Our Mom the Hero

Emily, Brooke and Shellie have had something planned to give/show Becki for a little while now, but wanted to wait for the perfect time. Well, since this last week has been so horrid for Becki they figured now was just as good of a time as any.

WE LOVE YOU, MOM!

**Also, a few updates. We found out this afternoon that Becki has engrafted!! Wahoo! That means she is starting to create white blood cells. The doctor also said that whatever is infected or growing in her intestines is getting better, and now with a few white blood cells we should be able to wipe this infection out in no time. They are also hoping to have Becki return back home by the end of the week.

To fill in some details...

The doctors discovered that the night Becki was sent to the ICU she went into septic shock. They could tell because she wasn't able to get any air, her blood pressure wouldn't rise despite how much liquid they had given her, and she has an infection in her lower intestines and colon.
They ended up giving her 17 liters of liquids and antibiotics to get her through that first night. Wow that is a lot of fluid! Her IV stand looked like a Christmas tree.
Becki is also stuggling with her mucositis which is painful inflammation and sores all through the esophagus and digestive tract. This made it almost impossible for her to swallow ANYTHING. She has been receiving all her nutrition through her IV. They are hoping to give her some chicken broth by about Tuesday. Now doesn't that sound exciting??
All in all, it was a very scary night, but things are looking much better. She is definintely on the mend. Emily stays with her from about 7 am to 7 pm and then Kim takes the 7 pm to 7 am shift. Now all 3 of them (Kim, Becki, and Emily) are a little loopy since none of them are getting too much sleep. The rest of the family feels helpless, but we are all unable to go around Becki at this time. The risks of getting her sick are too high. We are so grateful that Emily and Kim are healthy and able to help so much. Within the next couple of days, Becki's new stem cells should begin to engraft and create some white blood cells to help fight off this infection. Everytime I talk to her she says she is feeling a little better than the day before. We are hoping that it keeps continuing that way!

Christmas in the hospital

Early Christmas morning Kim took Becki up to the hospital because she was running a fever and feeling really awful, even more so than normal. They pumped her full of liquids to try to hydrate her and put her on antibiotics. Her blood pressure was really low, but generally when she receives the hydration her levels come back up. Around 8 o'clock in the evening she was admitted to the ICU because her blood pressure was still too low (it dropped to 71), she was having excruciating abdominal pain, heart palpitations, and troubles breathing. The doctors thought maybe her body was rejecting the bone marrow transplant or that she might have an infection in her intestines.  Kim immediately called Brett and Ryan to come give her a priesthood blessing. Afterwards the doctors did a CT scan and some other tests, but we are still waiting to hear an official result.  As of this morning her blood pressure is back up to 125. She is feeling much better and was even able to get a few hours of sleep. The doctors have told us that this is all somewhat normal. Her body is at the lowest point it will be at with absolutely no immune system to help out. They are keeping close tabs on her and should be moving her back to the BMT (bone marrow transplant) wing later today or tomorrow.  Boy are we grateful for the priesthood!! Please continue to keep Becki in your prayers. We appreciate all your love and support and hope you had a Merry Christmas.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS

This year for Christmas Becki asked Brooke to put together a little note or something to give to all our extended family since Christmas shopping was going to be a little hard to do. The message really applies to much more than family though, so we wanted to share this with everyone. Merry Christmas!!

Christmas is a joyful time of year
For friends and family oh so dear

Parties, gifts and food galore
It always leaves us wanting more

We shop and cook and stress and run
Oh isn’t Christmas just so much fun?

But this year has been a different one
It feels as though things have come undone.

As you all know, Becki has been ill
We have a hard time even believing it’s real.

The first rounds of chemo and transplant are in the past.
There are rough days ahead, but we know they won’t last.

It’s hard to get Christmas shopping done while laying in bed
So I hope you will accept this poem as your gift instead.

Becki is not even allowed to roam
Anywhere but the bedroom end of her home.

She is fighting hard and being strong
And wanted to pass this message along.

