It is so good to be back

Let me start by saying..........for all of you that have been checking to see what we are up to, I apologize for not keeping you better posted on our travels.

We have missed having Carrie with us, but we do have a useful new traveling companion named Gabby the Garmin (GPS). Gabby tries to keep us out of traffic trouble and spends a lot of recalculating when we ignor her directions.

Since we last wrote we have had great roads and wonderful visits with family and friends as we drove accross Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, back to Kansas, through Okalahoma, pausing in Dallas and Fort Worth, accross to El Paso, and finally accross New Mexico and Arizona to land here in Maricopa.

Here it is January 15. We just got home (to our camper in Maricopa) from DC about 5pm last night. We have had 3 appointments in DC since we left Alaska. To make a long story short, Fred is holding his own. His numbers are rising, but he has very little pain and his quality of life is great. We are not changing his treatment at this time. The Doc's are shocked that he is not in more pain. They do have 3 different treatments we are looking at in the future.

Now for all of you that want a more detailed description of our last 2 months I will get out my travel calendar and fill you in.

Last time I wrote we were stuck in Rawlins, WY waiting for the wind to die down.

On Sunday, November first we arrived in Denver and parked at our dear friends Bruce and Jan B.'s home. We spent a couple of days catching up on each others lives. Our families used to do a lot of camping and rafting together when we lived in Idaho Falls. We had some great times cross country skiing to cut our Christmas trees.

Wednesday, November 4....The Ingalls Girls Party began......
Peggy, Beth, Laila, Eleanor, Annadeidra, Kyrstin, Alaine. All my sisters, my mother, a daughter-in-law, a granddaughter and a sister-in-law all gathered at a mountain top cabin called Eagle's Nest. What an awsome view we had looking accross at Pikes Peak. We spent 4 days together, sharing great meals, games, family stories, reading together, snowy walks and sledding. Leaving our normal routine, it was an unhurried sharing time, with all of us coming from different places and times in our lives. We were so blessed to be together for these few days. Fred, Wade and Ashton were camping nearby. We appreciated their support, they were always ready to help out and.......they came and ate dinner with us every night.

Sunday afternoon we headed fo Kansas and made it as far as Colby. The next day we drove to Fred's sister Sandy's farm near Tawanda, KS. We had just enough time to tell Fred's mother hello and then Wednesday, November 11, we flew to DC. Fred had body scans on Thursday and then waited for his appointment on Wed. The tests showed more small tumors. The Docs gaves us some more options for treatment. We are not changing treatment.....Fred's quality of life is very good right now. It was a long week waiting for Fred's appointment. Sandra I did come and spend most of one day with us because she had Doc appointment. We went to some of the places we used to go with Skip. It is hard believe he is gone.

We flew back to Kansas and before we knew it was Thanksgiving here.
We spent the holiday sharing meals and games with Fred's family and I got in a few visits with my sister, Laila and family in Wichita. We had a great treat of getting together with Larry and Suzie, our B&B guest last summer, for an evening. They took us to a chuch wagon supper and concert at the Prairrie Rose. What a great time we had with them.

About the time we were ready to head for South Dakota to see my family there, we decided to have the suberban looked at. We had a couple of times where it wouldn't start when it was warm. We were so glad we could get into Fred's sister Sandy's mechanic. We ended up putting in a new fuel pump.

December 5 - We headed for Nebraska to spend a couple of days with my brother Kenny. Fred had not seen him for 8 years, I think it had been 4 or 5 for me. The weather turned cold about the time we got there, but the roads were dry. Kenny has a feed lot and trains horses, so there is alway something going on at their house. I spent about 3 hours watching a vet give chiropractic treatments to 3 horses. He also gave them accupucture treatments and did dental work on them. It was fasinating to say the least.

December 7 - We drove an 8 hour day and arrived at my folks ranch as the sun was setting. The weather was very cold that week.........near 20 below. They were just starting to feed hay for the winter, so were getting that routine up to speed. They were trimming heads on the bulls, I enjoyed watching that.

