When I was little, Mom and I collected all kinds of wonderful dolls and stuffed animals together: Gund teddy bears, North American Bears, Original Cabbage Patch Little People, Sasha dolls, I could go on and on. We had so much fun collecting together.
Mom (AKA “Ma”) wanted to share that same fun with her grand daughter. The day before Jordan turned 5, we visited Ma’s house and Jordan got to open her birthday presents.
Ma got Jordan her first American Girl, a Bitty Baby who Jordan named Myla. (5-22-11)Jordan and Myla sleeping soundly. I love that picture. 🙂 (7-8-11)New clothes for Myla for Jordan’s 6th birthday. (5-27-12)Christmas in June?? Looks like Mother Mary and Baby Jesus to me. 🙂 (6-18-12)Jordan kept asking for Bitty Twins. I decided that one “twin” could be a sister to Myla. Jordan called this little blondie Skylar. (7-16-12)Christmas came early in 2012. Joshua got a 4-wheeler. (10-12-12)And Jordan got Nicki (Girl of the Year 2007), Nicki’s service dog Sprocket and a whole bunch of clothes for her and for Nicki. (10-12-12)Sprocket, Nicki, Dad and Jordan (10-12-12)Behind the old tackle store at Velger’s Marina while Joshua road his new 4-wheeler. (10-12-12)Back inside the tackle store, in matching pajamas, ready to head home for bedtime. (10-12-12)More matching outfits. (10-14-12)My 41st birthday. I had gotten my first American Girl doll, Chrissa (Girl of the Year 2009) back in July. And for my birthday, I bought more clothes on eBay for Chrissa and Nicki. (10-19-12)Christmas day brought a Nerf gun for Joshua and more AG outfits from eBay for Jordan (and Nicki). 🙂 (12-25-12)Jordan is rocking’ those boots. Sweet little mama. (2-5-13)Thanks to Ma, Marie-Grace joined Jordan’s collection on her 7th birthday (5-23-13) and Marie-Grace got a lovely outfit for a very special occasion. (6-7-13)Jordan was the flower girl in Justin & Christina’s wedding. Here is Jordan with Christina and her Maid of Honor, along with Marie-Grace in her matching flower girl outfit. (6-7-13).Myla came along on a trip with me, Ma and Jordan to St Ignace and Mackinaw. She looks pretty tired, all tucked in at the hotel. She had a long day of shopping with the three of us. (8-25-13)Dress up time with Skylar and Myla. (1-28-14)Jordan’s 8th birthday brought matching Dollie & Me pajamas from Ma. (5-23-14)Jordan is actively knitting a blanket for Myla while she waits quietly. Meanwhile, Joshua is assembling the coolest full-suspension Lego truck. (11-20-14)Jordan and Myla going to visit Ma for the day. I love that Myla is buckled in. 🙂 (9-4-15)To celebrate Jordan’s 10th birthday (one month after 5-23-16), Ma and I took her to the American Girl Store in Columbus, Ohio, at the Easton Town Center. (6-23-16)Jordan brought Myla and Nicki and I brought Mia, Girl of the Year 2008. (6-23-16)Nicki got a new hairstyle at the American Girl Salon. (6-23-16)Myla and Mia were spiffed up with spa treatments at the salon. (6-23-16)And we had dinner at the American Girl Bistro, inside the Columbus store. Mom brought Nellie on the trip and Nellie, Mia and Nicki all got to join us in their very own booster seats. (6-23-16)We had the best waitress. And all of the dolls got to bring home their own doll-sized cups and saucers. (6-23-16)The food was delicious and we ended our meal by sharing a birthday banana split. Yum!! (6-23-16)Myla got a pair of AG kitty pajamas. Check out those adorable slippers. 🙂 ( 6-23-16)Back at the hotel, all tucked in after a long, eventful day. (6-23-16)The next morning we were back at the Easton Town Center. Their fancy parking structures tell you how many spaces are still left inside. Oops, except for when you park a Mazda Miata and the sensor doesn’t see it. 🙂 We thought that was pretty funny and decided to take a picture. 🙂 (6-24-16)We arrived at the store in time for cookie decorating in celebration of the release of the new Wellie Wisher dolls. Our waitress from the bistro was there to help. 🙂 (6-24-16)We had a lovely trip to Columbus. A glorious time was had by all. 🙂 (6-24-16)What we didn’t know when we planned our Columbus trip was that a temporary American Girl Store was coming to Novi, Michigan that August. (8-6-16)We got up early to wait in line to be amongst the first visitors to the new store. (8-6-16)Christmas 2016 brought another trip to the Novi store. We slept over at Ma’s house so that we could be up bright and early on 12/26 to head to the store. I had gotten Julie for Jordan that August. I bought another doll for myself, as I always got them in pairs – one for Jordan and one for me. Jordan and Julie got matching American Girl pajamas for Christmas. (12-25-16)Two days after Christmas, all of our girls had a pajama party. Left to right (back row): Chrissa, Mia, Grace, Julie, Nicki, Marie-Grace, with Skylar and Myla in the front row. (12-27-16)Two days before Christmas 2017, another eBay surprise arrived for Jordan (and I couldn’t wait for Christmas, so I let her open her that day). She had always wanted Kit and I was so pleased to find an original Kit in beautiful condition. I think she liked her. 🙂 (12-23-17)Jordan slept over at Ma’s house on Christmas and brought along Kit and Myla. (12-25-17)The day after Christmas brought another pajama party. In 2017, we sold Skylar on eBay, and I added Kanani to my collection. Left to right: Julie, Kit, Nicki, Chrissa, Mia, Grace, Kanani, Marie-Grace and Myla in front. (12-26-17)I think these 2 pictures are the best representations of what happened next. In May 2018, Sandy joined our family and Jordan decided to spend her money on her sweet dog instead of on dolls. All of her dolls, except her Bitty Baby, ended up in my childhood doll cradle (back and to the left). (11-8-18)I think the expression on Jordan’s face says it all. She loved her dolls, but nothing could come close to the love she had for Sandy. Just a few days after this picture was taken, Jordan decided to start selling her dolls. From 11/11 to 12/11, we sold Marie-Grace, Kit, Nicki, Julie and then she decided that Myla should go to another little girl who would love her like she did. eBay came through again and again, and everyone went to a good home. (11-8-18)
Even though Jordan decided to stop collecting American Girl, I decided to continue. Turns out that, as I’ve gotten to know the American Girl community on YouTube (AG Tube) and Instagram (#AGIG), I’m not the only adult collector who struggles with anxiety and depression who finds joy and comfort in collecting these dolls. There is something about them that brings out the little girl in us, giving us something tangible to hold onto in the midst of this crazy, chaotic world we live in.
If you would like to see more doll pics, you can find me on Instagram @bethbacarella .
At the end of 2018, I found out that Switchfoot, my favorite band, would be head-lining at the Unity Music Festival in Muskegon, MI in August 2019. But that’s not all. They were also scheduled to do a Q&A interview earlier in the day as well. That was a no-brainer. I bought festival tickets for me and John and booked our very first Air BNB. And off we went. 🙂
George Moss, the founder of OXEN Apparel, interviewed Jon and Tim Foreman. John and I were among the first people there on Friday 8-9-19 and got to stand right up next to the stage.Out in the audience, a fellow SwitchFam sister was celebrating her birthday. Her friend asked if she could come up on stage and sing with them as a birthday present. They were so gracious to accommodate. She had a beautiful voice.Saturday morning, 8-10-19 at our Air BNB. We had such a lovely time that we wanted to bring the kids the next year, so we bought 4 tickets for the 2020 festival.
