Toy Story 3

We LOVED it!



And the glasses..we'll be rockin' them for a LONG time.

ROSS PROCEDURE

Our Thursday afternoon in LA went very well. We scheduled Mike's surgery for July 14th at 8:30am with Dr. Trento.

Check out these two videos for more information on the Ross Procedure-

Tomorrow

Heading back down to Cedars Sinai in the early morning for an MRA (similar to a MRI) and a consultation with the surgeon. Mike is also going to start collecting blood. Any donors? -And before you jump all over it, you have to donate AT Cedars :(

We appreciate your prayers!

FAMILY PICTURES

Just got our family pictures back...I LOVE them ALL!
Here are a few favorites:

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

To the MAN I LOVE...from the kids who call you their HERO!

INFO

Thursday and Friday were both very looooong days. Aren't all 'medical issues' days? On Thursday we finally got to meet Mike's new cardiologist, Dr. Moriguchi. He has been followed by Dr. Brackett in Ventura for many years, but we wanted surgery to be done at Cedars because of its reputation. We both feel very fortunate to have Dr. Moriguchi on our team now. He asked for an EKG to be done on Friday so that he could see the most current statistic. The EKG showed that Mike's aortic pressure had moved from 1.5 (severe) to .5 (critical)- normal should be around 3.5. I guess we both left that day overwhelmed, yet grateful that we were moving on the path to getting his heart fixed. Your prayers were so encouraging.

Friday was EXTREMELY exhausting. We got to the hospital at 11:30...sat...waited...and sat some more. The angiogram lasted from 1:00-3:00 with recovery until 7:00. I was sitting in the waiting room the entire time. BORING!!! Thank goodness for a few magazines and my iphone. While in recovery Dr. Moriguchi explained that Mike's aortic reading was closer to 1.0 (the angiogram is more accurate than the EKG). Surgery is necessary, but not an emergency. They would like to schedule it in the next 2-3 weeks. Also in recovery we got to meet with the Cardiac Surgeon that Dr. Moriguchi recommends, Dr. Trento. We feel very blessed to be working with him as well. He has requested a cardiac cat scan to be done this week. He is hoping to determine if Mike is a candidate for the Ross Procedure. Google it, it looks very interesting. Due to Mike's allergies we would love to be able to avoid lifetime medication for his heart.

Mike is dong well, just tired and sore. He will be on bed rest through the weekend, but will head back to work on Monday. We hope to come to some major decisions regarding what form of surgery to proceed with. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

THANK YOU

We are so thankful for your prayers, words of encouragement, phone calls and emails. The tests yesterday confirmed that the replacement is necessary. The angiogram is underway right now and once it is complete we will be meeting with the surgeon. One major prayer request is that Mike would not have an allergic reaction to the dye. They are hoping steroids will help.

PLEASE PRAY!!!

Tomorrow we will be heading down to Cedars Sinai to follow up on a heart issue that Mike has been dealing with for the past several years. He has Aortic Stenosis, an abnormal narrowing of the Aortic Valve. Thursday will be blood work, x-rays and a consultation for Friday. On Friday he will have an Angiogram done to see the extent of the stenosis. The testing he has had done up until this point shows that the stenosis has moved from moderate to severe. If Fridays test confirms the diagnosis he will be schedule for a complete valve replacement (open heart surgery). Please join us in prayer for guidance, peace and protection. We BELIEVE in healing and know that God is capable- we are in GOOD hands. :)

HAITI on my mind

I gave Bailey a writing assignment last week. She was asked to describe her favorite place in one paragraph. Here is what she wrote:

The best place I could be would be Haiti. I imagine it has trash, flies, diseases, dirt, broken down buildings and houses. The best place I could be would be old and gross. But, I hope to make it a big and beautiful country one day.

Early Civilization to the Roman Empires

Celebrating our last day of class.

Picture Crazy

I added that cute picture of my dog, so I figured I should add some cute pictures of the kids too.

Vote for your favorite.

Just kidding, I wouldn't make you do that! :)

MAY MAY

Paid Labor

So, here is how it goes in our house-

Mom gives kid #1 a job to accomplish. Kid #1 gets tired of the job REALLY quickly.


Kid #1 then HIRES kid #2 to do the job.


One page of stickers and a few coins later and EVERYONE is happy.

A little cut

Sometimes all it takes is cutting off a few inches to make you feel like a new woman!

Caught off guard

Take a look at the picture below. Click on it to enlarge it. Confused? Yep, me too and I took the picture. I have no idea what was running across the street. CREEPY!!!



UPDATE: I wish I could help easy your minds by revealing something. I TRULY have NO idea what it was. "IT" was running/gliding so quickly that I couldn't tell. I was freaked out. I grabbed my phone when it started across the street and just barely got that picture before the light turned green. I told you, CREEPY!

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

Buddy's Birthday- update

Today started out really SWEET.
Donuts with Dad.

Then Michelle surprised him with a heart shaped 'peener jelly'. Buddy's fave- Michelle and the sandwich!


It wasn't a shock at all that Buddy requested Topper's Pizza for his birthday dinner. I heard his sister's bribing him this afternoon. So, pizza it was for the boy who, five years ago, opened my eyes to the unbreakable bond between mothers and sons.



Happy Birthday Budderson. We love you!

I'M BACK!

Did you miss me?

After a few day in Oregon and then a few days home, I left again. This time I went with my Aunt Karen and Cousin, Kailey, to Idaho. We spent 4 days with our fingers intertwined with wedding details. My cousin, Katie, was getting married.

Here are the 10 tips I came away with:

1. Flying stand-by is NO BUENO.

2. I NEVER want to fly on a small airplane again- EVER!

3. Renting a car in one location and returning it to another location is DOUBLE the price.

4. The drive from Spokane to Moscow, ID is probably the most peaceful drive on the planet. Plan ahead however, you will not see a public restroom along the way.

5. California might be the only state that has not given in to the idea of drive-thru coffee stops- GENIUS!

6. Picking out make-up for the bride (without her) the day before the wedding really isn't that difficult.

7. Waitresses at 11:45pm sometimes speak without filters.

8. A bride that can nap 30 minutes before her wedding is a rare, but beautiful thing.

9. If you are having a wedding, ask your guests to help with refreshments. If they each bring a cake to share you will get the credit and everyone will be REALLY happy!

10. If all you have heard for the past few days is that the Wedding Reception is all about DANCING, believe whoever is giving you this information. Then, when you decide to 'march' in the GRAND MARCH you will know what you are getting into...and yes, it will involve running, kicking, skipping, bowing...and yes, it will last for at least 20 minutes- especially if your cousin 'DJ WES' put the music together.

PICTURES!

Kailey and I thought it would be fun to take some pictures with each member of the Saunders crew at the Wedding-

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday to the boy who continues to inspire us.

We love you TATER BUN.