A Scare

We had a scare last week from Kirk.  Mary Anne and the residents had gone out to dinner.  Kirk collapsed on the way into the house and Mary Anne thought he was having a stroke.  She supported him as he went to the ground and they got him to the couch.  He almost did it again when the ambulance came but they got him over to the ER.  They did a handful of tests and accidentally discovered the problem.  When he stood up, his blood pressure dropped.

Dinosaur Tracks

That is at least something we can deal with and after several hours of observation he was discharged.  The doctors will see if they can adjust his blood pressure medications to control the lows a little better.  He also still needs a few adjustments on his mood medications.  He was humming along pretty good and then had a small set back.  This time was more just a repetitive behavior and he couldn't be re-directed but it wasn't as upsetting.















He has made Sidney a few things (with Mary Anne's help).  He made her a necklace some time ago and she wore it constantly until now it needs to be re-strung.  He made the small bracelet that is pictured below.  These are small things she cherishes as it is all she has of her dad on a daily basis.








We had a nice three day Easter weekend.  We went on a hike on Friday morning to the Dinosaur tracks at Government canyon.  Government Canyon is maybe 20 minutes from the house and has 40 great miles of hiking year round with an additional 20 miles on protected land in the winter months.  We got to the tracks but they were full of water an algae.  We did see amazing wild flowers and all the bees and butterflies that go with them.  It is about 5 miles round trip to the tracks but we added on about 3 miles by coming back a different way.  We also happened upon this beautiful moss covered tree and these raccoon tracks.  We were happily exhausted and hungry when we were done.

Cool Spider web

We met a friend for lunch and went to the store and then relaxed at home the rest of Friday.  Saturday brought the usual swimming and a run for me.  We stopped to visit Kirk and stopped to get mulch on the way home.  I had an appointment to get the windows cleaned on the house and that was a worthy investment.  They look so nice and make me very happy.  I made a nice dinner and we had another quiet evening.

Coon Tracks

Sunday was Easter of course and we went to church after a nice breakfast of waffles.  Then we went to Six Flags Fiesta Texas which is about 10 minutes away.  We met friends and friends of friends over there and had a wonderful first visit.  I got us season passes in case anyone wants to "make" us go again.....

Sidney isn't a roller coaster fan but I am determined to work her through at least trying a new one each time (I am not a fan either but....)  Her favorite rides involve getting wet.  This usually goes badly for the adults as I spent the afternoon drip drying.  She is in the front row on the ride pictured, second from the right.  The friends are in the row with her and one is in the row behind.






We had another nice dinner and some quiet time again before kicking into this week.  It is a busy week with normal stuff plus the dentist and a choir event.

I'll will continue to try to keep up with this better.

Delinquent

That word describes me about the blog.  I am very sorry I haven't been keeping it up.  And now I have to do some catching up.

I made an attempt to get a sore left hip in working order.  I have been limping around for a while and have gotten to a point where I can't sit and sometimes can't run.  That's the end of the point I can handle before I needed to find out what was going on.  Fortunately it is nothing serious.  Unfortunately there is not much I can do to relieve what is going on.  There is some tendentious in the tendon that connects the hamstring to the bone.  You sit on that tendon and of course it is a major leg mover.  I am back to taking an anti-inflammatory again and I am thinking about trying the cortisone shot for some relief.  It is pretty tolerable most of the time but has its moments.

I picked up some large potted plants from a friend.  They are two palms and sit on the back porch now.  She couldn't move them when she went to Houston.  The pots are maybe 20 inches in diameter. They look lovely on my porch.  It was comedy to get them though.  I stopped in the work truck on my way back from the field.  They barely fit in the back where the back seat would be (they only fit because I have my seat so far up....)  I got them to the office thinking I could take them home in my car.  Wrong.  They were much too tall.  They sat in my office for a week before a friend helped me get them home in his truck.  A week or so later I also stopped and got a big metal trough from the same friend.  That is also on the porch and has some herbs and two tomato plants in it.  I am excited to see how they do.

