I'M BACK!

I want to thank you all for your understanding, patience, encouragement and prayers while God helped get a handle on my newest mission He has granted me.

As many of you know I have temporary custody of 2 of my 6 grandchildren. I feel honored God trusts me to step into this position.

The difficulty is not over by a long shot, but I feel God's comfort through everything.

Please keep my family in your prayers as your in mine.

I'M BACK! I'm going blog as much as I can.

I love you all dearly.

I am blessed
Merrym Dawn Bruce

These verses has been my strength this last little while and I felt the need to share it with you:

³ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. ⁴ He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. ⁵ For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ. ⁶ Even when we are weighed down with troubles, it is for your comfort and salvation! For when we ourselves are comforted, we will certainly comfort you. Then you can patiently endure the same things we suffer. ⁷ We are confident that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the comfort God gives us.

1 Corinthians 1:3-7

The Gift (Conitnued FINALE)

We walked in, full of overwhelming excitement. SO SURPRISED!
Mer was on her way out of this dark tunnel, just as we were on our way home.
WHAT A RELIEF!

We sat with her and explained that we had to get back home to our families and jobs.
She couldn't speak any louder than a whisper, but she begged us to PLEASE release her from the wrist restraints. She promised she'd be good!

The only way I could keep myself from crying over her sad, puppy dog eyes was to pull another silly joke out of my hat. We all tried to make up some crazy story why they had her hands bound.

She then begged us to take her with us. OH, MY THIS WAS GOING TO BE A TOUGH ONE!
Out of no where God sent a diversion. Courtney, her husband and kids showed up. Yeah! This would make for a much less emotional and lonely departure for Mer.

We each hugged and kissed her goodbye, promising to call as soon as she was up to talking.

That walk back down the corridor that morning was the longest, but then again God had granted us our wish. Mer, our GIFT, was seriously on her way to another successful recovery. AMEN!

For the Lord God is a sun and a shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
Psalm 84:11

Love You Mer

NOTE: There is more to this story which includes Mer's wonderful friends visiting her. In particular the mother of the gentleman who found Mer the day she ended up at the hospital. When we get this in book form I will include that story

The Gift (continued, but almost done)

Back at the hospital, Mer was still pretty much comatose. The Dr. was very nervous over the situation because Mer was not reacting to stimulus. So, they wheeled her down the corridor to do a CAT scan on her brain. This concerned us, but not too bad, we just knew that God was on 'TEAM MERRYM!'

There was a problem! The machine wouldn't work for Mer. So back she came, as out of it as ever. The plan was to take her to another facility in the next day or so and use their scanner.

Now of course my brother Robert was back at it too. He had me alone in Mer's room, where he went about telling me that his girlfriend was going to fly out to see Mer, (Mer and his girlfriend had been pretty tight friends at one time). Robert proceeded to tell me that I would put this flight on 'MY' credit card and when his girl friend arrived, she'd pay me back in cash.

"Uh, NO!" was my response. "That's NOT happening! You and you so called girlfriend can get a so called credit card of your own, mine is for MY families emergencies!"

Boy was I hot under the collar AGAIN!

Anyway, we continued our turns doing rounds with Mer, but it was time to discuss heading back home. Robert and I really needed to get back to work, as we were both on leave without pay. I think Ann would like to have stayed, but the only way she could was to hand over the Suburban to Robert and I, then fly home on her own.

Well we settled on a homeward bound trip for that Sunday after church. We were supposed to stop by Debra's for an early dinner and then head out, but we opted for a earlier departure.

That Sunday we hit the hospital for our goodbyes to Mer. When we arrived to our surprise Mer had been down-graded and moved to a less intense ward. GOD IS GOOD!
Here it was our GIFT! Mer was sitting in a chair, still bound, but wide awake!

For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
2 Corinthians 8:11-13

LOVE YOU MER

The Gift (continued one more time)

Well I was sick, the good old ROTA virus got me!

Jazmin finished up my hair cut and Glory made a small list of items to pick up from Mom's, because we had decided that it would be better if I kept the germs at Glory's.

