5/29 - Sam's Journey - Day 169

The end of the school year is always a beating, and this year has been no exception. Classes are officially finished, leaving only final exams and grading. And crowd control. I think we will all be happy at the arrival of summer so we have some time to refresh and regroup. It is shaping up to be a little busy, but certainly not as insanely so as the school year. 

For our family, the last few weeks have been filled with some very high highs and some discouraging lows. But we continue to move on through whatever is placed before us and try to hang on to the good stuff and let go of the not so good. We have had a couple of adventures out, both involving the choir. Last weekend, we all (except for Aaron who is working pretty much nonstop) went to the choir banquet. We got there a little after it had started, and when we walked in, Sam got a standing ovation. I think he had a really good time with his friends, and we all had fun. 

This was followed up this past Thursday with the final choir concert of the year. The song dedicated to Sam was so beautiful, and it was an amazing way to end all of these years of being a part of Clark choir. Here is the video:

As for Sam progress, he continues moving forward. It's getting harder to see the progress since we're with him every day, but there are definite improvements. He finally got pool time at PATE. It's pretty incredible. There's a treadmill with video in the pool. Sam said he really enjoyed it. Here's a picture from their website:

Other than that, there's nothing super-new or exciting. There's just more hard work and continued baby steps forward in recovery. He's still eating pureed foods which can be an adventure. Sarah cannot stand being in the kitchen while I'm prepping stuff (overactive gag reflex,) and at times, I can't really fault her. Very few things I've put in the Nutribullet were ever intended to be pureed. My apologies for desecration of food to the following: JS Chen, Einstein Bagels, Angelo and Vito's, Big Tony's, and Salsa Tex Mex, among others I'm forgetting. I offer no apologies to McDonald's since it's disgusting in original or pureed form.

One more note...today is the final day for the last round of #TeamSam attire. If you want a shirt, time's a tickin'! Here's the link:

#TeamSam Shirts

Please continue to pray for Sam's recovery and our patience. We know he will continue to improve, but at the same time, it's a constant battle to not want all of those improvements RIGHT NOW. We know he is doing astonishingly well, especially considering that we almost lost him entirely. It's easy to lose focus in the middle of the marathon, though.

There's a lot of people in our lives who are in need of some prayers right now. Without too many specifics out of respect for their privacy, they are:

• for peace for the family of the friend who had setbacks after surgery. They proved to be too much, and she was taken from us way too early. She was a constant source of happiness, support and love, and her absence is being felt very strongly by many people.
• for strength for the family of a boy who was hit by a car while riding his bike, and for those affected by this. (Before this Sam adventure started, I never truly understood what "My heart sank" really meant. Now, I've experienced it personally several times. Hearing this latest news was one of those times.) From what I have heard lately, he is making improvement, and is in the best hands possible. 
• for a friend who pretty recently received a brutal diagnosis, and for his family who is dealing with everything that comes with it. We love you guys!

And finally, 

• for all the teachers and students out there as they finish up the school year. It has been a very difficult year for so many of them/us, and this adds additional layers of stress. 

As always, thank you for your unwavering love, support and prayers! Peace to you as well!

Here are a couple of pictures to finish out this entry. The first one has nothing to do with Sam, but I wanted to give a shout out to these ladies from choir booster club. It's been an honor working with you, and I love you guys!

Finally, this #TeamSam shirt moment is brought to you via an amazing former student who is kicking butt and taking names on the diving team at the University of Iowa. With the picture, she posted this:

To one of the strongest and most talented guys that I know! Sam, I'm thinking of you and your family all the way from Iowa!🙏🏻💪🏻🎼 We are #TEAMSAM#SAMSTRONG — with Ann Bougher Loeffler at CRWC.