Sunday, February 13

Sunday, oh, Sunday was an AWESOME day.  We all had gone down to breakfast and talked about how well we thought Mr. Blye was doing and wanted to be a little more adventurous.  I had talked to Martin who was one of the managers of the front desk and asked if we needed a reservation for the Rhine Tower restaurant, because for Valentine's Day we really thought that that would be a great way to end our trip.  So he had told us that he would make the reservation, we also wanted to know how long it would take us to get there.  So after breakfast we set out to see what our timing would be.  So we hopped on the U76 which took us into the City to the Heinrich Heine Allee and surfaced to the street.  From there we took another train to the closest stop to the tower.  We got off the train, walked under an overpass, and found this winding path.  Instantly we all were so excited to be that close to the tower, finally.  We take this winding path down to the river walk and OH MY!  It was SOOOO BEAUTIFUL.  For one I don't know what really caught me first, there were so many things.  The laid back meanderings of all the people enjoying the day, or the beatiful walk that nestled in so close to the river.  There were so many things to take in.  There was art and kinetic sculptures that periodically showed up as we walked.  I instantly thought this is what I wanted to see.  There was no bustle of people trying to make it here or there or cars zooming by.  Lots of beautiful people out enjoying a wonderful day.  We started on the path towards the tower, still wanting to make sure we had an accurate way to time.  So we go to the tower and decided that we might try to go up to the observation deck if we could.  Well we found that they charged you for admittance and decided that we really wanted to save that for Monday.  So of we headed to the walk again and something caught my eye.  Earlier in the week we had watched a television show that mentioned that Dusseldorf has about 6-8 pieces of the Berlin Wall placed in parks throughout the city.  Remembering like it was yesterday when Regan told Gorbachev to "Tear down this wall!"  We were so excited to see a piece of history.  After that there are some buildings that are a famous design that sit along a canal off the river and we decided that we wanted to get down closer to see them.  We walked that way all the while oohing and ahhhing at all the neat things.  We got to this foot bridge that crossed over the mouth of the canal and we had a perfect shot of them.  We walked across the bridge to the center and decided that the direction that we were going was going to end soon, so we decided to turn around. We walked back up the path and seen more barges being moved down the river.  We got back to the path where we started and  everyone needed  a break.  Mom and Dad found this great little restaurant/coffee shop that sat along the path.  We stopped and had a bowl of soup and some great fresh bread.  After that we decided to keep heading North (I think) and check out more of the sights.  There were musicians dotted all along, one was doing his best rendition of Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson.  Restaurants and coffee were more frequent and more and more people seemed to join the day.  It was so nice to see all the people out enjoying it as much as we were.  We walked clear down to where our train line crosses over the Rhein, which we all thought was about 5 miles from where we started.  The weird thing was though you didn't feel like it was that far, but it was quite a long way.  We cut over and found one of the stops that the train makes and decided that we were gonna split up.  Mom and I headed to the Haupt Bahn Hof and the boys all headed back to the hotel.  The Haupt Bahn Hof was the hub for all the transportation in the city and had a lot of shops and restaurants.  That is where we found Mt. Dew for Gary.  He hadn't had one the whole time we were there.  Mom and I joked that we had spent the whole time there and here we were at the end of the time and finally found Gary a Mt. Dew.  So we grabbed up a variety of street vended food and headed back to the boys.  We finished the night with another great meal and was off to bed to await another adventure tomorrow.

Saturday, February 12

I don't know why I have avoided this for so long, but you all deserve to know.  So Saturday started just like the other days, another wonderful breakfast at the hotel and all we knew was Mr. Blye was done being stuck in a Hotel any longer.  He kept looking outside and all he wanted to do was get on that train.  Well really for him doing so well we decided to get on the AM Seestern and ride to the Henrich Heine Allee and go goof off in the Kaufhof.  So up on the escalators and down on the escalators.  Five floors later of browsing and goofing off we decided that that was enough and Gary, Blye and I headed back to the hotel.  Grandpa and Grandma were shopping for gifts to return home with, and was still looking for some things, so we split our ways and headed back.  And it may seem short with me writing this, but we were there for a LONG time.  I love to shop and I was DONE!  Mom and Dad did make it back a while later and we all decided that the pizza place around the corner was a great idea and we took off.  Pizza, ice cream, and some lasagne for Mr. Blye and we were set for the evening.  Really it was kind of another low-key day, which was nice too.

