Winter Time is Here Again

I heard a funny thing on the radio this am. We had our first major snowfall and the amount of people in the ditch is outrageous. A fellow from CAA was talking with the radio announcer who asked him what he thought of winter and what we should do to help when driving. He quite frankly said "It is Alberta, we will get winter. Don't kid yourself when we have Indian summer and we always get false hope that winter won't come. It will. Get snow tires, slow down, plug in your vehicles, listen to the weather forecast. Simple, easy, to the point. I am always amazed when the first snowfall hits how many people are surprised!
We had another cold night, not just outside but in our house. Just after midnight I could here the furnance running non-stop and just knew it was our boiler system again and sure enough, the pilot was out and we could not re-start it. So thank goodness for propane fireplace that kept our house fairly warm until the plumber could come and change the thermo-coupling( I think that is how it is spelled). Very cold shower prior to that!!
The folks in Weekes are doing fine. Mom has to work tonight and tomorrow. Matt is going to the Weekes bar for wing night so if anyone can make it, he would love to see them. Auntie Karen and Uncle Neil where up to see them on the weekend and the Kiplings popped over as well. I know today mom was able to visit with her old colleague Mrs. Tessmer(not that she is old, but she used to work with mom!!). I still call her that like she was still my Grade One teacher! Alex also stopped over to see how the family was doing.
I was a bit disappointed Matt didn't go to the hockey game in Porcupine but he still gets anxiety with lots of people, even ones he knows.
They were able to get a hold of the driver training to set up a day for Matt's driving assessment for sometime in April. It isn't a driving test, it is just to see if any of the vehicles they have modified will work and if they need to do anything different. It would be great if he can pass. I think the independence of just driving would help. I have a hard time picturing how it will work but even Paul Gustafson, who was a source of inspiration for Matt in rehab, drives himself and he doesn't have as much dexterity as Matt does in the right hand.
Remember as a kid when you heard about other kids that got there tongues stuck on metal poles, and you were just so curious you had to try? Well, Shaunie just had to try and see what it was like. Her worker was busy getting a child to the washroom and one of the students screamed" Shaunie has her tongue stuck!" and sure enough, there she was stuck to the pole. All the kids in the playground gathered around to have a look. Apparently she was extremely brave and just stood with tears rolling down her eyes while her helper talked her through it and waited for someone to bring water. She spent the remaining part of recess running around the schoolyard with her tongue sticking out and yelling "Look at my tongue!". It had to happen sooner or later, I am just glad she didn't pull and rip part of her tongue off. Not that I would know, of course, because I would have never done something like that, but I have heard from others that it hurts!!

Made it Back to Weekes

Well mom and Matt made it back to Weekes in good shape. They left on Nov 11th and will stay there until Nov. 20th. They can't believe how much snow there is!! It started at about Crooked River and just kept getting worse. Jonmarie is so upset because we don't have any and she got snowshoes for her birthday!. I told her the snow will come soon enough.
We are taking Jonmarie and Shaunie to Banff this weekend as a surprise for Jonmarie's birthday. She wants so bad to do something special, little does she know what is in store for her. We booked at a hotel that has a pool so that will be the big hit.
Update will come next week. Thanks for all the great comments.

More Update

Well things have been busy the last few days. Dad phoned and said he had met with the rheumatologist in Saskatoon. We had mentioned to dad about fibromyalgia and she thought it may be a possiblity. A lot of times it starts with a chronic condition such as ankylosing spondylitis (what dad has) and then exacerbates into fibromyalgia. She would really like to get dad on Remacaid, and immunosuppresant medication that works really well in certain cases of rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, etc. Anything where your body is attacking itself. We have been trying to get dad on that med for years but he always didn't qualify and it is extremely expensive too (I am guessing around $1500 per month). The funny thing was the doctor did a number of xrays on dad and a few days later phoned him at home to ask when he had broken his back! Dad thought maybe she had the wrong xrays but then he remembered a time in the winter when he fell on the ice and was in so much pain. Stubborn and wouldn't go to see the physician (we were in South Africa). So that could account for some of his back pain!
Dad will continue seeing the specialist in Melfort.
Matt went to see a chiropractor today for his painful left shoulder and he admitted it was a least 50% better then it was, which is great. Just have to watch for headaches and nausea. He has another appt on Wednesday before they leave for Weekes on Thursday. Today mom and Matt came to the office for their flu shots.
Oh check out the new photos!

