WOW---summer's almost over!

Sorry it has been so long since the last update--summer has been a whirlwind around the farm, and in Jeremy's life. First, we would like to Thank Mike Tomassi and his family for putting together the Motorcycle ride! It turned out to be a great day--after one postponement, and Jeremy was Thrilled to be able to ride with everyone. He scares the hell out of me when he does things like that, but it's his determination that is getting him where he is today!! Things continue to go good for Jeremy. He is now walking with just his Grandfather's cane! He has passed all the necessary testing to return to driving school bus. He has an automatic bus, so the driving part will be easy for him--the kids might pose a challenge, but he's used to that, and they all WANT him to be back, so maybe they will be good for him for the first week!!! He goes back to his neurosurgeon in Syracuse on Friday--this time he will walk into the office. The last time he could have walked in, with his crutches, but he chose to ride in--didn't want to upset the good doctor. We have recently acquired a hand-controlled bob-cat, so now he can put in some more time in the barn. He could drive the other bob-cat, but wasn't comfortable with it--the foot pedals are hard to press, and all the motion is controlled by them. He has helped out with the field work this summer--cutting , baling and moving hay bales. The only thing he didn't do was help put the hay into the mow. He did some "directing" from the ground though!The Gator has certainly been a big help to him this summer--it gets him from his apartment to the tractor, to the barn and out to check fields. For some reason, it hasn't found it's way to the sweet corn patch yet though (He never did like picking sweet corn). For Empire Farm Days, it was his transportation around the show, and the mode of transportation back to the truck for the things he and his dad bought at the auction. Almost every day, he comments that it's one of the best "gifts" he's ever received.
Each day brings a new sensation to Jer's legs--some days he gets a lot of tingling, and some days none--we are still hopeful that he will get full feeling in them before long. One of the doctors told him that up to 18 months might be required to get things back, so he has more time yet.

As for Ron, he is doing good--it's been a rough summer for him without Jer's full capacity, but he has done okay--getting some kids who wanted to help out. Today he had a Doctor's appointment and the bloodwork is looking good. Next week we go back to the Cancer docs and they will do more indepth blood work to see where the "mutated" cells stand. The treatment he is on still tires him out, but that is to be expected--he just goes to bed earlier!

We still thank you for your continued prayers for Jer and Ron and ask that you include in them our friends--Dana Carr and Bobby Franklin. Dana is a parapalegic that we met through Val's work, and Bobby is like another son to us who was diagnosed with cancer just recently. That's 3 YOUNG MEN who desperately need prayers. Thanks again. I will post again this fall after we see how things go with the bus driving and the doctors appointments.

Carm