December 12 - Fred and I went over and stayed with my sister, Beth, and her family. It still was staying COLD. They have been remodeling Terry's parents house for a year and have just moved in. Beth and Terry were still doing some painting and unpacking. We did not envy them at all. We know how much work it is to move. We stayed and extra day to go to my nefiew, Blane's Christmas concert. It was the best concert I have ever heard for such a small school. The termometer was bouncing around 20 below zero as we drove home that night. Brrrrrrr....

December 15 - It was off the Spearfish to stay with cousin, Janie and family. Both Janie and Lonnie and Beth and Terry are graduating their youngest from High School this year. Hummm...that was a very long time ago for us- 1995. We had venison stew, watched them babysit their grandsons and had a lot of laughs as we caught up on our families.
the next morning the weather was a warm 4o degrees, it felt so good. The next couple of days we ran around and saw Elaine and Neal, Dale and Sandi, Tom and friend, Levi and family and Lukus and family. I think that is everyone.

December 18 - We headed back to the ranch for a couple more days. This time they were trimming bulls feet. That was the biggest cattle table I have ever seen. It had great hydrolics. The last night we gave Dad his 80th birthday present early (BD December 29) and had a good visit. Looks like weather is coming in so we need to hit the road soon.

December 20 - We spent the night and Kenny's again as we passed through. We met him in town for supper. Dana was in SD at her mother's. Tomorrow will be a shorter day of driving.

December 21 - Back at the farm in Kansas. We missed sleeping in our own bed but the camper is getting colder. I did not do as much winterizing as I did last winter. We spent this week enjoying family Christmas celebrations. The Dirty Santa Gift Exchange is always a hoot. Fred and I made out pretty well. No gag gifts for us this time. All of Sandy and Rodney's girls and families were home, so there was never a dull moment. The last couple of days here we spent having our Suburban worked on again......this time we did shocks and tires. It drives so much better.

December 30 - Our camper has been parked at the farm since November 9. Today we headed south. We camped about 3 hours down the road, but we got started anyway. The next day about 2 pm we arrived in Dallas, TX at Barbara L's house. Once again Gabby got us through some unknown territory. We had a great time with Barbara and family........we played a lot of hand and foot, put a puzzle together, went to church and Fred picked up pecans out of the back yard.

January 4 - This day we drove to Fred's cousin's Bill L in Fort Worth, TX. We had a great visit with Bill and Lynda while they were having new tile layed in their kitchen. The next afternoon we were on the road again. It has been cold and windy most of the time we have been in Texas. We are ready for warmer weather. We stayed in Sweetwater, TX, in Jan. 5.

January 6 - Tonight we are in El Paso. We are parked at Marty and Jenn H. We had a yummy dinner of tacos, some good converstaion and then off to bed. These long days of driving make me tired. Fred drives for an hour or so and that really helps. Jenn made us waffles for breakfast and then it was back on the road for another long day of driving.

It's starting to get warmer.........

We made it.
It is so good to be back in Uncle Norman's campground.
Our plan was to be here for a few days before we had to fly to DC for Fred's Doc appointment.
We had clear roads all but 2 days of our trip.
God is sooo good to us.

High Winds and High Times in the High Country

Has it been 2 weeks since I updated this blog? How time flies when you are having fun.

Let's see.....we got to Boise just in time for Lizzy's birthday party. If you check out scrubbydeer.com you can see some pictures of Fred and I enjoying the indoor kids playground where the party was held. Everyone had a fun time, kids and adults alike.

We spent about 10 days with Misty and family. The time went way too fast. We had trips to the zoo, a corn maze and, oh yes, and to the Cabela's Store, to see all the stuffed animals too.

Fred and I delayed our leaving by a day because of high winds across southern Idaho. We left Boise on the 28rd. We got as far as Rawlins,WY, on the next evening. Today is Oct 31 and we are still here. I 80 is closed because of high winds and blowing snow. We are seeing clear skies now, but there is still a lot of wind. We are hoping to get back on the road in the next 24 hours.

