Grandpa Reed

Background
On Tuesday of last week, I got a text that Grandpa Reed fell at the gym and was in the hospital. This was alarming. Jeff, Andrew, and Chris met him in the hospital and gave him a blessing. Grandpa ended up having to have brain surgery to stop the bleeding in his brain.

The surgery went well. The nurses, surgeon, and doctor came out hopeful and pleased with the results. All of us were relieved.

On Friday morning, I decided I would bring my grandma a cupcake in the hospital and check in on her. I called my parents before heading to the hospital, to ensure it was an okay time for a visit. They gave me the green light, and I made my way to the Utah Valley Hospital in Provo.

Upon arriving, I texted my parents asking them for the code to get in. It took a while to hear back from them. Finally, I was told that something serious had happened and I would have to wait to see my grandpa. After about a half hour or so, my dad came and found James and I.

Apparently my grandpa's latest brain scan showed that he had a stroke. Over a third of his brain was dead as a result. I arrived at the hospital the moment that my parent's had to decide whether or not to do emergency surgery to try to help stabilize grandpa. After saying a prayer, they decided not to go forward with the surgery.

At this point, even if my grandpa would have recovered, he wouldn't have been able to move his entire left side of his body. I walked in to hear my aunt Heather trying to figure out what my grandpa's feelings were towards DNR. (Do not resuscitate.) This was a tough moment to be a part of. My mom told me now was my chance to say goodbye to my grandpa.

Grandpa didn't look like himself. Lots of his hair was shaved off because of the brain surgery. He also fractured his skull and had some bruising. I never saw my grandpa conscious after his fall. I was overwhelmed at the task at hand. How do you say goodbye to someone? I was trying to be strong and not cry in front of my grandma, so I didn't say anything.

As I silently said my good-byes, I felt an overwhelming feeling that I needed to take care of my grandma. I promised my grandpa that I would do that. Although my grandpa couldn't talk or open his eyes, he would respond by squeezing your hand. I wish I would have told him I was there and had him squeeze my hand.

My parents waited to take Grandpa off the ventilator until my mom's brother, Doug, could fly in and say goodbye.

Grandpa passed around 7:30pm on Friday, March 9 surrounded by loved ones.

Something We'll Never Know
We assumed grandpa fell while working out. He came home after his long workout and took a nap which he never does. Grandma went to check on him and found blood on his pillow. There was video footage of my grandpa's workout. He never fell during his workout. He must have fallen on his way back to the car, but we'll never really know.

Facts I Want to Remember

• Grandpa was reading the book, "Grit" during his last workout.
• During his last workout, he did pull-ups! How impressive to still be doing those at 85.
• Grandpa's last text was about home-teaching.
• Grandpa spoke in church last Sunday, March 4. Unfortunately none of us knew about it and we didn't attend.
• Grandpa's last temple shift was on Saturday, March 3. He woke up at 3:30am each week to make it there on time.
• My last time seeing grandpa was when I went to lunch with him and grandma. They took me out for my birthday. The entire time grandpa entertained James and played with him.
• Grandpa was supposed to fly to San Diego the day after he fell to meet with clients.

Guilt
I was surprised by how devastated I was when my grandpa passed. I actually ended up feeling a lot of guilt. "I should have been nicer to him..." "I should have enjoyed him more while he was here...." "I should have made an effort to see him more regularly..." 

I used to kind of make fun of grandpa's weird Facebook comments. Now I miss them. I would give anything to see what his comment would have been on my mom's Facebook tribute to him.

Worry
I'm close with my grandma and lots of my sorrow is worry for her well-being. My grandma relied so much on my grandpa for everything. It is going to be a big adjustment for her to live on her own. I'm also worried about my mom. She will now have to take on all the finances for my grandma, help take care of my grandma, and finish her Master's Degree.

I've never lost someone before. I didn't realize how difficult it would be. I look forward to seeing Grandpa again someday in perfect form. How fun will it be to have a conversation with Grandpa and not have to worry that he can't hear me.

