Family, Friends and Friends who feel like Family.

We sure have packed a good bit of quality time with people we love in the past two weeks…Rolf made it home safely from Rio after sharing a most incredible life experience with dear friends:

Oma came to Goleta and took on Rudy duty for a few days so I could visit my mom & extended family in Kansas:

Fun in Quinter, KS with Gma Jo and lifelong friend Eugenia!!

And Rudy’s godparents visited for a couple of days from San Diego!!!!!:

A whole lotta love from Marlin and Grace!

The visits have been brief for the most part but significant on so many levels and good for the soul nonetheless. We are deeply blessed by the rich relationships in the life of our family and this whole summer, frankly, has been a big reminder of that.

I got home from KS on Sunday and our household jumped back into the swing of the new school year on Monday. Max and Olivia were the first ones to go:

First day of school for Max and Olivia – August 22nd.

The taking of the traditional 1st day of school photo!

Rudy was next:

So, so happy to start another school year!

Rudy’s new teacher Ms. Ochoa and his aide Jennifer!

Ms. Ochoa rolled out the red carpet for her 2nd and 3rd graders…

Wilson left for APU on Thursday and starts his classes next week. We’re heading down to Azusa on Sunday to take the rest of his things and say our official “goodbye”…it was hard to see him go after our fun family summer together but his excitement about getting back to campus and his friends made it a lot easier this time around. 🙂

We ended this crazy week with an appointment with Dr. Harake (SB Cardiologist). We typically see Dr. Harake within a week of a cath but the appt wasn’t automatically generated after Rudy’s cath in July (as it typically is at the time of discharge) and I dropped the ball on our end as the summer filled up so today’s visit was a little over a month and a half LATE!!! Yikes!!! I felt a little irresponsible after talking with Dr. Harake’s office to set up the appointment earlier in the week. Thankfully Rudy was fine and recovered well from his cath on July 8th but not scheduling a post-cath follow up with Dr. Harake isn’t something we should do in the future.

The discussion today was sobering. Today’s echo showed that Rudy’s atrium is three times it’s normal size and is bigger than it was in May. Our discussion turned to the cath results and how it effects where we go from here. The cath showed that the pressure in Rudy’s lungs has lessened which is significant because Rudy’s high pulmonary pressure (known at pulmonary hypertension) has been a major factor in preventing him from having a successful Glenn and/or heart transplant. Low pulmonary pressures potentially put surgical options back on the table for Rudy. I think it’s fair to say that Dr. Harake sees this as a good thing but doesn’t necessarily see it as a green light for surgery.

The reality is that Rudy has been a high risk for surgery for more reasons than just pulmonary hypertension and those other factors are still present. In addition to the risks that remain, there also remains the question whether or not the rate at which the Glenn will reduce the stress on Rudy’s heart is worth it. In other words, can the Glenn reduce enough stress on the heart to make a noticeable difference? Although it’s impossible to predict an outcome, it is possible to factor a general mortality rate given the variables with which we are working. Dr. Harake encouraged us to think about what an acceptable mortality rate would be for us going into surgery. That’s certainly a difficult question to answer…a tough process to wrap the brain around. We haven’t heard back from the team at UCLA yet but Dr. Harake’s counsel is helpful and we pray the conference on Rudy’s case will bring some clarity. We need good information in the midst of a confusing mountain of unknowns.

Dr. Harake also encouraged us to keep a close eye on ANY possible source of infection whether it be in his oral health or in the redness surrounding an elbow abrasion. He warned us that a topical infection that enters the bloodstream will attack a vulnerable, compromised ventricle with deadly consequences and so it’s important for us to be vigilant in the prevention of infection. (Yikes!) We’ve always known this to be true but today’s warning felt more direct than usual…and heavy in light of everything else. So, prayers for discernment and protection are at the top of the list…discernment in the decision-making process (still) and protection for Rudy’s heart in the meantime. I’m ending the week zapped of energy and guarded…grateful but also concerned. This journey sure can leave one feeling pretty manic/depressive from one day to the next so I’m praying for balance in the midst of conflicting reports as well as stability in this season of adjustments for the whole family.

Here’s one last look at summer:

Happy “Back to School” dear ones!!!

