So the last two weeks I have put about 3,000 miles on my car.  Which means - I have SAT that long as well!  Fortunately - odd for February - I have only had about 200 of those miles be snow covered roads.  For as much driving as we have done this winter the weather has been wonderful!  Before we left 2 weeks ago - I did one of those FUN MOM things and went to the $1 store and got a bunch of small little fun gifts and wrapped them in tissue paper and put them in a box.  Then my son got to open one every so many miles.  This made the trip so much more fun.  I also had gotten some new books on tape and that kind of thing.  We got a whole interesting education about the Lewis and Clark expedition and some fun laughs with Patrick McMannis as well as Good stories of Adventures in Odyssey and Louis L'Amour books.  All fun! 

What was all the driving - well, we drove down to S. California to Grandpas wedding.  Long drive.  Flowers are already in bloom down there.  Ripe oranges hanging from the trees!  So yummy!  Very informal wedding.  Short.  Fun visiting with some cousins and aunts and uncles who I have not seen in years.  So that made the trip worth it.  Kase had a fun fun time playing in the creek that runs through the ranch with his cousins!  Left the next day and drove up to Reno.  Since we made it all the way in one day we had some down time for swimming in the hotel pool.  My Dad had doctor appointments and so we stayed to attend.  It has been a challenge watching my Dad - who has always been a get up and go person who enjoys life and the outdoors and his family become so reliant on others for basic needs.  The looks on the doctors faces were not encouraging.  Mom is exhausted and needing help.  New round of chemo starting the next week.  But it is a pill so can be taken at home.  How will this affect Dad - we don't know!

So, after doctor appointments we drove home Saturday, did laundry, changed out suitcase clothes and did some schoolwork, then took school and left for Nevada.  This way we would be able to help Mom get some help lined up, and meet with some people from Hospice and Physical Therapy etc.  This was good to do this.  Kase had a fun time visiting with Grandpa and Grandma.  The Chemo pills didn't come as soon as we thought they would and so Dad was able to stay and be focused on a couple of business meetings.  That was good.  But once he started on it, you could tell.  He lost balance much easier, and was ravenously hungry.  His brain did not communicate as easy with his legs and he slowly fell down once - but was unhurt as Mom and I were right there.  Sometimes it is hard to understand life!

Grandpa Wedding

Grandpa Gene - Cowboy Grandpa - is getting married this next week.  On Valentines Day no less!  I am still finding this a bit interesting to process.  I am excited for the prospect of the fact that married folk often live longer lives and getting to have a Grandpa around longer is great!  On the other hand it is a bit odd.  How do we move on?  Grandma would I think want Grandpa to not stay stuck in grieving - they were married for 62 years!  But to move on and be happy.  You can only talk to a bird for so long besides!  So we have a Grandma that will be "Aunt Katherine."  All Grand kids are grown.  Great Grand kids all remember and love Grandma and so Aunt is a good term of endearment.  So we have a romantic Valentines planned - a wedding!  My son is quite excited!  He hasn't been to an American wedding.  This will be a small family affair.  He is wondering if he will have a job to do!  I am sure it will be interesting  if nothing else.   

Grey & Hiding it

So I have decided that stress and grey hair go together!  When we lived in Mongolia, I would pluck a few every once in a while, and not seem to have re-occurrences. When we were home on home assignments it seemed they were a little more prevalent, but would go back to blond or stay at a lower number so they could be mistaken for blond.  This method of non-issue has worked well until the other day.  Apparently my last two months stress level has not been level but a spike with a very sharp curve.  I don't think I could pluck them all!  Yikes!  The white is showing too much!  So, I guess we are going to have to start with the hiding highlights and see how that works for me. 

We are planning to head down to see Dad in a couple of days.  The last few weeks have been rough, but Mom has wanted her own time, but I think that may be coming to an end.  Dad might need more care and Mom more time.  So will see how this next couple of months look.  We have Doctor appointments next week on Thursday and so maybe we will have a few more answers then. So please be in prayer for us all!  It is starting to show for us all.  Life is interesting. 

 There doesn't seem to be dull time.  We are looking to put a pivot on our new place.  House plans are getting drawn up.  YEAH!  There are some serious lookers at the ranch we are currently living on which is very exciting!  I packed some more boxes the other day and put them in my shipping container to move to our new place.  At least we are not bored!