Post #6 - Health Issues and...

        Fortunately things are now looking up. Although Glen did have a pretty rough time during November 2014, he finally found some sensible, sensitive, and caring physicians who took his case literally to "heart".  It seems that he does have a heart condition called AFib (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atrial_fibrillation).  AFib can trigger blood clots, and it was a tiny blood clot that lodged in his left occipital brain lobe that caused the stroke.  He is now on a medication that almost totally precludes any blood clots and he now also has a medication that controls the heart situation.  According to all the tests - many of which actually show and photograph  the heart as it is beating and also look into all of the blood vessels (heart and brain) - all of his blood vessels, both heart and brain, are totally clear and in good shape.  The last physician whom he saw (Dec. 9, 2014) said that there is a zero to 3% chance that he'll ever have another stroke, and the doctor felt the chances are really closer to the zero mark.  Happily all aspects of his condition are very treatable via medications.  Although he is still not 100% (and perhaps won't be for the rest of his life - i.e. the stroke significantly diminished a lot of his peripheral vision especially in his right eye), he feels well enough (about 89% of normal) to want to re-instate our mission call.  We anticipate being ready to leave on our mission by sometime in February or March 2014.  The main delay is getting all the various medical specialists to declare him fit to serve the mission.      

       As you know, we held a special celebration here in Herriman on Oct. 11, 2014 which we called our "Hello, Good-bye, and Wedding" celebration.  We were honored to have many of our family and friends come to our special celebration.  Below are some of the pictures taken on that occasion.  Since both Bonnie & Glen appear in many of the pictures, the captions do not include their names.  Sadly we can't recall all of the small children's names. 

Family & Friends brought lots of Goodies to add to the muffins, fruit, milk, & juice to start the day with a good breakfast.  For lunch more Goodies were brought to add to make-your-own sandwiches, & dinner was pizza plus more Goodies.

Glenn & Midge Jones were among the earliest "Helpers" who helped us set up for the day. THANKS Joneses!

Ron & Jeffie Dickerson were also among the earliest "Helpers". THANKS Dickersons!

        

Adrienne Buck with her little girl and Regan Bushnell along with many others also gave us a much-appreciated helping hand during the day.  THANKS for your help!

Lisa Maze really saved the day when she as our Rosecrest Village Home Owners Assoc. President provided the needed key for the Rosecrest Village Clubhouse since although the building was reserved somehow had not been unlocked.

            
 

Don Carpenter of the Carpenter family who were long-time friends of the Baer family in the East Bay area actually looked in on our celebration twice bringing goodies each time.  THANKS, Don.

   

The Sessions family were BIG helpers too. Here we see Teppi, Lance and Starsha.

   

John Baer and his sister Susie Baer sit on either side of the "Wedding" couple, Peter and Jessica.  John and Susie are Peter's cousins who live in nearby Utah communities.

     

Steve Baer, Bonnie's cousin, came all the way from Pocatello, Idaho.  He was unable to bring his dear wife Sue but he did bring some extra special pastries that are quite famous in Pocatello.

   

It was great to see some of our new Herriman friends like Michael & Erin Pugmire.

     

Here is a picture of the Clemons family, Kyle and Kelijean with their delightful children.  Kyle did some heavy lifting for us when we moved into our Herriman home.  THANKS again, Kyle.

   

We were really happy to see the Munns family, Nick & Melanie with their beautiful children.  Ashley, Crawford, Wyatt, and Lauren are among many of our happily adopted Placid Rose Ward "Grandchildren".  

   

The Martin family has always been there to help us, just like angels.  They started helping us from the very first Sunday that we attended the Rose Point Ward in 2011.  Emma, Nathan, Christopher, and Libby also honor us by calling us Grandma & Grandpa.

     

David & Hilma Bellessa arrived at the same time of Don Carpenter's second visit.  Hilma is a long-time friend of Bonnie.

