We loved the Gingerbread House workshop by Sugar Brink cookies. Monet had a conflict so she couldn't come. This was so well done! Elise majored in Experience Design at BYU and a few years ago we attended a wreath workshop where we discussed how it could have been so much better. This one was awesome and she thought of everything. We walked in to the beautiful venue and there was a huge spread of food, drinks, good music, fire going. The creator was so welcoming and sweet and found us a spot right in front (which was so helpful to me at our previous workshop we could not hear at all). She had a big screen which showed the detail of what she was working on up front. It was so well organized. And you could see how much time went into all the prep for this! All of us are pretty new to using royal icing and the whole place was full of cookie artists! But that was fun to see all the beautiful designs. And we were all very pleased with how cute they turned out. I'm excited to make these at home next year with the products we used. I have my Judy's Gingerbread book too.
It was so fun to be there with Jen and Josie! Jen is Miles's girlfriend Josie's mom, who we just adore! Jen is friends with some ladies in my ward and was the speaker at our Thanksgiving RS activity on gratitude a few weeks earlier. Jen is amazing. I loved hearing her tell her story. She got a MRSA staph infection when Josie was born and subsequently had a very tenuous situation where she nearly died multiple times and was hospitalized for months. She had been so excited to have her two little boys and her first girl, Josie. She hoped for a few more kids. But because of her fragile situation, she was induced into a coma and when she woke up she was given the heartbreaking news that they'd had to do a hysterectomy. She was glad to be alive. But sad about her future being so different than what she had planned. Even as she improved, she was not allowed to hold her brand new baby who was being cared for by her parents--ugh that would be so, so hard. She was able to brush her cheek against Josies, but not hold her. She worked hard everyday toward the goal of going home. As her condition stabilized, her legs were eventually amputated as well as three fingers on each hand due to being damaged from the infection.
Despite all the challenges and disappointments that she faced in adapting to this completely new life, first in a wheelchair and then with prosthetics, she had the sweetest sense of purpose and gratitude. She was so grateful to be alive. To be home from the hospital taking care of her kids. And with her sweet husband. I can only imagine what he went through as he was told multiple times to get to the hospital because they thought it was the end. He had to work, and also take care of two little boys. And be at the hospital with his wife. I can't imagine having to juggle all of those responsibilities.
When she finally came home, I loved hearing how her cute little boys were helping her by running up and down the stairs to get what she needed before they moved into a new rambler with fewer levels. She would "drive" them all down the street to school in her motorized scooter with three kids hanging on. And when she got her prosthetics how they cheered her on in all of her goals as she got used to walking on them and even finished the school fun run/walk with her little family cheering her on. I asked her how she did all that, and she said that they really had to simplify. I've been thinking about that ever since. She has a very inspiring attitude.
When we were making our gingerbread houses the instructor was explaining how to hold the frosting bag by applying pressure between the pinky and ring finger. Jen's looks so cute and she's just working with a thumb and index finger only. And Josie is a talented artist and hers looked professional already! I'm so glad Miles met Josie at Hobby Lobby three years ago before his mission. She's the sweetest and we love her family too.
It was a fun night and we all just wished Monet could have made it too because this is just the kind of thing she loves. She was missed! But she's doing her ultrasound classes, working (because then her tuition is free), and juggling all her other stuff so she's limited on time for the next year. I'm so proud of her and excited for all she's learning!
