What an Experience!

This weekend has been a growing and humbling experience and it is difficult to express how I am feeling right now. Raylee's aunt Valerie, aunt Alysia, and grandma Patty planned a Yard/Bake sale in behalf of Raylee...it was more like a SUPER Yard/Bake sale! I am not sure how long it took to plan this or how many people were involved....but I do know there were a lot of you and hundreds of people came out. There were so many people and the word was spread through Facebook. Since Jerry and I don't Facebook we had no idea how big this was. Maybe it was done this way on purpose--to prevent us from stopping it ;) Jerry and I are a lot alike...we have a difficult time when others fuss over us, or when we are recognized for something--the attention is uncomfortable. We are really private people and with the Yard/Bake sale we swallowed our pride and were deeply humbled. There are many people who donated items to be sold, I am aware of many of your names but not everyone's. I want to post your names in this blog to praise and recognize you, but I am not sure you'd be okay with that. The sale did exceptionually well and definatly lifts the financial burden of medicial bills that are on there way, and ones that will be coming in the future. Please know this...we love you all so much and pray your blessing will be abundant to the point you can't comprehend--because that is how we are feeling....we can't comprehend all the love, prayers, and thoughts coming our way or that a lot of people have donated their own money to Raylee's medical expenses. These are sacrafices people have made for my family....and in no way do we feel like we are good enough people to deserve all of this compassion and kindness. It has been hard to wrap my hands around what we are going through, but also that so many people care about my little ordinary family. I don't know how we can ever repay you, or thank you enough for everything done on our behalf. I prayed to Heavenly Father to help us through this and He gave us YOU--family, friends-old and new, neighbors, ward family, coworkers, our neighborhood, cancer patients and survivors who reach out, our Blog followers, complete strangers, and Jorja's "secret summer friend" who left a gift at the door for her. We are blessed to have rubbed shoulders with all of you...thank you for being our motivator, advocate, comforter, supporter....and letting us cry on your shoulder at times--the support is incredible!

Our world has changed dramatically in just the last month and everyday I wake up, I feel like a different person. My outlook has changed, my perspective has changed, my goals have changed. Things that seemed to matter before, don't matter anymore....and things that didn't matter enough, matter more. This experience opens your eyes to a whole new life, a whole new way of thinking, and a whole new way of living!