2009 Another Year!

I have been overwhelmed in dealing with my children's chronic illnesses the last two months, so I am behind in posting. We had 11 hospitalizations during 2009 with most of them during the past 6 months. After being on the road so much with doctors and hospitals, I was blessed to stay home and just sit on the couch this Christmas so to speak. I actually read a book for the first time in a long time, Code Orange. The story is interesting if you like a medical mystery. I know. Of all the books I could choose, why that one? It happened to be given to me by someone at the hospital.

It has been quite a year of blessings, trials, and tests of patience and faith.

Gabriela stabilized from her Bipolar and has made progress in school along with quite a bit of growth in height as she grows into a lovely young lady.

Joshua learned how to read, shared his interest in history and "old" things along with his desire to learn about dinosaurs, rockets and to become a pilot one day.

Shawna wants to be a "blue" doctor, a gymnast or dancer, and has an incredible love for horses and reindeer (particularly Rudolph). Her favorite songs are Rudolph and Oh Christmas Tree. She grew 3 inches this fall and grew from a size 10 shoe to a size 12 shoe.

Joseph is learning to spell along with constant work on ABCs, 123s, colors and shapes; Joseph had his 4th open heart surgery during which he received 3 units of blood and 1 unit post surgery (4 total) and came out with a parlayzed diaphragm and a bovine tissue patch which the surgeon failed to tell us about. (That is another story all in itself for another day and another post). We transfered all our care back to CHOC. He lost 5 pounds during surgery and is not gaining weight; we are trying to get him an appointment with gastro. We were all glad when his pneumothorax (collapsed lung on the right) cleared up, when his pleural effusion (fluid around the lung on the right) cleared up, and when his pulmonary hypertension was back under control. He has to work harder to breath now that his diaphragm does not work. He also has to cough more often to keep fluid out of his lungs and keep his lungs open. He is just so skinny. I can wrap my thumb and pointer finger around his biceps quite easily.

Michael has endured many medical battles this year and continues on chemo and a slew of medication to keep him stabilized. His kidneys, thyroid, growth, seizures, lupus and anemia continue to be big concerns. He made it through chemo this month without vomitting a single time; praise the Lord. He started having seizures again (3 on 12/20 and 1 on 12/23) along with increased muscle tremors he cannot control; neurology had to increase his Topamax. He is retaining quite a bit of fluid as his kidneys do not seem to be doing well; his eyes are swollen most days the past 2 weeks along with his legs and knees despite the Lasix. His last hemoglobin on 12/21 was 7.8 (quite low, normal is 12); walking even short distances seems to wear him out. We still have not received a wheelchair as ordered by orthopedist, pediatrician, and rheumatologist. He collapsed at CHOC walking from St. Joseph's to CHOC, which is literally across the street. The hematologist is concerned he may need a blood transfusion and asked for STAT repeat labs today along with a type and cross for a unit of blood. We will hear more tomorrow.

In the meantime, please keep praying. I worry about Michael who is such a brave soul. He had been seeming to do better, and has been doing worse again the past 2 weeks. I worry about Joseph and his not gaining weight. I praise the Lord for all the small victories, miracles and angels who have touched our lives.

Christmas was a blessing. Our dear friends Laurie, John and family gave the kids gifts, clothes and my first ever live Christmas tree. Believe it or not, I had the least problem with my allergies this year than previously. The tree was a Douglas Fir and recently washed off by the rain, which I am sure helped. My sister Kathy, her husband Jeff, and kids Marisa and Ryan sents all the kids pajamas, socks, underwear, books, and toy. I was thrilled and overjoyed. My personal favorite part was the socks and underwear. Very cool. Gifts only a mom would appreciate. Although, Shawna was so excited over her new clothes that she literally had to try on every single thing undies included. She was completely delighted. We had the wonderful time of talking with all our different family members and grandparents on Christmas. Dr. Boon, our rhematologist, gave the kids each a Christmas gift. Dr. Pepper (yes the soda) gave each of the kids a gift. A certain wish foundation gave the kids each a gift and Joseph some incredibly awesome photos including a very grand scrapbook specially made for Joseph from his Wish day. Yes, it was blessed. We were glad Santa even made it to our house this year with help from special elves. The children were blessed with more than we could ever have given them. My favorite part was reading the Legend of the Christmas Tree, the Legend of the Christmas Stocking and the Legend of the Candy Cane. Our big TV broke down earlier this year, which has given us the opportunity to spend family time with other activities. Our little TV in the bedroom is difficult to get everyone around. Shawna's favorite part of the Christmas season was decorating the Christmas tree and getting a real tree. She is already talking about how we have to get one and decorate another one for the next Christmas. Scott enjoyed some time to sleep. The kids all enjoyed playing with new toys. I am trying to get in as many deep breaths and moments to de-stress as I can. I even got my hair cut from quite long to shoulder length this month. That was a nice change. My last hair 'salon' cut was quite literally more than a year ago.

Praying for a happy, healthy and faith-filled New Year in 2010!

Merry Christmas. For Christ Our Savior is the reason for the season. Jesus is our True Blessing.

Happy New Year! Please be safe.

Jennifer
School http://www.academyofthepossible.com/
Business http://www.richardsonstudios.com/
Store http://www.shop.richardsonstudios.com/
Blog http://www.richardsonstudios.blogspot.com/


"All things were made through Him, and without Him, nothing came to be. Whatever has come to be, found life in Him" John 1: 1-18

October 18th - As if this was not enough - Chips Adventures Inside Our Couch

Okay, tonight our weekly adventures continue. I was sitting on the couch with my legs propped up to relax after a stressful week. Chip, in his infinite wisdom, decided to crawl inside the couch. Now, he has done this before. Usually, we quickly get him and scold him; end of story. Not tonight! Chip had crawled in the couch between the seat and the back of the couch where the couch folds up. I guess it was a nice warm hamock. Problem is, he couldn't get himself out. We couldn't fold the couch up either cause it would have squished him. We could not stand the couch on end because he might have gotten hurt by the steel frame; and, our couch is quite a heavy sucker too. After much deliberation, my genious husband suggested that if we could just get some of the seem undone that he might be able to get out the side. It took a bit of doing, but we were able to loosen a couple of staples. Chip happily crawled out unscathed. He had us all worried and concerned. After Kojo's adventure yesterday, we did not need another injured dog! Oh my goodness. What next?!?

Jennifer Richardson RN
www.richardsonstudios.com
www.academyofthepossible.com

October 17 - Stress Continued - Kojo's Tail

Well, I would say this has been an extremely adventurous week with quite a few ups and downs much like a roller coaster. I think this week has a mind of its own. Our dog Kojo in an effort to chase his tail, scratch his tail or just chew off some pesky flee, actually bit off the end of his tail. We had to take him to the emergency animal hospital (after hours when everyone else is closed of course). The first visit they tried to glue his tail with special glue to help skin heal together. After barely getting home and a short period of tail wagging, his tail was gushing as much as before. We rushed him back in. This time to the after hours hospital, since the previous one was now closed. Kojo ended up having part of his tail amputated in order to fix him up. He is slowly mending, although he still really likes chasing his tail. The vet said it may be a neurological thing. Great! A neurotic dog. Not really; Kojo is a very sweet dog who likes to play. We will be so glad to see him all better.

Jennifer Richardson
www.richardsonstudios.com
www.academyofthepossible.com

October 16 - A Very Special Day for Wishing

Michael had the pleasure of being chosen by a group where he could wish for the stars if that is what he wanted. A team of people came out to ask him about all of the things his heart desired. We were so thrilled for him with all that he has been through the last few months, not to mention years. His life has been tough from the start. It is so nice to see him with a reason to smile again. The worries on his heart are so large, and sometimes you can nearly see them sitting on his shoulders. Michael has such a huge heart; his dreams were about being sure his family was taken care of. To top the day, we just received a letter stating that Joseph was chosen by them as well. All of our children were wishing on stars tonight and dreaming with big imaginations, Joseph and Michael in particular. I know they both want ABC to come so badly; I hope they can look at the blessing this has to offer and trust that the Lord will provide for their needs in his good time. They even got to meet the dog who is the mascot. Quite exciting.

October 14 and 15

The 14th and 15th this week we have been very worried about Michael. After his huge seizure on Tuesday night, he is having a great deal of trouble with walking, balance and coordination. He has already tripped and fallen several times. He is also having trouble with drooling, swallowing and choking and gagging on food. The neurologist says this is an exacerbation of an already existing deficit, meaning his cerebral palsy, and that the post seizure effects usually resolve within 24 to 48 hours of the seizure. That would have been tonight, and that does not seem to be the case. We are still seeing smaller seizures too. Hopefully the seizure medication Michael is now on will help soon; it is not at a therapeutic level yet.

Jennifer Richardson RN
www.richardsonstudios.com
www.academyofthepossible.com

October 13 Seizures

Michael had a Grand Mal seizure, also known as a tonic-clonic seizure. It was rather frightening. Even with all of my own education about it, the experience is entirely different when it is your own child. He stopped breathing for 3-4 minutes turning completely blue. A full blown seizure in every way. Michael took quite a while to come back around to the point of awareness of everything. We are still seeing some deficits as a result of this seizure including weakness, tripping, and falling etc. Michael slept quite a lot the next day, even at the neurologists office. Michael has had other seizures which have been smaller and are classified as simple partial seizures or complex partial seizures since September.

Please keep Michael in your prayers.

DPGN or Diffuse Proliferative Glomerulonephritis

There are only 5 different types of kidney disease in Lupus. Type IV is Diffuse Proliferative Glomerulonephritis, which is the most serious type of kidney disease in Lupus. DPGN is the most severe and is very aggressive. According to the National Kidney Foundation (2009), DPGN the "kidney filters [are] damaged and thickened, the cells...are overgrown, and their may be areas of dead tissue ('necrosis') or breakage...causing inflammation around each kidney filter, called 'crescents'. This type of kidney disease requires vigorous treatment...with powerful [medications]...there is a significant risk of developing severe kidney failure, and needing long term dialysis (artificial kidney treatment)."

