Family Ties Sept. 24 - Oct. 8, 2007

Dear Family,
We are still basking in the events of the previous week, where we celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary with our family. To wind down this celebration, Cal and Virginia Warren and Dan and Wanda Mackintosh came to our cabin Monday afternoon for dinner and relaxing. We enjoyed their company very much but were saddened to see the effects of age taking it's toll on these good friends.

Tuesday and Wednesday gave us a chance to recoop on the busy months we have had and also wrap and address our heritage book to those who had requested them. Thursday morning we arose early to attend the Salt Lake Temple sealing of Jacob Felsch and Jessica Olson, a young couple from our ward to whom we taught the Temple Preparation course and since we were unable to attend the reception, we were invited to the temple ceremony.

We then took the books to be mailed to the Post Office in Bountiful. We thought our newest great granddaughter would be in the Bountiful Lakewood Hospital. However, we learned Jenny, after considerable labor, delivered her baby the previous afternoon at the Salt Lake Community Regional Hospital (formerly Holy Cross). We were only to see a picture of the baby minutes after she was born and was amazed at the alertness shown in her eyes. Her parents have not chosen her name yet, but we felt the Lords blessing in her safe arrival...she weighed just over 5 lbs. and was 18 inches long.

At 3:o'clock, we picked up Martha Lingard and drove to the Granger Stake Center for the annual 10th ward "originals" reunion. Marie had served along with "the quilters". Joy Barber had assumed the chairmen of this years event and with the help of her quilter friends provided and excellent social. After returning Martha to her home, we traveled to Highland to stay the night in preparation for our temple service where we had offered to substitute for Reg and Arlene Anderson on Friday. They were in Texas.

At this time, we need to report on the condition of our friend, Lowell Sorensen. Two weeks ago Monday, September 18, Lowell was cutting some wood for a railing at his cabin and in a split moment of inattention, brought his chop saw down upon his hand severing all four fingers of his left hand. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon we were eating lunch when a frantic knock came at our door. Tammy Thompson was at the door telling us that Lowell had injured himself and needed a priesthood blessing. We hurried over to his home and found him lying on the porch in a state of shock. Tammy's brother-in-law had the sense to apply a tourniquet and applied pressure to his hand which was bleeding profusely. With Lowells Parkinson desease, shock was as serious concern as the injury. Tammy's brother did not hold the priesthood, so I proceeded with a blessing promising him strength and self control until adequate medical health could arrive. Within minutes the First Response team from Timberlakes were on the scene administering oxygen and expert medical attention. The paramedics from Wasatch County arrived a few minutes later where Lowell was placed in an ambulance and taken to the LDS hospital. We drove June with us and followed the ambulance to the hospital and remained until they were taking him into surgery. June had, had the presence of mind to not only call 911 but secure the severed fingers in a proper container in case they would be able to reattach them. After a thirteen hour surgery at the hospital, his forefinger and middle finger were reattached. The other two fingers were too badly damaged, it is the present hope that these fingers will live and along with his thumb, give Lowell some use of his left hand. A terribly sad experience for the Sorensen family, one which we share. The latest report as of today, is he is doing well and even has shown some improvement with the temporary withholding of his Parkinson medication.

A side note, our friend Bruce Ericksen, though completely paralyzed will be home next week. An auction Friday night of donated services and goods raised approximately fourty-seven thousand dollars. Though a drop in the bucket to the horendous cost incurred these past three months, it will certainly help prepare his home for the type of care he will require.

On a happy note, the successful RS general conference held and presided over by President Hinckley was both a bonding and inspirational experience for many stakes throughout the church. Particularly was it for Marie as she attended the conference in our stake and enjoyed a delicious dinner and socializing prior to the uplifting conference.

This past week has been spent in preparing for winter. Our future neighbors who are building big cabins on Marigold have offered us scrap wood from their cabins. We have taken advantage of this offer by hauling several loads of wood home in our SUV, cutting it up and stacking it in convenient places. A big challenge was running a tw0 twenty volt line from our power source under the cabin to provide an outlet for the electric stove. Ed and Debbie gave us their old refrigerator and stove, which are like new, when they themselves got new appliances. We were happy to replace our old gas stove and small refrigerator which were showing and acting their age. We also stored all the deck furniture in the garage. Except for some minor maintenance jobs, we are prepared for winter---just in time for our eight inch snowfall yesterday.

Dan brought his sons up Wednesday, along with Liz and Mason. We hadn't seen Russ for a number of years and were so pleased Steve and Dan could get off work so that we could spend some precious hours with all of them. Russ came early for a business trip and running the St. George marathon. Trevor, Lisa's husband, is also running the marathon and both were guests at Susans house.

Conference as usual, was a spiritual uplift and we were especially pleased with the selection of Elder Eyring as a counselor to President Hinckley and Elder Cook as a new apostle. Perhaps some of you don't realize that Mary N. Cook, YW Counselor, is the wife of Richard Cook who is over the Cook Family Organization and attended the reunion in Cedar Fort last summer.