I thought I would be in control, but are we ever really in control?

I blew it. Well sort of. Saturday night, we were sitting around the table, as we had just finishing eating. Gabriel was talking about the curriculum that he is developing for his class when they read the book, Wonder. This book is phenomenal and focuses on a kid with Gabriel's birth defect. He was discussing the part when the main character, Auggie, describes the beginning of his life. I am listening.  The other kids are eating and talking. In my mind, I'm still overwhelmed by a character dying in the book that I am reading. In addition, I haven't slept in 6 weeks while we have been tending to Gabriel's recovery.

And then it hits me. I should have been expecting it. Gabriel has been very passionate about this book, Wonder, and his connection to Auggie. He reads me the part about Auggie's birth.

"Ima, did you know I was different before I was born?" My eyes go wide. I sucked in my bottom lip and bit down so hard. I can't blink, I am straining so hard to keep the tears from falling, making everything in my line of sight go blurry. I see all the eager beautiful faces of my children just staring at me. I think to myself. I have to respond. I have to hold it together. I have to not influence Gabriel to think anything that is hurtful or negative. I swallow hard. I can't stop it. I cover my eyes and the tears flood out. I'm trying to hide behind my hands but the sights an sounds behind my hands deceive me. The kids all say  "what is wrong?" Aviva comes and rubs my back and says "Ima, take a deep breath" I laugh inside. Isn't that the same thing I have been saying to Gabriel, the same sentence I have used to coach him to cope over the weeks that have been passing by. I can't allow the laughter to escape me. I just choke out "Get Abba". I looked at the words blurring in my book and mumble about the book being sad and one of the characters dying.

Abba comes and hugs me. He tells Gabriel simply "when you were born, we noticed that your ears bent over". Gabriel says, "like Dumbo..." He has always had a connection to Dumbo. " then we took you to a big children's hospital."

I studied Gabriel's face, took a deep unstable breath and began Gabriel's history like I remember it.

He was born and yes, we noticed his ears and we noticed depressions in his face under is eyes, what we later learned, was his lack of cheekbones. He was taken away to get cleaned and get oxygen. He looks up, questioning in his eyes. I told him he needed oxygen because the medicine that I had for the pain during delivery made his breathing slow down.

He was the first one with his birth defect (he clarified its name is Treacher Collins) in that hospital. The doctors and nurses didn't know what it was. The next day, a female Indian pediatrician with wild dark frizzy hair and a deep purple shirt, walked into my room with a huge old looking textbook. So old that it didn't have a glossy cover with a staged picture. Its corners were warped its color drab, the words on its front faded and the pages yellow with a font so old it was no longer common. I didn't read the words when she put it on my lap, just noticed the picture. She was so cold hard and devoid of emotion just like the book. Jay's anger boiled as my fears grew. He sent her away asking her never to return  My doctor was there and soon sat on my bed. He told me he printed some information for me to read. He told me we would have to take Gabriel to a children's hospital. He tried to be comforting and kind.

I was left with these sheets of paper to explain our future.

I remembered how we had to fight to get him released from the hospital. There was a neonatologist who had shoved a tube up Gabriel's nose without our consent. Jay was beside himself that this doctor could have harmed Gabriel and what had he been looking to find. Then, the doctor wouldn't release Gabriel without a ct scan. Jay started calling and fighting for what was in Gabriel's best interests. Laughter formed inside me, as I relayed this information to Gabriel so many years later. How didn't I realize. This fight for Gabriel started just hours after he was born and has continued so many times to this day. Jay fighting. Jay finding the connects to support his gut feelings and medical understanding. Jay advocating and taking on an added unnecessary burden to the emotions and fears that loomed inside of us.

We took Gabriel to Children's Hospital in Philadelphia. We met with his surgeon who informed us of the future surgeries to his jaw and what complications may arise along the way. We met with his ENT discussing his potential hearing loss. And we met with the geneticists who confirmed Gabriel's diagnosis clinically. But we still needed a blood test to be sent to the only lab in the US that tests for his birth defect.

I explained the genetics to Gabriel. So boring to some but so defining to our family. The lab needed to find the mutuation which was a feat compared to finding the one misspelled letter in a book (not knowing which one) in the Library of Congress, on an unknown page, with no knowledge of which is the misplaced letter on the page. They were looking for a protein deletion on the treacle gene of the fifth chromosome. The one that defines the facial bones. My extremely science proficient son drinks in this information and gets it. At the time I was first told so much was so foreign. This information was elephant, huge and towering over me, leaving me dumbfounded and unable to comprehend.

