Friday, July 9th

I celebrated my 60th birthday on Tuesday, July 6th, with a lot of good company and good food.  Over the weekend my brother Mark, and sister-in-law, Brenda came out to visit.  Then on Monday my mother and two sisters, Barb and Rita, came and stayed through my birthday.  We have had a lot of good meals and many sweets. I received many cards including a very full signature card from my co-workers at Genencor.

I have still enjoyed watching sports on my television, and I am looking forward to the World Cup final on Sunday.  I also try to sling the Reds almost every day that they are on. They are fun to watch and I am so glad that Joey Votto won the vote to go to the all star game. He deserves it.
Andy, Brian and Tory continue to come frequently to help Carole.  Jeff will be leaving Iraq soon, and we are really looking forward to Jeff and Cathy coming.  All the kids know what I like in Bengals and Reds gear, cookies and a new small laptop.

Thanks again for all the support and good thoughts going on in my behalf.

June 22, 2010

I've been watching a lot of the World Cup Soccer. I'm tired of the nil-nil draws. U.S. plays tomorrow and I hope they win! I had a great Father's Day. Brian cooked again! This time he made ribs with potatoes and green beans on the grill. Andy and Tory were here on Saturday so Carole could spend the night out of town for a little R & R. I also got to Skype with Jeff. We talked to Cathy and we don't think it will be long until he comes home. It will be good to see both of them again!

This picture is of Brian and Karen when they were here the weekend before Father's Day weekend.

 Jan and my caretaker, Donna. We went for a walk around the block and then sat outside for a while. It was hot but good to be outside.
Carole's sister, Jan, came out this week. Grandma has her boys for the four days she is in Iowa. My family will be visiting us the first weekend in July to celebrate the 4th and also for my birthday.

Tuesday, June 8

Dad has been doing pretty well the last few weeks. He continues to watch the Reds almost every night, and he enjoys getting outside when he feels up to it. Lately his appetite has come back quite strong and he's enjoying a beer many days, too. He's starting to struggle with some confusion, but physically he's doing pretty well.

Here are a few recent pictures.  The first has Mom and Dad with Mom's brother, Jim (who continues to be a HUGE help by visiting every few weeks -- I think he could probably drive between Cedar Rapids and Chicago in his sleep, and based on the time of day he usually leaves I wonder if that's what he's actually doing!).  The second picture is Mom and Dad on Memorial Day.  The last is two big Reds fans enjoying a nice cold one.

Sunday, May 23

Paul continues to hang in there, having lots of visitors to spend good time with him.  A couple of weeks ago my mom, sister and two nephews came out for a short visit.  Paul was happy to see everyone and enjoyed watching a movie, "Slumdog Millionaire", with all of them.  His brother, Mark, and sister-in-law, Brenda,   came out this past weekend.  We had a fun visit with them, and good food as well.  The last picture is of Paul getting outside with his primary caregiver, Donna.  She is very good to all of us, and takes special care of Paul.  The weather has been much better for getting outside.  He enjoys the walks in the wheelchair.  Today he got up in the recliner for dinner and had another one of his Leffe Bruin.  He still enjoys following the Reds on the sling box, and any other sports that are on television.  I often get home from school and find Paul and Donna watching Sports Center.  Thanks again for all the prayers and good thoughts coming for all of us.  Carole

Friday, May 7

There haven't been too many big changes with Dad lately.  He continues to do pretty well physically - he's been out of the bed a couple times with the help of the lift.  The picture below was taken when Brian and Karen were here and helped him sit in the recliner for a while.  We've also continued to have a lot of help from friends, family and neighbors.

Right now Dad and I are sitting and having a Leffe - bruin for him and blonde for me.  Carole is headed to Minneapolis for the weekend.  It's good for Carole to finally get a weekend away, as she really needs some relaxation time.  Somehow I'm guessing that she might find at least an hour or two to go shopping!

We continue to appreciate all of the thoughts, prayers, and assistance that you've all given us.  Thank you all so much.

 

Sunday, April 25

Dad has had another good couple of weeks. He's had a lot of great visitors and has even been able to make it outside a few times. Cathy is here for a week to spend some quality time with Dad and help us all out. Tory's parents also came for a visit yesterday. Jim was also here again to help out and will be back again in a week or so. Dad really enjoys all the company even though it does wear him out. He feels bad when he has to kick people out so he can get some sleep, but we've assured him that no one minds and everyone is happy just to see him for a short time. We also really appreciate all the help!

Here are a few pictures from Dad's trips outside:



And, here's a group shot that Tory's mom took for us:

Monday, April 12

Dad had a good weekend.  Yesterday he felt strong enough to try the lift again, and he sat in the chair for 2 hours while he watched golf, skyped with Jeff, and ate dinner.  He was a little tired (and I think he was nervous without having Donna, our expert lift operator, here).  He really enjoyed being out of bed again and also enjoyed having a refreshing beverage as you can see in these pictures.

We've been lucky to have some great visitors again over the last few weeks.  Dad really enjoys having the company and we all appreciate the help!  Dad even learned that his sister Beth makes a great pot roast and brown potatoes that tastes just like his Mom makes.  We've also enjoyed the nice warmup in the weather and are using the grill a bit more often, although cold weather never stopped Brian before.  Dad is hoping to be able to use the lift to get into a wheelchair and go outside soon.

Thanks to everyone for their continued prayers and assistance!