God has such a sense of humor. I have been saying that we need to spend more time just camping by ourselves. Well, God is giving us that here on a windy hillside in WY. We are in a such a good place. It is a nice campground with full hookups, hot showers, and a laundry room.

Yesterday we put a roast in the cock pot, watched a movie and played some cards (Fred won). I talked to Carrie yesterday and she said they are having high winds in Alasaka too.

Today I think I will get out my sewing machine.

Next week some of my female family members are getting together at a cabin in Colorado Springs for a few days. Glad we will have a this bad weather behind us. It is supposed to be in the 50's next week.

Treatment and Travel

We have been here in the DC area now since last Friday.

First, we spent some time with our friend Sandra. There was a lot of eating, watching bad movies, laughing and along with a few tears. Saturday we even got in on some old fashioned garage cleaning. Sandra said she can do anythings she needs to now that she has conquered the garage. You go girl.

It was a beautiful fall day on Monday when we went to Arlington National Cemetery to visit Skips grave site. We enjoyed the time we got to spend there and I am sure we will find time to stop again.

The Doc appointment went well...no big surprises. Fred's numbers are still rising some but no change in treatment for now.

With all the appointments and tests for this trip done we will be flying back to Portland early tomorrow morning.

Fred and I plan to head for Boise in the next couple of days. Sunday is Lizzy's birthday party and we would like to get there in time for that.

We have already been gone from Alaska more than 2 weeks. How time flies.

Back in the Lower 48

What a great summer we had at home in Alaska!

The past couple of weeks we have been getting the house and yard ready for the winter months. Carrie and Barb will be living at the house this winter. So we feel like everything there will be well cared for.

Fred, Sadie and I flew down to Portland on Tuesday, September 29. Looking at the calendar it is just 1 day later than we left the state last year. This year the trip was so easy that it is hard to even compare with what we did last year. Fred was very involved in our travel. Loading suitcases on the cart and taking care of Sadie. I smiled a lot. It was such a short flight and we left and arrived in the daylight. Last year we could only get seats at night.

Shane and kids were there when we arrived and it was a short drive to their home. It was great fun to watch Fred sitting on the floor with the kids and dog, keeping everyone entertained with all the goodies in his travel vest's many pockets.

After supper I went with Shane to his evening class. It was great for me to listen in on class for a few hours. Soon the body was starting to slow down from the excitement of the day. During break Shane walked me home across campus. I was ready to hit the hay.

Wed. morning, Shane drove us north to Mary and Paul H. where we had stored our camper for the summer. When I walked in the camper it was better than I remembered. Fred says it feels like we are home.....well yes, our second home. We have so many great memories from last winter's travels. We will miss you Carrie.

Yesterday we spent the day settling in. Trying to find things and remember what we had left here. It will be a few days before it all comes together. And then Fred says I will be changing it again anyway. Hum...... probably so.

Today we are headed back to Shane & Kristi's for a week. Oct. 9 we fly back to DC for Fred's Doc appointment. We plan to be back in Portland on Oct 15 and on the road to Boise within a couple of days after that.

Once again we are staggered by how God continues to care for us.

The Deck

Here are a few deck photos I took a couple of weeks ago. It was fun to have this all finished for our last few weeks of beautiful summer. Everything is cleared off now and put away for winter. Mom and Dad leave on Tuesday for the winter so I get the honor of shoveling all the snow off the massive space this winter and watching the birds land at the bird feeder.

Happy Sunday!

~ Carrie

The August Rain

I remember when we moved to Alaska, 16 years ago this week. We never saw the sun for the first 2 -3 weeks. Well, here we are today and it is rainy and overcast. We can almost feel fall moving in. Mushrooms are popping up all around the yard and it is time to mow the grass, but it's way too wet. The days are getting shorter, sunset at 10pm and sunrise at 6am.