Friday February 11

So I know that it took me a while to finish my posts.  I think was because all of the worrying that I had done was over and I just fell into a pile of mush on the floor.  Sorry, I know how much all of you have been reading this and I can't believe all of the support we have had from you guys.
So, onto Friday...
The morning started out beautiful, Blye recovered very well from the crazy day that he had before, but you could tell that he was being affected from the changes in his body.  We went down and had a great breakfast once again.  Complete with the fresh squeezed orange juice that even Mr. Blye loved.  We went back up to the room and decided that we needed to stick around the hotel.  Grandpa and Grandma decided that they would venture out into the city and do some sight seeing on their own. Off they went and we snuggled in to have a a low key day.  Books and movies fill the first part, then my body decided that I needed a long time coming nap.  Nap, yes I said nap, I normally don't find that as part of my vocabulary for me.  The more I sat there with Blye trying to read through his books I found myself dosing off and coming back and trying to reread the same pages.  I gave up.  Gary took Blye and they went into where our part of the room and I closed my eyes.  Waking up 3 hours later, I realized that I had slept well past lunch for Blye.  Once I was functioning, we ordered the famous potato soup from the hotel restaurant for Blye.  When I placed the order low and behold the voice on the other end was Blye's crush Natascha.  So in 15 minutes there was a knock at the door and in walked Mr. Blye's crush with soup in hand.  Talk a about a little boy that was surprised.  We never really saw her out of the restaurant and it was hilarious to see him with that flirting little smile and blushing cheeks.  So after his face had returned to color, we fed him his lunch.  Around 3:00 Grandpa and Grandma came back and suggested that Gary and I go out and sightsee and they would hang out with Blye.  So we got ready and went out.  We rode our train to the Heinrich Heine Allee and decided that we would go further.  We ended up getting off 2 stops later and it dumped us in a whole new area.  Lots of great little local shops were there, a lot of them were closing for the day, so there were very few that we went into.  I have to say though that I really did like window shopping and just walking with Gary.  So we found another Kaufhof and decided to go check that one out.  The building was really cool on the outside and like the other ones that we found, lots of levels to get lost in.  We did find some clothes for him there.  We found a t-shirt all in German that translates to small + clever + brazen = me.  We thought that it was perfect for him.  So after that we decided we would catch a train and try to find our way back.  We hope on a train and it took us to the Hauptbahnhof.  HOLY MOLEY!  Every kid that lived in the city was there hanging out in front. I would say that that was the popular spot.  We had found the main hub for all of the transportation for the whole city.  There were so many people.  We grabbed a bratwurst and some pomme frites and decided that we really didn't want to hang around there much longer and decided to head back.  We got back to the hotel and found the rest of the gang.  They hadn't ate yet so we ran down to the restaraunt together and fed Mr. Blye spaghetti and Mom and Dad had their supper.  Since Gary and I had eaten we decided that we would partake of some German beer.  It was great.  I have to say I like it very much.  A lot smoother than beer in America and did not have that really hoppy aftertaste.  So after everyone was finished we headed back to the rooms to tuck in for the night.  I have to say for a low key day it was just that.  We really needed that.

Thursday February 10 "Wear Orange for Blye"

So what is weird about this I am writing this as we are going to bed and all of you are still in your day.  So to start our morning we had a wake up call at 6 and we pretty much beat the phone up.  We were up and getting ready this morning, while Mr. Blye was sound asleep.  It was nice to know that one of us was getting a good nights sleep, and it was the one that counted anyway.  So once we got him awake, he was starving and was ready to go and eat.  So down we headed and Grandpa and Grandma were waiting for us.  We finished breakfast and headed back to the room to pack all the stuff we would need for the day.  Reinhard was our driver for the day to take us to the Hospital.  So we had gathered our stuff and was just getting off the elevator as he was getting things ready to call up to us in our room.  So once Mr. Blye was loaded, we were on our way.  When we got to the Hospital we were escorted right away back to a room.  We did have to wait awhile before they came in to get him all hooked up.  Blye's IV stayed in the whole time we were gone, but it did try to block, so they did have to flush it when they were hooking him up, and anyone who knows what that feels like understands that he did cry.  After that they hooked him up to the Manitol we were having a hard time keeping him still.  Dr. Elsisi gave him a med to calm him down.  It really didn't make him sleep, but it kept him still.  I really wanted to ask him to take some home, but I knew the answer to that. ;)  With Mr. Blye now having the medication that calmed him, we had to move out of our room to an observation room.  All they really did was plug an oxygen sensor on.  So I can't remember how well I explained this before, but they give him the Manitol to open the blood brain barrier in the head.  It is used for patients that have Traumatic Brain Injuries to help decrease swelling, by allowing pressure and blood to move past the blood brain barrier for relief.  In this instance they open it to allow the stem cells to migrate where they are supposed to.  So once he finished the bottle of that, then it was time for the injection of his own stem cells.  Even now writing this to you my heart is racing.  When they brought those in, I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest.  The whole time we are waiting doctors and nurses are coming and going and mostly all the time speaking German.  I felt like what Blye looks like when he doesn't understand things.  So to say the least we all were a little in the dark for a bit.  So once all the vials were checked to see of Mr. Blye had his own stuff they told us how many we had.  For a baseline they really like to have at least 2 million cells to do a treatment.  Mr. Blye had 9,387,857.  So you might say there was enough.  The one thing that Dr. Haberland said was that the number of cells is great but the vitality is very important.  Mr. Blye was great in that department too.  He had 100%.  So to say the least the numbers were amazing.  They had two vials and they put them together to make 7.7ml.  They injected them right in the side port and started flushing with saline.  Once he finished his saline bottle, they came and checked to make sure that he was handling things ok.  We did have to wait about 2 1/2 hours after, because there was another family that was making things a little difficult for the staff and was occupying a lot of them as well.  So once they left we were able to see the doctor and go over reports. Mr. Blye received a certificate for being brave and we got a folder with all the results and information to take back with us.  After that we went and waited for their transport to take us back.  I have to say it was a good day for us, but I do NOT want to go through a day like that for a LONG time.  Once we got back to the hotel it was 4:00 and we were all STARVED.  So Gary and Grandpa took off to find supper.  We promised Blye chocolate, but he wanted chocolate ice cream, so off in search they went for food.  They came back with pizza, coke, of course ice cream, tortellini, and pastries.  It was a wonderful meal and we were stuffed.  After that we talked to family and then decided to take it easy.  Blye, Grandma, and I ended up watching "Despicable Me" and Dad and Grandpa went to sleep.  So once the movie got over, Blye crashed with Grandma and I right behind him.  I didn't want to leave you hanging, so I wanted to make sure and update.  SO the consensus is that we had a good day, Blye is well, no side effects, and he is sleeping soundly. I couldn't ask for anything more...Thank You God for blessing us and to you for asking him as well.  We Love You All.

