1/4/12 (Wednesday):  I'm so far behind in my blogging that I'm not even going to try to cover everything that's been happening in our continuing great adventure.  Just a few highlights here to get you caught up, and then I'll close with our next great adventure that will begin January 31st.  My internet connection is rather slow today, so this blog will be mostly text.

As most of my faithful followers know, we spent the summer in Michigan near my son, Tom, and his family.  We really appreciated being in a campground near them because Wiley had surgery to replace the deep brain stimulator that had been removed the year before due to infection.  The DBS team at the University of Michigan was fantastic.  Dr. Patil, the neurosurgeon, and Dr. Chou, the neurologist, and the team that included a social worker, neuropsychologist, physical therapist, nurses and support staff worked to make the whole experience as pleasant as possible.  Everything went flawlessly, and we're happy to report that Wiley is getting better every day, with no sign of infection.  A big "thank you" to Tom and Kristin for all their support while we were there.  The whole experience was so much less stressful because we were able to have some fun with them in between appointments.  And, of course, spending time with the grandkids is always special.

When we got back to Florida in October, we discovered that the battery in the older DBS (Wiley has two, one to control the left side of his body and the other to control the right side) was going bad.  So we had that battery replaced by our Florida team, Dr. Razak (neurosurgeon) and Dr. Gonzalez (neurologist).  We're still in the process of having adjustments to achieve the best possible control with the fewest side effects.  It's a process that takes some time, but the results are worth it.  I have "before" and "after" videos, but my internet connection is too slow to allow me to post them.

Here are a few of my favorite moments from this past summer:

Tom Coaching Margo's Soccer Team

I got to go to a couple of the girls' soccer practices and games.  Tom is coaching Margo's team this year (he coached Anna's last year and will probably coach Claire's next year.

Margo Crocheting

There was lots of quiet time with my granddaughters.  I had taught Anna to crochet last year, so it was Margo's turn to learn this year.  They both seem to enjoy it a lot.  Wiley and I also enjoyed Friday nights with the family all joining together for pizza and a video.

Tawas Point Lighthouse

Once Wiley was healing nicely, we toured northern Michigan for a few days, enjoying lots of lighthouses, eating pasties and leaf peeping.

We enjoyed Thanksgiving at Wiley's sister's home and had a great Christmas with Wiley's parents.  Mag and Wiley gave us a screened gazebo that has been in use every day since we got it.  I haven't downloaded my Christmas pics yet, so you'll just have to take my word for it that a good time was had by all.

Now that we're up to date, I'll share our big news with you.  We're going to New Zealand in February!  That should make for some pretty good blogs, don't you think?  My son, Mark, and his family live in Wellington on the North Island.  In addition to some sightseeing and visiting with them, we've rented a camper and will tour the South Island for a week.  We'll also stop in Los Angeles for a very quick visit with my sister, Jan, and her family.  So, stay tuned for more of Joyce and Wiley's Great Adventure.