The two of them headed over to Mom's for the family dinner and I sat in the TV room waiting for my niece Debra to visit. She had been fasting at the time so she really didn't want to be around food.

Debra showed up and we had a wonderful, one on one chat session, catching up on each others families etc... When Glory and Jaz came back, they brought Deb's kids with them and they set out for home.

I put my PJs on and Jazmin, being a sweetheart, gave up her bed for me. The night was a long one, being that I was up several times visiting the bathroom. Usually running through the dark. Thank goodness I knew the lay out of my sisters house!

The next morning I got up and joined my sister in her room while she showered and dressed for the day. I still felt like crud, so when she left to go to the hospital I stayed in her bed and napped the morning away.

Later that afternoon she called to check on me and then I moved to the TV room to watched trash television. Glory soon came home and warmed up some left-overs for me. And YEAH! I kept them down!

We decided I was well enough to attend the family dinner that evening and that's where we were off to. When I got there I just crawled into bed until Mom woke from a dead sleep. I forced myself to get up and join the family on the couch., where I could visit with everyone. I couldn't eat though, YUCK!

Thank Goodness, by the next morning I had fully recovered, showered, ate and got back on the Merrym tread mill.

Worship the Lord your God, and his blessings will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you,
Exodus 23:25


Love You Mer

The Gift (Continued Again & Again)

After we dressed up the tree Court took off for work and I headed back to the waiting room where I asked Jazmin if she would like to go to the hospital chapel with me. We walked a few steps down the hall and entered a small, bright, yet chilly room. There were a lot of books and information pamphlets on the shelves and ten or so simple chairs had been set up in front of a podium.

We stood at the podium where there were small sheets of paper with questions on them. We each filled out one, the questions were something like:
Who do you request prayer for?
What is their illness?
What would you like God to do in this difficult time?

We then dropped them in a box that said deposit prayer requests here. As I let mine slip from my finger tips, I silently prayed, "Dear God, heal her and take away her suffering. Amen."

Now at this time there was a huge H1N1 scare going around the country, so the hospital was very touchy about allowing ANY children past the lobby. But Courtney and Michelle seemed to know how to slip by. They always got caught later and asked to remove the kids from the waiting room.

On about Thursday Glory's Grandson had gotten ill at school so Glory, being the supportive Grandma that she is, picked him up from school early. She needed to come by the hospital for some reason and called me to say she would have Chase with her. When Robert heard this he blew a gasket directly at me! I told him that I wasn't in charge of Glory and the hospital would take care of it. He just continued to fume at me. All about how germs could go in and out of Mer's room and that Chase needed to stay away. I reminded him that on any given day any one of us could carry germs in and that Chase wasn't allowed past the lobby anyway.

It became a ridiculous fight that I thought I didn't deserve to be involved in. I was so angry at Robert for taking it out on me, that I stayed in Mer's room for a very long time. When Glory did arrive, (without Chase) I shared Robert's issue with her, telling her I was so upset that I couldn't be in the same room with him or I'd bite his head off! She calmed me down and we decided that I would go to her house, where Jazmin would cut my hair and then we'd just hang out.

The three of us, Glory, Jazmin and I, took off. Jazmin set me up for a hair cut and we all discussed our day. In the middle of the cut I announced, "Hey, I don't feel so hot. If I jump up and run to the bathroom you'll know why."
Snip, snip, comb, comb. Up I jumped and headed like a bullet for the bathroom, where I barely made it before losing my lunch. UGH! NO WAY! I CAN'T BE SICK! I JUST CAN'T!

The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?"
Exodus 2:13

Love You Mer

The Gift (Continued Again)

We hurried down the corridors to get to her room and as we passed the other patients rooms we could see looks of fear and horror on their faces as if to say. "OH DEAR GOD, what are they doing to that woman?!"

As we crossed the threshold to her prison, we saw Mer thrashing around best she could with her restraints on and making unintelligible, very loud noises! But she was not awake.

I threw my belongings in a chair and grabbed the sheet she had kicked off and covered her for modesty reasons. She calmed when she heard our soothing words, telling her it was OK we we're here now. Touching her helped her relax, so I squeezed her hand and began massaging her fingers.