This is the type of kidney disease Michael has.

Thank you for your prayers.

Jennifer Richardson
http://www.richardsonstudios.com/
http://www.academyofthepossible.com/

How To Pray The Rosary

The rosary is a simple prayer consisting primarily of the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Mysteries.

If you would like to learn how to say the rosary, you can go to this website:
http://www.rosary-center.org/howto.htm

The Jesus Prayer

The Jesus Prayer is simple. Say this simple prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

If you would like to learn more about the Jesus Prayer, a prayer made popular and said by Eastern Orthodocs and Catholics alike go to this website:

http://www.jesusprayer.org/

Devastating News

The results of Michael's renal biopsy came back. The results are not at all what we hoped, but it does explain many of Michael's symptoms and the reason his blood pressure has been so labile. Michael's kidneys are very sick with over fifty percent involved. Michael has an extremely aggressive form of kidney disease called Diffuse Proliferative Glomerulonephritis which requires chemotherapy through an IV. Michael will be admitted to the hospital once a month to receive this therapy. His seizures are also worsening, and we don't know why. Seizures are not a typical response to Lupus.

Please pray with us on Monday, October 12th and Tuesday, October 13th for Michael to go into remission and the incredible power of the Lord's healing to flow through his body. We will be storming heaven with our prayers, for direction, for Michael's healing, for the doctors hands and wisdom. I will be saying the rosary and many Our Father's if anyone would like to join me.

Jennifer Richardson
www.richardsonstudios.com
www.academyofthepossible.com

Proposed National Health Care - Against / Getting Your Attention

On the extreme side, the government having our health history could be worse than devastating. Some people might say this is an exaggeration, but I don't think so. Look at what Hitler did when he decided he did not like anyone who was less than a perfect Aryan German. He gained power, and no one stood up against him until millions of souls were killed. Is this proposed National Health Care Plan in everyone's best interest? Perhaps, not. Passing this health care bill may open some doors that we don't like. Later, it would be too late; I would hate to look back and wish the health care bill had never been passed. While the US government may not open concentration camps today, they have in the past. Having our health history certainly makes it much easier for the government to decide that people with a specific history should be euthanized or denied health. Look at what happened to the lady whose food was taken away. I do not agree with that. I believe it is handing way too much power to the government. I value my freedom and the freedom of my children way to much to agree to pass a bill such as this. What if the government decides people with a history of heart disease or high cholesterol cost too much and cut benefits for only those people; that is just another form of discrimination. To me, it sounds like boiling a frog; if you start at a cold temperature and turn it hotter really slowly, the frog will cook to death and not even know it. I believe this health care in the hands of the government is dangerous, and I encourage everyone to speak up and contact their government officials. I just don't think we can afford to be quiet on this one, and I don't think this is an exaggeration either. What happens if the government decides that medications will no longer be covered for a specific group. This has the ability for discrimination at its worst! Should we have to pay a hefty financial penalty if we don't like the insurance plans that are offered? Who would we sue? The government? Who is liable then? When the government controls health care and chooses to deny care to everyone with diabetes because they have to cut spending, or decides no medications will be covered because they have to balance the budget, or decides everyone with a history of cancer will not be covered because they cost to much, who are you going to sue? The government?

I don't want my son's health care controlled by my government. Health care control belongs in the hands of doctors and their patients, not in the hands of government or insurance companies. I want the best for my kids and my son. I don't believe the government or an insurance company for that matter can make a better decision than a parent, a patient, or their doctor. Period. I don't believe any health care proposal the supports abortion is the answer.

Don't you want health care? Of course. But, we are already paying for it twice. Once through the premiums, and a second time through our taxes. We don't need to pay for health care a third time through penalties and higher taxes as proposed. The proposed plan will cost money to implement. Where is that money going to come from? Us, our taxes, and our children's taxes.

Is there a better way? In Virgina, CNN reported a medical group who eliminated processing claims due to the high overhead and instead charges patients lower fees. It makes sense. How much can a practice be making anyway with the tons of paperwork required to process a medical claim? Not as much as you think.

If you have read this post, good. I am glad I have your attention! That is the whole purpose of this post. I urge you to read the proposed National Health Care Plan for yourself. Do not just rely on what you have heard from others. Health care is a very important issue. You should be involved because it affects you. You might be surprised at what is really in there.

Heartbreaking Moments

It is heartbreaking how ill so many of my children are. I have my moments when I break down and cry, and I have my moments when I learn really how strong I am. Most everything else seems so small in comparison.

Jennifer Richardson RN

September News Part Two

Dear friends:

As the month comes closer to an end, we have had so much happen.

Kidney Biopsy:
We have not heard at all on Michael's kidney tests. I promise to let you know as soon as I hear.

God's Mercy
On Sunday, we received a huge outpouring of God's mercy and financial abundance through the generosity and faithfulness of some dear friends who helped us pay another bill. God is good. All the time. All the time. God is good.

Sunday's Luau:
We had the pleasure and priviledge of attending a Luau at Huntington Central Park. It was quite a last minute surprise, and we were so pleased that we had no plans and were able to go. Friends took care of the gas for the car and lunch, which was another blessing. All the kids liked the guys twirling the fire and the dancing. The boys enjoyed the "Money" dance. Someone gave the kids each a dollar to put up on the stage. What a day! I have never personally been to a Luau, so it was just magnificent.

My 3 year old Linguist
Shawna is learning just a fabulous vocabulary. The other day she was quite tired and stated "the blood in my brain is annoying me". Today, Shawna asked me to take her blood pressure (which of course is wonderfully normal) and stated "my trachea is bothering me". It turns out she was thirsty. She knows all her colors extremely well, and 3/4 of her ABC's. On a side note, she is also highly interested in horses right now.

Our TV:
Our large screen TV is finally on the fritz. It has had a good life over the past 10 years. Now, when we turn it on, we only see green. The audio is just about the only thing on it that works. Ah, well. I really liked it a lot because with my vision the smaller screens are harder to see, and I lose a lot of the detail. Shawna was disappointed because she really likes to watch Word World but the only ones we have for DVD are Lucky Duck and Sheep with a Star.

Heart Cath #2:
Joseph is all pre-registered for his heart catheterization number two on the 29th. After speaking with the doctors, it is not preferable medically to keep repeating the heart catheterization. Waiting on the procedures and results is often the most difficult part. If the Revatio (Sildenafil) works and his pulmonary artery pressures are lower, then there is still hope for him to have the atrial double switch procedure. If it does not, then his chances of receiving the atrial double switch heart surgery decrease drastically. Of course, we will look at the options which include Nitric Oxide therapy (if he responds to it) and ECMO (or heart bypass) among others. The most concerning part is if Joseph passes the point of opportunity for the atrial double switch and is unable to have that surgery due to the pulmonary hypertension, then his options are much more limited. At that point, Joseph would not be a candidate for heart transplant alone; he would require an entire heart-lung transplant due to the pulmonary hypertension. Of course, this is all premature. Please pray with us for miraculous results. Please pray the Lord guides the physicians hands.

What's in a Name:
Joseph asked me the most amazing thing today. Joseph walked up to me after drawing a beautiful picture of a house with mommy in it. Joseph asked me "Mommy, how do I spell my name?" I told him, and he proceeded to write it down. His J was upside down, and he had trouble with the small e. He got ALL the other letters correct on his own!! JOSEPH WROTE HIS OWN NAME! To my recollection, I have encouraged him to write his own name, showed him how, told him the letters, helped him write his name, and practiced with him in school. Joseph, however, has never asked me of his own accord how to spell his name. I am SOOOO excited. This is a HUGE step for him. Until now, he has mostly found writing his name a source of frustration unless we provided a LOT of encouragement and praise. Joseph was so EXCITED! I will save this precious little piece of paper in his memory book. His writing his name on his own shows very clear progress in school. We are so very proud of him!

Speaking Up
Joshua is learning how to speak up. Sometimes he can be difficult to understand, and we have found the at least half the problem is projection. He talks so quietly; it can be hard to hear him. When Josh spoke up loud and clear, we started giving him High 5's and High 10's (two hands). We praised him for this. It clearly has paid off. As we are now seeing more and more, Josh is able to project much better. He is much easier to hear. When his two front teeth come in, that will help as well.

A Budding Artist
Gabriela is becoming quite the artist these days. She enjoys drawing, painting and sketching and says one of the things she wants to do is become an artist like me and Grandma. She has been working at creating amazing new monsters with mixed bodies from different animals. They are quite creative, some with long necks and one eye and a slug body. We definitely will be saving these in her portfolio.

Miracles Happen Everyday!
We had applied for Joseph and for Michael to The Make-A-Wish foundation on the same day, same time. Well, to our great surprise, The Make-A-Wish foundation chose Michael to make his dream come true; we just received a letter in the mail today (Tuesday, September 22, 2009). Michael received a very nice card from them. We will hear more from them in a couple of weeks or so when they send the "dream team" to talk with Michael about his heart's greatest desire. Michael wished for a trip to Walt Disney World and ABC Extreme Home Makeover to come to his house. We will see what happens, and I will keep you posted on that of course. Michael is so excited that he is grinning from ear to ear. Michael has been having quite a rough time of it lately with diet restrictions, feeling like there is so much he cannot eat, so much medication, and even pain just getting dressed in the morning. This morning he just wanted to stay in his pajamas, so his muscles would not hurt worse getting dressed. I am so tickled. I haven't seen Michael smile that big in a while.

Seizures
Michael has an appointment tomorrow with neurology. Over the weekend (since Friday) Michael started having seizures; they are not full blown seizures because he is still conscious and aware of what is going on. The primarily seem to affect his upper body and arms and hands. Those types of seizures are called partial or simple seizures (as opposed to seizures that affect the whole body, memory, awareness and consciousness which are called Complex seizures). I will let you know what the doctor says. After being in the hospital three times in the last three months (between the emergency room and in patient stays), this was just not something Michael needed.