Well, we all know what happened in 2020. But Unity was gracious enough to extend our 4 tickets to their 2021 festival. This time, we booked an Air BNB at The Inn at Snug Harbor for Friday night and Saturday night. And off we went. 🙂
We spent all day on Friday 8/13 and Saturday 8/14/21 at the festival.Jordan, me and John (tying his shoe?). Joshua must have been off exploring the grounds. At some point that weekend, he talked to the guys in the tech booth and arranged to shadow them during TobyMac’s performance Saturday night. That was worth the price of admission. So cool.Every year, the festival is held at Heritage Landing, on the shore of Muskegon Lake. Gorgeous.So much delicious food at the festival, including our favorite nachos from the Righteous Cuisine Food Truck, and yummy carnival food like these deep fried Oreos. Yes, that’s Joshua grinning from ear to ear eating his Oreo. Back at The Inn at Snug Harbor Sunday morning 8-15-21, John is cooking up a whole pile of eggs from the chickens that live at the inn. Sierra truly is the hostess with the mostest. What a lovely place to stay.Jordan relaxes out on the porch while John finishes up the eggs.
Jordan had such a great time that she asked me to buy 5 tickets for 2022 so that we could bring her boyfriend, Tyler. And we got 2 rooms at The Inn at Snug Harbor to accommodate us all.
When it came down to it, only Jordan, Tyler and I could go, but we gave our 2 extra tickets to Sierra and I know she was able to use and thoroughly enjoy at least one of them.The line-up for Friday 8/12 and Saturday 8/13/2022.Thanks to Brian Dumont from Family Life Radio, we were able to go back stage to meet Ben Fuller.
Who is Ben Fuller? We just discovered him this year at Unity. Here’s a 3:41 minute video filmed by Zachary Ling just a little while before we met Ben back stage. I was so excited to find this on YouTube. Thanks Zach! If it says “video not available”, click on the “3:41 minute video” link above.
“Who I Am” by Ben Fuller, live at Unity Fest 2022Mac Powell, the former lead singer of Third Day, was playing Friday evening, so I wore my Third Day shirt. Mac is now touring as a solo artist, and we were thrilled to see him along with his son on guitar and his daughter on bass guitar. Deep fried Oreos were purchased and enjoyed again in 2022. Clink!Heritage Landing lit up beautifully Friday night.Saturday morning, Jordan took over John’s job and cooked up eleven farm fresh eggs for the 3 of us. Yum!Jordan and I were in Room 2 (Honeybee) and Tyler was right next door in Room 1 (Beach).Tyler, all showered and ready for breakfast. 🙂Looking back (left to right) at the main house, Rooms 1 & 2, the garden and chickens in the middle toward the back, and the rest of the rooms to the right (where we stayed in Birch, Room 7, in 2021). It was pouring down rain all morning, so we decided to go to the Muskegon Farmer’s Market, instead of going back to Unity, and then to head back towards home. Turns out that was a great decision, as they postponed opening Unity until 4pm (instead of 1pm) due to all of the rain. It would have been a long, wet day and an exhausting drive home. It worked out that we met Joshua on the way home at Greenfield Village and The Henry Ford Museum, had lunch at the Village and then saw “Heroes & Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume” at the Museum. Timing couldn’t have worked out better. 🙂If you read my last blog post, https://bethbac.wordpress.com/2022/09/09/our-journey-to-michigan-doodle-rescue-connect/, you know that John stayed home with Piper that weekend and she was very thankful that he did.So, even though things didn’t work out how we planned, they still worked out bee-u-tifully. This sign was on the wall at Honeybee at The Inn at Snug Harbor. If it’s meant to be, it’ll bee. Very appropriate. 🙂
We were dog-less for the first time in 27 years and we didn’t know what to do with ourselves.
On Monday 5-2-22, just 4 days after Sandy passed, I took John and Jordan back to Macomb County Animal Control (MCAC) hoping for another miracle dog, and I thought we found one. We brought home an Australian Cattle Dog named “Squirt” and we changed his name to “Dingo”. (5-2-22)Dingo reminded me a lot of Mandi, mischievous and full of energy. Jordan captured this calm moment that first evening with me and John (5-2-22).Dingo’s favorite activity was picking up pinecones in the backyard, throwing them to himself and catching them. He was quite entertaining. (5-4-22)So alert. Always listening. May the 4th be with you! (5-4-22)Dingo broke off a toenail on the 4th day we had him. Jordan and I rushed the poor baby to the vet. (5-5-22) My sweatshirt was covered in blood from that broken toenail, but I’ll spare you that picture. 😦 Not how he wanted to spend Cinco de Mayo. 😦 At home with a “cone of shame.” I ended up buying him a neck pillow the next day. It didn’t keep him from licking his bandages, but did calm him down and was much more comfortable. (5-5-22)Once we got the bandages off, we thought the worst was over, but things went downhill from there. The more he bonded with me, the more aggressive he got with everyone else. I should have done research on his breed before I took him home. Turns out he needed much more than we were able to give. (5-10-22)A rare calm moment (5-13-22). We contacted dog trainers for some help, but it was too little too late. We ended up taking Dingo back to MCAC on 5-17-22, just 15 days after we had gotten him. We were so distraught, as we had never imagined returning a dog, but it was for the best.
We had been emailing a group of friends throughout this whole process and, after we returned Dingo, we were referred to Michigan Doodle Rescue Connect (MDRC). We read all of the information on the rescue’s website and started the process of applying for our “match”. We applied for dog after dog, as they were posted, waited and trusted the process. About a week into the process, we were approved as Members of MDRC and had access to the Members Only Facebook page where dogs were posted first.
On 5-26-22, a GoldenDoodle named Piper came up on the Member’s Only page and we immediately applied, thinking it would be like the other dogs we had already applied for. But it wasn’t. 🙂 That night we got an email saying to call the next day about Piper.
The next day, I called Nana, who runs the MDRC. As Nana read the details from Piper’s surrender form, Piper sounded so much like Sandy, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up yet. Nana read that Piper liked to have her head rubbed before she ate and I told her that Sandy wouldn’t eat until we prayed for her. Nana stopped and said, “I just got chills. I have to tell you something. Piper is owned by a Pastor and his wife. They are moving and they can’t take her with them. I’m not taking any more applications on her. She is yours.” And that was that. 🙂 That was May 27th. Piper wouldn’t be surrendered to MDRC until June 8th. So, we waited.
That was hard. But it was worth it. We made plans to meet Nana close to the MDRC ranch on 6-9-22. We were so excited! We knew Joshua was working all day, but that we could take Jordan out of school a little early to come with us.
Piper’s Gotcha Day (6-9-22), at the vet with Nana, waiting for her clean bill of health. Nana called to prepare us that Piper may have bonded to her overnight and may be hesitant to come to us. Nana brought Piper over to meet the 3 of us. When she went back to her van to get Piper’s things, Piper didn’t want to go, but wanted to stay with us. 🙂 She laid down in the grass next to John, happy as a clam. (6-9-22)It was a long car ride home, as Piper was uncertain about another car ride to yet another new place. (6-9-22)Is this whole yard really for me?? (6-9-22)Finally at home, settling in and meeting Joshua for the first time. (6-9-22)Piper wasn’t allowed on the furniture with her previous owners. But for some reason she’ll jump right up on our ottoman. 🙂 (6-11-22)We can occasionally coax her up on the couch, long enough to take a picture before she jumps off. (6-12-22)
Piper ended up sleeping in the bed with me and John for the first 2 weeks, which seemed really odd because she was crate trained (and they said she loved her crate), but she didn’t want to go in ours and she had no problem jumping up on our bed. Jordan went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic and left at 3am on Tuesday, June 21st. The next night (6/22), Piper was antsy and didn’t want to stay in our bed. That’s when I realized that I needed to move the crate from Jordan’s room (where Sandy slept) to our room. On 6/23 I got up, moved furniture and got the crate moved to our room. That’s exactly what Piper needed. She had sufficiently bonded with us and it was time for her to sleep in the crate, but to still be close by at the foot of our bed. And that’s where she’s slept ever since.
