Ricks Family Christmas Video!

Stay tuned for bloopers at the end!



Merry Christmas!

Pizza! Pizza!

Jamie here. I'm sitting in the kitchen with my dad in a postprandial coma. Yes, that means the Brucie is eating well, feeling full, and gaining weight like a champ. Since the last post, he has seen several improvements. He's been actively working and driving, but is still hesitant to be in contact with too many people at a time due to his low immune system. Thanksgiving marked an important milestone, when he was able to partake of every dish on the table! He's now looking forward to the same satisfaction with the upcoming Christmas dinner.

Dad will be starting his 6th series of chemo on Dec.26th. A cat scan is scheduled to happen around January 13th, which will give us a good idea about if the chemo has been successful. Following the cat scan, he will begin his 7th and final chemo series combined with radiation for 6 straight weeks, for 5 days a week. Unfortunately, he won't be able to receive this treatment from home and will be making daily trips up to the Tri-Ciites. This should be completed by the end of February.

He's starting to make plans, some of them include a day hike up to Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier on July 4th and a family reunion with all of his kids and grand-kids on the Oregon coast in late summer. Having fun plans on the calendar are good incentives, and fun to look forward to for all of us.

Brucie is up to 156 lbs (thank you, mama Ricks for your amazing cooking). His latest obsession is cheap, cheese, carb-loaded pizza from Safeway. 3 pizzas for 10 bucks. Can't beat a deal like that, if that's what you're cravin'. His energy is up. He would tell you he's the "healthiest chemo patient you'll ever meet." (and the most blessed).

With Christmas a couple days away, my husband Jordan and I are so very grateful to be able to spend this time with my mom and dad. He's leaps and bounds better than he was a few months ago. It makes this daughter's heart happy. So very happy. In the spirit of Christmas, and on behalf on both of my parents, thank you for your gifts of faith, love and prayer.

Stay tuned  - the next post will include our annual Christmas family video. Prepare yourselves for some amazing lip-sinking and dance moves that might haunt you in your sleep.

Love to all and Merry, Merry Christmas!

Jamie

November Update

Brandon, Sloane and I were able to go to Washington a couple of weeks ago and spend some much needed time together. Sloane and Dad still seem to have similarities... gradually adding new foods into their diets and seeing if there's any reaction.

Dad starts his fifth round of chemo on November 26th! He receives the treatments on Thursdays and then tries to rest over the weekend and is typically able to go into the office Monday-Wednesday for a couple of hours. Although his weight is low, he's been able to maintain it so that's a huge plus. 

My parents are having some issues with insurance and treatment options which can be a frustrating process but they are working through all of it.

They want to say thank you for the love and support and also ask for prayers at this time especially for the upcoming PET scan.

Half Way Mark & Visit from the Millers

My dad reached his "half way through chemo" mark this week, not sure if you get a chip for that or not.. but you should! ;-) He is continuing to heal and gain strength since the surgery. His weight has stabilized and he is going to his office more frequently. All great things! This week my parents are consulting with some doctors to determine if Proton Therapy or the standard form of Radiation will be the best suited treatment. We will let you know how that turns out. My parents had a wonderful visit from my mom's sister and husband. My Aunt Judi and Uncle Tom came in from California to spend some time with the folks. While I was growing up our families took turns travelling to visit each other every summer. We have very fond memories of the Miller clan. I know it meant a lot to my parents to have them visit.

Every day is "Thanks Giving" around here...