This was going to be one long suffering day for each and everyone of us.

Courtney, Glory and I decided she needed music. This would sooth her and keep her mind busy. So Glory ran home and grabbed a CD player. Courtney rounded up a couple Christmas CDs and brought them in. We played them for her which seemed to keep her calm, cool and collect.

She did still have her moments though. Through out the day she still, yelled, screamed, kicked and thrashed herself to exhaustion. At one point we had all gone back to the waiting room to rest when all of a sudden, down that hall and around that corner came Mer's voice shouting in a scary, raspy horror movie voice, PEEEEEEGGYYYYY!
We all looked at each other with bugged out eyes and then burst out in belly busting laughs. I stood up and said, "Well I guess I'm being paged!"

I quickly skated into her room so she wouldn't continue to disturb the other patients. She was still not aware of the on going world around her. I just adjusted her sheet, fluffed up the pillow behind her head, repositioned the one under her butt and decided to put lotion on her very dry cracked puffed up feet.

The nurse came in with a very young soft spoken CNA and explained that her load that night would be very full and so she was required to have the CNA set in the room with Mer to keep an eye on her. That sounded great to me since Mer was having such bad withdrawals.

I went back and told the family. I also decided that when Mer did wake that she should have a little Christmas in her room. So I took off to Wallmart and bought her a small iridescent tree and Courtney and I decorated it with small family pictures.
Courts were of the grand-kids and mine were some that my daughter Brittney had asked me to bring to Aunt Merrym of her two children. I remember Britt saying tearfully on the phone very heart broken, "Mom I want her to see Marcus, she has never had the chance to meet him." How could that not twist your heart in a knot?

My Sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
Psalm 51:17

Love You Mer

The Gift ( continued XII)

We were then shuffled down the hall to our 3rd waiting room. This one was definitely three steps down from the first two. We squeezed into a small, cold and drafty square, with very uncomfortable chairs and a monster flat screen on the wall.

Now on this unit we were allowed to see Mer as we pleased. She had been placed as usual, right across the hall from the nurses station.

We decided to let Mer get settled in so we went back to Mom's for the evening. But the next morning we were at it again. Mom stayed home this time, but we were joined by the usual crew plus Glory's oldest granddaughter 'Chatty Cathy', Jazmin.

I immediately walked through this small unit to Mer's room and was slapped in the face by shock. Mer was unconscious, no not sleeping but completely out! I didn't realize this might be a part of how her body might respond to detox.

I stepped through the doorway and went around the bed. As I grabbed her bound hand I was alarmed again! Her hands were bloated to the size of an inflated latex glove! There was an IV connected to keep her hydrated. There was a tube secured to her nose, this was so they could feed her. She was having difficulties swallowing normally, caused by yanking the inflated respirator out.

My brother Robert followed me in, got right up to her pale, freckled face and said, "Hi baby."
Mer's eyes flickered quickly, and she responded back in a raspy whisper, "Hi baby."

This brought joyful tears to the rims of our eyes. I massaged her swollen hands which felt so tight and hard I thought the skin would burst open at any minute. She lay there in her deep, unwanted slumber as I snatched up a comb and tugged the snarls out of her short mop. Robert left as I rubbed her forehead and chatted softly at her.

The Dr. for this unit came in to check on her and introduced himself to me. He explained a few things and went about his morning rounds. Then in floated her nurse. A sweet woman with a marvelous British accent, who called Merrym honey.

I had a hard time leaving the room, but I knew I needed a break, so I switched out with one of my other siblings. We all took our turns doing rounds with Mer. Now they weren't picky about who visited, they just had to be over the age of 14.

While we sat in our drafty holding pen, Ann and Karen would work on a Christmas search and find book together. Bill would wonder in and out to smoke. Gaylia, Bill's wife would crochet Christmas wash rags for each of us. I brought my bills in and paid them. Robert, Glory and Jazmin chatted. Ace and Michelle came and went. Courtney would show up before her work shift and visit as long as she could.