August 4 we flew to DC. Yes, 3 months has passed since our last Doc appointment. We had body scans plus the usual tests done. Fred continues to do well. His PSA has started to rise slightly. We are keeping an eye on it, but we are most concerned about how he feels. His energy is good and he does not have any nagging pain. He did spend the night in the hospital a couple of weeks ago with heart issues. With some medication adjustments everything is back to normal. He keeps me on my toes.

About the deck. Yesterday, Fred and I were putting a fiberglass ceiling over the basement patio in the rain. It was so funny. We finally figured out that it was best to lay on our back on top of the scaffolding and reach up to screw up the fiberglass. One time I had rain running down through the deck boards above in my face. Fred couldn't figure out what was taking me so long. I said, "It is dripping down my nostril, just give me a minute." We decided that it was better if Fred laid on his back and I did the fetching. It really was comical.

It was raining again this morning and I said I did not want to work in the rain again today. I was wet, cold and stiff when we quit yesterday. He agreed. We have a couple more hours to finish that project. Surely we will have a few hours without rain in the next couple of days.

Tuesday we finished engineering the steps down the side of the deck to the patio. We have not worked on them much for about a month. The biggest reason was that our help moved on to other jobs and family vacations. Brice and I had put in 4 platforms before he left and it has taken us some time to figure out how we were going to put in stairs to connect them. We have had several false starts and had figured out what would not work. Tuesday we figured out what "did" work and got it all laid out in one day.

We have had a great summer. We have had the best weather of any summer since we have lived here in Alaska. What a great summer to build a new deck. Yes, we have been tired and sore a lot but it has been great to be build something together with some great young men. Now we have a beautiful deck that we will enjoy for many years.

Oh yes, we did work in some B&B guests too. We had people from Kansas, Florida, Canada, Minnesota, Oregon, North Dakota and more. I heard tourism was down about 30 percent. I was careful about the guests I took because of all the construction. My goal was for Fred to have a good summer and to meet the B&B expenses. We did that and I am very satisfied.

We plan to spend the winter outside again this year. Like Fred says "We just didn't get to everything that we wanted to." Our estimated date of departure is the last week of September. Looking it up on the calendar the other day, it looks like 6 weeks. I counted it twice and it still seems to be 6 weeks. We plan to move our dog and stuff down to the camper and then fly over to DC for a Doc appointment the first week of October.

Carrie will be living at the house this winter and the teacher that was here last year is coming back too.

Fred and I continue to look forward the future God has laid out for us.

At home in Alaska

We are having and wonderful summer here in Alaska. It is hard to describe summer here for anyone that has never been here this time of year. Like Carrie wrote on her blog, "Summer in Alaska is akin to a spiritual experience." We cherish everyday, knowing that it will end too soon. It's so lush and green with crazy long day lit hours. All the gardens are showing color now. Fred's peonies are blooming, the bleeding heart is about shoulder high and loaded with blossoms. Everywhere you look something is blooming.

Our goal when we got home was to replace our deck on the south side of the house. Well, we have been home 7 weeks and today we have 2 young men about to screw on the last boards of the deck. We will have only the railing and the ramps left to finish. It is turning out better than I expected.

Carrie has a couple of slide shows on her blog of us working on the deck. Check them out. Her link is to the right on this page. I left my camera in the camper........so I have an excuse for Carrie to come and take pictures.

Fred is continuing to do well and keep all the construction on track. He thinks the deck project is a great excuse for more new tools. We go to DC in Aug for another check up.

We did receive sad news a couple weeks ago that our dear friend, Skip, lost his battle with cancer on June 13. We are planning to go to his internment at Arlington in July. Sandra and Skip were so encouraging to us over the past several of years. We often spent a couple of days staying with them when we went back to the DC area for Fred's Doctor appointments. Fred always referred to Skip as his brother and cancer buddy. Their friendship was quick and close. Sandra and I felt like it was a privilege to watch them be together. They had so much in common: their military experience, the books they both read, their love for their families, their faith in Christ and, oh yes, cancer too. We miss him, but there is no more pain for Skip.