Mom's Appt

Yesterday we had Jonmarie's 8th birthday party at the house and ended up with 11 kids. The weather was great a John made a scavenger hunt outside. He did such a good job. The kids loved it. Jacki, Grandma and myself cut out different shaped cookies, put them on sticks and then had the kids decorate them. I had bought some rock and some buckets so they got to take home their planted "flowers". So cute. I bought Jonmarie her first big girl bible. She wants to be baptised already and was so excited about her bible. I love looking at it with her, teaching how to find books of the bible and what chapters and verses are. Jonmarie said it was the best birthday ever. Matt had stayed at the house by himself. He is becoming more independent which is great. Not so fearful to stay by himself now.
Today mom had her appt in Calgary. The doctor said the problem with the abnormal murmur or extra heart sound came from a hereditary condition with the aorta valve. Instead of having 3 leaflets or "cusps" on the valve she only has 2. It happens quite frequently and usually doesn't cause much of a problem. Mom's began to sound different because it is starting to calcify or become harder (the valve). There is nothing they can do except wait for the time she will eventually need a valve replacement. It could be anywhere from 5 years to 15 years. I believe Grandpa R had a valve replacement but I am unsure whether it was from the same hereditary problem.
Mom needs to start doing a few things to help, such as avoid any stimulants such as caffeine (that would have been it for me!), certain cough meds, pop, etc. She must also start exercising 20 mins per day. While she was doing the stress test on the treadmill, the murmur went away and the minute she stopped, the murmur came back. So great to exercise. He wants to see her every year for follow-up and she must get a chest x-ray and a 24 hour holter monitor, to see what her heart is doing in that time. The x-ray is to see if there is an obvious reason she is so short of breath when she lays down. That he was quite concerned about. He hopes by exercise and losing some of the extra weight will help that problem.
So it really is a good thing. No meds (mom is the worst person at taking meds), exercises and weight loss should help. Hopefully she will never have to have the valve replaced but if she does, she will fly through it with no problem.
So there you have it. I think she is glad it wasn't some of the other things we thought is could be, such as pulmonary hypertension or congestive heart failure.
Thanks for everyone who was praying for good results.

Happy Belated Halloween!

We had great weather for Halloween, temp was 14 degrees and no snow! (sorry Sask. people). Shaunie was dressed as a witch and Jonmarie was a cowgirl. Matt was supposed to be a pirate however his stomach was acting up and he was feeling nauseated so I got to be the pirate and mom was a green haired witch. We made him stay at the house by himself while we walked around their block. We just left the door open enough so he could hand out some treats. Might as well put him to work!
For the weekend, mom and Matt took the girls to Jacki and Gary's while John and I enjoyed Banff without kids! Yeah! However I just bought them and Jacki's kids stuff and only a jacket for myself. It was great weather in Banff as well so we picked a great weekend to go.
While everyone was in Calgary, neighbors of Jacki's were having a Halloween party for the kids and their families and everyone had a great time. Bobby had the best storm trooper outfit that he had bought with his dad. He was so proud of his outfit. The kids each had to bring a pumpkin and carve it. Jonmarie has some problems taking out the "guts" however she persevered and did it.
On Friday the kids had their Halloween party at the school and I was so excited to be at the assembly and hear that both of the girls were student of the month for their class. Jonmarie was having so much trouble with math but she worked so hard and now it is much easier. She also is kind to everyone. Shaunie has exceeded all their expectations and is adjusting very well to the routine of school.
Thanks for everyone who continues to follow Matt's journey and keep reading!

