March 1st, 2004

Six years ago today we were at UAB,

University of Alabama Birmingham Health System.

A male nurse stood between the Sweetheart and I and told this joke:

"If a man and a woman are married in Alabama,

move to California and get divorced,

are they still brother and sister?"

The sweetheart laughed.

He's never forgotten that joke,

he tells it to me at least twice a year.

He still chuckles.

The nurse also told us about the big breakfast he had just eaten, knowing that we hadn't had any.

It sounded so good.

I also remember asking him if I could please get up and go to the potty,

he was sweet enough to let me.

When I came back, I remember giving my Sweetheart a kiss

before I got back on my operating room table.

We held hands and answered all the usual questions.

It wasn't long before we went our separate ways.

Him to one operating room, me to another.

For a girl who has always been afraid of going to the doctors and scared of pain,

I was surprisingly calm.

I wasn't scared at all.

I was actually excited!

Excited to get it over with and to get on with living.

The Sweetheart had been going to kidney dialysis 3 days a week for 18 months.

I would drop him off at 6 a.m. and go to the church and teach early morning seminary to the high school youth.

Then I would leave and go home and study for the next days lesson.

Then at 11:30 I would go back and pick the Sweetheart up and take him to work.

He only missed a few days of work while he was on dialysis.

I really don't know how he did it.

So on March 1st, 2004

I gave him one of my healthy kidneys.

The surgery was a success and the minute they attached my kidney to his bladder it started working and has been working normal and wonderful ever since.

Not one bad report in all these six years.
What a miracle!
He has been blessed with many.

Our family has been blessed.

And yes, we've gotten on with living!

(I wrote about the first part of this story last year in this post. I'm finally getting around to writing the next part of the story)

We are celebrating our 6 years tonight

with our children and GRAND~girls.

I'm cooking a special dinner.
Shelby picked the menu :

Ham,

Gigi's best mashed potatoes ever,

and chocolate fudge cake.

I think I had better throw in a few vegetables.

So celebrate with us and make yourself some chocolate fudge cake too.

(I don't know that I've ever made one before so I had better find a recipe quick. Do you have a good recipe for one, please share it with me.)