A Time to Gather Thoughts and Share some news

I must apologize for neglecting this little bit of my life...blogging to keep you all posted on all things (or at least most things) that are or have been happening in my life!  Where to begin...I guess since my last post was about Scott's parents, I will start there...

Elsa came home from her Care Facility on July 6....we made the house as safe as we could...we removed area rugs, big and little!!  and we removed a coffee table (you know, the big kind in front of couches...wonder how it got the name "coffee table"....do you suppose that people use to sit on the couches around this table and that is where they placed their coffee and sweet desserts???  hmmm...something to ponder...but for another time!!)  At the time of this move, we (the kids of said parents) were quite concerned how this whole living alone would work out...and we definitely had our ups and very low downs and a lot of stress and concern...but things have worked out...maybe it is good to not post so often and just wait and see how things turn out...it was something we had to "let go" and trust in God...because we were pretty sure things would not be so good at the Senior Foelker house!  But Elsa is doing remarkable, she is done with Physical Therapy and he helped her to learn how to get around and move on her own...but he cautioned her to always use her oxygen...as did the Occupational Therapist...so it was coming from others besides the family...I know what it is like thinking that you have always done such and so...and then when you do it now (at whatever age you may be) you discover that it is
1. harder to do;
2. you really can't do it;
3. you do it and then REALLY suffer for it the next day
...hmmm...you ask how I know this?  okay jump ahead a month plus and I was pressure washing a patio for Dina (you know, my OLD patio!!)....after all, I have pressure washed these sidewalks, driveways, patios for years...we never paid anyone to clean our hard surfaces...yeah, well, this old gal isn't the young chick she feels like .... okay I really only feel that way inside...where the heart is...not the knees or the back or the shoulders...they probably feel every bit the 61 years I am...and I wouldn't be surprised if they actually feel a bit older than the 61 years!!  hah! hah!! (AND...after cleaning that said back patio...yeah, well, I felt like a Mack truck ran me over....)   So, I now have a lot more empathy about understanding how the parents feel when it seems they no longer have control of their life or what they use to do, then can no longer do...my Dad keeps telling me that he use to weed his garden for hours, now he can maybe do one hour and he has to call it quits...he has to go in and take a nap!!  I ALWAYS tell him, "DAD, you deserve a nap, you have earned the right to a nap...just take it!"

Okay, back on track with Elsa...let's see...Bill took her by himself to her hair appointment...quite an accomplishment as the salon is in Sellwood...on 13th....and do I dare admit that I DO NOT LIKE driving in Sellwood...too many cars...NO parking....narrow streets....parallel parking only...and to be honest I seriously  think that Bill Foelker has ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS driving in Sellwood....but he did it and took care of business and now they think they can conquer the world...seriously last night on my way to PIR (Portland International Racing....to watch Caleb race his motorcycle) Elsa calls me and I tell her I am on the road to PIR and she says, "Oh the next time you go..tell us, we would like to go and watch too!"  ARE YOU KIDDING ME???  And it wouldn't surprise me if they decided to drive there themselves!

Oh...about the PIR?  Yeah, we missed Caleb's first race as he raced the very first one and we were stuck in traffic, but we get a call from Aaron who also raced and guess what?  He CRASHED!!  Yeah and it was not a good crash either....broken collar bone and needs surgery.....4 broken ribs...and a collapsed lung...now we knew about the collar bone and the ribs, but the poor guy could not sit down because he could not breathe...had to call for an ambulance to take him to Meridian Park Hospital...Scott suggested that just because Immanuel is the busiest hospital in Portland and we could just picture sitting for hours in the waiting room...so they took him to our neighborhood hospital...and after Xrays, discovered the collapsed lung and guess where they needed to send him?  YUP...Immanuel...because they are considered the best in Trauma care and now that he has a collapsed lung, he is considered "trauma"...so the ambulance took him there at 11:30 PM...he is in a lot of pain and is trying to breathe deep to keep his lungs clear...he will be okay, and Yes I have NO doubt that he will be back on that bike in no time...He will NOT follow doctors orders, I just know him too well...I have always said, you can take the boy out of the country, but you cannot take the country out of the boy...that is just how he is wired!!  And just to share with you about Caleb...he too is LOVING this sport and he is really good at it...kind of scares us...a couple of weeks ago he raced and won both of his races...and one of the races he fell and had to come from behind...and he did and he took first place...he got a plaque for those two wins!  I fear he takes after his dad in that he likes the "extreme" sports...no golf for him!!  And believe me, we tried...we have pictures of him in Arizona...on the golf course, swinging a club..hitting the balls into the holes...Oh, Man, where did our little guy go???

Okay, should I stop for now, or continue this long story...and not many pictures either!  Well, wait I have a few when Elsa came home:

ready to get out of the car and go in the house

Elsa sitting down...first time home in almost 2 months

Addie and Tristan stopped in for a visit with Papa Ben

Tristan's TWO year birthday party

Papa Ben and Caleb after a baseball game

Thursday, August 18....So I think I have you all up to date...let me just add that Aaron has a plate in his collarbone and he is still experiencing pain and not sleeping well at night at all...but he went out to PIR with Lacey today to watch Caleb race...Bill and Elsa are getting out a bit and going to their favorite Starbucks and sitting and having their coffee mocha and do some people watching...they have stopped in to see Scott a couple of times at the new Yogurt Shack in Westwood also...but then to have Elsa say anything, it is a bother to go anywhere and not even worth the effort...she has to take the walker, Bill has to store it in the car, then get it out, then get the oxygen, carry it around with her...all a big pain...I think she needs a little attitude adjustment...she should be so happy she is still here to spend days with her husband!!

We are going to go up to Coeur d'Alene on Sunday and spend a few days up there at Gozzer...Dina's family will be there also...Unfortunately, because of Aaron's accident, their family will not be coming up this summer.  We will miss them for sure, just not the same without the whole gang there!  Thanks for stopping in and catching up on the family news...