Giving Thanks

I love Thanksgiving. It is probably my favorite holiday.

This year, today is much more significant than in years past. My life has been turned upside down and inside out. I've been filled with deadly chemicals, cut into, and soon to be radiated on. More than half of the town and beyond has seen and/or felt up the girls. I've felt like death - more than once. I've lost my hair, the feeling in parts of my body and ran over a squirrel. This has been the toughest year of my life and I could not have survived it without my amazing support system.

I'm giving thanks for everyone who has helped me to get through this tough time.

Here goes (in no particular order):
Thank you mom for your positive emails and thoughts and love. Thank you Trisha for your nearly daily "sending light" texts/emails/phone calls, books, alter embellishments, words of wisdom and beyond. Thank you Aimee & Ben for keeping the boys during the hardest times. Thank you Ted for who you are - oh, and for shaving your head with/for me. Thank you Heather D. for the acupuncture and spa time. Thank you Richard & Valerie for all you've been and done for us. Thank you Cyndi for putting together the schedule and checking in on me. Thank you Tracy and Lisa for the week-long sleepover, the gifts and the love. Thank you Tasha - you are my soul sister and I can't believe you abandoned your four kids to stay with me for five days. Thank you Michael for shaving your head with me (& Melinda) for taking the boys, for taking us to dinner and for being our peeps. Thank you Kati (& Mark)- I can't believe how many meals you cooked for us. Thank you Sheila, it is amazing how much easier it is to heal when you have smutty magazines on your bedside table. Thank you Hilary S. for the kick-ass care package. Thank you Nicole for the mascara and putting up with my family for dinner. Thank you Tiffany & Mike for the food, hanging with the boys and for your positive thoughts. Thank you Martha (& Mike) for overnighting me chicken and dumplings - yum, yum, yum. Thank you Brunos for all the sleepovers and for loving our boys as much as we do. Thank you Vince & Belah for the soft blanket and the yummy dinner. Thank you to my Alabama family- Aunt Lyndia, Carissa, Tim & Barbara for the emails and positive thoughts and prayers. Thank you Rebecca (& Steve) for sharing all your cancer knowledge, for the food and for being so cool. Thank you RifRad for your out-of-the-box deliciousness and for sharing your angel when I was down. Thank you Katie (& Grover) for my totally awesome Winner gnome (package) and the acupuncture. Thank you Brooke for a list of things too long for this post. Thank you Camille for those dinners- they were fabulous. Thank you Dan & Robyn for the movie tix and the individually wrapped lasagna, that was great. Thank you Ron (& your lovely girl) for the scrumptuous fish tacos. Thank you Meredith for the dinners, the flowers and your water suggestion- I still have your pan, by the way. Thank you Natalie (& Ryan) for the ice cream outing and hanging with the boys. Thank you Heidi for the acupuncture. Thank you Hookie for the plants, the food and just for being you- yes, I can kick cancer's ass! Thank you Andra for the housecleaning and the care package. Thank you Kimberly (& Kyle) for the massage, the use of your condo and your support. Thank you Sell's for being awesome and sending the boys gifts, too... and thank you for helping to keep hubby sane. Thank you Mike & Anna for your cheerleading (and Z thanks you for the knock-knock book). Thank you G's - Karen, your emails made me feel all tingly inside. Thank you Waverly for the mix CD and well wishes. Thank you Weez for the Courage girl - she's great. Thank you Kim Christiansen for putting my story on the air. Thank you Ali for your humor and for still being my friend even though I haven't seen you in a year. Thank you Mary J. for the acupuncture and for your positive words. Thank you Jurene for sharing your knowledge and being a support even though you don't know me. Thank you Paul & Shauna for the unbelievably delicious Indian food dinner, for saving hubby's sanity and for being the coolest people we know. Thank you Greg Macchia and Cleaning for a Reason for cleaning our house during chemo. Thank you There With Care for all the yardwork and dog walking - our dogs miss you. Thank you Linda for the prayers, the flowers, the random care packages and for being my long-lost sister. Thank you Julie for making this less scary for me and for believing in my business - can't wait to help Ready for Recovery grow. Thank you Tim & Nick for nutrition advice and for sharing your bald head (Tim). Thank you Tim & Kristine for your support and well-wishes. Thank you Wendy for your generosity for my b'day and for committing to doing the tri with me. Thank you Laura for your very sweet emails. Thank you to Tom Brock for being the most incredible boss on the planet. Thank you to EVERYONE who has emailed me, sent me cards, gifts, well-wishes, prayers, positive thoughts, positive energy and more. Thank you Dr. Johs, Dr. Moran and Tracy Moran- what a team. Thank you front desk Debbie for always sharing your smile when I came in. Thank you to the RMCC nurses. Thank you Z & C for being my sunshine and filling my heart with joy.

And, most importantly.... Thank you Andy T. You have been the most incredible, patient, loving and supportive husband in the world. I'll bet you didn't think you signed on for this.... I love you.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!