The Passing of a GREAT man...

Very early Saturday morning November 27th my grandfather, David Harrison Yazell passed away at the age of 87 years old. We knew it was coming but it doesn't make it easier. The day before, Brian and I drove to Sedona Arizona for the day and he proposed about 12 hours before my grandfather passed away. I got a call at about 5:00 in the morning Saturday from my mom and she said he passed peacefully in his sleep. Much of the day Brian and I were gone I was on the phone. There were a lot of tears. In fact I cried most of the drive home. I had my step grandma tell my grandfather that I loved him very much. I don't know if he could hear her because he had not woken up in days and was on the maximum amount of morphine. I just needed him to know that it was ok and he was very loved. My grandfather was an example to me from a young age. He taught me love, honor, and what a good man/husband should be. He told me about 11 years ago during a personal trial of mine that he knew I would find the man that would take me to the temple. That man (Brian) proposed to me 12 hours before "Gramper" passed away. He has comfort I'm sure that I met that right man, that I'm very happy, and that I'm living the way the Lord would have me live. Brian was even mentioned in my grandfathers obituary as my fiance.

My entire family and I went to Albuquerque for his funeral. It was everything he would have wanted. My grandfather was a Marine for 10 years so he had a very special service at the grave site. The United States Marine Corp. was there. There was an American flag draped over his casket, a Marine played 'Taps', and there were U.S. and Marine Corp. flags by the opening of his grave. My grandfather was shot during World War II and when I went to visit him this past summer he told me things he never spoke about. I was also very comforting to him. He would often call for me and liked it when I prepared his meals. He had severe Alzheimer's. One day he became very upset so I held his hand and told him everything was going to be ok. He was so glad I was there and he calmed down much like a child. I then gave him chocolate and he thought that was the best thing! Chocolate made him smile and he had the best smile in the world. Now I have great comfort in knowing that he is with his loving wife Elizabeth (my grandmother)! He actually passed away 20 years and 4 hours exactly after my "Grander". It was even checked with her death certificate. My mom said, "She probably said to him that he was 4 hours late for their date!". She waited long enough for him. It is amazing that he died exactly 20 years after her and in the same house. We all had a feeling it would happen right after Thanksgiving just like my grandmother. He is so missed but I will be with him again someday and I am very thankful for that. Here are some pictures I would like to share. Most of the pictures taken are too personal/private to share but I have some good ones still. There are dates on some pictures and the dates are wrong so just ignore them.

The last time I saw my grandfather. Summer of 2010.

'Memories of his life' table in the viewing room before his funeral. The large book in front is a scrapbook I made of his life from beginning to end. The red hat was his Marine (Semper Fi) hat that he wore often. That was laid in his casket right before it was closed.

Arriving at the cemetery. The Marines saluted my grandfathers arrival. It would have made him proud. What a great honor.

The Marines in attendance:

The Marines raised the flag above his casket right before the playing of 'Taps' and kept it raised throughout.

Marine playing 'Taps'. It was beautiful. I audio/video recorded the entire ceremony but that is kept just between family.

The Marines folded the flag then they both saluted it.

The Marine got on one knee and thanked my grandfather for his service in the Marine Corp. He gave the flag to my step grandma then saluted one last time. It was like a farewell salute to my grandfather.

After placing the casket in its resting place. He is now next to his loving wife.

After leaving the cemetery we went back to the church to eat. Some people from the church prepared food for our family. We also ordered the cake we had for my grandpa at his 85th birthday party. Chocolate of course! He always said that when he turned 90 he got to have it again. Well, we had to have it a little earlier than that.

In Loving Memory of David Harrison Yazell
October 16, 1923-November 27, 2010

ENGAGED!!!!

The day after Thanksgiving Brian and I drove up to Sedona for the day. The drive was beautiful. We saw leaves of all different colors and some snow. We had a great day looking around and the weather was perfect. At the end of the day he said he did not want to deal with traffic so we got on a dirt road that would take us to a different freeway. It was 11 miles of dirt road. We pulled up to a spot to park for a scenic view. He said we had to hike a bit up this rocky mountain and I thought he was crazy, but he said the view was worth it. I made it 2/3 of the way up and had to take a brake. Brian said he would go the rest of the way up to find the best way. While he did that I took some pictures because I could already see a great view. He came back down to get me and we went up to the top. It was not that bad actually. Once we got up there he got down on one knee and proposed to me while the sun was starting to set and there was a gorgeous view. Also, the reason he really went up the first time was because he saw some people at the top and he told them what he was about to do. He asked them to video tape it and gave them his camera. I was excited to learn after we kissed that they video taped the entire thing! I am not posting it because it is very personal and we are only sharing it with family but trust me it is awesome! They told me to hang on to him because he is so romantic and one of the guys gave Brian a high 5 and they were all super excited for us. They then left and gave us some time alone. It was a great day but a very emotional day. I know my grandfather always wanted me to find my true eternal mate and now I have. That day I actually spent quite a bit of time on the phone because my grandfather was about to pass away and I cried a lot. Then 12 hours after Brian proposed, my grandfather passed away. I will talk more about that in my next blog post, but I am happy that my grandfather knows I am with the right man. Brian treats me the way I deserve to be treated and he respects me! We are still planning on getting married on Friday July 8th and in the Mesa LDS temple. We are planning already and have decided our wedding party. We are looking at reception halls and wedding cakes. We are trying to do as much as possible while we are off school. My last semester of school/internship will be busy enough without planning a wedding. I'm super excited and will keep everyone updated. Here are pics from our day in Sedona:

House seen from church we went to:

House is almost complete. It's amazing. That is a guest house to the left:

Brian sitting outside a church we went to. So handsome!:

Inside a church in Sedona. It was beautiful:
Beautiful! Inside door to church:
Brian and I! I had no idea he was going to propose in a few hours:
I took this pic when I was 2/3 up the rock mountain before Brian proposed:
A pic taken at the very top after Brian proposed. It was breathtaking:
On the way home. It was quite cold:
I forgot to mention that for Thanksgiving this year I made the pecan pie. My mom was out of town and I spent the day with Brian's family. I made the pie from scratch for the first time by myself. It was my Great-Grandmothers recipe passed down through the generations:
Time for the oven. I was proud and scared at the same time:
DONE!!! The crust got a little messed up and it doesn't look as pretty as my grandmothers did or my mothers does, but it was tasty:

My 2010 status profile...

Here is a random profile of status updates from 2010 on Facebook. Fun to look back at some of them. Facebook had a program that put this together. Click on it to make bigger.

Fibromyalgia...

I am in a severe Fibromyalgia flare right now so I thought it would be appropriate to share some things. I came across a video a few weeks ago that was very interesting about Fibromyalgia and chronic pain. It is a long video but worth watching. If you know anyone with Fibromyalgia or chronic pain you should watch this video. Since you are reading this blog post you most likely know me so that means you should be watching this video!! I worry often that since fibro can't be seen, people think I am being lazy, overreacting, making excuses, or complaining too much. Those are usually people that are not educated about fibro and what I am actually experiencing. There are many many people with fibro that are on disability and in bed on a daily basis. I am thankful I am not that severe. I try not to complain and then people think I am doing ok. Most do not know what my life is really like. I just want to educate as I am sitting here with leg pain, knee pain, hip pain, side pain, rib/sternum pain, arm pain, back pain, and a migraine. The "fibro fog" is so bad I had to email my professor to have her explain a sentence in a paper I have to write. It took me 20 minutes to write it. I don't understand anything that I understood a few days ago. I can't spell (thank goodness for spell check). My professor is giving me an extension on the paper if I need it even though it isn't due until December 8th. She is educated about fibro and totally understands. That is great! Being too active, not getting enough sleep (I have a sleep disorder), and stress are major triggers for a fibro flare. My sister and step dad have chronic pain so some of the video relates to them as well but it focuses on Fibromyalgia.

You can click on the video to get to it directly on youtube if you want to see it in fullscreen.

The Keeper of the Stars...

I have a little more than one month of school left this semester! It has been a whirl wind of a semester. A lot of things have happened....

• Starting an internship has been super exciting and of course stressful. I love it though. It is hard balancing school and an internship but I'm starting to get the hang of it.
• I managed having cancer and all the scary waiting for test results after each test.
• I got through IV treatments following which I vomited in my car on the way home. It made me quite ill.
  
• I was in the hospital more times than I can count having every test done known to man. You know that when the pain is so bad that Dilaudid (10x stronger than morphine) is used instead of morphine that they knew I was in horrible pain. I get through it! I have such a great support system.
• Charlie developed a very large mass on his belly area and had to have major surgery. He is still healing and has been doing great but he is hanging in there. Both the vet and the pathologist had never seen anything like it before. It was not cancer though!
• Through all this I have been able to maintain my straight A status in school! Don't ask me how. I guess I would just have to say, day by day. I just registered for my last semester of school. Graduation in May! WOO HOO
  
• Also through it all I have had my awesome Brian! He is my rock. Through all the hospital trips I was constantly telling him not to come or to leave when he would show up. I was worried I was going to end up being a burden to him or that he was going to be tired of me being sick all the time. Been there done that. He made it very clear that it would never happen. He would find out where I was and show up and made me promise I wouldn't go to an IV treatment or to the hospital without him again. He has stayed and taken care of me, he has slept on the couch, and even stayed up all night just to check on me.
  