I love you all. Keep Michael is prayers.

In Christ,
Jennifer Richardson RN
www.richardsonstudios.com
www.academyofthepossible.com
www.shop.richardsonstudios.com
www.richardsonstudios.blogspot.com

September Newsletter and Updates

Dear friends,

I apologize for not writing for so many months. I have not sent a newsletter in quite some time. Our family has just been inundated with intense struggles both financially and medically the last several months.

April
Joseph underwent his cardiac catheterization. Joseph had local anesthesia and heavy sedation during the procedure. During the procedure, Joseph had trouble maintaining adequate oxygen levels in his blood which fell down to 76 percent which is extremely low. He required 100 percent oxygen, but they were able to stabilize him. This made Scott and I nervous because we already know from his medical records that Joseph coded once in his life where they had to use extreme measures to bring him back. This complication during his heart cath was unexpected. Fortunately, they were able to stabilize Joseph and no ventilator was required. The doctors were able to complete the procedure, and had unexpected findings. Joseph’s heart is already compromised being enlarged on one side and atrophied on the other. The doctors found and diagnosed Joseph with pulmonary hypertension along with all the other problems he is already struggling with. Joseph already struggles most days with chest pain, fatigue especially with activity and exertion and occasionally faint blue around his mouth. Now, he may be having difficulty breathing as well and not know how to accurately describe that to us. The doctors are not sure of the cause of the pulmonary hypertension, although he probably has had it for a while. Without knowing the exact cause, we suspect it may have been there since he was little when he had a lot of lung infections. Unfortunately, pulmonary hypertension can be progressive and fatal and can lead to heart failure and often leads to death within three years. Unfortunately, this has a huge financial impact on our family. The doctors are conferencing to formulate a plan and expect several procedures may be necessary to try and find the cause. If they can find the cause, that would help treatment. Soo, more procedures (probably a sleep study, another heart cath later to recheck his pressures, an ENT, pulmonary specialist etc.). The atrial double switch surgery that we were hoping Joseph could have would have extended his life from 5 years to about 50 to 60 years old, and now is on hold indefinitely because of this newest complication. We thought we had hurdled at least the major medical problems, and were on our way to things being better with a longer and better life for Joseph, and now we may have him for much shorter than we expected as his condition just keeps getting worse. Overall, he looks okay. Praise God he still is active. As little boys go, he likes to be in the midst of everything. He has such great spunk and a joy and a smile that truly warms your heart are gifts from God which help him through all this tough stuff. Joseph is healing from the procedure and up and around again. Praise God the doctors found it. Without the heart catheterization, we would not even have known until he was much worse. At least this way, the doctors can give him medication to help. We don’t have any previous measures from his open heart surgery in October to compare, because LPCH didn’t do a heart cath or get those kinds of measurements. Looking back, I believe God had angels in his plan for us. It was a Godsend to be at Children’s Hospital LA where they could find the pulmonary hypertension. Praise God Joseph DID get the pacemaker in October last year when he did to help his little heart keep going, and especially since his body depends on that pacemaker more and more. It just breaks my heart to see though how it does limit him and cause him pain. Pain that I can’t fix or heal or take away. I can only hug him and tell him how much I love him and do what we can.

Michael then got some really serious headaches so badly that he was throwing up several times during the day while we were waiting for Joseph during his procedure and recovery. They have been coming pretty constant. Tylenol helps take the edge off, but we need to get him to another neurologist for a new consult to try and find the cause. The previous neurologist did not really give us any answers for his headaches. Lord, help us.

May - June
We had a lot of birthdays and holidays during April, May and June. Most of us actually had a birthday. Michael turned 13. Gabriela turned 11. Joseph turned 8. Joshua turned 6. And Shawna was 3 in February. Our 3 dogs are healthy as ever, Chip, Apricot and Kojo.

July
All the children were approved for Medi-Cal, and Joseph and Michael were also approved for CCS. PRAISE GOD for medical coverage for the kids! Michael was in the emergency room with an injured knee, and laid up in a half cast for a week. Inititally, they thought Michael had fractured his knee as a result of the tendon pulling a piece of bone off his knee. Later, it appears that was not the case. Michael is up and walking around again. Within just days of Michael being injured, Gabriela fell and broke the growth plate in her wrist while roller skating and also ended up in the emergency room at St. Joseph’s Hospital. The emergency department referred us to orthopedics at CHOC, who subsequently refused to treat us because we live in Riverside. That just didn’t make sense after the many specialties who already see two of our kids. Utterly frustrated, I called CHLA who stated they could not help and referred us to Loma Linda. I left a message with Loma Linda and never received a call back. After leaving messages all over trying to find an orthopedist who would see our kids, Shriner’s told us they would gladly see both kids for their respective injuries and proceeded to treat them for free without charging us a penny!

August
Gabriela’s wrist healed, and she was very happy to get her cast off! Michael was in the hospital during the month of August for a week or so. We took Michael to the emergency room after recording extremely high blood pressures up to 167 over 120, severe headaches off the scale (10 out of 10 on a 1 to 10 scale for sure) with confusion and vomiting. Michael was admitted to Children’s Hospital of Orange County. During the week at the hospital, Michael was on IV medication for high blood pressure as well as IV steroids and medication by mouth to prevent seizures, vomiting, and stroke. Michael’s labs show that he has a great deal of inflammation in his body. The endocrinologist also increased his thyroid medication. The week was so difficult. Tuesday, Michael was completely miserable and still rather sick. He was throwing up on and off all day. His blood pressures were still quite high with the top number (systolic) still as high as 158. Michael said his head felt like it was going to explode. The doctors put Michael on some medication and took him off others which he had been taking at home which I still don’t know the reasons why. After asking the doctors all week and even complaining before discharge. That was the most frustrating part. Uggh! Wednesday, Michael was feeling a little better and got up to go to the playroom. He had a kidney ultrasound, xray of his knee and hip due to pain, and an MRI of his brain with and without contrast. They also told us they planned on doing a kidney biopsy within the next month but could not get it scheduled during Michael’s stay. Michael had quite a lot of labs drawn during his hospital stay as well. We found out Michael was spilling a lot of protein and red blood cells in his urine, which is abnormal because there should be none. During his stay though, Michael had 3 days of absolutely no headaches, which was just magnificent. Waking up without a headache, going to sleep without a headache and 3 days of that is phenomenal, a miracle for sure. Michael has not been headache free for that long in many months and probably a couple of years, maybe longer. We PRAISE God for our miracle. I pray that his headache free state will continue. Michael was diagnosed with Lupus, Lupus Nephritis and Essential Hypertension. Essential (or Primary) Hypertension by its very diagnosis implies the cause is unknown, so I don’t know why the diagnosis was Primary Hypertension. It should have been Secondary Hypertension because the physicians told us his Hypertension was caused by the Lupus Nephritis and his kidneys which were not filtering the blood properly. The kidneys play a large role in controlling blood pressure. I will find the results of the kidney biopsy very interesting. Michael was discharged home on Friday August 21st seemingly doing okay with his blood pressure sort of under control but not solidly. It took a long time for the medication to kick in and take effect bringing his blood pressure down.

Over the weekend, Michael had abdominal pain and back pain and his blood pressures started going up again. Michael was again not feeling well with blood pressures up to 144 systolic (the top number). We called nephrology who stated they did not want to see us, increased his blood pressure medication and told us to call another doctor for the other symptoms. We called rheumatology who changed Michael medication for his stomach from Zantac to Prevacid, which has not really helped at all except at least it is a few less pills per day. Michael came home on a lot of medications for all these conditions. Over the week after he came home, Michael’s blood pressure has had to go up several times to keep it under control. Michael is having headaches again, just about every day now, although they seem to not go past a 5 / 10. Tylenol does not even really touch it though even taking it several times per day as prescribed. Michael is in pain most days. Michael has many follow-ups with many specialties in the upcoming months including rheumatology on Tuesday the 8th, and a kidney biopsy on the 11th where he will have to stay overnight one night. Michael is charming and compassionate. During his stay at the hospital, he was busy making gifts for everyone else our family and the children at the hospital included.

Having lots of experience waiting in waiting rooms and lobbies at hospital visits, during procedures and surgeries, I can see the need for improvements in services to families that frequent the hospitals. I would love to see a play area with places to climb where the healthy siblings of patients can come a play, yell, scream without the worry of disturbing the whole hospital. I would love to see a waiting area for parents and families with games, TV, movies (and not just whatever happens to be on), and activities for kids besides books and crayons. I would love to see places to eat besides a cafeteria with limited hours and not so great hospital food. Parents with siblings do not always get the choice of being there at ideal hours.