Sidney had a well child check up in mid-February.   Besides being a frustrating experience because the staff was rude and we didn't see the doctor until an hour and a half past our scheduled time, Sidney is well but skinny.  She is the 30th percentile on height but the 3rd percentile on weight.  I really do feed her.  Everything I can that is high fat.

A little poster Sidney made for me

After the appointment we headed for Houston for the Valentines Day weekend.  We stayed in town with old Texas City Refinery friends.  Sidney and I went over to see Cirque du Soleil at the Toyota Center.  The show we saw was called Taruk and it was based upon Avatar.  The show was more dramatic than the other shows we have seen and less acrobatic.  The story was about a boy and his adopted brother and their quest to save the Tree of Life on Pandora.  The Tree of Life is a major part of their culture and connects all the tribes.  Along the way they also meet a girl who helps them collect the five sacred items.  Ultimately to save the Tree someone must ride the great Taruk (leonoptryx).  We had not seen Avatar so we didn't understand everything we saw until we watched Avatar at home the next weekend.  Then we really got it and the stories are similar but different and were in different time periods.  The movie is beautiful and so was the Cirque.  We also got to go to our old Katy church and see our friends from there.  It was a pleasant weekend where I did not have to be responsible.

Kirk has been in and out of the hospital a few more times.  Still issues with behavior because of medication changes.  We are trying to work it out and at least there is less stress for Sidney and I because we know he is being taken care of and that the VA knows what he needs.   Between the episodes though he does seem content.  Based on some of his behaviors we are going to back off on the day program to maybe once or twice per week.  We think he is getting over tired and over stimulated.

Work has been work.  I am still adjusting to all the changes late last year and the first few months of the year are hard on my team.  We have a lot of regulatory reports due before the end of the quarter and there were visits by VPs of the company and performance reviews.  February was really tough.  I have a new team member though and she has relieved so much of the pressure I was under by trying to do my job and two others.  I have also been able to get out to our field locations a bit more with both her help and with Sidney continuing to become more mature.

Sidney has picked her classes for 7th grade.  She will take three Pre-AP courses, a life sciences class and something called AVID.  The life sciences class is about all the things you need to know to run a house and have an adult life.  AVID is a college preparatory course that will be a significant amount of work but hopefully develop all the skills needed to get into and succeed in college.  She will be a busy girl next year and we are still working on strategies to help her manage her time.

I made this little owl nightlight for Sidney.  There was a function for the ladies of the church to paint pottery and go to dinner.  It was very nice and Sidney loved the little owl.

This past week was spring break.  In past years we have traveled but this year we decided to stay home.  Sidney took a class through the Ag Extension office for four days.  They learned about plants, germs, a variety of animals and animal husbandry.  She had a great time and I only worked half days. I dropped her off at 8:45 and worked from 9 until 2:15.  I picked her up after that and we did some stuff around the house or took care of other business.  I refinished most of the outdoor furniture, made great meals every night, got some more fish for the fist tank and just generally had time... Sidney didn't have swimming and had only a small amount of homework so we were able to relax on the porch every night.  We also got the pets in for their annual checkups.  Man is that expensive.  I also fixed another sprinkler though it was a comedy of errors.  Flying sprinkler parts, squirting mud and only a little digging.  But I did it.  And we are going into the next week not stressed out (until Monday...)

Before Teak Oil (right) and after

We have started to make summer and later plans.  Sidney will go to camp the first week of summer and a couple of her friends are going also.  She will help with the kids coming from Katy to San Antonio to work for Blue Print Ministries the second week.  We will go to Florida for July 4th and to Peru in early August.  I am on call for Christmas so we won't be going anywhere then but we did book a cruise to the Bahamas for Thanksgiving.  We will be going with the friends we stayed with in Houston a few weeks ago.  And we said yes to an invitation from another friend to join her for a cruise to Antarctica in December 2017.  I can't believe it we are going to get my last continent and Sidney's 6th.  She will miss a good bit of school but I think this will be worth it.

