church

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #Quiet

A noticeably quieter day today as it is now just Janet and I at home for the rest of the holidays. We were up a little late last night and had to move through breakfast rather quickly in order to make it to church for eleven this morning. Janet has now graduated from needing a wheelchair designated pew so we sat in the second row and I parked her wheelchair in the lobby. Her transfer to the pew was one of her smoothest yet as I had her lined up well for some easy side stepping. Quite a number of people came by to say hi before the service and Janet is always amazed at how many people know her. Our friends Scott and Nora are in town from Chicago and Nora chatted with us for quite a while commenting that she reads the blog daily. Janet is always amazed to hear people say that and I love it when someone other than me tells her as I get to reinforce to her how many people care about her. That’s why you read this blog. Right? The socializing continued after the service as well with Janet enthusiastically greeting people as we came across them. Confidence is building?

After the standard grilled cheese lunch and once the Seahawks game was well underway Janet had a good Skype chat with her mom. She was able to offer some good detail from memory and added more with a little prompting.

Things started catching up with Janet later this afternoon and she actually fell asleep on the chaise lounge during the football game. It was only for fifteen minutes or so and needed. She woke with enough energy to get through the rest of the day nicely but only wanted to watch TV. I did get her to practice a few sit to stands from her wheelchair and she continues to improve with those but I am noticing a little less control of the right leg and wonder if we are seeing the Botox wearing off. It’s about that time, if not past it. Could also be the lack of exercise compared to normal. Never the less, her transfers are improving.

Our evening entertainment tonight was the classic movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s. No idea why we decided to watch it other than Audrey Hepburn was gorgeous. We found some of the story lines strange but overall enjoyed it and Janet got to bed at a decent hour all set for a good night of sleep. Praying for full and complete healing.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #Roadtrip

Renovation Day 26. I thought today would be the start of clean up time but it turned out to be more mess making. I decided to remove the vanity in the main bathroom so Dave the painter can work easier and Randy continued sanding his drywall work. I’m very glad I never went into that business before. Messy. We also discovered another decision I need Janet’s help with. Backsplashes. I never thought about it until Randy mentioned it today so shopping we go again.

My arrival at Connect once again coincided with Janet’s nap time and she was awake when I snuck in. She had been on a big adventure the first past of the day as Jess drove Wes to his house in Armstrong and took Janet along with her. Janet said Wes and Roz have a beautiful home and they had lunch there including a big piece of pie. She thought the whole trip was fun and when I asked her at the end of the night what the best part of the day was, it was the trip to Wes and Roz’s house.

It was quickly back to reality and a bike ride at the Connect gym. Janet set another personal best today and seems to be taking to the bike really well. Since she was on a road trip earlier we’ll have to call this the day off as there was only time for the bike ride before going to church. Janet once again sat in a pew with me and stood a couple different times during this service. We decided to try a local Lake Country restaurant called Routes Grill for dinner tonight and it was pretty good.Janet ate a huge portion continuing her theme for the day as Jess said she ate lots of pancakes for breakfast then had a huge lunch at Wes’s house. She is a growing girl after all.

With an ice cream treat and her meds we sat down and watched a little TV as Janet quickly ran out of steam again. It makes it a lot easier to say good night to her when I know she’s really tired and should fall asleep right away and that’s certainly been the case lately.

Praying for a long night of deep sleep and an increase in strength and control of her right leg.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #TrinityKelowna

Renovation Day 19 was a short one as I did some shopping at Home Depot and Randy left early to take his daughter to the airport for her mission trip to Haiti. We wish her well and will be interested to find out later if she gets to the town where our two sponsor children are. That would be cool.

Yesterday I told the story of nurse Arlene buying our washer and dryer and my hopes that Janet could meet her, so when Arlene said she was coming by around three I made sure I had Janet here by then. She had just finished a Standing Frame session and was ready to go feeling a little unsure of what to expect from Arlene. We got to the house and I tested Janet on the placement of key kitchen items and had her move herself around as much as possible in between the piles of sawdust and tools. She did well and I didn’t notice any areas that will be too tight for her.