I have more pictures of Piper to share, but the Dingo story isn’t over yet. I had been writing to MCAC periodically to check on Dingo. On June 13th, MCAC sent me this 36 second TikTok video. Click below to see “Squirt” (who we called “Dingo”), who is now “Stryker”:
For me, this is 36 seconds of pure joy watching this gorgeous little dog frolic exuberantly with his 2 Cattle Dog siblings, soaking up his new life. He is exactly where he needs to be. I’m so happy for him, I could cry every time I watch it. 🙂 I call it “The Dingo Movie”. 🙂
As I think about the timing of everything, I don’t know if Dingo’s new owner would have him now if we hadn’t “fostered” him for 2 weeks. And I don’t know if we would have Piper right now if we didn’t take that 2 week “break”. But I do know that Piper was meant to be with us. We’ve had her for 3 months today, and they say that it takes a full 3 months for a rescue dog to really settle in. She is so at home here. She’s laying next to me right now, gently smacking her lips with satisfaction. Sandy used to do that when she was contented. Lip-smacking good. 🙂
Having Dingo was like running a marathon non-stop. Having Piper is like taking a relaxing walk, then sitting on a park bench, then continuing the relaxing walk, then sitting on a park bench, repeat. 🙂 Our whole family adores her and I think she’s pretty happy with us too.
And there’s more to the story. On 5-21-22, our next door neighbor Joe went home to be with Jesus. I spent hours and hours out in the backyard with energetic little Dingo from 5/2 to 5/17 and had many conversations with Joe’s wife, Ronda. She wrote to me on 5/23:
“I know why God had you get a dog. It was so you could be out in the back yard to talk to me, giving me strength, hope and love♥️♥️♥️. I hope you know that you really helped me out a lot. I love you, Beth. Thank you for being who you are.”
Ronda, thank you for being who you are. 🙂 I felt exactly the same way. If that was the only reason we had Dingo, it was worth it. I’m so glad that I could be there for you when you needed me. Know that I’m still here. 😊 Love you too!
And Ronda loves Piper too. God has given us wonderful neighbors. Here are a few more pictures of Piper continuing to settle into the Bacarella household. Enjoy!
John, Piper and Joshua on the couch together long enough to grab a picture. (6-23-22)If she won’t come on the furniture, then you just have to go to her. John is more than thrilled to accomodate. (6-23-22)We celebrated Piper’s 5th birthday with a new Kong toy, doggie cookies and a doggie cupcake from Bow Wow Baketique in Grosse Pte Woods, MI. It’s so wonderful to know her actual birthday. (6-30-22)Taking the new toy so nicely. She’s such a gentle thing. (6-30-22)After having her groomed for the first time. (7-27-22)Somehow, the couch in the sunroom was easier to deal with and she jumped right up. (7-27-22)I couldn’t resist getting her another new toy from K-9 Specialties. (7-28-22)Meeting her cousin Cruiser for the first time. Turns out they’re both 5 years old, a Golden and a GoldenDoodle. They got along great. (8-5-22)We were celebrating Ma’s 77th birthday. (8-5-22)Jordan, Tyler and I went to Muskegon for the weekend and John stayed home with Piper. I think she’s saying “Thank you, Dad”. 🙂 (8-12-22)Feeling right at home. (8-18-22)
This is the 3rd part in a 3 part series. The first 2 parts are basically “picture books”:
Charlie boy had waited patiently and prayed for a friend. (2-6-15)On 5-3-18, John, Jordan and I went to Macomb County Animal Control (MCAC) and this scruffy LabraDoodle named Sandy sat and smiled and wagged her tail at us persistently until we took her home. She needed a good grooming, but John couldn’t resist that face. 🙂 May the 4th be with you (5-4-18): photo courtesy of Joshua BacarellaSandy was the dog Jordan had prayed for (6-26-18)And she was the friend for whom Charlie had prayed (11-10-18)Christmas 2018: once again, the Bacarella’s had 2 dogs representing. Jordan was responsible for 1/2 of Sandy’s expenses, a valuable life lesson that paid great dividends. (10-29-19)Christmas 2019Charlie enjoyed Sandy’s company by his brown chair. (2-8-20)We said that Sandy never was a puppy, but that Jesus plopped her in Chesterfield Twp where MCAC picked her up. Jesus told her to “go find your family” and she did. 🙂 She even had a white “arrow” on her chest that pointed straight up to Jesus. (5-2-20)Dad + 2 dogs = happiness (5-10-20)Two dogs snuggling = happiness. (5-16-20)Oh, that face (9-6-20)Charlie’s last day, 10-13-20. His little body was done. Sandy and I said goodbye before John and I took him to the vet.One last snuggle on the couch before going to the vet to go see Jesus. (10-13-20)Christmas 2020, back to a one-dog family. Life goes on.Another “Gotcha Day” (5-3-21), celebrated on 5-6-21 with a new stuffed unicorn and doggie cupcake from Bow Wow Baketique in Grosse Pte Woods, MI.Sandy’s favorite activity was observing squirrels in her backyard. We called it “watching squirrel-vision”. (10-23-21)Sandy and Jordan hanging out in “their” room. Jordan slept above the futon in the loft and Sandy slept beside the futon in her crate. (12-14-21)Christmas 2021Something was wrong in that sweet girl’s body, but we didn’t know what yet. (1-9-22) In February, kennel cough was ruled out and medication calmed it down, so we thought we were over the worst of it. She had a clean bill of health at her annual physical on 3-8-22, but something was still lurking.On Easter Sunday 4-17-22, Aunt Rose gave Sandy a mohawk and she looked pretty snazzy. On 4-6-22, Sandy had been diagnosed with lung cancer and we knew she had only weeks or months left with us.John would regularly bury his face in her doodle hair and it never bothered his allergies. We called it “facial sqwugglies with Dad” (4-17-22). Just as Mandi and Charlie had done, Sandy had the amazing ability to remove all of the “ick” from the day. We’ve always referred to our dogs as incredible “ick-removers.”John and Sandy hanging out (4-24-22). We enjoyed every minute we had with her those last 3 weeks, not knowing what day would be her last. Turns out she went to be with Jesus on 4-28-22, leaving a gaping hole in the Bacarella household, as we hadn’t been dog-less in 27 years.
Here’s what Jordan wrote on Instagram about Sandy, along with several pictures that were posted above and a few special videos of her own:
On May 3, 2018 I adopted the goofiest labradoodle from the pound (Aka Sandy, Stinker, Mimi). She was so energetic and loving towards anyone she met. Throughout these past 4 years, she has brought my family and I so much joy. She gave the best cuddles and specifically loved her stuffed unicorn. Whenever I was having a hard day, she would always be there to literally lick my tears away. At the beginning of April, she was diagnosed with lung cancer. It came on very fast which caused her to go downhill quicker than we were expecting. On April 28, we decided that it was time to let her rest. Everyday it just seems to become more real that she’s gone. So here are some pictures and videos of my angel.
Sandy was the sweetest and best baby dog anyone could ask for. We thought we would have more time with her, as we only had 4 years, but we wouldn’t trade that time for anything.
