Tuesday July 6th

Hello everyone! Sorry about the two days' silence. Hopefully Andy's been keeping people updated on facebook. Just for everybody's information again, if you want to send letters, MaeLynn's address is:

784 N 300 E
Logan UT 84321.

If you want to call, her phone # is 435-787-4127.

She really is not able to talk any more. She whispers things but most of the time they don't make sense. I don't know how else to say this, but she really does look like death warmed over. She is very dehydrated and has no appetite. Smoothies do taste good to her, but it takes her over 24 hours to drink a small one.

Visitors have been aplenty, which I'm sure MaeLynn appreciates...even if she's not coherent. Her mother would like to remind people to keep visits short, though...around 15 minutes or less. It's very very hard for MaeLynn to concentrate on what is going on especially when there is more than one person in the room.

She is leaving us quickly. She is much weaker today than on Saturday and needs help getting up and moving wherever she goes...which is not very far. The bathroom or the bed. She vacilates between being really hot and sweaty and too cold.

I asked her mother if she thought they'd get a catheter for her so she doesn't have to get up, but I don't think they will. She's so dry that there's really no need.

MaeLynn is not truly herself anymore. Andrew said the two oldest girls, Kendall and Ellie, feel like she's kind of already gone. I kind of feel the same. I almost picture her spirit sitting on the other side of the couch as her body. I want to turn that way and talk to her because she isn't really "there" on the first side. She IS still physically present, though, and I know once she's gone it will make a HUGE difference to those kids.

She has been EVERYTHING to them. Andrew told me that the littlest girl, Abby, has just started to ask him to do everything. It used to be, "NO! Mama do it!" for everything. It makes you grateful that he is a good guy and is there and is willing to take on added responsibility.

This Sunday, July 11th, Kendall will turn 8. For anyone who's LDS, that means she could be baptized. MaeLynn really wanted to be at Kendall's baptism, so we all wonder if that's what she's waiting for. I'm pretty sure they'll have the baptism Sunday night. Although at this point I don't know how MaeLynn will even know what's going on. We shall see.

Everything is happening so fast. It feels like there are so many unfinished things, and it will probably feel that way for a long time. We love MaeLynn and she appreciates all the prayers and thoughts going out for her. Till tomorrow....