Letters and miracles

I figured this might be a good way to update what has been going on in my life.....so this is an email that I got from my best friend, Natalie, who is currently in the MTC training to go to Rochester, NY:

"MCKENNA! I just got your package/letter and I haven't finished reading it yet but I am SO happy!!! I've missed you. And the pictures are amazing. My cheeks hurt from smiling already no joke. AHHH I'm writing you back tonight but it may take a while because I want to write you a real letter. I just wanted to thank you really quick for sending it! I love you best friend!

Nat

PS You were definitely right I'm in love with her dress. SO classy. I love her. And I love them! I'm so happy they're married!!! I was blabbing about you and the letter and everything and your HORRIBLE pregnant trick at the beginning to my whole district. Love you love you bye!"

Guys, I freakin' love this girl. When I read this I read it in the way I know she would be saying it out loud. Don't you love it when you just know someone well enough to do that? It is wonderful. I love her.

So anyways, I sent her pictures in the package that I sent her from my BROTHER'S WEDDING! That's right y'all, he is married and sealed forever and always to the wonderful Alyssa. I am so thankful that he found her because she is truly perfect for him. So. Good.

Aren't they precious? Yes. They are.

So they are married and happy as can be. This year I had Christmas at my parent's house and it was really nice. Of course, we had the tradition of my parents blocking the stairs so we couldn't get down to open the presents before they woke up. It was magical. The steps were covered with the cushions and pillows from the couches on the main floor of the house. Don't ask me why that is magical, it just is. Despite having the few hiccups from the Christmas celebrations, it was a really beautiful Christmas. It was simple, but I was so glad to be with my family that really...that's the kind of Christmas that we needed. Plus, it's not all about the hoopla anyways so it was nice to focus on what really matters.

Recently my grandma suffered from 2 strokes. The first one she had was about 4 weeks ago, and it was a few minor ones that affected  the left side of her body, but she was going through therapy and functioning pretty normally. 2 days before Christmas she had another stroke that almost paralyzed her whole left side. It was a lot worse than the first one. It was really hard and strange knowing that something that serious had happened to my grandma. I mean, I have had other older people, like great grandparents, get sick and struggle and pass on, but Mimi (my grandma) is the one that has been closest to my family throughout my whole childhood. It was strange thinking that this could be the end of how we knew Mimi because she has changed a lot. 

On Christmas day Chelsea, Shelby, Matt, my parents, and I went to the nursing facility that my grandma has to stay in because she can't move around herself to visit her. My aunt, uncle, and 3 cousins were there, also. It was nice to see that my whole family cares about her so much, because we really truly love her. She can still talk, but the left side of her face is numb so it is kind of a struggle for her to speak and for us to understand her. She doesn't really recognize when people are on her left side either, so we had to stand on her right side for her to register that we were there. When I talked to her she asked me if Matt was there, and it was nice to see that she remembered him. We all hugged her and told her how much we loved her and that we were praying for her...because really what do you say in that kind of a situation? I was just weirded out by the whole thing.

So we sang to her instead. My mom asked Mimi if we could sing Christmas songs with her and she said yes and she even picked some out. We sang rudolph the red nosed reindeer, silent night, hark the herald angels sing, and frosty the snowman...or at least we mumbled through frosty the snowman (we couldn't remember hardly any of the lyrics). It was one of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had. Not because we were singing rudolph or frosty, but when we sang the songs about the Savior it was beautiful. Mimi sang along with us, even though she couldn't fully. She sang with us because she truly loves the Lord and she wanted to praise him with all of her children and grandchildren. She sang even though the left side of her face was drooping and her left side of body could barely move. She sang to praise the Lord in spite of all she was going through at that point. I'm sure she was grateful that all of her children have the Lord in their life. I will admit, I totally cried. The most beautiful part was that when Mimi was singing, I looked down at her left foot, and she was tapping it along to the beat of each of the songs that we sang. It was a miracle. I love the Lord, and little moments like that. Who knew that being able to tap your foot along with Silent Night would be such a miracle? Thank you Heavenly Father, thank you for all that you have blessed me with.

In lighter news, and referring to what Natalie was saying in her email that she sent me...in her letter that I wrote to her I started it out with this gem:

"Natalie!

Guess what! I'M PREGNANT! okay, just kidding. I just wanted to start the letter of with a shock so that I would have you hooked for the rest of the letter."

She loved it. I will probably fit the "i'm pregnant" line somewhere in all of the letters that I write to her. I think that is a wonderful idea.