Random Stuff…and Rio.

To say life has been a bit of a whirlwind the past couple of weeks would be an understatement…

…Rolf jetted off to Rio (Yep, I said Rio!!) 10 days ago to watch our goddaughter compete in the Olympics, Wilson headed down to Azusa for a couple of days to practice with his fellow campus worship team members for this next school year, Olivia trotted up to Mammoth with the DPHS XCountry team for a week of altitude training and Max has been working double shifts at Kyle’s. Rudy and I? Well, we’ve been holding down the fort at home and enjoying a few last minute visits with friends from LA and Orange County. The fun doesn’t stop there though? Rolf’s mom flew in yesterday for a couple of weeks, I’m headed to KS next week to visit my mom and the big kids start school the day after I get back!!!! The end of summer is closing in fast!! Boo Hoo…this mama is never ready for summer to end!!!

Our family will all be back under one roof tomorrow and the rest of us are eager to hear all about Rolf’s Rio Adventure…I’ll refrain from sharing too much about it now and let Rolf tell his own story but I will say that the highlight of the Olympic coverage for me the past 10 days was watching (our goddaughter) Maya’s response to each success she had…she swam four events, she won four medals (bronze, silver and 2 gold) and each time she was interviewed, she communicated gratitude for the experience and joy over Team USA’s overall success. She thoroughly enjoyed the personal experiences she was having but always presented herself as a team player. She was simply delightful to watch and I’m so proud of every expression, every gesture, every move I saw her make in this once in a lifetime opportunity…that’s a pretty remarkable thing to be able to say. Congratulations Maya! And THANK YOU…for representing well and glorifying God in the process!

13939434_10154084658379213_449044189271834241_n — The Geyling family representative in Rio with 4-time Olympic medal winner Maya DiRado!

Soooo, now, it’s time to regroup, refocus and wrap our brains around the start of school…in less than two weeks. Rudy has some big adjustments ahead. He will be moving up to the next special ed day class at his school with a new teacher and older classmates, he will go from mainstreaming in a Kindergarten class to mainstreaming in a 2nd grade class and, most notably, he will have a new caregiver. 😦 Dear Nurse Sara accepted a position at our local hospital over the summer and won’t be returning to Mountainview. We are so very thrilled for her but she will definitely be missed.

With all that is going on at the end of our summer break, I won’t have the time to prepare our family for the start of school as I typically do so I’m praying now for prepared minds and hearts and all around good adjustments for all the kids. Olivia and Max start classes at the high school (9th and 12th grade) on August 22nd, Rudy starts 2nd grade on August 24th and Wilson heads back to APU on the 25th. (Big sigh!) Oh well, summer was fun while it lasted!

Medical update: We haven’t had any follow up with Rudy’s docs since last month’s cath so another BIG ITEM on my TO DO list when I get back from Kansas is to connect with Dr. Harake and hear his thoughts on the cath report. As I mentioned before, I suspect we won’t be moving forward with surgery quickly but it’s important to keep the group discussions going…there is still much to process. We sure appreciate your continued prayers!!!

Thank you and bless you friends!

Just because…this picture makes me smile!!

Rudy’s Summer Break!

Rudy’s summer school session ended last week so he is now officially on summer break! Woo Hoo!!! He recently discovered the joy of Mario Kart on Wii and has become a video game junkie the last couple of days…aaaah summer! Rudy has actually REALLY enjoyed being home with nothing to do but play video games and swim. We pushed him pretty hard the week after the cath as he had his regular school/therapy schedule AND Vacation Bible School at our church each evening AND we decided to cap off the week with a day at Disneyland to visit cousin Josh! Although Rudy wasn’t a particularly willing participant in any of it, he ended up going with the flow with a little encouragement and we made some fun memories nonetheless…

Doin’ Dland with cousin Josh!!! Rudy wasn’t too keen on the crowds but the rest of us had a blast…

We did, however, get him to smile with Mater!

Our new favorite attraction is the Animation Academy in California Adventure…so. much. fun.

