Well, it’s our first weekend back at home together…and it is WONDERFUL! YAHOO!!!!
Matt’s last day in Omaha was fairly uneventful. We had one last staff meeting to just go over where he is at and the therapists’ recommendations for Matt’s continued therapy. There weren’t any surprises there…just making sure we are all on the same page. We stopped and said good bye to a few staff members and residents and then we headed home. We came home to a little welcome home surprise…a few friends had baked a cake and left a Welcome Home Matt sign with balloons and some cash to order pizza with. It was very thoughtful and sweet…we were both touched. Once we got unloaded, Matt settled in on the couch and took a snooze. It was beautiful out, the windows were open and the air was fresh and warm. Matt was so happy to be home…happy to be in our town, happy to just be in his normal environment. We ordered the Pagliai’s pizza that Matt had been craving and we just relaxed watching TV.
Saturday we slept in, took our time getting around, and then spent most of the day hanging out watching college football together. We both settled back in to life together pretty fast, almost like he had never left. Even though things are different now, it’s like he was just here yesterday…it’s just so normal for him to be here. We are both just so glad to be back together in our home!
Today we got up and went to church. It was so good to get back there and see all the loving faces of those who have held us up in their prayers for so long. The congregation there has meant so much to us over the past year, and we were so happy to be able to see them all again. After church, Matt’s parents, grandparents, and sister came over for lunch. It was so gorgeous out we ate lunch on the patio and spent most of the afternoon outside visiting and enjoying the beautiful weather. Tomorrow we don’t have anything specific planned…and we are really looking forward to that!
Having this weekend to get settled and re-evaluate doing things around the house has been really great for us. I am truly amazed at how much more independent Matt is in completing routine things around the house! But, I’m not just pleased at his physical ability to do these things, I am also impressed by his willingness and determinedness to do them. It would have been so easy for him to go back to the way things were before he left, with me helping out here and there, but Matt is very motivated to do things on his own…and it so great to see! We are figuring out new ways to do things and the best way to set things up for him on a daily basis. Things are going so well…he’s blown me away with all he can do. And this morning he said ‘there isn’t much I can’t do’!!! He’s so very determined to do things as normally as he can. We talked about doing projects around the house, like rewiring a lamp and changing the oil in the Trans Am…these are things he is confident he can do. It might take him longer, and it might be more awkward, but he’s willing to give it a shot. His positive attitude is moving, to say the least.
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