Arlene arrived on time and was overwhelmed to see Janet who greeted her with a big big smile that only Janet can show. They had a nice chat while Arlene’s friend and I loaded the machines onto his truck. ArleneJanet
I’m really glad Janet got to meet Arlene and see what a kind, caring and positive person she is and to recognize that people like her played a huge role in her recovery.

With some time to use before church we headed out to One Board Shop to see if there was a good winter Jacket for Janet. Already she is complaining about being cold even with her winter coat on so it was time to at least have a look. Janet spotted one she liked right away and it turned out to be the warmest one in the store. The only negative to it is I can’t get it on her with her splint on right now. It’ll be fine once the splint is shaped back to a more flat profile but right now it doesn’t work. Being warm is more important though.

Janet agreed to sit in a pew at church tonight for the first time and that enabled her to stand on her own for almost all of the first two songs as she could easily grab the back of the pew in front to help her get up. Very cool. Wayne’s message was thought provoking and Janet and I had a good discussion about prayer afterwards. Dinner was at a very noisy Red Robin as we just wanted something fast and cheep tonight. I think we’ll leave that place now until the patio opens again.

Jess has been dressing Janet with a t shirt under her regular shirt in hopes that would be warmer for Janet and it has been so tonight we stopped at Superstore to get some cheep t shirts for that purpose. As soon as Janet saw the Halloween candy she got all emotional and upset that we weren’t going to get to hand out candy this year. Barb and Gary kindly came to our rescue and we will be taking some candy over to their house so we can help them treat the little monsters Thursday night. Should be fun.We bought some candy and I made sure to get some Tootsie Rolls for Janet and showing no will power at all she ate three of them tonight. She did share though and I’ve taken the rest for Halloween.

We got back to Connect kind of late so we just watched a little TV while Janet took her meds then it was bedtime. Praying for lots of rest tonight and an energetic day tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #Sushi

Renovation Day 6 was another day of sanding, mudding and pulling staples. Progress none the less.

Janet had a busy first part of her day and was sleeping when I got to Connect this afternoon. Of course she woke up saying she wasn’t sleeping when I snuck into her room but she clearly had been and wasn’t quite ready to get up. When she did we went in search of countertops for the new house, a more difficult task than I imagined. I was counting on Janet to be relatively quick in picking a few colours she would be happy with but that proved a challenge without being in the house and having things like cabinets and flooring to match with. Then there’s the materiel and how much we want to spend. Oh well. We ended up with a few samples and ran into Connie at one store who told us they had just done their kitchen and found Quartz to be the best bang for the buck so we’ll look more at that.

Janet has a little bit of a cold and that did impede her ability to focus on colour matching but not her participation at church. Tim gave an excellent message that Janet picked up on fully. She hung in there real well as we picked up Nash then some sushi and went back to Connect. Even with her cold her appetite remains strong and she really enjoyed the sushi. We had a quiet night watching a little TV before getting Janet into bed.

Praying for a restful night that heals Janet from her cold and gives her lots of energy for the Seahawks game tomorrow and what promises to be a fabulous feast at Mark and Veronica’s house tomorrow night.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #newcar

From a secret location really close to Janet.

Since I’m staying so close to Janet I finally had a complete day with her. The morning was a bit of a scramble as I had some organizing of stuff that wouldn’t fit into the Big Steel Box to do before I could fit Janet into the car and go to church. This was Janet’s first ride in the new car since it became ours. She got in easily and was very comfy especially with the heated seats on. It is Fall here now for sure you know. Janet even commented on the smooth ride compared to the Vibe and even loaded down with stuff and her it was a fun drive in to church. Here’s a pic of Janet in the new ride.

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Any guesses as to what car we bought? If you don’t know I’ll include a more revealing picture tomorrow. Of the car that is.

Church was great with lots of lively easy to sing to music that Janet seemed to really enjoy and all the folks sitting around us this morning were very friendly even though we only know one of them. That’s the way it ought to be right? Following the service we did what a lot of Kelowna types do after church, head to the Mall. Janet was in need of shoes and long sleeve shirts so after lunch she got to shop. A successful trip it was that gave us time to do a little shopping for the new house as well. Not wanting to shop around much we trusted Sears Home to back up their product like they usually do and bought a bed and will go back for a fridge, wall oven and cook top unless the new kitchen plans change drastically. Janet was fading a little by the end of the Sears visit but it was good having her there to ensure the bed we bought wasn’t too high for her like our previous one was.

