A slight detour and a "shout out" to an amazing village

Things sure change fast around here. We woke up this morning with plans to come into the hospital for an injection as a preparation for her scans tomorrow. I already had made arrangements for both Taylor and Parker to attend a fun daycamp for the next two days. Charlotte woke up much later then normal this morning obviously not feeling well. She had a low grade fever. I dropped the kids off and we headed to the hospital for an already scheduled clinic visit and injection. By the time we got here, her fever sky rocketed. Sitting on my lap moments after the nurse left the room, she projectile vomited. My immediate thought was perhaps this is a good thing and she simply has an innocent stomach bug instead of some bigger infection.

So we are admitted for next several days while her white cell counts are low (neutropenic) and the fever goes away. Our hopes are negative cultures and a quick fever with a quick resolution. They will postpone her CT and MIBG scans scheduled for tomorrow as they required sedation which is not advised while she is sick and feverish. So our hope is that if this is a quick virus, perhaps we can get her scans done later in the week or early next week which wouldn't impact the timing for her surgery anyway.

In the meantime, I'm sitting here watching my baby girl sleep comfortably knowing that plans we had this week (and weekend) can easily be on the back burner as we care for her. We have many family members in place this week to help as well so that is truly a blessing. And we, as a family, are quickly adapting to the little fire drills that require quick changes in our plans. Taylor and Parker are truly adjusting so well amid all the changes going on around them. All of us are key players on this Team Reynolds. And our VILLAGE: not only family and friends, but neighbor's, aquaintances, even strangers have opened their hearts to our family at this time. For several months now we continue to receive so much support from meal deliveries 3 times a week, groceries, countless gifts and gift cards, letters and postcards to our children, uplifting messages and cards, prayer list notifications from all over the world, play dates for kids, yard work help, errand and cleaning help, friends offering an ear to listen, a shoulder to cry on, a joke to laugh at, or scooping either Brian or I away for a couple hours to do something fun, offers to stay with the kids so we can actually have a date once in a while (which we WILL take someone up on soon!)...I could go on and on. This world may be a scary place full of selfishness, hate, and fear....but in our time of need we were flooded with loving people who selflessly came to our side to help in what ever way they could. Many of whom hardly know us. Family members who have paused their own plans and lives to be nearby for support. We could never show how grateful and thankful we are. Not only for the outpouring of help and generosity, but also through the ACTIONS of this huge village that we have amassed, our own children can witness the generosity of spirit, the kindness for others, and the love that we can ALL spread in this world by just giving our time in small acts of kindness. Just yesterday a neighbor we only met a couple times came by with a meal and Taylor remarked "wow! People are still helping us! What a nice world we have here." And I know that she will carry this on in her life. She understand love is not just something you say or even feel, but it's something you DO. Love is an action. Love is something you show by doing through loving acts. Because of you all, our family is coping beyond belief and our children are witnessing God's love through each of you.