A Princess's Wish is Granted

In March Raylee made a wish at The Wishing Place. Her wish was to meet Jessie from Toy Story at Disney World. Well today we met Raylee's wish granters, Natasha and Matt, at Planet Play and they told Raylee her wish was granted. They gave her a giant certificate stating, "We hereby announce that Raylee's wish to Disney World will be granted by Make-A-Wish." They also gave her a Rapunzel princess dress and princess dress up shoes to wear to Disney World. Planet Play gave us a day to be their VIPs and play archade games and the other attractions there. We spent 4 hours playing game after game! It was a lot of fun, especially to see the girls just enjoy themselves. Jorja was super excited, she won a giant stuffed animal Madagascar penguin from the giant claw machine at her first try of playing the game! We are excited to go to Disney World and spend time in Florida. The generosity of Make-A-Wish, Planet Play, and the place we are going to stay in Florida called, Give Kids the World, is overwhelming, it is hard to comprehend, and hard to accept. I am very grateful for these things; it has opened my eyes even wider about how people can make a positive difference in another person's life, how I can be a better contributor and supportor of uplifting organizations and promote them, how I can be a volunteer and strive to make a difference in someone else's recovery and healing. It really seems as if this trip to Disney World will be the much needed peak in our healing as a family.

This link is a video showing the story behind Give Kids the World: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo1haStdWuQ Give Kids the World Village is a 70-acre, nonprofit "storybook" resort, located near Central Florida's most beloved attractions, where children with life-threatening illnesses and their families are treated to a weeklong, cost-free fantasy vacations."

Good Friday-HopeMinute

I absolutely love this HopeMinute I received in email. It helped remind me how much Jesus Christ did for all mankind. A great reminder to have the Friday before Easter weekend.

"Today's Good Friday HopeMinute is written by Michelle Cassens the Program Manager for HopeKids Minnesota.

Today is Good Friday. It’s such a friendly name for an event that certainly didn’t seem good at the time. It’s been nearly 2000 years since Jesus’ followers watched him suffer and die on the cross. God was also watching and agonizing as his son Jesus sacrificed his life.

HopeKids parents will say, ‘I can’t stand to see my child suffer anymore. The pain she faces hurts me so much—and I would do anything to take her place.” It’s a helpless feeling to see suffering and know the reality that you can’t take the burden away, nor can you swap places, no matter how much you want to. This response by HopeKids parents is something most parents can relate to. It seems like a normal reaction as a parent—but think of the profound implication. They are saying, “I choose to willfully suffer for my child, no matter the consequence.” It’s a statement of unconditional love.

God is the author of unconditional love. When he agonized over Jesus’ suffering, he also knew the power of Jesus’ sacrifice. God sent Jesus to the earth because of his unconditional love for us, his children. And this act of redemption had nothing to do with how deserving we are; same as a HopeKids parent would willfully swap places, even if the child happened to act naughty that day. It’s the perfect vision of love and grace, where everything is given, and nothing is expected in return.

As you head into this Easter weekend, and you’re thinking of Jesus’ sacrifice and God’s unconditional love, think also of how you understand what it would look like to give everything because of love. Imagine you could swap places with your suffering child, but he or she refused your gift. We all have done that very thing to God. Today, let him take your suffering and burden, and be his child forever.

-Michelle Cassens, HopeKids Minnesota"

Easter Egg Hunt

Jorja and Raylee were invited to an Easter Egg Hunt hosted by Make-A-Wish today. We arrived with Easter baskets in arms to a sight of 1,000s of Easter eggs spread across the lawn of Wheeler Farm, I would estimate about 3-5 acres of lawn. From a distance it looked as if it hailed brightly colored eggs that morning as the lawn was spotted with blues, pinks, yellows, and bright greens. Munchin Radio played music, children played games, some parents were interviewed by Channel 2, and others huddled up to stay warm, however, everyone anxiously waited for the hunt to begin. Starbucks was there with bagels, hot chocolate and coffee. (This company seems to sponsor a lot of activities for Make-A-Wish and HopeKids--I am not a consumer of Starbucks since I don't drink coffee, but I am a huge supporter of their drive for community service and taking the time to make a difference!)