We talked about percentages. 60% of people with TCS have it spontaneously. 40% have had it passed on by one of their parents. I didn't think this one through anticipating the natural question that would follow. What is the percentage of me passing it onto my children? Eyes wide and with the pain in my chest digging deeper, I hear my self choke out 50%. I see Gabriel blink and calculate in his brain. He says, "out of what?" I tell him 100%. I hear Judah say, "wow! That is a high percentage." I scrape something nonexistent off my skirt and while still looking down I somehow manage to say we will discuss that more later. And I push that part, those fears, the emotions, the concern back down deep down where it lives buried in my brain tucked in so far that it will hopefully be a long time before it resurfaces.

And that is how the discussion unfolded, the one I knew for the last 11 years would one day happen. The discussion I have contemplated so many times and thought through how to explain. The one in which I had hoped I would be prepared and strong. Instead, as if I didn't know you can never quite plan everything that you intend to control, it has left my eyes hurting maybe from the intensity maybe from the tears. It has left my heart pounding as you can always feel when you are so deeply anticipating something to happen fueled by the anxiety and the unknown of never knowing exactly what to say and what reaction you will face. It has left me trembling not able to process if I am upset that I cried, if I am happy that I can put the anticipation behind me, if I am fearful of Gabriel's processing of this information or if I am stunned as I so often am when reality stops me each time even with 11 years of knowledge.

Gabriel's Journey to be our Champion

July 17th- Surgery Day
We woke up to seeing fog over Half Moon Bay. The temperature was in the upper 50's.

 We had a quiet morning. Gabriel's eagles team won ad he played NFL pro 2013 on his Ipad. He enjoys showing me the replays. Lol. He did take a TO to give me and Abba some morning scuggles. Abba made sure to give him his requisite tickles.

Gabriel then got showered and dressed in between watching a movie on his iPad. I had to remind him that he could only drink until 11am. We cracked open the Gatorade. He drank until he was cold and full.

Abba then took us to the jetty in Half Moon Bay. We saw surfers, birds, boats and a sea plane. Beautiful except for the cold temperatures. Yes, cold, 60 degrees in July.

We took the drive to Lucille Packard Children's hospital and arrived by noon. Gabriel wanted to check out the gift shop, we told him when he wakes up he can walk there and pick something (incentive).

(appropriate that there is an elephant - Gabriel's favorite animal - outside the hospital)

As we sit in the Ford Family Center awaiting surgery, Gabriel is calmly enjoying his iPad. I am quite sure it was worth it to buy for him. He has been entertained and distracted.

When I asked him last night if he was scared or nervous, he simply said no. When I reminded him that he wouldn't be able to eat, he responded, "So it will just be like fasting." I draw my strength from Gabriel. He has an amazing outlook on the challenges ahead.

Waiting room banter:
Abba was trying to tell Gabriel to be calm like he is now going in because it will allow him to be calm coming out. Abba asked, "Gabriel, will you tell me my jokes are funny?" "I will tell you that you made me miss my two point conversion," is how Gabriel responded. Love this kid.

Abba keeps joking that we are going to go to Hawaii while Gabe is in the hospital as he will be sleeping anyway. Then, Abba warns that he is going to write all over his face while he is sleeping. Gabe's response: abba, no your not you will be in Hawaii.

It is 12:30pm. We have arrived at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital. We are waiting and Gabriel is busy playing his iPad. He is calm and focused on winning his football game.

At 2pm, we are in the surgery holding area. Gabriel has changed into his fashion for the next few days. We have answered all the same questions for the 20th time. We greeted the doctor as he walked into the holding area.

Gabriel was not excited with the options on the TV so now he is back on the iPad for game #8 of football. Touchdown Philadelphia! Fly Eagles Fly! He has even managed to play with a lidocaine patch on both arms to numb the area for his IV. Numb the area, baahaahaa we have never been that nice before.

Abba has managed to reach level 145 on candy crush. Ahh so proud of him.

At 2:30pm, the IV is in. Gabe did a great job. I held the iPad for him to watch, abba held his legs and IV in first time. Gabriel was calm and continues watching his movie.

