Winter, winter go away!!

Even the most hardy Canadian has their breaking point! My goodness, that wind is so bitter, it makes even your bones cold!
Last week I took Matt to Tony Roma's and the wings sure make the cold more tolerable. They were so good, Matt and I shared another batch. Unfortunately we had to wait for a boost from CAA before we could go. They know Matt's house by heart. So Matt decided to buy a new battery so we did, however we still have to put it in. We are waiting for it to warm up a little.
Then on Friday the girls had no school so we decided to go to the cheap matinee at Carnival cinema. Matt and Airene went to the Green Hornet and Jonmarie, Shaunie and I went to Megamind. Ours was so boring that I fell asleep. Matt really enjoyed his movie.
I helped Matt stand on Wednesday and again he did really well. It makes a difference if he can watch TV at the same time.
Matt's bed is not working right now. The bed itself moves up and down and the feet too, but the head of the bed is not working. So unfortunately mom has to get up with Matt in the middle of the night again to help him turn and "other things". But hopefully the new part will be here soon, especially before the Auntie's get here! Aunty Karen and Aunty Sandy should be arriving sometime on Friday. I think Aunty Margaret is thinking about it too! Those Relitz girls don't want to miss anything.
So pray for warmer weather and clear driving conditions.

Happy Early Birthday Matt!

Well last year for Matt's birthday Canada won the Gold medal in hockey at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and this year we watched a fantastic, nail biter game between Sask. and Team Canada for the Scotties Championship and Sask won on a miss by Jennifer Jones. Mom couldn't even watch the game with us, she was downstairs on her new treadmill. There is a TV down there but she kept turning it to another channel when the pressure got to be too much. In the final end, Matt and I did a Shaunie and hid behind the wall and kept sticking our heads out and yelling at the TV "Sweep!!".
I don't know if anyone remembers Shaunie and Jada's birthday at Aunty Karen's 2 years ago when Shaunie wouldn't hit the Pinata in the garage but would keep opening the door and yelling "Hit It!!" to the next kid in line before slamming the door shut again.
So next year we are going to watch 2 Sask. teams at the Scott's here in Red Deer. We have already bought our tickets. So excited, however mom will probably spend her time in the bathroom!
Yesterday we went to the bowing alley with Jacki, Gary and the kids, Matt and mom, and our gang. We had a great time and Matt did pretty well. We had the sides up to prevent gutter balls and Matt had a special contraption that he can roll the ball down. Bobby was his big helper. Shaunie lost interest after one game but did enjoy playing when she hit the pins. She just kept her hands over her ears the whole time. Amy had never played before and I swear she looked like she had won an Academy Award whenever she knocked any balls down. John hated it because most of the women there he had delivered their babies. Jacki cheated as usual (I am not sure how but she did!) and mom and I should have stayed home. Bobby made sure that when the balls came out for the ball return that an equal number of balls went to each side and Jonmarie was already the little adult, getting upset that she didn't win but trying to do it with dignity. Anthony just bawled and Gary spent most of the time trying to pacify him.
Matt has been doing well, no major illnesses. Last week mom said he stood for 45 minutes using the standing frame and watching a show. I know he is excited to take his driver's which is coming up in April (I think). And they are already talking about camping too.
Dad has started a new medication and is feeling 100% better. It is Remicaid and it is an IV infusion. We are hoping in a few months all the other meds can be removed.
We received some news from John's son Kennie, who is living in Christchurch New Zealand and he thankfully was in South Africa for a visit, but their house was damaged. He was supposed to fly back last Thursday but now is flying next Saturday. The airport was heavily damaged so lots to be done there. Kennie's mom and husband had just left a movie theater when the quake hit and thank goodness because it collapsed. We don't think about it in the cold North, and we are thinking of those who have lost everything.
So Birthday wishes to you, Matt and hope things keep getting brighter.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Never go for a 5 course meal at 8 pm because you suffer all night! Always tastes so good at first but when you can't get out of your seat after the meal because your stomach is hitting the table, learn to say no! John and I went for supper and Grandma and Uncle Matt babysat the girls. The girls loved it because they get to watch TV at Grandma's.
Matt and mom were in Calgary a few weekends ago to watch the Superbowl. Nolan and Matt went to a sports bar to watch some fighting on the the big screen, I think it was that ultimate fighting were there are very little rules.
Matt's MRI results were unchanged since the last time he had one done. Yesterday when I dropped the girls off he was doing his standing exercises and it is so good to see him standing at his full 6 foot 7 inchs. I continue to see small improvements in his posture and longer standing periods. Romans 12:12 "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer". Thanking the Lord for His continued presence.
Matt has stopped going to the chiropractor for awhile and see how his shoulder is. I am not with him all the time and he very seldom complains so unsure how he is feeling. They came for supper on Saturday and we played some yahtzee. Mom was so mad when I rolled 3 yahtzee's in one game. Actually I don't think she was upset about the yahtzee's as much as the gloating! Or maybe it was the happy dance! Either was she is a poor loser and I am an excellent gracious winner! Matt just laughs at the two of us.
Jonmarie has received her white belt in taekwondoe. She had to break a piece of plywood in half and didn't feel she could do it. Master Rim told her to yell "focus" and "confidence" then strike the board. She broke it the first time and put on such a brave face but when she came to show me the board, her hand was bleeding a bit.
Shaunie continues to go to school full time but is suffering from more anxiety than usual so has gone back to sucking her thumb which she hasn't done since Christmas. She doesn't like school anymore and realizes that she can't keep up academically with the other students. The school as been so good but it is hard to see her when the fear hits. The number one emotion in autism is fear. Prayers for her please, and us too, to know when to intervene and when to hold back.

