My Baby's Leaving the Nest

Aunt Lou has improved by leaps and bounds lately and now she's leaving our little nest we've made for her. She walks everywhere now without a wheelchair or assistance. In fact, I told her she should have had that toe chopped off a long time ago because she walks much better without it.

In Physical & Occupational therapy, she's working on getting ready to leave by doing things such as folding clothes, putting things up on shelves, and all that other good stuff you forget that you have to do when you take care of yourself every day.

Her eating habits are amazing with her new medication. She eats constantly. She cleans her plate and then looks around for other food. She and Caleb could have a contest to see how much they could eat. Her face is filling out and looking much more like her old self so we're really proud of that.

So the moving: Jimmy and Maria have been working like crazy to find the right place to move Aunt Lou and they've found one. It's barely south of I-20, sort of around the Hulen Mall Area. It's a retirement community where she will have her own apartment. And yes, she'll have her dog. It's upstairs and yes, there's an elevator and her apartment is right by the elevator. This place is a really neat place with great people that are super happy living there. Jimmy and Maria are excited and relieved that they've found a place. Many of us know how all-consuming and frustrating that can be so a huge GOLD STAR for them for keeping the faith and not giving up.

Jimmy took Aunt Lou to lunch yesterday, told her about the place and showed her pictures of it before they committed to the apartment. They've committed to it now and the target time to move her is late July, first of August. As of Thursday night, Aunt Lou did NOT know when she's moving so when you call to quiz her, she probably doesn't know about that part yet.

Jimmy said it's 2 or 3 bedroom (I don't recall which of the floor plans they wound up leasing but I want to say it's the biggest floor plan). It has a washer/dryer connection so she could bring hers and Jimmy said that she should be able to move most or all of her furniture from her house into there. There's a meal made 4 days a week that she can get if she wants it and Meals on Wheels is going to come there to the retirement center for her. It's amazing what a good social worker can help you work out!

In case you don't know, Jimmy and Maria have also been working endlessly on packing up her current house to move and get the house ready to sell. I offered to "help" Jimmy yesterday, even though he's pretty much finished now, saying that I wanted some of Aunt Lou's tacky stuff. He laughed and asked me if I wanted some of her more than 500 (yes, five HUNDRED) little angels he packed away. I respectfully declined.

If you don't know or can't imagine it, Jimmy and Maria have been working themselves to death. There's always a new person to meet who wants 50 pages of paperwork filled out, there's always a doctor visit or shoe maker appointment or something going on all the time. Then there's Aunt Lou and her endless requests. It's so difficult for Aunt Lou to have to ask someone for anything she needs instead of just getting it for herself. AND it's so difficult for Jimmy and Maria to go through all of this with very little thanks and try to do silly, trivial things like work and take care of their own lives at the same time. I know many of you have walked in their shoes and it's an unpleasant place to be most of the time, isn't it?

So pray A LOT of prayers that everything goes well. I have to say that the first time I saw Aunt Lou's foot laid open back in December, Aunt Lou and I both thought this day would never come. Really. There are a few new residents at the Big House. We've watched them come in with PIC lines, wound vacs, and other stuff that Aunt Lou started with. It's absolutely amazing to me that Aunt Lou has such a will to live and be in the bosom of her loving family :), that she has overcome ALL the odds and has recovered completely.

One more thing. When she moves, she will NOT be far from any of you. You can just shoot down I-20 and you're there. No more mileage than it would take to get from the Parks Mall to Mom and Dad's house. You had ALL better get your butts in gear and SEE HER. She'll be isolated there like she was in her house and she needs to get out, see the world, and see each of you. She didn't work herself senseless, especially when she didn't feel like it, to just sit in the corner and stare at the wall. She got better for all of us so that we wouldn't be orphans. Don't forget how each and every one of you are that important to her.

That's it for now. Sorry I haven't been sending pics of all her progress; I'm having trouble getting my pics to the computer at the moment. This is super-huge and exciting hews for all of us. I still can't get over the fact that she really is better now. She has come SOOOOO far! So Woo-Hoo, Aunt Lou! We all love you!

Finger Lickin' Good!

Is anyone else jealous of this picture or is it just me?! Thanks to Blake for whipping up some yummy BBQ ribs on Sunday for Aunt Lou and Blaine to chow down on. I wonder who finished first? My bet is on Aunt Lou!

A Visit From the Crazy Boys

I went with Mom and Aunt Nita to see Aunt Lou last week. We brought Sonic for lunch and the kids provided entertainment. It was good to see her eating so well. She hardly spoke for 30 minutes because she was too busy eating! She seemed a little tired to me but I guess they are working her hard to get her out of there soon. She's doing well and even showed off her battle wound. Beware for those with weak stomachs!

There she is just chowing away at that burger...and Caleb is chowing on the tater tots!

We got to sit in private dining room. It was nice and quiet and it allowed the kids to run wild which was much needed after an hour long car ride!

How many pictures do we have of this?? Actually, this wasn't a malt, it was a Coke.

Caleb was loving the Coke too! Look how serious he was.

I had to make her stop eating for a photo op.

More Coke for Caleb.

Ethan was teaching her how to play "guys". She looks a little confused.

The kids provided entertainment. Ethan was dancing....

....Caleb was the DJ.

Yep, there it is...or should I say there it isn't. I think it looks pretty good. Almost closed up.


Ethan was quite interested. The next day he told me, "Did you know someone tooked off Aunt Lou's toe?!"

Of course Blah was there too. Caleb loves that thing.

Ethan had to scope out all the stuff in Aunt Lou's room.

I hung up some cards while Caleb fixed the TV.

Poor thing tried the whole time we were there to get the TV working without any luck (it needed a cable.)

And we had to play with the famous pig bunny. Aunt Lou wanted to show the boys the Valentine dog that flaps his ears but he was out of batteries.

Ethan probably wore her out asking so many questions about all the stuff on her walls.

Goodbye hugs.

One last sip for the road. :-)