Four days later, we were back at MCAC, hoping and praying that we could duplicate the “Sandy” experience to fill that gaping hole in our hearts. Stay tuned…
Our first baby, Mandi, a German Shorthaired Pointer. Born 2-23-95 and brought home on 4-15-95. She was our only child until Joshua came along on 6-14-2002.Joshua loved that sweet girl. And she loved him. Mandi had her own papasan chair that she would occasionally share with us.Or she would sit on the blue chair, snuggled up.Dad got in on the snuggle action quite a bit too.Joshua tried sharing his toy cars with Mandi.But mostly she just wanted to snuggle.Or she wanted to go outside and play.But snuggling was always best.And then Jordan Rose came along on 5-23-06.And snuggling took on a different form.All 3 of our children were represented on the Christmas card that year.And all 3 were in Dad’s lap. Three in the lap and Mom behind the camera became a regular occurrence.In July 2007, we moved from Clawson to Clinton Twp.And the house in Clinton Twp had a lovely sunroom for relaxing. Until the relaxing was disturbed by a 16 week old pup named Charlie (born 5-23-07, one year after Jordan). We brought Charlie home after meeting him at the Imlay City Woods N Water Outdoor Fair. And Mandi was none too happy about this at first.But Joshua and Jordan thought Charlie was pretty fabulous.And all three of them could fit in Charlie’s crate together. Watching the dogs eat dinner was a fun activity. But playing in the crate was even better.And then the puppy piles started. Dad loved having 2 German Shorthairs on his lap at once.Charlie watched as Mandi basked in the sun on her back, enjoying the back yard.Another child pile, always making Dad smile.Jordan thought those dogs were funny creatures. And they certainly were.Joshua’s bed became a fun place to hang out.Or on Dad’s lap on the couch.Or on the living room floor with Joshua.All 4 kids were represented on the 2007 Christmas card.And the couch was full of life.A full-grown Charlie made for a full lap.You never knew what could happen in the back yard. Dad’s Honda Big Red carted kids around while the dogs looked on.Until it was time to rest for bit.Relaxing on Joshua’s bed again.And again.On Mandi’s 14th birthday, we all received a new present. We got a wood-burning insert for our fireplace. And the hide-a-bed became the new winter snuggle place.But when the hide-a-bed turned back into a couch, it still worked just fine for snuggle time.Sometimes Jordan let Mandi sleep in her bed with her at nap time. And sometimes Dad had nap time on the hide-a-bed with 2 dogs (12-8-09).Everyone enjoyed the gorgeous fire (12-30-09).Mandi’s 15th birthday, 2-23-2010. Two dogs on the brown chair.Two dogs on the green chair, snuggled up next to Dad (4-17-10, also my brother Rick’s birthday).Jordan loved those 2 sweet fur-kids (5-7-10).Joshua loved them too (5-16-10).And Mom got a hug from Charlie the day before Mother’s Day (5-16-10).But sadly, at a ripe old age of 15 1/2, Mandi’s body decided she was done here. We took her to the vet that day and sent her off to be with Jesus (5-26-10).She was so missed. Joshua and Charlie snuggled up together in their sadness (5-26-10).But life went on and Charlie adjusted to being an only dog (6-13-10).He got to nap with Jordan sometimes (11-11-10).And he got to snuggle in Joshua’s bed (12-14-10).He got used to sitting on the brown chair on his own (12-30-10). And the green chair too (1-2-11).He even started to study the Bible (6-10-11). And he prayed for a friend. And Jordan joined him in his prayers (9-19-11).And until their prayers were answered, he sat and enjoyed the brown chair (2-6-15).And he waited patiently (11-16-15). To be continued….
For those who could not join us in person, here is the full service from Dad’s “Celebration of Life” at Heritage Church in Sterling Hts, MI.
You’ll need to turn up the volume for the first few minutes when I start reading my blog (“Dick and Judy” – see below), but that is corrected shortly when the camera angle is also changed.
There is an open mic about half way through the service where several people share. One of those people is John J. Cowall (CVOA President) and you can read his full tribute to Dad at the end of “Of Puppies and Celebrations” (see below).
If you were able to join us in person, you know that the lobby was full of what I called “The Dick Baumhauer Museum.” Mom had curated a lovely collection of items that were important to Dad, including 10 poster boards full of pictures. There were even 2 Cosworth Vega’s in the parking lot to join in the celebration.
Mom and Dad (high school graduation and wedding)Family photos, old and newMany different sides of DadMore family photos, old and newJust a sampling of the cards he gave to Mom over the yearsMom and Dad visited every state except AlaskaDad loved his carsBuilding our house in 1984 and car memoriesCosworth Vega Owner’s Association (CVOA) Detroit Round UpMore car memoriesJoshua admiring his Papa’s old Cosworth Vega (thank you, Paul, for everything!)John Cowall Sr’s Cosworth Vega, In Loving Memory of Dick Baumhauer
Thank you to everyone who was able to join us in person. It was lovely to see such a nice crowd paying tribute to my Dad. And thank you for visiting this blog.
Please continue to keep Mom in your thoughts and prayers, especially tomorrow (October 12th, which would have been their 46th wedding anniversary), Thanksgiving, Christmas and beyond. I know grieving is a process and Mom so appreciates your support.
He was born May 11th, 1945 and she was born August 5th, 1945. They met in 2nd grade and went to school together until she moved in 6th grade. He kissed her in the lobby of the school during one of those elementary years. Fast forward to 1961. She was one of the speakers during the Christmas Eve service and she saw that he had come to church with his Mom. She walked up to him after the service and said, “I bet you don’t remember who I am,” and he replied, “I don’t have a clue.” She later called to invite him to go ice skating, but she was so embarrassed that she had called a boy on the phone, she never went. I guess we’ll never know if he showed up or not.
But he did keep coming to the Methodist church, they started dating and they both decided to be baptized by sprinkling. He spoke at church for a Thanksgiving service in 1962 and there was a newspaper article written about it:
Student Speaker — Although not a minister, Dick Baumhauer, son of Mr and Mrs Richard Baumhauer, 1250 Albany, Ferndale, will be the speaker at 7am, worship service Thursday conducted by the senior and junior Methodist Youth Fellowship groups of the Campbell Memorial Methodist Church, Ferndale. A senior at Ferndale High School, Dick will compare the present day with the conditions that the Pilgrims experienced. Dick said: “There always will be a mixture of blessings and worries whatever the age be in which we are living. If the Pilgrims could say “brown bread and the gospel are good fare” we today ought to be able to find many things for which to be grateful. Our need is to look for the good in things and minimize those which trouble us.”
This article was tucked into the back of the frame shown in the picture above
Such wise words from a senior in high school. Turns out that wise young man married that bold young woman, right out of high school in 1963 at the same Methodist church, and they began their lives together. But that life together was threatened when he found out in 1966 that he was to be drafted by the Army to be sent to Vietnam. Instead, he showed up at the Air Force enlistment office, hoping that his electronics job experience could be put to good use there. However, with no openings in electronics at that time, he was put on a waiting list. God had other plans. By the time there was an opening for him, they found out they were pregnant with their first child and he was exempt from going into the service. Richard Norman II was born in April 1967. Rick to the rescue! Then, in 1970, hoping to expand their family, but without success, they looked into adoption. God had other plans there too, and Beth Suzanne was born in October 1971. I’m Beth Suzanne and this is the story of my parents, Dick and Judy Baumhauer.
If you knew them during the first 29 years of their marriage, you would say they were a pretty typical middle class family. He was climbing the corporate ladder in his field of electronics, and she was working at the local elementary school so that she would be on the same schedule as me and my brother. Our parents were Christians, but they were very quiet about their faith. They had both of us baptized in the Methodist church as babies, but at some point stopped attending. Rick and I had Detroit News paper routes from 12 years old through college and Dad would drive us on our routes every Sunday, because Sunday papers were much too big and bulky to fit on our bikes. Occasionally, Mom would talk about going back to church, but we always had our paper routes on Sunday mornings. Actually, I’ll let Dad tell this story. This is what he wrote when he and my Mom were baptized in July 2005:
“I was raised in a home that was based in Christian values, but a personal relationship with Jesus was something that was not discussed. When I was a Junior in high school, I started attending a new church and every month the youth group attended The Voice of Christian Youth (VCY) services in the Masonic Temple in Detroit. During the January service I accepted the invitation to come forward and let Jesus Christ come into my heart. Judy and I were re-introduced during this time, dated and were married within two years. Our home was a quiet, introverted Christian home and we slowly grew away from church. Divorced after 29 years, life was certainly different. During the 12 years of separation, which included daughter Beth’s finding Kensington Church and Jesus, I rededicated myself to God, found a renewed Christian faith and He brought Judy and I back together. We were re-married by Steve Andrews this March 24th. We want to publicly recommit our lives and Love to Christ by baptizing each other during this Kensington Church service.”
Dad, Mom and Pastor Craig at their baptism at Stony Creek Metropark
The early 90’s were hard years. I had met my husband, John, in 1990 while we were both attending Wayne State. John’s parents divorced in 1991, my parents started the divorce process at the end of 1992, my brother and his wife broke up at the end of 1993, and John and I were getting married in January 1994. What in the world were we thinking???