February 9, Wednesday

So today started great.  Blye woke up with no pain in his arm and he was ready for breakfast.  So we got around and headed down.  We walked in and there was Blye's crush, Natascha.  He was so excited that he got to see her and he was ready to eat as well.  We had a very crowded dining room and we ended up setting in another part of the restaraunt.  Up until this morning we had deemed one certain table ours, and it was really nice to have it too.  After setting at this one that we had this morning it was a little difficult for us to navigate Blye through, so he had to stay put today.  Normally we take him around the buffet and let him pick out what he wants, today he just stayed put.  So after breakfast we had already decided that we needed to do laundry.  Well and doing laundry was not going to be a simple task.  There is laundry services here at the hotel, but it is VERY expensive.  We decided that it would be lots easier to find one in the city.  Well the thing was, the day that we got lost in the city we had seen a "waschsalon" but we wanted to make sure that we knew exactly where it was before we loaded up 1 wheelchair and 2 suitcases.  So Grandpa and I went in search of the "waschsalon" and we found it.  It was almost scary how fast we got there and got back.  When we got back it was almost time for lunch so we had tomato soup and sandwiches from the "Brot & Kuchen".  The sad thing was we would of had more soup if the bottom of the bag would have held.  Well it was a good thing we were going to do laundry.  So after lunch we headed out to do laundry.  We got to the "waschsalon" with no problem and got everything started.  It was pretty easy to get it going even with the language barrier.  It didn't take long after we watched someone else do it.  So after everything was started Gary, Blye and I went on a walk.  Before we came back the laundry was finished and Grandpa and Grandma had moved things to the dryers.  It took only 20 minutes to dry all the clothes and we were set.  We hopped back on the trains and headed back to the hotel.  After we got to our new favorite stop "Prinzenalle", Gary and I headed to find supper while Grandpa and Grandma headed back to the room with Mr. Blye.  We had Pizza tonight from a place here on the back side of the hotel called Tele Pizza.  We ordered the Greek and the Diablo pizza and Lasagna for Blye.  We got back and had supper, once again it was very nice.  After supper we worked on some homework for Blye and now you are finding me here updating you.  So I will sign off now, but I want to ask you to wear your orange shirt tomorrow.  We are headed to the center at 9am to receive the treatment.  Blye won't have to be put under, he will receive a medicine that will just relax him so that he can sit for the time that they need him to.  So it should be a low stress day, but a busy one for sure.  So remember Orange for Blye and we love you all for helping make this all possible.  Tomorrow is the day that we all have been waiting for.  WE LOVE YOU ALL!

