SURGERY DAY

Way too exhausted to do anything more than update with pictures.

Just before surgery-


Surrounded by friends (wish I had taken pictures of everyone).








The bogus valve.


Sitting in the ICU staring at my incredible husband. Resting in peace that only comes from the LORD. Grateful for the friends and family that stood in the gap on our behalf.

PACKING for the HOSPITAL

Bailey wrote out scripture for us to read throughout the day.


We will leave the house at 4:15am. Surgery should begin at 7:15am.

Mike had a really hard time saying goodnight to the kids. He has emotionally been so strong, but I think the reality of it all is setting in. We feel blessed to have the technology to fix his heart and look forward to the day that this is all a distant memory.

A bittersweet moment- Bailey came into our room around 9:00 and said that she couldn't fall asleep. She was hoping that dad would tickle and wrestle with her one more time :(

House Info

With all the recent medical events that have taken over these past few weeks, it just occurred to me that I have not made mention of our housing situation. After listing our home in the middle of February we felt certain that it probably wouldn't sell in this market. Well wouldn't you know that the week we decide to move forward with surgery we got an offer- a great one. We close escrow on Aug 6th and because of Mike's surgery we asked for a rent back until the end of September. Strangely enough we sense a conformation about our decision even though we have a lot going on right now.

This past weekend Mike and I flew to Oregon to look at a few homes and to visit with Krissy and Jason. We were overwhelmed with a very peaceful feeling and are confident that the Lord is orchestrating everything.

Exploring

Brooklyn and Tate had a date with Dad, so I took the other three kids exploring in Santa Barbara. I had to bribe them with Blenders to get them out of the 'woods' and into the car. Bailey would have stayed in the trees all night!

FREEDOM

In this day and age, many folks don't even think about the struggles our early colonists went through, the sacrifices they made, for seven long years during the Revolutionary War, to achieve true FREEDOM. It seems so long ago, but you and your family are *now living this dream*.

The citizens of this nation have endured centuries of strife to preserve that freedom, and to lead the world by example "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness".

THAT INCLUDES PEOPLE WITH DOWN SYNDROME AND OTHER DISABILITIES.

The FREEDOM that your donation to a waiting child's adoption grant can mean..the gift of that freedom and the life-long intrinsic value of it..absolutely immeasurable!! The opportunity to save that child from a *prison*....to give them the chance to grow and thrive in a loving family, and be a catalyst for change for the rights of every other child who has been discarded out of ignorance and fear..there simply is no greater gift.

Andrea Roberts
Reece's Rainbow

Visit www.reecesrainbow.org to learn more about what we do and how many children have been saved through donations like yours!