Second year Day 105 - Thursday March 28, 2013

Everyone that was traveling today made it safely to their destination.  I always feel much better when people are done with their travels and settled in where ever they are staying.  We are continuing with our appointments in Monroe and things are going great!  Bridgett is at the point where she isn't taking Advil regularly, like she was, and has only had two doses since we got here.  We had a scare about not having any appointments next week.  Faith said that her Colorado office lease was coming up and the landlord decided not to renew.  So, she thought she might have to leave at the end of this week for Colorado to try to find another office to move into next month.  All week we have been praying hard that she would be able to work things out and not have to go right back.  Thankfully, she did find another office online and had one of the other ND's go check it out.  In any case, she WILL be here next week as planned, thank goodness.  We really need to keep seeing her so that we can get things worked out.  Then we will see her next in late May.  I am thinking a lot about Chris, Julie and the kids and the funeral and wishing I could be with everyone.  At times like this it is so comforting to be with each other.  At least everyone else was able to make it and will be at the funeral tomorrow.

Second year Day 104 - Wednesday March 27, 2013

Bridgett is still not having any kidney pain and we are all so happy.  Overall, she isn't having any pain still, although this evening she had a little neck pain. We are doing great here in Richfield and I'm so glad that we are here. So, last week on Friday, Tyler left to South Dakota.  He drove only as far as Helena and stayed the night on base with one of his marine friends.  On Saturday, the day we left, he drove to Butte to meet one of his marines and then to Wall, South Dakota.  In the meantime, we left to Provo and Mark left to Helena for a political function (just for the day).  Now this week--Justin and Holly and kids (3) left for Montana today.  They will take the trip in two days because they have a one year old.  Frank and Cindy left Las Vegas to head to Salt Lake.  Then, tomorrow Frank and Cindy will take mom to Montana, and everyone else will leave--Scott and Sue, Dave and kids (3), Jon and Shana and kids (4),  and Mike and Mandy and kids (3).  Also tomorrow, Scott, Jaclyn and Weston will leave to Logan, as Jaclyn's only married sister just had her first baby and Tyler will leave South Dakota to return to Montana for the funeral.  Whew!  Lots of people going everywhere in our family! We will be here in Richfield until Friday then return to Provo, my family will all start the trek back to their homes on Friday and then Mark and Tyler will be headed to Provo on Saturday for the blessing of the twins.  I think for one family that is the most traveling that we have collectively done in the same week ever!    

Second year Day 103 - Tuesday March 26, 2013

Bridgett work up with NO PAIN today!   Yippee!  After just one day of treatment!  I was so happy, and of course she was too!  A few other therapists (physical therapists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, cranio sacral therapists) have relived her pain for that day, but never into the next day too!  We had appointments today again and those went great.  Stephany's pain from her surgery is doing much better as well.  I've got the girls all fixed up on the best supplements for their body and they are both taking Wobenzyme, which helps get rid of scar tissue anywhere in the body.  Bridgett had taken it before her accident, for her ovary surgery and it did help.  We are all a little tired and I am so glad that we have a hotel here so that we can just come and crash out without driving far.  I forgot to post this last week.  On Thursday the girls and I went to visit with Julie at her house.  Kennedy visited with us as well, Austin was gone and Stratton and his grandpa were working outside.  Anyway, we were there for a very short time, like 20 minutes.  Julie could see the pain that Bridgett is in.  I talked to Julie about the need to get her to Utah and how I wished that I could be there for the funeral.  Julie said she totally understood and she was very supportive of us getting Bridgett some help. It was good for Bridgett to get to see Julie's family though.  It will be hard for me on Friday when I know that the entire family is together and I am here by myself.  But, it's one of those things that can't be helped.