Matt and I went shopping at the Bower Mall on Tuesday. He is a typical male, terrible to shop with! Basically we went to our respective eating establishments in the food court (Opa's for me and Subway for Matt) then browsed for about 15 mins and then left! I did manage to buy one stocking stuffer for mom, but that was it!
Nolan is down for the day to see the doctor and is staying over night at mom and Matt's. He seems to be happier with his new position, working only days. Seems to be returning to his happy place.
Mom has her appt booked with the specialist on Nov.7th, so delayed plans for Matt and mom to go home to Weekes for a few days. They had been planning to leave on Nov.6and staying until Nov. 14. However everyone knows you get a specialists appt and you stick with it. Otherwise it may be a long wait. Works out good for me. I am planning to have Jonmarie's birthday party on Nov. 6th and now Grandma and Matt can help out. Maybe Matt can give rides to the kids! Jacki, Gary and the kids are planning to come down too. Jonmarie invited at least 10 kids, and I believe some of the parents plan on staying plus some of the siblings too. I may regret having it at home!!
Dad went back to Weekes last Friday and we sure miss him! He helped me take the camper to be winterized and always took Matt for his bath. Now it is up to mom after a long day of working at the school.
John and I are having a weekend together at Banff so mom and Matt are taking the girls to Jacki and Gary's for the weekend. Sleeping in! Eating at nice restaurants and not having to look the kiddie's menu! Going shopping without someone having to use the bathroom 10 mins after you had asked them!
Matt again was contacted to take his driver's test but we could not get a hold of them so will try again tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how they will do the training. They are certain he should be able to drive a modified vehicle. That would be so awesome! It would be another expense to modify another vehicle, but it would be so worth it. Prayers that the test will be booked soon and that Matt will do well.

Loving Fall

I wish we would have gotten this weather in August! The nights are cool and dropping to 0 but the days would see highs of 20 or more.
Thanksgiving was great and we ate until we felt liked stuffed turkey's. Nolan was only able to come on Saturday so that is when we had the meal. Jacki and I took the kids to church the next morning and I feel for families who have 4 young ones all at once (Anthony stayed with Gary). There was close to 600 people at the church and you could easily lose one or two. Everyone came over again for left overs and cards.
Monday John and I decided to take the girls to Banff for the day and we had such a good time. Much chillier in Banff so we had to make a few purchases before we could go on a few short hikes.
John had his appt with the gastro specialist who had done the esophagus stretching to see if it could be stretched some more. However the years of having acid reflux and esophageal spasms had taken its toll and the specialist will not repeat the surgery unless absolutely necessary. There is too much scar tissue and the chance of bleeding is very high. SO for now he continues to watch how he chews and swallows, takes his meds and an steriod inhaler to keep the inflammation down.
Mom had her physical with me and I didn't like what her heart was telling me so she is to see a cardiac specialist in Calgary. Not sure when this will happen but we are keeping an eye on her.
Matt is feeling much better and on Sunday I finally convinced him to come to the evening service at church. He had downloaded the bible on his I phone so he could follow along with the message. It seemed strange that the minister would pick that day to start at the beginning of Genesis "In the beginning.." since this was Matt's first time attending since they moved here. It was a nice service because there were only 200 people. Matt didn't feel overwhelmed and the girls were so proud to have their Uncle Matt with them, giving him kisses before going to children's church and helping him out of the van, pushing all kinds of buttons.
Matt's van was acting up so dad had to take it in to the dodge dealer. It was overheating and they were able to diagnose the problem and get it back to him the next day. Mom's truck, on the other hand has been in the shop for a week and the cost is a lot more than we expected. But you rely on your vehicles so much they must be maintained so there goes another $1200.
Prayers for mom and John that the Lord watches over them and keeps any physical difficulties under control. I also understand that Auntie Sandy has to do some tests and that Uncle Ken has been given a clean bil of health for some of his health scares. Prayers to all family and friends.

Sunny Days are Here Again

Talk about a belated summer. In the last week the temperature has been above 20 every day with only a little rain falling at night. The farmers are saying "Finally!!".
Matt has gotten over his urinary infection but the medication have caused other complications so he has been really out of sorts an hasn't done much this week. Dad did take him for his bath in Innisfail yesterday. Last weekend mom, dad, Nolan and Matt came for a barbeque and then played hand and foot. Dad finished picking all the potatoes. Now I really wished we had a cold storage!
Nolan went back to work on Monday at a new position in the same company. It is straight days with no nights. He did have to take a cut in pay but for overall health it was a good move. It was sure nice having him around so I didn't have only Matthew to bug!
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and the troops are heading to our place tomorrow to celebrate. Nolan is working Sunday and Monday so we are giving thanks tomorrow. Dad is going back to Weekes on Sunday as well.
I just want to give thanks to all the family and friends who still follow the blog and are continuing to pray for Matt. God gives us what we need before we need it and the strength that was received from family and friends got us through the most difficult of times. Everything else now seems very minor (except when my chips and dip run out, now that is major!)
Happy Thanksgiving and take the time to give thanks for everything and everyone in your life.