I did not take a picture of the spread of bright Easter Eggs on the lawn, not sure why I missed that picture :( I did get a picture of the girls with the Easter Bunny. Funny I called him E.B. from the movie Hop and Jorja said, "Mom, it's Easter Bunny not E.B." and I had to tell her E.B. stands for Easter Bunny! She was embarrassed. The Egg Hunt only took a few minutes before all the 1,000s of eggs were swept off the lawn by children from very young ages to even youth ages. All the eggs had candy in them. They said several boy scout troops prepared and scattered eggs. Posted in the pictures is a picture of the girls and E.B.

Waves and Surfers-HopeMinute

I enjoyed this inspiring HopeMinute. It gave me a sense of peace and understanding in how we must balance all parts of our lives, the good times and the trials. I am amazed at this individuals ability to write about anything and always tie it to our Savior Jesus Christ. I hope you like this as much as I did. :)

"Waves & Surfers
I love to watch surfers. I am totally amazed at how they are able to swim out to sea on their surfboards while fighting the current and the water is crashing down upon them. Once they finally get to where they want to be, they have to wait for that perfect opportunity. When they see a wave, they try to get up out of the water to stand on their board. If they fall, they just get back up and try again. Eventually they are able to get up on the board, and the wave lifts them up while carrying them back to shore.

When you think of your own life, does this sound familiar? Do you feel like there are waves crashing around you and at times it just feels like too much to handle?

Like the surfer, we can swim, fight the current, wait for the opportunity, and when the waves of life come crashing down we can stand up and ride it out. We can’t do it alone, but if we trust God to carry us back to shore safely, He will. He doesn't always take the struggles away quickly, but He promises to lift us up and give us peace no matter how big the struggle is. In John 14:27 it says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

The Lord promises in His word to be with you every step through your journey no matter what you are facing in your life. You are not alone. Turn to Him today and ride the wave of His awesome power while He carries you back to shore safely.

Have a blessed weekend!

-Bridget Asheim, HopeKids Arizona"

Follow-Up Appointments

This month Raylee had several appointments for follow-ups. One day she had a bone scan which required sedation. They injected her with a type of nuclear medicine for this. The images took around 45 minutes. I am posting a picture of the machine that took the images. If you have ever seen the GE commercial which talks about GE employees saving life's because of the medical machines they build....this is one of those machines---I absolutely love that commercial and hope GE makes more!!

Another day, Raylee had to have CT Scans. The possibility of being sedated for this scan is very high for 4-year-old and younger. Raylee has never needed sedation for a CT until now. She started crying when she saw the CT Scan and would not lay down in it. The images for the CT only take about 10 minutes but there was no way she was going to cooperate. So she was sedated for these images :( Sedation is not fun, nothing about it is simple. Despite Raylee's lack of cooperativeness for the CT she was very cooperate for the rest of the appointment and tests. This same day we met with her Oncologist. She reviews all the images and other lab samples. She let us know Raylee is looking amazing and there are no tracers of Neuroblastoma!! That is what I've been waiting to hear. What a relief!!

Prior to the follow-up tests, and the day of, you experience a type of anxiety that is very vulnerable and uncomfortable. It is a real uneasy feeling. It is more like a numbness that consumes you. I know at this time I have tunnel vision and the only thing I am really thinking about are those damn tests! Those damn tests which we are now dependant on to find tracers of the cancer that may or may not come back. Tests we are dependant on to continue to do all that we can to ensure the health of Raylee.

Become a Bone Marrow Donor

Today Jerry and I signed up to become bone marrow donors, hopefully for a little girl named Milly. Milly is in need for a donor as none of her family members are matches. We signed up and had our cheeks swabbed for DNA samples. This was done through a drive with Be The Match. Be The Match Registry is operated by the National Marrow Donor Program® (NMDP).

