We are headed back to Los Angeles today after a quick visit home overnight.  Rolf and I came home yesterday to tie up some loose ends, welcome Oma and Opa who arrived Friday from Texas and attend the Rescue Mission’s annual fundraiser.  It was a full but very good day of seeing friends and storing up hugs for our week ahead.  Rolf and I, the kids and Rolf’s parents will head back down to UCLA this morning and spend the day together with Rudy before his surgery bright and early tomorrow morning.

As many of you know, my parents were planning to come and take the first “child care shift” and then the Geylings were going to relieve them in a few weeks.  Shockingly to us all, my dad was diagnosed with a brain tumor last week and has since met with various doctors in preparation for his surgery on Tuesday!!  Of course, there is great concern and disappointment on all our hearts as Gma Jo and Gpa Dick are now on their own journey of faith and recovery and none of us are able to be with each other to support and love on each other in person.  So, I ask that you add my Dad, Dick Wilson, to your prayer list…especially on Tuesday.  Again, I find myself in a place of complete dependance on God forced to approach life one day at a time.

Rudy’s surgery prep will begin tomorrow morning at 7am and Dr. Reemtsen is estimated to begin his work around 8:30.  He’s explained to us that the Norwood procedure is probably the most risky operation done at UCLA (or any hospital) and there is a critical window where Rudy will be on bypass that can’t exceed 40 minutes.  The entire procedure should last about 2 hours and Rudy should be away from us for about four.  Dr. Reemtsen has warned us that the next week will be a long series of highs and lows for Rudy so we are bracing ourselves and praying for emotional strength.

We are grateful for Rolf’s parents’ willingness to kick into action to be with the children.  We have, however, been thrust into our new lifestyle much faster than we anticipated so it has taken everyone off balance a bit…especially Olivia.  Please pray that the kids will extend an abundance of grace to one another and to Oma and Opa and that the times we do share together in the next couple of weeks will be positive and fun (interpretation: that I will refrain from filling the time with instructions for the kids and details that can wait!)  I’m definitely being challenged in the area of “letting go”.

Rest assured that all the comments on the blog are being read and the phone messages and emails from home are making their way to us eventually.  Thank you for your expressions of love and support and, although, we’re not finding time to return everyone’s calls and messages, we are blessed by them and we will be in touch.  Big hugs to you too,  Trish