Few Days of Sunshine, Rain Again

Well, the farmers are still waiting. A few had cut down their canola but not before the heavy -6 frost last week. The leaves look beautiful when the sun actually hits them which isn't often. Yesterday it did reach over 25 degrees and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Matt ha been under the weather to and found out he had another severe urinary tract infection. He started antibiotics last week and they have been working really well this time. He even felt good enough to go to Jacki and Gary's this weekend to help watch the kids while Jacki played ball.
Poor Gary, we found out that the extended pain from his Achilles was not just man's inability to take pain, but was actually a blood clot. His physiotherapist had suggested he go to ER and good thing he did. They found the clot on ultrasound so he is off work for a while. Gary also has to give himself heparin shots to thin his blood and be on oral blood thinners. Prayers that the area will heal and praise that they caught it before the clot became loose and travel to an area that could have caused serious problems.
Moday Matt had his shoulder taped again by the private physiotherapist. It has been bothering him so much that there are times when no pain medication helps. We are hoping this will help and if it does, we will buy the special tape that is needed. The tape is super expensive so we don't want to buy it unless we know it will work.
Nolan has a few weeks off work and it has been nice to have him around. It is good for Matt, who is surrounded mostly by women all the time. Has some testosterone in his corner for a change, especially with dad still here.
The kids are having some adjustments going to school this year, especially for Jonmarie who has the same skills at math her mother does...none! So extra homework at night. We are trying to make it fun and it must be working because she always wants to play store when she gets home!
Thanks to all who still read the blog after so many years and will continue to update on Matt's progress.

Cold and Wet

We have finally seen a bit of sunshine yesterday and today. But otherwise it has been cold and wet. last night reached -6 so my garden is toast. Still need to get the potatoes, onions and carrots out but no corn, cucumbers, or squash.
Matt and the gang were over last night for pizza movie night and we spent the evening looking at houses that could be a possibility. There is an open house on one today that they are going to look at. This doesn't mean they will buy anything but I think it is good to look at options.
Last Saturday me and the kids travelled to Calgary for Jacki and Gary's community day and I even played ball. I can still hit the thing, just can't run as fast. The weather was stormy so everything was sopping wet by the time we were done. John was in a golf tournament and won a prize for being closest to the pin. He also won a door prize for 6 months free membership for Women's Only Fitness. I guess that prize will be mine. Now I will have to exercise!
Matt's shoulder has been really giving him grief and Advil just isn't doing much. He is going to see our colleague and request another MRI on it. Maybe a referral to physiotherapist. But Matt doesn't complain much and stays more or less upbeat.
Dad spent yesterday winterizing the camper and getting everything closed up for the season. I guess the weather is not going to allow for much camping this year.
Jacki and the kids and Nolan are coming up for the weekend so we are preparing the fort! Making sure there are goodies and putting all the breakables away! Nolan has been a bit down since he is now single again so is coming down to let out his sorrows. Gary can't make it because his partially torn achilles tendon is giving him so much grief that he just wants to relax. He is wearing an air brace which helps and saw a physiotherpaist for advice and treatment plan. He is booked to see and orthopedic surgeon next week.
I have a cute story about Shaunie and church. At there school they go to church every month and the teacher said Shaunie was excellent while the priest was speaking. However he then left after the service and Shaunie had a very sad look on her face and asked "Where did God go?". I remember how hard it was to understand about deities and her answer was priceless. The teachers couldn't stop giggling.
I forgot to mention last Friday mom and some of the staff from the school went to play laser tag and had a blast. The funny thing is Jonmarie had a birthday party and it was being held in the same place! It is great fun and very safe for kids and adults alike. Uncle Matt babysat Shaunie while we were gone. She sure loves her Uncle Matt and listens to him. Of course TV does help.
Prayers for Matt's shoulder pain and that the weather will improve for all the farmers and gardeners alike.

