My Great Family!

A few weeks ago Chad called me on the phone and announced that he had run over our pre-lit Christmas tree in the garage. We had taken the tree out of the attic and were waiting for the weekend to bring it in the house to decorate. The night before, Savannah decided to get out a table and several items to set up a hot chocolate stand. Chad was trying to dodge the table, forgetting that we had pulled the Christmas tree out of the attic. When I received the call, my first reaction was to get mad. We don’t have money to go and buy a new tree just weeks before Christmas. And then it dawned on me what was my biggest concern last year. It was almost a year to the date when we took Payton into his Oncologist for a routine MRI and CT Scan and learned that he had a spot on his liver that was growing. The tree was of minimal concerns. I could get mad or say something that I would regret, but it wouldn’t bring my tree back. It would only cause tension between us. I then recalled the feeling I felt when Payton’s Doctor told me that he would have to undergo another major surgery, that there was a chance that his cancer had reoccurred and I knew in my heart that if this had returned that there was a good chance we would lose him. The tree then meant nothing in comparison to our little boy. I have recalled several times over the past year wanting to get upset about something so little and reminded myself what a real concern is.

Today marks that one year mark. I cannot express my gratitude enough for my family; for my husband, for my great kids and for my sweet little Payton. I am grateful for the clarity that this has given me. I try not to take things for granted anymore and try to remember the things that matter most. Today I am extremely thankful for friends and family that put their arms around me and carried me through that time. I want to take this opportunity to wish my friends and family and very Merry Christmas. I love you all!