Summer '08

Ahhhhh! Where did the summer go? Mom and Pops made the long trek back to Wisconsin in mid June and even stopped for a few nights in Denver to see P.J. and Kersta on the way. It's a pretty exhausting trip, for mom especially as she has to haul all of dad's paraphernalia into a new hotel every night...and this trip included Lulu and her paraphernalia as well. But they arrived safe and sound and we are all excited to have them home for the summer.

Their big news is that they bought a house in Arizona and will close in a week. As much as they love their current condo and their friends there, they realized that their place was just a little too cramped for Pops. They found a unique neighborhood in Gilbert, just about 10 minutes from where they are now, and fell in love with a house there. High ceilings, wide hallways, and tiled floors make it ideal for Pops and easier on mom. They are very excited to get back at the end of the summer to move in. Luckily they will be close enough to still see their friends from the old neighborhood. The neat thing is they have decided to rent out their condo to Moses, their nurse in Arizona. So it all worked out pretty well.

Pops saw a pain specialist a few times in Arizona and they tried numerous things to alleviate his nerve pain. Unfortunately, they haven't quite found a cure but have given him some stronger meds that seem to help. He only takes them when he has a big day planned since they are addicting and therefore reserved for special occasions. So he continues to deal with the nerve pain.

They have enjoyed being back at Mike and Becky's and seeing the grand kids every day...it certainly is different than living with the fellow retirees back in Arizona! A little more action and a lot more noise...but they are having fun. Mikey, who was only 8 months when they left last fall, has gotten to know his Bapa and gives him plenty of high fives. He's also known to hide toys in his wheelchair or on his shoes when Bapa's not looking. Paige and Cole are great helpers and are always up for a race...sometimes Bapa lets them win.

Last week was a momentous one as Pops was once again on his fire truck. For those who don't know, Pops has a 1920 fire truck that he would get out once or twice a summer for the July 4th parade and a trip to the Kiltie now and then. It was something he loved to do, and over the years many people have enjoyed a ride on the fire truck, especially the neighborhood kids. So one night last week, Mike brought the fire truck home and he and the kids washed it as Bapa looked on. When it was clean and shiny Mike looked at dad and said, "Well, what do you say? Want to ride the fire truck again?" Dad was hesitant at first and said, "Maybe another time." But it's hard to say no to a red, shiny fire truck and moments later, after a practice run lifting Becky into the front seat, Mike had dad in his arms and was climbing up to the top. We put a strap around his chest and he was ready to go. We of course did all this without mom's permission, so we sent Cole in the house to retrieve her. The look on her face as she walked outside to see her husband strapped into the front seat of the fire truck was priceless. It was mostly a look of fear mixed with a tiny bit of joy and disbelief. Pops was already tearing up he was so excited. The real tears came when he heard the sound of Mike starting the engine. So we loaded up and headed to the Kilite.

I know I'll never forget the look on his face as we pulled out. This was the first time he had ever been anywhere but his wheelchair or his bed since his accident. He was once again on his firetruck, one of the many simple, silly things that had brought him so much joy. With siren wailing and bell dinging, we headed down the road, with Pops sitting between Mike who was driving and I on the other side making sure he didn't slip out of his seat and onto the road. You can understand why mom was nervous...here's the man she's taken such good care of since day one, bouncing around on an old fire truck, strapped in with a clothesline and a car-top carrier strap. Yes, it was risky. And yes, it was totally worth it. Pops was smiling the entire time, with tears streaming down his face for most of the ride. Mike and I just kept looking at each other in disbelief and laughing...I haven't seen Pops that happy in a long time. We picked up some friends along the way and enjoyed a night at the Kiltie. Pops looked at me at one point and asked, "Do I look like a quad up here?" I said, "Nope, you can't even tell you're a quad up there." He thought that was pretty awesome. It was a great night. And I think it gave Pops a feeling that he just may be able to do some of the things he thought he would never do again. Two weeks ago the fire truck was for sale as Pops didn't see a need to own it anymore. As of last Tuesday, the fire truck is off the market.

To top that, mom, dad, Cole, Paige, and myself spent the last four days in northern Wisconsin at Camp Forest Springs, a family camp we have been going to annually since 1984. Since us kids are all grown, mom and dad had started a new tradition of taking the grand kids every summer. That obviously didn't happen last summer, but mom made the reservations this year on the off chance that it would work. The camp was incredibly accommodating and got us two accessible rooms right in the middle of camp. It was great for Mom and Pops to be there, surrounded by old friends they have known for many years, many of whom have prayed for Pops fervently since his accident. Camp Forest Springs is holy ground for our family, and as kids we looked forward to it more than Disney World. It was surreal to be back there again, and to watch the grand kids enjoying it like we did when we were little. Mom and Dad loved it so much they plan to go back for two weeks next summer. Just another thing they weren't sure they would ever get to do again. God is good.

When in town, Pops has been busy working at Genesis getting things lined up for the sale of his company. It should be an easy transition as his right hand man, Rudy, is taking over the business. Rudy has been in charge since the day of the accident and done a great job, it's neat that Dad gets to hand it over to the man that literally saved his life as Rudy is the one that gave him CPR. When the deal is done in a month or so, Pops will officially be retired.

Summer has gone by quickly and soon enough they will be heading back to Arizona. But we praise God for how dad continues to heal, maybe not physically but seemingly in every other way. Mom decided that we need to start making new memories every December 8th, so this winter the whole family will be taking a cruise to Mexico! A cruise is a perfect vacation for Pops as he gets to be on the ocean...in a boat, but gets to skip the hassle of sand in his wheels. We are all very excited for our trip, as it will be the first time the entire family has been together on vacation since his accident.

It will be just one of hopefully a long list of firsts for Pops as his eyes are opened to new possibilites...from fire trucks to family camp to Mexican fiestas. There was a time when none of it seemed possible...thankfully we serve a God of infinite possibility.

Happy summer.