Spring Break Camp

Sidney and I are still trying to learn to live our life around the new dad.  We still deeply grieve the loss of the old one and worry about this new one.  The grief is maybe a little less raw now and we are learning we can take care of ourselves.  Sidney and I try to support each other and understand when one of us really hurts.  Sidney talks a bit more about it now although she doesn't talk much still.  I'll take what I can get.  I also know she is getting help from the school counselor.  We are also trying to live our lives.  It never seems fair that we are still doing things and living our lives and his has stopped.  The only condolence is that he doesn't know.  Somehow we have to learn to live this new life and to be loving, faithful, patient and thankful.

I always miss something on the blog. I need to start keeping better notes.

The End is Near (of the mess....)

The kitchen cabinets are back in and the stove, oven, sink, dishwasher, and microwave are all in working order (finally).  The last two weeks have been long.  There were contractors here most nights until 8 or 9 pm.  Exhausting...

There are still a few small things to do. Sidney isn't into her bathroom yet because the cabinets aren't done. We also need a bit more trim.  But the end is in sight one month after the mess started.  Not bad I guess...

Kirk was released from the hospital just over a week ago but he went right back in.  They changed his mood drugs, removing two and adding two, and it was just a bit too much.  So he went back in over the weekend and was discharged on Tuesday.  We have actually gotten rid of all the mood drugs except the very mild one that helps him sleep.  We are going to try to start back at the minimum possible and go slower with change.  He seems to be doing pretty well right now.

Sidney is half way through the school year.  She had a rough last six weeks but somehow managed to get all A's.  I am very proud of her. The counselor she had been seeing is back so hopefully Sidney can get back on track.  She was nominated for the National Honor Society.

We are also nearly a year into swimming with the Sharks.  We had a little lunch get together on Saturday as a team. All the kids got a little medal and certificate. We had a swim meet last Sunday and Sidney did well in the 100 Yard IM and the 50 Free.  Unfortunately her goggles came off in the backstroke and she was holding them in her hand.  It caused her to have some trouble and although she didn't get her B time, she didn't loose time even with the situation.

She also played the piano for a judge at the music festival this weekend.  She won a blue ribbon.  We are still waiting to see how she did in her theory.  If she won a blue ribbon with that, she only needs one more festival to get a small trophy (assuming she gets another blue ribbon).  The festival is where kids play for a judge and are graded on their technique, etc.

The last two nights have been the most normal we have had in a while.  A proper dinner at a normal time and a quiet evening with no contractors.  The cleaning people come tomorrow and then I hope to get Sidney into her bathroom, finally.

The thing I think about most now since the accident is that I am the only one with the memories.  Kirk doesn't remember how we met (Bataan Commemorative Death March), or our wedding in Colorado.  He doesn't remember the fear of Sidney's early birth (29 weeks) or watching her gain weight and grow.  He doesn't remember any of our life together and for that I am sad.  I miss him terribly.  I am thankful for the care he is getting and that he is mostly content.  I am thankful for Sidney who loves me even when I blow it and who is a loving, kind child.  And I am thankful for you, all of you who hold my hand and carry me if needed.

A Small Piece of Normal (Almost)

Kitchen with attack plastic

I will be able to sleep in my bed tonight and shower in my shower in the morning.  My vanity isn't complete yet but I can use the other one.  I have a bit of work left in my room to get it completely back to normal but it is much better.

Kitchen ceiling with repairs

Dry wall and texture went in this week.  All the machines left Monday.  So I am no longer heating the attic.  It's also quiet and more comfortable. I suspect paint will happen early in the week.  No idea on cabinets yet.  There is also a lot of molding to complete and work in Sidney's bathroom.  We should be able to move her back into her room in the next few days.


All the plastic came down from the kitchen on Friday.  It feels really weird.  The last round of plastic was attack plastic.  It billowed out into the living room when the heat was on and would make you get stuck in the pantry.  Glad to see it go.