September
I am so excited. We finaaaaalllllly got a consult with a pulmonary specialist for our son, Joseph, who is 8 now. The doctor was very very nice and listened well. We told the doctor about Joseph’s diagnosis of Pulmonary Hypertension in April and that we had had no diagnostic testing or treating at all until the end of July, and even then the ONLY thing he has had is Revatio (Sildenafil). He still has episodes turning blue, and pain with breathing and chest pain nearly daily. Our son had the first pulmonary banding and a pacemaker put in during October 2008 for his heart defect d-TGA (where the pulmonary artery and aorta are backwards). He did NOT have a cardiac catheterization done before the surgery. He had all these same symptoms back then, except because of the language barrier with our son (still learning English) we did not realize he was having pain on breathing. The pulmonary specialist stated that he had all the signs but all those signs can be easily attributed to his heart defect. The cardiologists all thought it was from his heart defect including the cardiothoracic at Lucille Packard and the cardiologists at CHOC. Since no cardiac catheterization was done, it was not picked up. The pulmonary specialist states it is very likely that he has had pulmonary hypertension for quite a while because it takes a while for the pulmonary hypertension to get bad enough for it to cause cyanosis. Well, the pulmonary specialist stated he would request authorization for Joseph to be followed by pulmonary from CCS as well as request authorization for a pulse oximeter to begin evaluating his oxygen levels, during exercise, while he sleeps etc. After we establish how he is really doing when he gets blue, then we can request it from CCS with the ability to prove medical necessity for him to where oxygen. The pulmonary specialist states the best therapy we have for pulmonary hypertension is to make sure our son has adequate oxygen. Adequate oxygen levels can go a long way to helping the body and brain grown and develop properly. I am hoping this will help in his ability to learn and focus as well. It would be very interesting to find out how lack of oxygen affects children in school and if that in any way has contributed to his microcephaly. He also stated we would look to see what kind of pulmonary hypertension he has, responsive or nonresponsive, and that there were several things that can cause chest pain besides his cardiac defect and pulmonary hypertension, one being esophageal reflux. Finally, someone who knows what they are talking about. It is my personal opinion that with the many many birth defects he has from the fetal alcohol syndrome that it is just irresponsible doctoring to not rule out other diseases and illnesses that can cause the same symptoms. Praise God we are making progress. God is soooo good.

I will be very glad when Joseph finally receives a pulse oximeter to measure his oxygen levels during the day. We have found out through talking with many parents and people in the pulmonary hypertension arena that putting a child with that diagnosis on oxygen right away is commonly done even if that child is not having trouble to help resolve the pulmonary hypertension more quickly. We spoke with the specialists at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles who confirmed this. It is incredibly frustrating when you know what your child needs and because of cost or the lack of a physician who will write a prescription are not able to get that.

Renal Biopsy
Michael was back in the hospital at Children’s Hospital of Orange County on Friday the 11th of September for a renal biopsy (biopsy of the kidney). He did remarkably well even with having to stay overnight. The kidney is very vascular and has a lot of veins and arteries and thus blood running through it; so, the overnight stay was for his own safety in case of bleeding. We won’t find out the results for another 2 weeks or so. The rheumatologist believes Michael has an aggressive form of kidney disease because of how his blood pressure has not responded well to the two different medications he is on. We anxiously wait for those results. Please continue to pray for Michael as we ourselves pray for him hear at home. Lupus has taken a toll on his body and even getting dressed is painful each day. Unfortunately, Michael is still having headaches. The good news is that with the blood pressure medication at least he has some headache free days. We just wish they were more often than less.

Our Dogs
Our poor dogs were so badly in need of a haircut (at least our two poodles) that I have started to learn how to cut their hair myself; I believe it does not look too bad if I do say so myself. I am sure they feel much better; their hair was quite long.

Answered Prayers
God heard the prayers of our children; God answered the prayers of our children. In our time of need, God has blessed us through our friends. Our water, electricity and trash our on and paid because of you, our friends. We have gas in our car, and the tags on our van are even registered and paid because of you, our friends. Thank you! God is good.

SSI
We are still waiting for approval of SSI for Michael and Joseph, although we are hopeful. We heard from the SSI worker today who was reviewing the documents and stated approval was likely, even though they were not done reviewing documents.

Coming Up – The End of September
September 26th, 2009 / Saturday:
Joseph Noah will have his Baptism finished. Joseph had an emergency Baptism last summer 2008 due to his anticipated open heart surgery and very worrisome heart condition with low heart rates in the 30’s and pauses 2.4 seconds between his heart beats. Since then, he received a pacemaker and at least has a steady heart rate now. Well, the baptism wasn’t “finished”, whatever that means. It definitely will be now; the priests have been wonderful.

Joshua John has not yet been Baptized, and will be Baptized the same day on September 26, 2009.

We expect a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit at the Baptism of our two sons on this day. If you would like more information about attending, please email me at academyofthepossible@gmail.com for more details.

September 29, 2009 / Tuesday:
Joseph is scheduled for his second cardiac catheterization this day. Because Joseph desaturated during the last heart cath (was not getting enough oxygen to breathe) down to 76 percent, he will have this done under general anesthesia. We found out that Joseph also had some pulmonary obstruction during the procedure, where he had difficulty breathing. The general anesthesia will help the doctors maintain a more stable airway and a more controlled environment; if something happens, the cardiothoracic surgeon and other specialists will be right there to help. The second heart cath is necessary for the doctors to determine accurately what the pressures are in Joseph’s heart and arteries in his lungs and to determine how his heart is doing since the pulmonary banding and how the arteries in his lungs are doing with the pulmonary hypertension since the start of the medication. We are praying for miracles that Joseph will have responded well and have really nice pressures. That would give us hope that Joseph may even be able to have the next surgery to repair his heart defect. We will keep praying and see!

Work
God is again so good to us. As many of you know both Scott and I are both looking for work. Scott may have some temporary seasonal work as a food sampler starting the end of October. I also have a lead on two promising jobs, one locally and one in San Jose. We won’t know for a couple weeks. Please pray the Lord leads and guides us as to where we will best be able to raise our family, answer our calling and serve our dear Lord.

Finances
In the meantime, the county denied us any help cash wise. They told us were not deprived enough, so we only receive help for food. Let’s see, no income, both of us out of work, 5 kids, 2 of them rather seriously ill, several of them special needs, no money for utilities, dmv, gas at home or for the car, behind in a now upside down mortgage, and medical bills through the roof. We thank God every day for our lovely children, all of whom were primarily healthy as far as we knew at the time of adoption. God has taken us on this journey of surprises. As most parents do, we are aware that sometimes life happens, sometimes kids get really sick, and sometimes life is just tough all over. Tough times happen, illness and tragedy strikes, and things come up with children we love regardless of how they came into our lives and into our hearts. We love every one of them so very much. We thank God every day for the money we get from recycling our cans and bottles to help with all the finances, and the Lord’s own faithful people who have been generous in financial gifts here and there, and the occasional dollar we make at our yard sales in cleaning out and selling our own things. Yard sales sure can be a lot of work for not a whole lot of money. I am not complaining though; we are glad for every single dollar. Ecclesiastes says take any work because in Sheol it does not matter how much you have achieved or possessed or how much wisdom you had in this life (paraphrased). Very interesting, huh? All God’s faithful people have been our saving grace these past few months. Scott has been out of work for two years, and I have been out of work now for quite a while myself, which makes it really very tough. I can only pray that our testimony helps inspire you as you read this. If we can grow in strength and survive this with God’s help, you will too gain strength in your own struggles and come out a better person for it with God’s help in your own life.

Dispelling Myths and Answering Questions
We have had some people express some amazing comments and questions to us. I thought this would be a great opportunity to educate and dispel these few myths.

No, not all Californians have a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow; we do all have God though.

No, not all Californians live in dream homes with perfect weather; even in California the climate changes in different areas. Some houses are better than others. Not everything is at it seems on TV. Many Californians live in older homes just like us that have problems.

Yes, most of California is sunny; but, sunny does not always mean comfortable, cool and breezy. The desert can be quite hot, especially with no proper air conditioning. Many people, especially during this economic recession, cannot afford it even if they did have working AC. The winters can be quite chilly in parts with of California as well.

No, not all Californias have houses that are worth a lot of money; in fact, many Californias don’t even own a house or if they do they are small and very old.

No, not every California has a job that pays all the bills; California has the nearly the highest unemployment rate in America (only 2 other states top California). Moving can be a hard thing without the resources to do it and is not possible for many people in California for many reasons.

No, not all mortgages are right side up; with the current market, multitudes of Californias have lost huge amounts of equity in their homes through no fault of their own and are unable to refinance even with all the government programs. I don’t think the system works very well. I can only do my part to help as the Lord calls and leads me.

No, not all adoptive parents know every medical condition about the child they are adopting; just as in accepting the responsibility of parenting a biological child, parents who adopt a child cannot know everything that will happen nor can they plan for every problem or illness that may come up in the future. We still love our children with the depths of our hearts and want the best for them.

Yes, adoptive parents accept the child they adopt unconditionally with love regardless of what the future may hold as do biological parents. Even with a lot of savings, a good paying job, and the best financial planning, tragedy happens. Children get sick; we cannot control this.

Did we know our children would get so incredibly sick? No, of course not.

Did we know they had a medical history? Sure. Everyone has some medical history, but that doesn’t mean they will get seriously ill anytime in the future. Nor does it mean we know everything. Many people with medical histories lead good long lives. It does not take much for any family to deplete their savings in times of tragedy. Just think about the many families who are diagnosed with cancer and chronic disease every year. For those of you who deal with chronic illness or disease of any type on a day to day basis for the last umpteen days, months, or even years, I honor you here for your tenacity, commitment and your struggle to live and to those you love.

Adoption does not guarantee a healthy child. Having planned savings and equity, does not guarantee a stable tomorrow. Even the stock market severely crashed affecting millions on Black Tuesday in 1929. Also, a day which will be forever etched in our memories, September 11, when thousands of lives were changed forever and lost in just moments. We just don’t know what tomorrow brings.

Every child matters, and every child has a story.
Praise you Lord for the many divine miracles you have placed in our lives this year!
Thank you Lord for holding us in the palm of your hands and never letting go!

Richardson Studios and Academy of the Possible
Our business, Richardson Studios has been extremely slow in part because of the lack of funds necessary to grow it, market and raise customers and in part due to the economy being slow. We have also not really gotten Academy of the Possible off the ground. Although we have officially started the school, we have had obstacles in the way. All in God’s good timing as we grow as individuals and learn more about managing a business, marketing and raising funds.

We are looking for leaders in our community interested in volunteer positions. These are all volunteer positions with no paid benefits at this time. There are no benefits to these positions, and they are all home based. We are a lay Catholic Christian organization. If you know of anyone who may be interested in such an opportunity in a company with a big vision, please feel free to forward this email. We will be happy to talk.

