Greetings Dear Friends and Family,

It has been some time since I wrote to update you all so I thought I would get those of you who are still interested in our progress up to speed.  

We have had up days and down days, encouraging moments and struggles. Yet, overall, our progress continues. We are now six weeks out from Robin's surgery and in the final days of her IV antibiotic treatments at home. She will have her blood drawn tomorrow for the latest evaluation by the infectious disease Doctor. We are truly hoping it will show she is clear of infection. Any other outcome is unthinkable, to be honest. So, stay tuned on that news (which we should know by the end of this week, God willing). 

In the meantime, life is happening. The miracle of the gofundme campaign launched by our dear friend Sherri Harder reaching the specified goal touches our hearts so much. A few other financial gifts have come directly to us as have meals, help with practical matters, and other kindnesses. These have made all the difference.  The biggest challenge for Robin continues to be mobility and Physical Therapy. New PT approvals have come slowly so her at-home PT has been inconsistent. However, we have approvals from PT at home through this week and then we will probably shift to outpatient PT in Rancho Santa Margarita. Her knee still hurts her a lot these days which is discouraging but she is not letting that stop her from going on occasional outings to places like church and the nail salon and otherwise doing what she can to get stronger.

The current situation requires me to remain home to help out with Robin's needs. Currently, I am able to run short errands and conduct one or two counseling sessions a week in-office while seeing the rest of my clients online. I also managed to get COVID shot #1 about a week ago with #2 to follow. Any breaks in our routine, such as a recent visit from my brother and his wife, lunch with an old friend, a visit from the Triplets and Chris and Colleen, or some phone time with a sympathetic counselor friend have been replenishing.

So, all-in-all, we are moving forward but not rapidly. 

We are VERY MUCH looking forward to two visitors next week. Our daughter, JeanneAnn, is scooting down for a few days from her home in Oregon. Our other anticipated guest is Robin's twin sister, Jacki who will be visiting from her home in North Carolina. We are setting our sights on our daughter's small family wedding event in June (in Oregon) and have bought tickets and booked lodging. These lights on the horizon help pull us through the daily challenges even as we also look for those daily "pockets of grace" God provides. 

Robin and I want to thank all of you who have stood by us through this unexpectedly long and challenging journey. We cherish your prayers, friendship, fellowship, and kindnesses more than we can express.

Bill