At 2:45pm, Gabriel was wheeled into the OR, just after he stumped the anesthesiologist with one of his riddles. He opted to go into the OR without Abba this time. We reminded him to say Shema if he gets scared. He gave us a hug and signed "I love you". Please Hashem let all of our prayers be answered - let his doctors proceed with a clear mind and a steady hand and let this be an " easy" and successful surgery with a speedy recovery.

At 3:45pm, we have been informed that Gabriel has been successfully intubated and the surgery has begun. We were told about 3 hours, however it will probably be at least 4 hours before we can see him. Thank you to everyone saying Tehillim. Please G-d let our warrior have strength and fight his way through this one.

July 17th- Surgery Day- 7:30pm
Gabriel is out of surgery and resting comfortably in the Pediatric ICU (thanks to some really good drugs). The doctors have told us that he was unbelievably calm going into the OR, asking lots of questions about what he was seeing. He was a tough intubation as we expected, but his airway was secured on the second try. The rest of the surgery went as expected. Distractors are in place and the doctor has been able to already distract his jaw 3mm. We already see some swelling in Gabriel's face, but that his to be expected. He is on a ventilator and has restraints on his arms cause we don't want this fighter to be pulling out his breathing tube just yet. The doctors have thank G-d listened to our concerns and past issues. Please continue to pray, but find comfort that Gabriel is dreaming some awesome dreams right now. We deeply thank everyone who has said prayers today, contacted us and kept Gabriel in your positive thoughts.

July 17th- Surgery Day- 9:30pm
Gabriel is calm and now enjoying more drugs. They were trying to draw his blood and well he doesn't like that. Nurses and doctors now got to see the warrior and how hard he fights. He did a cute levitation move going right for his breathing tube. Thank G-d for quick action and some great drugs, he is resting comfortably now. I will be updating in the morning. Please know if you would like to send Gabriel cards or notes you can do so at www.lpch.org/forpatientsvisitors/cards/index.jsp - they will be brought to him daily.

July 18th at 9:30am- Day 1 Post Op
Gabriel had a good night. He wasn't a big fan when they tried to move him and he stirred a bit, so more drugs made him happy again. We just met with his team of doctors. After rounds this morning, they are going to try and remove the ventilator and see if he can breathe on his own. They will continue to keep him sedated (sleeping) to keep an eye on his airway and ensure that there is no swelling. He will remain in PICU tonight either way. We will keep you updated on how it goes without the ventilator.

July 18th at 12:30pm- Day 1 Post Op
In true Gabriel fashion, within minutes of being extubated, he played a sign language/charade game with us. His nurse Elizabeth won the game, when she cleaned his eyes so he could open them. We then gave him a sharpie and a pad of paper. The first thing he wrote, which was illegible to abba, but I figured out was dog. He wanted the dogs that come to the hospital to visit him. We told him not today. He has written that he wanted a band aid and the blood pressure cuff off. He wanted ice on that arm. He is calm and communicating by writing to us. He still has a nasal trumpet keeping his airway open. We are closely watching his airway to make sure that it does not swell. He gave the ICU doctor a fist pump and a thumbs up. Go Gabe Go Gabe - let's show them how we can be a warrior! Please G-d let Gabriel continue to do well and recover quickly.

July 18th at 4pm- Day 1 Post Op
Just four hours after removing his breathing tube, Gabriel is breathing completely on his own. Through the use of a white board, he has convinced his doctors to give him ice chips and water. He took over his own health care doing suction on his own and therefore convincing the doctors to remove the nasal trumpet. He is now sitting up and back to playing his NFL app on his iPad. He says his pain is a 3 or 4 out of 10, but he is handling it ok. We even got him to grumble a few words. Thank you to everyone who had been praying for Gabriel. This journey is not over yet but clearly your prayers have made a humongous difference. Thank you also to Rabbi Locker for sending Gabe a special email that I was instructed to send to his email on his iPad. May we continue to gain strength from watching our warrior persevere.

July 18th at 9:30pm- Day 1 Post Op
Gabriel is still doing great off of all breathing assistance. He moved from using a white board to communicate to using his iPad to write us notes to texting us as we sit 2 feet from him. We gave him medicine for pain and agitation. He is sleeping now and G-d willing will have a good night. The doctor plans, if everything goes well tonight, to change the bandage on his head and move Gabriel to a regular room for Shabbas. If you would like to email Gabriel you can at gabriel@thehafters.com. We are hoping for an easy uneventful night. Lots of love from 3 of the H6 in the PICU.

