Time was taken on Thursday morning to create a photo tour of the Schei home in Rio Rancho. Schei is pronounced //shy//.
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| MK is IN THE SCHEI HOUSE |
As I wrote the above photo caption I was reminded of stories from Germany. Chris's husband, Gordy, is a native Minnesontian. He met and married Christine while stationed in Germany. Germans traditionally answer their telephones by stating their last name. So, in the newlyweds case, they would answer their phone and say, "Schei." The word for shit in Germany is scheisse, pronounced //shy-za//. (It is kind of funny, ya know? I can think of a few times in my life when I would have liked to answer the phone saying "Shit!") (And those who know me can attest that I do end up in the shit house every once and awhile.)
The Schei compound
The view of the Sandia Mountains from the backyard. Sandia means watermellon in Spanish. These mountains look the color of watermellon during certain seasons when the sun sets.
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| The office an front foyer |
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| Anneka's gorgeous doll stands in the hallway. |
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| This is a genuine German schrunk. They DO NOT make them like this in the states, or anywhere else in the world for that matter. |
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| No German home is complete without a shadow box. Mine is in storage for now. I need to find it and put it up to feel like I am home as I settle back into 84 Brooklyn Street. |
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| Gorgeous family photos |
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| This find in Erik's room was extra special. It is his baptismal certificate, picturing St. Katharinen Kirche that I talked about in the post when I was thinking about Germany. I attended this baptism. I have not been back since leaving in 1985. I need to go back. I'd like my sons to be able to go as well. |
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| This is Mike and Erik in the big therapy room in the house, full of equipment. Mike left the world of truck driving after 25 years to return to college. He will be a certified occupational therapy assistant when he is done. He works with Erik four hours a day, five days a week. |
A therapy pool, paid for after a long period of time of advocacy by Chris. Not many win an argument with the German lady!
Erik has a separate apartment toward the back of the house. Pictured here is the lift track that gets him from his bed and into...
the shower and bathroom.
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| A memory wall of fame in Erik's therapy room |
Nuero therapy - stimulating muscles as Erik follows instructions to flex biceps. When asked if he is working as hard as he can the answer is, "Always." A brain shaped stress ball is placed in one hand and Mike says, ironically, "Squeeze your brain, Erik, squeeze your brain."
Lisa comes twice a week for speech therapy. The DynoVox has come a long way! Erik's best man speech for his brother's wedding was shared. A Rotary speech was played, too. During therapy Erik composed a text to a favorite, former therapist. The emphasis of therapy is improving his loudness, getting a good breath before he speaks. Work on memory is also a high priority. We have homework together. I am so proud of him. He works hard, "Always." He tells jokes. He reads. The VA wanted to put him in a nursing home 18 months after his injury. NO WAY, Jose.
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| More occupational therapist. Erik worked six hours today. Getting better is his job. |
After the family dinner, the girls got ready for a night out.
Anneka puts some curls in my hair.
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| Chris, MK, Kayla (Chris' daughter-in-law, Deven's wife), Anneka |
Our special evening out ....
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| This is a FAVORITE for many reasons including: puppetry, costumes, music and story line. |
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| On Campus at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque |
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| Mufasa and his Pride |
Puppetry and imagination at its finest!
Rafiki
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| Scar - the evil one! |
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| Simba and Nala |
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| Who doesn't love Timon and Pubaa? |
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| Zasu |
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| New life is introduced! |
And life, with it's trials and celebrations, continues in our own Circle of Life each day.
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