Be The Match web site states, "Each year, 10,000 patients need a marrow transplant from an unrelated donor, but only half receive one." We can all make a difference. If you are interested in becoming a bone marrow donor please check out the following website for more information: bethematch.org

Raylee's Wish

Today we went to The Wishing Place with Raylee. Upon arriving to The Wishing Place they had this huge sign by the door that said "Welcome Raylee." We met Raylee's Wish Granting Volunteers, Matt and Natasha; they were excited to finally meet Raylee and gave both Jorja and Raylee gifts. They were super friendly and made the experience fun. They had Raylee write wishes on her Wishing Paper (Jerry helped her) and everyone else write down a wish for Raylee on separate papers. Raylee unlocked the Wishing Room with her Wishing Key (Jorja helped her with this) and we entered a round room where we all stated the wish we wrote down for Raylee. Then they placed all these wishes in an antique looking envelop for Raylee to keep forever. They had Raylee put the wish she wrote down in a little cylinder and placed it in a cone that was in front of a waterfall in the middle of the room. It is very difficult to describe. The room had no windows and the lighting was dimmed with a bluish light. The water fall was in the middle of the room. It seemed as if the floor was a type of glass instead of tile and I was even nervous to walk on it. The room actually frightened Raylee. She was really nervous and the staff at Make-A-Wish said that most 3-year-olds get frightened in the room. Once Raylee placed the cylinder in the cone they put a lid on top and told her, her wish was sent to the Wishing Wizard. This kinda of frightened her too. To this day she still asks what happened to her Wishing Paper. We tell her it went to the Wishing Fairy, she likes that a lot better than the Wishing Wizard.

Raylee had wished to meet Jessie from Toy Story. She loves Toy Story and has a cowgirl costume from Halloween she wears frequently pretending to be Jessie.

Jorja the Ski Bunny

Jorja went skiing with her class at a local ski resort. She had a blast and was so excited to go. They took a charter bus and received rock star treatment. She enjoyed going on the ski lift and down the hills. She fell several times but always got up. She talked about skiing for days....this is something we definitely need to do as a family.

PJammin

PJammin was a huge success!! At least 4 elementary schools participated. I took Jorja to school and it was incredible to see all the students in the pjs for such a great cause. It brought tears to my eyes. Jorja's teacher told me the entire school participated and had so much fun. She told me I should have called the news. :) They want to do it next year. They received a letter from another parent who has a little niece fighting cancer, and this parent explained how grateful they were for Pjammin Day. One of the elementary schools that participated also made 100's of cards for the oncology patients at Primary Children's Hospital. Raylee was able to deliver those cards for them. I will include a picture of some of the students and the cards.

I just want to thank everyone who participated in this. It was a lot of fun and I am hoping to make it a more widespread event next year.

PJammin for Kids with Cancer February 3rd or 4th

World Cancer Day is 1 week away! Are you ready to wear your pjamma's all day on Friday, February 3rd or Saturday, February 4th? World Cancer Day is February 4th and we have lots of people Pjammin for Kids with Cancer. Please feel welcome to join us. On Friday, February 3rd Jorja's elementary school is wearing their pjammins to support Pjammin and children with cancer. Also several elementary schools from my home town are supporting this. My aunt and uncle work in one and my friend works in another and they all have spread the word about Pjammin and have received lots of support. I can't tell you how exciting this is! It is about spreading awareness of Childhood Cancers. If you can't wear your pjamma's wear a GOLD Ribbon! They are really easy to make. The GOLD Ribbon is the ribbon for childhood cancers.

"Help us give the childhood cancer community a voice on World Cancer Day! This is a global cancer event, and we want everyone to remember that KIDS GET CANCER TOO!

World Cancer Day is hosted by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), a collaboration of over 300 cancer organizations in 100 countries. As a member of the UICC, the American Childhood Cancer Organization is trying to host simultaneous childhood cancer awareness events at schools across the country.

Why pajamas?

