The News

     Well, I haven't ket up on my blog the way I had hoped.  I guess life is always coming at you fast, and you have to figure out your priorities.  I would like people to know what is going on in our lives and how we are doing, but I also know that other things are more important than being in front of the computer.  I had intended it to be a diary or sorts, but some things are just too personal for the web. 
     Two big things that happened are my kids.  Amoz turned 5 this past May and Jade turned 3.  My baby is 3 yrs old.  Crazy!! Had things gone the way we planned them we would already have another child, but in what world do things ever go according to plan?  Right!?  We have gone camping a lot this summer. Mostly out to Isaiah's parents cabin in Plummer, ID. 
     We have done a great deal of 4-wheeling and exploring around the places we like to camp.  Because of a battery problem one of the 4 wheelers is out of commission currently but we hope to have it fixed soon.  Our nieces and nephews also had a great deal of fun on them this summer while visiting.  We went to Dworshak Resevoir and Plummer and Bumblebee campgrounds this summer camping.  Lately though we'd like to focus more on getting to the lake as much as possible.  Our boat has a problem we have yet to diagnose but have hopes that it will run soon as well.  Fishing you know?! 
     We are setting the forms for the back patio today, and hope to pour this weekend.  That is a task that we are completely ready to have done finished.  It will span the length of the house and eventually be covered.  That will be a great asset to our home.  We always have big dreams.  It's just a matter of them coming true or not that we struggle with.  
     More currently, we have been focused on Grampa Estes. He's had a lot of health problems lately, first with a series of little strokes called transient strokes.  He did get better though, even with the limitations of treatments.  When he was in the hospital we got to see Jake and Elisa, and Mindie came up to help Mom, and give them support.  He was scheduled to go in and do some follow up tests.  The other day when he went in for those tests the doctors decided they didn't like what they saw in his heart during the stress test they administered.  They kept him there till they could feed him and administer another test taking pictures of his heart and blood flow.  They diagnosed him with having more blocked veins to his heart with the possibility of the main ventrical being blocked as well.  Treatements being stents ( which he got a few years ago.  His body doesn't react well with the way stents are put in.)  The other option being to put a baloon in to clear the pathway.  The last option being a bypass.  Since the strokes Linda has applied for more coverage through the vets hospital and Fred now has full coverage through the VA.  The only hinderance being he has to stay within the confines of the VA hospital.  They took him yesterday to seattle to have more tests run.  I am assuming because it is a bigger VA hospital than we have here in spokane, and have a heart surgeon on staff.  As far as I know they will conduct some tests there to see the treatment options, and either treat it in seattle or send him to the SLC VA, i can only assume once again because it is bigger or more well equipped.  But nothing is decided as yet, and I have not heard any of the results of tests they may have conducted.  Sandra flew in last night to come support Mom and Dad and will drive with Mom to Seattle on Thursday to be with Dad for the weekend.  That's all i know and it's not much.  So I'll keep posted when I hear more.  God be with you and may you have as much peace in your lives as possible. 

The Estes Family