Health update

This Christmas holiday has been one of so much joy. I have received so many priceless gifts from my Savior. For about the last month, I had been praying and asking the Lord a favor. I asked that I could have the strength and endurance to celebrate this special season with my family. I told our Savior that if I could have three really good days in a row, that would be my best Christmas gift. As the weeks went on, I became more specific and asked that December 23-25, I would be able to enjoy and celebrate Christmas with my family and be able to store all those memories away to lean on in harder days to come.

I really wanted to be able to sit through all three hours of church on the Sunday before Christmas. I love the Sacrament meeting where the story of the baby Jesus is told, my heart finds such comfort and joy in the songs and my heart fills with the Spirit and I am in awe of the talks that are centered on Christ and His humble birth.

I asked to be able to go to my Dad's house on Christmas Eve and celebrate Christmas with all of the Simonton's. I love traditions and this one goes back as long as my memory can go back. I wanted to spend the evening with Thomas and Hayden and be able to enjoy the moment of excitement and love and awe in Hayden's and my nieces and nephews eyes.

Last, I wanted to be able to get up Christmas Morning and enjoy all the festivities. I wanted to be able to open gifts, enjoy watching the faces of those I love open their gifts of love. I wanted to soak in the magic of the Christmas Spirit and feel the closeness of family. I wanted so badly to just be able to enjoy each and every moment of this magical season.

My prayers were heard and answered. Sunday, December 23rd, although in quite a bit of pain, I was able to make it through the entire three hours of church for the first time in a long, long time. I basked in the Spirit and felt enlightened and uplifted with each talk and testimony shared. I felt my Savior's love so strongly in church that day. I felt His strength take over when mine began to fail. Not only was I granted my request, I was able to come home and sleep all afternoon until the Murphy's showed up and was able to enjoy time with them celebrating the birth of our Savior that evening.

On Christmas Eve day, I was able to get a lot of rest during the day and was able to go to my Dad's house and spend time with all of my family. What a precious gift. I only took one nap while there. The rest of the time I was able to play the grinch game and take part in all of the beautiful talks and festivities.

When I walked in the door from my Dad's house, I collapsed on the bed. In tears, cried out of pain and sheer exhaustion and didn't know how I was going to pull Christmas morning magic off with my sheer exhaustion. I collapsed on the bed and slept for several hours. I was able to then get up and fill stockings and put the magical and finishing touches on Christmas.

Christmas morning I woke up and was able to find the strength to stay awake and really enjoy each and every moment of Christmas morning. I was able to stay awake until every gift was unwrapped and every surprise opened up.

After the morning festivities, I crashed. I crashed hard. But, I was given everything I asked for. In fact, I was given more. My pain was releived quite significantly during Christmas break. I was able to participate in more than I ever thought possible. Other than those three days, sure, most of my memory making was from the couch, but I was able to stay awake and laugh and talk with my boys. It was truly a gift.

Being able to have those three days, just as I requested, was a true miracle in and of itself. I am so grateful for my wish being granted. I felt so much love and peace from my Savior during those days. He knew how important it was for me to be able to celebrate these three days with Thomas and Hayden.

More than that, my health improved for almost a week. I had the best week yet. It was wonderful. I talked with the guys, played a few games with them, watched movies and stayed awake, and played a few games with Hayden on the I-pad. Oh the miracle that was granted.

My health has returned back to where I was. I sleep a lot. The pain has returned. The aching and symptoms have returned. Starting Wednesday, I am back at doctors and back to the grind of trying to stop my body from literally killing itself. But, I will always be grateful for my own Christmas miracle, where I was given the strength, energy and ability to celebrate Christmas exactly how I wanted. the mercy and love of my Savior, always amazes me. Not that He can't do it, but how freely and willing He is to meet our requests, if we just ask.