Update on Richard

Danielle called me this morning and Richard did not have surgery. The antibiotic is finally starting to work on the staff infection in his knee. He will be checked in the morning and if the infection is gone the doctor will debride the wound then stitch it closed. If the infection is still there they will have to do surgery to clean out the tissues. She said that they have to scrub, gown up and glove up before they can go into his room and they can not touch him yet.

This afternoon he was presented with his Airman Coin and tomorrow, being graduation, she was not sure what will happen with him. The only thing that he could not do was the Airman run and she indicated that he will have to pass that off when he can run again. He is suppose to be in Wichita Fall, TX on Monday to do 13 weeks of tech training. We will just have to wait to see what Friday brings.

I am so glad that Danielle is there with him. Tony and Danielle are attending all the events that were planned and poor Rich is lying in a hospital bed hooked to an IV line.

We are just praying so hard that he will heal fast and can move on to the next step in his training. Please keep him in your prayers.

Changes in our lives

We have been wrestling with what to do about the real estate side of our business for some time now. The concessions are taking so much of our time and it is impossible for us to do both at the same time. After months of deliberation, we finally decided it was time for us to put our licenses on an inactive status for now. We have been keeping up with the license fees and everything else that is associated with the business, but have not been actively engaged in selling homes for over a year. Today we went to Salt Lake and did the paperwork to go inactive and turned in our keys for the office. This is bittersweet as real estate is fun, but we just do not have the time or energy to devote to both side of our business. So now we are just doing the concessions and crafts.

I do want to thank all our clients for the faith that they had in letting us represent them in either selling or buying their homes. Because of each of you, I feel that we were extremely successful in the real estate field. Thanks again for asking us to help you.

Flowers

Fall flowers are so vibrant and colorful. My favorites are mums and burning bushes. For my mother's day gift Dick planted 6 of them in our new flower bed. I was so thrilled and couldn't believe that he remembered my love for them.

Later in the month we found some mums and planted them in front of the bushes. Oh!! they are pretty this year. My fall flowers are just gorgeous.

When I took these pictures the mums were full of bees . They were just buzzing around from flower to flower. If you look closely, you can see a bee on the flower.

Happy Reunion....

Last night my Mom called to tell me that my uncle, Kenneth Miller, had just past away. She said that he had prostate cancer and the cancer had spread to his bones. Last week Mom said that he was trying to get out of his wheelchair and as he was lifting himself he broke his hip and an arm. He leaves behind his three daughters, Kenna, Della and Sheila plus his second wife, Peggy.

When Mom told me he was gone, all I could think of was the "happy reunion" that was taking place at that very moment in heaven. Aunt LaRee, my Dad's younger sister, past away in the mid 1990's and their son, Michael past away in April of 1969. All my mind could see were arms wrapped around him from those that were anxiously waiting his arrival. I can just see Michael reaching out to embrace his father whom he hadn't seen in almost 40 years and saying, "Come, Dad, hold my hand and let me show you the way". Aunt LaRee would have wrapped her arms so tightly around him and whispered words of love to him and told him how very much she has missed him and how grateful she was that they were together again. Sweet Aunt LaRee was probably so gitty with happiness. I can see our dear Ofie and Ralph, his parents, as they held their arms open widely to embrace their son and to welcome him home to heaven. I can just hear Ofie saying, "Well, Kenneth, what took you so long to get here".

A few years before Aunt LaRee past away, Uncle Kenneth joined the church and then later they were sealed as an eternal family in the temple. What a joy it is to know that we have eternal families and that we will see them again when we cross the veil. I am so glad that they lived their lives in such a goodly manner that they can stand before their Father in Heaven and know they are worthy to be in his presence.

My heart aches for those left behind, but Uncle Kenneth lived such a good life and was so ready to go and be rid of the pain he had endured lately. His daughters each have the knowledge and teachings of the gospel and know that they will be together and that they are an eternal family. The days will be long and lonely for them as they proceed on in life. Over the next few days, I hope that they can feel the love and prayers of others, as they prepare to lay their father to rest next to his sweet LaRee and precious Michael. Angels are with them. Let them feel the strenth of the Lord as He holds them in His arms and comforts their aching hearts.

Thinking of and missing the children....

Today I have been missing Richard and wondering what is he up to. We left him in Salt Lake five weeks ago to begin his new adventure in life and now it is time for him to graduate from basic next week. Hard to believe that he is old enough to be on his own.

It doesn't matter how old your children or grandchildren get, one still can't help but worry about them. I find myself waking in the night wondering if the children have enough covers on or if they said their prayers before retiring for the night. If they had enough to eat and are the doors all locked tight at their homes. Are the windows shut and is the stove turned off. Did they have a good day and was everyone nice to them.

Seems like I am always thinking about and missing those precious gifts from heaven more and more each day. I am so thankful for these gifts from Heavenly Father and so thankful they wanted to be part of our family. I do love you all.

No Girls Allowed.....

Saturday was "NO GIRLS ALLOWED" day for the "Madsen Guys". Grandpa had bought tickets to the Utah vs. Colorado State game for him, Canyon and Derek. The anticipation for two weeks was more than Canyon could bear and he kept telling his Dad "I don't think I can wait that long". Well the day finally arrived and at 7:30 a.m. Canyon sends Gramps this picture:

ARE YOU READY GRAMPS? I AM!!!!

Grandpa left our house at 7:45 and met Canyon and Derek at the train station in Ogden to ride the FRONT RUNNER to Salt Lake to the game.

This is my Gramps and me sitting on the train ready to go to the ball game. You have to wear RED cause that is the rule!!!

When they got to Salt Lake they hopped off the Front Runner and got on the TRAX train and rode it to the stadium. This was so much fun for them. They found their seats and settled back to enjoy the game.

#1 Ute Fan at the Game

Thanks Gramps for letting me and my Dad have a special day with you.

You are one special GRANDPA!!!

Golden Spike Monument

Today Derek, Kelly, Canyon, Evan and I went out to the Golden Spike Monument at Promitory Point. This is where the East and West railways meet.

The little ones had so much fun as it had snowed, so of course, there had to be snowball fights and the trill of getting wet. They were intrigued with the engines that they have there. There is the replica of both the Jupiter and the 119 engines that met each other at Promitory Point. A big celebration was held and the golden spike was pounded into the track signifying that the railway

was complete linking the East and the West together.

Here are some pictures of our adventure today:

Derek, Kelly, Canyon and Evan standing by the #119 engine

First snow of the year....
First snowball fight of the year....

Got cha Evan.....

Now it is my turn....
I can't make a snowball....
I'm done.........

This was a good day!!!!!