       

Byron and Tricia Merrill are very dear friends from the time we were all "kids" (young couples) living in Davis, California.  The Merrills actually lived two weeks in our home at the time after Bonnie had just had surgery.  Their stay was a god-send.  We have loved the Merrills ever since!  Byron is now a professor at BYU and has had some of our children as his students.

   

Jim & Terry Bragg live in Orem.  Jim is Bonnie's cousin. We love them, their whole family and their Mom, Barbara Bragg, Grandma Kathryn Baer's only sister.

     

Gail & Craig Larson are our good friends from Stockton, California where we worked together in many Church callings over a period of close to 40 years.

     

Some of Bonnie's cousins came all the way from Southern California.  We were very thrilled to see Cathy Roberts and Carrie, Carol Jean, Laura, and Bob Grant and his wife come to our celebration!

     

We were also thrilled to welcome Glen's cousin Tim Domson and his wife Jolean to our event.  They live in Saratoga Springs, Utah.

     

Bonnie's cousin Lois Jensen and her husband Alan came from Alpine, Utah to help brighten our day.

     

It seemed that all day long we hardly ever saw Peter & Jessica apart.  Love is truly grand!

   

Joining Bonnie's cousin Steve Baer from Idaho were her other cousins from Boutiful, Utah, Diana & Paul Halliday, and Carol & Keith Ruesch.

     

Much of the family of our beloved departed daughter Emilee Dolberg Ellis came from Cedar Hills, Utah.  Grandma & Grandpa Dolberg were sure happy to hug our dear Laurel, David Ellis' wife, and our grandchildren Brenton, Nathan, baby Ashley, & Adam Ellis.

     

Jared Greenwood happily surprised us when he arrived in his Saturday bachelor attire not looking like the LDS missionary we had once known decades ago during his time of service in Stockton, California.  He was a great missionary!

     

Our wonderful former Stockton friends John and Janice Redfearn came all the way from St. George, Utah to bring bright smiles to our faces.  The Redfearns & the Dolberg grew up together - from new parents then to grandparents now.  Bonnie & Janice enjoyed many years singing in the women's choral group called "The Joyful Sound".

     

Bonnie was very happy to renew her long-time friendship with Jeanne Grover.

       

One of Bonnie's college-days roommates Suzanne and her husband Bjorn Bang brought big smiles to our faces. 

     

 From our new ward in Utah, Yvonne & Rendell Etherington added their smiles to our day.

     

Great missionaries who once served in Stockton, Calif., Otto & Connie Anderson, who now live in Utah also came.

     

Bonnie Miller, another Stocktonian, who also sang with Bonnie in the women's choral group called "The Joyful Sound", came to our celebraton.

     

Bonnie's long-time friends from the Oakland-Berkeley Bay Area, David & Hilma Bellessa and Anneva Turley, enjoyed seeing each other at our celebration.

       

Our friends, Terry and Ann Dyal, who once lived in Stockton and who now live in Utah, helped us celebrate too.

     

Our niece and her family, Chrissie & Scott Holmes with their beautiful children Joseph, Emma, Thomas, and Megan came just in time to add more sunshine to the occasion.  

       

Actually the joy of the whole weekend began a couple of days earlier when Bonnie's cousin, Dean Davies and his wife took us out to dinner.  You may recognize Dean as a General Authority in the LDS Church; he is 2nd Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric.

       The "Wedding" did happily occur as planned.  Our youngest son, Peter, married Jessica Capito in the LDS Temple in Sacramento, California on Saturday Dec. 6, 2014.  It was truly a glorious occasion.
       

Jessica & Peter Dolberg were married on Dec. 6, 2014 in the LDS Sacramento Temple by our very good Stockton friend, Darwin Burton, who serves in the Sacramento Temple as a Sealer.

       

Among the dazzling decorations at Peter & Jessica's wedding reception was this special light design which was projected on the floor.

      THANK YOU for visiting our blog and for your comments.  We hope that we can soon report that our Mission call is back on track and that we'll soon be on our way.  Thank you for your kind concern and prayers.  The Good Lord seems to be granting our humble pleas for things to work out so we can serve the mission to which we have been called in Germany.