma Rich started feeling loads better (as she could finally breath without that volleyball in her stomach), they did confirm that the remains of the tumor were cancerous. She also had some blood clotting in her lungs. Not good. She is probably looking at needing to undergo Chemo in the near future, but that is yet to be determined. One step at a time, and right now is recovery time.

With the family here to support Grandma, and with Grandpa’s birthday landing on Easter Sunday, we spent Easter afternoon in South Salt Lake at the hospital. We had a nice chance to visit with Grandma and Grandpa, as well as the aunts, uncles, and cousins. Rather than a home-cooked Easter meal, we celebrated at the Marie Callender's across the street from the hospital. (Has anyone eaten there? Wish the food could have been better...)

Visiting at the hospital

The walk to and from Marie Callender's

Waiting for dinner

Uncle Doug, Grandpa Rich, Bryan, and Lynze

Gotta have some pie!

I love my family so much! It is definitely hard to see the health of both of my grandparents declining; but, no one said life was supposed to be easy. And that is the beauty of Easter... it is that hope and peace that the gospel brings. Because of our Savior's atoning sacrifice, we can all be with each other again, for all eternity, in a perfected state. What a blessing it is to know that!