Crazy January Weather

Not sure what to expect anymore. We had a great week of single minus digits and then plus 8 weather. They were able to get some of the streets cleaned thank goodness. When Matt sits in his van and I happened to be driving behind him one day, he looked like a bobble doll when mom hit those bumps!
Now it is -42 with the windchill and all night we could hear the house cracking and groaning. The previous cold snap had caused the water hose in John's toureg to burst and he finally got it back from the shop. So today he refused to take it, so worried it would do the same thing. So traded vehicles, because my Toyota is the best!
Loving today, as the kids have a day off and they are right now folding clothes and then will start on the dishwasher! So I have time to update Matt's blog.
I stayed overnight at mom's on Saturday because Matt had an MRI appt 8 am Sunday. Matt and I had a great game of trivia pursuit and I was down by 4 pies and came back to almost winning (Matt cheated!). Good thing I went with for the MRI as they did not have much help, they had one guy working the machine. It took some maneuvering but Matt has such good upper body strength that when we transfer him, he holds his body upright instead of being "floppy". I had to take Shaunie and Jonmarie too, as John was on call but they are great as long as we have fully charged their nintendo's!
Mom is tired of getting up with Matt at night to help him "pass water" that now she makes him do it himself with the catheter. It takes some skill but Matt is getting the hang of it, as the left hand refuses to work.
I had received a free gym membership to Women's Only fitness for 6 months and I gave it to mom before Christmas. She finally went the other day and really enjoyed it. She had purchased a treadmill from Sears but they sent the wrong one, and not only that half the parts were missing. When she phoned, they were going to send out a repair man and they mom would have to pay the 65 dollar charge! She was not happy at all and finally convinced them to just come pick and up and forget the whole thing!
Matt just had his hair cut and is looking not too shabby around the edges.
Hope everyone is managing the lovely weather and stay warm!

Van trouble Again

Wow, this cold weather has sure taken it's toll on Matt's battery in his van. We again had to have CMA come and boost the battery. It was completely dead. They have checked the battery and always say it is fine however it feels like something in that van is drawing power when it is not running.
Thank goodness the weather is supposed to improve on Tuesday. Matt has been housebound for most of the week. He finds it just too cold to go out, even when the van is running right. That is one thing that is getting worse, his ability to keep warm in the cold. I feel the same way! Winter was fun as a kid, not so much anymore. However we have been going outside everyday since the huge snowfall we had a few days ago and last weekend and the kids love it! John has been out with the tractor moving snow around and they sit right where he is going to dump it and get a huge load of snow on their heads. Weird kids.
John and I were lucky enough to go to an Autistic conference in Edmonton. We barely made it with the treacherous weather on Wednesday and didn't do so well coming back on Friday either. But we were glad to go and get insight into the autistic person's way of thinking. Temple Grandin was the keynote speaker and she is severely autistic, especially when she was young and now has her PhD in animal husbandry. They also made a HBO TV movie that we were able to buy on DVD. It was fantastic. Jonmarie and Shaunie stayed and Grandma's and I think Uncle Matt enjoys when they come, even if he won't admit it!
Nolan needed to come to Red Deer on Tuesday for work and stayed with mom and Matt. It was good for the brother's to get together and Nolan took Matt for an outing.
Hope everyone is sticking to their New Year's resolution's! Mom has lost something like 16 lbs and is so excited when she can fit into something she hasn't worn for 3 years. I know I have to get more muscles built up. Some very good friends of mine are planning a weekend trip to Canmore and cycling to Banff and back. It should be a great time.

