The worst is over now!

Keith has been doing so great! He has had a lot of physical therapy, and he has been rocking it like a champion! Thanks to the fact he's such a healthy guy, he had been breezing through all of his tests and therapy (: they gave him a serious of 3 swallow tests this week to see if he can handle breathing, swallowing, and talking without the trachea tube... And he passed with flying colors (: so they plugged it for 48 hours, as a trial, and he did great! So they have finally removed the tube! And he has been eating real food, abs he even got the soda he's been waiting for this whole week (; they also switched him from the nighttime feeding tube, and they are anticipating being able to take the feeding tube out altogether today, along with his nasal canula. He is finally going to be tubeless (; he has been cracking jokes left and right to everyone that visits him, and he never stops giving the nurses a hard time, and they think he is hilarious! He's probably their favorite patient (; I hadn't known they plugged his trachea, and I came in one day and he said 'oh hey, Jayne!', and I about fainted, it was such a surprise! But a pleasant one (: and dad can't stand passing up a chance to scare someone, or take them by surprise! I'm pretty sure he lives for that (; He had a group of students come in the other day, saying they just got back from rock climbing, and he said 'hey! So did I!' And when he kept trying to get us kids to take him home (whenever my mom wasn't there ;), he said to Anne, 'We gotta go! We're going dancing tonight!' All of his excuses as to why he has to leave the hospital have been pathetic, but hilarious! Even at a time like this, he's trying to make everyone else feel better, and always lightening the mood! He is truly an amazing man, and we just love him! When they first plugged his trachea, the nurses asked him if there is anything he needed to tell them that he hasn't been able to yet, and he said 'I just want you to know how amazing my wife is!' And all the nurses thought it was just the sweetest thing (: When I was telling him my mom never left his side at the hospital, and only came home 3 times in the whole 3 weeks he was there, he said 'I guess she kinda likes me'. I think my parents are more in love now than they ever have been (: it has been such a great experience for all of us kids to see how my parents pull together with such faith in such a trying time, knowing they are going to make it through, without a doubt. We are so incredibly blessed to have such faithful parents that never doubt their own strength, or the strength of the Lord. We always say our dad is the strength of our family, but we realized, my parents are a team, and together, THEY are the rock of our family. We are so blessed, beyond comprehension, and our gratitude for all the prayers and blessings we have received, is beyond words. My dad told my mom a story a couple days ago, from President Monson, that was something like this 'a woman was very sick, laying in a hospital bed, not sure if she was going to live, and she felt an overwhelming feeling of warmth, and when she opened her eyes, she said she could see spots on her, glowing, and more kept appearing until all she could see was light. She immediately started feeling better, and when she was better, she told president Monson about the experience, and he said, those were prayers said in your name'. My dad feels the same way as this woman does, that all of your prayers have been giving him strength, and motivation to carry on. So this is coming from him, he asks you continue your prayers and fasting for him. Although the worst is over now, he has a similarly difficult trial, but much more time consuming, and it will be equally draining. Please, continue to remember him in your prayers, and my sweet mother as well, so she will be blessed with the strength she needs emotionally and physically to help my dad through this trial. My dad has so much love and gratitude for every one of you, and so does our family. Now that he is speaking, he would just love all of you to come visit! Though the comments and warm wishes posted will still reach him either way (: We love all of you, and thank you for all you do to help my dad and our family! Much love!