We made it home from Disneyland in time (with TWO hours to spare) to see Rolf off to the airport for a business trip to Chicago and then we had a day to get ready for Wilson’s return from Ft. Knox. His month of training was full and grueling and challenging but he felt good about it in the end and was almost as happy to be home as we were to have him home…;)

Wilson’s CIET Graduation…he’s the second one in on the first row. Ft. Knox, KY

Somebody’s super happy to have his roommate back!

In the week that Wilson has been back Rolf made it home from Chicago, we hosted 18 graduates of the SBRM Residential Recovery Program for dinner, celebrated their accomplishments at a standing room only graduation event on Saturday night and enjoyed quick visits with dear friends from our days in South Central a couple of lifetimes ago…what a rich, RICH week…full of big doses of hope and reminders of God’s grace over and over again! We have about a week and a half all together before different members of the family jet-set off in different directions so we’re taking advantage of EVERY minute and soaking up some good family time. Happy Summer Rudy!!

A couple of dapper dudes at the SBRM graduation.

The photo credit for this little gem goes to Dale Weber! LOVE it!!!

Cath Report

We sure appreciate all the prayers and good wishes, texts and phone calls yesterday. We felt loved and supported and are so grateful. Rudy’s heart cath went smoothly and we are pleased to report that there is some movement in a positive direction!

First, a little background:

Rudy’s heart surgery back on October 6, 2008 was the first of what was supposed to be a 3-step surgical process that would reconfigure the blood flow in and around Rudy’s heart to accommodate the absence of the two left chambers of his heart. In that first surgery, Rudy received a shunt (Sano shunt) that connected his single ventricle to his main pulmonary artery to provide pulmonary blood flow (blood flow between his 1/2 heart and his lungs). The Sano shunt was intended to be a temporary tool to sustain life long enough to get Rudy to the next step in the process known as the Glenn. The Glenn typically happens between 3-5 months of age but because Rudy encountered so many setbacks after his first surgery, his Glenn was delayed. For two years, Rudy was monitored closely with the expectation that the Glenn was just around the corner. However, during a heart cath in October of 2010 (October 21st to be exact), it was determined that Rudy was not a Glenn candidate (or likely a heart transplant candidate as well) due to high pulmonary pressures (a.k.a. Pulmonary Hypertension).

In the nearly 6 years since that devastating cath report, Rudy has had 5 additional heart catheterizations to monitor those pulmonary pressures and help reduce the pressure on his half heart wherever possible through angioplasties, stent implantations and the coiling of collaterals that were beginning to spring up. The goal was to keep blood flow moving as Rudy grew in size and mobility. Although we have seen some improvement in Rudy’s pulmonary pressures over the years, the cath report was always the same…not enough improvement to move forward. So, for 6 years, Rudy has been living in HLHS limbo…in a gradual process of heart failure with no options for treatment.

The reason for yesterday’s cath was to gather detailed information on the current state of his heart as there have been signs in recent weeks of factors in his heart worsening…i.e. high hemoglobin numbers detected in his monthly blood draws, an increase in tricuspid valve leakage detected in his bi-monthly echo exams and bluer lips/extremities in general. The goal was to see if there is an intervention that Rudy’s body can tolerate to relieve some of the stress being placed on his heart…ultimately buying him more time until a “longer term” solution can be reached. Possible options that Dr. Dan discussed with us a couple of weeks ago included replacing the Sano shunt (5mm tube at it’s widest, intended for an infant) with something bigger, a tricuspid valve repair (not optimal as it is a highly invasive open heart procedure) OR possibly a modified Glenn.

7-08-16 Cath Report:

As Rolf mentioned in his quick post yesterday, the results of yesterday’s cath are better than we’ve allowed ourselves to hope for in the last several years. Dr. Dan used the phrase “ridiculously good” a few times and we’re still trying to process what this really means for Rudy. In a nutshell, the pulmonary resistance has fallen low enough (so low, actually, that Dr. Dan retested them a few times to make sure he wasn’t getting a false reading!!!) that, in theory, Rudy’s body could tolerate a Glenn procedure (where the Sano shunt is removed, the Superior Vena Cava is severed from the heart and attached directly to the right pulmonary artery and blood flow from Rudy’s body drains directly into his lungs for oxygenation)!!

Now, granted, this isn’t the ultimate destination…the Glenn is just one hurdle in this long journey of treatment but it’s thrilling to think we might just be able to give Rudy a chance to clear it and move on to the next phase.