I realize Halloween is still around the corner and there will be no Turkey for my dad this year. But at the Ricks' house it is Thanksgiving every day. Last week was a really good week for my dad. He is 90% healed from the whipple surgery and has even gained 4 pounds! (This can be credited to the persistent love and care of my mom.) It was also his week off chemo, so his energy was up and he was able to go the office and also Church on Sunday (as long as he wore a surgical mask.) Unfortunately for the next few months being in crowds or around young children is still not encouraged. He did the math on his church attendance and concluded he has missed more Church service in the last three months than combining his entire life of missed church service. (You could say he is the Brett Farve of Church goers.) He felt very uplifted to be able to attend Church last week and also to listen to LDS General Conference this weekend. Dad just started his third round of Chemo this week. We were highly encouraged by the oncologist who indicated they will probably do a CT Scan the end of his 4th round and radiation might be moved up a few months. This is very good news and we are looking at the different options available including the possibility of Proton therapy. We will know more the end of this series and/or possibly the fourth, but so far things look very good based on his blood work and how his body is responding to the treatment. My visit home and been so nice and I have really cherished this time with my parents. They are such amazing people and examples in my life and I continue to learn from them each day. They have always been the utmost example of hard work and gratitude and that has been magnified during this time. I love listening to their prayers of gratitude and love for the small things each day; food, a visitor and even chemo treatment. They have been so touched by the out pour of love and support and especially the prayers and notes in their behalf. ***On a side note, I would like to point out that I did not give my dad the wrong pills while visiting or cause any comas. :-) However, I did entrust Jamie and Nikki with my precious babies so I could come spend time with my parents. They have been having the time of their lives with their Aunties in Chicago. So a special thanks to them as well for making my visit happen! ;-)

*Sleep coma and SAA*

The last week has been full of events, progress and sleeeeeeeep. Yesterday, I accidentally gave my dad a pain killer instead of an anti-nausea pill, which in turn knocked him out cold for a solid 12 hours. Woops! A little sleep never hurt anyone. Sorry pops for the mix up, but hey, if you're sleeping, it's hard to be nauseated. Right?

A couple nights ago, the young women from my parents' church and their leaders spent time making my dad a super warm, super soft, and super healing blanket of love. And in my dad's words "It warms my body AND my heart." A huge thank you to all who were involved and the efforts put into "warming" my dad up.

Dad's weight loss has slowed. He's lost only a couple more pounds, and we think it's probably due to the fact that he's taking so many walks these days, and is more active than before. Now, we need to work on getting more calories in him to support his activities. He's also feeling confident that his body has just about completely healed from the whipple procedure, and that any pain/discomfort/side effects are more than likely attributed to chemo.

Last weekend I got the opportunity to participate in the Swim Across America event in Seattle. Jordan (my husband) was able to fly in for the weekend and spend time with my parents, and participate in the event also. Team Bruce consisted of several individuals who love and care for my dad. Over the past couple months, our team has hustled and bustled for donations for this cause. All funds went directly to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, which is where my Dad received his initial treatment and recovery, and is getting is chemo treatment via their Tri Cities Oncology site. Also, as the cherry on top, donations this year go specifically to a Pancreas Cancer Developmental Research Program to help design new and optimize current treatments for pancreatic cancer. It was a special, emotional, and fulfilling day. An additional highlight of the day was randomly running into my dad's whipple surgeon after the swim, Dr. Pillarisetty. It was nice to be able to spend time with him and thank him for saving my dad's life. Dr. P is also involved in charity work - to access his fundraiser, click here: http://getinvolved.fhcrc.org/site/TR/Events/Obliteride?px=1474132&pg=personal&fr_id=1300. I'm so happy to have been a part of something that brought loved ones of my dad together, and will hopefully have an impact on his specific type of cancer. A special thanks to Charlie Cunnick for leading our team in such a successful event, trekking all the way out to Seattle for it, and giving us an avenue to involve ourselves in something near to our hearts and that will have such a positive impact. Thank you to everyone who participated as team members and also everyone who made a donation. Team The Bruce was amazing, and hit it out of the ballpark by raising just under $10,500 (before corporate matching funds - which will put us over 12k). To view our team page or to make a donation (you still can!) click here: http://www.swimacrossamerica.org/site/TR/OpenWater/Seattle?pg=team&fr_id=1959&team_id=7671     Thank you, all!

I fly home tomorrow with a heavy heart. Being at home with my parents has been wonderful. It's been a special time, and I've cherished the conversations we've had, and even under the trying circumstances, I will cherish the new memories we've made - especially the SAA event, and even the sleep coma I accidentally induced on my dad.

Love to all,

Jamie

Up! Up! Up!

Hello all!

Jamie here. I'm in Washington again with my parents, happy to be back out, helping, and spending time. Last week was my Dad's week off of chemo, and it was a week full of progress. He's healed enough from his surgery now that he doesn't hate the thought of food. His weight loss has topped off for the time being. He was even able to make it down to the his office for a few hours! And most importantly, his spirits are up up up - he's even considering doing pranks on people, which says a lot. (Watch out!)

