June 16, 2003

Wow!

Hey everybody............It's Sunday night and we've had a pretty quiet day which is just what the Dr ordered. It's been a very busy week.

Fri we (Jade, Robert and I) met with IHC and got our contract signed. Later that night we went to the Capitol and attended the Auction put on by the AG's office. What a fun night. As I've told others, it was so fun to be in something other than jeans and a polo shirt. The food was great, the band (Blue Heelers) was fantastic (good thing Jade is sick or I'd have made him dance) and the auction was incredible. Everything was made up so first class. There was confetti on the tables, all the items (including gift certificates) were in baskets, wrapped in cellophane. The event was so well organized. It would rival anything done in a "professional" realm. Very impressive. Jade loved the evening. It was tiring physically for him to be out and about for that long but he was so jazzed and energized emotionally from being there. Actually he didn't sleep very good (we went to bed about midnight) since he kept waking up thinking of the night's events. Probably something akin to sensory overload. What a fantastic memory for us to have. Everyone associated with it and the crew from the AG's office deserves a great deal more gratitude than I'm capable of expressing, although I'm trying. Thank you so much! Pictures from the auction will be on the website soon.

Sat we went to have lunch at the Texas Roadhouse for the fundraiser they were doing. It was fun to see some people and have lunch. (Pictures will be on the website from that as well.) Jade's brother and sister (Jared and Brenda) and family's did a car wash on Sat in Layton. They spent seven hours in the sun that day - - after being out late at the auction the night before.

The silent auction will be bringing in more than $30,000, the car wash did $530 and we don't have a total from Texas Roadhouse yet. Just amazing what has happened in the past few weeks.

Jade is going for more blood tests Mon afternoon. Some are the routine ones which we do every Monday and others will be for the "staging" as we get nearer to harvesting. Jade has his new line put into his chest this Fri. But in the meantime his brother (from CA), sister (from VA) and sister (from AZ) are in town this week and he's looking forward to playing a little. It'll do him good to see them and laugh and talk and undoubtedly cry.

Thanks for everything. We are astounded at what has happened, for good and bad, the past few weeks. We feel like with everyone's help we have truly moved a mountain. Sometimes I get overwhelmed looking at what has to transpire in the coming months and I do get renewed faith and hope as I look at what we've accomplished in the past six to seven weeks. Thank you for your encouragement. Take care and we'll keep you posted with the events of the week.

OH, and to give another medical update, Sadie doesn't have a thyroid problem or diabetes or arthritis. They think maybe displasia of the elbows. (We know she doesn't have displasia of the hips, which is a notorious problem in labs.) They may do some x-rays in July but they've given her some more rimydal and we'll see if that helps in the next two to three weeks.

Ok, so I think that's finally it for the night. Take care ............................

Love................Tanya and co.