By 5pm we were spent and Mer still unconscious, so we headed back to Mom's.

Each day, although Mer was slowly recovering, her body and mind would go through some very vocal and physical laboring.

That next day when we entered the hospital and walked towards the one on one unit, we could hear Mer yelling, YES YELLING! At the top of her lungs...

When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."
Genesis 39:15


Love You Mer

The Gift (continued XI)

I snuck back to my Mom's room and snuggled into my pajamas as soon as dinner was over. Bed time couldn't come early enough that night.

That next overcast morning we got up, ate a simple breakfast, showered and slid on over to Ogden Regional. We wanted to be there by 9am, knowing that this was about the time the Dr. would be checking in on Mer, so if we could, we would send someone back to listen in again.

Today was the first day Mom had made it to the hospital and she really wanted to see her baby girl bad! Now my Mom was 82 at the time and she is one tough bird, but at the same time fragile and gets very tired easily, so we knew as soon as she was done that someone would have to take her back home.

We met up in the larger ICU waiting room which was right across the hall from the one we were in the day before. It was decorated just as nice except no TV. Yeah! The TV bugged me, all it did was flicker at us from the background. No one ever watched it.

On this morning we gathered together with Glory, Karen, Cortney, her brother Asab, his girlfriend Michelle and their baby Merryck. Our oldest brother Bill and his wife Gaylia had driven in the night before and were sitting on the couch across from us.
Now all the Siblings were there. Amazing, since we all hadn't been together for about 12 or so years, at my Mom's 70th I think.

When it was my turn to visit Mer I went in with Ace. Same routine, call from the red phone, tell the voice on the other end of the phone how you are related to Mer, sanitize your hands and wait to be buzzed in.

In most ICU units, as it was at Ogden Regional, they only allow parents, siblings and the patients children above the age of 14 or so. But some how the day before Auduria and Debra got back to see Mer long enough to lay on hands and pray for her, before they got the third degree. They told the nurse that they were Mer's nieces and were just as close to her as her siblings. They had literally grown up with her. I don't think the nurse was impressed one iota. She firmly told them that rules are rules.

When Ace and I got back there Mer was in a chipper mood and wanted Ace, who has some very nice pipes, to serenade her. He acted embarrassed but said, "OK Momma what do you want me to sing?" Hey don't ask me what she told him, remember I can't read Mer's lips worth beans. Ace broke into a beautiful acapella. This brought a smile to Mer's face that couldn't be measured. As soon as Ace was done Mer would quickly mouth, "Again! Again!" He repeated it. What a truly awesome thing for me to watch, this mother being so sweetly comforted by her grown son's endearing gift of music.

We then talked to her, me about our crazy trip to get to Utah and Ace about being on his off week, so he could be there for Mom as much as needed.

We were then shuffled out until the next haunting hour.

I think it was Glory who listened in on the staff meeting that day and shared with the rest of us the plans for Mer's day at the hospital. Mer was graduating from ICU. Hallelujah! She would be placed in the one on one nurseing unit, just down the hall and around the corner. They were now ready to completely detox her system and start fresh on the drugs Mer actually needed. Mer's dosages had gotten out of hand, especially the pain killers.

We were very excited, but also nervous. Detox? Hum? Mer was headed down a long difficult tunnel that would weigh very heavy on each and everyone of us emotionally.

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
Genesis 28:15

Love You Mer

The Gift (continued X)

I seeped out the automatic doors passing Courtney going back in to see her mom.
I said, "Hey, your mom keeps trying to tell me something. I just can't figure it out."
"I'll ask her." Court said.

I continued to mosey back to the waiting room, where I repeated everything the Dr. had shared. Everyone was pleased, we thanked God and then Debra and Audura bundled up and took off for the day.

Now when Courtney returned she was laughing at me.
"Aunt Peggy." She giggled, "All Mom wanted was a pillow under her butt!"
I laughed too and replied, "Oh, it was PILLOW! PILLOW! She was mouthing. Dang! I will never be good at reading lips when I go deaf!"

