Two Year Transplanniversary!! - a quick update

It is two years today since the transplant. Dad is doing well. He is getting over a cold but is keeping active. He works out at the gym most days and is always looking for a task to do. Everyone else was gone tonight so Dad, Mom and I went out for dessert to celebrate. He is cheering on the Indians now :)

Wedding

Last weekend Nathan and Becca got married in Nashville. Here is a picture of Dad and Mom at the reception. They came back to Ohio on Sunday with two granddaughters in tow. EG and EC are staying for the week.

Nashville

Just a quick update to let anyone who is still checking in know that Dad and Mom are in Nashville. They flew in on the 24th of May and have been having fun spoiling the granddaughters. Next Friday is Nathan and Becca's wedding. The plan is to drive back to Ohio on Saturday. Ellery Grace and Emery Cate will be coming to Ohio to stay for a week or so. I'll post some more recent pictures of Dad after the wedding. He seems to be doing great. He will have some routine visits to Cleveland coming up this summer.
More later. . . . . . . . .

Spring Training

Well, I haven't been posting as much lately. Dad is doing wonderful so Mom tells me. They have enjoyed watching many Spring Training games. They are headed back to their place in Mesa this weekend and will be there until they fly back to Nashville in late May. Here is a picture they had taken at Spring Training and if you click on this link you can watch a short video - it begins with what appears to be a sportscast but keep watching and they will show up ;)

Spring Training Video

Az Update

Dad and Mom have been keeping busy making some small repairs to their place in AZ. Dad had the remainder of a patch of skin cancer removed last Thursday. Mom says he has quite a few stitches but it is healing well. Although they didn't get the snow and ice Ohio did it hasn't been swimming weather there either. Here is the last update I received from Mom.

It got down to 28 degrees here at Monte Vista  Mesa , AZ last night. It hasn't been that cold since 1985. I have a picture of me by the frozen fountain. We planted a palm tree several days ago and it seems to be ok so far. We haven't checked the orange trees yet.

The Holidays and other things

Well, as you have probably noticed the updates have been few and far between. This is because Dad is doing so well and life is busy. [He is busy doing normal everyday things that don't make for exciting updates :)]

Dad and Mom took a trip to Arkansas in October to visit Sarah and Jared. They ended up staying longer than anticipated in Searcy because Jared was having some health problems. (Just like Sarah's freshman year car troubles, God had them where they were needed at the time! ) From Arkansas, they went to spend a while with Bill, Amanda and the girls and made a trip to Disney World.

They returned home the first weekend in November to find out that the water supply line to the ice maker had sprung a leak. The condo was flooded. All the carpet from the main bedroom and living area had to be removed and linoleum from the kitchen and bath as well. What should have been about a week's worth of work turned into 6 weeks due to insurance companies trying to decide who was going to pay what!! They finally got the work done only to discover the company had sent the wrong color carpet to the installers. They are still waiting for the right carpet to come in and be installed.

Since they were living with us for the six weeks their condo was waiting to be repaired, Thanksgiving festivities were at our home this year. All of our children were home with the exception of Sarah. Nathan brought his fiancee, Becca, home and Bill, Amanda and the girls were here. We forgot to get the camera out most of the weekend but here are a few shots.

This picture was taken Dec. 19. A group of us from church went caroling at the area nursing homes where some of our members are living. We think Dad is doing great! He continues to work out on the treadmill and with weights most days of the week. He keeps busy by being a Hospice volunteer.

On a sad note, Dad lost one of his sisters, Jane, in early Dec. We travelled to Galion for the funeral.

Dad and Mom were back in the condo by Christmas, so we had our traditional Christmas Eve there. This time all our children were home and Sarah brought her boyfriend, Daniel. Two days after Christmas, Nathan, Dad and Mom drove to Nashville. They spent the week there with Bill, Amanda and the girls. As I type this update they are boarding their flight to Phoenix. They are planning on staying in Arizona until the end of May when they will fly back to attend Nathan and Becca's June 3rd wedding.

Now, I think you are up-to-date. I will try to update as Mom sends me pictures from Arizona.

Happy Birthday !!!

Well, what a difference from last year at this time! In case you have forgotten this was Dad a year ago.

 He was in the hospital on his 70th birthday having just received his new liver and valve less than 4 weeks before. He was dehydrated and very weak.

This picture was taken in late September 2010 at a birthday party for my cousin's son, Jonathan.

He is looking great and feeling pretty well most of the time. He and Mom are headed out next week to visit Sarah and Jared at Harding University in Arkansas. They will drive to Tennessee to spend some time with Bill, Amanda and the girls and then it's off to Disney World!