We need to take the time to think
About the true meaning of Christmas and the joy it brings

Jesus is the reason we create such a fuss
Can you believe how much he has done for us?

We can’t wait till that blessed date
When we all jump for joy and celebrate.

That Becki is better and all is well
And then this will be just a story to tell.

So while we are waiting, remember oh please
Just how much you mean to our family.

The Stevens’ family would like to say
Thanks for your prayers, we feel their power everyday!

Our hearts are filled with so much love
We give many thanks to our Lord above.

So let the Savior and his love reign.
Merry Christmas till we see you again.

The Transplant

As Becki mentioned below, she had her first transplant last Friday. The transplant itself consists of about three hours of an IV alternating between the stem cells and some saline for hydration. As far as we could tell, things went well. They say that between about Wednesday through Sunday of this week will be the worst days. Frankly, she is already feeling lousy so this is going to be a really tough week. (especially with it being Christmas and all) Kim and Emily have the house on lock down so nobody is coming in and they aren't going out much during this next week. Becki's immune system will be at its lowest point and we can't risk her catching any bugs or getting an infection. They say that 80% of patients end up back in the hospital, so we are trying REALLY hard to make sure that doesn't happen!!

At last, I got to see my Grandbabies!

Yesterday, in response to a letter I sent to my grandson Nathan about my snow angel needing a snowman to be friends with, Jess brought the 2 grandbabies down to build me a snowman and visit me at my window. (See, I do accept window visitors). Although it was so hard to not be able to swoop them up and kiss them uncontrollably, it was absolutely wonderful to see them after so long.

aren't they just so cute!!

Update: I'm in the middle of my second course of chemo and I get my first of two transplants tomorrow. The next few weeks are going to be very difficult and isolated, but successful, you just wait and see. I am grateful for your prayers and concern.

Yes, a posting from Becki, imagine that. That means that at the moment I am lucid, a rare event.

The other night I looked out my window and look what I saw!!


My sweet neighbors put this up outside my bedroom window to help me focus on the wonderful things around me. (I can see it without even getting out of bed).

My neighbors Timmy, Taylor, Jayden and Chris Feroah.

This is me, attempting escape from my isolated bedroom. I accept window guests from 12-2 Monday thru Thursday and all day Saturdays (kidding, kidding--germ guardian, Gestapo Emily stands watch at all hours)!

A big thank you for all of your love and caring.

Becki

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the time of year to spend time with family and remember how much you have been blessed with in your life. This year was definitely a Thanksgiving that will not be forgotten. Becki was actually feeling quite well, so those that were completely healthy spent the day with her. We began with a delicious Thanksgiving dinner that actually tasted excellent to Becki. (Wahoo!) Emily set the table with some cute decorations and fine china so we even felt all fancy pantsy. Generally Becki always eats (and does everything else) in her bedroom but we obviously couldn't have her eating all by herself on Thanksgiving, so we did things a little different. Becki would take her mask off and take a few bites while the rest of us were masked. Then she would mask up and we would all take a couple bites. I think we should make it a tradition. Because you would only take a few bites, then take a break, nobody got too full and sick feeling like you always do after scarfing Thanksgiving dinner. It was so nice to be able to spend this time together!




After dinner we all piled on Becki's bed and played Phase 10. It has been a while since we have played card games together. It was quite comical. Lets just say I have never seen someone lose quite as bad as Kim. We just didn't think that was even possible. Poor Dad, we stopped counting his score about 3 rounds into the game.

Well it was a wonderful day and we were very grateful that Becki was feeling as well as she was. The next round of chemo should start by the end of this week and then the transplant will be given in the first part of next week. Especially during this time of year, our family is overwhelmed with gratitude for so many things. Now more than ever, we remember how important family is and how boring life would be without eachother in our lives. We also are so grateful for all the wonderful people who have done so much for Becki and our family. Thank you for your love, support, and faith. We feel your prayers and feel so grateful for the gospel in our lives. Happy Holidays!

