I am not really sure what happened to 10 months. I remember it passing by quite fast and thinking not much had changed, maybe that's why I didn't write. When I read from the 9 month post I guess some has and some hasn't. Josh is all done with wound care, the tunnel filled in pretty fast. He is now left with a pretty big scar, in some places it is around an inch thick. It kind of puts his belly button off to the side a little. I have to say it is a little creepy looking. I guess that's what happens when things split open that are not supposed to. He is working more and getting more consistent in being able to stay longer even when he isn't feeling the best. He is almost back to full time, probably in the next few weeks. He still has good days and bad. There is still a lot he can't do, things that used to be normal for him before the accident. We went over to the high school the other night for back to school, we were going up and down stairs some and at one point I got down and around the corner and turned around and he wasn't behind me. I didn't realize he was still having a hard time with stairs until then. I think a lot of it is just lack of strength and the pain that he has in his back. I think he still has a lot of recovery yet to do. He has been told before that it may take 2 years before he feels more normal. He is happy that he will still get better from here but discouraged that it may take up to a whole year before that happens.
The other night we were talking about just even the fact that we haven't gone camping because it would just be to hard right now. We really wanted to go but he is just not strong enough to help me with everything that is involved with camping let alone sleep in a tent for more than one night. I already know that he would have some major recovery time after camping, so we haven't gone for now. I really hope that next summer is different, I hope that we can go camping and have some family time. We did take a trip to Salt Lake right before school started, it was nice to spend some time with my mom and see some of Josh's family too. Ahlia turned 13 while we were there. I took the older kids to lagoon for a day, it was a lot of fun for us but it did stink that Josh couldn't go with. He ended up visiting with friends and going to his favorite store NPS where they have stuff from semi's that crash. We all had a nice dinner and played games at my mom's house on Ahlia's birthday. It was a nice trip, it was nice to have a little break.
Not a lot has been done on the addition, we waited a long time for the a/c unit to be moved so that we could close off the roof. It was just moved this week and so we have been working a bit more on it. We might be able to get the four way inspection next week if Josh can finish up the electrical. He hasn't been very motivated to do it. That is really the only thing I have asked of him. Me and my dad (mostly my dad) have done most the work. At this point we are going on hopes and dreams as my niece would say in reference to her gas tank. We have some materials left to keep us going for a little bit but at some point we will be stuck. Honestly I am amazed that we have made it this far on what little we did have. Some how things have stretched and I am grateful for that, and for everyone who has donated anything at all. We will finish at some point, and I can't tell you how nice it will be. Now that school has started again I am reminded every morning that the older kids really need their own rooms. It is not fun to have the littler boys woke up at 6:45 in the morning because the older kids are to noisy in their rooms where they are still trying to sleep. Oh how nice it will be to have them in a room together where they can sleep longer so they will not be crabby later in the day because they are up to early. Camden has already a plan in mind for his "new" room, he is the funniest kids ever, he even drew me a picture. And Asher said no to pirates, he wants all the super heroes and Tinkerbell, he knows mommy likes her. It has been nice to be back to somewhat of a schedule, although I will never be able to get everything done in a day that I would like. At least there is always tomorrow for all of us. Time to work on things and get better at them and adjust to life as it is now. Things are different, not so much bad different, just different. And sometimes that is hard. I know that we have gone through this trial to make us stronger, God only gives us what he knows we can handle right? I just hope that we come out of it better for having gone through it. I don't know at this point when it will seem like we are done with it, soon I hope. I am still amazed at how many people still care and ask about Josh and our family, thank you from the bottom of my heart for that. Love to all, Denise