Tuesday February 8

Hopefully today will be the only hard day.  We started the day with a split breakfast.  Grandpa and Grandma went down and ate.  Then Gary and I ran down and tried to eat.  I think I had fruit and a piece of toast, but neither one of us were thinking about breakfast.  We headed back to the room, meanwhile telling each other that we both had to have a stiff upper lip and not let him see how scared we were.  The van from the X-Cell Center was here to pick us up at 9:00 am and off we were.  We had a short ride with Reinhard to Dominikus Krankenhaus.  When we arrived we entered the "Krankenhaus" and were met by nuns and nurses.  We went up, we think 3 floors to the X-Cell center's own floor.  Everything is very modern like in the reception and beautiful fresh flowers on the tables.  You know I was concerned that the feel of the place was going to feel to sterile and not so comforting, but it was so nice.  It gave you a sense of sophistication as well as cleanliness that it put me at ease.  So after we presented payment for the services they lead us down another couple floors to another floor that was again the center's own floor.  We walked into another waiting room and met up with a couple that we had met when we were going through all of the preliminary process.  Their little boy was back and was getting his extraction already.  She looked how I was already feeling and it was very hard for me to not show Blye how nervous I was for this.  About 15 minutes after we were down there they wheeled out Adam and we watched them take him to a recovery room that was just on the other side of a glass wall that we were sitting by.  He looked well and it gave us some assurance that Blye would be okay.  It still was hard because we had not gone through it yet. Shortly after they had taken Adam back in recovery they called for Blye.  So I held my breath and I handed him to Gary and I watched them both walk away.  It was so hard to not be in there with him and know what was going on to the exact minute.  For once I felt what Gary goes through when I go back with him. I was so glad that he did too, because I was not handling things very well.  I was having a hard time fighting back tears.  So after Dad came back and he wiped away his tears we tried to sit down and drink a cup of coffee.  I couldn't sit though.  I was up pacing and moving around.  Gary was just as bad.  Everytime we would hear the click of the door we would snap our heads to attention and wonder if that was Bubba.  Grandma said that if she stopped crocheted she weould start crying.  Well after an agonizing 30 minutes we seen Dr. Habaland and he said that everything went well and Blye would be out shortly.  Before he could finish his sentence our Hero was being wheeled our way.  He was still very much asleep and we followed him into recovery.  What seemed after 30 minutes he started waking up, well with the help of Dr. Elsisi's rubbing on his collar bone.  Did I mention that I really didn't care for him?  Reason number 2.  Well once he was completely awake we were able to take him with us out to the waiting room with us and give him some water.  He was definitely thirsty and he had no problem wanting more.  The only thing that he was not understanding very well is he had to keep in his IV.  Yes you read right. We have to keep it in till thursday, so I really don't know how well this will go.  So after we got him to drink he really wanted to go and they said that they seen no problem with us going.  They called for our ride, but we had to wait awhile because he was picking up another family with the same transport.  So after a little impatient wait, we were on the shuttle back to the hotel.  We decided that we weren't venturing out with Little Man, so Mom and Dad stayed in with Blye and Gary and I went on search of supper.  We really needed that too, we both were still a little stressed from the procedure and it was nice for Grandpa and Grandma to stay with him.  We headed out to this great grocery store that Gary and Dad had found and picked up supper. Rolls, blue and camembert cheese, a rotissere chicken from a truck out front, strawberries, and fanta was supper.  Oh yeah, and Ice Cream.  We hopped back on the train and were back to the hotel in 45 minutes.  Which is a record for any of us.  These trains can be kind of tricky.  So after another great supper we settled in for the night.  We didn't know how Blye would do with his IV, but he did well.  We took a fashion magazine from downstairs that they had and folded it in half and used it as a splint under his arm and took one of Gary's ace bandages and wrapped it.  Let me tell you it worked awesome and he slept well.  He didn't want to go to sleep very well, so Gary sat up with him till he went to sleep.  Once he was out he never woke up the rest of the night.  To God the credit is due.  He really needed to sleep off the day.