A little break

Becki was officially given the stamp of approval by Dr Zangari this week, which means no major procedures, drugs, etc for 2 whole weeks. Yipee! The mouth sores are gone, taste buds have improved just a little, and she isn't so loopy all the time. Her hair has mostly all fallen out, but she is actually feeling much better. (considering) She will be able to enjoy some Thanksgiving dinner and is looking forward to spending some time with family while she is feeling more up to it. The next round of chemo and the transplant will bring back her mouth and throat sores, kill the few taste buds that have come back, and overall be far worse than these last 3 weeks. So we are planning on thoroghly enjoying these next couple of weeks!

Just what the doctor ordered!

Brooke's good friend, Stacey Jo, is an aesthetician and Becki LOVES having Stacey pamper her. After her hard week of being in the hospital, Brooke decided to surprise her with a little facial and pedicure. She was in absolute heaven! Stacey even left her with some great samples that will help her feel beautiful. Thanks Stacey!

The Harvest

Thursday morning when Becki went up to Huntsman for the usual labs and test, they discovered that her cells have gone up by 27 points. That is huge and awesome!! Because of this she was able to begin harvesting. It is a very time consuming process, but she was able to just sleep through most of it. They hook you up to the machine and let it try and collect as many cells as it can in 4 hours. They do this process day after day until 20 million cells are collected. It could take anywhere from 2-8 days. The average collection, and what they were hoping to be able to get from Becki, is 4 million. Becki being the champion that she is collected 11 million!!! This was such great news!

Becki spending some time with Emily and Brooke while waiting for lab results.

Look at all this stuff that was going in her. YIKES!

Check out this crazy machine. Wow, technology these days is just mind blowing.

Becki has been so strong and courageous through all this, but things have been definitely hard. It is so hard for her to not be able to see everyone and give hugs and loves. She naturally is having a hard time adjusting to the new hair-do and is suffering from some seperation anxiety. She likes to know that people will be around her all the time. All the drugs they have her on definitely don't help out either. We have been striving to have one of us be with her as much as we can and trying to make sure she knows how much she is loved and how beautiful we think she is, even with no hair! We are so grateful for how hard she is fighting and how brave she is! Thanks Mom! We love you!

Home Sweet Home

Becki was such a good girl at the hospital that they let her come home Wednesday afternoon. (I'm sure it had nothing to do with the fact that everytime a doctor or nurse walked in the room she asked, "Can I go home yet?") Her fever has stayed down and she is so excited to be back in her own bed and not eating hospital food. Even though she was able to come home, she still had to go back in Wednesday night to recieve another Newlasta shot. These are the shots that help stimulate the cells in the bone marrow and push them out into the blood stream so they can be harvested. The doctors were hoping to be able to start harvesting earlier this week, but Becki's body just hasn't been responding to these Newlasta shots as much as they would like.

On her way home from receiving the shot, Kim and Becki stopped by Grandma's house so that Brett and Ryan could assist Kim in giving Becki a blessing. (Brett, Jess & their boys live across the street from Brooke, Ryan and Becki's mother, Ruth) It was a quick stop, but Becki was able to receive a beautiful blessing and sneak a peek at her grandkids that she misses so much.

Since this whole process has began, Becki has told Brooke that as soon as she starts losing hair, she wants it shaved off as soon as possible. Well that day has come, so Brooke, Emily and Becki made a fun evening out of shaving her head.

This is what Emily found Becki doing earlier this evening. She used to vacuum her bunnies when they were shedding, so why not vacuum your own head when you start really shedding? She is such a hoot.

We are starting to think we should have all been dental hygienists or something. Scrubs and a mask are quite cute!

Here we go... let the fun begin.

It just wouldn't seem right if a mohawk wasn't involved.


She is so beautiful that she can even pull off the hardcore biker look.

