Summa Summa Summa time

Wow, that last post was so Debbie Downer (wa wa wa). Things have gone better lately. The first big news of the summer was that my niece Michelle had a little baby girl on July 16th when I was at the Mayo Clinic. She is darling and I love her so much. She brings such a wonderful spirit to our family.

Kaylie and me when she was about 2 months

Secondly my nephew Brandon got a mission call to Carlsbad Cali. Unfortunately he tore his ACL in the MTC and had to come back to AZ for surgery. He will be going to Cali in about 8 weeks.Third is great news for Q and I. We rented a basement apartment and it is wonderful! We have 2700 sq feet for a reasonable price. We even have a movie room and a backyard. YAY!! We found this place after given the word that I couldn't have a transplant. We were staying with my parents until we heard the word. Small problem, Q still hasn't found a job and worse yet, we are in Lindon. Yes that is right, we are in cougar town. The first thing we did was to go out and buy a U of U sticker to put on our car because we just had to represent!

My family had quite a shock about a month ago when we got the word that my brother, who is severely autistic, had a seizure. We thought that we were going to lose him that night. Seizures have killed alot of his autistic "friends" in the past. Luckily he pulled out OK with 2 days in a medically induced coma. The Dr's found out that he had hardly any sodium in his body and that can cause seizures. He had landed on his face and skinned his forehead and cheek, other than that he is doing well.

As for me I'm doing much better. I have come to peace with what life has handed me and I'm excited to live the rest of my life full of things that I want to do, call it a bucket list. I was given the number of a group that supports terminally ill kids and their families. It is a service through PCMC and I am the oldest patient that they have worked with. They have given me links and advice on how to best complete my list. One of the things that I want to do and have wanted to do since I was a teenager was to write my life story. This is your homework....because I've been so stressed I'm slowly losing my brain power, or at least I feel like it, I got lost going to my own church the other day! Its frustrating, so I want to ask you all to write to me at hollymckell@gmail.com, I would like memories, I've asked for this before and all I got were one or two worded lists. I need details now people! Please? Hey you might make the book. I just need help remembering things.

I have recently read the book Glimpses Beyond Death's Door, ya it sounds morbid but it has really changed my life. If you have someone worried about death or a close one who has passed away, I highly recommend this book! The message was to love better and learn more. It is better understood when you read the book.

I have been mourning lately but it isn't for a person, it is for a city called Cairns. We lived in this city for over a year in Australia, The people, the culture, the wildlife, the rainforest and the pristine beaches that we could walk to are all sadly in my past. I have had Q promise me that he will go back but I am jealous of him. The book referred to above was a huge help because I will go to rest in a more wonderful place than Cairns, but it is still a big part of my life and dreams, literally, I'm in Australia in every dream I have.

I was able to have my friend and previous beehive from Australia stay with us for one night when she and her family came up for General Conf. That was fun, then last night was a blast! My good friend from Aussieland met a guy in Genola, UT and was married yesterday. Q and I had so much fun at the reception because we were able to see heaps of people from our branch in Cairns. It was a lively mix of cultures, including a guy in a kilt (?).

This is my pretty bride friend Misty, she was a good friend in Cairns.
And these are her parents and Q and my surrogate Aussie parents, Rick and Gabrielle Lee
I have had a good friend open a cause for me on his new website. You can get a 50-90% deal off of various restaurants, spas and stores and until Oct 16th I will get 100% of the proceeds to help with my tremendous medical bills. www.dealsthatmatter.com/causes/10

So your homework is to sign up for this website and than PLEASE send me memories of us or just a memory of me that I may not remember. I want them even if they are bad memories.

Love you all,

Love better and Learn more

Holly :)