Let it Snow, let it snow, let it snow!!

Mom, Matt, Jacki and the kids came back from Sask on Monday. They left late in the afternoon because they couldn't get his van started again! Then when Jacki was going to leave the house Tuesday morning to go back to Calgary, her van wouldn't start! Batteries do not last long in our family!
The girls are back into the swing of things at school. Shaunie enjoys the routine but Jonmarie doesn't care for it too much, she says it is too hard and would rather be at home. We all feel like that when we are working!
We were starting to think winter was going to be mild with only a few snowy and windy days. Yesterday the wind started and then the snow started. We had been so spoiled with single minus digit weather, ranging from -9 to -1 and sunny. However now we had difficulty getting out of the driveway. It plummeted to -19 during the day and the windchill is -30. It didn't' slow us down at home, though. John took the dogs for a walk both days and Jonmarie and Shaunie build snow forts and dug tunnels. I shovelled and shovelled and shovelled! So did mom. It took her an hour to shovel her driveway. Matt said he was in the house and all of a sudden he her a loud "thud". It was the snow falling off the house. Traffic was sparse and John drove me to church this morning because the plow didn't come yet and there was 3 feet of snow blown up in some areas.
Mom is thinking of getting a treadmill for herself. I think it would be great. That way she could exercise at home. However I told her it wasn't going to work if she didn't use it!
Hope everyone is safe and warm tonight!

Happy New Year!!!

Can yo believe it? Christmas and New Year is over and now tomorrow school starts again. Jonmarie has went into a depressed state thinking about it. I am not too happy about it either. It also means back to work.
We had a great Christmas holiday. We stayed in Red Deer and the girls could hardly wait for Santa to come. It did look like a tsunami hit the place after all the presents were open. Matt got an Ereader and it is small enough to fit in the one hand. Nolan broke his hand so he was out of commission for helping clean up. Dad had stayed in Sask. The weather was great so the kids went outside for awhile.
On Dec. 27th Matt and mom took the van and Jacki and I piled all the kids into my van. Poor John, Gary and Nolan had to stay and work. The van was really loaded down and needless to say was filthy by the time we arrived in Weekes. The kids are such good travellers though, so I didn't mind too much.
On the 28th Grandpa had cut down an old poplar tree and the kids had so much fun stacking the wood. It was always fun when you are little, not so much fun when it was 30 below and you had to do it! They discovered a tiny hole in the creek where it was only a few centimetres deep and loved standing on the ice and watching the water bubble up.
Matt went for wings on Wednesday and had a good time. I would have went but Jonmarie had a severe case of strep throat and had a constant fever, sore throat, and was throwing up to boot.She was so upset she was sick on her holidays. And then Auntie Sandy, Shauna and Jada came to visit as well. Auntie Sandy had a bad eye infection and had to go into Porcupine to see Dr. Pieterse. Shauna wasn't feeling the greatest due to the pregnancy so we were a real fun bunch!!
Matt enjoyed going uptown for afternoon coffee to play crib. Sometimes they were there for 3 hours! Jacki and I just stayed home and worked, worked, worked! Mom was worked a few shifts at the nursing home so she was busy too.
On Friday Jacki and I helped Matt to stand with the standing frame and he stood for a good 1/2 hours. He took breaks in between standing but still did well. I noticed Matt is still improving with his transferring and is becoming more independent. His right hand seems to be stronger too. Jacki then made Matt fold all the towels. He did a great job. Jacki, mom and I then took the kids to the skating rink for the church's function. Shaunie learned how to skate! I was so proud of her. It was great to go to a small rink where the kids could just be kids without caretakers breathing down their necks. Bradon Kipling helped out alot. He also took Matt to the Weekes hotel for New Year's Eve, which was great because I had to drive back on Saturday to Red Deer and sure didn't feel like staying up too late.
Hope everyone had a great holiday and had time to spend with family. Thank you Lord for the blessings in 2010 and prayers for more to come!