Minimum requirements for all positions include
*email access and phone access,
*a Christian faith with a Christ-centered personal relationship with Jesus,
*a commitment to our vision and willingness to partner in prayer,
*basic computer proficiency (or the willingness to learn),
*ability to email and use MS Word (or the willingness to learn), and
*ability to attend monthly meetings (usually in the Riverside area).

We need volunteers for the following positions:

Accounting & Finance
*Experience and knowledge of tithing a plus
*Experience working with a debt-free organization a plus

Prayer Warriors
*Experience with laying on of hands and intercessory prayer

Grant Writing

Fundraising and Event Planning

Sales

Legal

Marketing and Promotion

Renewable Energies (solar, wind, etc)
*We are praying about our own utilities and ways to decrease the overhead and costs of running the school, hospital and medical facility. High costs and not enough income is the number one problem in hospitals. This is one way we are praying about decreasing overhead.

Medical Research
*Must be proficient in APA format and how to cite references properly
*Must know how to write scientific or medical articles or brochures
*Experience in the medical or nursing field a plus

Teachers
*Teaching credential for K-12 or Secondary Subject in good standing a plus, OR Experience as a homeschool teacher for a minimum of 2 years
*Experience with Special Needs children a plus but not required
*A Strong Desire to work with special needs children required
*Special Education certification a plus but not required
*Accepting all subjects including Bible and Prayers, Catholic Faith Formation / Catechism, Science, History, Geography, Language Arts / English, Math (all levels), Home Economics, Life Skills, Vocational Skills, Art, Music

Child Life Specialist
*Experience in an acute care setting

Hospitality / Greeter

Director of Nursing
*Bachelor’s Degree preferred
*Active license in good standing
*Acute Care experience required
*Pediatric experience a plus
*Experience with JCAHO required
*Experience with Magnet Accreditation a plus
*Experience supervising, training and teaching new staff
*Experience in an office, clinic, or home care setting a plus

Registered Nurse Supervisor / Manager
*Bachelor’s Degree preferred
*Active license in good standing
*Acute Care experience required
*Pediatric experience a plus
*Experience with JCAHO and Magnet Accreditation a plus
*Experience supervising, training and teaching new staff
*Experience in an office, clinic, or home care setting a plus

RN Clinical Educator
*CPR and First Aid certification required or willingness to obtain certification
*Child Care Health & Prevention certification required or willingness to obtain certification
*Acute Care experience required
*American Red Cross Instructor certification required or willingness to obtain
*Bachelor’s Degree preferred
*Active license in good standing
*Pediatric experience a plus
*Experience with JCAHO and Magnet Accreditation a plus
*Experience supervising, training and teaching new staff
*Prior experience as a Clinical Educator a plus but not required
*Strong desire to teach required
*Experience in an office, clinic, or home care setting a plus

Registered Nurse
*Bachelor’s Degree preferred
*Active license in good standing
*Acute Care experience required
*Experience in an office, clinic, or home care setting a plus
*Pediatric experience a plus

Physical Therapists
*Experience with Pediatrics a plus

Occupational Therapists

Speech Therapists
*Experience with Pediatrics a plus
*

Play Therapist

Art Therapist

General Contractor / Engineer

Medical Director
*Medical Doctor license in good standing required
*Experience with pediatrics required
*Minimum of 5 years experience in an acute care pediatric hospital required
*Master’s Degree Required
*Experience with clinical studies and research required
*Experience in private practice and / or working in a clinic setting required
*Experience supervising and training new staff and / or residents a plus

Medical Doctor
*Medical Doctor license in good standing required
*Accepting Volunteers for ALL specialties including but not limited to: rheumatology, neurology,
*Experience with pediatrics required
*Minimum of 5 years experience in an acute care pediatric hospital required
*Master’s Degree Required
*Experience with clinical studies and research a plus but not required
*Experience in private practice and / or working in a clinic setting required

Spiritual Director
*Experience leading healing services / liturgy
*Experience in the Gifts of the Spirit
*Experience leading others in their walk in the Catholic Christian faith
*Experience in prayer and the laying on of hands and use of Holy Oil

Pastoral Counselor
*Experience in Connecting Prayer and / or willingness to take a 3 month intensive Spiritual Growth and Maturity Series
*Master’s in Clinical Psychology or MFCC a plus

Priest
*Ordained Catholic priest

Music Director
*Experience leading worship required
*Ability to play a musical instrument or sing required
*Willingness to lead worship required

Worship Leader
*Experience leading worship required
*Ability to play a musical instrument or sing required
*Willingness to lead worship required

Sound & Audio Engineer
*Experience mixing / recording / audio at musical events and / or worship services

We love you all,
The Richardson’s
Scott, Jennifer, Michael, Gabriela, Joseph, Joshua, and Shawna

Email: academyofthepossible@gmail.com
Business Website: www.richardsonstudios.com
Store: www.shop.richardsonstudios.com
School Website: www.academyofthepossible.com
Blog: www.richardsonstudios.blogspot.com

The Face of Lupus

has many faces. Today it is my son's.

Jennifer Richardson

The Job Hunt

As many of you know, money has been tight with the high medical bills. Scott and I have both been looking for additional work. The county approved us for help with groceries; praise God! The county denied us though for cash help because our car is worth slightly too much money. Go figure.

Please pray for us! I trust that God will open doors and allow others to remain closed. We need God's blessing and favor.

103 Degrees

Last Thursday, Shawna came down with a fever of 103 degrees or nearly (102.9 to be exact). Within 24 hours the fever broke. We missed the bible study that evening but are so glad our princess is well. No other symptoms and doing fine now.

Joseph's medication for his pulmonary hypertension has been increased. I can't tell if it is helping, but please prayer for him as he gets tired and blue in his lips with activity on and off.
The doctors feel at this point that he is doing well enough that oxygen would not be beneficial, so we will keep an eye on him. He will have a consult with a pulmonary specialist, and I will ask for a device to monitor his oxygen saturation (called O2 sats) at home. Please pray the doctor will prescribe it so insurance will pay for it.

Michael is not doing so good. He has headaches sometimes even with confusion where he seems quite not himself most days. The medication the neurologist gave him does not seem to touch them at all. He will have another followup with neurology. He also is feeling tired, chest pain, and heart palpitations. We are trying to get a referral to cardiology and are waiting for appointments for specialist followups to address his thyroid (endocrinology), growth (endocrinology), joint pain and popping and cracking (rheumatology), and trouble walking (orthopedics). It is moments like this when I wish Dr. House was a real physician. The more labs they do the more things come back abnormal. Michael's albumin is low (2.3 where at least 3.5 to 5.0 is normal). Albumin is the protein part of the blood and is extremely important. It means he is losing protein somewhere either his liver or his kidney. In either case, it is not good and could explain some of the problems he is having. I worry though because the doctors just seem to take their good ol' time. I probably could do better doctoring myself. Pray for us. Michael is a trooper though because he still helps around the house where he can. Very often, Michael sits down with Joseph to help him learn his letters and practices beginning reading with him. Michael is patient with each letter as he says "A makes the a sound" and waits for Joseph to point to the A and repeat before going on to each next letter of the alphabet.

Gabriela is doing very well, continues to be very stable, and is growing into quite a tall young lady. She is only 11 but already 5 feet tall and wears my size shoes. She is quite the help around the house.

Josh is doing well in school and is reading beginner reading books including the Dick and Jane series very well on his own. His laugh is fun and quite contagious when he giggles.

God's Call

The Lord gave me a vision - of children, of a school, of a medical facility - to help those who somehow get stuck in a system that does not work. It is much bigger than I. I have learned that is because it is God's. I cannot make it happen alone. I depend on God's help and faith that each step I make to honor Him in the end helps that vision come to pass. This vision is about becoming selfless about the other person. It is not an easy one to walk. I need volunteers in all areas: marketing and advertising, grant writing, fundraising, finance, business, medical and nursing, education, real estate, spiritual, music and worship, sales, software writing and programming, computer and technical skills and most importantly spiritual prayer warriers. There are no financial benefits, no pay, and no salary. We are a lay Catholic Christian organization. The only benefit at this level of what the world would call a ground floor opportunity is spiritual. Only you know if God is calling you to be involved. If you would like to be involved, please send an email with your name, how you would like to help, how often or how much you can commit each week and when you can start to the email academyofthepossible@gmail.com and your contact information or any other comments you may have. I believe in God's will and God's guidance. God is the center of this mission, journey, path, vision, and business.

This Week's Adventures

For starters, it is obviously hot where we live here in the desert (90's and 100's). Our AC isn't working (again!). We have a couple of celing fans, but that hardly does the trick. So, we regularly water down the kids and ourselves. No kidding. The kids get their faces, necks, and hair wet. We use wash clothes to help keep everyone cool enough. We have one room that always seems to be a couple of degrees cooler than the rest of the house. We aren't the most comfortable, but we are managing. Stores are always a welcome break for THEIR air conditioning. In the evening, we try to cool down the house because it is usually more comfortable outside.

Yesterday, we spent most of the day in the emergency room at St. Joseph's Hospital for Michael and Gabriela.

Gabriela was gifted with roller blades this week, and having a blast skaing on them. She is pretty good too, but took a fall when her skate got caught on a stick. She fell and broke her arm near her wrist chipping the growth plate. Being in a 3/4 arm cast and sling is not so fun. Gabriela is disappointed that she cannot skate for a while.

Michael was kneeling and helping wash the car with his feet under him. When he stood up, his left knee popped instant pain. Now, he cannot put any weight on his leg without it giving out or causing severe pain. He apparently tore a ligament in his knee chipping the bone at the same time. A broken knee is definitely no fun. Michael is in a full leg cast. The hospital was supposed to get a wheelchair for him, but we have as of yet to receive it. We got a call from Apria Healthcare who stated they don't provide wheelchairs for CCS or Medi-Cal.