• So Brian and I have an unofficial UN announcement. HA HA Most of you know this anyway. Brian and I are not officially engaged because he has not gotten down on one knee yet (though I expect it in the near future). However, we have tentatively talked about getting married on Friday July 8th at the Mesa, Arizona Temple! Our anniversary is May 8th so the 8th part will be easy to remember and July 8th is on a Friday. We want to get married on a Friday morning. It will be hot outside for pictures so the earlier the better. We will also have time to spend with family on Saturday. For those unable to attend the temple ceremony we will have a ring ceremony before the reception Friday night. We are hoping to go to Prescott Arizona for our honeymoon. We just totally changed our plans on this a few weeks ago. There is a nice Marriott there with gorgeous views and rooms with fireplaces. It will be nice and cool up there during July and great to get out of the heat. One of the coolest things is that Brian's wonderful mother offered me her wedding and engagement rings. Brian's mom and Dad were married for almost 25 years until Brian's father passed away 5 years ago. Brian's mom is now remarried. I am incredibly touched and honored to be able to wear those rings that represent his parents love.
  
• WOW this is getting long. Not blogging for so long and being overly stressed is making me go nuts on here! Finally, the song that Brian and I will most likely dance our first dance as husband and wife to (yes we have a lot planned for not be "engaged")! :) The words are at the bottom for those of you who get a headache from country music (Sisser).
  

Tracy Byrd--The Keeper of the Stars

It was no accident me finding you
Someone had a hand in it
Long before we ever knew
Now I just can't believe you're in my life
Heaven's smilin' down on me
As I look at you tonight

I tip my hat to the keeper of the stars
He sure knew what he was doin'
When he joined these two hearts
I hold everything
When I hold you in my arms
I've got all I'll ever need
Thanks to the keeper of the stars

Soft moonlight on your face oh how you shine
It takes my breath away
Just to look into your eyes
I know I don't deserve a treasure like you
There really are no words
To show my gratitude

So I tip my hat to the keeper of the stars
He sure knew what he was doin'
When he joined these two hearts
I hold everything
When I hold you in my arms
I've got all I'll ever need
Thanks to the keeper of the stars

It was no accident me finding you
Someone had a hand in it
Long before we ever knew

This weekend is actually going to be one of my busiest I've had all semester until finals. I needed a little me time while Brian worked on some homework. He made dinner tonight as well. Well, he put a salad in a bowl for us. I made steak and corn bread last night, but he did do the dishes two days in a row. We make a great team. Good night.

Random...

Can't sleep again because of pain so its a good time to do a blog post. Have to be up in 5 hours for an ultrasound to see what these painful masses are in my side/abdomen. Hopefully they are not related to the cancer. I'm using positive thinking! :) "Cancer cannot destroy peace, suppress memories, silence courage, conquer the spirit, kill friendship, corrode faith, or cripple love".

This was on my desk last week at work:

I feel so welcomed at my internship which is good because I am super busy and support is great. School and work together has been insane, but adding cancer, surgical procedure (with complications), and severe pain to the mix and you get stress city. I have amazing family, friends, and boyfriend that get me through each day. Brian even bought me 2 dozen pink roses for no reason, other than he loves me. They were the prettiest roses ever!

Truths For Mature Humans



1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.



2. There is nothing worse than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.



3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.



4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.



5. How the heck are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?



6. Was learning cursive really necessary?



7. Map Quest really needs to start their directions on # 5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.



9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.



10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.



12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page technical report that I swear I did not make any changes to.



14. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

15. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

16. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.



17. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

18. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.



19. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

20. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to pr event a jerk from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!



21. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.



22. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.



23. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

24. The first testicular guard, the "Cup," was used in Hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for men to realize that their brain is also important.



Ladies.....Quit Laughing.

Internship/concert,etc...

My internship is so great. I really like the people I work with and the center is so nice. It is such a great learning experience for me! Mondays are long (8-8) but I work less the rest of the week and have more time during other days to do homework. I did about 15 hours of homework yesterday alone. The joys of being a senior with an internship!!! :) As requested by my sister, here are some more pictures of my office.

My computer and AWWW I have a picture of Brian and I!:

My phone. Yes I have my own extension and voicemail, but don't call me LOL:

See I actually have all real walls except one cubical wall. So nice! It looks kind of bare. I have more things hung up now.:

Love Generously, Praise Loudly, Live Fully:

Look I even have 2 windows!!!:

My Dad after getting home from the hospital. He had knee replacement surgery. I won't share the pic my step-mom sent me of his knee and the staples.:

Went to the Switchfoot and Goo Goo Dolls concert!:

Goo Goo Dolls! They were freakin AWESOME:

A drunk woman hit mine and my neighbors mail boxes. She only stopped because my mail box got stuck under her car and she couldn't drive.

She drove all the way through my neighbors yard and almost hit both of their cars.

Quote of the day: "As you grow older, you discover that you have two hands: One for helping yourself, the other for helping others".
I am considered now a "Professional Social Worker", which is a fancy way of saying that I am working as a social work student in the professional field. This quote means a lot to me!