Master bedroom

Sidney was home sick on Thursday.  A mild little stomach bug.  So she didn't swim Thursday and swimming was canceled Friday and Saturday.  Getting enough water time is frustrating.  She is officially half way through the school year.  The first 2/3 of the semester were pretty good but she had a harder time in the last 6 weeks.  A lot of missing assignments and bad grades.... We have some work to do.  I think she will come out of the semester OK overall if there aren't any surprises.

Kitchen still missing cabinets

Sidney's bathroom

Kirk will be discharged on Thursday.  There is no further diagnosis.  They cannot tell definitively if he had a stroke or not and there is really nothing more that can be done to help him.  I am so happy with the care from the VA and the effort they made to see if there was anything more they could do.  He is not unhappy and they will do some basic physical therapy when he goes back to the foster home.  They will also be watching his weight and diet as he did have high A1C results.  He will go back to day camp in a week or so.  He started that right before Christmas and seemed to enjoy it.  He can do crafts and karaoke and gets good and tired every day.  He is going 4 days a week and it is funded by the VA.

Sidney gets a three day weekend.  I am grilling brats tonight and cooking pirogies on the burner on the grill. Tomorrow I will make burgers and otherwise it is microwave.  But the freezer is getting empty.



 

The Big Mess Continues

Where the kitchen should be

I don't see any end to the big mess. There is indeed an enclosure around the kitchen because the ceiling is out. The temporary sink is in the enclosure which makes it nearly useless. The zipper to the enclosure requires a stool to open and the ability to hurdle to get in so I am washing dishes in the powder room sink. They have also since removed part of the wall to the garage from the laundry room to dry that. There are 5 industrial dehumidifiers and 8 big blowers int he house. It is stunningly loud.

The Kitchen in the Dining Room

I was supposed to move back into the master bedroom this weekend but there isn't carpet or paint yet. At least several more days.....And I have no expectations of the kitchen. Maybe middle of February.  One of the little culprits has been removed from earth. He may be the only one, I hope.

I can grill on the weekends and cook on the single burner on the grill. Weekdays we eat out of the freezer. Things you can microwave. Friday night we stop and get a meal to bring home from somewhere. It's an interesting way to live. Sidney doesn't seem to care much.

My bedroom at least has sheet rock and part of the vanity back in.  Oh for normal.

Walls back in the bedroom

I don't have much update on Kirk.  They did an MRI Wednesday but I haven't heard any results. I also talked with a psychologist who was seeing him. The psychologist believes he has PTSD from his time in the military. She said it is not uncommon for people to have perfect control over feelings about what they experienced in the military until something drastically changes in their mind, like from a brain injury or stroke. She will do what she can to help him with this aspect of who he is now. And I will wait for more information.  What I do know and can't say enough is that his care has been wonderful from the instant he became eligible for VA care. San Antonio is the right place to be if you are a veteran who needs help.

This is another difficult phase in our lives. Sidney is very resilient but I am really tired and overwhelmed.  I desperately need a longer period of quiet normalcy.

Germany and a Big Mess

Sidney and I had a very nice trip to Germany. We didn't do much so the notes will be short.

Sidney in the Cockpit

We arrived on December 21 tired and jet lagged so we really did nothing that day except a nice walk and a quick trip to the store. On Tuesday, December 22 we got to eat my nieces best ever Spaghetti Bolognese. We stay with my niece and nephew and their two kids when we go over. My niece, Jas, is my age and her husband, Mark, is English and about Kirk's age. They have two kids, Katharina 19 and Matthew 16.  They also have the biggest, furriest dog ever and 4 cats. We went to the Christmas Market on Tuesday as well and enjoyed a couple of glasses of traditional hot Christmas wine and some tasty bratwursts. The food was being sold out of a fountain that had been drained for the winter and a wooden bar added around the edge. There was a ladder to gain entry for the staff.  We also saw the most unique advent calendar. It is the windows of a school with paintings in each window. A new painting indicating the day is revealed each day. We also went on the Ferris wheel which was fun.