The thing is, as Merrym has shared before, her stump is so tiny, basically skin and bone, and there is no buttock left on that side, so her body is majorly off kilter. Especially when she is lying flat on her back, which she was. This arches and strains her back, so a pillow in that area is much needed.

Now those of us who stayed at the hospital for the next few hours took turns visiting Mer and planned a family dinner. We decided that it would be easier for us all if we just met up at Mom's house to eat. Glory would bring a large main course over. Her and Robert would prepare it. The others could just bring a simple side dish etc.

By about 5pm we took off, knowing that they were not going to allow us to meander in and out of ICU all night, since Mer was not on her death bed any longer. Ann, Robert and I drove to Mom's, which was about 20 minutes away. By this time it was pitch black out, very cold and snowing.

Mom was extremely glad to see us, hugging and kissing each of us as we entered her abode. We stomped the compact snow off our boots while she went over our sleeping arrangements. Silly Mom, we already knew the routine!
Ann would take the extra bedroom that mom likes to call, 'Ann's room' ???
Robert would take the hide-a-bed, and I would share Mom's queen size bed.

While Ann and I settled in, Robert, who loves to cook, took charge of the kitchen. Glory showed up a few minutes later with some food donated from her church. The two of them prepared it, while extended family flowed through the door.
We ate, visited and prayed. Mer never left our thoughts.

When Job's three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zopher the Naamathite heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him.
 Job 2:11

Love You Mer

The Gift (continued IX)

We walked through the automatic doors into the ICU where a large nurses station sat to our right and the large glass cubicles to our left. Mer's was the very first one.

We stood in the corridor area with three nurses and the ICU Dr., listening very intently to his orders for Mer's day. She was doing so much better, but moving her from ICU was still not an option.

When the Dr. was done giving orders he asked if Courtney or I had any questions. I asked how her kidneys might be affected from now on. He was optimistic since they were back to 'normal' function at this time. Court asked if they were going to put Mer back in a nursing home when she left the hospital. This was always Mer's biggest nightmare. The Dr. told her that was too far down the road to discuss.

We then split up, the staff went about their duties, Courtney left the ICU to make a call or something and I went into Merrym's stark white existence.

There she was lying on the stiff, bleak hospital bed. Her hair had been bleached out to a platinum blonde, which washed her pale face out all the more. I don't know where her glasses were but she had this tiny sci-fi looking TV apparatus smack dab in her face so she could see it.

She smiled as big as her overtired face would allow her. I walked up to the head of her bed hugged her as tightly as I could and kissed her head, faking a smile, as I stuffed back the tears.

Trying to speak to me was very frustrating, as nothing, not even a whisper would come out. Her voice box had been severely damaged from her yanking the respirator out. Now they didn't trust her at all even though she didn't need it anymore. They had her hands bound tightly to each side of the bed. This saddened me, but then again her safety was my first concern.

She continued to try and tell me something, mouthing one word over and over, but ever since her stroke her lips didn't quite move the same. I just couldn't read her lips, so I told her to finger spell it in sign language. This didn't do any good either, the restraints got in the way. So, we played the guessing game.

Me, "You want something?"
Mer nodded, "Yes."
Me, "Potty?"
Mer shook her head, "No."
Me, "Eat? You want to eat?"
Mer mouthed, "NO!"
Me, "The nurse? You need the nurse?"
Mer mouthed harder."NO!!"
I laughed out of pure frustration for the both of us.
"Mer." I said, "I'm sorry I'm a total geek, I just don't get what it is you want."
I chatted her up for a few more minutes when a nurse appeared and said, "Times up, sorry she needs to rest."

I hugged her, kissed her cheek and told her someone else would be in later to see her.Then walked slowly out of her starkness.

So the King asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of the heart."
Nehemiah 2:2

Love You Mer

The Gift ( Continued VIII)

As we drove out of the slick parking lot I asked Ann, "Did you notice anything about that desk clerk just now?"
"No." She answered.
"Ann, I swear that was the same woman from last night! If It wasn't, it was her identical twin and she's was totally playing us!" I said.
"Well now that you mention it, she did look familiar." Ann commented. "Weird!"

