Catching up

May 8, 2016 (Going back to catch up)

Now that trip was way too short.  I flew to Calif on Friday to be with the family for Mother’s Day and Stacy’s birthday.  Now, Mother’s Day, I am flying back to Oregon to get more work done.  

Honestly, not a lot has changed since last week.  Gage is still waiting, 180 days now.  It will be 6 months on the 10th.  He is very stable and waiting for the perfect donor heart.  Kids are all still involved in school, cub scouts, little league, dance, basketball, band, church, and softball.  School gets out June 2, so Stacy and I are looking at all the options and what would be best for the summer months.  Our routine will be shot out of the water so we will have to come up with a new routine.

Had an enjoyable Mother’s Day / birthday for Stacy.  Kids and I worked hard this morning to make breakfast crepes, write cards, and make the day special for their mom and my wife.  She had some good quality time just for herself so we must have done something right.  Unfortunately, my flight left at 4:00 pm so I couldn’t spend the rest of the day with Stacy on her birthday / Mother’s day.   

This coming Saturday we will be moving into the new RMH next door.  It is a very nice facility, but the single room is quite a bit smaller with limited storage space.  Stacy and I and the kids will be finding a way to live in one very nice motel style room.  The community kitchen, dining area, and play rooms are very nice and spacious, so we are excited to make the change and make it work.

Megan spoke in church today.  Did a great job.  Spoke about qualities of mothers she admires with good fun examples.  She spoke of service, forgiveness, and hard work.  She told the story of my dear mother and the zip lock bags. Very funny!  Then talked about our garden in Oregon and how Stacy ‘forgave’ them of their whining as they weeded and picked the beans.  Also talked about this morning as Dad burnt the crepes while writing sweet nothings in Stacy’s card.

At church I helped teach the 7 year olds.  The men took care of the kids while the ladies had a special meeting for just them.  It was nice to give the ladies a break, but wow, the kids were wild!! The men in the church had no chance of keeping all the kiddos under wraps. 

Saturday Sierra and Hunter participated in the May Fete parade.  It was the 95^th annual parade. Sierra played in the PALY marching band and Hunter walked with the cub scouts as they presented the colors.   At the same time on Saturday, Megan played in a basketball tournament in Redwood City. So Stacy and I were moving and grooving to support all the kids.   That evening Stacy kept score for Hunter’s little league game which they lost in extra innings.  It was a good day to be with the family in Calif. 

Now it’s back to Oregon for good week of work in the office and on the ranch.

Till next time.

Friday, May 13, 2016

Haven’t been able to get this epistle posted to our blog.  Something was wrong with my log in and I haven’t taken the time to figure it out.  Maybe Stacy can help her dear husband.  Anyway, time keeps matching on. Now, lucky Friday the 13^th, I am flying back to Calif to spend the week.  Feeling a bit guilty leaving Dad and Jake with so much ranch work, but also very excited to be with the family. 

Business as usual in Calif, except for one experience with Gage.  A few days ago he threw up blood and didn’t feel good.  That got everyone excited.  Gage was checked out at the ER and nothing major came back.  They think it was his feeding tube irritating something somewhere. Did not seem to be major bleeding anywhere. So he is back home at the RMH feeling good again.  Of course we always have him under a microscope watching his weight, energy level, fluid intake, nutrition, stool, temperature, INR or blood thinning level, blood flow through the machine, and any kind of sneeze or cough that seems out of place.  

Honestly, we are tired of all this.  We still just want to go home and not worry about all this stuff.  But that ain’t gonna happen for a while, so buck up.

 

Sierra has a biopsy this Tuesday the 18^th.  This will be the ‘annual’ biopsy where they go in through the leg and check her coronary arteries, heart pressure, and rejection.  I wish they only did biopsies annually, but for Sierra, that isn't going to happen for awhile.  Nothing to update on her lupus.  Really hoping her rejection comes back negative!

Megan’s softball is over.  It was a good experience, but not sure she will do it again.  We are not thinking she will get a scholarship anytime soon based on her softball skills.  Hunter’s baseball is almost over.  They are in the post season tournament with double elimination.  They lost their first game and won the second.  They play again tomorrow.  Coach even let Hunter pitch a little this last game.  Hunter was excited to give it a try.  He threw a few strikes out of about 20 pitches.  The game was already decided before the coach let Hunter pitch.  They even gave Hunter the game ball after the game,  he was pretty proud of that.  He wanted to call Ryan Lynd, his coach in Oregon, and let him know that he pitched in his first game.

That is about it for now.  I am sure there are other witty, funny, clever, insightful, interesting and thought provoking comments I could make, but I sure can’t think of them.

 

Till next time,

Jason

 Mother's day morning (notice the awesome crapes)

 The women in my life

 Sierra and the PALY marching band

Check this out Eastern Oregon, this is a horse drawn carriage, Palo Alto style. 

 Lindsey last middle school dance.

Hunter marching with his scout troop in the May Fete parade. 

Mother's Day breakfast of crepes. 

Hunter pitching for the first time in one of the play off games. 

Sierra at her spring band concert in the new performing arts center at Paly. 

Gage was sent "Flat Stanley" by his cousin Ryleigh in Utah.  He came to have some adventures with Gage in California.  This is flat Stanley holding Gages favorite stick.  Gage has had this stick for over 2 months.  He hides it in the bushes at the hospital when he gets there for school.  Then picks it back up when he comes out from school and carries it with him (hitting plants and light poles all the way) back to the Ronald McDonal house.  He then hides it in the bushes there.  So far, no one has stolen or removed his stick.  It is always there when he goes to get it. 

Flat Stanley at Gages Dr. appointment.