The fountain converted to a wine and food bar

On Wednesday Jas made a tortellini casserole. Like everything she make it was super tasty. We also went to see "Star Wars". It was shown for three days in English. We surprised Sidney, not telling her we were going to the movie and just that we had to go shopping. She figured it out when we walked into the theater.  It was great. Unfortunately Jas, who was the primary person to see the movie, got super sick and couldn't go. We enjoyed the movie but were sad to not have Jas with us.

The Advent Calendar

Thursday was Christmas Eve. That is the day that all the festivities occur in Germany. Santa Claus is not a tradition but instead the Christ Child delivers gifts sometime during the day of Christmas Eve. That is also when the gifts are opened. We enjoyed a nice dinner of racolette with Mark, Jas, Kat and Matt as well as Jas's dad and step-mom. Raclette is social way to eat. There is an electric grill in the center of the table and on top you cook meat, onions and mushrooms. And each person has a small tray that you put veggies topped with a slice of cheese that you put underneath the grill. The veggies warm up and the cheese melts. There is a lot of passing of food and cheese and trays so it is really fun. After dinner we opened gifts.

Jonathan

I went for a nice run on Christmas morning. It was cool and pleasant. We had my half sister, Dorina, and her two younger boys, Steve and Jason, over for dinner. Jas and Mark cooked a turkey, stuffing, roasted vegetables, red cabbage, potato soup, and knodel.  We also had a gravy that I had not had before. I was made of vegetables which were cooked until soft and then blended. It was almost like vegetable soup puree gravy. It was very nice. Steve and Jason used to be small boys and now they are tall young men. It has been a treat to watch all the kids in Germany grow up. I also got to see Carsten, my nephew, and his wife Jenni and their 1 month old boy Jonathan. Made my day. Jonathan is a cute little baby.

Sidney and Bella (Newfoundland)

December 26 is Boxing Day, another holiday in Europe. We ate leftovers for dinner and went for a walk in the woods. We were looking for a little water fall for Jas to take some photos. We found the waterfall and Jas went to the far side. Sidney joined her and ended up hopelessly stuck in mud. She got out onto a rock but her shoes were completely buried in 6 inches of mud. I got her off the rock to dry ground in her socks and got onto the rock in order to dig out her shoes, all while trying not to endure the same fate. I got her shoes out and had to rinse them in the stream so she walked home in cold, muddy, smelly wet socks and shoes. The shoes are still in Germany. The mud stunk terribly. I called the shoes a loss.

My half brother, William, came over in the evening and we had a nice visit. Then Mark, Jas and I played Ligretto. It's a fun card game kind of like solitaire for several people and its fast an furious. Mark and Jas play a lot. I got my tail kicked on my first set of games.

The name not he side of the plane is "Cimber"

I started the morning of December 27 with another run. We had fish sticks, potatoes, and broccoli for our big meal before heading to the Technical Museum in Speyer.  It was a great little museum. Lots of antique vehicles including cars, motorcycles, trains, helicopters, planes, boats, and submarines. You could walk through many of the planes, helicopters and subs. They also had a space section with a great deal of NASA stuff and also a lot of information about the Russian space program. That was great. They had a special English Exhibit with English cars and motorcycles. There were three Player pianos that play themselves and usually have a piano or organ, some brass and other instruments. The were fabulous. One even had articulated statues that actually played the bell or symbol. It was a really great museum and we had a ton of fun looking around. There was also a German single person torpedo submarine. These missions were basically suicide missions for the mariner as his tiny sub was attached to the torpedo.  After the museum we picked up some delicious Turkish Kabobs.

On December 28 we started the day with an English breakfast of bacon and sausage, beans, toast, eggs, and stewed tomatoes. It was quite nice. Then we were off to Heppenheim to walk around the lake and play on the various playgrounds. Unfortunately Heppenheim was completely fogged in and really cold. We did play for a while and took some nice photos but we were happy to head back to Fahrenbach where the sun was out and it was a bit warmer.

