Wedding Fun

Check out these kids!  We were all headed out to Mitchell and Emily’s wedding in Lancaster, PA.

It was beautiful decorated in white trees and roses…

They sat all of the kids at the table together…they had so much fun chatting and tasting all the good eats!

   Mitch and Emily made the rounds to say hello to everyone!

 Oma and 

My cousins Jackie and Karen brought my Aunt Joan and Aunt Carol too.  Below Aunt Carol, Aunt Joan and my dad together.

Everyone got their jam on and danced together…it was fun! 

                      Oma and Opa before the ceremony.

                                   It was a fun day!

And off we go again!

Stuart Florida early morning Christmas lights as we head towards the airport.  So thankful for the staff at Molly’s house!

 A quick trip to West Palm Beach for a cast change and measuring for AFOs.  It wore this kiddo out and the little time we were here was spent resting!

We met up with our new friends for pizza…it was fun to catch up and connect…so thankful for their generosity.

Also thankful to Jess O. For her generosity towards us!we love you Jess!

 

Ben turns 22

These photos represent me TRYING to get a photo of Ben not having the sillies.  

                They crack me up every time I see them!

Happy 22nd Birthday Ben!  We all had a fun night celebrating you with your favorite-spaghetti and fixings.

 

The Journey Home

The surgery team was very excited for the results of Jacob's foot.  We have yet to see any results due to casting but eagerly await.  He is very excited to see.  After surgery, Jacob got settled into his room.  It was a bit rocky in the hospital.  Once they were straightened out, he was able to sleep a bit.

Not going to lie, the trip home was difficult.  Logistics getting on and off the plane, wheelchairs, luggage, returning the rental car with all of the things we towed behind us but God....he met us every step of the way through his people.  Even when the wheelchair was stuck together and the airline literally 'dumped' us at the end the end of the ramp with all of our belongings and the stuck wheel chair...a gentleman asked me what was going on and helped us get the wheelchair apart.  His traveling companion clapped.  Yes, we were in front of the entire group of passengers waiting to board as this all transpired.  Thankful for God's provision.

We stopped at Chipotle for brunch.  Jacob is a fan of Mexican.  His sister was a bit concerned due to the fact he had an allergic reaction the day before to eating purchased dumplings.  I assured her he was doing fine and back to eating things the way he liked it...hot and spicy!  He looks like he is barely hanging on in the photo.  This was right after the plane-wheelchair getting stuck incident and we had a crazy start to our morning when my alarm didn't go off and he just happened to wake up as we were suppose to be leaving!  This gave us a moment to fill our tanks and speak about the happenings of the morning.  We were also able to bless a worker at Chipotle and speak into his life.  So cool!

I took this photo above of Jacob just before he went into the operating room...It has a special meaning and I will leave that at that but wanted to include this here. 

We spent some time in the garden at Molly's place the day before we left.  Jacob could wheel himself around a bit and took some time to get some fresh air and reflect on all that was happening.  Gardens are my happy place so it was just calming to be there.

                                  Isn't it just beautiful?

 Our last 'leg' home was exciting.  We were excited to get out of the 'tin can' and land in Manchester.  All of the things that were not present on the other loading and unloading of Jacob on the plane changed the second we landed in Manchester!  A gentleman who worked for the airport took one look at Jacob and got a team to get him off the plane so beautifully and comfortably.  We were so grateful to be on home turf!

I want to shout out a huge thanks to people who came around us...our church to pray and lend some support, a friend who gave us some cash for a meal, Suzanne R who made my home crew dinner and dessert-they were so grateful, and for my folks giving us a gift.  This whole process has been stressful in so many ways and we are having to rely on the Lord every step of the way for provision of the kids at home, finances and direction for the doctor's team! He has met us each step and we will continue to look to Him for guidance.  Thanks to all of you who are on this journey with us! 

Surgery Day

 Today is surgery day….excitement for sure with a bit of nerves mixed in.  So excited for this day!

The team came out and were so excited to see the differences in Jacob’s foot.  We won’t ‘see’ it for a few weeks but excitedly remain hopeful while we wait.

Turning our hearts towards healing and traveling back home on Sunday.  Thanks to all who have reached out to check in and on us and lend their support!

Jacob-Trip 2

Jacob sporting his newest cast…3 days to surgery day.  Excited, notice and hopefully all wrapped up in one!

He is sporting this rolling cart at the grocery store as we grab a few things to cook while we stay at Molly’s place in Stuart.  They have taken great care of us…we are so grateful for this home away from home!