When Becki went up to Huntsman Monday morning, they admitted her into the hospital because of a fever and they believe some kind of infection. She was immediately put on an antibiotic and they are monitoring her closely to ensure she doesn't get too uncomfortable. Generally when patients are admitted, they send them over to the UofU Hospital, but the hospital was really full so they have her in a room at Huntsman. The rooms are much nicer, cozier, and don't feel so hospital like, so we are grateful she ended up where she has. The entire staff is so friendly and has beckoned to her every little need. Hopefully she won't have to be there more than 4-5 days, but her white blood cells are about at zero so she has no way for her body to fight on its own. Huntsman goes by an "absolute neutraphil count" (in her white blood cells) that needs to be around 500. She is no where near that right now, so until her body can produce that, these great doctors and nurses will keep a close eye on her.

Treatment timeline

Here is a little more detail on what the schedule is for the next month or so:

-Day 1 began on the first day of chemo (November 5th) and lasted for 4 days.

-Day 6 (Nov. 10) She received a Newlasta shot. (I have no idea how to spell this medical stuff. I resort back to kindergarten and sound things out) This particular shot helps to push the stem cells out of the bone marrow and into the blood stream so that the cells can be harvested. It used to be quite a procedure to harvest the cells, but now they can gather them through the blood.

-Around day 11-13 they will begin to harvest the cells. This could take up to 3 or 4 days. They gather millions of cells, preserve and freeze them, so they won't ever have to do any harvesting again. These cells can be used for many years.

-Day 13 she will receive another Newlasta shot.

After the cells are successfully harvested, Becki will have 2 weeks of recovery.

-Then they start more chemo. The first day of this chemo they label as Day negative 4 (the countdown to the transplant). It is administered at Huntsman on Day -4 and Day -1. This is more of a hardcore chemo that should make her feel super crappy.

-Then she receives her first transplant. It seems to be a fairly easy procedure. They just give her back some of her harvested cells.

The 7 days after the transplant are said to be the worst days. We don't know quite what to expect, but that it will be awful.

Once the doctor has has seen that she has engrafted (which usually takes 10-12 days after the transplant) she gets 2 months off for recovery.

-Then we start the hardcore chemo again, followed by a second transplant.

We will try to keep this updated as much as possible as to her responses and any changes in her treatment.

In the meantime, please keep her in your prayers. She is absolutely amazed at how much love, warmth, and caring has exuded from everyone. Thank you!

Chemo: Round 1

Becki's red blood cells are so low that they have been giving her multiple blood transfusions to help get them up. Because of this they postponed the chemo from starting on November 3rd to November 5th. The first round of chemo, called depace, lasted for four days and was carried with her at all times in a little backpack. The four days ended on Sunday and to her utter excitement, she still has a full head of hair and has only thrown up once. We definitely planned on things being worse, so we are very grateful that her body has accepted this first round so well. It is supposedly a little less harsh then the other rounds of chemo she has to look forward to, but we are happy to report that beside her being extremely fatigued and a bit loopy she is doing well.

An example of Becki's loopiness:  the other day Becki asked Shellie to grab a paper and a pen to write some things down for her. Shellie did so and couldn't stop laughing when she realized that Becki wanted her to write down the subliminal messages that her chemo monitor (in the backpack) was sending to her.

Purple hair and baby kisses

On Saturday November 1st, it was a beautiful, warm day.  All the family ventured down to Draper so that Nathan and Tyler (Becki's grandkids) would be able to see Grandma Becki one more time before it just wouldn't be possible for a while. We all bathed, put on clean clothes, and headed down to Becki's house. As soon as we got there while Nate and Ty were still clean, we took antibacterial wipes to the boys and wiped down Grandma Becki's favorite places to kiss, then let her hold and kiss them. Not being able to see her grandkids is and will be so hard for her. We were all so thrilled that the weather was in our favor so we could keep the germs outside and enjoy each other for a while.

Becki kissing Ty in her favorite spot!

Big hugs for Grandma Becki

While we were there, Brooke gave Becki a haircut so that when she started losing her hair it wouldn't be as traumatic. Nathan took the first cut and then Brooke took over from there. This was something that we thought would be hard for Becki and all of us because it would make it feel that much more real, but she looks absolutely beautiful! Her sister Lori keeps her hair short and we all couldn't believe how much they look alike now.
Becki wanted this to be as much fun as possible, so after the haircut, Nathan sprayed Grandma Becki's hair purple.  He was absolutely thrilled!

