Sunday, June 21, 2009

Hello everyone.

We just finished going through the blogs and as we were sitting here in front of the computer Sheryl called. We were just looking at the pictures of the Mexico trip so it was fun to have her on the phone and on the screen. What an awsome time it looked like you had to have all that beach to yourselves. We loved seeing the pictures from Erie also and the Harris camping trip. By the way congratulations on the wedding for Steph. You are a beautiful family with such a wonderful future to look forward to. Way to go!

We actually had a little trip also on Memorial Day Weekend. We planned it for several weeks and took Mary and her daughter Nancy to visit all the graves in Richmond. Nancy is such an amazing person caring all these years for her husband and keeping him alive, actually, with her potions and nutrition skills. They were married only a couple of years when he had surgery to remove all of his stomach because of ulcers, as they used to do. He was to spend the rest of his life on I V feedings but she studied all the science on nutrition from the medical journals from around the world and spent years following the great minds on the subject until she came up with potions that would keep him alive and nourished all these years. She did also go back to school and finish a degree in nutrition. He is now on I V 's and suffering greatly and not expected to live very long, but has had all these years able to raise his family and achieve so much in his teaching at the University and his motivational speaking career.


Anyway, the four of us took a fun ride through the back roads and little towns and ended up in Richmond. Arlyn actually had a great time seeing the countrysides he loves best. Everything was so green and beautiful and he pointed out the Kidman farm and the places and memories he has of the valley of his childhood with Mary. We took a picnic and on the way back stopped at the University for some Aggie ice cream. We also stopped at the little two story house and farm on Wild Rose Lane that Grandma Funk's father built for her and her two little girls after she divorced John Barnett. Like Loenza and Ethel, my mother loved that little house on Wild Rose Lane and took me on many rides up there. I always thought if I ever saw a forsale sign on it I would find a way to buy it just to keep it in the family. As we stopped there this time Nancy jumped out and took pictures and talked to the Father of the little family that now owns it. It is beautiful with gardens and flowers galore. What a little piece of heaven.

Arlyn is doing pretty good but has a hard time getting around. I have decided it is better to have a little clearer mind and not get around as well than having him going down the street hitting the garbage cans yelling at the people in them to get out. He throws things and gets rather combative, afraid and angry. With less medication he does better although still somewhat confused we can have some clear times. I give him medication every 12 hours instead of every 8. It is a trade off I have found to work better. When he gets so he cannot get from one place to an other I give him a little more. Thats how we work it. We are trying to get out a little more and I plan to take him to Southern Utah. I can do it if he will depend on the depends and not try to make pit stops. I am grateful to have Jeramy here to help me get him up when he falls and into bed when he can't. Little one year old Amelia just loves him and follows him around calling him bumpa, wants bites of anything he is eating, clowning for him in her cute little coy way if he falls asleep. He gets a lot of pleasure with her attention and loves to sit outside while the little kids play. She can do no wrong in his eyes. It is funny how he just glances at the paper but days or weeks later if something comes up about politics or what is going on, building etc., he can tell you what has been written about it in the paper. He has this uncanny insight that he sometimes relates something that has not happened yet and does in the next few days. Spooky. With all the images he sees ,he at times lately has said his Father is here. That always makes me nervous.

Thanks for all the news on the blogs. We love reading them and Arlyn loves most to see the pictures and have me tell him what they are about. You are an awsome bunch and we love you.

5 comments:

  1. Thank you for the nice update. It is nice to know about your ride to Richmond. I so wish we were closer so we could do that with you from time to time. I know how dad likes to go for rides. Next time I am there, I would love to see a picture of Grandma Funk's house. I don't know if it is the one I remember.

    I don't think I knew about the garbage can incidents. I think you have probably made a good trade off with the meds. It sounds like he is OK with having the military around if they are keeping other intruders out. ;-)

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  2. I have again been reading Marriner W.Merrill's journal and was actually thinking of just doing a little road trip up to Richmond and Logan and all the places I remember growing up and then Cayla came up with this Laura Ingalls idea, but I would still love to get up to Richmond some time too. So if another trip gets planned up that way some day, count me in also!

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  3. It is so nice to hear from you! I'm glad that you've found a way to work with Grandpa's medication to get him a little less confused. I would quite enjoy his stories if I didn't know how upsetting and frustrating the hallucinations are for him and for you. I'm glad that you were able to take a little trip to Richmond, and I hope that your Southern Utah trip goes well. I know how Grandpa has always loved that area.

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  4. I am sorry that I didn't call for father's day.. Its just so dang hard for me.. I so miss being near home and around the family. I can hardly read the blogs anymore.. It makes me so sad to be so far away.

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  5. I just barley found your blog! Keep updating and now I can read them!

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