This week he was back on his chemo schedule. Making trips to the chemo center each week has been surprisingly inspiring. As you walk into the building, there are huge iron pillars, that have been crunched and bent, representing the strength it takes to maintain optimism through situations like my Dad's.

 

My Dad and the rest of our family is pulling strength from so many of you out there. This week, he received some special get well bracelets from the Burns kids! He wore them everywhere with pride, including to his chemo appointment. Thank you, Burns family!

This weekend, myself, and several fans of Brucie are heading to Seattle to participate in a swim fundraising event that we've been working on for a few months. All funds raised go to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, where my Dad is receiving his treatment. My dear friend, Charlie, headed up Team Bruce in honor of my dad, and the support of friends from far and wide has been amazing! To view our team page click here: http://www.swimacrossamerica.org/site/TR/OpenWater/Seattle?team_id=7671&pg=team&fr_id=1959.

Overall, things are looking up for my Dad. We have a lot to be grateful for with all of the progress he's making. He still has hard moments sometimes, but is a trooper and feels all of your prayers and well wishes.

Love to all,

Jamie

Sterlings Visit and Update

Thursday of last week was one of Dads worst days. A pretty violent vomiting spell left him feeling weaker than ever before.

Dads digestive system is finally working a little better, but we hesitate to really give any updates because things seem to change so quickly. He's able to eat more food and more of a variety of foods but it's by trial and error because some have an adverse effect, bread seems to be one. Unfortunately, he's still losing weight.

The shot Mom gave him Sunday worked because the Neutrophils ABS (white blood cell count) results went from 1.3 last week to 5.7 and he was able to have his chemotherapy treatment on Tuesday. Those shots pack a pretty powerful punch because Monday he was totally wiped out.

Thank you Sterling for coming from Utah to help out. Sterling asked Dad to make a list of chores which he has completed. What a strength he's been to our Dad!

Thank you little Charlie Quigley for the painted hands that have provided hugs to Dad. How cute are those little hands! What a warm and thoughtful gift.



Everyone has been so thoughtful, caring and respectful. Know that we are sending love and hugs back to all of you.

Treatment Update

Uncle Jim rode his motorcycle from California last weekend to visit. Doesn't he look so cool? My parents really enjoyed having him. Thanks for making the trip Uncle Jim!

Dad had his second chemotherapy treatment yesterday. Through the blood work we found out that his Neutrophils ABS (a type of white blood cell) went from 6.0 to 1.3 in a weeks time. If it falls below 1.0 he cannot continue with the chemo treatment. Mom will give him a shot of Neupogen (stimulates the bone marrow to help produce white blood cells) before his next treatment. 

With all of this going on Dad is extremely susceptible to germs and being exposed to illness could be detrimental. So please be aware when you're visiting and again, children unfortunately are discouraged.

The cards, children's drawings and pictures have all been kept and put on metal rings for Dad to look at and remember that he's loved. Thanks for continuing to send those.

We really appreciate the outpouring of love and concern that have come by way of prayers,cards, visits, goodies, phone calls and text messages. We love you and thank you.

"First Chemo Treatment, Check" - Mom

Dad completed his first chemo treatment today. He said he didn't feel any type of sensation. The only thing he felt was when the needle was inserted into the port.

^^^Val, his nurse that will be giving him treatment for the next six months. ^^^

We don't know what side effects he will have for another day or two. The side effects are across the board from some people feeling more energy and others none. Chemotherapy aside, we don't anticipate Dad feeling better for the next month or so, as recovery from his surgery typically takes 8 weeks.

Dad continues to lose weight because eating is still a struggle. He's fairly fatigued and has a hard time resting.

One upside is that Val suggested that he could eat ice cream with the highest fat content blended with ensure. He liked hearing that, but opted for ice cream without the ensure - for dinner. If you're curious, Haagen Dazs has one of the highest fat contents. Sorry if that ruins Haagen Dazs for anyone.

Unfortunately he was discouraged from being around children and crowds because his immune system will be weak for a while. Thank you for contacting my Mom to visit my Dad. Visits 45 minutes and under are a perfect pick-me-up for him!

Port Success!

Dad successfully had his port surgery. He was a little anxious going in but was pleasantly surprised with how quick and easy it seemed.

He just started eating semi-solid foods and is trying to get his weight up. 

He has had some great friends come over for visits and some going on walks, thanks George.

