THANK YOU

This past week I have said "Thank You" to so many people. It all started last Friday with my area's potluck Holiday Party, it was decided to collect items for care packages to send to my hubby's squad. When I arrived in Burnsville, the amount of food, hygiene products and just fun items collected was overwhelming. I had no idea how I was going to get all of it home, let alone get it packed into boxes and sent overseas.

Over the weekend, I sorted the donations into groupings to get prepared for the PTO meeting I had on Tuesday where the women said they would assist me in putting the care packages together. Well Mother Nature had different plans for me and all evening events were cancelled and so it was left up to me to make a couple of calls and see if I could round up a few to help me. Alyssa and Monica arrived just as I thought there was going to be no one. We sat for three hours and packed up 35 care packages, 10 of which would be sent right away in time for the holidays. Each of those 10 packages were packed with specific items each soldier requested, along with some holiday surprises, a pine cone smelling of cinnamon and a tag stating the package was from SANTA! The other 25 packages will be spread out over the next couple of months.

After the first snow of the season overnight, I was again warmed by the showing of friendship when two gentlemen neighbors assisted me by shoveling my driveway so I would be able to get my car out of the drive and more importantly back up the driveway when I came back home.

Did I mention over the course of those 12 hours, my furnace went out and I went to bed with a home at 52 degrees and awoke to a home at 47 degrees. THANK YOU to the Centerpoint Energy man who came to my home at 8:05AM and had the furnace kickin' heat by 8:45AM. It is amazing how fast you come to appreciate how Laura Ingalls lived, there is no way I would have survived the first day!

Later on Wednesday evening, it was the 10th Annual Wear More Than You Can Eat Crab Dinner in honor of the friends who have been the foundation of John and my life. These are the friends who have been a part of our lives through all of the ups and downs, encouraged and celebrated with us over the past 12+ years. This year was more difficult since John was not able to spend it with us, but just having my friends surround me as they always have was amazing.

Thank you is not a strong enough word to say to all of those who have reached out to give just a wee bit more of themselves during the past six months I have traveled this little thing we call life. I have made it to the halfway point of our family's journey and while there are days where it seems easier to just throw in the towel, it is days like the ones I had this week that allow me to know I am not alone and I can keep taking steps down the road.

To all of you - THANK YOU