"So I say no to the free coupons for the breakfast buffet. We don't have time and just our luck, we'll end up with food poisoning!" Ann announced. "Let's just get gas and get outta Dodge!"
"Amen to that sister!" Robert yelped.

We headed to the nearest gas station, which was just next door and I tried to pump.
"AHHHH!" I yelled. "What the heck is going on?! It's going super slow!"
"Try another pump." Ann suggested.
I did. Saying a prayer as I pumped. YES IT WORKED!
We filled up and zoomed out of Mountain Home as fast as the Suburban would take us.

"I'm never stopping there again!" I squealed.
"What a night!" Followed Robert.

"We'll stop for some fast food as soon as I see a road sign." said Ann.

We took an exit about a half hour later and went through the McDonald's drive through. Ann ordered three egg McMuffins, hash browns and orange juice.
I politely reminded her that she was allergic to eggs.
She said, "Ya I know, but I haven't had any issues with them just lately."
"Okee Dokee! Don't say I didn't tell you so." I laughed.

Robert paid and we headed back to the freeway.
We ate and chatted trying to stay focused on our journey.
But before the next gas stop IT hit!
Yup, Ann was still allergic to eggs!
From then on we stopped about every half hour at the closest bathroom. Poor Ann! Not fun!

We finally arrived in the Ogden area and Ann was fooling around with her GPS on her phone while driving in the snow. It scared me to death and I grabbed it reading it out loud to her. She was confused as to what exit to take. I know this sounds silly, but it's like exit 32nd St N or exit 32nd St. So even though we've taken this exit hundreds of times, it's hard to remember. So I called Glory who gave us the correct information and directed us to the hospital, since it was new to us.

We arrived mid morning or so, at a small Catholic Hospital on the south side of Ogden. We drove around the hospital looking for the front entrance, but alas another call went out to Glory.

Finally we parked and went into a beautifully decorated lobby. Christmas was in the air, but we weren't feeling it. We followed the signs that directed us to the ICU waiting room, where we entered a beautiful refuge with over stuffed leather couches, a large flat screen on the wall and gorgeous art work. The room was dimly lit giving off a very peaceful vibe.

Glory, her two daughters Audria and Debra, Karen and her daughter Shaunta, and Courtney were all there ebbing a somber attitude from there looks. They up-dated us on Mer's progress, which was good. She was off the respirator, conscious and stable. PRAISE GOD! But they were still nervous about moving her from ICU.

Mer's Pastor had been by to pray and comfort the family the best he could. We just huddled together to support one another.

The next visiting schedule to Mers' glass cubicle was in about a half hour and the family decided that I should go in with Courtney to listen to the Doctor and the nurses discuss Mer's orders for the day and ask any questions.

While we waited we nibbled on some homemade chocolate chip pumpkin cookies that Shaunta had brought everyone and caught up on each other. The clock finally drifted to the half hour mark.  Court and I headed down the hall to the shiny silver ICU doors. We sanitized our hands and called the ICU desk on the bright red phone hanging from the wall. The nurse asked who we were and how we were related to Mer, then buzzed us in...

Those who know your name trust you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:10

Love You Mer

The Gift (continued VII)

We suddenly heard loud talking coming from the next room. It finally registered in our over exhausted brains that it was a television show. BUT REALLY AT 2 AM?! We laughed about there actually being someone other than us staying there that night, gave up and crashed.

When out on the porch there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter! UH, Anyway, Ya!

So all of a sudden we're woke from a dead sleep to this sound, CRRRRCK! CRRRRCK!
Ann drowsily says, " What's that?"
I answered, "Don't know."
Then again CRRRRCK! CRRRRCK!
Ann says, "What time is it?"
I haphazardly found my cell phone, flicked it open and it glared at me 4 AM.
And again we hear CRRRRCK! CRRRRCK!
"I think someones burying a dead body." I said jokingly.
We all giggled but were weary of this distant strange noise.
Robert slowly dragged himself out of bed, went to the door and cracked it open.
He peeks out, CRRRRCK! CRRRRCK!
He shuts the door shaking his head from side to side.
"What?" Ann slurs sleepily.
"It's some doof scrapping the snow off the balcony!"
"At four in the morning?!" Ann asks.
"What's up with that? They could wait till like 5:30 or so UGH!"
We all just covered our heads in frustration and dozed into a fitful sleep.