Children with cancer spend months to years on treatment; a considerable amount of this time is spent in pajamas. "PJammin" is based upon participants wearing pajamas, a symbolic way of reflecting on the amount of time that children with cancer must spend in their pajamas. This is a fun event, which requires little effort to organize, and it helps schools become supportive, cancer-aware places in the community. In spite of improved treatments, childhood cancer remains the number one disease killer of America's children. Awareness needs to be raised regarding the impact of this disease on our nation's children, and funds need to be raised to provide treatment information and research that will lead to cures." From the American Childhood Cancer Organization

Bald Barbie is Beautiful!

When Raylee's hair started falling out we knew we had to shave it. She didn't want to. Jerry tried to talk her into it but she refused. At this time she was still 2-years-old (almost 3) but she was still self-consious about losing her hair even at this young of an age. Jerry grabbed a Barbie doll which both my girls absolutely love! They get that from me :) He showed Raylee the Barbie and asked her, "Is Barbie pretty?" Raylee said, "Yes." He shaved off the Barbie's hair and held her up and asked Raylee the same thing, "Is Barbie still pretty?" Raylee said, "Yes." Jerry then explained to his little daughter that Barbie is still pretty with or without hair and she too will still be pretty. Only after seeing the Barbie without hair was Raylee okay with shaving hers off.

There is a lot of talk about Matel making a bald Barbie to support all those girls who experience cancer. I am hearing about several mothers (especially ones who have experienced a daughter, or sister, or friend with cancer) are for this, where other women are rejecting it. I've been told some mothers are against it because they don't want to have to have that difficult conversation with their child why there is a bald Barbie. This is really frustrating to me and I am really upset about this. If you really think having a conversation to your child why there is a bald Barbie is difficult, try having one with your child that they may die because they have cancer, or with their sibling explaining their little sister could die! That is the most difficult conversation I ever had to have with Jorja or Raylee. I figure now, anything will be easy to talk about compared to "Raylee could die!" It wasn't just one conversation either. Jorja had a lot of questions and this conversation happened day-after-day for months; because she was concerned and scared for Raylee.

To all those non-supporters of a bald Barbie I would like to say, Cancer is real and real in Children!! The more awareness that is out there, the better, why not!?!? If you don't think your child could get cancer, guess what? They can. Cancer isn't a disgusting thing to avoid talking to kids about, it doesn't have to be scary, and it doesn't have to be shameful, it doesn't have to be something to avoid. The more we know, and our children know, the more support there is for those children and their families who are experiencing this. I never thought one of my children would get cancer, I didn't really know it was possible. I wish there was a bald Barbie to give Raylee when she was in treatment and lost her hair. It would have made it so much easier to explain why it was falling out and why she was bald instead of talking a Barbie a shaving her head. Guess what? That conversation about her losing her hair wasn't an easy one to have with her either.

Someone on a news report said, if Matel makes a cancer Barbie they might as well make a drug addict Barbie. Really?? Are people that uneducated they are comparing having cancer to having an addiction to drugs?

The entire point to having a Cancer Barbie who is bald, is showing baldness is beautiful. Because so many women, teenage girls, and little girls experience chemotherapy and lose their hair, there needs to be a bigger voice then just those around them telling them they are still beautiful! Why not Barbie who is a popular icon for girls? I love and support the idea! If you don't like the idea, just don't buy the Barbie--and count your blessings if you don't ever have to, or if YOU don't ever have to have those difficult conversations with your daughter because she is experiencing cancer!

Make-A-Wish Princess Party!

We just got home from a Princess Party at The Wishing Place hosted by Make-A-Wish and Utah's Distinguished Young Women. I wanted to write about this while it was still fresh in my heart. I cannot express how amazing this Princess Party was and how it lit up every girl in the room whether they were just little or older.