For all the cardiology geeks out there, here’s a look at the actual images in our post-cath consult with Dr. Dan…it’s kinda cool because it gives a visual of some of the issues I mentioned above. Unfortunately, Dr. Dan discovered that arterial access to Rudy’s heart through his groin isn’t possible…they’re all blocked so he gained access through his neck instead…not optimal but it got the job done. He was able to balloon the Sano shunt (controlled blood flow) again and started to coil some collaterals (rogue, uncontrolled blood flow) but, as you can hear in the video, stopped because access through the neck was too difficult.

So, what do we do now?

Dr. Dan arranged the schedule so that Rudy’s surgeon was on site during the cath as well…this was helpful because they were able to look at the images and discuss the results right away. We didn’t get a chance to talk to Dr. Brian ourselves but I think it’s fair to say that their initial feeling is the Glenn is back on the table. The plan is for them to present this new information at conference (hopefully soon) with Dr. Harake and the team at UCLA and then we will have a longer discussion with Drs. Brian and Harake about specifics. I suspect Dr. Harake will want to approach this conservatively and wait until the risk of not doing something outweighs the risks of the procedure itself (which we are on board with too) but I would also like to take some time to discuss the value of waiting vs. the value of moving forward while Rudy is strong in body and spirit. As I thought about it on the drive home last night and more today, it just feels like, from a non-medical standpoint, Rudy is ready emotionally to move forward. We’ll see. Like-mindedness and discernment are key in the discussions ahead…we ABSOLUTELY PRAISE GOD for sustaining Rudy this far and trust His presence will continue to lift us all in the months ahead.

Pictures? You bet!!…

Rudy was all smiles when we arrived at UCLA around 9am…he asked us the night before if he could wear his “Lightening McQueen shoes” (actually slippers) and bring his LMcQ backpack and had all his treasures packed before bedtime! Ha Ha He was very proud strolling around the hospital hallway outside registration after checking in. 🙂

Rudy took his paperwork from the registration office and handed it in when he reported to pre-op…like a pro!!

Rudy going 70s retro with Mom’s makeshift headphone securer…Rolf wasn’t too sure about the look but I did get a couple of high fives for my ingenuity from nurses walking by!

Goofing around with Dr. Sanjay during the pre-cath exam!

We couldn’t go beyond the red line but Rudy didn’t care…he was so chill!

Rudy’s nurse in the PACU was from Ghana! When I told him Rudy has a Ghanian name – Kweku. George replied, “oh yes, baby boy born on a Wednesday”!! Exaaactly!!! LOVE IT! This was Rudy’s attempt at a smile at discharge…he was still quite loopy. 🙂

Since Dr. Dan didn’t do any major interventions and because we got this drill down pat, there wasn’t a need to stay overnight for observation!!! Yay…we were free to head back to SB about 9pm. It made for a long day but we were happy to get back to Max and Olivia…and our own bed!

Rudy has instructions to lay low for a couple of days and he hasn’t been too motivated to do much today anyway…he’s a little sore and groggy still. So, we’re going to have a lazy weekend and rest up in anticipation of a fun week of Vacation Bible School (VBS) next week at our church.

You know Rudy’s wiped out when he falls asleep midday while chewing on a truck!

I can’t tell you how grateful we are that Rudy’s original cath date on September 6th was moved up. Rolf and I consider it God’s grace to be spared a long wait for a cath that is typically preceded by a few sleepless nights. We didn’t have time to get too anxious this week or brace ourselves for the “punch in the gut” report we’ve come to expect from Rudy’s caths. Thank you, again, for rallying around our boy with your prayers and acts of kindness and for continuing to journey with us in the setbacks and victories. God is doing some MIGHTY things, He’s worthy to be praised always and we’re glad you’re along for the ride!! 🙂

A Big Send Off and Reconnections

We said goodbye to Wilson last Saturday with an early morning drop off at the SB airport. It took him three flights and a full day of travel to get to Ft. Knox, KY for cadet training that he texted is “real boot camp-style stuff”. He arrived on base at 9pm, had a 3 hour in-take process, got to bed at midnight and was up to report for duty at 3:30am!! He said he was happy to get any sleep at all as some of the cadets arrived on base at midnight and didn’t get to the barracks before it was time to report for the day. He was allowed to call home on Father’s Day and we’ve received only a couple of texts but he sounds good and upbeat…ending each communication with “don’t worry about me”! Ha Ha I guess I’m not doing a very good job of hiding my concern for him but I am so proud of his attitude and his willingness to be challenged in this way.

