Staff Sgt Jason Ross - Marine

Well, it is time to sign off of 2013 and maybe even reflect a little on the progress that Jason has made. It is a little on the strange side to think that we started this year in Bethesda, MD, and yet are now back here in San Diego, CA. He was an inpatient, not really knowing what was going to be happening and now he is nearly healed, and feeling better, AND Gracie, the service dog, has come into his life. The next steps are an upcoming surgery; the acquisition of a vehicle; and, having a home built for him. All of this is very exciting, and we are looking forward to getting to a more independent and productive life. Heck, he's even looking into enrolling into some college courses, just to get his brain working in that direction again. Thank you, to all of you. Over these past 2+ years (getting close to 3) you have been showing support and letting us know you're there. All your continued prayers have been keeping us strong and helping to keep Jason moving in the right directi...

Today has been another of those great days where we didn't do much but we did enjoy each other's company. We went to Jason's formation this morning and because I was guessing it was going to be a shorter engagement at the base (meaning I really didn't think they would have classes) and I guess I was right because at a short while after 08:00 Jason called me and let me know that he was done. I met him over at the same place I dropped him off for formation and then we were on our way back to the house. We got back to the house to find the ladies (Linda and the girls) all having fun and still in their pajamas. Jason said he wanted to take us all out for breakfast, and then go on to Costco to pick up some things. It was decided to head on over to a restaurant that was close to Costco and that way we wouldn't have far to drive, after we were done. Breakfast was over, and we all decided that we wouldn't want to go there again; service was poor and the food was done ...

We got up early this morning and made ready to head up to Los Angeles to visit with our son David and his family. The only thing was that Jason and Gracie were not going to be going with us. Because of the trouble she is having with her right front leg, the vet said she simply needed to rest as much as possible, and she can only do that if she just stays home. The good news is that the rest seems to have done some good. When we came home this evening she was walking around in a much more normal manner so I am guessing that the pills she has been taking are acting much like an anti-inflammatory medication as well as a pain relief. We'll see over the next couple of days how that goes. Anyway, we spent the day up with David and Miriam and had a very relaxing and fun time. The four grand kids were great and had a great time together. their ages are (or will be in a couple of weeks) 1 1/2, 3, 4, 5, and they alternate between David and Jason... believe it or not, they didn't do tha...

Kind of a laid back day, with not much going on. We put the trash and recycle bins out last night, but there was still more to put in. Most of it was recycle, and even afterward I found a box full of cardboard that didn't make it out. That's okay, it is only one box, and they'll get it next week. After getting up this morning, I went for a quick ride (I'm attempting to stay more dedicated to my riding so that I will be ready for the EOD ride this coming year) and put in a quick 10 miles. Jason had made an appointment for Gracie, with the vet, so I had to be sure I was back in time to clean up. We left for the vet appointment and once at the doctor's office we didn't have to wait very long at all. The doctor is a thorough look at Gracie and couldn't find anything definitive about why she is limping, but there is a noticeable limp. After he and Jason discussed it, it was determined to provide her with some pain meds and Gracie was to be put on bed rest for t...

It was the night after Christmas, when all through the house, everybody was resting and not wanting to grouse. All the energy expended; all the participants drained. Now what do we do, but start over again. The girls came back, to spend the day after with their dad, and Grandma and Grandpa, too. It was Christmas all over again, YEAH! It's Christmas take two! Okay, so much for my poetry, I suppose I could continue for a few stanzas, but it was starting to feel a little like work, so I'll just use regular prose and see where that takes me... ;-) The day was spent with Linda heading out early to go mingle with the day-after shoppers, as this is something she really enjoys doing. She sometimes buys a few things, and other times she doesn't; what she really tries to do is just watch the shoppers as they go on their way exchanging or looking for bargains. Jason was engrossed in a program that he found on YouTube, and was happy to just sit back and relax, so I put together a q...

Today has been a very good day for all of us and it started out just as we would want it to. Since there were no kids here, this morning, we all slept in... at least for a little while. I was up at about 08:00 and went out for a bike ride. Both Linda and Jason were still sleeping and it was a wonderful day out. I got on the bike and went in the direction I normally do, and found that there weren't too many vehicles on the road. This made it a very nice ride, and I considered it my Christmas present to me. The cool part was that I was feeling pretty good and made the 12 mile loop in almost exactly an hour - and that includes stops for red lights (there was just enough traffic to trigger a few of the lights). I got home from the ride and started to work on getting the two of them up and moving. Just as I was becoming a pest to Linda, my brother called from West Virginia. It really wasn't a surprise, I was just happy that his timing was excellent. If he had called sooner he migh...

This morning the girls came running into our room and jumped into bed with both of us still attempting to wake up. Stacy announced that Christmas is tomorrow and we needed to be ready for it. As it tuned out the girls ran back down stairs and I took the opportunity to get up and at least brush my teeth. I was actually planning on going for a bike ride when I walked into Jason's room and he reminded me that there was an appointment today, this morning at about 10:00. I went back up stairs and let Linda know what was going on and then headed back down to get breakfast for Jason, and the girls. We all eventually got ready and we headed out to the hospital. Linda wanted to get in some last minute visits prior to the Christmas "shut down" and Jason and I to the appointment. The appointment was with Plastics and Dermatology, at Wound Care. Everyone was amazed at how well the wounds were doing and we got a chance to discuss the next steps with the doctors. We are now looking a...