Fun in July

We're looking forward to being at Ronald McDonald House again on August 11th. We're bringing our mechanical bull & other inflatables for their block party! The last time we were there was to visit the Baskill family.

Hailey on Misty

Karey & Sara on Annie

 For Sara, leading Annie around is just as exciting as riding!

 Hailey's first Gymkhana with Dad and one of her friends on Canada Day.

 Joel & Hailey with their ribbons

Joel on Annie, getting her to lay down. 

 Hospital check ups also mean a stop at the Beach play area! (this is from mid July.) 

Sara's last check up on July 30th went so well, and she's doing great. We're still having to do blood work once a week, and she's managing ok with that.

 Auntie Patsy stopped by for the day, it was so wonderful to spend time with her! 

We love you Uncle Lawrence & Auntie Patsy!

 The view pulling out of our driveway

 Soaking our feet in the river to cool off.

 Katie & Sara with TJ :)

 Hailey & Sara full of mud after making a river & lake in the garden! Good times! They don't look that dirty, but both of them were sitting in the mud! 

 We had a garage sale on July 27th, and the girls & their friends had a bake sale. 

 Sara was just as good at selling them, as she was eating them!

 We started our trip to Minot, North Dakota early Tuesday morning to buy a different mechanical bull. With a stop at the Stollery for Sara's transplant clinic which included advice from the Dr. Dinos. She had blood work, Echo, ECG, height (she grew another cm!), weight, and then we were off to Lloydminster to sell the mechanical bull. 

Across the border with no issues, even without Joel's passport! (it had expired)

Our drive was very tiring, so Sara had a nap with Dad.  

 We drove by some beautiful places. Many grain fields, wheat, barley, oats, flax, corn, and canola. We saw many pump jacks, flares, old and new grain elevators. The big skies, river valleys and rolling hills were spectacular. "The heavens declare the Glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands." Psalm 19:1

 Welcome to Minot!

 We loved the colours of the fields; the big drag line and the many tractors & farming equipment that we passed along the way.

We had so much fun with our mechanical bull last night with friends. It was great to set it up & try it out. Happy 13th Birthday Hayden, wish I had a picture of you on the bull! 

Here's Bethany on the bull.

Come out and see us at PV Days in Evansburg on August 10th!

Hailey's ride

Summer here is spent outside in the sunshine! 

Hopefully we'll get more time outside if there's less rain in August! 

 A great way to stay hydrated! 

We're having such a great summer, we don't want it to end!

Exciting news for our Hospital buddies! Surgery & a heart transplant!

Today is a big day for surgeries, our friend Joel is having a surgery, as well as Muskaan!

Joel & Sara are like two peas in a pod, they are both silly, goofy, and completely loveable. We're praying for you today, and hope you're back to your normal self soon Joel! We're so thankful that we've been able to spend time with you guys, and hope that you'll be able to be home soon. Lots of love & hugs, God Bless you & your family Joel!

We are thrilled to see another family receive heart transplant, especially one that we've gotten to know! We have loved spending time with Muskaan & her family. Hailey & Sara were jumping up & down with excitement this morning when I told them Muskaan was having transplant surgery today!

We met Muskaan and her family a month short of a year ago. When Sara was in the hospital last year, so was Muskaan, and with or with out us there, the two of them would play & giggle together. It made it easier knowing that Sara had another "big sister" looking out for her and that Hailey had a friend.

We were saying goodbye to Muskaan on Sunday, as Sara was discharged. I told Muskaan, maybe next time I see you, you'll have a new heart! Sure enough, we'll be seeing her tomorrow after Sara's appointments! We also talked about how Sara had a transplant after staying in room 16, and then Austin, and now Muskaan!

Today is your day Muskaan, and we are praying, and praying for you! We hope that the surgery goes as planned, and that you'll  have a quick recovery! We thank the Lord for you & your family, God Bless you all!

"Daddy, they let me OUT!"

Sara's first words to Joel when she greeted him today after our drive from the hospital.

We are so happy to be out! And grateful for the amazing care we receive there at the Stollery. It was so nice to see many, many, friendly faces and meet new ones too! Sara's circle of friends were also in, so that was nice to see them! We got the nurses to deliver notes to their room, because we were isolated. Or as Sara would tell people "We're isowaited". We really hope that our friends who have been there for some time will be able to go home soon as well. We just keep praying that things will work out well for each family we meet.

 This is Sara before her Heart Cath biopsy, she did so well! We're so thankful for no rejection! Oh, and of course we brought one of her dolls along to keep her company. She just loves her "Cinderwella". (Thanks Joyce)

 Sara had many tests done to check out her heart - this is her during an Echo ultrasound watching a movie.

  Cuddles & a movie with Hailey :)

Yesterday Sara had trials being off oxygen, and was able to be off for 4 hours and then back on for nap or bed time. This is the monitor at 3:30am this morning. I saw her oxygen saturations were 100% (which is higher then they've been) , so we tried going off, and it was successful, even with her fast asleep! So she's off oxygen and doing great!

Staying at the hospital these last few day is a great reminder to be careful not to expose Sara to those who are sick. Although we can't avoid everything, her immune system will always be compromised and we have to be aware of that. After almost 8 months out of the hospital world it is surprising that we haven't had to stay sooner! We are so thankful to all who pray for Sara, we so appreciate you!