Long Weekend

It has been a busy past few weeks. John, myself and the girls travelled to Fairmont B.C. for a week and had a great time, swimming and hiking, alot! The weather was only so-so but we managed to make the best of it. There is so much to do activity wise there that even when it rains there is so much happening.
Matt, mom and dad are currently in Calgary. Jacki and Gary had a wedding on Saturday and needed some babysitters. Unfortunately Gary couldn't do any dancing as he partially tore his Achilles tendon. No sports for a least 6 weeks. Ouch in more ways than one! Yesterday most of the troop went to the sports bar in Calgary with Matt to watch Sask. roughriders play football.
Auntie Carol and Uncle Wince left last Thursday. I felt bad that we only got to see them for a few days before we were off the Fairmont but Auntie had brought a whole bunch of photos she found of us when we were young. Matt and Jacki spent last Sunday scanning them onto Matt's computer. It was actually surprising that in many photos when dad was younger, Matt looked more like him then Nolan did. And I always thought Shaunie looked like John, but when Auntie showed some pictures when I was 6, Shaunie thought they were her!
Last Saturday Mom, Uncle and Auntie travelled to Drayton Valley to pick up my cousin Vinny (sounds like a movie!). He was Auntie Verna's boy and has been working in Drayton valley for awhile. I got to see him on Skype for a bit. I haven't seen him for over 20 years. Time flies.
The girls are off to school tomorrow. I know I should be glad but I actually enjoy having them at home. I also like not having to run into town everyday too. I am a little nervous about Shaunie attending regular school with Jonmarie, but they have arranged for a full time aide that has worked with autistic children for years (however none as young as Shaunie). I guess I will have to wait and see! If anyone has ever heard of Temple Grandin, she had to start somewhere too and it wasn't always easy. She was autistic and received her PhD in animal behavior (I think). Won how many Emmy awards for a miniseries. If you ever get a chance to watch, it was very good.
Hope everyone is having a great long weekend and that the weather will stay nice. I know the farmer's are 10 to 15 days behind here because the crops just wont ripen. I last night we had a touch of frost with chance tonight of more. Lost my tomatoes before I could pick them. Oh well, there wasn't much there to begin with and the cucumbers were scarce too, only got one jar of pickles from the batch.

Back in Red Deer

Mom, Matt and Airene arrived safely back in Red Deer last night. The trip was uneventful, just takes a long time. Dad is coming today with the camper. Yesterday was too windy for him and he still needed to cut grass.
Uncle Wince and Auntie Carol should be in Red Deer sometime today and it will be great to see them. When dad and Uncle get together, it is funny to watch how they still tease each other like kids and giggle.
Mom, Matt, Nolan and dad really enjoyed Chad Ekren's wedding. Everyone had a great time and was good to see everyone from the family. Afterwards Auntie Karen and Uncle Neil let everyone crash at their place and that saved them having to go all the way back to Weekes or find a motel. Sometimes it is tough to find a wheelchair accessible room.
Today we finally will get a taste of what summer should have been like, 27 degrees with humidity bringing it to 30. I am taking the girls to a water park to cool off with friends. Mom and Matt are going to spend the day relaxing before getting back into the swing of things.
Have a great day and enjoy the one day of summer!

Sad Day

Mom just phoned me to let us know Bear, the last remaining dog from Oreo's litters passed away. Bear was probably close to 14 years old or more. I think it had been hard on him without anyone (dog) to keep it company. It seems strange that there are no animals at all on the farm. I don't remember a single time when we didn't have a dog.
Matt and the gang are getting ready to go to Chad's wedding in Saskatoon. Nolan is driving down from Calgary too. I hope they have a great time. They had originally planned to come straight to Red Deer from Saskatoon after the wedding, however they had too much stuff to pack into the camper and no where to offload it. So they are just coming up for the day and evening then heading back to Weekes after the dance.
Busy week for birthday's. Dad and Jada had their birthday on the 16th and Shaunie's was on the 17th. We didn't do much for it, I was working so the babysitter made a cake and I made icing and then homemade doughnuts. Too much sugar for Shaunie and we sure paid for it the next day! One crazy 6 year old!!
I think mom and Matt were hoping summer was a bit longer. Enjoying themselves back home and it is hard to come back to Red Deer. But dad is going to take Matt to the college in September and sign him up for any class that is open. I hope he will actually go through with it this time!
Wish the summer was longer too, enjoying my time with my girls. We are having Auntie Carol and Uncle Wince up for a visit sometime next week and mom, Matt and dad will be here too. Then one more holiday trip planned for Fairmont and will miss 3 days of school already! Shaunie is starting in Jonmarie's school with a full time aide and I think it will be good for the aide to get her feet wet and learn the new school before we set Shaunie on her! Hopefully everything works out. I work in the next building so if anything happens, I will hear about it... literally.

