2018: Summer in the USA - Week 1: "Recovery!"

It seems that we always arrive at my brother's house in Iowa in a zombie-like state.  Because my mom lives here in town, we try to make it our first port-of-call when traveling to the States.  The older we get, the more time it seems to take for the jet-lag (and the crazy time in New Zealand to get ready for the trip) to wear off...But, WE ARE HERE!

Dan amongst the cornfields of Iowas

Of course there were a few bumps along the way.  For instance, in the backseat of our friends' car driving us to the airport, Dan discovered that he forgot his wallet containing his driver's license.  (This is an essential item when planning to do a lot of driving in a rental car.)  Our good friend, Howard, was the "knight in shining armor" who rode to our rescue.  He arrived at the airport soon after we checked our baggage with the missing wallet.  Thanks, Howard!

A nice surprise that greeted us after we landed in Chicago was the up-graded rental car we are driving.  It seems the rental car company gave our requested (and less expensive) car to someone else, so they asked if we minded driving a red Suburu Forester for the same price.  We said, "Not at all!"  (We feel very luxurious.) 



We got to see my mom's new apartment at the assisted living facility.  It's one of the nicest I've seen.  I don't think that she's convinced she needs to be there, but she likes the people, and has friends who invite her along to card games and bingo.  (She has a drawer full of her candy bar bingo winnings!)  Someone sorts out and gives out her pills, as well as monitors her in the shower. She needs to use a walking frame, which helps her get to the elevator to go to the downstairs dining room for her lunches and dinner.  (Breakfast is on her own in her own kitchenette.)  One night we all went to her place to watch a movie.  She's regaining a little more of her old spark after her hip pain, surgeries and all the changes...slowly, but surely.

Dan colored in his placemat at dinner

When asked what he wanted to do in Iowa, Dan's answer was that he wanted to eat some Iowa BBQ ribs!  So on Saturday, we drove to a big restaurant near the church where niece Leigh has a new job, an hour away from Conrad.  We took Grandma with us and made Dan's dream come true with a pork rib dinner, then Leigh gave us a tour of the church.  (She was in the midst of  decorating the place with a super-hero theme for Bible School which started today.)

Yesterday was the first of our church-speaking opportunities. We were grateful that God gave us words to say, even though our brains still feel a bit foggy. Even if we don't feel like we're the sharpest tool in the drawer, we have to trust that God can use us even as we are...and hey, after church I made strawberry shortcakes for Dan a Kerry since it was Father's Day in the USA!