Before

During ....

After- Isn't she beautiful?!

Becki likes lots of pictures with all the girls and our hair.

Becki with her boys

Kim took Becki's rabbits, Tumble and Abby, up to his sister's house who is so gracious to watch them during these hard months. Becki had to say goodbye to them that same day.

This day kind of sums up how Becki has been taking this journey.  She makes the most of a tough situation.  It could have been really hard to watch Becki lose her hair, but instead she made a party out of it, complete with purple hair dye!  She is always thinking of others and is really trying to make this easier for everyone.

Moab

This last trip to Moab we took really easy because Becki was getting extremely weak and fatigued. One afternoon during her short window of having a little energy, all the girls went out shopping to find some pretty scarves and hats she could wear once the chemo stole all her hair.

Even though Becki had little energy she still managed to get in a few flips and belly flops off the diving board, eat her favorite meal from Pasta Jays, and enjoy some time with her family. 

Getting started at Huntsman

Becki spent many days at the Huntsman Cancer Institute during the last two weeks of October. She had multiple blood tests, two bone and marrow aspirations, a PET/CT scan with general anesthesia, an MRI with general anesthesia, an echo cardiogram, and an EKG. She had already had many of these tests before, but Huntsman requires to have them done again at their own facility for their records.

They gave Becki a rough date of November 3rd to begin the chemo, but a few things still had to be done. On the 29th, Becki and her three daughters attended a 3 hour class that Huntsman puts on for the caregivers. We learned a lot of great information on all we need to do to ensure that this is as smooth and comfortable for Becki as possible. Also, they told us that 80% of patients end up getting admitted back to the hospital because of infection. We are determined to have her be a part of the other 20%. We have taken all of their advice and then taken it a step further. Becki calls her oldest daugher "General Emily", because she and Kim are so anal about germs and wearing masks. We are trying to be so ridiculously careful since her immune system is practically non-existent.

On the 31st they put a triple lumen...something...port in.  (All these medical terms are a bit much for us laypeople)!  This really scared Becki.  After waking up and seeing this "huge 3 prong dangly thing hanging out of my chest" she realized that she could no longer back out. It was a really scary feeling. The port could be in as long as a year. They administer the chemo, take blood, give medicine, etc. all through these three "dangly things".

Becki has been so impressed by the people at Huntsman. They are very compassionate and act like they have all the time in the world just for her. Two guys that were part of the team that put her port in could see how terrified she was, so they took her to the room where the procedure was done, showed her everything and explained all the how and whys. They were really sweet.  It is nice to have her in such good hands.

Don't just endure the storms, but choose the right while they rage

Kim and Becki spoke in sacrament meeting in their ward on October 12th. Becki spoke about what she has learned since being diagnosed 5 months ago and did a fabulous job. (like always) Here are some highlights.

1- Preparation is everything.

Elder Eyring taught that: “There is another even more important preparation [than temporal preparation] that we must make for tests that are certain to come to each of us. That preparation must be started far in advance because it takes time. What we will need then can’t be bought. It can’t be borrowed. It doesn’t store well. And it has to have been used regularly and recently. What we will need in our day of testing is a spiritual preparation. It is to have developed faith in Jesus Christ so powerful that we can pass the test of life upon which everything for us in eternity depends. (Spiritual Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady, pp 37-38)

If I had received this cancer diagnosis without years of gospel understanding and perspective; without testimony building experiences; and without the wisdom that comes from keeping the commandments, my spiritual reserves would have been empty. Without those incredibly needed spiritual tools I most likely would have been devastated and angry and confused about Heavenly Father’s love for me.

2-Our daily trials in life can help prepare us for big ones.