Scott and I are both looking for more work! Finances are tough. With the current economy, the business is at a crawl.

Shawna, Joseph and Joshua had fun playing in the froggy pool in the heat and made some brilliant mud. They clearly had fun playing in that.

Gabriela has also been doing very well without medication. The psychiatrist is hopeful she will outgrow the Bipolar altogether. Gabriela is also learning to manage her ADHD.

We did get word that some of the kids Medi-Cal was approved. I will be glad to get cards for them. Michael and Joseph also were approved for CCS. Because the fracture on Gabriela is in the growth plate of her wrist, she is also eligible for CCS (so that is pending).

Some things working, others not. We are in the pruning, the proofing and the fire.

A good friend sent us this quote:
'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better.'

Okay Lord! Our hands are WIDE open!

To all our dear friends, we would never make it through all of this without your support. Thank you for ALL your support.

'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'

Jennifer Richardson
www.richardsonstudios.com

Conquering one challenge at a time -

The Lord is good. Our application for CCS (California Children's Services) for Joseph and Michael are finally moving along. We received approval for their medications. What a blessing it was to be able to pick up Joseph's medication for his blood pressure and pulmonary hypertension without worrying about the cost. Also, we were able to pick up Michael's medication for his thyroid as well.


Jennifer Richardson
www.richardsonstudios.com

Gabriela is OFF medication !!!

We have just fabulous news. Gabriela is off her regular daily medication with the blessing of her psychiatrist ! Since starting puberty, she has really changed and made progress. Her moods are much more stable, the mood changes related to the Bipolar have evened out and she is calmer overall as well. Only time will tell if she will be lucky enough to outgrow this. We are hoping that it was immature hormones causing the physical problems. Gabriela is still a very strong and determined child, but is much better on a daily basis. We have medication to help her as needed but the frequency of how often she needs that medication has decreased dramatically. We still follow with the psychiatrist as needed. She is really getting quite tall as well. I would not be surprised at all if Gabriela got close to or broke 6 feet. At 11 years old, she is already almost as tall as me by mere inches and wears a size 8 women's shoe. I am 5'2".

Praise God in his infinite mercy.
Jennifer Richardson
www.richardsonstudios.com

Hot Hot Hot

The weather has been staggeringly hot. At 4:00 pm today, it was still 105 degrees F. We have had to keep our AC off because of bills but also because it just won't cool the house down. For whatever the reason, it just does not seem to be able to handle the heat. We have taken to getting the kids wet (face, hands, back of their neck) to help keep them cool.

Jennifer Richardson
www.richardsonstudios.com

BSN

Because of many reasons, one being the ability to keep and get work, I am finishing my Bachelor's Degree. Although I thought I would NEVER EVER say this, I am completing my Bachelor's Degree in Nursing in order to keep my options open becoming a Nurse Practitioner in the future. It is weird for sure because I have always had conflicting feelings about being a nurse, although I am glad for the people I do help.

So, here's the thing:

In class an interesting topic about nurse practitioners and physicians and licensure and titles came up. Chiropractors are called Dr's. Psychologists and professors who hold pHD's are called Dr.'s. Physician's Assistants are also often called Dr. Physician's are called Dr.'s. A physician who is a GP and Nurse Practitioners who hold doctorates have the same level of education, must both pass license exams, and both have the ability to diagnose, treat, and prescribe. Even though a Nurse Practitioner is also a Registered Nurse, should a Nurse Practitioner who holds a doctorate also be called a Dr.? She would obviously had earned the right for the title by all the licensing and education she completed. PA's don't clarify that they are PA's very often, but are still given the courtesy of being called a Dr. My personal opinion is yes an NP with a Doctorate in Nursing has earned the right to the title "Dr."! When MD's specialize, they have lots of letters after their names. When an RN advances her nursing practice, she or he too earns additional letters after her name such as RN, DSN, NP.

What is yours?

Medical Update on Michael

Please keep Michael in prayers as well. Michael has had some quite serious headaches with throwing up and the whole bit. We pray for the same healing and miracles in our lives and the same Our Father is lifted up to heaven.
--Jennifer Richardson
www.richardsonstudios.com
www.academyofthepossible.com

Medical Update on Joseph

Please keep Joseph in prayers. With the complication of the pulmonary hypertension, Joseph is having pain with breathing. We are praying for God's healing power and miracles in our lives.
--Jennifer Richardson
www.richardsonstudios.com
www.academyofthepossible.com


Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name,
Thy Kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us,
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
Amen.

Birthdays

Okay, so everyone has had their birthdays this year. Phew! Now the kids ages are Michael 13, Gabriela 11, Joseph 8, Joshua 6, and Shawna 3. Yeah!!

A horsey that walks

Shawna, our beloved 3 year old, has fallen in love with animals, horses in particular. First, it was the desire for a rocking horse. Next it was why that was taking so long for Santa Claus. Then, she wanted to pet a horse. Then, she wanted to ride a horsey that walks. Now, Shawna has asked me "Mommy, when you have a lot of money, will you buy me my own horsey that walks so I can keep it?" Oh dear. We got the rocking horse. She's petted the real thing too. Maybe we will just work on a pony ride next.

2 Cor 5:14-21

So we present ourselves as ambassadors in the name of Christ, as if God himself makes an appeal to you through us. Let God reconcile you; this we ask you in the name of Christ. He had no sin, but God made him bear our sin, so that in him we might share the holiness of God.

Do it afraid!

"Giving in to fear alters God's best plan for your life. So use the power of God's Word to do what He wants you to do...even if you have to do it afraid! The rewards are great. " Joyce Meyer

http://www.joycemeyer.org/OurMinistries/EverydayAnswers/Articles/art42.htm

Don't drink and drive. It is completely not worth it. It only takes one poor choice to change lives completely. Read more about Jacqui's story at http://www.helpjacqui.com/home.htm

God bless you, and Be Safe!
Jennifer Richardson
www.richardsonstudios.com
www.academyofthepossible.com

Please consider giving. Your donation helps lives.

Happy Birthday Reminders

Just a reminder of the birthdays coming up this month:

Joseph celebrates his 8th birthday on June 11 !
(Joseph has been asking about his birthday since February. Can you tell he is so excited?)

Diana celebrates her birthday on June 11 !

Love you all,

Jennifer

Give to Charity - Bring a Bag of Food

At our church, there is a ministry which helps to feed families in our parish who are struggling and in need whatever the reason. This year has been a huge increase in the number of hungry families. Our church feeds approximately 54 families a day!! That is a huge increase over last year (sorry I do no have the statistic). We collected food from our community and because of the generosity of other families we were able to donate 4 bags of food to our church and feed 3 families on our own street. In doing this, we have met wonderful neighbors and gained some very nice friends (Kathy, Frank, Mary, the people next door).

Consider this. Go into your pantry. Pull out an extra box of food, some cans, some bread, vegetables, fruit, tuna, noodles, etc. Be sure they are not expired. Not even poor families want food poisoning. Put it all in a bag, and take it over to your church. Or bless a neighbor. You never know just how much someone may be struggling, and your generosity may be the only meal they get that day. Non-perishables are easier for food ministries to store. Canned goods with pop tops are nice for the homeless person who has no can opener. Protein, vegetables, fruit and variety are the first things to go when a family cannot afford groceries. Bulk and cheap become primary staples such as mac and cheese, bread or ramen etc.

If your church does not take food donations, look up local churches in the yellow pages. There are many that do, and probably one that is close to you.

If donating money is easier, please consider a donation to Richardson Studios. We would be honored to buy food and bring it to Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Riverside or give it to a needy family in your honor.

God bless you,
Jennifer Richardson
www.richardsonstudios.com
www.academyofthepossible.com

"Everyone, without exception is special in that they have a unique gift to contribute to the world that is not duplicated by anyone else. And identifying that special gift is probably the most important thing you’ll ever do in your life. Because only by knowing and contributing your gift will you reinforce the conviction that you are special. You are never ordinary. You won’t try and copy someone else’s gift. You’ll be uniquely you. You won’t get depressed in feeling that your life is meaningless and worthless. On the contrary, you’ll go through life confident that your presence on this earth enhances your surroundings and that without you your family, friends, and acquaintances will all be impoverished. Few of us these days are as happy as we should be, and even the happiness we experience often comes from the wrong things like materialism and going to the movies. You are G-d’s original. There is none like you. Stop comparing yourself to everyone else. Live life authentically and sincerely and never, ever compromise your unique gift."

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, May 22, 2009
http://www.shmuley.com/articles/details/rabbi_shmuleys_blog_-_22nd_may_2009/

"No one should have to learn or work in a hostile environment. Life these days is stressful enough outside work without the added stress of going to work. No one should dread going to work because they are wondering what they are going to get 'yelled' at for today. " Lorraine Overall RN

Lift Me Up Higher Than Eagles

Lord lift me up higher than eagles.
Make me soar above all this trouble.
Raise me with your mighty wings,
And lift me higher than this.

Let me soar o'er the pain and sorrow.
Let me soar o'er the anguish and tears.
Help me let go of my own dreams and disappointments.
Help me embrace all that is yours.

Lord lift me up higher than eagles.
Make me soar above all this trouble.
Raise me with your mighty wings,
And lift me higher than this.

Let me see all that you have for me.
Let me see your bigger plan.
In all of this, it was never my own.
Lord, you are the creator, on the throne.

Lord lift me up higher than eagles.
Make me soar above all this trouble.
Raise me with your mighty wings,
And lift me higher than this.

Lord, you are the way to overcome!
You are the means to have new life.
In me Lord please be glorified,
And please be higher than I!

Lord lift me up higher than eagles.
Make me soar above all this trouble.
Raise me with your mighty wings,
And lift me higher than this.

Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved. Jennifer Richardson

Changing Times

Well, it is amazing how things change. When your child is sick, you have to be there! Scott is looking for full-time work. Jennifer has gone back to school towards completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing to better care for the children with the possibility of earning her Nurse Practitioner's license in the future. Completing her Bachelor's Degree in Nursing also keeps the doors open in the future. We thank all the angels who have made this possible including the staff at University of Phoenix who have been there along the way.

For many years now, this has been our prayer

"This is our PRAYER, our HOPE, and our DREAM - to expand our family through ADOPTION, to make a difference in a child's life, and in our journey to glorify JESUS. Every child has a story, and Every child matters."

Well, God has indeed fulfilled that in our lives and continues to give us opportunities every day. We have a beautiful family, beautiful children who are growing and changing every day, and a Lord that loves us no matter what.

As we continue on this journey God has set for us, and as the journey changes, we pray the Lord will continue to use us to empower others.


God Bless You,
Jennifer

Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole strength. And these words which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart: And thou shalt tell them to thy children, and thou shalt meditate upon them sitting in thy house, and walking on thy journey, sleeping and rising.

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition. (DRA) [Public Domain]

the ADOPTION is FINALIZED !

The most exciting part of our week was Friday the 8th. We are happy to announce that the adoption of Joseph and Joshua has been FINALIZED ! The judge was very kind. They took us as the very first court case, so we did not have to wait. Our attorney was brilliant and filed a petition for both boys to be designated special needs by the court, which the judge GRANTED ! This means we won't have any tax liability at least next year. Every little bit helps. It was very nice. The court even took pictures for us. What a GREAT gift for Mother's Day !

Earlier this week, we had our third flat tire. I think that is about 3 within a week or so of each other. Uggggh! We called AAA because we could not for the life of us get one of the lugnuts off. AAA said they could not get it off either and towed the car to Pep Boys who refused to loosen ONE single lugnut. No, they wanted to charge us $80.00. We absolutely had no $80.00 to be found. So, we had a long day of trying to get the lugnut loose ourselves. Finally, they loosened it for us after a lot of pleading with the manager to have some mercy. By then, we had five hungry cranky thirsty kids. AND, it was on Michael's birthday. Well, needless to say, we were glad to finally get home on the spare. What a day !

Healthwise, all the kids are doing okay. Shawna and Joshua are healthy. Gabriela is making progress. Joseph and Michael are hanging in there, not too bad.


Please continue to pray for us , and Happy Mother's Day to all you moms.

May God Bless Your Journey,
The Richardson’s
Scott, Jennifer, Michael, Gabriela, Joseph, Joshua, and Shawna
3 dogs, Apricot, Chip and Kojo, 3 fish and 1 frog
We are blessed and favored says the Lord !

DONATIONS are accepted at all of our sites.
Every child has a story, and every child matters.
Thank you in advance for your generosity, and Thank you for giving a child "Hope for the Heart".

Our school Academy of the Possible is officially open, Where Every Child Matters and Every Child Has a Story. Please visit our website at www.academyofthepossible.com and take a look. We are always open to comments and critiques to help us grow. We are praying towards incorporating and choosing officers for our school. Please join us in prayer that the Lord leads us to the right people. We are looking for partners in our vision, and waiting for God’s provision and blessings for resources to grow. We expect to be able to add daycare services, CPR and First Aid classes this year to our list of courses. I also recently completed CA Child Care CPR and First Aid certification. Growing a business is often about celebrating the small victories.

SHOP at www.shop.richardsonstudios.com
We have new pieces of art for sale at our online store. Please stop by ! Take a look !
Our featured piece is an Acrylic painting of Christ. I really enjoyed painting it, and just love the uniqueness of this painting. I hope you do as well. The original is for sale now, and reproductions are also available.

DONATIONS are always welcome at our website at www.richardsonstudios.com, or at our blog at www.richardsosntudios.blogspot.com. We have many children who need it. Check out our featured child’s story – Isaac !

Our Business:
Richardson Studios - www.richardsonstudios.com – Resources for Special Needs Children & their Families.

Our Store: www.shop.richardsonstudios.com – Wonderful Artwork & items to Support Special Needs.

Our Blog: www.richardsonstudios.blogspot.com - Touching Stories & News about our Family.
Our School: Academy of the Possible - www.academyofthepossible.com - kids – NOW OPEN.

For any parent with a special needs child, adopted, biological or caretaker, you are welcome to apply to join our yahoo group. Just go to www.groups.yahoo.com and type in academyofthepossible. We are a support system for parents and loved ones of these wonderful kids. Or click http://groups.yahoo.com/group/academyofthepossible/?v=1&t=search&ch=web&pub=groups&sec=group&slk=1

Mother's Day - May 10, 2009

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL YOU MOM'S OUT THERE !

If you are looking for a belated Mother's Day gift, check out our store at www.shop.richardsonstudios.com

God Bless You !
Jennifer Richardson
www.richardsonstudios.com

Psalm 34:19 (KJV),

Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

Richardson Studios Store

Please check out our store at Richardson Studios. You can click on the link in the title or go to www.shop.richardsonstudios.com to see all the artwork available for sale. These are original paintings. Special order by subject is also available. For example, if you like the artwork but would love a rainbow instead of what is available, then that can be custom painted. Be sure to include the size you want and your contact information when requesting a quote.

God Bless You,

Jennifer Richardson
Richardson Studios

"Come unto Me, all ye that are labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you." Matthew 11:28

Complications !

We ask all of you for your prayers right now !

Joseph underwent his cardiac catheterization yesterday. Joseph had local anesthesia and heavy sedation during the procedure. During the procedure, Joseph had trouble maintaining adequate oxygen levels in his blood which fell, and he required 100 percent oxygen. This complication during his heart cath was unexpected. Fortunately, they were able to stabilize Joseph and no ventilator was required. The doctors were able to complete the procedure, and had unexpected findings. Joseph’s heart is already compromised being enlarged on one side and atrophied on the other. The doctors found and diagnosed Joseph with pulmonary hypertension along with all the other problems he is already struggling with. Joseph already struggles with chest pain, fatigue especially with activity and exertion and occasionally faint blue around his mouth. Now, he may be having difficulty breathing as well and not know how to accurately describe that to us. The doctors are not sure of the cause of the pulmonary hypertension, although he probably has had it for a while. Without knowing the exact cause, we suspect it may have been there since he was little when he had a lot of lung infections. Unfortunately, pulmonary hypertension can be progressive and fatal and can lead to heart failure and often leads to death within three years. Unfortunately, this has a huge financial impact on our family. The doctors are conferencing to formulate a plan and expect several procedures may be necessary to try and find the cause. If they can find the cause, that would help treatment. Soo, more procedures (probably a sleep study, another heart cath later to recheck his pressures, an ENT, pulmonary specialist etc.). The atrial double switch surgery that we were hoping Joseph could have would have extended his life from 5 years to about 50 to 60 years old, and now is on hold indefinitely because of this newest complication. We thought we had hurdled at least the major medical problems, and were on our way to things being better with a longer and better life for Joseph, and now we may have him for much shorter than we expected as his condition just keeps getting worse. Overall, he looks okay. Praise God he still is active. As little boys go, he likes to be in the midst of everything. He has such great spunk and a joy and smile that truly are a gift from God which help him through all this tough stuff. Joseph is healing from the procedure and up and around again. Praise God the doctors found it. Without the heart catheterization, we would not even have known until he was much worse. At least this way, the doctors can give him medication to help. We don’t have any previous measures from his open heart surgery in October to compare, because LPCH didn’t do a heart cath or get those kinds of measurements. Looking back, I believe God had angels in his plan for us. It was a Godsend to be at Children’s Hospital LA where they could find the pulmonary hypertension. Praise God Joseph DID get the pacemaker in October last year when he did to help his little heart keep going, and especially since his body depends on that pacemaker more and more. It just breaks my heart to see though how it does limit him and cause him pain. Pain that I can’t fix or heal or take away. I can only hug him and tell him how much I love him and do what we can.

Michael then got some really serious headaches so badly that he was throwing up several times during the day while we were waiting for Joseph during his procedure and recovery. They have been coming pretty constant. Tylenol helps take the edge off, but we need to get him to another neurologist for a new consult to try and find the cause. The previous neurologist did not really give us any answers for his headaches. Lord, help us.

So Much - - - Richardson News Special Update / April 21, 2009

WE HAVE A COURT DATE TO FINALIZE THE ADOPTION OF OUR TWO SONS !
Joseph Noah Richardson, Age 7, AND Joshua John Richardson, Age 5 (6 on May 3rd) ON Friday, May 8, 2009 AT 10:00 am. We don’t know when court will finish because the same time is assigned to all cases, so we don’t know if we will be first, sixth or last. We will just allow plenty of time. We have been told we will be allowed to bring our camera which is nice. PRAISE THE LORD ! HALLELUJIAH !

MEDICAL UPDATE ON JOSEPH:
Monday, April 13, 2009 Joseph had a chest x-ray, echocardiogram, EKG and met with the cardiologist at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Joseph is scheduled for an outpatient heart catheterization on April 23, 2009 at 10:00 am. They go through femoral artery up to the inside of the heart to measure, take pictures, see how the pulmonary band is doing and see if Joseph’s heart has gained any strength since the surgery in October 2008. This is all in preparation for his next open heart surgery. Please keep him and us in prayers. We will be at the hospital for a very long day on the 23rd during and after his procedure and while he is in recovery from it.

UPDATE ON SCOTT’S DAD:
The very sad news came to us that Scott’s Dad died on April 18, 2009 at 1:30 pm of brain cancer. Scott will be with his mom in Indiana for the funeral and then back just before Joseph’s heart catheterization. Please pray for Scott’s Dad John, for Scott and his Mom Kitty, and all of us in our loss. LORD, BE WITH US ! Scott’s dad was ornery and sometimes difficult to understand but sweet and loving. John, we will all miss you.