A Wonderful weekend

And a good time was had by all!
You look forward to the Relitz reunion all year and now it is over. God needs to put a few extra hours in those days.
It was so good to see everyone and all the campers! We were discussing the days when Only Uncle Orest, Auntie Sandy, Uncle Bob and Auntie Brenda has campers, and small ones to boot.
Big Thanks to Uncle Neil and Aunty Karen for all their hard work organizing so this weekend could happen. Also thanks to everyone who brought food, which was everyone! Everything was so good that we ate and ate too much. Thanks to Uncle Jim and Uncle Karl for always pitching in to help with the grill. It was hot back there!
The weather cooperated most of the time however we had some wicked thunder storms. Auntie Karen, Erin, Jacki and I got caught on the Spiritwood golf course in a hail storm during the 3rd hole and man did it hail/rain! Because of my glasses I couldn't see anything except Erin's blue golf bag and when that hail came, boy did it move! We managed to take shelter in a tin roof shed and it was so loud! The wonderful staff at Spiritwood course gave us do over tickets for the next day, which was great.
Matt had a great time visiting with everyone and showing off his camper. The were having some trouble with the water leaking and some other things, but still thanks to dad everything went off pretty well. Matt was able to shower in the public shower which was great for him and us. He was starting to go bad!
We had the annual bean bag game which Uncle Karl organized and a scavenger hunt for the kids, which I believe Terina organized and it was so exciting for the kids. Shaunie attached herself to Brett and followed him everywhere on Saturday. However the net day she discovered Dawson and played for hours together checking out Memorial Lakes finest frogs, who I am sure will never be the same!
We also were able to enjoy the lake and all the kids loved to swim. Thanks to the Uncle's and the older cousins for playing and looking after the young ones for us!
Book again for 3 years time Auntie. You did a great job. It was great site for us loud campers who should have really learned when to go to bed!

Getting Ready for the Reunion

Matt and mom both got a haircut from Denita, who came to the house. They had a good visit.
They taught Airene how to play crib. Now she will be able to play for the reunion.
Blaine, Preston, Megan and Preston's wife and child came over last weekend to visit. Matt was glad to see them. Loves to have company. They experienced a wicked storm for about 10 mins where they couldn't see the trees in the front yard. The tent in the front yard was flattened by all the rain.
Auntie Karen, Uncle Neil and Uncle Jim where down for the weekend as well.
A fellow from B.C. was selling fish around the Weekes area and Matt purchased some perch and got Uncle Jim's recipe. Auntie Karen cooked it and it tasted great!
They are getting ready for the reunion and hoping for good weather. They are leaving tomorrow afternoon to get everything set up and check the place out.
Mom has been working alot and next summer she may take some time off and actually relax for once.
Dad has the grass all cut and had cut all the grass in the cemetery as well.
Sorry it is such a blunt blog, but I was on the phone with Matt while I was typing and didn't have time to make it more colorful!

Sad Week

It was a sad week for the family. Our great Uncle Hughie died in Edmonton at the age of 91. Also our distant relative and close neighbour charlie Allen also passed into the Lord's hands. Our condolences go out to both families.
Matt had a busy week last week. On Tuesday he travelled to Nipawin Regional Park and camped alongside Uncle Lorne, Auntie Myra and their family. It was a good learning experience for them to see what not to bring or what to bring for next time! They camped for 3 days with some minor glitches but thank goodness Myra and Lorne are veteran campers and helped out a lot. Every night they would go and sit by their campfire and on night Uncle Lorne fell and may have fractured his wrist. They were not sure if it was overindulgence, old age creeping in, or night trolls that stuck their big feet out to trip him!
Matt spent last Saturday and Sunday resting. Mom was working so he was unable eot go to church. Think he may have some trouble getting in as there is a big gap to get in the door.
Our cousin Tracy, her husband Shaun and their daughter Jacqueline stopped in at Weekes for a visit on their way back from Niagara Falls. They have been travelling from Nanaimo since July 1st and made some interesting stops along the way. Tracy has been busy with the Cunningham family history and Matt and her had some great discussions about late family members.
Everyone is getting ready for the big annual family reunion August 6,7, and 8. We tried out our camper in Gull Lake this past weekend and just loved it. You meet so many people when you camp. Jonmarie and Shaunie had a ball meeting new friends and playing with them. We never used the portable DVD player once, which was great. Had it as a back up though, just in case! It is like giving up a bad habit, you can't seem to say no completely!
Weterner Days is on in Red Deer and tomorrow I am taking the girls and hoping to met up with some of the folks from back home. I read on the blog that Denise and her family will be there, so that would be great to see them.

