Day 167, Thoughts from Oregon & Calif

Jason here

Friday evening.   

Made it through a very busy tax season.  I have lost track of time but I believe it has only been 2 weeks since I have seen the family, but it seems like much longer.  During tax season the days seem to run together.  It was quite a letdown this year at the end of tax season.  Once all the returns were done and the extensions filed, I again went home to an empty house.  It was like training for and running a full marathon, but when you get to the finish line, no one was there.  You just finish the race, and go home.  That evening I didn’t know what to do.  It was a bit of an emotional evening for me. 

The day after tax season is a favorite day for my wife and I.  Under ‘normal circumstances’ it is a day we send the kids off to school and spend the day working in the yard and garden.  It is something we both enjoy and look forward to each year.  Well this year (and late year for that matter) has not been a ‘normal’ year.  I did work a bit in the yard with my wonder and dear mother and good ole' Axelrod (the dog), but it just wasn’t the same.  The main reason I didn’t go back to Calif the evening after tax season was the spring ranch work.  There is so much to do in the spring, and when tax season is in full bloom, the ranch can get quite neglected. So I have spent the last few days getting field work done, starting irrigation water, cleaning up around yard, and still working in the office.        

Right now I am pulling off a fast one.  My parents told Stacy that they would like to visit her and the kids this weekend.  They left today (Friday) and should be there late tonight.  Stacy arranged for them to stay at a friend’s house and then could be there for the weekend to go the kids games and activities.  I was going to stay home and get ranch and office work done.  But this is NOT the truth.  Actually, my parents are NOT going to Calif. I am flying down for a week and a half to see the family.  Dad and Jake will have the huge responsibility to keep the spring irrigation water going and keep up with other ranch duties.  I am long overdue to see the family.  I have arranged rides from the airport and have made up stories as I have talked to Stacy today.   Should be fun to just drop in on her and the kids around 11:00 pm tonight.  I am very excited to see them.  It feels like it has been gone for a lifetime.  Just to be clear, my parents are NOT going to Calif.  That was just a front to let Stacy know she will have extra drivers for all the activities going on Saturday. 

As Mom and Dad called Stacy you feel the excitement (or lack thereof) in Stacy’s voice.  In her mind she has to be thinking, ‘Why can’t Jason come here for a visit instead of his parents?’  She would never say that, but that is what she is thinking.  What am I saying, I have no idea what a woman thinks, but that is my best guess.   Anyway, I am on the plane now and should be there in about an hour. 

Yesterday, Saturday, was the big halibut feed / fund raiser for North Powder athletics.  It is an event the whole community comes out for to support.  To put it in perspective, North Powder has a population of about 400, they sale and feed about 1200 people.   My aunts and uncles from Utah come up to support Uncle Allen, (the head basketball coach and organizer of the fund raiser).  I considered staying for the event and leaving late Saturday, but that meant missing more of my kids activities and leaving Stacy with trying to be in two places at the same time. 

When I am home in Oregon I carry a lot of guilt. The only reason I am home is to work as hard as I can to support my family, then return to Calif to see the family.  If there is free time while in Oregon I start to feel guilty.  So when my work is caught up or at least organized, I leave for Calif as soon as I can.  That is one of the reasons I didn’t stick around for the halibut feed and see my awesome aunts and uncles.  I know I need to take time for myself, but I would rather be in Calif supporting Hunter with his baseball, while Stacy is in Santa Rosa supporting Megan in a Midnight basketball tournament.    Anyway, those are some deep feelings I wanted to share.

As for how the kids are doing.  Stacy says they are doing fine.  Sierra has had a few medicine adjustments to counter act the 1B rejection.  They also increased her Lasix, to help pull off more fluid to try and decrease the heart pressures.  It can be hard on the kidneys but that is the tradeoff they are working with.  They seem to watching her pretty close. 

Gage is doing great. He is 5½ months into his wait.  My gut feeling, and it is only a feeling, he is getting close to being at the top of the list for his size, blood type, and anti-bodies. But don’t read much into it, it’s just a gut feeling.

Stacy has lobbied for and has finally got a small policy change regarding the HeartWare.  She can now leave Gage at school without her having to sit there.  She can go to other places in the hospital without having to pull Gage out of school.  This is a big deal, because anytime the other kids have a clinic, or biopsy, or blood draw, Gage had to be pulled out.  He has missed a LOT of school over that.  Stacy made some good convincing arguments, well done dear.

About ready to land.  Check in later.

Sunday morning……

Well it all worked.  Michelle Hansen gave me a ride from the airport.  She ‘gently’ suggested I pick up some flowers.  I thought my mere presence was enough.  She smiled and AGAIN suggested flowers. Needless to say, the flowers were a big hit.  Stacy and the kids had NO idea. It was fun to surprise Stacy and the kids AND kick Gage out of MY bed!

Hunter had a great baseball game.  Stacy went to Megan AAU basketball game.

Now we are off to church.

Till next time.

Jason

 Random picture from our living room here in the RMH

Fair well dinner for Glenda, she worked 11 1/2 years and did a great job.  Ashley Goodman has now taken the wheel.

 See ya next week Axelrod.

Hunter had a great baseball game.  They won 15-8.  He had several good hits and scored once. 

 Megan received a science award.  The pictures stick, but we didn't want to forget this honor.