Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Michael is Home

 

Michael is home! If I handled online security correctly none of you realized he was gone. We have done 9 month deployments and I must admit life has never felt as overwhelming as it did during this stint of absence. There is a well-known deployment rule...3 things will break, 3 conflicts will arise, 3 illnesses...you get the idea. I'm here to tell you the rule of 3 applies to retired civilians. ::snort::  BUT I have now handled our wonderfully chaotic life alone...it wasn't pretty...but we got it done. LOL  BTW, this is why we weren't at the parade with the grands...GG wasn't up to it, and I wasn't up to figuring out the logistics to leave home if he didn't come. LOL 

Michael flew down to Idaho to surprise a friend for his birthday. It was a special time. The surprise was a hit. I suspect he'll be making more of those trips to see a friend in FL and his brother in CO...so I will have many more chances to learn how to handle our special brand of chaos.  Michael's suitcase had more frozen salmon in it than clothes...by far. 

Dad does better when Michael is home. He was mentally all kinds of out of sorts the whole time Michael was gone...but he did know to keep asking, "When will Mike be back?"  Come to think of it, I was mentally all kinds of out of sorts too and counting down the days. ::snort::  I still believe we are seeing some improvement since Dad's last infusion, he isn't sure. He has another one this week. 

Millie and the Garden  - the topics which have occupied us most this past week. 


As Millie feels better it is getting tougher to keep her "sedate" and from "jumping, running and bouncing."  She is still on sedatives and there is a magic bubble where she is sedate...overly sedate, but most of the time it's a battle. The t-shirt is working MUCH BETTER than the cone. 

The beets have sprouted. I need to find time to thin them...even if it's cloudy and rainy. 

I can't for the life of me remember what we did on Thursday and Friday. I know I had breakfast out with each girl and we are moving from Abraham to Isaac in our study. Saturday I previously blogged. 

We had thought we'd make it to church on Sunday but in the end it wasn't to be. Grandpa simply wasn't up for it, and it seemed pointless to force the issue. Instead we watched Grandpa's pastor from OR on YouTube. 
Allie, Millie & Stacia

Bright and early Monday morning Allie and I had a zoom meeting with a program advisor at UNCO.  We cuddled on the couch with hot drinks and discussed her first weeks at her new job, plans for college and life was good. 

While we cuddled here at home...Stacia and Krista cuddled on a 5 hour cruise of Resurrection Bay. Krista invited us to attend this base event, but Allie and I had a zoom meeting. Krista came out and picked Stacia up on Sunday. Thank you, Krista. Thanks also for the photos - not sure who took them...





Monday afternoon Arielle and the boys came over. GG was thrilled to see the boys. He's missed his Monday mornings with the boys.  Danny discovered the piano and surprised us by playing very gently and quietly. 

Benny joined him for a rousing duet. 

0800 this morning found me playing Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel (or something like that) with the boys.  I hurt my back while Michael was gone, and I wasn't as fun this a.m. as I usually am. We played this game, read books and watched a Chip and Dale cartoon. 


Arielle returned home and the boys and she went to the Library story hour. I headed across to the next town to sort produce for our food co-op. 

Michael and GG ran to Anchorage to retrieve Stacia. They met Krista for lunch. GG was TIRED this evening, he told me he was really weak...but he got out and enjoyed it. We may need to quit asking and just tell him he's coming. LOL That works when it's Michael doing the suggesting - he just tells me no. LOL 

Stacia and I put food away and delivered a few treats to the grands. We decided an Encore Presentation was in order for dinner (leftovers). I unwittingly served Grandpa the one steak, which he promptly smothered in ketchup, leaving Michael disappointed and cringing.  This was not my best wifely moment. Look for a replay of steaks as soon as possible. ::blush:: 

Michael had a project to work on after dinner - I moved the fridge while he was gone and he helpfully moved the handle around.  GG, Stacia and I watched an episode of When Calls the Heart and the Waltons (which Dad enjoys) before he and Stacia went to bed. 

It is 11:37 p.m. and is light outside. I guess we need to simply "turn out the lights" instead of dinking around until the sun goes down. LOL Of course, we're sort of waiting up to hear stories from Nolan when he gets off work. LOL 

Editor's note: Nolan didn't get home until 1:30...and yes, I was up...but not functional. LOL