The Sherpa fire continued to rage all weekend but the strong winds cooperated by blowing away from the populated areas of Goleta. Rolf and Rudy took some time to watch the helicopter water drop refills happening near our home all day on Saturday. We are grateful for the fire’s containment and the BEAST firefighters who worked it in record heat this past week!!

We definitely felt Wilson’s absence on Sunday as we celebrated the big guy on Father’s Day. Olivia and Max knocked it out of the park on Rolf’s traditional Father’s Day Tshirt and we had a nice celebration at church. Although I love special days on the calendar set aside for celebrating, I don’t need Father’s Day to encourage me to appreciate Rolf as a dad more than I already do on a daily basis. His commitment to his kids is evident in the many ways he chooses to connect with them and the countless ways he serves and provides for them. He communicates his love directly and indirectly and demonstrates doing life with faith, humor and mad building skills! 🙂 GRATEFUL!!!

Rudy started summer school bright and early on Monday. He had a great first week getting to know a new teacher and reconnecting with a big group of special ed friends he knows from the different classes he has been in over the years. Nurse Jessica is filling in for Nurse Sara this summer and Rudy’s transition has been seamless.

Summer school pick up with Nurse Jessica.

Speaking of reconnections, this has been a fun week of reconnecting with dear friends for our family as well! I find that life often happens in extremes…in a week where my heart has been deeply burdened and entrenched with thoughts of Rudy’s situation and Wilson’s journey, I’ve also experienced the great joy of being with friends who love our family dearly and are BIG Rudy fans…good for the soul and good for putting Rudy’s amazing progress over the years in perspective.

Our time with the Peters Family on their way through town was much too short but packed with encouragement nonetheless! Welcome back to the West dear friends!!

A big dose of RUDY LOVE!

Rudy’s adopted family from Ghana made a stop in Goleta to visit us while on a big US tour. Fred and Evelyn are friends from Rolf’s Fuller days and we’ve enjoyed a friendship across many miles over the years. What a joy it was to watch our kids meet for the first time and YOU KNOW Rudy loved all the extra attention. Rudy’s Ghanian name is “Kweku” (which means male baby born on a Wednesday). After a little African lesson, we decided to add to it…”Nanakweku” which means little prince born on a Wednesday. He sure felt like a prince this week with all the extra love from the Dimados. 😉

A stop to see Rudy at school!

A stop at Kyle’s Kitchen (of course!!)

Some fun in the sun!

13524278_10153958019324213_1600256735412609676_n

We are still waiting on Rudy’s cath date…’hope to get it confirmed SOON so I can piece together other summer plans before the summer gets away from us. I’m starting to get a little nervous and need to balance what I WANT to get done with what NEEDS to get done. ‘Praying for peace today. Peace to you and yours dear friends!!!!

First Week of Summer!

Today is a hot and hazy day in Goleta. The SB County wildfire that made the national news this week broke out in the canyons just north of us Wednesday afternoon. The sundowner winds we get this time of year have aided in fanning the flames over the past couple of days. There is little threat that the fire will make it’s way to us but it’s definitely blanketing our community with smoke and a thin layer of ash on everything. We escaped the smoke and ash yesterday with a trip down to UCLA but we’re back home today and finding ways to keep busy inside. It is beginning to heat up so we’re praying the firefighters are able to keep their ground and stay safe as the heat, high winds and drought conditions in our area make for serious hurdles in the fight against this wildfire…just the beginning of a long fire season ahead.

I brushed the ash off my car this morning and then walked back out a bit later to run some errands to find this on my windshield…

So, our first week of summer has been filled with a few key medical appointments for Rudy and some fun too. Cousin Josh (who is interning for Disney this summer) took time away from the “Happiest Place on Earth” to visit us for a couple of days. Since we live so far away from both sides of our family, it’s always extra special when family visits.