Rain, Please go Away!

Well it was quite the interesting trip back form Sask for the girls and myself yesterday. The wind was so strong that at Castor there was a building about to blow across the road, so they shut down the highway and we had to go on a detour. It was one of those plastic shelters, but on a massive scale and was literally ripped apart and standing on end. Trees were across the road and branches in every yard. I could only go 50-60 km/hr as the rain/wind was so bad I could hardly see. Lovely summer weather.
Matt, mom, the girls and dad went to Weekes last Monday and had rain as well. Dad was hauling Matt's camper and it was heavy on fuel. But they all arrived safe and sound. I arrived in Weekes on Wednesday and went for wing night with Matt. They were so good. Matt enjoyed seeing people he knew and a big thanks to Carlea for letting us visit later than it usually stays open and for Donnie Waslieu for helping Matt get down the ramp.
The girls and I went to Greenwater on Friday and seen many people I haven't seen for a long time. It was beautiful weather too, and I think they must spray for bugs there because at mom and dad's we would have never survived being outside for so long without being carried away by the mosquitoes and horse flies.
I took Matt to Joe Bachuwsky's stag party at their farm on Sunday. Matt was so nervous. Many of the people he hadn't seen since before his accident and he felt sick to his stomach. There was quite a few people and they were all quiet until Matt made some comment about a guy's hair that broke the ice and it was just like old times. Unfortunately he had such a good time visiting, watching them set off fireworks, and giving rides to everyone on his wheelchair that he didn't want to leave. He enjoyed talking to Kelly chase about hockey and kelly was quite impressed at Matt's head for knowledge when it comes to hockey stats and players. I finally convinced him it was time to go and pulled into mom and dad's yard at 4am. Let's just say, I am too old for this!! I was up at 9 am to get ready for church and needed a few cups of coffee to get me going!
it was great to be at Weekes church again and Jonmarie came with, while Grandma watched Shaunie. Jonmarie was upset to find out she would miss VBS (vacation bible school), as we were coming back Monday.
Today Matt, Airene and Dad headed to Nipawin today to try out camping. They certainly did not pick the best day for it. However they took lots of games and DVD's, so it shouldn't be too bad. They will be there until Friday. Mom has to work tonight and she drove the van down and will bring the truck back. Poor mom, she will be tired as she also worked last night.
Get your galoshes out! It is going to be a wet July!