6 AM came around and we were wide awake, so while Ann and Robert packed, I showered. We put our bags in the vehicle and then pulled it in front of the office. Ann and I went in with purpose written all over our faces. I looked at the woman at the desk and my eyes nearly bugged out of my head! But I didn't comment just yet.

Ann told her about all the ridiculous antics we had to deal with the night before, from the dirty room to the waiting in the cold while the desk clerk ran around like a chicken with her head cut off to the guy scrapping snow at 4 AM. She then calmly asked for a discount of some kind for our inconveniences. The woman said "Ya I heard about that, I'm sorry."
"Well I believe we deserve a discount of some kind." I chimed in.
She fumbled with her desk book and answered the phone, while we patiently waited.
"Well I can't do that." she said.
"Well we are very disappointed in the service here and will never stop at this hotel again. We will also recommend to friends and family never to stop here!" Ann said angrily.
"Um, well I can give you coupons for breakfast at the buffet behind us." She responded.
Ann took them and said "This really doesn't cover the issues!" And we walked out. As we did there was a couple in the waiting room reading pamphlets who rolled their eyes at us. We didn't care it felt good to be leaving the 'Bates Motel'....

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your GOD goes with you; HE will never leave or forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31-8

Love You Mer

The Gift (continued VI)

We pulled into a glistening, snow white blanketed, parking lot of a motel in Mountain Home Idaho. Ann jumped out and went in to register. She was back out in about five minutes. She jumped back into the vehicle and moved down a way, close to the building we would be staying in.

We grabbed our bags and followed the clerk to a outdoor stairway where we slowly lugged ourselves up to the second floor. I'm not quite sure why we had to follow the clerk, but we did. Hum?

Anyway, we walked the outside balcony area about four doors down, and while we were shivering and dusting snow out of our hair, the clerk took her key card and opened the door. We stepped into used towels all over the floor and two unmade beds! We each looked at the clerk with question marks popping out of our eyeballs! She just stood there oblivious to our reaction.

Ann said, "We just paid full price for this mess?! You better get us a clean room!"
The clerk still acted oblivious. So Ann, Robert and I stepped back out of the room.
Then Ann looked straight in the clerks face and said "Well?!"
The clerk responded, "I'm sorry, but we're booked tonight. I'm not sure we have another room."

Again Robert, Ann and I glanced at each other this time rolling our eyes. Ann's voice bust out with "WHAT?!"
The clerk said "Well there is a convention in town and my rooms are full."

Robert and I nervously giggled, because now Ann was angry. You could literally see the steam rising from the top of her head. She said "Excuse Me!? pointing to the dark lonely parking lot, where there were three cars; Our Suburban, the clerks snow covered vehicle, sitting by the office and also one other car sitting against the back fence, covered in a deep layer of snow.
The clerk nonchalantly said "Oh, well they all road a bus."
Now Ann was really not happy, "Oh I see!" She said with an attitude. "Then where's this so called bus parked?!"
The clerk just stared like some kind of 'Step-ford Wife' back at us.
"Listen it's two in the morning, we're freezing out here and getting snowed on. I paid you full price and registered for a CLEAN room. I suggest you find us one NOW!"

So the clerk walks right up to the next door and starts fiddling with the key card. Then she says "Oh I have to go get the right key card." Then takes off down the balcony.

Now the office was a whole separate building. You had to walk back across the balcony, down the stairs, and across a lengthy sidewalk to get there. She of course took her sweet time. We of course became more impatient and upset!

Miss Clerk came lallygagging back about 15 minutes later. UGH!
Ann blasted her again, letting her know how rude it was to let us stand out in these frigid temperatures for so long. The clerk acted as if she didn't hear a thing.

She rattled the key card in the same door and nothing happened, then looked at us and said, "Ya I know, I'll be right back."
Ann said with fire on her tongue, "Yeah Right Like Last Time?! We're Wet And Freezing!"