When we first walked in The Wishing Place we were asked to stand to the side in the lobby. There was a red carpet laid out that stretched down the lobby into their banquet room. There were teenage girls (dozens of them) dressed in formal gowns. They truly looked as if they came out of a fairy tale. There were several teenage boys dressed as princes. One played a trumpet and another announced in a microphone the guests names. The guest were all the girls who were invited to this princess party, those being wish girls and their sisters. The trumpet would play and the prince would say, "Introducing Princess Jorja and Princess Raylee" then they would walk down the red carpet with the teenage princess cheering and clapping for them and sprinkling glitter of all colors on them. It was simply magical. Inside the banquet room were was the giant cardboard cutouts of the Disney Princess, Disney Princes music playing, and a serving table full of cookies and pink and yellow punch. It was decorated perfectly for a young princess.

What was truly magic wasn't the sprinkling of glitter, or the music, or the decorations of pastel pinks and blues and yellows. The magical part was the look in all the girls eyes of young and older. These volunteer princesses out numbered the little guests. They swarmed the little girls by 2 to 3. Let me tell you they were so gentle and loving towards them. They hugged them, danced with them, told them how special and beautiful they were. They got to know them and let them spin around and show off their little dresses because each of our little princesses were dressed for the occasion. For over an hour they played with them. I sat at a table and talked to another cancer mother the entire time. Our girls got so much attention. It was wonderful, they were able to escape their little worlds into one with these beautiful teenage girls and boys who were amazing role models and who seemed to know how to build the self-confidence and character of each young little princess.

Isn't it amazing how just an idea of hosting a princess party can take one little child away from their little world and give them a few hours of being in a special spot light? Some of these little princess are struggling through illness, some may not be curable. And for just this moment.....they didn't know a world of illness or treatment.

Raylee didn't want to leave. When it was time to leave she ran from me and tried to hide. This was so special for her. They came home with dress up rings, bracelets, necklaces, a treasure box, balloons, stickers, and bubbles that the princesses were passing around. When I was leaving several of the Distinguised Young Women came up to me and said how great and special my girls were. :)

My heart is full with gratitude for those who were inspired to plan and host this princess party. I am grateful to live in a place where people are so creative and so giving, who put others above themselves--especially children!

View the Princess Party on KSL News, which aired 1.18.12. Here is the link: http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=18927994

To learn more about Utah's Distinguished Young Women log onto http://www.ajm.org/programs/state_n_local_programs/utah/
It is a scholarship and leadership program. Really awesome!

Blog Revision

If you follow this blog you will see I changed the background. It use to be striped with colors of orange. Blogging is not a talent or a regular hobby of mine. Basically I really don't know what I am doing with this. But I have played around in the 'Design' tab and figured out how to change the background. I chose this black/grey one as it is a better fit for me than the orange stripes. I am sure if you know me, you would agree. I hope you like these changes as much as I do. XOXO

Wishing Key

Today the postal service hand delivered a package to Raylee that had Make-A-Wish marked on it. We opened it and inside there was a castle. Raylee removed the roof and inside was an antique shaped silver key that set inside. She pulled it out and said, "Wow, look how shiny!" Also inside the castle was a fancy invitation that read:

"It is our deepest honor to invite you and your family to come visit A Wishing Place for the special occasion of making your wish.

Please bring this key with you when you come, for it alone will open the Wishing Room at the top of the Wishing Tower.

We eagerly await your presence."

Soon we will go to The Wishing Place and Raylee will declare her wish. This is an amazing experience for my family. I still can't believe Raylee is going to be able to make a wish. It is exciting and humbling at the same time. I hope in the future Jerry and I can sponsor another child's wish. That is a goal we both have.

Kids Get Cancer Too!

Check out the Wear Your Pajama's Day below to support World Cancer Day. Looks like fun. I had no idea there was a World Cancer Day. The information below was e-mailed to me from the American Childhood Cancer Organization. Wearing your pajamas for a day or even two, for a good cause, that's my kind of day! :)

"What are you doing on Friday February 3rd and/or Saturday February 4th? How about wearing pajamas to work and/or school?! We'd like to see as many PJammin for Kids with Cancer events on these days as possible. Help us give the childhood cancer community a voice on World Cancer Day! This is a global cancer event, and we want everyone to remember that KIDS GET CANCER TOO!

