Thank you's

            Last year, this time, I was doling out thank you's.  Left and right.  I'm sure that I missed people out there, in my fog - I truly meant to thank all of you!

To our neighbors:

12/5/2010

Hi Amy, Tom and Alex,

Thanks for your help with Bella today! And thank you for the wonderful chicken!! And thank you for catching me up on wash and dishes, that was such a nice surprise when I got home (it gave me time to clip Autumn's toe nails!). And thank you for the bottle of beer - that was very tasty and the label sure was fun!! Kimmy may get to come home again tomorrow!! She'd love to see you guys. Thanks again for everything, you guys are awesome! Dave

And Kim's cousin in Texas:

Hi Jodi, Please thank Sara for the check - that was so beautiful and sweet of her to work hard for our family!! Tell her that will buy us a lot of groceries and we so appreciate her thinking of us and helping us out during this challenging time for our family. Kim may get to come home tomorrow. We are praying she'll be home longer with us this time and that she can get back on track with her chemo. Thanks again for all of your prayers and positive thoughts. Love, Dave

  To our friends, Rachel and Mike:

Hi Rachael,

Thank you guys so much for the incredible soup! All of the kids thoroughly enjoyed it - it was delicious!! The cookies were wonderful too. Hopefully, we'll get Kimmy home again tomorrow...you guys will have to come over this week - she'd love to see you. Thanks for everything, Dave

        I've been going backwards in time, re-reading all of your emails, comments on the blogs, etc...coming up tears, a lot, especially these last few days...

        ...and, just when I think I've gotten a handle on our routine, or things, the bambini throw me the curve ball.  Today, they wanted to know what we were going to do for the one year anniversary of their Mama passing.  Through the year, we never really talked about anniversaries too much, so it surprised me.  We decided we will piece it together and each come up with a favorite thing, a favorite meal and a favorite memory...

          ...no surprise that they brought me to tears with this plan...they are so sweet and loving...and they have grown up so much through this year...I'm so proud of them, but so sad for them, feeling as if several years of childhood have been stolen from them in some way...and yet, happy for their happiness, their memories and the way that they celebrate their Mama each and every day...

            Yet, it was this memory, from last year, that brought back everything in a single flood:

 " So, Kim should be able to go home tomorrow!! That was the good news Dr. Namanny gave us to a large audience as Andrea, Brianna, Lexi, Cody,Autumn, Tonio, Jon and I cheered him...I think he was a little embarrassed by our overwhelming emotion - perhaps he felt we had placed him on a pedestal, our hero of the moment (Jon pegged Dr. Namanny as a Cary Elwes look a like). Kim says, 'despite his youth, I think he is a genius!'. Thanks for all of the prayers you prayed to make this possible!! Next, we pray that Kim can get her next round of chemo...soon!

Through Him, all things are possible!"

     It had been a very emotional day for all of us...And today, this year, was similar, in a lot of ways.  Kim had always been able to keep me so balanced -  over the last few days, I've tipped that balance.  Pushing. 


                              Here's some more random photos...I think this was at my sister, Sherri's wedding...

In which Kimberly makes me believe that I am the funniest man on earth...

 She fueled my inner funny....