Monday, February 7

The day that everything starts.  We had breakfast, well some of us.  Blye couldn't have anything because he had to be put under anesthesia, so we ate in shifts.  We waited for the X-Cell Center ride about 1:30 and was off to the clinic.  We arrived and awaited our turn.  They took a picture of Blye and made a card that has all of his information pertinent to the clinic on it.  What is pertinent to us is the number on the back in case of any emergency.  That made me feel better in a way that we had an emergency contact here if we needed one.  So we sat for a while and waited to talk to Dr. Elsisi, who is the anesthesiologist and Dr. Habaland, who is the Neurologist.  I didn't much care for Dr. Elsisi his bedside manner left things to be desired and he didn't really answer any of the questions that I had.  So when we left his office, I and everyone else were feeling a little uneasy about having things clarified.  Dr. Habaland was the saving grace in all this.  We sat down with him and he made sure that we were aware of everything.  It is not very often that you find a doctor that will take the time to talk you through all of the steps and make sure that you are fully aware.  He made up for Dr. Elsisi.  So now that everyone is in the know.  Blye is having a change in plans.  We are still doing the stem cell therapy, but he is having an IV feed.  What happens is they give him Mannitol, that opens up the blood brain barrier to allow the stem cells to travel into the brain and go to the lesions that Blye has in his brain.  The process takes just about as long, but will not be near as invasive.  We are praying that with this being less invasive that we will still have low side effects with things.  The Mannitol can have some ugly things happen, but we will pray and let God take this.  He has gotten us this far, right?  I have been reminded quite a bit that there is no sense in worrying because God has seen us through all of this. 
So after we met with Dr. Habaland we waited for Ralf who is our AWESOME driver, to take us back to the hotel.  We decided that after the stressful day, that really wasn't as stressful as we anticipated, we decided to find a place to sit down and eat at.  We found this BEAUTIFUL Italian place called Casa Mattoni's.  After we walked in we realized that we weren't going to get any more authentic than here.  We had a small menu to order from and it was written on an ellaborate board on the wall.  Grandma had mixed fish, Grandpa had seafood with pasta, Gary and Blye shared a beef with pasta dish, and I had truffles with a white wine sauce with pasta.  I was SO excited for all of our dishes to come, but mostly mine.  We enjoyed a glass of chardonnay and had our wonderful dishes and then decided that we needed to celebrate our day with dessert.  How much more Italian can you get, when you order Triamisu, Creme Brulee, and Moca Chocolatitusch (Chocolate Lava Cake). It was wonderful for supper and it was even more wonderful to have such a great day.  Knowing that we were proceeding with the proceedure was such a huge relief for all of us.

The Weekend...

So the weekend started a little slow.  Saturday we started out and rode our train downtown to a stop where most of the local shops are mainly small grocery stores and bakeries.  We walked around the area next to the Rhein River where there were lots of apartments packed in a small place.  Either they were apartments or what you could consider Row houses.  We tried to see if we could walk to the Rhein Tower but you had to cross the river with no protection provided by the bridge.  The temp kept dropping and the mist kept getting worse so Blye and Grandpa jumped the train and headed back to the hotel and we went grocery shopping.  Grandpa and Blye spent time walking the halls in the pony walker and riding the elevator. Finally we got back with lunch, we went to one of the local stores and bought bread, cheese, and sliced meat. We sat for our train for almost 30 minutes and then figured out that fewer trains run on the weekends.  So once we were back and ate we just relaxed a little bit.  We started planning for supper and no one really had any idea what we wanted and Grandpa and Grandma headed to see what they could find.  By the time that they left we realized that because it was the weekend the trains shut down earlier and we were worried that they wouldn't get back.  Well they found out that our train that we take from the hotel was the last one and that they were going to have to find a different way to get back.  That was then they decided to go to the Henrich Heine Alle and see what they could find for food and a way back home.  The food was McDonalds and the train was a different one and they learned just one more piece to the city that made it easier to getting around.  They found another u-line train that comes to the cross street behind the hotel.  So after eating McDonalds and by the way it still tasted the same as it does in America and it is nothing to write about (well anymore).  Oh, and you have to pay for your ketchup.  We decided to call it a night and start Sunday with another great breakfast here at the hotel.  After that we decided to take the train that Mom and Dad had found the night before and take it to wherever it could take us.  We went clear out of town to another town, but don't ask me the direction we went or the name.  Neither of us could figure it out.  So after we ended up back at the Heinrich Heine Alle, we noticed that alot of the shops were closed for Sunday.  There was a row of restaurants that were open, from Irish pubs, Italian, Seafood, and of course German.  The only thing was the eateries were mostly standing type that were in front of the shop.  We had done a lot of walking and really wanted to sit down, so we decided to eat at Maredo's.  Blye had fish and fries, Grandma had beef on a skewer with a mustard sauce over it.  Gary had a minced steak which is like a hamburger steak, Grandpa had spareribs, and I had the lamb.  It all was wonderful and everyone enjoyed the meals emensely.  After we left there we decided to treat Blye to Ice Cream.  We had it at Dulce and it was wonderful.  Blye had pure vanilla, Grandma had "zimt" (cinnamon), Gary had macadamia, and Grandpa and I had dark chocolate chunk.  After this we decided to just grab sandwinches for supper before heading back and jumped the train back to the hotel.  The rest of the night we just lounged around and relaxed.   I think we are finally getting adjusted to the time change we are sleeping to around 8:00(that is midnite at home) they run on military time so the day ends around 22:00 or when everyone falls asleep, usally it is the latter. The weather is cold, over cast and lots of mosture in the air, and we have not seen the sun since we have been here but there is always Monday.

