Welcome to the Becker Bear Den! : 2012

Monday, December 31, 2012

Knee Surgery....

So back in October I had attended a combined Young Women's activity at a corn maze. There were slides there where the only way to go down the other side was to climb up hay bales on the backside. The girls were being chicken so I went up and came down the other side and they said, well if Sis. Becker can do it, then so can we! So I then proceeded to show them how to climb up the haybales using the ropes. As I had put my left knee onto the hay bale and grabbed onto the rope I felt my knee go left and something tear. Nausea set in and I was about to faint from the searing pain. Plus I was all tangled in the ropes. I don't really remember how I got untangled but my knee was in so much pain. Luckily one of the members of the bishopric came around the corner and helped me hobble to a bench. I was in too much pain to walk any further so I told him to go see if he could find a wheelchair. He left and came back with a Pumpkin Cart!!! He said that was all they had. So now in the pumpkin cart, in searing pain, being wheeled through a hundred people to the parking lot with the girls behind me saying this is going on facebook Sis. Becker! I finally got to the car and was atleast able to drive us home. I got home and was on crutches for a few weeks and then finally was able to get surgery by the end of the year. I had in fact torn my ACL and knew that is what I had done, because I had done the same thing to my right knee when I was in high school. The difference in this surgery is that they took a portion of my patella tendon to repair my ACL while my right knee was repaired using one of my hamstrings. Physical Therapy has not been fun, but I am finally done. I spent 8 weeks going and was pleasantly surprised one day to see President Eyring on the bicycle across from me. I had walked in and seen a gentleman in a suit and I thought that was out of the ordinary. Then I had hopped up on a table to have my knee warmed before starting my exercises. I looked up to see a gentleman that looked very familiar but I couldn't seem to place him. Then a lightbulb in my head went off and I realized it was President Eyring and the man in the suit was his bodyguard. For the next several weeks Pres Eyring was ending his sessions as I started mine. I never did in fact speak with him. But just having him a few feet away was always nice. I have so much faith in our General Authorities and I know that they are true disciples of our Savior Jesus Christ. I feel so blessed to live in a time where we can benefit from their knowledge and learning. So even though going through this surgery and physical therapy has been so much harder than when I was 15, I have grown, learned, and immensely appreciated my family and friends who have helped me in my time of need.

This is my healing scar. Not too shabby!

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas Card Blooper Reel

Monday, December 24, 2012

Christmas Blankets

This year I made seven blankets. This one is for my sweetheart neighbor who always watches Brody and Cali when I am out of town. Her name is Kaylee and I don't know what I would do without her!

This blanket is for Cindy Firestone who I have gotten to know this last year as I have started working with her more and more closely in her Fund Treasurer role. Hen and I actually went square dancing with her and husband and had a blast before I got a bum knee.

The below five blankets were for the West family. (missing photos for two of them) This family has been a life saver through all my knee issues. Keith had knee replacement surgery last summer so he let me borrow his crutches and ice machine to ice my leg with. Jan his wife came over to the house frequently to assist in whatever I needed, cleaning, groceries, a listening ear, the list goes on and on.

Keith's Blanket

Gage's Blanket

Kanyon's Blanket

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Christmas Decorations 2012

So I thought I will never have blow up decorations for Christmas, they always seem so tacky.... but somehow I got the bug and I found some that I loved and well, they are probably tacky to everyone else but they sure lifted my spirits this last Christmas as I did not get to spend it with my best friend.

Friday, December 7, 2012

The Tender Mercies of the Lord

Here is the story of all stories! I still don't believe how it happened to this day! This year for the prizes at our annual work Holiday Party they did a raffle. Now keep in mind there are approximately 75 employees where I work. The party started at 6 and all raffle tickets had to be entered by 7pm. Well I was held up on the freeway at 6:45pm and literally walked in the door of the restaurant at 6:58. I threw my tickets into a few of the different baskets. One being a mystery prize. There were two mystery prize baskets also to keep in mind. The first mystery prize winner was pulled and they got a cooking apron. Then the second mystery box winner was pulled and it was me! I went up in front of everyone to see what it was and I opened it up to find the little reindeer jar below full of pistachios. So I thought that was my prize. Then they told me to open it and inside was the wad of cash you see below. I was blown away. The money couldn't have come at a better time!!! Oh, so you think the story ends here do you? Well the final raffle of the night was $15,000 for a charity and whoever's name was selected they got to choose what charity the money would go to. Out of no where I hear my name selected again. I couldn't stop the tears, since I had been thinking since I heard about that prize that of all the prizes I wanted, that was the one I had my heart set on. The charity I had chosen was the National MS Society. The irony of the whole night was that my Mom was supposed to be my plus 1 because Henry was in Las Vegas, but because she was not feeling well, my Dad had accompanied me. I think he was just as shocked as I was to win both prizes. It was a night I will never forget!

If you are still wondering why I titled this post "Tender Mercies of the Lord", I will tell you. First I had torn my ACL back in October at a Young Women's activity which had caused alot of pain at the time and then I kept reinjuring it causing just as much pain. Then our upstairs toilet had flooded the upstairs bathroom, and wall beneath it into the bathroom downstairs which caused a whole slew of problems including having to use the downstairs bathroom for everything with a bum knee. Then my husband got a job in Las Vegas, and while that was a blessing, it meant I would get to see him only once a month. So on this night to have won these prizes really meant the world to me and I know that is was not by accident or coincidence that it happened.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Moving Day

He Did It! He got a job in his career! Henry is the newest Aviation Maintenance Technician for Allegiant Airlines in Las Vegas, NV as of November 26th. On the day after Thanksgiving, Hen and I moved him down to Summerlin Las Vegas, a lovely area and into an apartment with his old friend Mike from Virginia. He has been loving it! He works on MD 88, Airbus's, and 757's. He is learning so much and enjoying the warmer weather. Below is a picture I took while Hen was driving the U-haul.