Count your many blessings...

So, Rochelle last blogged on Thursday when she was feeling quite grandiose. Then Friday hit, and she didn't want to get out of bed. In fact her whole weekend has been full of ups and downs. Feeling better and then feeling worse. I'm not sure that there is a pattern other than we had prayed that she would be able to get through her clinical rotation on Thursday. We were fairly specific in our prayers, and Heavenly Father was just as specific in His blessings. But we still feel blessed. I count myself lucky to have someone to take care of, and the health and ability to do so. I feel like we have been very blessed as a couple. I think back to when I met Rochelle, and how I was making $7 an hour fixing machines at BYU. Shortly thereafter I get a call out of nowhere asking me to come in for an interview. I wasn't even looking for a job at the time. I put out my application in August, and here is was February and I had an interview. Well, considering how much I loved fixing those smelly machines, I interviewed, and got a job. Little did I know, but that was the first blessing I had received so I could better take care of my dear soon to be wife. I have no need of going into detail on every blessing we've received for the last two years we have been married, but I feel like they have been many. And I have noticed something in common with many of them. With every blessing I receive, I have been better able to serve Rochelle or some other person who is in need. It has been an eye opening experience for me. It has made me consider things in a new light. What are blessings for? I have been taught ever since I was old enough to pass the sacrament that the priesthood was given to man for the serving of others. I have never supposed though, that in reality, every blessing given to us is an opportunity to serve others. And in fact, many of the challenges we face, and the trials we meet are in fact an opportunity for others to serve. For example, read the following verse: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Most of my life, when I read this verse, I get out of it one point, and one point only. That the ultimate demonstration of love is to give up your life for another. But it never occurred to me what trials the friends were going through. It seems to me that "his friends" were in serious trouble. It does not say whether they were in trouble because they put themselves there or by no fault of their own. But were it not for the sacrifice of another, they would soon perish. But because of their "trial" and the sacrifice of the one, blessings were poured out on all. The one who laid down his life would be blessed in heaven for his great act of service and love. The others would be blessed by feeling so loved, and cared for by another. They would appreciate their lives more, and be more willing to serve others in the future. They would have learned a great lesson. And so it is with us. We have trials so that the Savior can save us. He has already laid down His life for our own. He has already made the ultimate sacrifice of love. We have our trials so we can learn to seek Him out and trust in Him. Our trials also offer others a chance to emulate Him. Your trials may give me a chance to serve you. So when it comes down to it, everything -- both blessings and trials -- give us a chance to serve and be served, to love and be loved, and our testimonies of the Savior and His sacrifice grow regardless of which side of the service we are on. Anyways, these are the thoughts that came to me today. I hope you all had a good Sabbath.
Love you all.
BJ

Sickies

BJ and I have been sick! I felt like I was coming down with the flu earlier this week, and then it turned into a bad cold. BJ has been taking care of me... now I'm mostly better, and he is feeling more down, so it's my turn to take care of him now, I guess! That's ok- he takes such good care of me- he would make a good nurse! - as long as no blood is involved!
Today I worked in IV therapy. That is where people come to get IV hydration, blood transfusions, immunoglobulins, antibiotic therapy, and other treatments on an outpatient basis, and also the nurses are specially trained to do IV services on patients who are in the hospital. Those might include inserting PICC lines (which I actually got to help with today!!! -not the actual insertion, but as the "float") or doing "therapeutic phlebotomy". I would explain these things more, but I know that some of you don't want to know! So, just ask me when you see me, and I will tell you more about it! (A note to Suzanne: I have an answer to your question about units of blood. Remind me to tell you about it!!)
Another exciting thing has happened- we got a breadmaker! Danielle and Kirk (BJ's sister and her husband) have graciously allowed us to use theirs since they dont use it. We couldn't be more thrilled... it has been something that we have wanted for a long time, and now we can easily have fresh bread!
Something else this week was my mom's birthday. I got to talk to her on the phone, but I was sad I couldn't see her and give her a hug! My sister Marissa and I decided to actually make her a present together this year (in memory of our younger years, I guess) so we spent a couple of afternoons together working on it. It took longer to make than we thought. Hopefully it has arrived by now.
Now I have to go get ready for our dinner with BJ's parents and Bobbie and Gary (aunt and uncle). Should be fun!

Things previously mentioned and not expounded upon

As BJ hinted, we celebrated his birthday on Friday instead of Thursday because I was gone all day Thursday. At lunch time, we went to Gandalfos for sandwiches, and to a camera store for some accessories to go with BJ's new digital camera. We ate dinner at the Macaroni Grill, which was good, and we invited Charles and Marissa (Marissa couldn't come because she had to work late that night)over for birthday cake and BJ opening his presents. BJ got some nice new dress shirts & ties, two- way radios, a signed and framed Del Parson painting (actually a print), and a paper shredder, among other things. It was a fun day.
I have been working at the hospital on various floors and with various nurses. So far, it has been a really valuable experience, and I have been lucky enough to be paired with nurses who are happy to have students follow them around/ learn from them. Some days have been kind of slow, but other days, like last week, were so busy that the only time I ever sat down during my 12 hour shift was during my 30- minute lunch! I have had interesting patients... one has even proposed to me! That was... exciting... kind of different.
We have also been wanting to improve our Emergency Preparedness plans. We decided what we would do in the case of a natural disaster, etc. where we would meet, what channel to use on our 2- way radios, and we are planning to prepare a couple of backpacks with supplies in them that we are going to keep in our cars. We have a little food storage, and we want to get more, and learn how to make things without certain ingredients- like perishable foods etc.

Last week we drove up the canyon with BJ's parents, his sister Danielle & her family, and my sister Marissa. We took pictures in the fall leaves, shown above, and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. The pictures are of Marissa, me and Kimmy, and there's one of just Marissa and I. Although temperatures had previously been quite chilly, that afternoon turned out to be very warm... almost too warm. Nevertheless, we all enjoyed getting away from the city and and being so close to the mountains, trees, and streams.

Mom has a new laptop...

...and I'm writing this blog on it. It's a nice laptop. It has a nice big screen (wide) and isn't very heavy. I like it. And it is much more comfortable to work on it while sitting on the couch than it is to sit in that hard chair and work on their other computer. ;-)

It's Saturday night, and I'm pooped. I don't know why I'm tired, but I am. I haven't worked particularly hard this week. I haven't done anything particularly extrenuous. I have done very little out of the norm. I'm fairly certain that anyone who is reading this probably has had a much busier week than I have, but I'm still tired. Maybe it's because I have time to rest now, that my body has decided that it needs to catch up on rest. I don't know... but I do know that I probably should get some exercise. Otherwise I'm going to end up like most programmers and techies (no offence to those of you who are...), and live on pizza, soda, and have a beer belly. Yes, even now I can begin to see the buldge. Ok, so I haven't got much of one, but I don't want one either. I think I need to start exercising. I'm going to try to get my coworkers to join me in that too. I've heard that some of them play racquetball, and I'm going to see if that is true. ;-) Anyways, I want to get them to go play basketball and whatever else they would do to get some exercise. I think that would help my energy level. Rochelle has been quite busy lately... she has been working and homeworking and nursing like mad and has nearly gone mad trying to do it all. But she has gotten much of it done, and is feeling a little less stressed now.

Anyways, I'm going to go to sleep now... goodnight!
BJ