LILA OUT OF HOSPITAL

Cindy indicated in an e-mail this morning that Lila was out of the hospital, and back at the Baptist Home. She is feeling much better, but will be more dependent on dialysis after having had her urinary tube removed from her kidney. She is still having trouble swallowing food properly.

ON THE RANCH

Combining has been in "full swing," with excellent yields on the barley.

Mavis, Marilyn, and Dad went to Bismarck last Thursday to visit Lila and her family, and Dad got along just fine, although he moves more slowly than he did in his younger days! When they got to Bismarck, they heard a noise in the car, and discovered that a kitten was in the wheel well!! It had ridden there all the way from the ranch! It wouldn't come out, so Mavis took the car to a garage where they removed it. She then had to buy a cage to take the kitten back home. Quite a story!

Marilyn and Issy had a great trip for a week with their travel trailer. Marilyn is feeling fine after her heart surgery.

LILA IN HOSPITAL

Cindy says Lila is in St. Alexis hospital and having a hard time breathing. She is getting some assistance from a machine, but does not want to be on a ventilator. She was doing somewhat better last evening.

Linda is in Bismarck and Charlene is planning to arrive today. Mavis is also arriving in Bismarck later today.

Jenny came to Bismarck with Emma, but could not take the baby to the hospital, so Lila did not get to see her.

ON THE RANCH

Mavis says they have been able to harvest only about 100 acres of barley because of all the rain--which is good for the grass, beets, and corn but not for combining. Fortunately, the barley yield was good on the field right near Dad's house.

Dad says he is doing fine, but was running short of food. So, Mavis took him to Sidney to restock his pantry and refrigerator! He said he enjoyed watching the barley harvest right outside his door, and enjoys watching the beets grow in front of his house.

Mavis has been having trouble with an eye irritation that has kept her from doing some of the things she would like to be doing!

EMMA AT ONE MONTH

EMMA AT ONE MONTH

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Emma is growing fast and changing each day. She turned a month old on July 27th. She is gaining her weight quite fast! She is now 7lbs 12oz compared to her 6lb birth weight. I'm not sure what our lives entailed prior to her arrival, maybe a bit more sleep!

We are planning a trip to visit her great aunts/uncle and great grandma in Bismarck on August 13-15th and hoping to have her meet great grandpa Jim also.So far her life has been busy with attending a wedding, funeral and flying to Oregon all before she was 5 weeks old.

We are currently on the Oregon coast with my husbands family. Who says a baby slows you down:)

Hope all is well with each of your families.

I will be sending updated pictures to the blog so you can all see how much she has changed each month. This is her one month photo!

Jenny

LILA'S REPORT

In a phone call today, Lila said she is doing relatively well, despite staying pretty busy with various issues like dialysis three times each week. She had a nice birthday celebration around July 10 with her family, and with Mavis, Dad, and Marilyn, who drove to Bismarck to help her celebrate.

She says Bismarck has been quite cool, and rainy, this summer, making the countryside green and beautiful.

Cindy, Amanda, and Charlie went traveling to Grand Teton National Park, and points nearby, to pick up Sarah who had gone on a wagon train trip in that vicinity. Reports are that they had a "grand" time.

Tim has been enjoying his "new" motorcycle, and has gone on several trips, including visits to Cartwright, Williston, Miles City, Billings, and Livingston, to see family.

Linda, Jenny, and the new granddaughter, are coming to Bismarck for a visit in August, so Lila, and Bismarck family, can see the new addition to the clan.

MARILYN AND FAMILY

Marilyn had a follow-up exam after her recent surgery, and is doing great. She and Issy are on a trip, pulling their trailer, to visit Carol, and to see Susan and Harvey.

Susan says she is really enjoying her patients at Mayo Clinic, although some of them present serious challenges. She gets good support from the Clinic staff, and appreciates having access to the excellent Clinic library.

IN TUCSON

We are having warmer than average summer weather. It was 110 degrees here yesterday for a short while! It goes without saying that we spend most of our time inside, although we did go for a walk this morning at La Encantada Shopping Center, after breakfast at AJ's Fine Foods.

Tomorrow, we are off for a couple of days in Scottsdale where it is even hotter. We'll go to the Mayo Clinic to, among other things, collect information for our current project: comparing the Mayo Clinic method of providing health care with the Tucson method. Needless to say there are lots of differences that we are trying to sort out.

Cheers,

Bill and Marie