Obituary Written by Jill (Published 3/13/18)
1932 ~ 2018
Reed Vernon Langlois, devoted and beloved husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away March 9, 2018 in Provo, Utah at the age of 85.

Reed was born September 9, 1932 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Ruth Chamberlain Langlois and Charles Vernon Langlois. He met his sweetheart, Suzanne Woods, at a church dance and they married on September 4, 1956 in the LDS Los Angeles Temple. They spent the next 61 years together lighting up dance floors across the world.


An intellectual giant, Reed graduated with a degree in accounting from Brigham Young University in June 1953. He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy from 1953 to 1956. He obtained a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School in 1958 and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1970. Reed worked in family and bankruptcy law and was a practicing attorney at the time of his death.


Reed was an active member of the LDS Church all his life filling many ward and stake positions including that of bishop and member of the stake presidency. He was a faithful temple worker for over 40 years. He and Suzanne served as temple missionaries in the Lima Peru Temple from May 2010 to April 2012. Following his missionary service, he continued to utilize his Spanish language skills in his temple service.
Reed approached life like a grand adventure. With Suzanne, he traveled the globe and together they hiked the ruins of Machu Picchu, swam with dolphins in Hawaii, and marveled at the pyramids in Egypt. His favorite journey was to the Holy Land to walk where Jesus walked. 

Reed never met a person he didn't like and was genuinely interested in those around him. He will be remembered as a remarkably positive man, a voracious reader, lifelong learner, someone who never missed a family event, and a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
Reed is survived by his wife Suzanne, his six children, Mark Langlois of Colorado, Ted Langlois of Arizona, Doug Langlois of California, Laurie Denning of South Jordan, Matthew Langlois of Payson, and Heather Lindquist of California, 29 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings Larry Langlois of North Salt Lake, Tom Langlois of Salt Lake, and Sharon Langlois of Sandy.

Reed will be honored in a chapel service Thursday, March 15, 2018 at the LDS Meetinghouse on 127 East 3200 North, Lehi, Utah 84043. At 9:30 AM there will be a celebration of life reception followed by 11:00 AM funeral services. 

No More Chemo!

Our niece, Claire, was diagnosed with Leukemia about 2 years ago. I still remember when Andrew got a call from his brother, Brent, with the news. We were both shocked and sad. Nobody expects an 8 year old to have cancer.

I think the news hit me extra hard because I was teaching school at the time and had 9 year olds in my class. I tried to imagine what it would be like if one of them found out that they had cancer and how devastating that would be. The day following the hard news about Claire, I told my students about the cancer. This was the only time my students ever saw me cry. I couldn't control my emotions.

Claire has such a unique personality and is so fun to be around! She loves animals and is very bright. Claire is extremely good at games and beats many adults. Claire is also a talented musician and sings exceptionally well. Claire didn't let cancer get the best of her and fought so hard, even though it was tough.

It's hard for me to imagine what Claire went through during the last two years. I do know that she: 1) Lost all of her hair 2) Had multiple overnight stays in the hospital 3) Had to follow a very strict pill schedule 4) Was unable to attend school for a while. 

Despite everything that she went through, Claire kept a positive attitude and so did her parents. I remember hearing Deena (Claire's mom) talk about the cancer. Basically, Deena said that Claire got cancer at the best age she could have. She explained that having cancer as a teenager would have been very difficult. She also mentioned that dealing with cancer earlier in life would have been extra challenging because Claire wouldn't have understood what was going on. I am astounded at Deena's optimism.

Claire is now done with chemo treatments! There is no better reason to have a party. We were able to go to Spokane to be at the celebration. It was an unforgettable night and I even teared up a bit . (I'm not much of a crier.) At most Ditto parties or big events, there is a variety/talent show. This party followed the Ditto tradition with a neat program. Claire was the finale and changed the words to the song, "You're Welcome" from Moana. She thanked everyone for all of the support and did some impressive rapping. Once she finished, she got a standing ovation. It was such a powerful moment. Not only did Claire do a fantastic job performing the song, but Claire survived cancer. I was very touched to see everyone on their feet to celebrate such a big moment. 

