Leaving CA...back to MI we go

The Kids

My beautiful and loving Grams and Gramps (My mom's parents)

Mom and Dad - Happy 39th Anniversary!!

Julia and Matt Hannah - their first dance

Joellen and Jim Yundt

We had the great pleasure of being at Julia Yundt and Matt Hannah's wedding yesterday in Palos Verdes. What a marvelous celebration of a marriage between 2 wonderful people and their families. The whole evening was spectacular. Thank you Jim and Joellyn for inviting us. It is fun that Matt and Jules share an anniversary with my parents.

It was sure fun to be with the family at the desert and then onto the wedding. I feel like one of the luckiest people to be in the family I am in. It was really hard to leave everyone today, but we know it is the right thing to do right now. We miss you family and can't wait until we are all back together again...Michelle and Brian's baby boy will be born by then!!

I also got to see the Mending Kids group yesterday for a wonderful and productive board retreat. Mending Kids is growing so quickly and we are all excited about this new journey we are on and how many more kids we can offer life saving surgical care to.

Even though leaving CA is tough be are so blessed to return to the extended family here and the nice friends we have meet. It definitely makes the journey a great one. Josie is ready to embark on 7 more really tough weeks. Przemek gets her back tomorrow for the remainder of the time. He is excited about what his treatment can do for her. As I was reading her "The Little Engine that Could" tonight (given to her by the Flintridge Guild of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and signed by everyone which made me cry) she said that she was like the little blue engine and thinks she can. When she is finished with Przemek she wants to say "I thought I could". Go brave, strong girl. Thanks for all your support. Love, Jenny and Josie

Fun in the Sun

Poker with Great Grandpa

Balboa Island - in the sand with Grandma and cousins

Brooke, Alex and Josie

Sleeping with canes - trying to get her to fall in love with them!

Walking to the pool

Can we fit anymore people in here?

Driving range

Josie hitting balls on the range

Lesson from Great Grandpa

Movie night with cousin Luke and Grandpa

We are having a great time with the family at the Desert. Josie is loving all the company and playmates. We spend every morning in the pool for at least 2 hours. We have been to the driving range. Josie even hit. We secured her to the bag rack!! Well it worked. It is fun just hanging around talking and laughing. It is so great that even my 85 year old grandparents are here and in the middle of it all. We are so lucky. Enjoy the pictures. Jenny and Josie

PS. Przemek and Sylvia - she has walked every day with canes at least one. She also is walking everywhere she goes in the house with her walker. She is doing great. Can't wait to see you guys next week.

Teresa is now back to normal. Her vitals have been stable for the past few hours. The heavy duty drugs they gave her this morning have finally worn off and Werner said she is following people with her eyes. She is alert and attentive. They haven't received the final results from this evening's CT scan but that is probably good news that they aren't rushing the results. She is such a fighter. Teresa - we are so proud of you.

Josie has had a good day here in the desert. She has walked everywhere she needed to go with her walker. It is incredible to see her so stable and balanced. She walked with her canes tonight which was done with great success...there was no complaining!! We swam all morning with Luke and took a golf cart ride this afternoon with Great Grandpa. We will sleep easier tonight knowing that Teresa is stable. Blessings, Jenny and Josie

Teresa update

Thanks be to God that Teresa is currently stable. Her vitals have returned to normal levels. They did the CT scan and the brain and head are ok. We are still praying that she isn't as septic as once anticipated. The thing we worry about with her is how quickly she can turn. Thanks to Werner's call I was able to hear all consults while the doctors were in the room this morning from 6 - 7am. There were some breathing issues that they think they have worked out. Thanks for all your support for Teresa, Werner and Florie and family (whose hearts are aching at this time in worry) and Josie and I. Werner - you are doing an awesome job at helping her. Keep up your good work. You are her best chance at getting what she needs. Will update soon.

Please Pray for Teresa

Teresa is having a really hard time in the hospital. Her stomach is so distended showing signs of septic shock. They are running tests and getting a CT scan of her head. She just needs lots of prayers. She is a warrior and we need her to fight again. We love her so much. Please pray and send her good thoughts. Will update when I get more information. Love Jenny and Teresa's adoring sister, Josie

Back in LA...for a week

Operation Smile event


Susan and Josie




Josie and Teresa with Werner and Florie Cajas (Teresa's parents)




We are back in LA and enjoying the beautiful weather. Izabella's departing words to me in Michigan was, "darling you are not in Kansas any more. Please bring back some warmer clothes" as I was leaving in my capri pants and flip flops with a high of 50. We are looking forward to experiencing the fall weather...after a week of 90 degrees in the desert!!

On Friday we went to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles to visit Teresa (Josie's sister). She is in there for 3 shunt revisions. Yikes. They had to externalize 3 of her 4 shunts because there is infection somewhere in there and they aren't working. The shunt in in the ventricle of the brain and drains the fluid from the brain into the stomach where it is passed through urine. (very layman's explanation). Josie only has one shunt and hasn't had to have a revision to date. Poor Teresa has had to have a couple revisions. This time they are going to be able to put back only 2. When we walked in yesterday, Teresa saw Josie and immediately started cooing, laughing and smiling. Werner (her Dad) said that is the first time she has smiled or talking in 2 weeks. The miracle of the sister's bond. Teresa was so happy to watch Josie and have Josie sit in bed with her. The nurse finally came by and made us leave because you are suppose to to be 16 to visit right now. If she only knew how much healing probably took place during the half hour we were there she would have thought differently.

Also during our visit to Childrens Hospital, we got to see Susan Knight Josie's PT. We were all so happy to see each other. I was happy for Susan to see Josie and the progress she has made. We were sorry to miss Jenn who is back east. Hi Jenn!!

Last night I got to go to the Operation Smile gala in Beverly Hills. We had the pleasure of meeting the founders, Bill and Kathy McGee. What an amazing organization that helps kids worldwide with cranial facial deformities mostly cleft lip and palate. Their son, Billy McGee, is a cranial facial/ plastic surgeon at CHLA with our surgeon Mark Urata. Thank you McGee's for a wonderful evening and all the time you have put into helping children.

Please keep our sweet Teresa in your prayers. She has a couple weeks ahead of her in the hospital and another surgery to endure during that time. She is such a warrior. You can't imagine what she has had to live through and is still so happy. We love you so much Sister!! Our love, Jenny and Josie

Packed and ready to go

We are packed and ready to go. The weather definitely turned here to fall. We are looking forward to a few days of California sun. Josie worked hard today and walked with only one break with her canes all the way across the room. We will have to really keep up the cane walking at home. I have to get to bed since we are going so early to therapy tomorrow and then off to the airport. I will post tomorrow when we get home...oh after my cards night with the girls -Can't wait to see you all!! Thanks for every ones support. We love it, Jenny and Josie

PS. Przemek and Sylvia- I promise to keep her strong and walking when we are home!! I know you are worried. Then I will turn her back over to you for 8 more weeks of miracle working. We will miss you guys.