Time...

...marches on.

We're home! After spending a combined 5 weeks in the hospital and rehab facility, Dad was finally able to go home this past Friday. We basically moved his hospital room to our living room, complete with bed, in-home nursing care, wheelchair, and all the other "fun stuff" that goes along with being, well, an invalid (temporarily we pray). Dad has physical and occupational therapists come in three times a week, a visiting nurse comes around (I think) that many times too, and we have in-home nursing aids who are around until we send them home. :o) It's been an interesting time of adjustment -- and will continue to be, thinks me. We're greenhorns at this medically immobile business --- bear with us! We were able to get a wheelchair lift installed in the garage which makes it much more simple to get dad in and out of the house. We also have a brand new wheelchair transport van -- it's a rental, but hey, not bad with only 250 miles on it! And a blue Buick to boot. :o) Dad was able to get out to Big Boy for lunch on Saturday, to church at West Cannon in the morning and Maranatha at night, to the office on Monday for about half an hour, and even out to breakfast with Jim yesterday morning. He definitely doesn't go anywhere alone and he's not able to do a whole lot on his own, but he's making progress.

He's looking at at least 90-120 days of NO weight bearing on his legs or feet at all. That means a wheelchair probably right up until our wedding in April. When I think about that, it doesn't make me sad. Lots of the ladies have made the comment that it's going to be really hard on my wedding day 'cause Dad won't walk me down the aisle. I look at them like they're nuts --- Dad's here and that's good enough for me!! Besides, we'll just rent a Little Amigo and drive down the aisle; there isn't much typical about our wedding anyhow -- why not add a little more deviousness?? :o) I admit that there have been times in this process where it hasn't been easy, where my spirits have been incredibly low, where I have been discouraged to the point of tears. But there are moments of triumph, too, and those I cling to in the midst of the hurt the others bring.

God is good, life is difficult, God is still good.