The last entry ended halfway through our vacation. Well suffice it to say that the rest of the trip was as wonderful as the first half. We left David and Rachel's on Monday morning definitely feeling sad to say goodbye. Our first stop was Pike Place Market in Seattle. The nectarines we purchased there were the best I've every had. They were also the largest and most expensive but worth every penny. It didn't make sense to buy any fish since we had no way to cook it or get it home unspoiled but it was fun watching the guys slinging huge fish around as people picked what they were buying. It is worth stopping just to see the variety and quality of the food.
Just one of the vegetable and fruit stands. I'm not sure if the picture below does justice to the size of the lobsters, but one would feed more than one person. They were HUGE.
Leaving Seattle we headed south for Mount St. Helen's. It was too foggy to see the mountain on Monday but we were staying in the area and the next morning proved to be clear and beautiful. It was fascinating to drive the 50 miles from Hwy 5 through the countryside once devastated by the volcano. It has been 29 years since the volcano blew and the area is still in the process of recovery. Forests have been replanted in many areas and some places have naturally regrown. The replanted forests looked so strange and we realized it was because all the trees are the same type and nearly the same height. It felt like a movie set. Once in the National Park, 
nothing has been replanted and the original destruction is still visible. Trees blown down, most areas with little or no vegetation, and areas of deep ash. The mountain itself is beautiful in it's barrenness. We spent half the day there and then once again headed south.
Monday we stayed near Multnomah Falls, the second highest falls in the US. Yosemite Falls being the tallest. It was a beautiful area. When we drove up to the B&B where Doug had made reservations my my initial reaction was...'let's find a motel.' However, it turned out to be a very nice place to stay and quite historic, nearly 100 years old and still owned by the original family.
The rest of the week was spent visiting such places as Tillamook, Oregon, home to Tillamook Cheese and touring the factory. We spent time enjoying the beauty of the Oregon Coast and onto the majesty and quietness of the Redwood forests of Northern California. It was a restful and relaxing trip home. 
Doug catching up on the sleep he lost doing the large majority of the driving. I was not much help this time taking turns driving. Every time we started to drive I fell asleep. Not a good idea to let me drive.
Maddie and her Grandfather.
It was early evening when Doug, Amy and I were able to see Josie, Heidi and Caleb. What a BEAUTIFUL baby she is. Heidi was doing well, lots of pain med's and a beautiful baby make for a happy mother. Both she and Caleb looked tired and were tired but very happy. 
Heidi came home from the hospital on Tuesday the 9th. I was able to be at the house waiting for them. It was fun to welcome them home. Doug came over after work, I made dinner and we spent time with the new parents and our newest granddaughter. It is just amazing. The next day, June 10 was my surgery. It was an outpatient procedure. The surgery was scheduled for 1:30 and I was home by 8:30 or so. Very drugged and still in pain but happy to be laying on my own couch. The next few days are a blur. Doug stayed home on Thursday and I could not have made it through that day without help. I was on lots of pain medication which makes me incredibly sleepy and a bit loopy. 
By Monday, I felt good enough go to Heidi's and help with Josephine. Pam had stayed with them for the first few days. My dad drove me since I wasn't sure I could handle driving yet. I spent the week helping Heidi but not really feeling well. In fact, I kept feeling worse and weaker all week. Thursday morning my doctor's visit revealed that I was suffering from an infection. They began me on some heavy duty antibiotics which really affected me. I was weak and sleepy all the time. After a week on the antibiotics, the infection seems to be gone, my strength is returning but I'm still tired most of the time.
Sunday was Mother's Day. It was the first Mother's Day without mom and I found myself really sad. But at the same time it was Heidi's first Mother's day. She and Caleb came for lunch, the guys went to Rubio's and bought us exactly what we wanted to eat. All my other children called and it turned into a nice day.
The following Saturday, May 23 was Julie's 30th birthday. Jon and a friend threw Julie a great party at a park by the water in San Diego. The day was filled with more celebration (May held lots of celebrations), and great food; hamburgers, potato salad, chips, cookies and watermelon. Caleb and Heidi came with us and on the way home we stopped at Taco Bell for a quick and cheap dinner then to their house to watch the last few innings of the game. 
Early the next morning, Sunday the 24th, I woke with bad stomach pains. In the past year or so, I had experienced similar stomach pains but they were milder and lasted for much shorter periods of time. I thought it was just bad reflux/heartburn, took a number of Tums and we went to church. It was hard to sit through service and I just wanted to get home and lay on the couch. By evening I was ready for some real help and had Doug take me to the emergency room. It turned out I was having a gallbladder attack. Evidently all the high fat food from the day before had brought on the attack. Pain medication never felt so wonderful. I would have been glad if they had just taken the thing out right then and there. I spent two days on pain med's before the attack subsided. Then a couple of days getting some strength back. I also found myself avoiding eating any fat since I was willing to do whatever was necessary to never have this happen again.
