Monday, January 25, 2010

The Vacation is Over

Last week P, with a group from our church, was on a working trip to help at the orphanage El Hogar de los ninos Nazareth in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. So that meant I was on a vacation of sorts. However, I am not able to stay home alone so before P signed up for this working trip she contacted our four children to see if any of them would be willing to come and stay with me for the week she was gone.

Not surprising all four told her to sign up for the trip and that they would work out a schedule for when each of them would come and stay here with me. So on the Friday night before she left, our oldest son C and grandson L drove the 3 hours from their home to stay with me on the first Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning. On that first Saturday, C and our son in-law worked on his car to repair the car’s heater. Both C and L told me that it was a rather cold ride, from their home to ours, in a car without much heat. Our son in-law works for his father at their family car repair business so Saturday morning son C and son in-law KK went there to work on the car. That meant the grandson L and I stayed home alone. However, shortly after L’s father and uncle KK left to repair the car our youngest son K and daughter in-law C, who live about an hour away in Chicago, walked in the front door. I was glad to see them because I have an extremely hard time talking and a 5 year old grandson doesn’t always remember that. So I end up talking far more than I should which will cause me to suffer extreme exhaustion, but with the other here, I didn't have to talk much.

After lunch L and his aunt and uncle went to a local sporting goods store where son C after restoring heat to his car joined them. I stayed home resting. When they returned late in the afternoon, C made supper and helped me by cleaning my trach. After church Sunday he made dinner and then he, his brother K and sister in-law C sat in the den with me and grandson L spent the rest of Sunday relaxing watching movies, reading, and playing games with L.

Monday morning while C prepared a couple of meals for use later in the week, son K went to work, his wife C worked on an assignment for her Master’s degree, and Grandson L did 5 year old things. About midmorning the front door opened and in walked our daughter K. Because it was a Federal Holiday neither she nor C had to work allowing them to spend time with me. After lunch son C and grandson L left to return to their home. And later Monday afternoon daughter K left for her home. Son K and his wife C stayed Monday and Tuesday evening. After supper Monday, K made a vegetable Chili, putting it in a crock pot and placing it in the refrigerator. Tuesday it sat all day warming in the crock pot filling the house with a delicious odor.

Wednesday and Thursday our daughter K and husband KK stayed here. Because they both work late and had meetings at church Wednesday evening we had one of the meals C had made on Monday. Thursday morning when daughter K arrived at work a couple minutes late, she told how she had forgotten how “rigid” I was about my morning routine. I am not certain if she is correct about me. I like to think that I just want things done the “correct way”.

Friday morning son J drove down from Chicago and spent Friday through Sunday morning here. He also assembled a number of meals which along with the meals the others made are in the freezer. These meals are a huge help because I am certain P will still be resting up from a busy week at the Honduras Orphanage and catching up with all the things that have piled up at work while she was gone. So now instead of having to make a meal, she can take one out of the freezer.

I must say that I had a wonderful vacation. It was great being able to spent time alone with each of the four children and two in-laws while they were here.

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

Wheelchair is Ordered

Last week we received an email from Rehab Tech the company we deal with for all wheelchair related issues. The email stated that they had received the letter of approval for purchase of the new wheelchair and that they would be sending in the order for the new chair. So now we wait until they tell us they have received the wheelchair. I am hoping that it only takes 4 to 6 weeks for that to happen. Of course after Rehab Tech receives the new Wheelchair they will have to do further modifications to it so the chair will be able to have my ventilator, ventilator external battery and the humidifier mounted on it. At least it is ordered and we are one step closer to finishing a process that started in October, 2009.