World Cancer Day is hosted by the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), a collaboration of over 300 cancer organizations in 100 countries. As a member of the UICC, the American Childhood Cancer Organization is trying to host simultaneous childhood cancer awareness events at schools across the country.

Why pajamas?

Children with cancer spend months to years on treatment; a considerable amount of this time is spent in pajamas. "PJammin" is based upon participants wearing pajamas, a symbolic way of reflecting on the amount of time that children with cancer must spend in their pajamas. This is a fun event, which requires little effort to organize, and it helps schools become supportive, cancer-aware places in the community. In spite of improved treatments, childhood cancer remains the number one disease killer of America's children. Awareness needs to be raised regarding the impact of this disease on our nation's children, and funds need to be raised to provide treatment information and research that will lead to cures."

Merry Christmas!

We hope everyone has an amazing and fun Christmas. My family loves Christmas and giving to others. I love watching the joy and excitement in my girls on Christmas morning. This is such a wonderful time to build positive loving memories. I love the tradition of Santa Claus and we have so much fun with this.

This December an Christmas we are grateful we did not spend any time at the hospital or in any doctor appointments!! As each month goes by things at home and with Raylee seem to get more and more normal, or more and more back to the ordinary lives we once knew. I know there are many families who are at the hospital this Christmas day and my heart aches for them. It just isn't the place you want to spend Christmas.

Hug your family and friends a little more this Christmas and always remember God gave us His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so we can return to Him through the atonement of Christ. What a wonderful time to celebrate the life of Christ!

Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation

Check out this amazing organization that serves children and families in Utah, Juab, San Pete, and Wasatch counties in Utah who have a child with cancer. My family is not involved with this organization but I think it is really special and want to spread the word about it just in case someone reading this message has the opportunity to serve, donate, or volunteer for this program. Check out their website at: http://childrenwithcancerchristmasfoundation.org/ it is truly amazing. The BYU basketball team is highly involved in this program. Their involvement in it kind of reminds me of the movie Forever Strong. If you have never experienced this touching movie, I highly recommend it.

"The Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation is a non-profit organization established to bring relief and joy to children and their families, affected by the travails of Cancer. Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation was founded on the idea of helping children in need. A child that is struggling with cancer is especially worthy of protection and care.

There are various organizations that do tremendous good providing support and financing for research and study to find a cure. Children with Cancer Christmas Foundation salutes their efforts, however the emotional needs of these children and their families are what the foundation is designed to help."

Jorja the Performer!! :)

This month Jorja had several performances. She sang at a Winter Fest program to promote and support the performing arts. Her chorus teacher is very enthusiastic and energetic...just what Jorja needs. She can be shy sometimes. She sang several Christmas songs at the Winter Fest. She was also in a dance performance where she did tap and cheer leading. I was so proud of her because she not only did her best at these performances but had fun! She was really pumped about the dance performances because she received two metals. Her elementary also puts on a Christmas program every year where all the grades sing Christmas songs in front of an audience....it has been a busy month!

Loving Santa

We recently were invited to a Christmas party at the Real Salt Lake Soccer Stadium. It was located in their managment offices and was a lot of fun for the girls. They had games, treats, crafts, and one of the Real soccer players to meet and greet them, Chris Wingert. Of course we got his autograph and picture. He gave all the children a gift bag full of fun little toys, chap stick, flowers for hair, and candy. This Christmas party was hosted by Real Salt Lake, Starbucks, and Cricket. In leaving the Starbucks staff gave each family a gift bag with popcorn, soda, candy and a movie. There were a lot of people at this party and a lot of families. For these big businesses to be able to collaborate and plan such a fun and meaningful event for families who have, or are, experiencing severe illness with a child, is incredible. For them it isn't about making money or promoting themselves, it is about giving back to the community and having a cause bigger than themselves.

During this Christmas party Santa walked in the door and it surpised everyone. Raylee ran up to him and hugged him. I got the sweetest picture of her doing this that will be on the wall. The picture reflects a sweet childlike love. Witnessing that moment brought me peace, and I thought of all the kids who believe and have hope in Santa. What a great symbolic figure he is for Christmas. It wasn't about Santa giving presents but about Santa spreading love. I hope Raylee never forgets that moment.