July 19th at 10:30am- Day 2 Post Op
Good morning from the PICU! Gabriel had a great night. He was weaned off of his sedation medicine. He is now just on steroids, antibiotics and Tylenol. We will give him pain meds only if he really needs. He seems to be managing without them. He allowed his nurse and I to change his sheets, his clothes (hospital attire) and move his IV. He was able to sleep some in between watching a movie, playing some games and reading his emails- all in his iPad of course. He is still very swollen on one side, yet the other side seems to be less swollen. Today our goals are: move to a regular room before Shabbas, convince Gabe to start drinking clear fluids and work with physical and occupational therapy to get him to start opening his mouth, moving his body and walking again. We got a lot to accomplish and Gabriel has decided to nap. Please continue to keep him in your prayers. Feel free to send him emails at gabriel@thehafters.com - I will try to get him to start responding. Thank you for all your messages and prayers.

July 20th at 10:00pm
We survived Shabbas. Thank G-d. It started off very difficult. Gabriel was in pain, refusing to drink and not communicating. He managed, however, to get through the night with only waking up once. I think we snowed him with meds though. This morning was more stubbornness from Gabe. However, after Jay davened Gabriel seemed to become more motivated. We went from sitting up to standing briefly. A huge thank you to Sarah Jones for visiting with us today. We truly enjoyed finally meeting her. We so appreciated spending time together. She really helped break up our day. Gabriel decided he wanted to ride into the hall in a wheelchair. We even finally got him to walk around the unit that we are now. He was slow, but he did it. We managed to go to the child life room and he was beating Abba and I badly at Monopoly Deal, but he got tired so we had to bring him back to his room. Dr. Schendel stopped by to check on Gabriel. He told Gabe he needs to start eating or he will be leaving the hospital with a feeding tube. Gabe was so not willing to drink that he was considering just getting a tube. It has been a very intense day of work to get Gabe to drink. Finally, he is taking apple juice through a syringe, very small amounts at a time, but thank G-d he is drinking a little. I did tell him though we will need to get him to drink from a straw before we leave the hospital, as that will be his mode of eating for the next 3 weeks. We changed his pain meds a bit. He is on a strong anti- inflammatory, anti biotics and now Tylenol with codine. Next move will be to get his IV out, but he needs to be drink more as he is getting nutrition through his IV as well as meds. It has been a mentally and physically exhausting day. Thank G-d we did get to see some progress. Gabe is sleeping now. Tomorrow, we start turning his screws and moving that jaw.

July 21st at 12:30pm
Today is National Ice Cream day and Gabriel celebrated with some ice cream. Some means like two small spoons with melted ice cream but he had some. Yay! Last night Gabriel had a wicked headache, we think that was his withdrawal from the intense meds that he is no longer taking. He also has quite a sore neck as he is really stiff from not moving his head. We did hot compresses all night. Gabriel did sit in a chair for a while. He even asked his nurse, Meghan, to give him some apple juice (in a syringe of course) and a Popsicle which he held to his tongue. There wasn't a lot of sleeping but there was progress. This morning we have been busy. Gabriel took a shower from the neck down. He went for a walk to get coffee for Abba and a yogurt. Gabriel tried a little yogurt on a spoon. Then, we took a ride and sat outside a bit. When we came back Gabriel had the ice cream and some chocolate milk. Looks like a syringe is going to be Gabriel's new type utensil for him for a while, it is not pretty and all the good manners out the window. We sat outside Gabriel's room for a while and Gabe was being very funny. He even tried to laugh, but then he wrote that when he hears other people laugh it makes him laugh and that hurts ;( Dr. Schendel came by and we did one turn of the screws. We will need to turn three times a day. Gabriel did very well with the turns. He and I then took a walk around the entire third floor. He has now had his last IV and now will have to take his meds in his own. Given his progress, we will probably start the long trek home slowly and it may take a couple of days. We have a long road and a lot of hands on work to do with Gabriel. Transitioning home is a bit overwhelming for all of us. Gabriel is also scared that his siblings and other will get scared to see him. Thank you again for all of your support and prayers. Here is onto the next phase of this journey.