Olivia’s 8th grade promotion celebration continued at church the following Sunday when the graduates from 6th grade, 8th grade, high school and college+ were recognized. It’s still hard to wrap my brain around the fact that she’ll be in high school this fall. 🙂

A big congratulations from Pastors Aaron and James. 🙂

We made two trips down to UCLA this past week. Rudy had a thorough echo exam at the pediatric heart clinic last Thursday and had his check up at the pediatric dental clinic yesterday as well as a quick conference with Dr. Dan to discuss our plan for the summer. The good news is that everyone involved in the discussions are in agreement. Based on information from our bi-monthly appts with Dr. Harake here in SB and the echo results from our trips to the heart clinic at UCLA, there are signs (i.e. high hemoglobin levels, increase in tricuspid valve leakage, bluer lips & fingers in general, etc) that Rudy’s heart failure is progressing. Everyone is in agreement that there is a need to take some stress off his heart and help it work more efficiently but the question remains whether or not the potential benefits of another open heart surgery are worth the risks. As Dr. Dan put it yesterday, we could intervene and Rudy could do great and we’d be wondering why we didn’t do something sooner, or we could intervene and make things much worse. Rudy’s condition may be worsening, but the concerns remain the same and I’m not sure if the pendulum has swung far enough to tip the scale in the opposite direction from where we are now. Because there are SO MANY conflicting factors and SO MANY pieces to the big picture scenario that’ll be impossible to align “just right”, I’m trying to prepare my heart for the decision to move forward to be based more on faith than hard science…(note: not that this journey has EVER had “easy” hard science answers but one always hopes for it!)

Before making a decision to schedule an open heart intervention which could include a tricuspid valve repair, shunt replacement or modified Glenn, we need to get the cath scheduled…I’m still working to nail down a date. The goals of this cath will be as they always are: to measure all the pressures, possibly open up the existing Sano Shunt (controlled blood flow) and definitely coil more collaterals that continue to sprout like a roadmap (uncontrolled blood flow).

So here’s a quick recap of our day yesterday…

Rudy got a great report from the dental clinic! Good oral health feels like a major victory and we’ll take it! High Five Rudy!!!

Next stop? Conference with Dr. Dan. Rudy was more interested in Dr. Dan’s badge than the computer keys. “Don’t let go Rudy!”

Rudy the Rascal had the most fun snatching doctor badges as we talked.

Once we were done with all the official business, the boys ditched the wheelchair and transported Rudy big brother style!

All in all, it was a productive day at UCLA and I look forward to getting the cath scheduled so I can piece together the rest of our summer.

Today our thoughts and prayers shift to Wilson as he prepares to leave for Fort Knox. He leaves early tomorrow morning and will be gone for a month of ROTC cadet training. We’re sure going to miss him around here but he’s excited. He’s a little nervous but knows he’ll be fine once he gets there. ‘Praying for his safety and that it’s a good experience for him over all.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and encouragement. God is good and gracious and loving and merciful and constant & my hope rests in Him…always…but especially when personal concerns swirl and thoughts of the broader concerns for our country and global community are on the forefront of my mind as well. Love and blessings to you and yours dear friends!

Welcome Summer

Yay! Yay! Yay! Today was Max, Olivia and Rudy’s last day of school and with that summer has officially arrived! Rolf, Olivia, Rudy and I have an early departure for UCLA tomorrow morning so I’ll keep this brief but want to commemorate the day with a few fun pics…

We enjoyed a fun visit with a good friend and Max’s godmother this week…Max shot up in height this year making him a whole head taller than Susie-Q!!!…

Olivia’s promotion festivities began with a fun party at school on Tuesday…

13339607_10153921454549213_4516022671529196079_n (2) — …and the 8th grade promotion ceremony on Wednesday!!!

Dos Pueblos HIGH SCHOOL (Whaaaat?!?!) Class of 2020!

Because of Rudy’s trip to the heart clinic tomorrow, he had to say goodbye to his teachers and classmates today. Mrs. Gallo’s class took time to send Rudy off with personal messages and Miss A caught it on video…so sweet!

Happy Summer Rudy!!! With Miss A, Nurse Sara and the sibs!