Meeting Santa

We were able to introduce Raylee to Santa Claus at a Make-A-Wish Christmas party. This was also our first time to the 'Wishing Place.' If you have never been here it is an amazing building. In some ensence it felt sacred and peaceful as incredible pictures of children hung on the walls which described the child and their wish. Some of the children have past away. It was difficult to read through all of them at once because you would get that pain in your throat when you are about to cry. It wasn't a sad place however, but one of comfort. It is really hard to describe. I guess it felt like a place where amazing things happen to amazing children.

The girls had so much fun at this Christmas party hosted by Make-A-Wish and their volunteers. Everyone was very welcoming and made you feel like a long lost friend. They had cookies and chocolate milk and made all kinds of crafts. Santa Claus walked in the door and Jorja started jumping up and down with excitement. Raylee, who is starting to understand who Santa Clause is, started trembling. When I noticed her shaking, I wondered if she was just so excited. But when you looked at her face and saw the fear in her big eyes, I knew she wasn't trembling with excitement, it was FEAR. She looked up at me and started moaning and took off running for the door. Jerry chased her down and we had to just take it really easy with warming up to Santa Claus. Eventully, we stood in line to meet him and let the girls tell him what they wanted for Christmas. Jorja made each of them a Christmas list; Raylee's had several things listed on it and Jorja's was completely full. Sure enough-it was two pages long! Silly kid.

Once it was their turn to talk to Santa, Raylee wasn't as scared. She went first and gave Santa her list. He looked over it and hugged her. By this time she was full of positive energy and the expected childhood excitement of seeing Santa. Jorja went next and he looked at her list and tucked in his big red velvetly bag and told her, while laughing, he would read it on his way home. Eventually the line died down and 'Charlie Brown's Christmas' was playing on a big projector screen. Next thing we knew Raylee was going up to Santa to sit on his lap again, and there they sat as if best friends watching this movie. :)

This was not your ordinary Santa Claus. One of the children in line was probably about 4-months-old and this Santa held and rocked this baby in his arms with such tenderness and love, as if it were the baby's last time being held. I wanted to cry, it was such an amazing thing to witness, a picture that will always be frozen in my thoughts. A real love for a child, from a complete stranger, that came from a heavenly healing place. I didn't feel like crying because I felt bad the baby may be seriously ill, or because I was sad. I wanted to cry because it felt so Christ like, a happy type of cry. I've been having those a lot lately :) Witnessing this at 'The Wishing Place' and feeling the wishes of all the pictures that hung on the wall was very sacred to me. If you have never been there, I recommend you see it. In the near future they are going to take us on a personal tour!

I am so thankful my family will all be home for Christmas, because I know some kids and families will spend this holiday in the hospital. You can't plan when your cancer child will be sick, whether it is from Chemo or from a lack of immune system. I am 100% positive there are many families in the hospital at this time, wishing they could be home, with children wondering if Santa loves them enough to visit them while in the hospital. It depresses me and at the same time I feel guilty being so happy that Raylee is finished with treatment and that everything is looking fabulous--my family gets to be home! I pray for those families that they will find comfort in the choas of the hospital and they receive the much needed rest to make the most out of Christmas. If you have a healthy family and children, I hope at this holiday season you thank the Lord above for giving you this gift. I use to watch the show 'Extreme Home Makeover' on Sundays and think to myself, 'I'm so lucky no one in my family is ill.' I thought this because so many of the families are chosen because of trials of illness that one or more of their family meembers experience, so they show a lot of families and illnesses. Little did I know, my child was ill the entire time. The cancer just hadn't exposed itself yet. Who knows how long Raylee lived in discomfort and pain, I will never know. The point I'm trying to make is, you never know when something will happen that changes your life forever--so at this time be thankful for all those good things going on whether at home or at the hospital. This is an amazing time of year!