Well, as my Dad mentioned in his story above, thankfully I found Jesus in May 1994 at Kensington Church. If you don’t know that story, you can read about it here: Joshua the Prophet
My Mom had married a Christian man named Ken in 1994 and they were married for 5 years. Ken decided to go back to his first wife, the mother of his three grown boys, and Mom found herself single again. I remember asking my Dad at that time if he ever thought about getting back together with Mom, and he simply replied “No” and that was the end of that conversation. When Dad said said “no”, he meant “no.”
Mom didn’t like being alone, so when she met a nice man named Jim, they started dating. During that time, Dad was living in California and dating a woman named Beth. Beth wanted to get married in the Catholic Church, but in order to do so, Mom and Dad’s marriage would need to be annulled. Mom received annulment papers and went through the process of answering all of their questions, a long and heartbreaking process that absolutely tore her up inside. How in the world could anyone annul a marriage of 29 years with two children? It just didn’t make any sense. And, as it turned out, it really didn’t make sense to the Catholic Church either and they denied the annulment. Thank. You. Jesus.
Dad thought that he and Beth would simply get married in a different church, but Beth took this to mean that God did not want them to get married and she broke up with him. And back here in Michigan, after dating Jim for about 4 years and figuring out that Jim wasn’t the “marrying type”, Mom eventually broke up with him as well. Remember the last time my parents were both single and I asked Dad about getting back together with Mom? I wasn’t going to make that mistake again. This time, instead of asking him over the phone, I took another approach.
It was the summer of 2004 and I had a computer with internet and email. So, I sat down and wrote Dad an email. I wish I had a copy of that exact email, but I’ll try to reproduce it to the best of my ability. It went something like this:
“Dear Dad, I’m going to ask you a question, but I don’t want you to answer right away. Please take at least 24 hours to pray about this before you get back to me. I know you’re in California without a job and you need to sell your house. I know that the Catholic Church said no and Beth is gone. And I know you’ve looked all over the country for a church like Kensington and you can’t find one that you’re happy with. But here in Michigan, you have the home that you and Mom built together in 1984 (God bless Mom for keeping it up over the last 12 years), Kensington is here, John and Joshua and I are here and hopefully another grandchild soon if God agrees. Mom would like to make you an offer. She is retiring from the school system a year from now. She would re-marry you, even just as friends, so that you could have health insurance. There is plenty of room in the house for both of you. I do hope you’ll consider her offer. Much love to you, -Beth”
He replied back, “Thank you, my dear wonderful daughter.” And that was it. Over the next day or two, he told me he decided that he would take Mom up on her offer and I encouraged them to start talking to each other instead of talking “through me”. He called her on her birthday, August 5th, and he kept calling. He would call every day when she was home on her lunch break. And soon, his house in California sold, and he came home to Michigan. This picture was taken here in Michigan on October 1, 2004:
Joshua, Dad (Papa) and Mom (Ma)
Thankfully, Kensington required premarital counseling, and they had many, many hours of it. I know that it was difficult, but absolutely necessary, to dig through years of hurt and too many things that had been left unsaid. And I know that whole process made them stronger, closer and so much better prepared for the years ahead.
On March 24, 2005, exactly 12 years after their divorce was final (March 24, 1993), they were remarried. And not just as friends. Their love for each other grew and they had, in my Mom’s words, “16 wonderfully amazing years together.” And those 16 amazing years included a little dog named Elvis.
Dad and Mom remarried on March 24, 2005
When my brother and I were growing up, Dad always wanted a dog, and we tried on three separate occasions. But 2 kids + dog + clean house = does not compute. And if Mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy, so each time the dog had to go. But when Mom and Dad got back together, they were empty-nesters and a dog made much more sense. With Mom’s blessing, Dad searched the internet and found 2 male Maltese-Poodle mix (Malti-Poo) puppies in Coldwater, MI. When Mom saw that their birthday was January 8, 2005, she said, “That’s our dog and his name is Elvis”. Mom was a huge Elvis fan and his birthday was January 8th. Perfect.
My brother Rick took this picture of Elvis and Dad, Christmas 2008
And he was the perfect dog for them. Dad, Mom, Joshua and I went to see the puppies in Coldwater when they were just a few weeks old. Joshua was only 2 1/2 and he thought the puppies were wonderful. Mom and Dad picked up Elvis after their honeymoon in April 2005 and he was immediately a part of the family. They even bought a motor home so that they could easily travel with him and went to visit my brother and his wife, Rick and Delia, in Connecticut.
Back row: Delia, Rick, Dad, Mom; Front row: Joshua, John, Beth, Jordan, July 2015
Mom and Dad were curious about who owned the other little male puppy, and the breeder was able to connect them with his owners. Turns out John and Mikki didn’t live far away, so they came to visit. That’s when they found out that they also attended Kensington Church and they named their dog Jesse, which means “Gift from God.” John and Mikki didn’t know that Elvis Presley had a twin brother named Jesse. Jesse Presley didn’t survive, but the Malti-Poos named Jesse and Elvis lived to be 15 and 16 years old, respectively. A ripe old age for 2 dearly loved little dogs.
Elvis and Dad, Christmas 2008 (also taken by Rick)
It has been said that God gives each of us Time, Talents and Treasures and hopes that we will share those gifts with others. Mom and Dad had always been generous people, but something about their new marriage brought that generosity to a whole new level. I think that had a lot to do with what the Apostle Paul instructed in Hebrews 10:24:
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.”
Yes, sharing household expenses helped to free up their finances, but sharing a common vision and mission to help others lit a fire under them that truly spurred them on. God saw their generous hearts, took their modest income and He literally multiplied it so that they always had something to share with anyone who had a need. They gave to their family, churches, interns, mission trips, global partners, child sponsorships, Embrace the Truth, Hope Water Project,100 Faithful Friends, and so many others, and they even helped two brothers go to college. Their vision was the same as King David’s vision as he prayed for his son Solomon who would build a temple for God:
14 “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. – 1 Chronicles 29:14 (NIV)
God gave to them and they in turn gave it away. And it wasn’t just Treasures that they shared. They shared their Time and Talents as well. They were a part of, and eventually led, the Kensington Troy Saturday night usher team for 9 years and built many friendships there. John and Alison Gavel were two of those friends. John volunteered as head of Security for Kensington Troy when he suffered a stroke that left him unable to walk or talk or care for himself. Dad, along with Bob Marshall, and many other people, took care of John Gavel for 4 1/2 years until he went to be with Jesus. Dad also supported Mom as she took care of her friend Nancy, coordinating her 24 hour care, until she passed away in November 2020. Nancy’s caregiver, Maya, said that Dad was always able to fix anything at Nancy’s house and called him “the man with the golden hands.”
I wonder what that was like for Dad to see John and Nancy again?
Dad loved spending time with his grandchildren. Joshua John and Jordan Rose were his pride and joy and he cherished every moment with them. Yep, I know we all love our children, but I’ve heard there is something pretty special about grandchildren. Whatever any of us needed, he was always right there, right away, ready to help, however he could. Always. I could go on and on, but I think I will share some pictures instead.
Papa and Jordan Rose, November 2006Joshua and his Papa, April 2007Papa, Ma, Jordan and Joshua, after their K-Rock performance, Thanksgiving Eve, 2011Papa, Ma, Joshua and Beth at Embrace the Truth (Alethia Intl.) fundraiser, March 11, 2013Papa and Jordan, Ottawa Elementary Art Show at the library, May 1, 2014Father’s Day at church, June 15, 2014 Joshua took this picture of Dad at the Old Car Festival at Greenfield Village, September 2018Jordan and Papa, Christmas 2019Papa, Joshua and Ma, Easter 2021 (the last picture I took of him)
When Joshua was a part of the Easter service at Kensington’s Clinton Twp campus in 2014, Mom and Dad knew they had to move to the Clinton Twp campus, even though they lived in Clawson, much closer to Troy. Pastor Chris Zarbaugh had stolen their hearts. They became very involved with the Clinton Twp campus, attending every weekend and ushering every other weekend. And when Chris Zarbaugh moved to Heritage Church in October 2020, they were right there with him. My Mom always says that Chris is just like a son to her (so he must be my twin since we’re both 50 years old this year).
