Saturday, December 31, 2011

Merci Beaucoup!


As 2011 comes to a close, Shaina, Chaia and I wanted to say thank you. We could not even begin to write thank you cards to cover the generosity you all have shown...so, here it is.

Thank you for the hundreds of cards. Thank you for the donations. Thank you for the Au Bon Pain Gift cards, the gas cards, the Subway gift cards, the parking passes, the Browns game, the Monsters game, the Cavs game, yes even the Zips game, the Seahawks Helmet, the Gungor poster, the Cribbs autograph, the Cavs visits, the Ireland football jersey, the 407 headbows/headbands, the sock monkeys (affectionaly named Stanley, Sylvia, Stewie, Sammy, Seneca and Sebastian), thank you for the stuffed animals. Thank you for the Prayin' for Chaia pics, for the facebook encouragement, for making Chaia your facebook profile pic, for taking us to Brunos, to Crankys, to Little Italy, to Melt, to Cheesecake Factory, or bringing us Old Carolina, Subway, Chic Fila or Jimmy Johns. Thank you for the prayer shawls and blankets. Thank you for the 2 free photoshoots. Thank you for the John the Baptist willowtree angel, thank you for coming to us for Christmas, thank you for the beautiful blanket, for the books, particularly SkippyJohn Jones and Walter the Farting Dog, thank you for being our nurses and doctors, thank you for bubble baths and for letting us hold our baby even when she was intubated. Thank you for being honest with us even when it hurt. Thank you for a Christmas tree, ornaments, lights. Thank you for cleaning our house, for getting the mail, for the incredible scrapbooking pages (you freaks!), for the outfits, for checking the blog more frequently than I do, FOR PRAYING, for helping Bombard the Heavens, for relieving us from ministry responsibilities to focus on our little girl, for money jars, for incredible paintings, for muffins and mailbox ornaments, for sitting with Chaia, for sharing your stories of pain and hope, for the blue snuggie that Shaina despises me wearing but I wear anyways to teach her endurance, for lucky pennies, for pink hippos, for laughing with us (or at us) for crying with us, for rooting for us, for loving Chaia, even though many of you have never met her (or us), for the Mountain Dew, for the frames, pacifiers, for turning to God, some for the first time, others for the first time in a long time, for the Christmas dresses, for the PICU tshirt designs, for the zebra shoes, for the sock monkey hat, for spaghetti dinner fundraisers, for soup fundraisers, for covering our costs at Ronald McDonald, for getting Joe Haden to come to visit our suite, for the playlists, for journeying with us, for rooting for Jack with us, for golf, for playing Risk, for thinking of ways to help us that we would never have come up with.

Thank you for helping us to know that God has NEVER been more good, more loving and more near than He has been in 2011.

For virtually nagging God for the miraculous, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

And God, for the ways you are answering, we thank you too.

Happy New Year!

11 comments:

Mama Karen said...

And you are welcome! It has been a privilege and an honor to pray daily for you, Shaina and most of all Chaia! We will continue to pray until every prayer has been answered! We love you (even though we have never met). We share the same spirit within us! Can't get much better than that! Happy New Year! Can't wait to see what God is going to do next!!!

Joanne Sadlon said...

“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

We have been commanded to love others as we have been loved; but we have fallen "in love" with Chaia and you and Shaina! We pray and do nice things to encourage you and hold you up!

Thank you God for your continued blessings on the precious family!

xoxoxox

Jackie Thompson said...

hNo, thank YOU for your inspiration, perserverance and faith through all of this. And most of all for me, for allowing me to share this most beautiful grandchild with a host of people. May God continue to bless you and WE know that He is the absolute!!

Also, Uncle John requested that his miracle go to Chaia. How wonderful is that? LOVE you.

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year!

Amanda said...

Happy New Year!!! Praying in KY :)

Erica said...

Thank you for sharing Chaia's story and thank you for praying for Cohen :) Happy New Year!

Cathy said...

Happy New Year, but thank you for the inspiration that you have sparked back into my heart. Continued prayers your way.....

Anonymous said...

It is with pure JOY that we continue to pray for your wee one Chaia (and Mommy & Daddy). You all have taught us soooo much, that when you go HOME and start your church we are going to be lost not being able to check in every day to see the answers to our prayers and how things are going, SOOOO when you three move "home" you are going to have to keep posting so we can all see the three of you AND the awesome growth of the CHURCH!May God continue to Bless the three of you with the desires of your hearts,good health, and healings! The Glen Sayre's.

Anonymous said...

We second all the comments made here. Our privilege to pray for all of you and our blessing to be inspired by your faith and strength. Our joy to see Chaia and those BEAUTIFUL, INCREDIBLE long eyelashes of hers and that infectious smile. She is an absolute doll! Praying for continued blessings for you all in 2012. Love, Bruce and Sharon

Unknown said...

thank YOU! for sharing your journey, your heart, your faith and letting us in on what God is doing in you 3!!!! It's a privilege to pray and join in the joys and sorrows. we love you guys!

Cathy Imhoff said...

I "3rd" all the comments made here. Thank you for your inspiring posts and for sharing Chaia with us. It makes it so easy to pray when we can go to your journal and be updated on your and Chaia's needs. Still praying for God's best for Chaia and you!!!! May God richly bless your family in the new year 2012!