Back at Connect Janet had a good phone conversation with her mom. I heard strong reminders of what she sounded like talking on the phone before the aneurysm especially in her laugh. Following the phone call she insisted on going to the gym before dinner so off we went and she had a good Shuttle session although I am noticing an increase in stiffness on her right leg. She said it hurt as I stretched her. Could be a lack of Botox, not sure. Janet tolerated the Standing Frame very well then after dinner helped sort out her clothes so she is winter ready and has summer put away. Sad.

Since she didn’t get a nap this afternoon Janet was tired early tonight and asked to get ready for bed at eight o’clock. We had joined the masses and watched the finale of Breaking Bad before that, a show neither of us had seen before and even though Janet didn’t understand it she wasn’t turned off by it either. Maybe we can be a little more adventurous in our movie choices now as long as she can follow the story. 14A perhaps? After reading an entire chapter of Not a Fan to her, Janet was ready for lights out. I’m looking forward to her being able to discuss the book with others starting Wednesday night.

Praying for a long and restful sleep tonight and lots of energy tomorrow.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out! #TSJ #AGT #trinitykelowna #memory #cards #yardwork

After a good night of sleep Janet was up at a decent hour this morning to enjoy breakfast in the sunshine with Laurel. That was her intention anyways and she did get to do that in between bathroom visits. Nothing was wrong with Janet other than I think she saves up for her weekends at home. Just sayin.

In order to take advantage of the nice day and still be productive we all went outside and did yard work for an hour or so. Janet and Laurel worked together clipping off dead flowers and such while I pruned back a large tree that hangs over one of our parking spots and the road. We didn’t really have to do any of this stuff but I remember moving into this house six years ago and taking the entire summer just to clear enough jungle to see the property we had bought. I don’t want to leave a jungle for the next folks and Janet enjoys contributing and being out in the sun. We paused to have a Skype chat with Mary/Gaga and are grateful for the technology that allows us to do that on a moments notice and even from outside. Janet faded a little before the end of the chat so we went in and made lunch. Janet helped chop things for Quesadillas and I think enjoyed hers more because she made it. She needed a little more assistance than recently with the chopping but still gave it a good go.

When I returned from meeting with a prospective painter for the new house, Janet and Laurel were playing cards. There was no gambling involved, just a good game of memory with Janet doing very well. In fact she even won a game. She agreed to a short nap before church and actually did sleep for over an hour. Tonight’s service was very good and Janet was engaged pretty much the whole time.

As usual, Saturday is Janet’s day off from exercise so no hot tub tonight or standing on her own. We all relaxed after dinner to watch AGT before heading to bed. Janet agreed this was a good day, especially being able to hang out with Laurel. There were lots of laughs, we accomplished some things towards the move and Janet was involved and contributed to many things today. I’m feeling very blessed by the skills she is regaining and pray for continued healing and re learning.

The Team Save Janet Report is Out. #tsj #sailaway #roadtrip #blueberries #nanaimo #kelowna

In order to catch a ferry that would get us home in time for church tonight I actually had to set the alarm on my phone so we’d be up in time. It wasn’t too early, 7:30, and Janet was very good about it. We were able to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and take our time packing and we said goodbye to my mom at 9:15 and drove off to the ferry. Good thing we went early as that sailing was eighty percent full when we got there and totally full fifteen minutes later.

The ride across was pleasant and uneventful and after a stop for pizza and a salad in Caulfeild we hit the road.

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Janet did a great job eating in the car and we made good time for our pit stop in Hope. Our timing there was great. The gas pumps were super busy so I took Janet inside for a pee break surprised to find the washroom empty and by the time we were back outside there was no wait to gas up. I wish all pit stops were that smooth. Janet slept on and off the rest of the way taking one last pee break at the Tourist Info Centre just before West Kelowna.