 

The party included the largest dessert bar I've ever seen! Everything was so delicious and the church cultural hall was decorated beautifully. The party ended with some loud music and dancing. The next day we were able to spend time with ALL of Andrew's siblings and nieces and nephews. Everyone was together (except Alex who is on a mission) which is so rare with a group of over 40 people!

Even though I still clearly remember how heartbroken I was to hear that Claire had cancer, I now have a much happier memory fresh in my mind. 

Book Club

I started a book club this year with my friend Shaylee! I was nervous to be in charge of a book club, but I'm loving it! There are 24 people who are in the club; however, only about 10-15 people come to each meeting. I'm pleased with how many people come and am happy book club has been a success. I look forward to the first Thursday of every month.

Here are the books we're reading for the first 6 months this year:

January: "Out of My Mind" By: Sharon Draper

February: "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" By: Mary Ann Shaffer 

March: “When You Reach Me” By: Rebecca Stead 

April: "Tuesday's With Morrie" By: Mitch Album

May: "The 13th Tale" By: Diane Setterfield

June: When Breath Becomes Air" By: Paul Kalantihi

All of the people in the book club are from my ward. I posted about the idea on a playgroup page for young sisters in the ward. Something that has been hard for me is not picking what books we read. I have tried to give other people within the book club a chance to choose. It has been good for me to read books I wouldn't necessarily pick. Everyone has such different tastes in books. 

We only have books picked through June. I'm still trying to decide what I want to do after that. There are a couple of other books people recommended, but I'm not really a fan. I want people to know that I'm open to their ideas, but I also don't want to read a lengthy LDS fiction novel. That being said, I chose "Out of My Mind" and hosted the January meeting at my house. I thought it would be a good book to start with because it's a quick, easy read and has a powerful message.

Food is obviously a big part of book club. I made sugar cookies and had marshmallow frosting with fruit, for mini fruit pizzas. I also made 7 layer dip. 

What we have done at our first 2 meetings is have questions in a bowl and each person takes one. We use the questions as a guide for our discussion. I like this method because it allows everyone to participate in the conversation and read their question. (Whoever hosts decides how to do it, but this is what we've done for the first two months.) My mom is in a book club and she gave me this idea. It's so great because people who are less likely to speak up, have a chance to.

I loved "The Guernsey and Potato Peel Pie Society" which we discussed at our February meeting and it's becoming a movie! We are going to go see it as a book club together when it comes out. I can hardly wait! This is one of my all-time favorite books.

Something I want to remember for future book clubs is to discuss right off the bat peoples comfort levels. Do people only want to read books that are rated G? I didn't bring this up and then swearing came up. We have decided as a group to only read books that are "PG-13." People can only suggest a book that they have read before, so they know the content.

All in all, this has been a very positive experience for me. I love to discuss a good book and several people have mentioned loving the social outlet. Most of us have young babies at home and like to have some girl time out. My only problem is that I've been reading so much that sometimes I mix up the book we read for book club with another one. I love reading and escaping with the characters into a new universe.

St. George Half Marathon

On Saturday, January 13th, I ran the St. George Half Marathon with my dad. The temperature at the starting line was a balmy 35 degrees. I was grateful for gloves, a hat, and a jacket (at least in the beginning).

This boy loves to travel. He was fantastic on the drive and was fascinated with our hotel room.

I struggle with my shins when I run long distances and I wasn't sure if I would be able to handle another half marathon. I was able to work around my shin problems with new shoes and an appropriate amount of time off between runs. My shins aren't fixed, but I wasn't popping Ibuprofen throughout the half like last time. 

My dad has done several marathons, triathlons, and a half iron-man. We didn't train for the St. George Half together and didn't intend to run it together. (I'm not much of a chatter when I run.) I didn't want to slow my dad down by making him run with me. The morning of the race, my dad asked if he could run it with me. I was surprised, but happy. 