Lea and Peach giving each other a bath

I got my last run in on December 29 before a pretzel and cheese breakfast. My last run was unfortunately proceeded with not great news from home. There was a water line leak in the master bedroom that flooded part of that room and the bath room. My neighbor had been trying to handle it without telling me but it was too big of a disaster and professional help was needed. Therefore I had to authorize the work.  My neighbor did a great job getting help to move all the furniture and save everything that could be saved.  I owe him for the rest of my life. Then we were off to Felsenmeer to climb up the boulders. We have been here several times. It is the discard pile from the Roman Granite quarry. It stretches from the bottom to the top of a good sized hill and is popular attraction for the kids who try to find their way up over the boulders sized as small as pig to as big as a car. Dinner was sauerbraten and homemade spätzle. We also cooked the goulash soup that would be tomorrow's dinner. All told we spent about 4 hours in the kitchen cooking. We played Yahtzee which I won and Ligretto which I also won....

Ceiling in Sidney's Bathroom

December 30 was our last day in Germany. I went for my last walk up into the woods. It is so very peaceful and nice. It was Mark's birthday so we did some work around the house to prepare for the party. That is also what the soup was for. Both William and Dorina came to the party and it was so very nice to see them again.  We had a nice evening or eating and being social, knowing our relaxing time was coming to an end. The trip was all we had hoped for to see family and relax. The only thing we didn't get was snow... Sidney was very sad.  I have more pictures from Germany that I'll get posted later. 

Master Bedroom Walls

We departed early on December 31 for the long trip home. Everything was going along great until I went to turn up the heat in the house so it would be nice for our arrival. I looked at the video footage while I was in the app and saw water everywhere. I really mean everywhere. I called the neighbor who went over and their was a new leak resulting in water pouring out of the kitchen ceiling. The leak source was actually above the second floor above Sidney's bathroom. It had run all over her bathroom and closet and down to the ceiling of the kitchen. The entire ceiling in the kitchen had water on it. It then poured through the ceiling all over the first floor. Only the dining room and study were spared. Looking back at other recorded video, it started somewhere around 4 am and I saw it close to 4 pm. We couldn't stay in the house when we got home. It was too overwhelming. 

Kitchen with nothing left

We spent New Year's day trying to move back into the house. We had to get groceries and the dog. We also had a pile of laundry. And we tried to start taking stock of the damage. I however way underestimated. 

A crew came on January 2 to remove the bathroom cabinet from the master to rebuild it. The particle board that the box is built of absorbed the water like a sponge and if not disposed, will mold. The guys ended up working all day. They had to take Sidney's bathroom cabinet, the mudroom cabinet and all the kitchen cabinets on the floor but one. They also had to take two upper cabinets. It was an all day nightmare. They removed the stove, oven, and sink. The microwave is out but at least usable. Every thing from the cabinets is in the dining room. Half my bedroom furniture is in the living room. Sidney and I are living upstairs using the one remaining full bathroom. All the cabinets will have to be rebuilt. 

Why the cabinets had to go

There are guys here today starting the wall and ceiling demo in Sidney's room.  I an not sure what else they will get to. I think they will have to build an enclosure in the kitchen because there is so much to remove. Hopefully tomorrow I will get a temporary kitchen sink. We also know there is still water in some places. In particular under the stairs. I think they will chase that tomorrow.  

The first leak will be covered under the home warranty  I have just learned that the second won't.  I'll have to use my insurance   It will be far more expensive and much slower.  I am pretty down about that.  I have learned that I will turn off the water when I leave. I will be using the grill a lot to feed us. It also has a burner so I can use that to cook stuff in pots. And we will eat a lot of leftovers from the freezer. Camping in the kitchen.  

The exterminator has come and expects to have the problem solved in short order. I feel much better about that.  I'll keep you posted with progress at home.