Second year Day 102 - Monday March 25, 2013

We got up and got packed and headed to Monroe this morning.  On the way to Faith's I stopped in Richfield to check out the hotel and make sure things were OK there.  I went ahead and checked in even though the room wasn't ready.  Then off to Faith's house.  We all had great appointments there--Bridgett, Stephany and me.  I figured--I'm here and she has time, so why not.  Then I can feel like I am taking time to take care of my self as well.  It's been a hard year on all of us!  When mom and Justin were up at my house last week, we all had a talk about the importance taking better care of ourselves, and so I am!  We had a nice salmon meal afterwards, a combo late lunch/early dinner.  Then we headed to the hotel.  I was sure glad that I checked in earlier, because there are a bunch of Utah Department of Transportation guys staying here at the Holiday Inn Express and they were all checking in right when we arrived.  There was a line of 10 or more people checking in.  Luckily we sailed right past them and up to our room, which is very nice.  It is a queen suite--the only thing they had available when I called a few weeks ago.  But, they gave me a good price for it.  It's very big and equipped with disposable plates and silverware, dish soap, can opener etc.  I think it's going to work out great!

Second year Day 101 - Sunday March 24, 2013

All last week I was on the phone a lot talking to family.  Yesterday was no exception and I was on the phone a lot whenever I had reception.  Luckily I have a car charger for my phone:).  Today we were able to spend time with Jenn and  Arri.  Stephany, Bridgett and I went to Jenn's house and we visited for two full hours, and Bridgett didn't get out her ipad or anything!  She held Logan for a bit but it made her arms and neck tired so not for too long.  Stephany bounced on the mini tramp with Lincoln.  It helps him feel better when he has a tummy ache.  She was able to get him to sleep.  Logan feel asleep in my arms too.  The babies are so big!  And, I couldn't believe how big Caden seemed--and we just saw him not many weeks ago!  There is that point where toddlers start looking less like babies and more like children, and I guess he's at that point!  Connor was cute and busy as ever.  Later we visited with Arrianne.  It was great to see her and have time to talk face to face!  She stayed at the hotel until about 10:00 and then we decided to all hit the hay.  Bridgett had crashed out earlier.  I had to go to Arri's with her to borrow her computer (which is really my old laptop!) and then we sat in the car outside the hotel and talked for about an hour.  Arri commented on how much better Bridgett is doing and I agreed.  She has lost that initial "happy all of the time" attitude and is much more herself (sarcasm included!).  It's great to see her heal.  At the same time, it's hard to realize how badly the wreck has changed everything--really in all of our lives.  Tonight Arri was really feeling the pain of what was lost and what might have been.  We talked about not dwelling on that fact and just focusing on the great things that are happening.  It was a good talk for both of us.  We all have those feelings at times.  It's a matter of keeping perspective--eternal perspective.  This past 15 months or so have been a time of trying to keep perspective about many things--the loss of my father and now the loss of my brother.  We really never know what is ahead of us in life.  We just need to stay focused and live our lives the way we know that we should.  We need to enjoy the moments that we can and keep spiritually strong to prepare for the things that we don't know about the future.  

Second year Day 100 - Saturday March 23, 2013

I got up early this morning and it still took me until about 10:00 to be ready to leave.  There is so much to take with us!  Besides the normal stuff, we have stuff to cook in the hotel room and then we have every one's school and we have prom stuff for Stephany.  Anyway, miraculously it all fit in the car and we finally left.  It snowed from Bigfork to Polson and the roads were slushy.  Then it cleared up for a while and then snowed again. That was the story all day.  Snow intermittently and some clear roads.  The girls did pretty good until about Idaho Falls.  From that point on things were worse, but the girls said to keep going.  We did push through, but the last 90 minutes was pretty terrible.  Stephany had abdominal cramping and so we moved her to the front seat to recline.  Bridgett almost couldn't take the squished feeling in the back seat although luckily her pain wasn't too bad then.  Anyway, we made it in about 9:00 and got all checked in.  First we stopped at Arri's to drop off the prom dresses.  Arrianne will go on a double date with Steph and wanted to wear her prom dress as well.  (alumni are invited as long as they don't dance with students)  We got all checked in and we were all so glad to be out of the car!!

Second year Day 99 - Friday March 22, 2013

Today was a crazy packing day.  I had LOTS to do to get ready to go.  I haven't been able to get anything extra done this week with everything else doing on--added to the fact that Bridgett is in a lot of pain.  There's always so much to get done when I am going out of town, especially for two weeks!  I stayed up crazy late but almost got everything taken care of!  Bridgett saw the WF cranio sacral gal yesterday.  She was able to help with her pain for that day, but it was back almost as bad today.  It helps me be even more convinced that we HAVE to see Faith!