We arrived at church five minutes before service time and are really glad we went. This weekend, instead of a message taught by one of our talented pastors, Jason Hildebrand acted out the story of the Prodigal Son. It was brilliant. Here’s a link to a YouTube clip that gives you an idea of the experience. If you ever get a chance to see him do the whole thing, do it.

Janet and I decided on Boston Pizza for dinner and I’ve never seen Janet eat so much. All but one slice of her Mediterranean pizza plus most of the Santa Fe Salad we shared and she still had room for ice cream later. That’s my girl.

Once home it was into the hot tub then the PJs to watch SYTYCD before bed. Janet’s ability to travel has definitely improved since our first roadtrip and we are also figuring out how to do things better as well. This adventure was a good one and we look forward to a day off tomorrow. Thanks again to the Nielsen’s and my mom for helping with the blueberries. Praying for lots of rest tonight and a fun day tomorrow.

Short. More memory and a baby. #TSJ

Sunday felt like another sleep in day and as nice as that would have been I wanted Janet to be a little more active than yesterday so I woke her up around 9:15 and we started our day. It’s amazing to me how quickly the time goes by when you plan to go somewhere. Yesterday, no plans, time didn’t matter much and it seemed to move as it should. Today, plan to leave for church by 10:40, we were eating breakfast by 9:45, lot’s of time right? Started the car at 10:47 and by the time we got to church our favorite spot was taken so we had to sit on the other side of aisle. Turned out to be fine and Janet enjoyed the service and the visits from Tim, Kiko, Karina and Rachel afterwards but the biggest smiles were for my former CedarCreek colleague Gord and his baby boy, Ben. Janet got to hold him and really enjoyed her time with the little guy. You can see a video clip on Keek, @larrylatour .

When I bought Janet’s anniversary ring there wasn’t enough time to size it so we went over to the mall after church to drop it off and have a Food Court lunch. As much as I dislike the mall I feel it is good for Janet to experience it once in a while and it was fun showing her all the food options and letting her pick which one to go to. She chose a Vietnamese place that was actually pretty decent. We sat near a family with babies and Janet was able to smile at them off and on in between mouth fulls. It was a worth while trip and set Janet up nicely for a stretch and a nap when we got home.

Her nap was inconsistent so I let her stay in bed until 5:30 to ensure she had enough energy for the evening. Not that we had any great plans, I just don’t like it when she crashes at eight o’clock or earlier. Janet chose salmon for dinner with vegetable fried rice and we watched a little of the Junos and The Voice with a Skype chat with Laurel thrown in between. It was good timing on the chat as it gave Janet a little energy boost and showed Laurel and I some more short term memory gains for Janet. Laurel asked her what she had done this weekend and without hesitation Janet said, “well, it was our anniversary…”. She knew we went out somewhere and that she got something but couldn’t name those things. She also talked about looking at Laurel and Raj’s wedding pictures and said she was sad she wasn’t there. Once again, a moment that would have brought a complete meltdown before but resulted in only a minor choke up this time. After the Skype session I praised Janet on her memory and that brought the tears. Seems realizing she can do these things now is upsetting to her. I guess she views them as simple everyday things that she ought to be able to do easily but I’m still going to give her positive feedback when I can.

Bedtime came after a bowl of ice cream and since Janet had lounged in her wheelchair for a couple hours tonight I didn’t put her through any stretching. Praying for a good rest tonight and lots of energy and flexibility for the pool tomorrow.

Lack of Sun Day. Restless night gets the better of Janet. #TSJ

After a great day yesterday today was a downer right from the start. Janet went to sleep last night just before ten, happy with the day’s events and accomplishments. When I went to bed right around midnight, she was awake and couldn’t get back to sleep until after 2am and we have no idea why. She was giggly but in a way that suggested frustration, she was tired but unable to settle down for more than a few minutes at a time. Once, she was so determined to get up that she actually got herself about eighty percent sitting up in the middle of the bed. She was quite proud of herself but I convinced her to lay back down. She finally did fall asleep after I racked my brain to see if we had done anything out of the ordinary to trigger this restlessness. I can’t think of a thing.