Results are in

We now know that it is not rejection, Sara is sick from a virus. This is great news! This morning was brought on by blood work, then rounds to discuss what's next, and an echo ultrasound on her heart. Sara is still quite grumpy, but hopefully she'll be feeling better today, her cough is worse, but her fever is gone. Hopefully Sara will be able to come off oxygen, she's on a small amount, but still relying on it. Once Sara's off oxygen and eating & drinking well then we will be able to go home!
It's been great seeing the staff & friends here, it's nice to have such excellent care & company! Thanks for praying for us, we feel well supported! God is good!

Aparently there are a few kids being listed or already listed for heart transplants, and a limited supply of hearts available. So please pray these families.

fever, fluids, heart cath & recovery

Sara's fever came on fast, and since she wasn't drinking well we brought her in on Monday night. Since Monday night she's had bloodwork, IV fluids, medications, echo, ECGs, red blood cell transfusion, and a heart cath. Today the surgery went as planned, and she was in & out of the Cath Lab quickly. The two biopsy test results will be back tonight & tomorrow. Thanks for all your prayers, she is quite grumpy, but managing well. More news to come as we get it!

Spring 2013!

We're happy to share a few pictures, hope you enjoy! 

Sara meets Rapunzel, has an Echo in the Transplant clinic, visits friends in the hospital and spends a day at the Glenrose for an assessment for the Pediatric Complex Therapies Program.

 Concentration 

 Fun on Auntie Dawn's new swing set

 Meeting "Hollywood", a new foal that belongs to friends

 Loving the little calf at a local dairy

 Checking out Dad's new machine - a Rayco C87FM XP Mulcher

We brought lunch out to Joel, he was running a Lam-trac mulcher for Big Bite Services.

Nothin' runs like a deere! Sara's gotta love for tractors...

 Or maybe driving in general. Fun times with Shyrelle!

One day it snows...

 the next it's spring again - only in Alberta!

   Sara's bedroom changed into the new playroom!

 Sharing a room, and excited about it!

 Little bit of time at Brightwood Ranch

 Here's our horizontal Bungee, we brought to Brightwood for friends to trying it out.

 Easter dresses!

 A new tradition, an Easter tea party with Paska and blackberries!

 I guess that shows how long it's been since we've posted! Life's good, and we're happy to be enjoying each day! Thanks for praying Sara is doing well, and we are so thankful for how God has blessed us!

There have been great joys and great sorrows this last little while. We are grateful for what we have, and we pray for blessings on these families that are affected. Thanking the Lord for his goodness. 

Broken-hearted

Our friends Shawn & Amy and Sadie have lost their baby girl; Hope passed away last night. This just floods my memory of all the little babies and kids we've known. It's sad to think that their life here has ended, but I'm reminded that it will begin in heaven with us one day. Praying for the families of Jack, Hope, Drayton, Isabelle, and Addison. 

When we all get to Heaven
Lyrics by Eliza E. Hewitt, music by Emily D. Wilson
Sing the wondrous love of Jesus;
sing his mercy and his grace.
In mansions bright and blessed
he'll prepare for us a place.
Chorus:
When we all get to heaven,
what a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
we'll sing and shout the victory!

While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
clouds will overspread the sky;
but when travelling days are over,
not a shadow, not a sigh.
(Chorus)
Let us then be true and faithful.
trusting, serving everyday;
just on glimpse of Him in glory
will the toils of life repay.
(Chorus)
Onward to the prize before us!
Soon his beauty we'll behold;
soon the pearly gates will open;
we shall tread the streets of gold!
(Chorus)

Thank you Amy, for sharing your heart  & thought with us, it is a joy to follow along and pray with you. We'll still be praying. Amy's entry is found on her blog: Mending Hearts and bending knees

The Canadian National Transplant Research Program

Today our thoughts are on Organ donation, if it wasn't for a family's decision to donate a heart, Sara wouldn't be with us right now. It's because of the thoughtfulness of another family, in the midst of grief and pain, that a heart was given to our child. We are forever grateful.

Improving organ donation is just one of the projects the Canadian National transplant Research Program hope to improve. A grant for this program was announced yesterday, and it's lead by one of the U of A's own researcher Dr. Lori West. It was something our family wanted to be a part of when they invited us to speak to CBC news and CTV news.

CTV News Edmonton "National Transplant Program Led by Local Researcher" VIDEO

CBC News "Organ Transplant program expected to boost success rate" Article

CBC news The National - April 22, 2013 VIDEO
*You can skip ahead to 33:40 to see Sara, after all the commercials the segment with Sara will play.

We know a few families also waiting for transplants and we pray that the wait will not be too long, as we already know, some can't last the wait. Signing your health card, or signing up in your province's site and donating blood is all a step in the right direction. Hopefully soon a new way to match donors with recipients will be available across Canada. Like the poster above, you can check out the Projects and Core Platforms from The Canadian National Transplant Research Program website.

Hope you enjoy reading through the links and watching the videos!

Here is Sara's page from the Children's Miracle Network that the Stollery Children's Hospital put together back in March 2013.