Also Jill Patterson brought by a poster of "get well" letters that her and her sunday school class made. My favorite was the blue box (can you spot it?). It said "I made you a box, enjoy". 

Oncology Appointment

Dad met with Dr. Haque today at Columbia Basin Hematology and Oncology (CBHO).

Recommendation was to go in on Friday at Kadlec Hospital to get his port, a small medical appliance that is inserted under the skin just below the collar bone. Then he will start chemotherapy next week (Tuesday or Wednesday). And will begin a four week cycle of one day a week for three weeks and then one week off. After the week off he will start the cycle again and repeat it 4-6 times.

When that series is complete he will have a PET scan (produces a 3D image) to see if  there are any cancerous lymph nodes and then will begin radiation on the pancreas.

Gemzar is the type of chemotherapy he will be having. He fortunately won't be losing his hair - which he claims to be disappointed by. :)

We all felt encouraged that the oncologist felt that this treatment isn't just fight off the cancer temporarily but to cure it.

We hope you all feel encouraged as well!

Medical Update

A little medical update - Dad is still having a hard time digesting food and keeping it down. We are trying different forms of liquid slowly getting more and more clear. He's doing a little better with sleeping.

He has a consultation with the oncologist on monday in Tri-Cities to talk about his chemotherapy treatment.

Dad is feeling like there's some type of estrogen in his medicine with how often he gets emotional. He is very touched by all of visits, food, cards, texts, phone calls, gifts, daily front porch surprises (Jeanie and Sloane included as well), rides in cool cars, offers to do chores and it goes on and on...

Sloane and I are having a great time being with Gramie and Pops. Pops and Sloane have a lot of similarities.... liquid diet, don't like to take naps, and burping. So there is a lot of good bonding going on.

Glow Stick Love!

Thanks to the Andersons, Copelands, and Weavers! They must know my Dad's slight obsession with glow sticks.

My parents said it was it was a beautiful sight.

My Dad went to the Sunnyside Hospital today. He was having hard time keeping food down and became dehydrated. They put him on an IV and are changing his diet as well as giving him a new medicine to help keep his exciting liquid diet down. The doctor said that it's "trial and error" at this point so we are hopeful that this will work!

Thanks for all the support and love!

Thank You!

We wanted to send a big "Thank You!" to my Mom's sister Aunt Kathy and her husband Uncle Dick for opening up their home for my Dad's post-surgery recovery. They have provided food, transportation, a room and above everything - comfort, warmth, love and encouragement. Dad wants to thank them for the "five star hotel/home."

Thank you Aunt Kathy and Uncle Dick!

On a different note for anyone who would like to visit my parents - please contact my Mom.

As always thank you for all your support and love.

A Welcome Home to Remember

Below is what my parents came home to yesterday. The sign on top said "We love you Bruce and Jeanie." The bottom sign read "Welcome Home," and was signed by over 50 people. Sadly, the heat didn't allow the tape to hold, but my parents were so surprised to come home to such a site!

Yellow ribbons were tied to shrubs and on my dad's car. 

Lots of Love!

Feeling lots of love and support! You  know who you are, even if you're not pictured below! It's all very much appreciated. My dad and our whole family has been incredibly touched by all of the reaching out, kind words, efforts, and prayers by everyone.

Pathology Report

Friends and Family,

We received the results from my dad's pathology report. The report confirmed that the type of cancer he has is pancreatic cancer. His surgeon also took out a large number of lymph nodes to test for cancerous cells, and unfortunately after the tests, the cancer is still present in my dad's body. He plans on meeting with his oncologist and starting chemo as soon as his body has recovered enough to handle it.

Our family is disappointed (understatement of the year) with this news, as I'm sure are all of you.

Brucie is resting comfortably in Seattle until probably Friday, and then will head back to Sunnyside. We'll send more updates as we get them.

Love,

Jamie

Hospital Release & Love

My dad got released from the hospital last night. They are staying with my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Dick who have graciously opened there home to my parents. My parents are very grateful for a warm comfortable home to stay in as my dad recovers. He is still very weak and trying to get his strength back. Some of the pain meds knock him out, so he dozes in and out of sleep through out the day and night. Luckily the nausea is under control and he is able to keep small amounts of food down. The Dr. said yesterday that so far there is no infection which is a good sign and the incisions are healing properly. They have an appointment on Friday and are hoping we get the "OK" to head home. We are grateful for the continued prayers, support and love! Speaking of support and love.. Today gift boxes from Jim & Rosalie Stevens & Kristen and Sean Koshkinen families arrived to lift my dad's spirits. Our family truly feels so blessed and loved by those around us!