The Aquazoo and Piccoco

Today we started off a lot better.  I have forgot to tell you how great the breakfast is here at the hotel.  The last two mornings we have sat and the greatest assortments for breakfast.  Of course there are the basics scrambled eggs with cheese, sausage links and bacon.  But the great thing is the assortments of fresh breads, cheeses, fruit, yogurt or curd (the d is silent) and fresh squeezed orange juice.  The machine that they use is quite entertaining, Blye loves it just as much as we do.  So after a great breakfast, we wanted to go to the Rhine tower, but there is a lot of walking to do and it was pretty windy and drizzly.  So, Martin, our concierge at the front desk, said that the aquazoo is great and we should take him there.  So off to the U-line again.  We jump on at AM SEESTERN which is literally  and go to Heinrich Heine Alle and then jumped on Erich-Klausner to Nordpark-Aquazoo.  We walked to the building and toured it for 2 hours.  There were alligators, snakes, frogs, lots of fish, and a little tropical forest that you walk through.  After we finished there we went back to Heinrich Heine Alle which is the center of town, where all of those shops were that we couldn't go in ;).  We did go to this mall there called the Shadow Arkadon and ate at this awesome italian place called Piccoco.  You walk in and there were coffee baristas pouring their best in a cup and selling them to the long line of customers that even starbucks would be jealous of.  We sat down and ordered all of us something different Mom had Gnudi with sage flavored butter sauce, Dad had the Pesto Lasagne, I had tortelli with potatoe and bacon, and Gary had Spaghetti with fresh Mozeralla and basil.  Blye of course had the best seat in the house he had all of them.  After we finished we walked down to Konigsalle which is that actual name for the fashion shopping row.  Dad said that it is the place that if you have to ask how much it is you probably can't afford it, shopping.  So after walking around there we went back to a Kofhof store and bought some more chocolate to maybe bring home, we are having a hard time staying out of it.  So we headed back to the hotel.  Mom and I picked out all the local food last night for supper, so tonight it was the boys' turn.  So we left them at Grabbeplatz and they went in search of our next meal adventure.  They found salami, some more meat that we don't know how to say.  It is a matter of pointing and shaking your head yes.  There is a little bit of communication trouble in the small shops, most don't know how to speak english.  But we all seem to fair ok.  More fresh cheese, once again pronunciation is lacking.  The bread was carried over from last night, but they stopped and found a great couple of desserts.  One was like a pie, but not a crumbly crust more like pretzel type of dough with course sugar sprinkled on.  The other was a apple crumple type of pie but with soft roll like dough.  So once again we left the table stuffed and out of weight watcher points ;).  I have to say that the only thing that doesn't make us feel that guilty is we WALK all over.  So we burn it about as fast as we eat it.  So once again another great day in a beautiful country with great people.  Our next chapter awaits by morning.  Love you-

Sightseeing? Well really we were lost...

Sightseeing? Well really we were lost.  Have you ever been giving directions in a foreign country, we have and let me tell you it is a little frustrating.  Everyone's directions all were the same go straight ahead and turn.  You know what we did and let me tell you, WE WERE LOST!  We took off out of the hotel by 10 am in search of a new american converter, because Dad's had burned up.  There was supposed to be this BIG international store that would have them.  To say the least it is still yet to be found.  We searched for 4 hours, before we finally said, we give up.  Three U-lines, two busses, four grouchy adults and one grumpy five year old we decided that was enough.  We got directions finally from someone that spoke english and found a store called Conrads and found us an adapter plug that would let us charge the computer, but we were not able to find a converter.  It was a very frustrating afternoon.  We decided that after we found the adapter plug we were going to make it a better. We stopped at a store called Kofhof, which we felt like it was comparable to a Macy's or JC Penneys.  With it being so close to Valentines day there was a lot of chocloate available.  So we felt we must oblige and try some of the delicassies.  Then we hopped back on the U-line at Henreich Heine Alle and rode for AM Seestern.  The boys all went back to the hotel and Mom and I went in search of supper.  We decided that we were going to eat like the locals.  We went to a grocery store and bought fresh cut salami, german ham, awesome mustard, bleu cheese, brie cheeses, oranges, bananas, and cherries.  We found a bakery right next door to the market and bought a baguette, a small round loaf of bread, and peach streusel.  It was SO awesome.  We laughed and joked had a wonderful end to a day that was a little taxing.  I have to say we turned the day around and had a great time, everyone went to bed happy, full, and tired. 

We are HERE!!

