grandmasweat.blogspot.com: Wyatt Round Three and Other Hallstrom Happenings

Round Three was blessedly smooth for the most part.

First of all, during Round Three, Elise graduated from Eastridge High School. Angie made her a beautiful keepsake book with pictures from her life. Once again, another milestone celebrated in the Minneapolis Children's Hospital.

Here is Elise with a 60's style graduation card I made for her using one of the fab pencil sets Wyatt received from kind friends.

Beautiful Elise Julia Hallstrom, Class of 2016!

I wish we would have had someone take a photo of the five of us together because we were so color-coordinated we would have rocked a wedding reception!

See what I mean?

Totally blurry photo of Wyatt but it was taken during Round Three.

This is one night when I got to sleep over, right before "night night sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite" which is not a problem in a hospital where they change your sheets and mop your floors every day! Although there are so many dangerous infections that Wyatt could have caught while in the hospital, things that despite their best efforts can happen, and Wyatt was often tested for those bugs when he had elevated temperatures, but thankfully the fevers were never the result of a dangerous hospital bug.
Angie's friend Brooke gave them a foam pad for the pull-out couch that was such a blessing for them (and me the few nights I slept over). The quilt was made by my friend Debbie and includes pieces from my wedding shower quilt made 45 years ago by my best friend Marilyn Wyatt's mom Doris.

One night we had a tremendous Minnesota rainstorm and the power was out for a good bit. Long enough to feel cozy but not long enough for the meat in the freezer to thaw. Elise took the opportunity to play her guitar by candlelight.

We also celebrated Father's Day 2016 during Round Three. Happy Father's Day to two great men!

Because things were going so well both at the hospital and on the home front, Dennis and I took a weekend getaway to Lanesboro, Minnesota. The Bed and Breakfast capitol of the State (who knew?).

We turned the corner to head for the house and all of this awaited us.

It was like a dream.

It's a rooster Barbara!

Acres of beauty and not another soul in sight.

The house was decorated in every nook and cranny.

The Secret Garden.

The view out our bedroom window.

It was just us and the lady who worked there. That evening, we went out onto the wrap-around porch to enjoy the full moon. She came out and joined us and she was a hoot! Definitely one of a kind and marched to the beat of a different drummer but very friendly and warm.

Morning has broken...............

.........with a four-course breakfast made just for the two of us. She had been up since 4:00 a.m.

This was the stuff that dreams are made of. I'm not even imaginative enough to dream this up.

Quick picture of me with our chief cook and bottle washer.

We rented bikes and took a long ride.

My first mount onto the seat was kinda wobbly but then it was just like riding a bike.

We also took a tour of an Amish town. You aren't supposed to take their picture so I mostly didn't have my phone with me just so I didn't look menacing. But here is a photo of a garden plot and you can see their buggy behind it.

Their school house.

We returned to Minnesota where Wyatt was patiently building up his red and white blood cells and platelets and waiting for his ANC to rise finishing up recovery for Round Three. Here is a scene where a professional photography studio donated their time and talents to take photographs of the kids. Wyatt is dashing as all get-out!

Brothers!

Here's a shot through the window during Round Three to document that summer was upon us!

Elise also received her Young Womanhood award during Round Three. What a gorgeous group of girls! Way to go Lou!

With mom and dad too!

And then - Wyatt returned home for blessed R & R after Round Three. Hauling in all of his stuff was a group effort.

Back to normal for awhile!

First item of business, get geared up for a bike ride while enjoying a beautiful summer evening.....

....Top form!

If I were a writer I would call this photo of Angie on her bike "foreshadowing...."

Beautiful neighborhood.

Beautiful boy!

Dennis and I headed back to Utah after Wyatt returned home. As we were nearing Park City, Dennis needed a pit stop but there was nothing coming up. However, deep in the recesses of his photographic mind for all things geographic, he recalled seeing a port-a-potty on one of our previous trips, at the site of some road construction. Can you believe he could remember that? Me neither. But there it was, and it was a blessed sight for him! Ahhhh, he finished the trip in a much more contented state.

This view is almost as exciting as seeing Mount Emily when we go to La Grande. I love it when we see the "V" in the beautiful Wasatch front and there is the Salt Lake Valley expanding out below.

Home!

Some problems with the sprinkling system in the back yard, but between our friend Roger and Debbie, and the lawn service Dennis hired, all the other things were looking great!