Wed. May 20th 2009

From Teresa... Hey! Brother Clayton, HAPPY 45th Birthday tomorrow. (May 21st) Like I tell Tami, "If you SURVIVED it, CELEBRATE it!" Anyway, have a great one! I plan to drive up to Vernal on Friday so I can work at Lowe's on Sat. and Sun. and drive back to St. George on Monday. (That way I can stay employed and keep my insurance going.) Lowe's has really been good to work with me since all this happened to Tami. I'm hoping to move back up there by mid-June. Tami is down to one therapy on her arm a week and blood checks every two weeks. She has an apt. with the neuropsychologist every other week and stroke support group once a month. She's come a long way in 9 months. I will really miss my little "Angel Princesses" , but I'm looking foreword to getting back to my other life. I worked in Vernal over Mother's Day weekend and all my old co-workers were so welcoming and kind, it felt like home. It was good to be back in the workforce again. (although it's been so long that I've forgotten how to do some stuff and had to ask questions.) I'm also out of shape and need to build back up my endurance for being on my feet all day on concrete floors. I love helping the customers again! Anyway...

Tami has blood work , support group, and bio-feedback therapy tomorrow, busy day. We are plodding along. Have a great Memorial weekend everyone. More later, Teresa.

TAMI'S BACK IN SUNNY ST.GEORGETHERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!!

OUR ADVENTURE TO VERNAL WAS FUN . SEEING TRAVIS AND THE KIDS WAS THE BEST! HIS KIDS ARE BEAUTIFUL AND SO SWEET, I COULD HAVE PLAYED WITH THEM FOR DAYS ! I AM VERY HAPPY TO BE HOME WITH MY OWN WONDERFUL GIRLS . TERESA'S FAMILY CAME FOR HER BIRTHDAY AND WE WENT TO JUMPING JACKS, A BOUNCE HOUSE PLACE WHERE I USED TO TAKE THE GIRLS A LOT. IT'S ALL PADDED SO I FIGURED IF I FELL I WOULD BE SAFE. IT WAS REALLY HARD TO NOT BE ABLE TO PLAY LIKE I USED TO, BUT I WAS VERY PROUD WHEN I DID MAKE IT UP ONE SLIDE . IT WAS A TON HARDER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. I KNEW I ONLY HAD ONE ARM TO CLIMB WITH BUT DIDN'T REALIZE HOW LAME MY LEFT LEG STILL IS . THE ANKLE DOESN'T MOVE AND I CAN'T CONTROL THE KNEE VERY MUCH AT ALL, SO THAT REALLY MADE CLIMBING HARD. BUT LIKE I SAID I DID MAKE IT UP ONE SLIDE . MY LITTLE ELLA WENT UP EVERY ONE! SHE IS SO STINKING TOUGH! SHE LOOKED LIKE SUCH A BABY ON THOSE BIG SLIDES. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT KNEW MY UNCLE BRETT YOU ARE SO LUCKY! AFTER WE LEFT, I KEPT THINKING HOW HE NEVER LET ANYTHING SLOW HIM DOWN, EVEN WHEN HE WAS VERY SLOW, HE COULD HAVE MADE IT UP EVERY SLIDE I'M SURE . I DEFINITELY HAVE A BIGGER FEAR FACTOR THEN HE DID. YOU WON'T FIND ME ON ANY HORSES OR BOATS ANY TIME SOON. NO MATTER HOW MUCH DUCT TAPE THERE IS! MY GRANDPA DAVE WAS HERE AND HE IS 76 YEARS YOUNG & I HAD TO LAUGH BECAUSE HE & I HAVE MORE IN COMMON NOW THAN EVER BEFORE . IT WAS A REALLY FUN BIRTHDAY FOR TERESA AND THE REST OF US, TERESA HELPED HAUL EACH GIRL UP EVERY SLIDE AND THEN TOOK THEM SWIMMING AT THE HOTEL. WE ARE SO LUCKY TO HAVE HER! THE GIRLS SEEM SO LOST WHEN SHE ISN'T AROUND. THEY COULD CARE LESS WHAT MOM'S DOING. IT'S WHERE IS GRAMMA TERESA OR DAD? THEY KNOW WHERE THE FUN IS. I DID GET TO SPEND THE WHOLE DAY MONDAY WITH THEM, WHILE TERESA WAS GONE & ALBERT WAS WORKING. IT IS TRULY TRIAL & ERROR TO SEE WHAT I'M READY FOR, AND SADLY I'M NOT QUITE READY TO BE AN AT HOME MOM AGAIN YET. I GET TIRED WAY TOO FAST, AND I'M QUITE BORING MOST THE TIME , BUT WE DID MANAGE WITH NO HARM . THEY WERE BOTH SICK AND BY 4PM ALL THREE OF US WERE IN TEARS , SO WE HAD TO CALL DAD TO RESCUE US. I HAVE A VERY LONG HARD ROAD TO GO BEFORE I CAN HANDLE MY OLD LIFE, BUT TIME WILL TELL, AND I HAVE MADE IT FAR. I'M GOING TO KEEP CREEPING ALONG TILL THIS IS ALL JUST A MEMORY. STILL SO MANY THANKS TO EVERYONE THAT CONTINUES TO PRAY & HELP US. WE ARE SO BLESSED LOVE TO ALL TAMI & FAMILY.

Mon. May 4, 2009

From Teresa... We had a nice little jaunt to Vernal, then Grand Junction. It was great to see family again. It had been 8 months since I had been in Vernal. ( The calendar on the wall of my old room was still on Aug. 2008, with my belly dancing schedule still marked down on it.) Wow !So much has happened since then! Travis and family are doing well and it was great to see them and play with those beautiful babies! Maggie is growing up so fast and can read books to grandma. Giacomo is a darling dimpled faced little bundle of fun. Tami had him just giggling and rolling around in her lap. She loved it! Of course the trip was too fast, but we take what we can get.

My sister Liz flies into Las Vegas today and will catch a shuttle to St. George and stay until Thurs. morning. My mom and dad are driving down from Vernal tomorrow and will stay with Liz in her hotel room. They will go home Thurs. too. It will be fun to have them here.

Tami is done with the rehab that the insurance will pay for. We will continue to go to the bio-feedback therapy once a week as long as she continues to make progress. The neurologist apt. went well. He was pleased with her improvements since he saw her last in Jan. She doesn't go back to him for 6 more months. We checked her blood today and it was a little thick, so we need to increase the cumidin and check it again on Thursday. And so it goes..... Anyway, more later....Teresa.