CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME!!!!

Rob and I have made the decision to return to Project Walk for a 6 month period beginning in September. While we are very anxious about the move we know in our hearts that Rob needs the intense treatment that Project Walk offers. Since our return to NJ, Rob has continued to make great physical strides. He regained the use of his right pectoral muscle and was very proud to flex it for me. Yesterday, he was able to stand up from his wheelchair by himself using the kitchen counter and island as a support. We were actually able to hug standing up for the first time in 11 months Since making the decision to head west, things have started falling into place. Our new friend Jason (who we met on the return flight from CA and who lives 19 miles from Project Walk) offered us the use of his apartment for 4 months while his wife is undergoing cancer treatment in NJ. We are overwhelmed by his offer. Please add his wife, Christine to your prayers! We also received a very large donation from the Erani family who held a tennis tournament in our honor while we were in CA. The proceeds from the tournament equate to the exact cost of 6 months of training at Project Walk. God is certainly with us these days!!! Alright, gotta run..I snuck this in at work

GOODBYE PROJECT WALK....HELLO HOT AND HUMID NJ
We arrived safely yesterday evening after a long journey from CA. Rob tolerated the flight nicely, though it was quite long. Being at Project Walk has certainly renewed our sense of hope for Rob’s recovery, however it has also provoked some serious anxiety about what to do next. We are considering relocating to CA for a 3-6 month period so that Rob can participate in the Project Walk program. It will take lots of planning and organization (especially with my job, our animals and house), but we are eager to explore our options this week. The animals are very relieved that we are home again. When we picked up Marley in Hoboken and fed her dinner, she actually walked away from her 1/2 finished bowl of food because she thought we were leaving her again (I was really just packing up her things). This dog has NEVER so much as looked up from a bowl of food until it was completely finished. When we arrived in Sparta, the cats were meowing like crazy through the windows because they heard our voices outside. It was very cute!!! I have returned to work today and Rob is at home ‘resting’. OH-almost forgot- he was able to get in a pool on Friday after his therapy sessions. It was the first time he was in a pool since his injury and it went well. Our trainer Eric was able to lift him in and he was able to take steps in the water with his right leg while using a floatation device to support his upper body. He felt great to be in the water again (although while he was floating on his back I had flashbacks to holding him the exact same way in the bay while waiting for the rescuers). It happens.... I’ll try and post the photos when I return home tonight. In the meantime, please pray that we are able to obtain the resources we need in order to return to Project Walk as soon as possible for an extended stay...that we are able to find housing in CA, maintain our home in NJ, find care for our animals, maintain employment, etc. Thank you all for your words of encouragement! We need them these days as the anniversary of Rob’s injury approaches (most recovery occurs in the first 12 months after the injury).
p.s. I am planning on working on thank you letters from Run for Robbie over the next month or so. Thank you all understanding my time constraints