Another busy (and fun) weekend

Hi everyone:

Sorry for missing a couple of days in writing; things have been pretty hectic as the school year has been winding down. On the health front, there's little to report -- Patty still seems to be faring pretty well. She needs to go to Edward Hospital on Wednesday for bloodwork (lipids, etc.), but otherwise has little on the schedule in terms of medical commitments. Based on our last exchange with doctors, I think the plan for now is to just wait for a new heart and hope that Patty's existing heart continues to keep her going. So far, so good.

We had pretty late nights over the weekend, and Patty seemed to come through them without compromising entire next days. On Friday, we took Kelly to get a dress for both graduation and for Luke's upcoming wedding; thankfully, we were good bargain hunters and came away with something nice for relatively cheap.

On Saturday, we visited our friends and neighbors Denise and Kevin; after some coaxing, I spent some time in the pool tossing kids around while Patty relaxed and chatted. Yesterday, we grilled burgers and hot dogs while we hosted Patty's former student Emily, her girlfriend Amanda and PJ's girlfriend Kelsey for a visit. We played ladderball (fun game, at which Patty seems to be an instant pro) and then watched Pan's Labyrinth (first time for them, fourth for me.)

Patty and I set out for a walk early this afternoon. When we left our house, the sun was shining; twelve minutes later, we were running through a torrential downpour to get back to the house. I was surprised that Patty moved so quickly, and with minimal struggles to catch her breath when we arrived home. Without the chemo, perhaps Patty can enjoy a day here and there that, aside from taking a dozen pills, seems "normal."

Love,

Brian

Emily, Patty, Connor (with latex glove "balloons")

Amanda