We snuck off for a fun day…a bit of shopping, lunch out-his choice, and then milkshakes along the river front.  It was a fun day but we didn’t linger because of the high winds and storms coming in.

We followed this day by one of sleeping in and chilling out.  Crazy wind and rain were all around us and I was grateful for the rest.
 

A New Adventure Begins

 Jacob and I are off on an adventure quite like none we have ever taken…it is exciting and scary all at the same time!

Jacob has double club feet.  We’ve seen many specialist in the area as well as in Boston.  We always heard the same answer of ‘it is what it is’…we turned our attention towards getting him stronger but in fact, he started to regress all the while causing him to fall more.

One day recently, I was on social media and saw a young girl whose mother had taken photos of her feet and posted them on a club foot moms page that I follow…they looked just like Jacob’s.  Everyone commented she should seek out Dr. Dobbs…he could fix them.  Of course, we got excited and started to research and liked what we found.  We presented it all to Jacob and he was filled with great excitement…and HOPE!  

After a few emails, we had an appointment in just days made with the specialist but on Zoom because he was located in FLORIDA!  I had to admit it was overwhelming to think of the logistics but how could we not pursue this opportunity?  This kiddo has big plans and his feet are what are holding him back…and we were off!

Many phone calls, flights, lodging and car rentals and the we were off!  We prayed for God’s provision, safe travels and many God ‘sightings’ as we gathered the night before we left as a family.

It was a busy day of travel…exciting and tiring!  We stayed at Molly’s house in Stuart, Florida because it is a place for parents traveling with their kids who are just like us.  They accommodated us, gave us a place to rest and call home during our stay.  There were other families to connect with too!

That evening we stopped for a pizza around the corner from Molly’s place.  I’m was ok and close by.  While we were there, a lady at the next table turned and asked Jacob where he was from.  That struck up a conversation with her entire family as she introduced us to her adopted daughter from China, as well as her  son and husband.  We talked about our trips to China and how they travel for their daughter’s care to Ohio.  They totally understood why we were seeking out the medical care for Jacob…and they invited us to dinner on our next trip.  How cool was that?  Oh, did I mention they were Christians too?  

On Monday afternoon, after a quick trip to the local beach (the waves were crazy big and too dangerous to go in), we drove the 45 minutes to the hospital.  A few wrong turns and some traffic, we pulled into Dr. Dobbs office.  We found the staff friendly and extremely helpful.  Dr. Dobbs examined Jacob, explained what he would do and casted Jacob’s leg to stretch it out.  We left with hope in our heart and Jacob had a bright red, white and blue cast!

 

We headed back to Molly’s and hung out and packed for our return trip the next day.  So many details swirled around our heads.  We talked about travel logistics, returning the rental car, and where we wanted to grab dinner.  We also talked about the next visit and all that it would involve-another cast, surgery and how to get Jacob on the plane.  Have to admit we laughed a bit as we hashed out the details.  

Jacob was treated with tender loving by the Southwest staff in Florida.  They boarded him first and got him settled.  They answered my many questions about our next trip and even reserved an extra seat for our surgery flight for him to put his leg up!  We were so thankful for the details and God’s grace being seen every step of the way!

We are home and getting rested for the next trip (4 in total just for this foot!) which is on Nov. 12th…so many logistics plus trying to plug in here at home, write out school plans and prepare medical equipment and thinking about all of the details.  It is a bit overwhelming for sure…we know we are here for such a time as this.  We are grateful for all who have reached out and helped in any way.  We are grateful for each and every one of you.  

Audubon in the Fall

New Hampshire Autumns never disappoint!  It was a stunning afternoon at the Audubon!

                                  Louisa and Mily

Darrell and I got a chance to hike out on our own with 2 of the dogs.  It was a great afternoon to chat and catch up with each other!

                         Sage and Darrell at the Lake

Jacob Turns 18!

This guys turned 18 recently!  This one is doing some pretty great  things!  We are thinking this year will be a great one!  Happy Birthday Jacob!

 

Beach day with Grandkids

We had a chance to run to the beach with 3 of the grands and ran!  It was such a fun afternoon.

Auntie Becca brought baggies for their treasures…it was a grand search for shells of all shapes and sizes!

 We agreed it was fun!  Becca, Kiara, Tommy, Lexi and Sky showing off their treasures!

Fun Beach Day

Indian Summer brought some fun days at the beach…it was packed despite being October.  We topped off our last day with an ice cream stop.  Special memories….