Happy Summer to you too dear friends!!! Let the fun begin!!!

Field Trip, Fun Trip

We’re finally down to the last few days of school and Rudy is finishing strong…he has had a string of really good days and is enjoying all the extra fun stuff this time of year. Today was particularly fun. Rudy and his classmates had a field trip to the Ty Warner (yeah, the beanie baby guy) Sea Center Museum on the pier in Santa Barbara. Rudy typically doesn’t LOVE the chaos of field trips but he sure embraced today’s outing and had a blast. It’s so fun to see how far he has come in situations like this…

Rudy had no fear of the tide pool creatures either!…

…but the water was a little cold resulting in Rudy’s purple fingers! 😉

Nurses Sara and Jessica in the shark cage with Rudy!!

After visiting the sea center, Rudy’s class had a picnic at a nearby park and Rudy had some fun with Miss A on the climbing structure…

…a ride on the carousel with Mrs. Gallo!! I’m not sure it gets any better than that!

Yay Room KB!!! It has been a great year.

Next week is Rudy’s last week of school but we found out yesterday that his heart clinic appt at UCLA was moved up from June 16th to June 9th so he’ll miss his last day of school. We still have to go to UCLA on the 16th for Rudy’s appt at the pediatric dental clinic so we have some scenic driving to do up and down the coast in the next couple of weeks. 🙂 No word yet when Rudy’s cath will be…Dr. Harake’s office is still working to schedule it.

In the meantime, we have some fun 8th grade promotion celebrating to do with Olivia next week AND we suspect we’ll spend a lot of time at Kyle’s Kitchen this summer…Max was offered a job there this week as the newest member of their cashier team! Woo Hoo!!! ‘Super excited for him to have his first real job and praying there are some family perks that come with the job! Ha Ha

Thank you for your prayers as we steam roll ahead toward a summer filled with familiar and new experiences for our family and lots of focus on Rudy’s medical needs. Ever grateful!

Extreme Spring Cleaning

Today is the last day of March and I think we can safely say that with the end of March comes the official end to the flood/rebuild/move-in saga!!! Yay!!! It’s so good to have our house back and Rudy has had fun the past couple of days rediscovering “his space” and toys that were packed away for three months. 🙂 We had a bit of a delay with the carpet installation a couple of weeks ago. As a result, it didn’t get installed until last week which put us in the middle of Holy Week. We were able to get the furniture unpacked right away but that was about it…the family’s schedule was full through Easter so the goal shifted to empty the POD this week…just in time for Gma Jo’s arrival next Monday!

The rebuild delays were frustrating toward the end but it’s certainly wonderful to have a fresh, new half a house at the start of spring (the ultimate in spring cleaning!)…just in time, too, as life ramps up with all the end of the school year activities just around the corner.

March also included some pretty precious “life moments” for Rudy and the family…particularly surrounding Easter. Here’s a little recap:

The beginning of March was big for Max as he turned 17 years old AND started the spring Lacrosse season at DP! Hello Spring!!!

Happy Birthday Big Boy!

Max playing LAX!

The final step in the rebuild process inspired Olivia’s creativity! 😉

Olivia’s “Floor Art” before the carpet installation.

New carpet smell…Yay for new carpet!!

Between the SBRM recovery program graduation and Easter, we’ve had a lot to celebrate with our friends at the Rescue Mission this month and Rudy was happy to be in the middle of it all…

Rudy was very proud to get his own bowl of “soup” during a mid-week visit for dinner with the residents.

The SBRM hosted it’s annual Easter Feast for the homeless on the Thursday of Holy Week…Rudy started out as a greeter with me but quickly found a spot in the middle of the courtyard where great fun was to be had…and where there is never a shortage of attention to be harnessed!

photo credit: Dale Weber

A blessed time with some very special friends…

After the Rescue Mission feast, we stopped at church for a Maundy Thursday tradition that includes a symbolic foot-washing activity. Olivia sat Rudy down and quietly explained to him how and why we were doing it. Eager to do what we were doing, Rudy quickly joined in and helped wash all our feet!!!

Easter included a fun visit with Wilson who came home for the weekend!! Yay!!

