Day 197 to 203, Mar. 14-20
This was a busy week getting ready and going to St. George. It's a lot more work than it used to be, but still a lot of fun!
On Monday Jeff went to Neuroworx. He is mostly working on strengthening his arms right now. It's hard to do much else with the restrictions he has while his neck heals. They then went to the Page monthly birthday gathering where they ate potato bar and chili and then had a spiritual lesson from Peggy. It's always great to spend time with family and to learn and grow together.
On Tuesday Annette worked on laundry and packing for the upcoming trip. There's a lot to remember in order to care for all of Jeff's needs now.
On Wednesday they went to the wound clinic. Great news, one of the three sores that were open has closed and no longer needs to be covered every day! The other two are also looking better. This new ointment they are using has been worth every pretty penny.
After the wound clinic Kasey from TOSH came to the house. He made Annette a stand to hold the manual wheelchair off the ground so she can more easily exchange the wheels from the power assist to the regular ones. We are grateful for all of his ideas that have helped make things easier for our mom and dad.
Then Jeff and Annette went to look at handicap accessible vans. It would be so much easier on Annette and save time if she didn't have to load and unload Jeff to go places. They liked the Explorer, but Jeff can't push himself because the door opening isn't wide enough for the chair and his hands on each side. The vans also cost a fortune and while their efforts gave them something to think about, there won't be any serious interest for a while.
On Thursday Brent and Janet brought Jeff and Annette lunch and spent time with them while they waited for Ryan's family. They finally arrived and were on the road by about 2:30. Ryan drove Jeff in the truck and Julee followed with Annette and the kids.
This is the sheepskin cover Blake installed for Jeff. It made the ride much more comfortable.
It was a long ride, especially for Talon. Little Tylee is teething, has had a fever, and slept most of the way like a champ. They were all so happy to see St. George!
When they got to the house they unloaded and then ate Papa Murphy's for dinner. This shows the headboard Peggy got for Jeff and Annette's bed. It looks great!
Back home Zach celebrated his birthday with his family. Happy birthday Zach! We love you and are so grateful to have you as a part of our family! When Sierra helped to blow out his candles she was a bit too close and her hair caught on fire! Thankfully she's okay with no lasting damage and Brandi didn't go into labor from the scare!
Friday started out with cold cereal and Josh Lloyd! He's here to demo different bikes and see how he likes them. Josh and Ryan went on a bike ride together and had a great time.
Jeff and Annette stayed home with Julee and the kids. Jaxon made friends with a lizard he named Krissy. It was the most docile little thing they've ever seen!
This is the stand Kasey from TOSH made for Annette to make it easier to put the wheels on the manual wheelchair. The chair comes apart for easier storage or to put the power assist wheels on.
Ryan was transferring Jeff into the truck and noticed the neck brace dug into his arm. Now Annette knows what caused the bruises on her arm!
After lunch they hit the trails. Jeff pushed himself most of the time and Jaxon rode his bike.
It was very warm by the time they were done so they took the kids to the splash pad to cool off.
Behind the splash pad was a carousel. It was Tylee's first time riding on one and she wasn't too sure what she thought about it.
Ryan helped switch the lift in the bedroom to the opposite side of the room. Annette is used to Jeff being on the right side of the bed and it was much more difficult for her to get him ready with him on the left.
After dinner they put on the Princess Bride and had a visit from Brad Frost who happened to be in town for work. It was great to catch up with him!
On Saturday morning they ate breakfast and Ryan went on a bike ride with Brad. Jeff and Julee went out front with the kids while Annette got a few things done.
After Ryan finished his ride with Brad he took Jaxon out on the trails. One of the things Jaxon misses most is riding bikes with his grandpa.
They had lunch and then went to the Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm, a dinosaur track museum. It was pretty cool, though slightly over priced. They built the actual museum over the original dig site.
The boys had the most fun in the outside area where they could play in the sand.
Tylee still wasn't feeling well with teething and just wanted to be held and chew on her necklace.
They then made their way to the Rosenbruch World Wildlife Museum. They love all the cool animals and displays there.
It was overcast and while it was warmer than Friday, it didn't feel too hot outside. They hit the trails again for Jeff's arm exercise.
Jeff's eyes burn a lot so Ryan is trying to wipe them out.
Then they went back to the house for dinner and then Annette, Julee, and Tylee left for an hour of girl time while the guys stayed home and watched tv.
Getting ready for bed Talon asked, "What if you all forget to go home tomorrow?" He really wasn't ready to leave!
Sunday morning was busy with packing and cleaning. They left around lunch time and stopped in Cedar City for a bite to eat. In order to avoid traffic they took the back roads home, but it ended up taking more time because of a traffic jam on the one-way street. A motorcyclist got into an accident and had to be life flighted from the scene.
The back roads have a lot of small hills and while the kids loved it, the bumps caused Jeff's nerves to freak out more than usual. He was glad to be home! And probably also glad Ryan and Julee wouldn't be transferring him anymore... Because Ryan is taller than Annette and Blake, and Jeff's neck brace keeps him from being able to bend his head lower while being put in the truck, he kept getting his head bumped on the way in!
They came home to a smiling Aliyah, so happy to see them! Michelle Aubrey and her kids were so thoughtful and brought dinner, one less thing to worry about.
It was great to get out and enjoy the sun. We are so grateful for the generosity of Jay and Peggy who allow us to use their home! Our family has been so blessed over the years to be able to go to St. George and make so many wonderful memories!