Dermatologist

Quick update, Matt got in to see the dermatologist here in Red Deer. His acne has cleared a bit, but unfortunately from the meds he now has boils and cysts. She is going to take him off the Accutane for awhile and put him on an antibiotic. She also recommended Matt to wash his back with a prescription cleanser and then wash it off with baking soda and water. Matt really liked her and she seemed to enjoy talking to him because she told him to always book the last appt of the day so they can visit.
That Matt, always charming the girls!

Dr. McLean

I took Matt to his appt with Dr. McLean yesterday. Number 1 concern was his left shoulder and the chronic pain Matt is going through. We had discussed getting private physio on it however the physical therapists stated that until the reason behind the pain is fixed, it will only be a temporary fix. They examined Matt's chair and felt that the arm rest on the left side was to low and too far back. They did some adjustments and Matt did say it felt better. Because there is no muscle tone in that arm, Matt puts it wherever it feels comfortable, even if it is not in the best position. Sonja, the occupational therapist, wants to come to the house next week and see what Matt looks like when he is in the bed. On explanation on how he is laying, she thinks that the shoulder is being pulled too far forward and is causing too much stretching of the joint and area. Dr. McLean felt that Matt looks stronger and commented on his right arm having more mobility than in June. Matt's spasms are a little less as well. It was nice for Matt to have so many of the staff remember him as we went throughout the hospital. I think he made such a positive impression on everyone he encountered.
Matt then went with mom for one more chiropractor appt until next year. Mom had also went for her appt too.
Christmas is fast approaching and thank goodness all the staff parties are done. They were great fun and one was held at Heritage Ranch with real wood burning fireplaces and a sleigh ride. Very nice. Jonmarie and Shaunie had their Christmas production and it turned out very well, except Shaunie had a halo that kept falling off so she forgot to sing! Of course her over animated actions to the song didn't help!
Last night we went on the buses from the Children's Service Center and looked at the Christmas decorations on some of the houses. The girls sang Christmas carols, their own and not the ones everyone else was singing! We got pictures with Santa and stopped at Parkland Greenhouses for hot chocolate and cookies.
Nolan has been down a few times on his way to some field jobs in Leduc. Most of the time he is in Calgary but every once in awhile he needs to go out on the job.
Well, still need to wrap presents so better go!

Back From Calgary

Mom and Matt are trying to make going to Calgary a weekly thing! They again went to Calgary this weekend to play a game of Risk with some of the boys. Nolan was supposed to go over but he was terribly sick with swollen glands and a throat so he was unable to swallow anything but Booster juice. It is nice to have a physician in the family, as I was able to fax a prescription directly to his drugstore.
The girls and myself are all on antibiotics here, as that darn inner ear infections in adults makes us feel that we are in a fishbowl and someone is trying to tip us out! No pain, just unable to lean over without my ears filling and making me lose my balance. Jonmarie had the headaches and the fever, where Shaunie mostly gets a runny nose and congested cough. I am thankful it is before Christmas. There is always something to be thankful for.
Matt got his van all straightened out. Since it doesn't have a block heater, they put a pan/ under the motor?battery? to keep it warm when plugged in. Again costing $700. Sheesh! Money seems to disappear quickly around here.
Matt and mom both spent some time at the chiropractor this week. Mom found out from her bone density that she has osteoporosis and that the back pain she has been having was just not from lifting Matt all the time. The density showed it worse in her lumbar or mid to lower back and also her right hip. So she is on calcium and vit d, and we are looking at getting an intravenous infusion once a year. It is pretty expensive however you don't have to take meds every day or week, which I know mom is terrible at. It is called Aclasta and we treat patients for it at the spa. Mom also has to work on exercising to strengthen those bones, and not just walking but weight bearing exercises such as lifting weights. I gave her my free 6 month gym membership, now just to convince her to go!
On Friday grandma watched the girls at their dance and then they stayed overnight. I was able to stay at the dance for about an hour and then we had a medical staff party and we had already bought the tickets. Jonmarie was upset that she wasn't able to dance with us, but Shaunie had a blast! I was able to take some videos. They dance so free, unrestrained by social inhibitions. If we danced like that, we would never be invited back!
I hope everyone is ready for Christmas. My biggest thing is to now wrap the presents. That I do not like. Any takers?