Chin Up

Hi everyone. My dad has ran into a couple set backs. The complications he has experienced from the removal of one of his tubes has made his recovery difficult. He was supposed to leave the hospital yesterday, and now it is uncertain when he will be discharged. His pain meds make him very nauseous and his energy levels are pretty low. He slept almost all day yesterday, and we're waiting to see how today goes.

He did get a wonderful surprise visit from Dr. P, who brought his two children in to meet my dad on Saturday. I think Dr. P has really grown an attachment to my dad and his winning attitude. Although things have grown a little more complicated, we're trying to keep our chins up.

Blowing this Joint (tomorrow!)

Coming to you from a room full of flowers, cards, balloons, and care packages. My dad feels so lucky to have so many people rooting for him. 

Yesterday there was a mishap with the removal of one of his tubes that caused an enormous amount of pain for him. It was traumatic and resulted in me having to yell at a room full of nurses (believe me, they deserved it). He spent the rest of the day resting and trying to get back on track. And boy did he ever! He woke up this morning and did nine laps around the hall with no support! They also promoted him from ice chips to solid foods (happy man) and we found out today that they're discharging him tomorrow!!

His progress and speedy recovery has shocked the entire hospital staff. When he leaves tomorrow he and my mom are under strict instructions not to be more than 45 minutes away from the hospital for seven full days. At that point he will be heading back home to Sunnyside. 

We have been amazed at his recovery from the surgery so far, and know we've got everyone's prayers and support to attribute to it. We are so grateful. It's definitely been a testimony builder of how powerful prayer can be. 

Brucie is in good spirits (as always...well, except for yesterday) and is looking forward to blowing this joint. 

We will be sure to keep you all in the loop when we get the pathology results back. Shouldn't be too long now. 

We love you all,

Jamie

Today is not a good day for visitors..

We have had a little set back.. (nothing to alarm anyone.) But best if no visitors for today. We will keep you posted! Thanks again for all the support, love & prayers.

Ice Chips and Dr. P's Prank

Hey everyone. Sitting here with my dad as he goes through all the messages he's received from everyone. He's so touched by the outpouring of love. Yesterday was a very. long. day. His surgery started at 8:30am and lasted about 9 hours. We were encouraged that once they opened him up they decided he was in good enough shape to continue on with the surgery. We were also encouraged that they were able to remove the entire tumor from his pancreas with good margins. The jaundice should slowly start to go away as his body gets back up and running. During the surgery they removed the part of the pancreas with the tumor in it, part of the stomach, the gallbladder, and the duodenum. We will get the pathology report back in about a week (two weeks at most). The results will tell us exactly what type of cancer we are dealing. Chemo will start in about a month, after his body has had time to somewhat recuperate. (Side note- when my dad was told he would need chemo, he turned to my mom and said "you okay with that?" ...Always thinking of anyone but himself. That's my dad.)

Dad hasn't been allowed to eat anything at all, so has developed a loving relationship with ice chips, but only five chips at a time! So far this morning he has sat up completely straight, stood up, and is now sitting in a chair next to his bed- looking very much forward to walking these halls like a good little patient. 

He has developed a very great relationship with his surgeon, Dr. P. So much so, that for the surgery, Dr. P made about a 5-6 inch incision, but had the nurses give him a huge dressing across his entire abdomen. So Dad thought he was going to have a 20 inch scar across his stomach, and was very excited to show it off. When Dr. P came by this morning, my dad asked him if the large incision helped him during the surgery to see and maneuver around. Dr. P finally came clean and told my dad he would unfortunately only have a 5-6 inch scar. Congrats to you Dr. P for successfully punking my dad. He's still a bit shocked he got "got" but is grateful that the small incision will help him heal faster. 

My mom has been on a bit of a roller coaster of emotions, but is hanging in there and has been such a strength to my dad. 

Still a long, hard road ahead of us, but we are grateful for the victories we've had so far. 

Love to all,

Jamie

Surgery Went Well!