July 21st at 8:15pm
Gabriel has left the building!! After a visit from his surgeon, Gabriel was given clearance to leave the hospital, however we were only allowed to go a maximum of 4 hours. We arrived in Pismo Beach California safely. We have a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. We will feed Gabriel more of his baby bird feedings - something his doctor taught him. Tomorrow we will try to drive the rest of the way back to Vegas, depending on how Gabriel feels. Thank you again for all of your support and prayers. We still have an unbelievable journey ahead. We have already turned 1mm today of Gabriel's screws. We are extremely proud of the strength and courage and perseverance of our warrior. Gabriel has amazed everyone. However, this 24/7 nurse is hoping to get some much needed sleep.

July 22nd at 5:00pm
Waking up in Pismo Beach has the sounds and smells that are amazing. Gabriel had a pretty comfortable night. He woke up a few times but he did sleep well in between. We syringed a little yogurt and chocolate milk. It is a time consuming and sometimes messy experience. Gabriel watched some ESPN though so he was in a good mood. He was being very funny and I am pretty sure I saw a few smiles break through, albeit a bit painful. There are outlet stores in Pismo Beach, so Gabriel of course wanted to be rewarded for being so brave. Then, we went to my heaven. The beach was gorgeous. It was phenomenal to see Gabriel enjoying the sand in his toes and the feeling of the sand on his fingers. The smell of the salt air and the roar of the ocean was so soothing. We are now about 220 miles from Vegas. We drove through beautiful farms. The rain, yes rain, has begun to fall. We are looking forward to getting home and continuing to work on Gabriel's recovery.

July 23rd at 5:00pm
Gabriel and Jay had made a deal on Shabbas that Gabriel would work very hard to get released from the hospital and get home in time for my birthday. Well, as my Hebrew birthday started last night, we arrived at home. Thank you Gabriel and Jay for an awesome start to my birthday. Gabriel is settling in at home. He has some pain that we are working to manage. He really wanted pasta for breakfast, but it is very hard to get pasta to slide down your throat. While he made a valiant effort we decided applesauce through a syringe was a much better and realistic option. He is still only managing about 2 ounces at a time, but we will keep working. Since Gabriel is eating like a little bird, we have named him BBG, baby bird Gabriel  This Mama is very excited as are all the kids that we can celebrate my Hebrew birthday today and my English birthday tomorrow all together. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers.

July 24th at 12:00pm
We are one week post-op and Gabriel is making great progress. We have lengthened his jaw by 6mm already. Each day he is tolerating the turns better and better. This time we have had to use medication to keep the pain of turning at a minimum. He is getting super frustrated about eating which in some ways is motivating him. Yesterday, he figured out how to swallow macaroni whole. However, dinner was more of a challenge and he resorted to squirted baby food sweet potatoes. He also enjoyed a chocolate, peanut butter, banana protein smoothie in a squirt bottle. Today, bits of syrup soaked waffle was the breakfast feast. We are working hard at eating as our skinny BBG has already lost 7lbs. Otherwise, BBG is back to himself physically. He is even starting to be able to smile again. Thank G-d for each small miracle. BBG even wished me a happy birthday in his garbled speech and gave me a happy BBG smile 

July 24th at 10:30pm
With only a few hours left of my birthday, I just received this in my email from Gabriel. He is down the hall writing to me on his new iPad. Lol

I had a great birthday and I appreciated all of the birthday wishes and gifts. But this was the best gift ever. This kid is the most special and amazing person. I am so blessed and honored to be his mother! LYSC Gabriel. Thank you for making this team effort such an incredible experience.

The email I received from Gabriel: My definition of a father and mother is you guys because parent should always be there for their children. Sometimes there will be happy, sad, surprising, ect. That' s what we've been through lots of those moments. What I am trying to say is that I love you guys and that thank you for supporting and helping and encouraging me through my surgery and I want it to stay that way forever.
Love your first born son,
Gabriel Hafter

July 30th at 7:00pm
Well it had been a week since we arrived back in Vegas and almost two weeks since Gabriel's surgery. We have turned Gabriel's screws 13mm so far. The change in his jaw is definitely noticeable. Gabriel has been working on eating more each day. He has 7lbs that he lost and now has to gain back. It is still a challenge for him to chew or eat anything sticky so we have created as many high fat foods that can slide down easily. He has been managing his pain with Tylenol. Although, we have had some breakthrough pain that needed Motrin especially at night. Otherwise, Gabriel is physically doing well. He is spending a lot of time wiping up his drool as his mouth doesn't completely close. After an action packed beginning of the summer at camp, he is getting a little antsy and bored during his recuperation. I can't blame him. He has two more weeks living with the screws. They will be removed on August 12th, just in time to finish healing before school starts. Thank you for all your texts, phone calls, food and presents.

