Day 45

     It is day 45, that is amazing to me, here we are, Christmas Eve. We have had quite a journey so far.  As the nurse said on Thursday, "Man, you guys sure have had a rough start, it's sot supposed to be this tough".  It has been tough.  However, it has been a touching sweet journey as well.  So many people have helped lift our burden.  YOU have inspired us!  All of you, with your words and acts of kindness, you have helped us feel the hand of God.  We have truly felt strengthened by all of the prayers offered on our behalf!  Your charity, the pure love of Christ, has humbled us.  How grateful we are to you!  We have been able to make it through this past two months because you have helped us.  THANK YOU!
     I am exhausted and not thinking clearly, we had just gotten home from the grocery store last night when I told Scott, "I didn't buy anything for Christmas Eve dinner."  I wanted to have a nice dinner, but was to tired to go back to the store and I didn't know what I was going to do.  Not 5 minutes later the doorbell rang and there on our doorstep, someone had left us a Honeybaked Ham.  This was our Christmas Eve dinner and an answer to a frazzled woman's prayer.  I felt like someone had been inspired and they had listened to a prompting.  Our need was met.  It was so nice to be together tonight for such a wonderful (and easy) dinner.  It was delicious.  Thank you!
    Tonight we had another generous anonymous giver.  How do we thank you?  We are deeply touched and will forever remember and be grateful for this gift.  There is a plan in place, and this gift will help make this plan a reality, and bring joy to Katie on a regular and ongoing basis.  Thank you!
    It is humbling to be on the receiving end, but we have learned so much, and we are grateful.  We hope and pray we will always remember to be as kind and generous to others and others have been to us.  We are overcome with appreciation and gratitude for your love and Christlike examples of giving.  Again, thank you!  One more time, I am turned to the poems my dad gave me.
"A PATTERN FOR LIVING"
Christmas is more than a day
at the end of the year,
More than a season of joy
and good cheer,
Christmas is really
God's pattern for living
To be followed all year
by unselfish giving...
For the holiday season
awakens good cheer
And draws us closer
to those we hold dear,
And we open our hearts
and find it is good
To live among men As We Always Should...
But as soon as the tinsel
is stripped from the tree
The spirit of Christmas fades silently
into the background
of daily routine
And is lost in the whirl of life's busy scene,
And all unawares we miss and forgo
The greatest blessing that mankind can know...
For if we lived Christmas each day,
as we should,
And made it our aim to always do good,
We'd find the lost key
to meaningful living
That comes not from Getting,
but from unselfish Giving...
And we'd know the great joy
of Peace Upon Earth
Which was the real purpose
of our Saviour's birth,
For in the Glad Tidings
of the first Christmas night,
God showed us
The Way and The Truth
and The Light!
(Helen Steiner Rice)
     Tonight we are glad for your examples and hope to emulate them.  We are also glad Conner gave mommy the missing poop sample today! =)  It was "hiding" under the spare bed in Conner's room...Still no vacuum part though.  Maybe I will get that tomorrow for Christmas!  Katie had a pretty good day, she was hurting this evening, but nothing Tylenol couldn't fix.  She had a fun day with 3 of her brothers (Nathan, Cooper & Conner).  Cooper came to visit.  Katie and Conner cried when he left tonight, but they had fun when he was here.  We are grateful for all of you who follow Katie's blog.  To me, that is a great act of charity, in and of itself.  MERRY CHRISTMAS!