Busy Week

Sorry about the delay in blogging. It has been a crazy week. Matt's new camper arrived Monday night and dad and mom have been here every day just filling it with stuff. Dad had to get a special sway hitch and then get his light working properly before he can tow it back to Sask. Matt has been taking pictures and putting them on facebook. I added 2 new ones to the blog as well.
On Monday Matt and Airene went to see Sonja, the OT in the hospital to give Matt a refresher on the exercises he must do. He continues to do stretching and standing exercises almost everyday.
Jacki and Gary are in Vernon for 4 days and will be back later today. I have Amy and Bobby and Grandma has all the babies (Matt, Dad, Nolan and Anthony!!) It has been very busy and I am so thankful I only have 2 kids! My house looks like a tornado hit it (Bobby) and our camper has been used every night. That part has worked great because they are all close to me and I can get to them quickly when they need me. Last night Amy was missing her mommy so crawled into the bed with me.
For July 1st John and I took our girls to Sylvan Lake for some fantastic fireworks, but Matt felt too nervous to go. It was soo busy and lots of intoxicated people around.
Poor Matt, he is not used to the noise of the kids and hasn't been to the house in 3 days! Tonight they are coming for a barbeque.
John left for South Africa on Friday night and said the flights were packed, which makes for very uncomfortable flying. But he phoned from Cape Town and said the city is just vibrating with all the intensity of the World cup. Very exciting for him.
Yesterday we met them at Bower Ponds, Nolan and Erin came as well. The weather was great, not too cold or too warm. Mom forgot she was pushing Anthony in the stroller and almost lost him in a ravine! The kids loved feeding the ducks and playing on the playground, but the older kids (Nolan, Erin and Matt) were slightly bored. Great to have extra hands and an extra stroller (Matt's wheelchair).
Mom, Matt, dad, Jonmarie and Shaunie are leaving tomorrow to Sask and I will join them on Wednesday. Too many things to do before I go and then it will only be until Sunday. Matt, mom and dad will be in Sask until the middle of August. I will miss my babysitters!
Hope everyone had a great July 1st celebration of our great country!

Summer Weather at Last!

We have had a week of great weather, but being in Alberta we have had a thunderstorm almost every evening. Okay with me, then I don't have to water my garden!
Last weekend Matt travelled up to Calgary with mom and dad to watch the Riders get beat. He was not impressed. On Saturday night they went to the neighbors for a block party and Matt had a great time. Mom stayed and watched the kids. Sunday evening they popped over to celebrate the last of Father's Day with a wiener roast. What a great evening. Very little bugs and no wind. We were having such a good time we didn't notice the time. The girls were still up, running around with flashlights and those light that light up when you break them. I suddenly realized it was 10:30 pm and they had school the next day! 2 very cranky girls the next morning (and a cranky mommy).
I am so thankful dad came for a few weeks. Last night he was here for 8 hours, cutting the grass, weeding the garden, maintaining the lawnmowers. I don't know how I will keep up when he goes back to Sask.
Matt's trailer shoud be here today and mom already has a check list of the garage sales she wants to go to. I already have quite a bit to put in my trailer and the girls have decked it out with crayons, coloring books, and dolls! John has been working pretty steady for the last week and is on call all weekend, so he won't have much say what goes in until he gets back from the World Cup soccer in South Africa.
Matt is going to the hospital on Monday for a refresher on exercises with Sonja, so Airene can start working again on his left hand.
Can't wait to start camping, we already spend the evenings in there with popcorn and books. Haven't slept in it yet, still must get a battery and propane. But already it feels like a second home (in our yard!).

Still Cold and Wet

We had 2 great days Saturday and Sunday, just enough to have some barbecue and then the cold and rain came again. Maybe those 2 days were summer and that is it!
Matt and mom were here for supper everyday on the weekend because the weather was so nice and our neighbours came as well. Jacki and Gary and their 3 came on Sunday so it was busy!! Sunday there was 8 kids and 6 adults. Matt said he wasn't coming to my house anymore because he never gets to visit, all he gets to see is my running back and forth into the house, and if I wasn't mom was.
So Matt decided to take me to Tony Roma's on Wednesday for an early birthday supper. The wings were fantastic so it was a good time. However I was teasing him because he get looking at his Iphone most of the time.
Early that day I took Matt for his appt with Dr. Maclean at the hospital. She assessed how his daily activities were going and was impressed that the transfers had gotten better and she stated that Matt was looking so much better as well. With the tape still on his shoulder, he doesn't have such a pronounced dip and the shoulders look more even. From January assessment, she noted that Matt' sensation on his arms was more localized. Before he could feel she was poking his arm, but not know the exact point. This time he could actually tell her she was touching the middle left finger. Also his strentgth in the rt hand is improving too. They really want us to work on his lt hand again and motivate Matt to try using it. THe problem is his shoulder hurts when he uses it. The occupational therapist really encouraged Matt to get his licence and go to school. We will see what Matt decides.
We were happy to have dad come and today he took Matt for his bath. Dad looks much better and has gained some weight. I already have a list of things for him to help me with in the yard so he won't get bored!
We are picking up the campers Saturday and we are so excited. The folks in Clagary got tickets for Matt for the football game so they will be there on Sunday as well. Now if summer would arrive, we could actually use the campers!