An update is long overdue- again! The last month has probably been the most stressful of our lives.

On September 27, the day before our house closed, Rusty's mom was diagnosed with liver and lung cancer. The next few days we spent hauling stuff down from Alpine, cleaning old and new houses, and trying to spend as much time as we could with Rusty's mom. On Saturday, September 3o, a member of our Stake Presidency met with Rusty and his sisters, went over cat scans, and showed us that treatment was not an option for Yvonne. That afternoon, Rusty's sister Leah had the great presence of mind to arrange for a photographer to come and take family pictures in the Bigelow's backyard. The pictures have turned out to be just priceless to us.

In the meantime, the carpet in our house couldn't be cleaned until Monday the 2nd, the hot water heater wouldn't work, the shed roof was leaking horribly, and we had boxes piled on the carport. Rusty started a 3-month job in Springerville (another reason we were so grateful for the timing of finding a house in Eagar) on the 2nd. That day, a hospice nurse came to see Rusty's mom, and then she was taken over to RTA hospice in Lakeside so her pain and other medications could be regulated. We took the kids over for a short visit on Wednesday the 4th.
Thursday was the first night we were able to sleep at our new house. Rusty took his turn staying at the hospice with his mom on Friday night. Saturday I went over and spent the day. Yvonne had LOTS of visitors, both family and friends. Sunday morning Rusty went back over, and called to tell me his mom was really going downhill fast. So all the family rushed over and we spent the day there again.

Tuesday morning the call came that we needed to hurry over, so we went again and spent most of the day there. Then Thursday evening, October 12, Rusty's sister LaDee called and told us to come right away. We rushed over to Show Low, and were with Yvonne when she passed away at 7:30 pm.

What an experience. I thought of the three times she was with me in Show Low, waiting for a baby to be born; about birth and death and Heavenly Father's plan. I thought of all the kindness she has shown me in the 16 years I have known her. I was grateful for the quiet moments Rusty and I got to spend with her at the hospice center, and for the small ways we were able to help and serve her in her last days on earth. We felt so excited for her to be reunited with her mother, who died of cancer when Yvonne was just a little girl, and her father who died when Rusty was on his mission. What a glorious reunion. It gave us peace to think of it, and to know that love and family do not end with death.

Yvonne's funeral was on October 21. It was a happy celebration of her life.

And now we try to get back to normal. We miss lots of little things that we took for granted; just having Rusty's mom there. Rusty has started a college program in Seattle, where he will be for two weeks at a time just about every other month. We are getting boxes unpacked, pictures on the walls, and trying to get organized. The kids are glad to be back in town. Other than all the repairs that need done, we love our new house.

This was a long post, and mostly for my own benefit to have these events written down. Words can't really convey all the emotional ups and downs. We are so thankful to my parents, who let us stay at their house and were so generous with taking care of the kids so we could be with Yvonne as much as possible. So many people have done little acts of kindness that have truly lifted our spirits. And most of all, we are so very thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, to know that he loves us and will support us in our trials.