Thankful Tuesday: Under Constuction

Along with putting in new curb and gutter and getting ready to pave our street. We decided to go UNDER CONSTRUCTON ourselves while the construction company is pouring cement and is offering a pkg. deal. Oh, What started out just saving the grass in the new side of the driveway has ended up being a major project. Especially when Mr. Clark isn't physically able to do the work. Here is the progress:

Mr. Clark, Eddie and Brian getting ready to cut the saud. Note: Eddie (the short guy!) has been Mr.C's right hand man. One of our many HERO'S

Brian, Eddie and Tim, Getting trenches dug for the extended sprinkling system

Loading the saud to store until ready to lay. This is Eddie, Brian and Tim
(Mr. Clark calls them 'work horses')

The Construstion Company getting ready to form the side driveway

Surveying and digging

Side cement drilled to put in rebar

Mr. Teter helping Mr. C replace the sprinkling system. He is an amazing guy. Just the most caring, hard working man you'll ever meet. We appreciate him. We are just so fortunate to know him and his amazing wife and family.

At 5:30 this morning (I didn't have my camera out) We had a  HUGE team of workers from where Mr. C. works helping us in so many ways. From digging, hauling, land scaping, and laying the saud we saved from the side of the house. Amazing what you can accomplish in an hour! THESE MEN ARE SO AWESOME!
HUGE PROJECT

Oh I wish I would have taken pics of all the men that helped. This was heavy, heavy and muddy.

After the Construction team left today. Ohhhhh Progress!

THANKS JUST ISN'T ENOUGH TO SAY TO OUR WORK FAMILY THAT HELPED US. YOU CAN SEE IT HAS BEEN NO EASY TASK.
Gary, Eddie, Teter, Brian, Waylon, Tim, Mike, Jerry, and Nick
YOU ARE AWESOME!

WE FEEL SO SO BLESSED.

FOR THIS WE ARE MORE THAN

THANKFUL!
&

IT'S DONE!!

A delivery, 2 day's ahead of schedule. YIPPEE

TA-DAaaaaaaaa!

Clark laid the 6 stones and we had help doing the rock and boarder.

We planted a new tree :)

OOOOOOOOOoooooopsie, Construction crew did this one. Looks like some repair work to the newly planted  back breaking, pain staking saud. TEARS

Thankful Thursday: The Fistula Access is delayed.

This week has been filled with Fistula Access Training. We have NOT been looking forward to it. In fact Mr. Clark has been in denial about the whole thing since he had the surgery. I'm serious!
 All though it would mean less infections and 'A REAL SHOWER' for Mr. Clark... It's really about introducing once again something new and challenging that will just become our daily routine.

KINDA CRAZY TO THINK THIS IS WHAT *SO MANY PEOPLE GO THROUGH.

Just a part of life/dialysis.

 When I pass through the incenter for dialysis.  I have such empathy for them.

*Note: THIS WILL SOON ENOUGH BECOME OUR NEWEST 'NORMAL'

 You can see one line coming from his neck (that's his temporary port.) and the other line hooked into his arm. That's only half of the progress! The blood will come 'out'  but the access isn't large enough to let the blood back in. It's complicated. This pic. also shows his wrist is tied to the machine. He can't move his arm and he was so out of it (drugged and sleepy) he couldn't control moving it. This picture also shows. Mr. Clark is always in his *work blues (uniform) He is always between work. A hard working man that just keeps on workin' SO PROUD OF HIM. He has a lot of endurance for a man that could be on full disability.

Yes, Day 1 on Tuesday: Mr. C had a Fistula Sonogram. When they got in there, his upper vein didn't look so good.  Actually 90 % and  99% blocked vein which means--- The veins aren't developed yet to use for dialysis. They put a tube in to stretch it but it will take some time again to use it. It might even take a few more proceedures to stretch the vien. But we tried... Then we went for Fiscula training.  I have to add that for me---- It took a lot, a lot, a lot of courage to begin the process.  I tried to have my BIG GIRL PANTIES ON :)

This is the needle we have to use to poke his access. The guys at Mr. C's work said, "It's as big as a 16 penney nail" and it is! It's painful going in, but that's the least of our worries! Getting used to it coming out will taking some more courage. And soon it will be no big deal but for now it's frightening!

 Mr. Clark slept through the whole thing.

Day 2: Attempted again to use the Fiscula, BUT the 'word' is 4 more weeks before we can continue  and Mr. Clark will have to get some serious muscle training in to access his sight.

So for now: A TEMPORARY BREAK. Heavy sigh... SHEWWWwwwwwwwwwww For this I am THANKFUL!

