I don’t deserve any of this. It’s just cancer. Yet all of this happened this weekend because of the cancer.
What a weekend. Well really 4 days, Thursday – Sunday.
Let’s start with Thanksgiving . . .
I have so much to be thankful for.
God’s grace and what He did for me (us) on the cross.
A beautiful family who loves me, with or without hair, in good times and hard times.
A warm home.
Food on the table (currently being prepared by a very talented chef).
Friends and neighbors who go above and beyond anything I could ever ask or even dream of.
This leads me to the rest of the weekend . . . Friday . . .
I love where we live. However, each year at this time, leaves cover our entire yard and are a few inches thick. It’s a big task to get them all picked up and a task that we can’t do ourselves this year. When Tom broke his back 4 years ago, a family from our church showed up unannounced one morning and took care of all the leaves for us. They didn’t ask. They just saw the need and showed up.
This year, the leaves are back, unfortunately. Kim, AKA wife, mom, friend and as she calls herself our Wednesday meal lady, of that same family, has been keeping an eye on our leaves this year and planned another leaf raking party. They showed up, along with two other families and within an hour, all our leaves were off the ground, roof and gutter and were in a trailer being carted away. It is pretty overwhelming to see 3 families, parents and kids ages 5-69 (my Dad was out there too), raking our yard joyfully. The body of Christ is amazing.
Like I said before, I don’t deserve this. How do I even go about thanking friends for this gift? A simple thank you, hug or thank you note seems so inadequate. They will never know how much this hour meant to our family and especially to me.
Then came Saturday and Sunday . . .
I love where we live. Have I said that before? Last week, some of our neighbors came over with a gift from 5 families on our street. They gave us a night at the Hyatt in Bellevue. So as I write this, I’m sitting next to our 11 year old on one of the couches in the Chairman’s Suite of that hotel. The suite and adjoining room are the size of our house (literally), have 3 bathrooms (one of which is larger than our bedroom), a large kitchenette, 2 seating areas, a huge table, 4 TVs . . . you get the picture.
We were able to watch Snowflake Lane from the second floor of the hotel where it was warm and not crowded. The girls could actually see the show, although they were more excited about playing on the treadmills and other gym equipment. (We were watching from the fitness center.)
We rode the elevator with a few Seahawks and accidentally sat in a restricted area for a while, while playing photo hide and seek in the hotel, which explains why so many of the players kept walking by. No one asked us to leave the first time, probably because we were just sitting there talking and not looking at them – lol. Oops!
We swam in the pool and enjoyed being together as a family. It wasn’t perfect and we had a few rough moments with the kids, but hopefully those frustrating memories will fade away fast and we can remember the great ones, like these:
Again, words, a thank you note or a hug do not seem like enough for this amazing experience we were given. It was truly wonderful!
Tomorrow is back to reality – kids to school and Tom to work. I’ll be hanging out with my Dad and having him help me with a few things around the house. 🙂 Then Tuesday is labs and Dr. apt., Wed. is chemo and Thursday is the shot that I just love so much.
So much to be thankful for . . .
PS: If you are shopping on Amazon.com this Christmas season, would you use my affiliate link to help me keep this blog online? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Jennifer,
U have been on my mind so much and prayers. Love to see ur updates. I’m not sure if u know me, but I’m Mira’s daughter.
Hi Nicole. I don’t know that we have ever met in person, but your name has come up in conversations with friends at TCC before. Thanks for praying with us. 🙂
What a wonderful post! And you look so great for someone who’s been given all that junk!!! Have an army praying for you here in L.A. want you to have an even more amazing Christmas!
Thanks. 🙂 So glad to have the wig to help hide the cancer look! I’m so glad Christmas falls on a week after chemo and not 2 days after!
Thank you for all your posts- I read them and pray for you all daily. Can you email me your address please?
Thanks Erin. Just emailed you. 🙂
Hi Jennifer….what amazing friends God has given you up there. They have done these amazing things because they love you. They are really showing what Christ’love really looks like.
Larry and I pray for you ,Tom and the girls everyday that He will give you enough strength to get you through the day. You still look really good for someone who is so sick,and I’m so happy you can still get out and enjoy time with Tom and the girls. Next year at this time your chemo and surgery will be a thing of the past and you can go on with life a little different than before, but nothing like what you are experiencing now!
Hope Tom’foot is getting better. Please say hi to your dad. So very happy he is there with you. I’m sure this is not easy for him to see you have to go through this.
God is so good and He loves you so much.
When we studied David together one of my favorite verses was Gen.50:20. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done,the saving of many lives.”
Through cancer you have touched many lives and we have seen your strength shine through because of Christ who lives in you. God intends to use this for His good that many will be saved. You are touching many lives throughthis blog and maybe one or more will see God’s love and what He has done in your life as you go through this journey with Him and they will want God in their life.
We love you Jennifer and our prays will continue until the cancer is all gone.
Much love to Tom and the girl’s. We know that Tom is taking really great care of you and he’s making fantastic food for you.
Sorry this soooo long!
Thanks Donna. I am gaining weight because of Tom’s cooking. It’s so nice to eat well every night!! Thanks for praying with us!
Jennifer & Tom…
So glad you have this blog which shows us…and tells us… how you are doing, and how wonderfully God is using others to touch your lives in very practical and necessary ways.
So very glad your Dad has been able to be there with you!
You continue to be in our thoughts and prayers…
Nancy & Jim
Thanks Nancy. 🙂 This blog has been a great outlet for me and I’m thankful for all the comments and emails I get because of it!
Peopie are just incredible. Part of it is you and your love, I found. That people were way beyond generous. Their kindness has made me a different person today