So I have to say that 10 hours is a very long time to be stuck in an airplane with 350 people.  We loaded at Denver at 5:15 and were the very first in line to get on board.  Blye was SO excited!  We were delayed a small bit, because we were waiting for the water to unfreeze.  I don't know why it was only 12 below.  So we took off and Mr. Blye was stoked.  His attraction with what was going on outside only lasted for about 15 minutes.  The cloud cover made it a little difficult to see anything.  His interest soon turned to the monitor on the back of the seat and that is where the game began.  The airline gives you the great little headphones, the problem was wiggle wort wouldn't sit still to keep them on, so about every 5-10 minutes I was chasing a set of headphones.  The flight was fine through snacks and supper.  By the way Lufthansa has the BEST airline food we have ever had.  Blye got his first which was nice, because the guy in front of him was very tall and always had his seat leaned back, so we could only use my tray to set things on.  I could not believe how much food Mr. Blye had to eat and it was all so neatly presented.  He had chicken strips, with corn and mashed potatoes with the skin for the hot dish, and salad with slices of chicken, pudding with chocolate sprinkles, orange juice, sliced fruit, and a milky way candy bar.  That was just HIS!  For our supper we had a choice of Pasta with fresh marinara sauce or chicken with vegetables and mashed potates.  There was an awesome pasta salad with olives and tomatoes, a roll with rosmary in it ( my favorite) ,a brownie and all the wine, beer, water, and juice you could drink.  After supper they urned the lights down and everyone settled in for an on again off again kind of nap.  Between babies, old men snoring(not Grandpa), and the turbulence there was little sleep to be found for us.  Mr Blye slept very well between Gary and I's chests.  We worked in shifts so neither one of us was too ore for too long.  The thing that was nice was we did have a great selection of movies.  There was Due Date, RED, Wall Street-Money never sleeps,and Any Given Sunday that is all I can remember right now.  I have to say flying is very similar to camping though, when you have to use the restroom it is a little walk and you don't sit on the seat.  Changing Blye was a feat as well there there was a table dropped down over the toilet and chasing him all over the place was a little interesting.  There were only 2 times he actually put his foot in the sink and turned on the water. 
When we landed in Frankfurt, we were met with a Courtesy from Lufthansa and she walked us through everything, they even called an ambulance for support if we needed it.  Have to say that Hospitality in Germany is far better than anything at DIA.  When we arrived in Dusseldorf we had the most awesome airport worker who came up with his wheelchair and then stayed and helped us with all of our luggage and took us to meet Ralph.  Ralph is the driver for the X-Cell Center, who fit in great with our bunch.  We knew it right away we were in good company when he popped off right away.  I was taking pictures like a mad woman and he was pointing out all sorts of things along the way.  We arrived at the hotel and realized that we hadn't ate lunch and ended up eating supper at 5:30 here at the hotel and went to bed immediately.  I think that the ease into this time zone isn't as bad as we thought it would be.  We were wiped.

Waiting...

So we are here at DIA!  Our flight is on time, our bags are checked and we look like we could still fill another car full of luggage.   Our carry ons are sitting in 3 chairs and all over the floor.  Both the "boys" are watching all the activity on the ground.  Grandpa and I are here talking to you. Everything went so smooth and went a lot better than I anticipated.  Now all we have to do is get on the plane and enjoy the ride.  They told us that we are to board at 5:10 and we will go first where Mr. Blye needs his chair, they will set us in first so that everyone else can get to theirs.  So I know it is short, but we are here, and we are ok.  I think that I can breath now.  My nerves are still there a little, but it is all worth it to see the smile on the most awesome little boy in the world.  Love ya!

Ready...Set...GO!

So I am restless and I thought that to get my mind drained so I can finish trying to go back to sleep.  We are FINALLY all packed 2 checked bags each that are just under the 50lb weight limit.  Gary and I have only on carry on and Mr. Blye has two.  We tied orange ribbon on all the luggage and have everything labeled and tagged.  I feel like we were getting ready for summer camp.  I remember when I was a kid in the summer and getting ready and Mom was armed with a sharpie and tape and everything got your mark on it.  I am soooo excited!  Blye took a while to go to sleep tonight he is understanding all of this very well, he knows that in the morning he has to eat breakfast, take a bath and then he get to go on the airplane.  I am so glad that we all are getting to experience this together.  Granpa, Granma, Dad, Mom, and Mr. Blye are adventuring together, leaving on a jet plane, and going to a land yet to be seen by us.  So I am gonna cut this short, but I wanted all of you to know we are ready and leaving tomorrow.  DIA will be another set of lights below by 6pm tomorrow night. Mwaaa and goodnight ;)

1 day, 19 hours...