Thankful Tuesday:Top 5

TOP 5 Things today that have added a "SPARKLE OF EXCITEMENT TO MY LIFE:

1- FRIENDS/FARMERS MARKET that share their harvest with us! There is NOTHING like fresh garden veggies and a nice visit with friends.

and my house smells like Home Sweet Home and Zucchini bread!

2- Summer Picnics

3-Road Closed:  means new street/driveway/curb and gutter!

Even if it's a major detour to get to our house. Why do they start a zillion projects at once?

4-Where Pinterest leads me! Mmmmm

SO FUN!

5- Down '6' pounds -- still haven't colored my hair (not till I get to *10 ) and there is still:

It's been a while since I've had that sparkle of inspiration.

I can't quite discribe it

BUT IT FEELS GOOD!

FOR THIS I AM THANKFUL!

Thankful Thursday: Flag Day

Several of our friends/family members are serving our country. A couple just deported to Afghanistan. So today's celebration  is a little more humbling. Two of our sons closest friends have just left their families. Steve just had a knew baby the 4th child of a young little family. Matt's wife is pregnant. They have a daughter that is 11. They have tried for years to have another baby. So extra prayers go out to their lives, their families, their courageous wives.

THANKFUL FOR THIS DAY. THANKFUL  FOR THOSE WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY AND TO KEEP SAFE THOSE THROUGH OUT THE WORLD.
FREEDOM ISN'T FREE.............................

Thankful Tuesday: COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS

One of my Favorite Hymns at Church : COUNT YOUR BLESSING 2nd verse: "Are you ever burdened with a load of care. Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bare? Count your Blessings, Name them one by one. And it will surprise you what the Lord has done."

COUNTING MY BLESSINGS

1-BLESSINGS OF: The Physical health I have personally. Although my Mind/Emotions are overloaded. I am so BLESSED to be able to DEAL with it for the most part! Thankful for the strength to take care of Mr. Clark
2- BLESSING to be able to go Fishing, Two and a half hrs. and an inkling of feeling some what normal. 
3- BLESSINGS OF being In Recovery Mode again, All is well
4- BLESSINGS OF: Special Friends having healthy new baby.
5- BLESSINGS OF: Road Repair/curb and gutter (after 5 years of waiting)
6- BLESSINGS OF: I'm a broken record on this one! An AMAZING nurse  that  is on call 24/7 in our behalf. SHE BLESSES OUR LIVES and helps me/us keep SANE/CALM!  Thanks, Nurse Barb-- couldn't survive so many terrifying/death defying...experiences w/o you. I'M NOT KIDDING. WE FEEL SO BLESSED SHE IS WHO SHE IS!
7- BLESSINGS OF: Spending a day/lunch with a friend. Sure to cure all discouragement!
8- Blogging and seeing the tender mercies God pours out on so many.
9- BLESSINGS OF loosing 5 lbs... 5 more to go to reach a goal I set to dye my hair when I've lost 10 LBS  Oh I hope this doesn't last all summer!
10-BLESSINGS OF: Answered Prayers for all of our children/grandchildren. 



FOR THIS WE ARE THANKFUL

Woah.... Another Surgery???

Yesterday's Dr. apt lead to today's angeogram. Except this 'proceedure' wasn't  his heart. It was just going down to his toes. Examining his veins for a possible balloon/stent to save his feet/leg pain.
When the Dr. came in to explain the outcome his words were these. "we've solved another piece of the missing puzzle, his veins are good. Which prepares him even further for his kidney transplant. I can promise you he has good veins.We will continue to search for possible solutions"

This is Mr. Clark's fistula arm. A *warning* to the surgery staff.

So this is good news and bad news. The bad news is this is not a 'quick fix'. Mr. Clark had hoped for some relief to his leg pain.

The good that comes from the bad is the tender mercies that our Heavenly Father gives us *each day.  Although not what we were expecting.  We have seen these tender mercies is the smallest of details. Recognizing them is even a bigger miracle. For this we are THANKFUL...

Are you counting?? that is the SIXTH surgery in EIGHT weeks.......................

TODAY I AM THANKFUL

Thankful Tuesday: Being Productive?

After a few weeks of solitaire during dialysis
with Gramps,

It was time to do something with my 'waiting' time! I have to take stats every 30 min.
Or I'd be sleeping
(which isn't the best thing to do during dialysis. Unless you are the patient!)

So LATELY...

I've been doing this

Camping Quilt #1

And after 4 day's of dialysis

1 TOP DOWN.

Great ways to kill time during dialysis

Being a little more productive

For This

 I AM THANKFUL!
p.s -- In a perfect world I WOULD LOVE STAYING HOME!