Wanting to let her sleep but also wanting to go to church today I got up and started getting ready as best I could without waking Janet. She woke up around 9:30 and seemed ready for the day. Breakfast went well and out the door we went. Janet was dialed in during the service and I thought we’d have a pretty good day. Then we got home and the slide began. It was an ugly day here, cool, cloudy, rainy. These days never had a good affect on either of us and with both of us being tired the effect is greater. Lunch was delayed as I helped a gentleman get our bike rack that his sister bought from us into his car then even after choosing to have bacon and eggs Janet decided she doesn’t like eggs. She helped make herself a half a quesadilla and ate most of that but was losing energy fast. It was three o’clock by this time so down she went for a nap that I had to wake her from at 5:45 or things would just be going too late tonight. They did anyways.

Janet never had much energy today and her speech was poor for most of it. She did help with dinner and ate all she was given. There just wasn’t a lot coming back from her as I tried to talk to her or get her to do things. She did play ball with the dog so that was a good diversion for fifteen minutes. I struggled all day to get water into her and that may have played a role in all this. Her transfers were fine for the most part but not as strong as yesterday. We watched The Voice together this evening and she enjoyed that and reacted well to some of the contestants and laughed at the coaches when appropriate. Janet did share with me a frustration at not being able to remember things from earlier in the day. I asked her what we were doing after she finished her glass of water and she said “going to church”. When I told her we went this morning she got upset that she couldn’t remember that. I recapped the last two days with her and it seemed like she remembered some events from Saturday but nothing much from Sunday at all.

By the time I kissed her goodnight tonight it was after eleven, mostly because she was enjoying The Voice so we watch both episodes I had recorded then after all the routine nighttime stuff Janet complained and got quite upset that her throat was sore. She couldn’t tell me exactly what was going on but my feeling is she’s getting a cold. I tried water, no improvement, then a little honey, no improvement but enough of a reaction to calm down and go to sleep. She is snoring loudly now as I write this and hopefully stays that way till we have to get up to get ready for swimming.

Praying for healing and rest tonight and lots of energy to fully participate in tomorrow’s activities.

Green Thumb. Janet does some gardening. #TSJ

For some reason both of us slept in this morning so it was pretty much a mad scramble to get to church on time. I woke up just after nine and Janet was still sound asleep but wasn’t angry when I woke her up, in fact she was surprised it was so late. She did very well with her morning routine and was eating breakfast sooner than I anticipated.

Church was thought provoking with Janet staying awake for the entire service for once. When discussing it afterwards she said she enjoyed the music, I did see her singing along, and found Tim’s message interesting. He was quite animated today and I think that helped keep Janet’s attention. We thought about going to do a little shopping afterward but vetoed that in favor of BBQ’d hotdogs and a chance to get outside at home. Today was another one of those days that looks like summer but feels like Fall. It was still nice enough to get out in the yard for an hour or so and see some of the neighbors you don’t really see during the winter. We had a nice Skype chat with Laurel from our outside set and are excited to see her and Raj this coming weekend. Janet wanted to help with some gardening so I had her help cut back one plant that I should’ve done in the Fall and then we pruned a rose bush together.

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As if on cue, Janet asked to go to the bathroom which was a nice transition into nap time. I allowed nap time to happen later than normal so we could maximize our outside time and I think that was a good call as Janet really enjoyed being out there. I did have to wake her again though as she would have slept through dinner time otherwise. She cleaned her plate but made sure she had room for ice cream before the drive back to Connect.

Janet continues to struggle with the water drinking thing although there has been an improvement. One time today when I was hurrying her up she said she couldn’t because it was too cold. I felt like a real dummy for not considering that before. She always used to drink water with ice in it but would sip it over a long period of time. I’ll try less ice next time. That was a good comment from her and I’m seeing more of those. Another example came as we were leaving tonight and admiring the moon. I asked her which she liked better the moon or the sun. She said the sun because its warmer. I can’t recall her putting two and two together like that since this all started. Good sign.

Thanking Jesus for being able to have Janet home this weekend and for the enjoyable time we had. Praying for a restful night that brings healing to her legs, right arm and hand and gives her lots of energy for an active day tomorrow.