Elder Hales said: Sometimes what we learn today may not seem valuable until months or years in the future. (BYU 8/08)
Elder Walter Gonzalez of the Seventy said: Today is the time to prepare – not during the crisis. What are we doing today to engraven in our souls the gospel principles that will uphold us in times of adversity?
By doing so Alma tells us that our afflictions can be swallowed up in the joy of Christ. (Alma 31:38)

3-Who knows but that your experiences might be to help someone else?

In May when our ward held the fast for the 3 of us with cancer, my wonderful non-member neighbors came over that Sunday morning to tell me that they were fasting too. I was completely awed.
(There was also the story from a previous post about a woman they met while in Mexico)

4- A huge part of what I have learned concerns gratitude.

In D&C 59:21 the Lord says: “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.
I’m fairly certain that He really does mean all things!

In a wonderful article by Darla Isackson in Meridian Magazine she said, "I see now that my gratitude is the very heart of my faith, the very soul of my trust in the Lord. I am lost without it, because without it I lose the Spirit. The Holy Ghost never participates in my whining, self-pity, negativity, or blindness to the Lord’s purposes. The Lord never motivates or inspires me to complain about my circumstances. Only when I am attending to the commandment to give thanks in all things can the Spirit attend me. No wonder this commandment has been so often repeated".

5- God is in control.

Ardeth Capp, in a past Women’s Conference, taught: "Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for better things. Because He loves us He will not deprive us of the growth that comes from our tests, however hard they may be. If we understand the purpose in suffering, we can learn from it and become stronger because of it". (My Neighbor, My Sister, My Friend, Ardeth Capp, pp 27)
I don’t think we have to enjoy trials, but I do think we must see God’s will in them. And that’s not hard to do when we know that His will is the will of love.
In searching for help in the scriptures to meet this trial successfully in God’s eyes, I have learned that more often than not the Lord strengthens us to bear our trials rather than remove them from us, because ultimately they will refine our character and keep us humble. We are never left alone and Heavenly Father answers all prayers, but the answers we receive may not be what we expect or come to us when we want or in the way we anticipate. (Elder Bednar, Ensign, May 2008)


I have a clear understanding of the plan of salvation, and I know that Heavenly Father loves each one of us and is aware of our circumstances. I know that trials, no matter what their origin or difficulty, can be for our good and salvation depending on how we handle them. Anyone can outlast a trial, but the scriptures seem to suggest that there is a proper way to do it, a way that honors God. Elder Eyring said it this way: “The great test of life is…not to endure storms, but to choose the right while they rage.” That is my goal.

The Calzada Saga- part 2

At the beginning of each "Calzada week" Becki would get lab work done, then a chelation, and then would meet with Dr. Calzada.  On this second trip, Dr. Calzada drew a drop of her blood and analzyed it under a microscope.  He saw that her blood looked much clearer and healthier.  The problem was a 400 point rise in her IgA levels as well as other lab indicators that really concerned the doctor. For those of us who aren't so medically savy, we didn't understand how her blood could look better but have the actual disease be worse.  Apparently IgA's are formed in your bone marrow cells and that is what has gone awry.

We don't really understand it either, but basically Becki's IgA is being made with only short chains instead of healthy IgA that is made of 2 long chains and 2 short chains. The real sign of improvement for Becki is if the IgA is made appropriately and the levels decrease.

The doctor told her that he was going to give her 1 month and if the IgA wasn't looking any better, she would have to undergo chemo and bone marrow transplants at the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake. He discussed with her that all she had been doing to strengthen and cleanse her body would help her get through the chemo and transplants easier if she had to go that route.

Becki emailed the family and expressed how she was "scared spitless" of even thinking about going down that path.

When she got her labs back at the end of the week her white blood count had actually improved, her calcium was still in the normal range (which meant the bones weren't involved yet) and her kidneys and liver looked great! These are good things.