The surgery is finally over and it went well! Everything went according to plan, the doctors said. The tumor wasn't attached to any vessels, and the margins were clean, which is all really positive.

The doctors said the mass on his tumor was hard and "almost definitely" cancer. The pathology report will be back in around a week.

It's estimated that the recovery will take around a month.

He's in good spirits and cracking jokes as usual. Still coming off the pain medication he mumbled "Days of Thunder, I don't like Tom Cruise but I like the movie."

Thank you all for your support.

He's located at:

University of Washington Medical Center
1959 N.E. Pacific St.
Seattle, WA 98195
Room #4362

If you want to send mail:

UW Medical Center
4 Southeast
Bruce Ricks
1959 NE Pacific Street
Box: 356086
Seattle, WA 98195-6086

Update from the Nurse

Surgery seems to be going well. The nurse said his vitals look good and they just removed the gallbladder. Probably about 4-5 more hours until the surgery is done. The nurse said she would check in again in a few hours.

Going to Battle

Prepped and ready. Procedure starts at 8:30.

Whipple details and Hope

Hi all. Jamie here. Sitting in Denver right now, waiting to board my Seattle flight. Anxious to get home to be with my parents and give both of them big hugs. Brucie goes in for the whipple procedure tomorrow at 6:15am. He and my mom seem to be in good spirits and ready to tackle this thing. 

For those of you who would like more information about the whipple procedure, click here. The surgery is somewhat exploratory - the doctors will have a loose plan, but will change things if needed once they get in there depending on what they see. 

I've started reading the book, The Anatomy of Hope (given to me by my sweet Jordan). I'm only a few pages in, but I can tell this book is going to be a comfort to me right now. One line I love in particular so far is "During the course of an illness, hope can be imagined as a domino effect, a chain reaction in which each link makes improvements more likely. It changes us profoundly in spirit and in body." I have hope that tomorrow will go well, and now I'm waiting for that domino effect! I hope you're all hopeful too. I know Brucie is. 

More soon. Love to all,

Jamie

Surgery Time & Hospital Address

Bruce's surgery is scheduled for 6:15 AM tomorrow morning. We have also included the contact information below for those that have asked for it. We will keep the updates coming! University of Washington Medical Center 1959 NE Pacific ST Seattle WA 98195 Phone (206) 598-3000

CT Scan clear for Chest!

Just got word that the results of Bruce's CT scan (chest/lungs)are back and everything looks good! This is great news!! As my dad says (way too much ;)..."Let's rock and roll!"

Coming Soon..

The Hospital information for Bruce's stay. As soon as we have it, we will post it here! If you would like instant updates you can request to follow this blog by submitting your email address to the link on the left (Follow by email). Below is a picture of the banner my mom made for the hospital room. Pops says it is the best medicine! ;-)

What we know so far..

Bruce is scheduled for the "whipple procedure" Wednesday June 10th. We feel very blessed that he qualified for the surgery and have high hopes for the future prognosis. The surgery is pretty complicated and he will be in the hospital for several days. All prayers and well wishes are greatly appreciated. The doctors are very optimistic that they will be able to remove the tumor in his Pancreas. We will not know until then whether the mass is cancerous or benign. We will know much more once the surgery is over, but we anticipate that there will be future treatment in the form of chemo/radiation to ensure the cancer does not spread. The doctors are wonderful and he could not be in better care, we are very uplifted by this. Bruce had some routine blood work done with his primary care physician. Dr Weaver noted a spike in his enzyme count and had Bruce scheduled for an epidural. At the time it appeared to be an issue with his Gallbladder. The ultra sound tech was very thorough and found the tumor on his pancreas. Bruce was then scheduled for an immediate CT Scan. Within days he was ushered to Seattle to meet with a new team of doctors. (Of note: His team of specialists were all in town and available to meet with him the Friday directly following a holiday.) 7 days after being diagnosed Bruce will be in surgery. We have been so encouraged by the urgency his doctors and others have shown in making sure Bruce is getting the best care possible. We hope this blog will serve as an easy way to distribute updates and allow Bruce and Jeanie to focus on getting Bruce well. Please feel free to leave comments and questions we can pass along! Thanks to all for the prayers, love and support! It has been overwhelming and so very much appreciated! Love, The Bruce Ricks Family