Kensington Clinton Twp usher team, May 2018
I know that Mom and Dad could have used another 16 years together. They could have blessed so many more people if they had more time. But that was not to be. I am thankful that my Dad was healthy almost every day of his life. His mother died of Alzheimer’s, but his mind was sharp right up until the end. Mom said, “HE WAS AND IS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE.” And we are thankful that this life is not the end and that we will see him again. We take comfort in the words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18:
13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
We will be having a Celebration of his life at Heritage Church on Schoenherr on October 9, 2021 at 1:00pm. All are welcome. More details can be found here: Of Puppies and Celebrations
Mom and I picked up Dad’s ashes today. A simple oak box, engraved with his name, date of birth and date of death, to represent his 76 years on this earth, is now safe at home with Mom and the puppies.
Oh, those puppies. 🙂 Many of you have asked for pictures, so I wanted to include some here. I also want to announce two upcoming celebrations. If you’d like to scroll down, here is what this post will include:
Puppy pictures (they are Mini Australian Shepherd / Mini Poodle mixes)
UPDATE (7-14-21): Celebration of Baptism (including Jordan Rose Bacarella) on Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Celebration of Life for Richard Norman Baumhauer on Saturday, October 9, 2021
A lovely tribute to my Dad written by the current President of CVOA
Beau (which means “handsome”) at 6.5 weeksToby (from Tobias, which means “God is good”) at 6.5 weeksToby and Beau on the ride home from up north (7.5 weeks)Toby and Beau fast asleep after their big day of travel (7.5 weeks)Beau and Toby settling into their new home (8 weeks)Toby and Beau running the other way (12 weeks)Beau at 12 weeksToby at 12 weeksBeau and Toby at 12.5 weeks (Toby has one ear up and one ear down – so cute!)Beau and Toby at 13 weeks (3 months)
2. Celebration of Baptism
UPDATE (7-14-21): Jordan has decided to be baptized at Kensington’s Troy Campus on Wednesday, August 11, 2021 at 7pm. Jordan co-leads a Breakaway Middle School small group and then attends an Edge High School small group afterward every Sunday night, so getting baptized on a Sunday night would be a conflict for her and for those who would like to attend her baptism. And Jordan has grown up at Kensington and has many, many people there who love her and would love to celebrate with her. More details are available here: https://kensingtonchurch.org/ministry/baptism/
I’m equally as thrilled about this decision, as John and Joshua were baptized at Kensington’s Troy campus back in August 2009. I love this picture:
John and Joshua’s baptism (with Clint Dupin and Chris Zarbaugh) on 8-12-09
UPDATE (7-14-21 – see above): You are still more than welcome to attend the Heritage Church baptism service, but please note that we won’t be there. Thank you! Sunday, August 8, 2021 at 5pm at Stony Creek Metro Park (4300 Main Park Dr, Shelby Township, MI), Heritage Church will be holding outdoor baptisms. My dear daughter, Jordan Rose Bacarella, has decided to be baptized that day. There will be food and fun activities, and everyone is welcome, whether you just want to come and watch or if you decide to jump in and get baptized as well. Please join us if you’re in the area! All of the details will be posted here shortly: https://heritagechurch.com/upcoming-events/
I’m just thrilled that Jordan has decided to be baptized at Stony Creek, as my Mom and Dad were baptized there shortly after their re-marriage in 2005. I absolutely love the look on my Dad’s face in this picture:
Dick & Judy Baumhauer with Pastor Craig Mayes at Stony Creek Metro Park in 2005
3. Celebration of Life
Mom wants to have a “Celebration of Life” memorial service for my Dad closer to the date of their original wedding anniversary, October 12, 1963. Please save the date of Saturday, October 9, 2021 at 1pm at the Sterling Hts campus of Heritage Church (44625 Schoenherr, Sterling Heights, MI 48313). Chris Zarbaugh will be leading the service, but we invite anyone and everyone who has a story or memory to share about my Dad to please come prepared to share. We truly want this to be a celebration of his life, full of joy, laughter and great memories. We hope you’re able to join us. We plan on creating a Facebook Event for his celebration as well, but for now please save the date. Thank you!
As you think about what you might like to share about my Dad, I wanted to share a lovely tribute written by the current CVOA President, John J Cowell. John posted this on the CVOA (Cosworth Vega Owners Association) Facebook page on June 11, 2021 to announce my Dad’s passing. My Mom and I loved it and wanted to share it with you:
It is with an extremely heavy heart and tear in my eye that I have to post this. Dick Baumhauer, CVOA Hall Of Fame Member, Former CVOA President, CVOA Historian, CVOA VP of Merchandise, CVOA National Roundup Concours Award Winner and CVOA Speed Event Winner has passed away today. He is survived by his wife, Judy, two children (Rick and Beth) and grandchildren.
Dick was so much more than an accomplished CVOA Member. He was a friend, a part of the Family. He will be missed. Dick touched many people’s lives in such a positive way. His laughter, stories, friendliness, and so much more will be missed for years in so many ways. He had wisdom, character, integrity, and a gentleness about him. I can say I was always in awe to be around him, and in awe to be honored to be his friend.
Many of you have been around Dick with the CVOA. He went to National Roundups, Regional Roundups, and helped to create an image of what and how a CVOA Member should be. I know his presence will be missed by all of you. I hope that his Memory and Spirit will be remembered and felt in the CVOA for a long time to come. I am honored that I was able to induct him into the CVOA Hall of Fame in 2020, so that he could understand how much he meant to our Organization. I will absolutely miss him greatly this summer at the Car Events we had planned to attend.
I have been entrusted by Dick to get CV #3136, The Golden Eagle IMSA RS Series Race Car back to road-worthiness. And, in his Memory I will do all I can to get that car back on the Track. Dick was a racer, a tinkerer, a speed demon. And this car will be a tribute to him, from me.
There is so much more to say, feelings to feel, and heartache to endure with Dick’s passing. He was a Great Man. I hope you all will share a Memory of how Dick touched your life, whether in the CVOA World or in the World at large.
He was just such a Great Man. (I know I have used that term a bit here, but he really was!) I will miss him tremendously. He had such a great impact on me in many ways, within the CVOA and outside of it. Heck, he was my Dad’s boss for a while! I am just so sad to have to pass this news on.
You Will be Missed Mr. Baumhauer!
John J. Cowall, CVOA President
Last but not least, I wanted to post a link to my previous blog:
If you don’t know my Mom and Dad’s story, you can find it here (married 29 years, divorced 12 years, back together for the last 16 years): Dick and Judy
May God bless you all and may you know the love of Jesus, His Son. Dad would want you to know how very much Jesus loves you and wants you to be a part of His Family.
My Dad, Richard Norman Baumhauer, known to his friends as “Dick” and to his grandkids as “Papa”, passed from this earth on Thursday, June 10, 2021. Through the last month, I’ve been sending updates to about 40 people and I wanted to compile them and share them here. C-VID took Dad, but miraculously it didn’t take Mom. So, I would like to begin this story on June 14th with some very good news.
6-14-21
Mom tested negative this morning!!!! 🙂 We just got to see her and hug her in person for Joshua’s 19th birthday today. 🙂
We’re no longer waiting for the hospital to call with a report on Dad and there is comfort in that. We know that Dad is now perfectly perfect in every way, in Heaven with his Savior. It seems so surreal, though. We feel like he’s on vacation (or at a CVOA round-up) and he’ll be home soon. We will join him “on vacation” some day, but in the meantime we will sorely miss that sweet, dear, kind man who I had the privilege of calling Dad.
May his death not be in vain and may we save others through what we have learned. Please share:
1) Take Zinc, Vitamin D3, Vitamin C, and Quercetin daily to boost your immune system. We believe this is what saved Mom. 2) Get the Monoclonal Antibody Infusion as soon as you test positive (whether you feel sick or not). Your doctor can order this for you. Mom did this too. 3) Contact Front Line Doctors to get prescriptions to keep on hand in case you develop symptoms. Early treatment at home could have saved my Dad’s life, but we simply didn’t know. Please do let others know.
