4 1/2 months ago we were not sure that my mom would make it to this year....but here we are. It's the middle of January and we are still enjoying time with her.
I was able to take some time off of in December and begin doing some much needed work around the house. We re modeled the backyard and side yard so that my mom could assess the grounds more easily. We began going through personal belongings. With the help of Pat Villa we created a system on our ipads where we can document each item and even have my mom record information about it! It will serve useful in the future.
We even went wine tasting in Temecula 2 weekends in a row with her best friends.
I was able to spend some time with a good friend and his daughter. We celebrated "Christmas" at his house on Sunday evening. My mom got to spend some nice time with his daughter Bianca. I know that this is something that she will cherish. Steve, Jenelle and Mr. Mayhem came down on Christmas eve. Our good friend Jenny Ripley and her boyfriend Ihab were able to join us for dinner. I made my dad's traditional Christmas Eve meal: roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, asparagus and salad. I even made butternut squash soup (since my mom can't have any of the leafy green vegetables).
Christmas morning we sat and opened gifts. We didn't have the fireplace lit, but other than that it felt like Christmas. I spend the afternoon at the Caughey's house and Steve and Jenelle spent some time alone with my mom.
New Years was spent at Roberta's house. We had a wonderful time with the McDevitts, Roberta, her son and his fiance', Dell, Pat, Rob and others. The evening was one that I know we will all remember.
Since then I am back at work. I am loving every minute I spend with my students. It's hard to leave her during the day but she is in such good hands. Moving around has become more and more difficult. Even one or two steps can be traumatic for her. She can still walk a short distance (10-15 feet) with assistance once or twice a day. Standing up is becoming more of a chore but she is a trooper and continues to fight! Her desire to be about doing things has decreased even though her abilities to do so have. It's a difficult role reversal as I have had to begin to tell her "no".
We had a birthday dinner for Roberta. We all sat and ate around her hospital bed in our living room (a very common occurance).
Another medicine mishap occurred and her blood became way too thin. She was bedridden for a few days but has made a full recovery. She was even able to drive up to Anaheim (where Steve was on business) and see Steve for his birthday on the 17th.
We were able to spend a lovely evening at the Caughey's for dinner. What a nice night with her closest friends of over 25 years!
Life is a roller coaster. She looks happy but we know what the tumor is doing. Her memory is still in tact but the logic and reasoning are starting to fade quickly. At the movies the other day she asked things like "Am I in my wheel chair or the movie theater chair?". She is caught saying this phrase commonly as well : "Yesterday was yesterday, Today is today, and Tomorrow is tomorrow." It seems as though she's fighting to maintain her understanding though the tumor is really deterierating it.
She's a fighter....She's strong....She's loving. She may call you 50 times in a row or not understand everything in there, but she's still able to love and be loved! Thank you for fighting this journey with us. We pray for you as you pray for us and are forever grateful for all you do each and every day!
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