March 15

We have been busy since the last post.  We had all the normal weekly activities and made a trip to Colorado.

The first picture here is Sidney's science fair experiment in action. She choose the testable question "Does the type of liquid affect melting time?"  We froze a number of liquids and then watched them thaw several times.  All I can say is watching water boil is far more exciting than watching water melt.

We started our drive to Colorado on Friday morning, early. Our intention was to get to Carlsbad Caverns before 2 and we made it with time to spare.  We were able to walk into the caverns, enjoy the big rooms and then because we had been in the car all day, we walked back out.  That's all up hill to get out. Sidney was at least a little mad at me.  But we slept well.

We stayed overnight in Artesia before heading up to Colorado Springs. Between Carlsbad and Artesia is a lot of new oil field activity along with a large lake I had never seen before.  There were even at least a dozen white pelicans I could see from the highway. I asked about the lake and indeed it has been dry for years. However recent rains which also flooded Artesia, filled the lake to larger than it has ever been.

We got to my parents mid day on Saturday and just goofed off the rest of the day.  No one wanted to get in the car again.

We went to church on Sunday and received communion from my dad.  After church we had a second breakfast and then did small errands like get gas, groceries and a car wash. We went to the playground at the elementary school twice.  The second time Sidney and I took a longer walk over and took a basketball with us.  I am sure people who saw us had to think two short blonds with a basketball was at least funny.

On Monday we went to Garden of the God's in Colorado Springs.  We had a great time hiking but it was so muddy. There has been plenty of snow and it was melting into a muddy mess. Speaking of snow, Sidney got to play in some every day. The snow lasted in the shady parts on my parents yard all week but the weather was warm and wonderful.  The pictures here are the Siamese Twins with Pike's Peak in the background and the Kissing Camels, both popular formations in the park.

On Tuesday we took a trip to Denver. A girlfriend of mine has been up there for a few weeks at the hospital. She was flown up there from Durango when she went into labor very early while carrying twins.  The babies were born at 29 weeks, the same as Sidney. The little girl was quite a bit bigger than Sidney and the boy about the same size Sidney was.  They are a couple of weeks old now and doing well. We spent most of the day with my friend chatting and walking around the Denver Natural Science Museum. We also took in an IMAX while there. My friend is staying at the Ronald McDonald house and after seeing the support they provide I am a full supporter.

We had dinner with another friend who now lives in Denver. I know him from Africa.  It was great to see him and hear about his life back on the "normal" side of life.  He had been in Africa a long time and seems to be really happy in Denver.

We went to a wolf rescue center near Divide on Wednesday. They provided a very nice tour with great discussions about wolf rescue as well as the family structures of the wolfs there.  The wolfs were very talkative that day and frequently howled.  There were several roommate changes happening and so the wolves had a lot to "talk" about.  Some of the discussion on wolves was slanted but overall it was an enjoyable experience and a great opportunity to learn about these intelligent and family orient animals.  The paths were quite treacherous though and Sidney fell once along with three other people. We were quite cold after the tour from standing on ice for 2 hours.

After a refill from a tasty lunch in Woodland Park, we went to the Dinosaur Resource Center. It doesn't look like much from the outside but they had great displays, fossils, and educational materials including hands on displays. It was actually quite impressive. Sidney had another slip on the way in. She was running though the outside portico and stepped on what she thought was water. It was except for being frozen water. So off she slid. I did make sure she was OK before laughing hysterically.

We really enjoyed the time with my parents. At least for a few days I didn't have to worry about work, feeding us, getting us to activities or the future.  We were able to laugh and enjoy going to a park whenever we wanted, playing basketball, throwing snow and getting muddy.

Thursday meant we had to hit the road. We packed up and headed toward Lubbock where we would overnight.  We stopped at Capulin Volcano to explore and stretch our legs. There was also a good amount of snow for a last hurrah. After a snow ball fight and walk around the crater, we ate our packed lunch and drove on.  We drove very close, too close for comfort, to a wild fire on the way home. It was near Amarillo.  I got a little nervous but we made it through fine.

Sidney and I both slept well at the hotel.  We had a light dinner and swam for an hour before sleeping in real beds.  We had been sleeping on the floor in my parents living room because they had a full house.

We got home on Friday and are unpacked and settled in. We visited with Kirk and took him to run some errands with us Saturday.  Sidney was back on a horse this afternoon and the weather has been good so we have been outside a lot.

This is going to be a difficult week. I have run into more road blocks with getting help to take care of Kirk and I meet with the staff at the rehab tomorrow. I fully expect they will tell me that he will have to leave soon due to lack of progress. He still shows no signs of short term memory. He had a tough week and some of his medications had to be increased to try to temper his agitation. He has been more confused and agitated and even a little aggressive.  Hard decisions are coming my way. I have to figure out what the best course is for all of us.  Please hold us tightly in the coming weeks.

March 8

Sidney and I arrived safely at my parents in Colorado Springs. We took two days driving from San Antonio. We drive to Carlsbad Caverns on Friday. We had a nice time in the cave and we walked in and out. And Sidney needed to make up for words during the car ride. She hardly talked at all on the ride. So when we were walking around the cavern, she talked non stop. We also saw a herd of Desert Big Horn Sheep. We spent the night in Artesia. There was a lot of oil field traffic along the whole route. I also noticed a lake between Carlsbad and Artesia. It was a big lake and had Pelicans. Who would have thought. I asked about the lake at the hotel because I hadn't seen it before. Indeed it has been dry for years. Apparently there was a lot of rain this year, enough to flood Carlsbad and fill the lake.

We headed to Colorado Springs after our night in Artesia. We will be here for a few days before heading back to Texas. Hopefully with our batteries refilled and ready to get back to our busy life.

I saw Kirk briefly twice before we left. He is still about the same. I'm still expecting him to be discharged from rehab in a few weeks. And I'm still working a plan for that. Please keep praying for the right path to develop for him. And for the beginning of short term memory.

March 1

Today is six months after the accident. I cannot think of Labor Day and the fear and pain that day brought without tears, still. I did not think Kirk would live through that night or the many days that followed. And once I knew he would live, I did not imagine this result. We were living a dream, the perfect life. In an instant it changed.

Kirk became officially un-employed this week and his things were delivered to the house, sparing me of cleaning his office. But I unpacked and sorted years worth of work and a career that brought him great joy.

Kirk is not unhappy. His perception of the world is very altered. He likes to be busy and to be helpful. I don't think a "job" crosses his mind. He loves Sidney and I and although he doesn't remember our visits or the things happening in our lives, he remembers us.

Sidney and I have had fairly normal lives this week. Work has been far more challenging than normal but I am hanging on. Sidney is swimming twice a week with the team and she is gaining endurance, skill and confidence. She may not advance but the coach is a super role model and she is learning to work hard.

I am still trying to figure out how to make life complete for Kirk when he gets home. I can now start discussing his care with my insurance as he switched over today. I have found us an internal medicine doctor to follow both of us. Hopefully that will ensure our unusual conditions are managed in the best way possible.

This week will be short. Sidney and I are off to Colorado on Friday. We will drive to Carlsbad and treat ourselves to the Caverns on Friday and then head into Colorado Springs on Saturday. We will head back to San Antonio on the following Thursday. Yes my crazy self is driving.

Oh and Sidney has her first science fair project. She is testing if different liquids melt at different times. We have one if three trials done. With any luck we'll get the other two done thus week. Watching water me,t is worse, far worse, than watching water boil.