Overwhelmed in Summer-ish-ness...

Oh there has been so much going on it's hard to know where to begin. I guess I should start with my grandpa's surgery- since that's when life for me started to take a turn into crazy chaos. He had Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery in March and went to the Cardiac Clinic here in Pocatello. This was hard on his wife to travel, but for me it was nice because I was able to help him a lot more. Between full-time school and kids, I would help out daily at the hospital. It is quite an extensive surgery to recover from and there were a few complications...at the time all of this was happening we also were rennovating our 2 bathrooms and I was helping to teach in our neighborhood preschool. Like I said, crazy/chaotic. It was a very stressful time, and all that really mattered to me was helping my gramps in anyway possible. My kids disagreed and I'm sure my husband missed having his wife around- but I'm so thankful to them for sharing me so that I could be there for my wonderful g-pa. This craziness continued for about a month when we were then informed that gramps would have to go to a long-term care center. The closest one was SLC/Provo. I was able to fly on a life-flight equipped airplane for the transport with him and thankful to be able to accompany him because he was pretty nervous about it. My aunt who had also spent many hours in the hospital with him, met us down there and helped us get settled in. For the next month she and I and other family members took shifts helping out, I would go to school during the week and then leave on Fridays to spend the weekends in Provo with gramps. It was a very bittersweet experience, there were many upsetting and disheartening times, watching someone you love having to endure such pain and seclusion. But, I try to be as optimistic as I can about that time and know that I was finally able to return some of the time and love my grandpa had given to me grwoing up. I have many memories of laughing and crying with him during these months and I'm so thankful we were able to extend our relationship that much more. He lost his fight in late May, but he never gave up.



My favorite picture of him...






Our last picture together...eating peas from his garden.

I gave the life-sketch at his funeral. Even though it was a difficult thing to face, writing something well enough to measure up to such an inspiring person and an incredible life, I was blessed to be able to reflect and put my thoughts into work. I will post it later on with more from our time together....


Like I said before, there was no place I would have rather been than with my gramps, school wasn't as understanding as my family though, it took a lot of focus and determination to finish out the semester, and I'd be lying if I didn't say that it was my most difficult semester to date. But I did it. With 3 A's and a B no less. - That was a miracle by the way, I'm still shocked at those grades. After the semester finished out and Grandpa passed, we focused on taking care of gram and her huge yard, getting Clinton through the rest of school and Clint's new jobs. No time to stop for a breath...



And then, just when I thought surely we were deserving of a good long break, without any new worries or trials...Clinton did it. It was most likely inevitable- though I'd hoped the day would never come. He broke his leg. Yep. The bad leg. He did a thorough job too. Both bones. Well enough that he needed surgery and pins to repair it.




Grrr trampolines...

Trying to be tough until the meds kick in...

You never realize how vital ONE leg is until it's taken away. He now needed help with everything, it was like having a baby again. Getting in and out of bed, dressing, bathing, going potty- endlessly going potty...- getting into chairs, up and down stairs, in and out of cars, he could no longer play with friends in the street and run around, which would frustrate him to no end...and learning the manuvere the wheelchair. Oh MY. The first 2 days were completely aggravating in that stinkin chair. He would literally scream if anyone touched the chair, for fear of them bumping his leg or trying to push him. He couldn't quite get the hang of it- but wanted NO ONE to help him. Oh Patience. But in his amazing Clinton style he picked it up almost immidiately and was awesome at it. He's not going to be happy to give the wheelchair back when the time comes. ;)



Nine weeks and 2/3rds the summer later, he has finally got the cast off. He's not able to walk yet, the muscles in his leg have deteriorated and he will need some extensive exercise and therapy to gain it all back I'm afraid, but at least he can move around a little easier. He's learned how to live around the disablity and shown what a little fighter he is. He never ceases to amaze me. How blessed I am to have such inspiring people in my life.



Well, this has been the major happenings in the summer, between those, Clint's newly aquired THREE jobs, a new baby nephew (babysitting), housekeeping, grandma helping, yard-work (which I've basically given up on), and day-to-day occurences- it's been full. It's been hard, trying, patience-testing, and inspiring, work-filled and wonderful. We've pushed through and I'm hoping things will settle for a little while before school starts up and the craziness begins all over again.


There will be more to come, LOTS and LOTS of new pictures, and other updates, so be patient with me. ;)