Well I didn’t leave tonight after all.  It’s hard to go. 

No one slept much last night and we were all up well before 7:00 (along with the 5 helicopters circling our hotel) this morning so we wouldn’t miss anything.  We were able to watch the lift-off right out of our hotel window – pretty neat.  JT was beside himself, as we expected, but Justy really got into it too, exclaiming “There’s another one!” as more and more balloons took off.  We got a good look at them as they lingered for a moment in the sky and then drifted out of view.  It was over too soon.

Leaving the hotel, we shared the elevator with the pilot for Subway’s balloon.  He asked if we were there for the balloons and of course he could see Jacob’s mask and IV pole and feeding lines and tubes.  Anyway, he gave JT his pin from the event  (Jacob calls it his “medal”) and showed us his balloon and basket in the parking lot.  As we continue to learn, there are a lot of kind people in the world.

Everyone is tired.  And JT had D many times today and a lengthy episode of V tonight too.  We’re especially tired of that, of seeing him so miserable during those moments.

The visit has been a wonderful success.  Tonight we were eating pizza and talking and it was so great to be doing something so simple together as a family.  But alas, tomorrow morning I head north again with Justice…we hope for more of these visits soon.  It has been a very sweet foretaste of what we have hoped for for so long.  Please pray that soon, soon, we can do more than simply visit together in Cincinnati.

All of that hinges on JT’s recovery.  Please pray for acceleration in the healing process, especially for a resolution of his low hemoglobin and a clearing of this infernal rotavirus.  Please pray that God completes His good work of healing in JT so that we can bring him home.  I know it will be a while yet, but we’re ready, especially after these last few days together.  Thank you!