4) If you don’t own a Pulse Oximeter (to check your O2 levels), you can get one at any pharmacy. They’re under $30 and worth their weight in gold.
If you would like more information or links to any of the above, please email me at jbjbac@gmail.com and I’d be happy to send everything to you.
Ok, now back to the beginning.
5-28-21 – 1:45pm
Please keep my Mom and Dad in your prayers. Dad has had C-VID for over a week and he went to urgent care today to see if he could get some kind of treatment (just because he’s weak and has chills, but a very low fever) and his oxygen was much too low, so they put him on oxygen and took him by ambulance to the hospital. Mom can’t go in to see him and that upsets her very much. She’s at home with the puppies now. I’m sure Dad is fine and that his faith in God and his always positive attitude will serve him well. I’ll keep you updated as I find out more. Thank you so much!!
Here’s some background. Mom and Dad’s 16 year old Malti-Poo Elvis (born on Elvis’s birthday) passed away on April 22nd and they went to look at a litter of Mini Australian Shepherd / Mini Poodles on May 8th. There were two little boys still available and as Mom tried to decide which one to take, Dad said, “Let’s get both” and Mom was shocked. But certainly they could handle two puppies together, so on May 15th, they went and picked them up.
On Monday, May 17th, Dad called to tell me that he had a low grade fever and thought he should stay home from his men’s group Monday night. He wanted me to let John know that he wouldn’t be there. The fever went away, but then came back again on Thursday, May 20th. When it didn’t go away by Saturday, May 22nd, Dad went to get tested for C-VID.
On Monday, May 24th, Dad received an email that we was positive for C-VID. He called me because the email said that he should ask his PCP about an antibody treatment and he didn’t know what a PCP was. I told him he didn’t have a Primary Care Physician, but that it would be good to do a little research on the treatment they referred to. Dad was always doing research on this or that, so I knew that would be an easy task for him. What I didn’t know at the time was that he never did look into it and neither did I.
Dad continued to rest at home, taking Tylenol and going about his business. Mom kept asking him if he was having trouble breathing and he kept saying, “No, I’m just exhausted.” On Friday, May 28th, I was talking to Mom on the phone and I heard her ask Dad if he was ok, and I heard him say, “I just need to catch my breath”. That was odd. We hung up, but a few minutes later, Mom called back because Dad wanted to ask me if I’d ever heard of chills with no fever (his fever was basically gone from taking Tylenol). I thought that was also odd and I remembered the antibody treatment mentioned in his email. It had said that if you didn’t have a PCP that you could go to urgent care, so I encouraged them to go to a local urgent care.
Mom couldn’t find phone numbers on-line and ended up at the CVS Minute Clinic asking about the antibody treatment. They recommended a few urgent care clinics where Dad could get blood work done to determine his eligibility for the antibody treatment, so off they went. But when they arrived at urgent care and they took his vitals, his pulse OX was 53% and they immediately loaded him in an ambulance and took him to the hospital. That’s where our story continues.
5-28-21 – 4:45pm
I talked to Mom. Dad’s doing fine, but needs to get his O2 levels back up. They don’t have any regular rooms left, so they put him in ICU where he’ll get excellent care and he has a phone. Jesus is with him for sure. 😊 He called her and it’s hard to hear him with the O2 mask on, but she said he sounds good. And Mom sounds much better. She was not a happy camper.
5-29-21 – 9:15am
My Dad just called my Mom and he sounds pretty good. He is still on oxygen and he will get a cat scan to make sure he has no blood clots. Thank you again for your prayers!
5-29-21 – 7:30pm
Mom has talked to Dad a couple times today and he continues to sound good. The cat scan showed no blood clots, thank you Jesus. 🙂
5-30-21 – 11:15am
Mom talked to Dad this morning and it was really hard to hear him and she was scared. She just talked to the nurse (Dan) and he said they have him on a BiPap machine (to get more oxygen into his lungs), so he has a different type of mask on. Dan said that he’s still doing fine, but I’m thinking his O2 isn’t going up as well as they’d like or they wouldn’t have put him on the BiPap. Thank you again for your prayers!
5-31-21 – 9:30am
Good morning. Mom talked to the doctor this morning and Dad had a rough night breathing last night. Sounds like he was off the BiPap, but is going back on it and they’re also going to tube-feed him to get him some nutrition. He’s on 2 different C-VID treatments and still in the ICU, so I know he’s in the best place he can be. Mom is pulling her hair out chasing the puppies around the house, but at least they’re adorable (and hopefully a good distraction). Thank you so much for your continued prayers!
6-1-21 – 5:25pm
Just talked to Mom. She’s heard from the nurse and the doctor today and Dad is still plugging along on the BiPap. John and I did a video call with him yesterday afternoon, but it was very hard to understand him with the BiPap mask on, so we didn’t stay on the call long. He HATES the BiPap, but if they take him off, his O2 goes down too much. I’m sure he stayed at home much too long and now he’s paying for it. God bless that dear man.
6-2-21 – 12:30pm
My dad is not doing well. I’m playing phone tag with the Dr. He wants to discuss options. Please pray. Thank you!
6-2-21 – 1:45pm
I just talked to Dad’s doctor and they’re considering putting him on a ventilator. Dad is still lucid and can make that decision with them.
6-2-21 – 3:40pm
Well, my Dad just made that decision for us. He took off his BiPap (which I just learned he has done several times), but this time his breathing did not recover and they had to put him on the vent. The doctor said that, as a C-VID patient, he has about a 50/50 chance of getting off the vent and the biggest thing is praying that other systems don’t start to shut down (like kidneys). He’s in God’s hands. God bless him.
6-3-21 – 3:35pm
I talked to Dad’s doctor this afternoon and they’re getting him stabilized on the vent. He has a secondary infection that are culturing for and giving him 2 antibiotics while they wait for the cultures to come back, but the doctor felt this was something manageable. They’re keeping a close eye on his kidney and liver functions and they’re also now tube feeding him (they never were able to while he was on the BiPap). And because he’s sedated, he can’t pull his vent out, so he’s not a danger to himself. God bless my dear Dad. Thank you for your prayers!!
6-3-21 – 7:45pm
My Mom’s test came back positive, but she still feels the same. She’s trying to get a hold of her doctor to get the monoclonal antibody infusion, as that is only supposed to be effective in the first 7 days, but it’s supposed to be really good. Also, earlier today I contacted Front Line Doctors with a telemedicine call and got my mom prescriptions in case she comes down with symptoms. My friend’s 73 year old uncle did that, took the meds at home, never went to the hospital and is now fully recovered. But the hospitals won’t give this particular med because it hasn’t been studied enough for them. 😟
6-4-21 – 3:55pm
Update for today. Mom got the monoclonal antibody infusion this morning and that all went great (and she still feels fine). I talked to Dad’s Dr this afternoon and Dad is stable today. He does have a staph infection, but they’re treating that and his kidney numbers look good. They’re going to lay him on his stomach tonight so that they can reduce his O2 to 60% for the night and then bring it back to 80% during the day. This all sounds like good progress to me. 😊
6-5-21 – 10:15am
Early update today. 😊 Papa’s doctor said he’s holding his own today. O2 still between 70-80%, mild blood pressure meds (to keep it up), kidneys no better but no worse, still treating staph infection. We’ll take that all as good news. Dr said this could just be a long haul, but we know we can be patient. 😊 Ma still feels just fine, thank you Jesus. Puppies are keeping her entertained. 😊
I just realized I left the update with “Papa & Ma” (that I send to the kids) instead of changing it to “Dad & Mom”. Well, I guess everyone will figure out what I meant. 😊
6-6-21 – 10:35am
Dad is doing better today. 😊 His O2 is down to 60% (he was at 80%), kidneys are stable and I can probably visit him on 6/12. 😊 Mom still feels the same (just fine), praise the Lord. Dad’s Dr was very happy with his progress over the last 24 hours. 😊 Thank you for your prayers!!