A COMEDIC MOMENT and a TOUCHING MOMENT
Upon hearing that Scott’s Dad had gotten really bad and may be dying, Scott and I shared this with the kids. Shawna asked “ Can I go see Grandpa die?” It just struck us as so funny. After we shared with the kids that Grandpa John died, Shawna made a colorful picture with “lots of roses” for Grandma Kitty “so she won’t be so sad” she said.

A NEAR MISS
Earlier this week, Jennifer survived a near miss by millimeters after slamming on her breaks to avoid a drunk driver weaving in lanes, cutting other drivers off and avoid him crashing into her driver door with all 5 kids in the car. Angels were watching over our family for sure that day. After slamming on the breaks, the drunk driver crashed into the car and fences in someone’s house and then screeched his tires and sped off. The family of the house had 3 kids who all just went inside. The police caught the guy and arrested him, and not a single soul got hurt. It reminds me of the truth of Amy Grant’s song “Angels Watchin’ Over ME” ! And, not a scratch on the car from the guy.

EXPLODING TIRES
During such a stressful week, we also had two tires blow out with a day of each other. One of the tires literally exploded on the freeway. It was so bad the tire had wires sticking out everywhere, and we lost the trim panel which is part of the bumper on the rear of the car from the tire failing. We had no sooner bought a new one and put the spare away then we had to get it right back out for the other side. Now, we will have to replace the whole bumper. Ugggh ! Not where we wanted the finances to go at all. This year has had so much challenge, so much loss and stuff to deal with that it is almost comical. HEAVEN HELP US !

OTHER HAPPENINGS
Also this week, the termites decided to let us know they were all alive and well in our house by coming in the living room and flying around. Ewwh, gross ! Something else to deal with. I will just add it to the list.

Then, the can opener broke along with the one of the kids cooler toys, the kids pulled the towel bar off the wall, the garbage disposal broke down, and a glass broke in the sink all in one day ! Good grief ! Okay Lord, are we refined enough yet? Boy, we are going to surely be beautiful when God is done with us. I guess in these moments you have to either laugh or cry.

Please continue to pray for us.
We love you all !

The Richardson’s
Scott, Jennifer, Michael, Gabriela, Joseph, Joshua, and Shawna
Our 3 dogs, Apricot, Chip and Kojo, our fish and frog

We are blessed and favored says the Lord !

Richardson News: Happy Easter ! 04-12-2009

Dear Friends:

We are praising God and waiting on Him at the same time.

Joseph’s 4th open heart surgery was cancelled by Dr Frank Hanley’s office (the surgeon) without a single reason given to us as to why. The myriad of problems we have had with the surgeon, his staff and the hospital at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital over the past 3 months has been nothing less than frightening. We had communication problems, errors in scheduling, great lack of communication, refusal of the surgeon’s staff to page him for us, and many unreturned phone calls to say the least. We finally had to resort to calling patient relations and the social worker over and over and over again with our complaints. We had questions regarding our son’s care, questions regarding two procedures scheduled under anesthesia less than 24 hours apart with a third under anesthesia only a week later, and never received one call from the surgeon once we got home in October 2008. Even when we asked to have him paged, regardless of whether he was in or not that day, they still refused. After no written confirmation of anything, we left messages with patient relations and resorted to emails notifying the surgeon and hospital that we wanted to verify that all tests and procedures were cancelled. We did not want to find out later that we were charged for not showing up to something. We would not be rescheduling any of them nor rescheduling any surgical procedure with Dr Frank Hanley or Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. It has been a very angering and frustrating journey. Two weeks before we were to leave, we were called and told all the dates were changed which then required us to change all of our travel dates. We were informed that we now had to leave in a week, and after 3 months of trying to get written confirmations, we still had nothing in writing. The hospital also kept telling us that nothing was in the computer. We told the hospital, Dr and office, which phone to call us on. Except for patient relations and the social worker, no one called us on the correct phone.
The sad thing is when Joseph was in the hospital itself for his surgery in October, we had no complaints in the ICU or step-down unit as far as the nurses were concerned for the most part. It’s just the ancillary services, clinics, hospital scheduling and primarily the staff at Dr Hanley’s office was so bad in our opinion that we felt it unsafe to proceed. Even after the social worker asked Dr Hanley’s office to page him, we never once received a phone call or message from him. It has become my personal opinion that the communication is so bad with Dr Frank Hanley’s office in particular that it would put our son in danger and possibly endanger his life further if we continued. I myself will never recommend Dr Frank Hanley or Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital for any services based on my own personal experience. Medical care should be better. Our concerns for his medical care were never addressed.

In our deepened concern for our son Joseph, who we know needs several more open heart surgeries in the next year or so and then every 5 years or so for life, I started researching in earnest to find a well-qualified cardiothoracic surgeon who had previously and successfully performed the double switch procedure and banding procedures. We were disappointed that Loma Linda near us did not have one. We were relieved, however, to learn that Dr Vaugh Starns (the chief of cardiothoracic surgery) at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles is well qualified, and has successfully done this procedure a number of times before. Dr Starns was willing to consult with us and take Joseph’s case. We called on a Friday, and he rearranged his schedule to meet with us on the following Monday. We are proceeding with Dr Starns, and Joseph will be having testing before any surgery to see how his heart is doing today and what exactly will need to be done in surgery. He will be having an echocardiogram again as well as an EKG, and probably a heart cath and possibly CT scan of his heart. Our next appointment is Monday 04-13-2009. We expect the surgery may be scheduled in the next 2 to 3 weeks, but it depends on the results of the testing first.

Until all this happened, we had never heard of Dr Starns. When we had asked our current cardiologists office more than two times if there was anyone closer than Dr Hanley or LPCH, we were told not on the West Coast. Again, it was very frustrating. We were told by Dr. Starns, who agreed, that there were not too many surgeons who can do this particular surgery. We just didn’t know he was an option, but I am so glad we know now. We are also glad to not have to worry about where to stay in hotels or how to pay for it. Joseph overall does get tired with heavier activity, and has to pause a while before getting back into it. Overall though, he is doing okay. He does have pain at the site of his pacemaker and occasional heart pain, so those are always concerning. The testing will tell us more and show if there possibly is scarring at the site of his pacemaker from the original surgery, which could cause its own problems. As for school, Joseph is making progress with his letters and remembers 9 to 11 of them now. He has also learned same and different. We were also very pleased to see him engaging in group imaginative play with his brothers and sisters. Most of you know, Joseph is delayed, so this is an excellent sign of progress. Joseph enjoys playing house and horses with the Little People house, barn, people and animals.

Michael has been holding his own as well with not too many new bruises, is very careful in the sun, and careful to use the SPF 70 prescribed and take all his medication. Michael has become very faithful at his exercises for his Cerebral Palsy, which we are very excited to say. He has been promoted to the next grade in four of his classes as well.

Gabriela is growing into such a tall slender young lady, so much so that now many of her shorts and pants are too big around the waist and to short in the legs as she continues to get taller. She has had to start wearing belts regularly to keep her pants up. Turning 11 this year, I have no doubt that Gabriela will soon be taller than myself. She is already just past my nose. Gabriela is making really good progress with her reading as well and has not needed quite so much medication for her Bipolar and ADHD this year.

Joshua loves building and wants to be an engineer when he grows up to build cars, machines, and mechanical things. I would not be surprised in the slightest if he invented a new flying vehicle or spaceship of some sort. Joshua is our best eater and can match even my husband’s appetite, though he is so slender you would never guess it.

Shawna’s favorite games are playing house, playing doctor, and playing kitchen and party. She has decided she wants to get married and be a mommy when she is all grown up. She says that she will have long hair as a mommy. She doesn’t want her bangs cut, so we have her wearing headbands as much as we can as it grows long like the rest of her hair. She is also enjoying playing with her dollies. Shawna learned how to open the front door with two hands, something that was until today just too bit of a challenge. Our front door takes an extra tug to get open. I loved the most her blowing me kisses as she went outside to play with the rest of the kids in the backyard.

The adoption has been approved FINALLY !!! We anxiously wait for a court date to be scheduled, hopefully soon, hopefully before Joseph’s next re-scheduled surgery. We were disappointed that the attorney mailed the papers into the court instead of walking them in to court, which would have sped up receiving a court date. Now, we have to wait to receive the court date in the mail hopefully in the next 2 to 4 weeks.

We have officially opened our school Academy of the Possible. Please check out our website at www.academyofthepossible.com and take a look. We are always open to comments and critiques to help us grow. We are praying towards incorporating and choosing officers for our school. Please join us in prayer that the Lord leads us to the right people. We are looking for partners in our vision, and waiting for God’s provision and blessings for resources to grow. We expect to be able to add daycare services, CPR and First Aid classes this year to our list of courses. I also recently completed CA Child Care CPR and First Aid certification. Growing a business is often about celebrating the small victories, so we celebrated having our business cards this month.

We are continuing to pray for God’s financial favor to help us keep going. It has been a struggle.

Please consider a donation !

My dearest sister Kathy and their family was so kind. We were excited to receive Easter gifts in the mail for the kids. We also received brand new beanie babies for each of the kids from a nice lady in our community. It made for a wonderful Easter. I had fun making up the baskets with the gifts we received, and the candy we were able to buy. Each of the kids also got to hunt for Easter eggs and were all delighted to find pennies in them.

Dear Lord, we pray that you pour out your financial favor on our friends and their families and their loved ones. We praise you and thank you for leading us to a capable surgeon here in Southern California for our son. We praise you for the approval of the adoption, and that you allow us Lord to be instruments and care for all five of these delightful children. We praise you for your provision this Easter. We praise you Lord for helping us. We trust you Lord with all our lives and ask that you help us to see you more clearly, follow you nearly and never depart from your ways. In Jesus name, we pray that you touch our world. Amen.

Have a very Happy Easter ! Praise God for Christ is Risen !

We love you all,
The Richardson’s
Scott, Jennifer, Michael, Gabriela, Joseph, Joshua, and Shawna