July 31st at 9:30pm
Well you can never take too many steps forward without taking a few back. Gabriel has developed a nasty infection in one of his pin sites. Our pediatrician cultured it today- thanks Dr. Mendoza! He has already started on antibiotics. I think we now have the explanation for one side being more swollen, for the increased pain and waking up at night and for the fever last night. We are hoping that the meds kick in quickly and the negative affects do not escalate any more. Please continue to keep Gabriel in your positive thoughts and prayers. Thank you!

August 1st at 9:30pm
Today was not the best day on this journey. While the infection is showing signs of getting better and the swelling is starting to go down, the pain has been quite awful today. Gabriel has done his best to manage. It is however quite entertaining when you give an 11 year old loratab and he starts talking to his iPad and then sings show tunes like "The Sun will come out tomorrow". We are hoping this obstacle and the discomfort is short lived.

August 5th at 9:30pm
The last few days have been ridiculously tough. Gabriel's infection got much worse - fever and swelling before we even saw any improvements. Today, we found out that the meds we are giving him are the right ones, but it was so bad on Friday we were thinking he needed IV antibiotics. The pain when we clean and turn has become unbearable. It was an hour of screaming with each turn and clean. On Friday, the other kids ran to a new neighbor down the street to get away. Thankfully, the screaming has waned to only about 15 or 20 minutes, there is no fever and the swelling is down a lot. We have one more day. On Wednesday, Gabriel will get the pins/screws taken out, please G-d. This is sooner than we planned but how much can we torture him. He managed the pain better tonight and when I praised him he said, "Ima, this isn't easy!" No kidding kid!! Then he started singing "it really hurts" to the iron man tune. Then, he said I am iron man as he is playing a game like temple run but with iron man. He really has no idea what an "iron man" he is.

August 7th at 7:15pm
Today marks three weeks since Gabriel's surgery. It has been a very rough three weeks. We have lengthened his jaw by 20mm or 2cm. Today, he had his screws removed. It was not easy, Gabriel had a lot of anxiety and pain. However, the doctor is confident that the surgery was a success. Yet, we are all aware that he will need to have this surgery again by the time he is fully grown. Gabriel is still fighting an infection and has a fever, but now we can now focus on the healing. Please G-d let this part of the recovery be less painful and speedy. Gabriel will have to learn to chew, to work on gaining his weight back and to learn to speak so that he can be understood. In camp, Gabriel learned a song called "Hall of Fame" by Will.i.am. It is amazing that this is the song that he has been playing during this experience. Gabriel definitely is a champion in the Hafter "Hall of Fame".

Day 2 - From Carmel Valley to Palo Alto

Our first morning in Carmel valley. Waking up to the crisp 59 degree air with birds chirping and fog over the mountains is a facsinating change from our Vegas mornings. Anytime you change locations the sights and sounds are different. This change is so welcomed right now.

We spent our morning exploring the beauty around us. Uncle Shelly grows pink lemons, purple kale, strawberries, zuccini and cucumbers to name a few.

There are also tons of flowers. Beautful roses, purple flowers and the most fragrant white flower I ever smelled.

Gabe took a small hike with Abba. Then, he enjoyed some time on the hammock, with his new "device". Gabe even made a friend... a little lizard.

We said our goodbyes to paradise and Uncle Shelly.

We headed down Route 1. Then, through the tallest trees we ever saw.

We got to Palo Alto and started out at anesthesia for a pre-op check in.

We then met with Gabriel's surgeon.

Then we enjoyed a drive to Half Moon Bay to spend the night.

Day 1 - Driving to California

After driving, 150 miles on Monday, our first pit stop is Yermo, California. A real metropolis. If I were to rate the bathroom on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the worst. This one was a 9. It wasn't super dirty, but on first glance no toilet paper. Ahh, TP located. Awesome see through single ply TP. Thank G-d there was soap to wash my hands, but of course no paper towels to wipe my hands. Upon exiting Jay says, "took you a long time." Clearly, he still doesn't understand a girls shtick in a public bathroom.

We are driving a "fun" route on old-CA 58. Passing old fashioned steakhouse, a drivein theater with a whitewashed billboard screen and a junkyard with every car logo known to man. Should have taken a picture for my logo game. Oh and we saw a man driving a golf cart. Umm, I see lots of desert, no golf courses. I wonder if his GPS malfunctioned.