1 DAY 19 HOURS...so if that just didn't make the butterflies turn into birds.  I am getting SO, So, so...well I really don't know what I am getting.  I know I have said this many times, but it is all these emotions that I am feeling and trying to keep them in check, I do want to say is very difficult at times.  I know that in the past few days I have gone through moments that I really don't know how to explain. Sitting and thinking I will just burst into tears, then I will start giggling, then unbelievable butterflies, and then PaNiC.  This is one of the craziest roller coasters I have ever been on, and I LOVE roller coasters.  This one is just that the tracks are being built as I ride and I just don't know if I am going through a tunnel or a loop 'd loop.
I have to say though I AM figuring out one thing.  GOD is in control.  The past couple days there were things that were popping up that I was letting fog the big picture.  I had a wonderful friend tell me that every once in a while God has to remind us that ultimately he is in control.  You know what?!?  HE IS?  Funny I have to be reminded of that? ;) The best thing I did was give that to God and let him take my burdens, and he showed me that when I give it to him he will provide.  You know he has always said that, but I guess I have to be shaken a little harder to actually listen.  Guess you could say I am a little bullheaded. 
So we are down to the nitty gritty.  E-mails have been sent for our flight confirmations, the airline has been called only a million times to verify things.  The TSA website has been checked for prohibited items and we have packed most of the luggage without taking the kitchen sink.  Now it is time to see if we can't try and get some sleep before we leave. 
I want to thank you all for reading and we will keep sharing.

4 Days 20 hours

So today was a tough day.  First last night we got a call that Uncle Junior was in the hospital, with some form of pancreatitis and his levels were through the roof.  So trying to go to bed was hard.  We got up this morning and it was a whorlwind of a day.  I did have a great conversation with Allie Broderick this morning and released a lot of uneasiness that I had with the trip.  Nana and Pappo Ruff came up today and spent time with our little hero.  Bringing lots of hugs and kisses, and gifts to spoil him they spent most of the day with him and I was so thankful.  I really had missed them too and it was great to see Blye play and have fun with them.  Since we have pulled him out of school I feel terrible that he doesn't get to see his friends all the time and I know that we both are feeling the isolation become overwhelming.  The great thing is I have talked to his teacher and we are going to go up to the school on Friday and see all the kids and say goodbye.  I hope that it all goes well and I hold it together.  Back to the day being tough, I have just really started feeling the emotional stress.  I was having trouble with getting all the stuff with our hotel worked out the last couple days and it finally came together this morning.  The weird thing was the stress seemed to not lift as much as I wanted. My Dad did call and let me know too that Junior is doing ok and they think that his galbladder is the culprit and they are going to remove it.  I think that I can sum it all up with a famous phrase that a good friend and I used to say when you felt overwhelmed..."To much chicken!"  Tomorrow will be better, I know it, I just need to not let it all get to me.  So here's to 4 days and 20 hours...    

5 Days 19 hours...

So here we are sitting on the couch after another day has flown past us.  Suitcases are starting to take up residence in the living room and a little boy is about to go crazy everytime one gets packed.  Me well every time I pick something up to pack it, all I can think about is what will our life reveal in these upcoming 2 weeks and really wonder what we are in for.  God, has a plan and trusting him has put me on my knees alot.  I want Blye's life to be better.  The thing is I am trying to not take off with these grand ideas of what his life could be like when we do this.  Am I expecting to much?  It is so hard to say that if I could just pick one thing.  What would it be?  To make his life easier that is all I pray for.  He is the most wonderful little being that has graced our lives.  When times are great he smiles, even when they are tough he still smiles.  So on Blye's philosophy in life, smile a lot, love with your all, and give the best hugs you can.  So, with all this anxiety that I am having with packing bags, getting through the trip, trying to finailze the details, I need to remember that it is in God's hands and I need to trust in him.  So off to bed, with another day and 5 days and 19 hours to go when we step on a plane and reach the stars.

14 Days...

14 Days... and I am scared and excited.  We went to Sydney this weekend to pick up some things for the trip.  Friday I started not feeling well and turned into more sick as the weekend progressed. Blye has started with the lower half of things that you really don't want to have to deal with, and he has now progressed into the congested nasal stuff I have had.  Now I think that Gary is dealing with it too. I lysoled and bleached all surfaces I could, but I think it will be an on going process.  The good news is we have 14 days to kick this and I am going to try my hardest to kick this in the butt.  Look out germs we are on the war path.  All I know is we have to get better.  Please God make us well.

26 Days ?!?

Where has all the time gone?  I can't believe that we are so close.  The list is starting to get checked off.  Airline Tickets-check, Hotel Reservations-check, Money Conversion for procedure-in process.  WoW!  In 26 days we leave to change our lives forever.  You know I was thinking the other day (ya I know scary huh? Me? Think?) I keep saying that this one day will change our lives forever, and really it is not the day.  That day is just like any other day in our life, it is what we will take from what happens that day and will be truly grateful for the rest of our lives.  Who would have ever thought that a small town in Colorado would hold a little boy so high to reach the stars.  I know for a fact that this is a place that I want to be.  My family is loved and we love this community.  I know that this is short, but I just wanted to share my thoughts