We are back in sunny California only not so sunny. It has been overcast the last couple days but I think it is still nice. I nice change from Nevada. Holy man was that hot. We went through Mesquite at 11:00 pm and it was still 90 degrees. Talk about melting weather. In Vegas on Saturday it was like 110 to 115. Yikes!!!

So we left Swift Thursday around 1:00 and drove to Helena, Montana. We decided to get as close to Vegas on Friday as we could as the kids wanted to spend some time at Vegas and wanted to eat at Planet Hollywood. We drove all day and night and pulled into Vegas around midnight or shortly after. Things had gone pretty smoothly until then. We ended up driving and phoning around for 3 plus hours to get a hotel room. All we could find were smoking rooms and very few at that. Aren't we in Vegas??? Finally around 4am we drove out to Prim as we knew there were a few hotels out there. The first hotel we went to was sold out and the guy we talked to said he thought all three properties were sold out for the Saturday night. As it was late (or early) we didn't want to have to check out at 11 or 12 so thought we would stay there until Sunday. Didn't look like this was going to happen. He called to Buffalo Bills and told us to go talk to the night manager and she would set us up. And she did. We got 2 rooms for $40 and we didn't have to check out until Sunday. Finally, we thought, our luck was changing. Then.....we saw our rooms. Oh my!!! I think Tye's words were something like "&@!$, isn't this just nice!". The Griswolds strike again!! They ended up being smoking rooms anyways, with a lot more going on then just smoke. Jayci and Tye were a little freaked out about the whole place. I eventually convinced them to sleep fast and we would figure something else out in the morning. I think I got about 5 hours sleep and that was good for me. Get up, get ready, and get out of here. When I went downstairs to go outside, I could not believe the people. They really were sold out. I walked around and it actually is a neat place with rides and a pool for kids and grown up stuff for grown ups. It's too bad it wasn't taken better care of but sure didn't seem to stop people from staying there. Apparently the other 2 hotels are where adults stay with no kids and apparently they are a lot nicer.??? When I went in to get the kids up, Jayci said "Mom, can we not stay here tonight?" Needless to say, we didn't. We didn't even check out as the line up at the front desk was retarded. Plus, I would have been just a puddle if I had to wait there for too long. It was freaking hot!! We had a room booked in Vegas for Saturday night so we drove back there, and by this time, Shawn is getting around pretty good in Vegas with the van and trailer. It probably helped a little considering now it was daytime and we could actually see where we were going. The kids did some shopping, we toured down the strip and had supper at Planet Hollywood. It was a good night!!

On Sunday we left Nevada for Cali and the traffic was ridiculous. Honestly, I don't know where everyone is going? And again, WHAT'S YOUR HURRY?!?! We got into Carlsbad around 7ish, picked up some groceries, and then checked into our summer home. The house is in a nice neighborhood with lots of trees and green grass. The house is nice, with a bedroom and bath on the main for Jayci and 2 more bedrooms and a bath upstairs. The yard is sweet with a hot tub(waiting for a part, then we can actually use it), lounge area, table area and fire pit. Jayci can access the yard and main floor no problem. There is lots of room for all of us and our stuff, and Tye is enjoying the big screen TV. Oh, and about the TV. Well, Sunday it worked just fine but come Monday, no TV or Internet. The owner got it back up late yesterday but Jayci was a little ticked as she missed the Bachelorette on Monday night. Oh, I don't know if she will recover???? Also, there is a suite upstairs at the back of the house that is rented out, which, by the way, we were not aware of. She uses the other side of the house to enter the back and has her own deck upstairs, so besides the drive way, we don't have to share anything. The cool thing tho, is this young girl is interning at Project Walk. Kind of neat. We met her at training yesterday and she seems very nice.

Jayci has only been back at training for 2 days now and already she is doing things she wasn't doing last time. She is now able to lay on her stomach, up on her elbows. This is huge as her shoulders have always been so sore and weak. They have been pulling her up to a sitting position from laying down, by her arms now. Again, her shoulders didn't allow this before and by doing this, she helps by working her stomach muscles. On the total gym yesterday she was getting good leg pushes on her own. Again, HUGE!! I will try to get some video on here so you can understand what I am talking about but basically, she is laying on her back on the board with bent legs and pushes through her feet to straighten her legs. Jayci had training Monday and yesterday, has today off, and goes back Thursday and Friday morning again. She is so excited to be back here. There are familiar faces as well as lots of new faces, both clients and trainers. Jayci had a new trainer yesterday. His name is Tyler(love the name) and he really worked her. But they make it fun too. When asked a question, Jayci has that same 'It doesn't matter, I don't care, Sure' type of attitude and so she gets teased a little about that. She's pretty quiet while there but I think she is just soaking it all in. We seen an older man yesterday that was also here last time but yesterday he was walking without the aid of his walking canes. I can't even count how many people we have seen in the first 2 days that have been up on their feet walking, with different degrees of assistance. These are people with spinal cord injuries. Medically, not possible, right???? Ya, right!!! On Monday, Shawn and I had a nice little chat with the founder, Ted. We laughed when he brought up how he has got nothing but flack about the name 'Project Walk' and how people say he should have called it something else. We also, have heard the same thing from different people, that the name is deceiving. No where does it say 'Come to Project Walk and we guarantee you will walk again'. But that is the goal of the clients. Their goal!! Jayci has told us all along that she WILL walk again. Project Walk, along with her own spirit and attitude, along with her loving family and friends and the many, many supporters she has, will simply help her to reach her goal. BELIEVE! We met a man who has a C3 injury. He has been coming to Project Walk for 5 years now, and it wasn't until this last year that things started to happen for him. Medically, they tell you that your healing after a spinal cord injury will happen within the 2 years following. Really??? Must be a medical miracle. What about the guy before him, and the girl before that??? Miracle, maybe, but not medical! Jayci will get her miracle too!

So, it is a pretty exciting day for everyone. We are getting guests!!!! Cassi, Auntie Sherry and Jayci's friend Ashley, are all flying in tonight. We will pick them up at the airport at 8:30(I think). Guess I better double check that time. Wouldn't want to freak Auntie out!! Haha! Hope they are rested as the kids have big plans for when they are here. Sea World? Universal? Oh, and we have to go to the Farmer's Market in the village, which is on Saturday, and since we will be there anyways, we should probably eat at the Pizza Port. Then there are the Outlet Shops, and don't forget the beach and it just goes on, and on. Auntie Sherry and Ashley will fly back Tuesday afternoon so we will have 5 full days of fun, fun, fun!!!

Well, I better get crackin. I have been up for 3 hours already and haven't done a darn thing but talk to you all. It's just that the family is still sleeping and it's so nice and quite, I wouldn't want to wake them!?!?!? Have a great day! God Bless!!

Love Shawn, Star, Jayci and Tye

PS I miss you Gizzy!!!!