Undergoing all these treatments was not fun, but Becki had an experience with another of Dr. Calzada's patients that made it all worth it for her:

"The woman with breast cancer got out late like we did and asked us if we wanted to ride with her instead of taking the shuttle. While we were sitting in the very long border line, she asked us if we were Mormon - just like that - out of the blue "are you Mormon?". When we said yes, she said, "so, what do you believe?" In my 51 years, no one has ever asked me that question. It was SO COOL. I gave her a 10 minute spiel and she acted very interested. We are going to try to find a church and pick up a BOM [Book of Mormon] for her. I have taught the missionary discussions many times as a stake missionary, but this was so real missionaryish! It made the whole week worth it."

Well the month passed, Becki had new labs done, and nothing had improved enough. The cancer had clearly moved out of the smoldering state and was getting ugly. Unfortunately, it is a race with the clock.  The one thing we needed we didn't have- and that's more time.  Dr. Calzada told Becki she needed to go to Huntsman and do whatever they told her to do.

Go Big or Go Home

After finding out all the news about Becki, our family decided to play as hard as we possible could throughout the upcoming summer. The more fun memories the better!

What a better way to start the summer than with the girls getting pedicures!

Becki enjoying her grandson, Tyler

Kim's parents lived right outside Moab for many years, so Moab has always been a place our family loves to visit. We once again have a great house to stay at, so we went down several times over the summer. We go hiking, biking, jeeping and swimming, and find lots of other fun things to do.

The family at a dinosaur archaeological dig

Becki examines dinosaur bones embedded in the rock wall

Swimming with grandson, Nathan

Fun in the pool

Does this woman look sick to you? She really knows how to show up her kids on the diving board!

Tyler, Becki and Emily at the park

Nathan and "Grandma Becki" eating Becki's favorite food at Pasta Jay's

Hiking in Moab

We also had the oppurtunity to stay at a cabin that Kim and his crew and recently remodeled.
Becki, Emily and Maya (our husky dog) decided to head up a night before the rest of us to get things set up and enjoy a little peace and quiet. They unloaded all of the food and gear inside, made a late dinner and then went out to get the dog settled. When they tried to get back inside they discovered that the door was locked and the cabin and car keys were inside. Emily's cell phone didn't have reception and they didn't know the area well enough at all to hike around looking for civilization. There were no windows unlocked and picking the lock with a paperclip and a nail just wasn't going to work. (Hollywood lies) Luckily, the rental car that they happened to have for the week was unlocked, but it had nothing in it. Normally Becki's car would be well equipped for these types of "emergencies". Needless to say, they spent the night in the rental car with the blanket that Maya had run through all the sticker bushes on the hillside. At dawn's first light they began walking and were so lucky to find a guy who happened to be heading down to Salt Lake that morning and was more than happy to take them and the dog.

It was a cold and uncomfortable night, but made for a funny start to a great weekend.

The cabin came equipped with four wheelers, bows and arrows, paintball gear, and tomahawks. We had a great time!

Who'd have known Becki was a natural with a tomahawk?  She was the first to get a bulls-eye!

That's right- there are 4 girls squeezed around the edge of a bathtub making our feet all soft and pretty.

Stevens General Contractors (Kim and Brett's business) had a weekend getaway for all of their employees in Park City one weekend in September. These "getaways" often times feel like family getaways with a few friends because half of the people there are family. It was a fun and beautiful fall weekend.

Becki takes on the Alpine Slide

Kim, Becki, Brooke and Ryan (daughter and son in law) riding the lift to the Alpine slide

Becki was on a phone call and didn't realize that she had stuck her leg through the railing. She couldn't get it out for the life of her, so Brett saved the day with a little dish soap!

If there's one thing we've all learned from this, it is how important our family is to each other.  It's so easy with the busy-ness of every day life to get caught up in our own lives and not even see each other for a few weeks!  But after this reality check on the fragile state of our lives, we really made an effort to spend more time together.  We had a lot of fun and made a lot of memories.  And hopefully even when this is all over, we won't take our family for granted again!  We are so grateful for the gospel and that we know that families are eternal.

Becki bowling at Brooke's birthday party

Becki enjoying time with Maya (dog) and Ty

Becki's grandsons LOVE when she takes them to feed the ducks

This is how we see our mom/wife/grandma:  Super Becki!