Damage tot he kitchen ceiling

Kirk will be admitted into the Poly Trauma Rehabilitation Unit at the VA for a couple of weeks. They want to bring him in to understand more about his injury and see if there is anything else we can do to help him. He is sleeping better with a mild sleep aid and started Day Hab or Day Care. He goes 4 days a week and seems to be enjoying it. It is a facility that provides an opportunity to do all sorts of fun activities including crafts, games and movies. He continues to have occasional out bursts but they are far fewer and he seems to be fairly content. I don't expect anything ground breaking from his admission but I welcome anything I can learn about him and how to make his life better. 

It's Been a While

I didn't realize how long it had been since I last posted. The last post was right after we moved Kirk. I am happy to say he still appears to be very content. He isn't sleeping very well so we are working on that. I'll give a further update on him shortly.

Sidney and I had a quite Thanksgiving. We didn't go get Kirk because I want him to settle in there. We delivered meals with Meals on Wheels on both Wednesday and Thursday of Thanksgiving week. It was wonderful to bring smiles to peoples faces. WE not only delivered complete meals, even with a small pie, but we delivered carnations, small Christmas trees and homemade place mats. It was really a lot of fun.

We shared a Thanksgiving meal with friends before having a relaxing afternoon and evening. The following weekend was fairly quite except for running Sidney to and from swimming.... It never stops.

There have been many changes at work. The oil field environment is challenging right now and many people have either retired or been let go. My boss retired and I miss him dearly.  It's just not the same....I need the change to slow down a bit.

Sidney was supposed to have a swim meet December 11-13.  Coach didn't get us registered in time and it turned out OK. Sidney's girlfriend in Katy had her birthday party that weekend and so I was able to surprise her with a trip over.  It was a lot of driving for a short weekend but we had fun. We also got to visit our old church in Katy which is always refilling.

Sidney has been having a rougher time at school lately. She is not turning work in and not getting very good grades on tests. I am frustrated and not sure what is going on. Hopefully a break will help us both get back on track.   We have been able to get in a little hiking which has been a treat. Stormy is happy too.

I traded in both cars the day after Thanksgiving and bought a new Prius Wagon. I am really happy with it. It is very suitable for us and gets great gas mileage. It is much bigger than the old Prius and more useful than my car was.

Kirk has had a lot going on in the last few weeks. He has had several doctor visits at the foster home and he has been one to the VA facilities several times. There are still more questions than answers but every doctor, nurse, and other VA representative I have talked to have been fabulous. They are caring, concerned and take all the time I need to answer questions. I have been so amazingly happy with the care he is receiving. The care at the foster home is provided with love and the care from the VA has been really great. Kirk spent a whole day at the hospital Tuesday getting tests. The doctor he was seeing specializes in looking at what a patient can do or not do and understand what part of the brain is affected and how. I spent about an hour on the phone with him Tuesday answering and asking a lot of questions. His work will continues but I have another name for a condition Kirk exhibits.  I already know the name for the difficulty with words, Aphasia. But I also learned that Kirk can write but he can't read, not even what he just wrote.  It is apparently a very unusual rarely seen condition that is making them wonder more about the head injury and if there is something else contributing to his problems.  The condition is called Alexia without Agraphia. More work will be done to try to understand what happened and maybe a why.

Sidney and I are off to Germany tomorrow. Yes, we are running away. Our niece and nephew invited us over for Christmas and we couldn't pass it up. The last time I went to Germany I came back with a broken hand, two black eyes and road rash as well as had an emergency landing because the plane had smoke in the cockpit. Hopefully this is a less adventurous trip.

I think I am starting to feel a hint of peace regarding Kirk and our lives. It is only a hint and is mostly about his contentedness and the care he is getting.  And it all has been just happening without me having to fight every step of the way. I don't think I have felt that hint during this whole long experience. I pray that it continues and grows ever so slowly. I still am heart broken and that will take a very long time to change but I would love to have peace with where he is and his happiness.

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Thank you for loving us, standing by us, and even carrying us for another year.