The doctor has instructed is to give Gabriel a nebulizer treatment a few times a day before surgery. Thanks to Shoshana Kinn, we have very portable nebulizer and plenty of meds. However, a treatment in the car means we all get a boost to our lungs. When one smokes, we all smoke.

I am truly baffled how people live out in the middle of no where. Every time we travel and I see a lone house, I think of a million "what ifs". Clearly not a location for me to ever aspire to live.

At 200 miles outside of Vegas, Joshua trees line the road. What an interesting tree. Each one sparse in its own right, however full of dimension and character. I can't help but want to point out to Gabriel that U2 are made up of such dimension and character. (While I am enjoying my profound observation, Jay asks what I have been smoking... Umm, nebulizer smoke. Then, he says, "wow, you really don't get out much". Obviously, I am stuck in this car.)

At 230 miles, there are windmill farms and an airplane graveyard.

Pit Stop #2 - a Starbucks in Bakersfield. Ahh a home away from home bathroom. I give it a 2, I mean of course the home bathroom is a 1.

We are not in Vegas anymore. Apparently, the folks in Bakersfield do not see Jaguars that often. A guy was drooling over Jay's car. I am so not affected like that... Dude it is just a car.

Beyond the desert, there is agriculture. Corn, almonds, strawberries and cherries. John Deere lives well here. Such a difference from the view we saw in the beginning of our trip. One side has green as far as the eye can see. The other side you can see mountains in the distance that create a barrier between us and the Pacific Ocean. Oh so close to to sight and sounds o the water.

A striking scene on the green flat land, a prison. "Gabe there is a prison." Gabe: "oh wow, really? How do you know it is a prison?" Me: " well, because prisoners live there."

At 340 miles, we are surrounded by dry flat land with lots of electrical wires and cows. How did the cows get here?

At 350 miles, grape vines and peach trees. So interesting how the scenery changes so rapidly.

At 360 miles, Jay is driving 90 miles an hour on a barren road. He is loving it. I kinda want to puke if we go over yet another rolling hill. Not to mention, my fear that we will go off the road or hit something in the road. Jay says to me, "just follow the electrical poles, you can see the direction of the road." "Really?? I had no idea." He asked me why I had no idea. In typical me fashion, because I never paid attention.

Then, out of no where two huge state prisons. Jay: I set my GPS to drive by every state prison. Me: Please G-d let today not be the day for escaping.

Hahahahaha. U would be crazy enough to go on the rides. I just endured amusement park hell. 30+ miles of windy hilly mountainous roads with Jay laughing and making fun of me for freaking out. He was making me laugh though. So glad I don't get car sick!!

Gabriel slept the whole way through the mountains. He woke up 3 seconds after we got on a normal road. Seriously?? And when not sleeping, he is switching between his new ipad mini and reading his new Rick Riordan book.

All the surrounding produce and vegetation and trucks carrying apples, lettuce, cauliflower etc is amazing.

Past the company that distributes our lettuce, blueberries and raspberries.

Spoke to anastetia we have an appointment tomorrow at 2:45pm for them to ask us a bunch of redundant questions. Love this part.

Surgery day: 12:30pm arrival. No eating after midnight. Apple juice, water and Gatorade until 11am. Then nothing.

Eight hours after we started we arrived in Carmel Calley California. Home of Uncle Shelly and Aunt Alice.

What a beautiful home surrounded by the mountains. The unbelievable smells of flowers and all the fruits and veggies Uncle Shelly and Aunt Alice grow with love. What a serene and peaceful place to be. We are sad that Aunt Alice is out of town, but Uncle Shelly is a gracious and wonderful host. We always love spending time with him.

Completion of Day 1 included Gabriel learning all about the different flowers and fruits and vegetables growing in Uncle Shelly's garden.

Camp Nageela West Rocks!

Welcome Home Gabriel and Judah!! After three weeks at camp, the boys returned home very tan, with many mosquito bites and loads of wonderful stories. It is amazing to hear all of the wonderful and exciting experiences that they had. Judah is begging to go to Camp Nageela East this summer and, of course, they want to go back to Camp Nageela West next summer. Thank you to Rabbi Locker, Rabbi Fromowtiz and all of the staff. You truly made this first camp experience one to remember.

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Testing for Happily Ever Hafters!