This time she seemed to walk a little faster and actually hurried back too. I think Ann was getting to her. We chuckled.

As the clerk came up to us Ann said to her, "If your rooms are full, why is no one in the two rooms you just tried?"
Miss Clerk ignored her and walked up to another doorway and actually opened the door!
Ann looked in amazement and laughingly said, "Well imagine that, a key card that works and another room with not one of those conventioneers in it!"
The clerk quickly slid the key card on a table and walked out.

The room was clean, warm, and very nice. Thank goodness! Now we could finally get settled.

We quickly jumped into our PJs and snacked on some items bought at the gas station.
After our tummies were satisfied we hit the sheets, lights out, WHEN...


I wouldn't be reduced to this blunt, letter-writing language out of sheer frustration.
Galatians 4:18

Love You Mer

The Gift (continued V)

Now it's about a 12 hour drive from Renton to Ogden, but we knew that winter weather was in our near future, so we prepared mentally for a much longer commute.

We drove, got gas, chatted, napped and listened to music. We hit snow, slush and ice in many places, but weren't bombarded until we got just out of Mountain Home Idaho.

It happened to be on my watch and the snow was coming at us full force. The time was approximately 1:30 AM and there seemed to be no shortage of early morning traffic on the road. I was trying to pass a huge semi just to get away from the spewing loads of street snow on our window, but the more I tried, the more we seemed to get buried. I was really struggling to see and keep the Suburban from fishtailing.

Ann could read the concern on my face and asked if we should just back off, find a room for the night and try it again when the sun came up. We were all in total agreement, so I took the next exit.

We came to a large gas station that just seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere. Ann and Robert went in to use the facilities and ask for directions to the nearest hotel.

It was my turn to pay for gas so I ran my card and plugged the nozzle into the tank. Now it was frigid, the snow was coming down fast and furious and my boots were standing in inches of snow. I looked up at the gas pump and it's just ever so slowly ticking by. One cent, two cents, three cents, up to about 34 cents. "Ugh! What's the deal?!" I said out loud. It felt like I had been standing there for fifteen minutes, so I walked into the counter where Ann and Robert were checking out. I asked the clerk "Is there something wrong with your pump, because it's moving slower than mud?" "No," said the clerk "It's just so cold that the pumps move super slow." Ann, Robert and I quickly glanced at each other and all said "What?" "That makes no sense! There is no way that's the real issue. People pump gas all over the country in freezing cold temperatures every day and I'm sure they don't wait around that long to get gas." I told her.

Ann just looked at me and said "Don't worry about it, we'll fill up in the morning. Let's just find a room." So I paid for my 34 cents worth of gas and we followed the directions to the hotel.

Little did we know that was just the beginning of our interesting journey through Mountain Home or as I like to call it Stephen King-ville...

You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.
Job 10:11-13

Love You Mer

The Gift (continued IV)

Robert showed up at my door within a half hour. He and I nervously jabbered while impatiently waiting for Ann. It took quite a while for her since she had sent her husband to the store to pick up some chains for the vehicle.

It was dark by the time she arrived, but no worries, we had all traveled this route hundreds of times, night, day, winter, spring, summer and fall. Robert and I tossed our belongings in the Suburban, I kissed Jim goodbye telling him I wasn't sure when we would return.

Before we hit the road we stopped at the 7-11 up the street from my house and grabbed a couple snacks. Ann drove, Robert road shotgun and I sat in the far back where I had made a bed out of the bench seat, but rest was not my friend.

I sat there very somber hearing the voices of my siblings bounce off my eardrums. Tears slowly trickled from my chin and my lips quivered. I wanted to cry, needed to cry and so, I allowed myself to indulge.

My thoughts went back again to, "Why God? Why? She has suffered ten times her share of one persons lifetime in this earth shattering battle that she is continually hammered by each day."

I also prayed for a quick journey, and my sisters survival with the least amount of suffering possible. But alas neither of those would be.

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you."
Genesis 28:15
Love You Mer