This week is spring break for Max, Olivia and Rudy but Rudy is flying solo here at home with me and Rolf because Max and Olivia went to Mexico with their youth group to work on a building project and help at an orphanage. ‘So excited for them but we miss them TONS!

Max and Livy off to Mexico!

Max lending a helping hand in Ensenada

A little spring break fun for Rudy during a lunch date with Dad…

It has been an active month for Rudy. He ends most days with his head hitting the pillow hard in anticipation of good sleep. Many nights he doesn’t even make it to the bed…

Play hard. Live hard. Sleep hard. That’s how Rudy rolls and we’re so thankful for the special experiences he so joyfully embraced this month. This month also included quite a few medical appointments & consultations which serve to reinforce how truly special all the “life stuff” is!!! Ever so grateful,

Practicing Patience

The rebuild after our New Year’s Day flood continues to make progress…it’s actually moving along at a decent pace (thanks to Rolf’s woodworking skills) but projects like these always take longer than is convenient and I’m starting to experience crazy cabin fever requiring me to actively practice patience…I’m more than ready to unpack the POD and get our house put back together again.

The lack of space in our house due to the rebuild has forced Rudy to find creative play space…he found his way into the bathtub the other day and was very proud of himself when I finally found him!!! 🙂

I celebrated my 50th on February 27th and the bday fun lasted all weekend long. Thanks to Rolf and the big kids, there was a nice balance of family, friends & surprises which made turning fifty pretty awesome!! I have much to be thankful for at this stage in my life and it just doesn’t seem right to begrudge the aging process so I’m embracing the big 5-0 and praying for patience in that process as well. 😉

With that said, I’m kind of surprised by my delayed reaction to having a child a little later in life. When Rudy was born, I wasn’t bugged by the fact that I was an older mom…in fact, once I got over the shock of being pregnant again, I welcomed the challenge. Now, all of a sudden, I’m taken back a bit…in a season where so many of my friends are watching their kids get married and they’re becoming grandparents for the first time, it feels foreign to be 50 and still have a 7 year old. I know it’s not that big of deal because, more & more, women are having babies in their 40s but there aren’t too many in my circle and I guess it just feels like being an older mom adds an additional spotlight to this milestone bday in particular. 🙂 Not a bad thing…just a unique piece of my puzzle to process.

My birthday weekend started off with pajama day at Rudy’s school!!! He made me chuckle on the ride to school all decked out in his candy stripes.

My Birthday Eve included a visit to the movie theater to see “Eddie the Eagle” with some friends!!! A BIG thanks to the Lawlers who took on Rudy duty! 🙂

February 27th started off with a trip to Santa Maria to watch Max play hockey followed by an impromptu party at Del Taco with hockey friends! Woo Hoo!

We couldn’t resist a quick vista stop on our drive back down the coast…it was such a gorgeous day! Rolf and Livy took advantage of an approaching train to smash some pennies…but retrieving them took some time. 🙂

The best part of the day, however, was having my babies together again! Wilson surprised me by coming home for the day with our good friends from Los Angeles!!! Ahhhh, it did my heart good to have a little family time at one of my favorite restaurants!

We ended the weekend by attending a Global Leadership Connection Ceremony to support Max and fellow juniors selected from SB area high schools. It was quite inspiring and I was glad to end my birthday weekend on such an encouraging, hopeful note.

Can’t believe this boy turns 17 yrs old this week!!!!

Rudy had his annual physical last week. It was an encouraging visit where Rudy’s general health is concerned. Rudy’s weight gain in the last 6 months bumped him up to the 25% percentile for his age and his height remains in the 10% percentile. Dr. Abbott was impressed by Rudy’s developmental progress (especially evident to him in his speech) and the healthy winter Rudy has had so far. We do need to follow up with the urologist again, however, because of a pesky undescended testicle. Although the urologist hasn’t felt it necessary to address it in past visits, Dr. Abbott wants it checked out again and corrected at some point. We see Dr. Harake for a cardiology check up on Friday…not expecting any change there. It’s a full week with various appointments, Max’s 17th birthday on Thursday and a SBRM graduation on Saturday. Life is filling up again as we approach the official start to spring!!! Woo Hoo…Welcome Spring!!!!!!