If my dad had not run the grueling 13.1 miles with me, I think I would have had a different outcome. I felt really great at the beginning of the race, okay in the middle, and horrible at the end. There were 3 miles in the middle that were far too hilly and they definitely took their toll. 

My ultimate goal was to finish the race in under 2 hours. I was 19 seconds off, but I'll take it. I was proud of myself and felt like I gave it everything I had. It was fun for me to compare my previous half marathon time with my new time and see that I knocked off 10 minutes.

I'm still nursing James which added another challenge. Staying hydrated was a concern while I was training, and my dad helped remind me to drink at every water station. I also had my first experience with nutritional goo. Not a fan, but who is? The flavor of my goo was even peanut butter, so if I didn't like it, who would?

At about mile 10 I was battling and at my dad's suggestion, I had some more goo, pineapple this time. I was pretty weak at this point and even had my dad open the goo for me. This is also about the time when my headphones died. Perfect timing. I had plenty of quiet, thinking time the last few miles. 

My dad literally helped coach me to the finish line with encouraging words. I was set to make the time I hoped, but I slowed down near the end. Right after finishing, I immediately wanted to sit down. I was exhausted and relieved. I have been asked if I'll do another half. As of now, I'm in no rush to embark on such a difficult task in the near future.

Here are some things I always want to remember about this race experience:

• My Dad asking in the middle of the race what I wanted to eat after. My response was "anything will taste amazing after this goo."
• My Dad trying to be encouraging when we hit mile 8 by telling me, "Only 5 more miles to go. That's like what you typically run on Saturdays." Although he was being positive and had good intentions, I realized I was already exhausted at this point and I was concerned about what would lie ahead.
• Having goo in my jacket pocket (which was tied around my waist) bruise my thigh from hitting it for 13 miles. 
• The super "peppy" lady at the beginning of the race who was so loud and annoying. She even went and spanked 2 strangers butts. 
• Thinking I only had 1.1 miles left of the race, but in reality having 2.1 miles remaining. (Our course overlapped with the 5k course and some of the signs threw us off.)
• Volunteers and cheerleaders at the halfway point loudly saying, "You're halfway there!" Little did they know how discouraging these words were.
• Hearing my mom and Andrew cheer for me at the finish line and not even looking at them. I was so focused on getting to the finish line.

On our way to St. George, we stopped at the Cedar City Temple and did sealings. A family friend is attending SUU and was able to babysit James, so we could go. It was stunning and this temple might have my favorite interior of any temple I've seen.

We had a short, but fun trip filled with good food, lots of laughs, and plenty of soreness. Rumor has it that Andrew and my mom get to do the half next year. I'm excited to be their cheerleader!

Out of the Dark

Saying our family room was dark is an understatement. The lighting was actually so bad that I was embarrassed to have people over. I told Andrew something needed to be done.

Andrew suggested that we get new, brighter bulbs which was a cheap solution. We tried it out and I still wasn't satisfied. 

Can you tell how weak the light is?

Making decisions has never been a quick or easy process for me. I felt a lot of pressure in picking out a new light. Luckily my Mom helped me. We went with a light that has 18 bulbs. What a difference it makes! Lots of people have been complimentary about our new fixture. James is intrigued by the new light and loves to stare at it intently. 

Why didn't we do this sooner? I actually bought a new light fixture right when we moved in, but returned it when I discovered it wouldn't work well in the space. It only took me over a year and a half to replace it.

I started a book club and the first meeting is in January at my house. I told Andrew that before we have all my friends in the club over, I also want a new light over our kitchen table. Check out what we had below and you'll see why.

Our ceiling is pretty low in this area. I dislike the look of a hooked chandelier which is what we had. Finding a light that worked for this space was challenging, but we finally found one. Although it took way too long (3 hours) to put up due to a poor design, even Andrew can say he likes it.

Unfortunately I don't have fantastic pictures of the transformation. Just know that I'm no longer ashamed to have people over. We still have some other light fixtures we need to replace, but for now I'm thrilled with the progress we have made.