6-7-21 – 1:50pm
Dad had a collapsed lung this morning, which they quickly remedied with a chest tube, but now he has a hole that needs to heal, so that set him back a while. They’re now having to give him 100% O2, instead of the 60% that he was down to yesterday. The staph infection is in his lung and blood and the culture says that will respond to common antibiotics, so that is good news. Mom continues to feel good. Thank you Lord that she got the monoclonal antibody infusion right away, as that is so important.
6-8-21 – 1:25pm
Dad is doing better today. 😊 O2 back down to 70% and O2 PEEP down from 10 to 8, which the doctor was very happy about. Also a lot less leakage from the chest tube. Other numbers remain stable or slightly better, thank you Jesus. Mom and the puppies continue to do well. 😊 And it turns out that my kids know the doctor’s daughter from church, so we both had a good chuckle about that. We’ll take it as a good sign. 😊 Super nice people are working on my Dad, thank you Lord.
6-9-21 – 10:20am
Another good report today and early too. 😊 As stable as can be for a C-VID patient and numbers just slightly better than yesterday. 😊 O2 still at 70% and PEEP still at 8. They were able to take him for a cat scan of the brain and chest yesterday (blood pressure was stable enough to move him) and the brain looks good – no concerns. He does have bacterial pneumonia in one lung and they’re going to scope it and flush it today so they can see if it’s a fungal infection and they’ll put him on anti-fungals while they wait for the cultures. They’re also waking him up briefly today to see how he’s responding, so I will most likely send another update this afternoon. Mom and the puppies continue to do well, but Mom needs your prayers to keep her thinking positively, as she’s so scared. Bless you all!
6-9-21 – 1:40pm
Just talked to the doctor. Dad’s leak has gotten much worse and he’s now back at 100% O2. They did wake him up and he was responsive, but very upset by the vent and they had to knock him right back out again. They also did the scope of the lung to do the culture and they’re putting him on anti-fungals now, but the doctor is very concerned that his lungs may be past the point of no return. He is in God’s hands.
6-9-21 – 3:10pm
They’ve approved my Mom to come see him, so she is on her way now. They said this is NOT “end of life”, but that he is not good and they want her to be able to see him.
6-9-21 – 5:35pm
They gave approval for my mom to come see him and she’s been there for a couple hours now. My brother in Connecticut and I are on an app with my mom and dad at the hospital. 🙂 It’s so good to see her with him. 🙂 She’s rubbing his chest and rubbing his hair. She’s talking to the nurses and having a blast. She’s SOOO happy to be there with him.
6-10-21 – 8:30am
Heard from the doctor early this morning. Numbers are not improving and he is worried about Dad. My brother Rick is flying in from Connecticut. Dr expects that Dad may only have hours or days. A miracle is still possible, but his lungs are so badly damaged from C-VID and the staph infection, which is still positive. We are preparing ourselves to let him go. Please pray for peace. Thank you!
6-10-21 – 9:40am
Just heard from the hospital. They have to put him on the max blood pressure meds to keep his pressure up and think he only has a couple hours. My brother’s flight wasn’t coming in until 8:10pm and they don’t think Dad will make it that long. Mom just found out that her neighbor CAN watch the puppies again today, thank you Jesus. She’ll be heading to the hospital soon. She will most likely have them take him off the vent, stop the meds and make him comfortable and let him go. Rick, Mom and I had such a nice visit over the iPad last night, we feel fine letting him go, but wanted someone to be there with him and Mom is that person.
6-10-21 – 10:30am
Chris (our pastor) is going to meet Mom at the hospital. She is SOOOO thrilled that he’s coming. Chris is like another son to Mom and Dad. He just had knee surgery on 6/1, but he’s coming anyway, God bless him. This is very good news. Thank you Jesus!
My dear friend Laura came over after she got this last message. The hospital called while Laura was here and said that Mom asked if I could come. Chris was gone and Dad was still with us, so I got ready and Laura drove me to the hospital, God bless her.
6-10-21 – 4:30pm
Dad is gone. Suited up in PPE, Mom and I talked to Dad’s doctor for a bit and then started the process of taking him off meds and vent. He went peacefully at about 2:30pm. He is home with Jesus. We’re going to have a “celebration of life” for him, but not until Mom tests negative. Dad is being cremated, so timing is flexible. Thank you again for all of your prayers! It’s been such a comfort knowing that so many people are praying. Mom is trying to decide if she’s keeping the puppies or not. They are a huge commitment and not yet potty trained. I’m sure God will let her know. Bless you all!
Mom is keeping the puppies. I think somehow God told Dad that Mom would need two puppies to entertain each other and to sleep nicely together so that Mom can get her rest. They are a blessing in so many ways.
Mom would like to have a “Celebration of Life” for Dad closer to their wedding anniversary of 10-12-63. Here is that info:
Philemon & Quezia’s baby was born during C-VID and Mom and Dad had gone to visit them after church one day (outside only). The other picture they grabbed off of FB from Christmas 2019. I was so thrilled that they made this and sent it to us. 😊
If you don’t know my Mom and Dad’s story, you can find it here (married 29 years, divorced 12 years, back together for the last 16 years): Dick and Judy
Mom tested negative this morning!!!! 🙂 We just got to see her and hug her in person for Joshua’s 19th birthday today. 🙂
We’re no longer waiting for the hospital to call with a report on Dad and there is comfort in that. We know that Dad is now perfectly perfect in every way, in Heaven with his Savior. It seems so surreal, though. We feel like he’s on vacation (or at a CVOA round-up) and he’ll be home soon. We will join him “on vacation” some day, but in the meantime we will sorely miss that sweet, dear, kind man who I had the privilege of calling Dad.
May his death not be in vain and may we save others through what we have learned. Please share:
1) Take Zinc, Vitamin D3, Vitamin C, and Quercetin daily to boost your immune system. We believe this is what saved Mom. 2) Get the Monoclonal Antibody Infusion as soon as you test positive (whether you feel sick or not). Your doctor can order this for you. Mom did this too. 3) Contact Front Line Doctors to get prescriptions to keep on hand in case you develop symptoms. Early treatment at home could have saved my Dad’s life, but we simply didn’t know. Please do let others know.
4) If you don’t own a Pulse Oximeter (to check your O2 levels), you can get one at any pharmacy. They’re under $30 and worth their weight in gold.
Thank you again for everything!
If you would like more information or links to any of the above, please email me at jbjbac@gmail.com and I’d be happy to send everything to you.
I donated my hair today! What fun!! Jordan donated her hair back on 9-30-20 and mine wasn’t quite long enough yet, so I waited another 6 months.
Jordan and I both donated to Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan because no child is turned away and no family ever pays. They’re also very close to our house, so we could go to their salon and have them cut and style our hair as well.
The first time that I donated my hair was back in 2012. My hair was color-treated and most organizations won’t take color-treated hair. I had searched the internet and found a woman who was more than thrilled to take my colored hair to help make a wig for one of her adult clients. So, don’t think that if you’ve colored your hair that you have no donation options. Search and I bet you’ll be surprised by what you find.
I thought I would post pictures of my donation today, Jordan’s donation last year and my donation back in 2012. And I hope it inspires you to donate your hair as well.
“Before” at the Go Green SalonReady to cut off 9.5 inches all aroundAfter 🙂“After” at home with no mask on
Easter services were just a few days ago and you may not have been able to go to service in person. Since I’m wearing my Heritage Church t-shirt, I thought I’d take this opportunity to include a link to services. Chris Zarbaugh’s Easter message was excellent and, as Chris mentions during his Good Friday service, celebrating Easter without celebrating Good Friday is like walking into an action movie in the middle without seeing the beginning, so I would highly recommend that you check out both. Enjoy!
Jordan’s hair mid-cut at the Go Green Salon. Sara Jean does such a beautiful job.Jordan’s donation 9-30-20Jordan “after” at home with no maskMy crazy colored hair “before” back in 2012Ready to start cutting 2012My hair mid-cut 2012“After” 2012
Beth's blog 