So Disappointing!

I truly believed Saskatchewan was going to win tonight and to be so close and then throw it away (literally) was very disappointing. The half time show was awesome. Loved the performance by Bachman Turner Overdrive. Matt and mom had travelled to Calgary to watch but John and I just watched here at home. John had just gotten back from spending his birthday in London, England watching a rugby match in Twickenham stadium, the oldest rugby stadium in the world. A orthopedic surgeon from Owen Sound had bought him a ticket and they had a great time. Thanks for all who sent birthday wishes.
Yesterday was a heavy shopping day for Matt, mom , myself and Shaunie. Jonmarie was at a birthday party sleepover and so we decided to shop. The weather has finally warmed up and was even above 0 on Friday. You could even smell the wet cement, which we usually don't smell until spring. Matt bought himself a new pair of glasses. The ones he has are really bothering him and they smudge so easy, plus they don't fit him very well.
We had a good giggle while we were in Sears. Shaunie had a balloon from Sears Days and it was on a stick. We had been watching this young teenager and he was with his friends. He was going on all the treadmills, pushing all kinds of buttons and trying them out. You could tell he was not sure if he was going to get in trouble or not because he kept looking around like he was guilty of something. Anyway, Shaunie and her balloon were in the push cart when just as we got behing this fellow, the balloon popped. And I mean it was LOUD! The poor guy almost fell off the treadmill and mom started to laugh and asked him "Did you think you had broke the treadmill?" He started to laugh and said "I really thought it had exploded!" The look on his face was priceless. we laughed all the way to the vehicle. Poor Shaunie just cried because she had been so scared when the balloon had popped.
Matt was able to have another chiropractor treatment. His hip had been bothering him for awhile as well as his left shoulder so they were able to transfer him onto the bed and the chiropractor worked on it. It must have helped because Matt felt so much relief. We took him for a bath in Innisfail on Saturday before shopping and he was moving easier with less pain.
The van is starting easier now however they are still going to take it in for a new battery. He relies on it so much it needs to be in tip top working condition. You don't know when the next cold spell will be.

BBRRRRR!!

Oh my goodness, how weather can change in one week. Alberta was the coldest place on the planet yesterday!! We have to move to Siberia to warm up! -43 with the wind chill for November is a little much for sure. Thank goodness dad and I made a heated cat house this fall before he left. The poor little thing is doing well in it's cozy little house. We bought 2 dog houses and drilled holes in the back to have an extension cord through and bought two heating pads. They are also working great. However Molly our Irish Terrier is beginning to pee in the house again because she doesn't want to go outside. I can't say I blame her!
Mom and Matt got back safely from Sask. before the frigid temperatures arrived. The roads were great until Stettler and then became icy. They roads are still in bad shape and the snow mixed with the cold has created hard driving conditions. 4x4's are a must.
On Sunday they travelled to for a Westren Final Party between Sask and Calgary. I had to shake my head at the roughriders for wearing no long sleeved shirts under their jersey's. If there is one thing people from Sask pride themselves on is being able to endure the extreme cold. I find myself doing the same thing, talking about some of the terrible conditions I have driven in or walked through. Crazy people.
Matt's van is not appreciating the cold and would not start yesterday. Mom phoned CAA and they boosted it for her. The van does not have a block heater in it. Instead it has a button you push that warms the inside of the van and the motor too. However the battery needs changing because it won't keep the boost. Mom had to re-boost it again when she got home after school. I was supposed to take Matt for his chiropractor appt but we cancelled due to extreme cold weather.
Mom and Matt are heading back to Calgary again for Sunday's game but thank goodness tomorrow is supposed to warm up to -13 and will hit above 0 by Saturday. I will believe it when I feel it!
We are so excited to hear that the Scotts Tournament of Heart's is again being held in Red Deer 2012. Big party at our house! Last time it was here, I was pregnant with Shaunie and Jonmarie started walking on her own. Now they are 8 and 6. Time sure flies.

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.