Day +424: Weekend at Richard and Tutu's house

We had a wonderful weekend in La Verne, California at the home of Toni and Richard Hall. Toni ("Tutu" to the kids) is Keri's stepmother; she was married to Keri's father David Olsen, who passed away from T-cell lymphoma several years ago. She has since remarried, and her husband Richard has embraced David's children and grandchildren as if they were his own blood. We felt very much embraced and welcomed in their home and in their community, which is a really wonderful feeling. Their church has been praying for Mina Brigitta, and pastor Craig flew up to visit us when we first went back into the hospital in February 2005. Craig was also a close friend of David's, and he too has really embraced us. He even made a special point of praying for Keri and me during the service on Sunday, which was a really nice gesture. It felt really great to be able to bring Mina Brigitta to that community so they could see and enjoy her in person.

The occasion for the weekend was that Tutu was graduating from Trinity Bible College with a master's degree. Auntie Teri came down for the graduation as well, so that was a treat. The kids had a great time. We rented a minivan and stayed in a hotel on Thursday night, and the novelty factor was really helpful in keeping them occupied during the "yong yong yong yong yong yong yong yong drive". Tutu and Richard have a little pool in their backyard, and I tried to get the kids to go in with me all day Saturday to no avail. Finally Pastor Craig brought his three kids over in the late afternoon, and seeing the other kids having a great time in the pool was enough to convince Mina to try it. She jumped off the step into my arms and we made a big splash. She laughed and laughed, and then didn't stop for an hour and a half. I'd been in the pool all day and was getting pretty tired, but she just wanted to jump into the water over and overa gain. Finally she had to go potty, and we took advantage of the opportunity to dry her off and get her into her clothes. We were wondering if she would go back in right away on Sunday or would need some coaxing, but she woke up early on Sunday and the very first thing she said to me was "I yike jumping in dat water!"

Mina Brigitta has clinic on Wednesday, so I'll update the blog again later this week. It's been six weeks since her last appointment, which has actually been a bit
nerve-wracking since everyone in the family has had at least two colds since then and at one point she had several bruises that looked a tad suspicious (i.e., possibility of low platelets which would be a very bad sign). But the bruises seem to have gone away and she's very pink and full of energy, so I'm not as worried as I was a week or so ago. Still, I'll breathe easier when I know her counts are healthy.