Together

By -
I didn't want to put away our Christmas tree or any Christmas decorations until we brought Charlotte back home. We had expected her to be home by Christmas. And I just really wanted to feel like we had time together home to celebrate Christmas. I thought we needed it to look like Christmas to feel like Christmas: tree, lights, decorations, music, presents, cookie baking, traditions. But I was wrong. Last night, here together without any external symbols of Christmas, at our 2 bedroom outpatient apartment here near Duke in Durham, it felt like Christmas. Dec 25 is just the day designated to pause and celebrate Jesus's birth. But that is just a date. Christmas, celebrating Jesus, can be observed any time you want to pause and feel the Christmas spirit. Last night was our first night together as a family in 7 weeks. The children were playing, my husband and I cuddled up and had a glass of wine, snow was falling. In my heart, it felt like Christmas. The peace, love and joy that the season brings was all around us. And when we woke to a snowy winter wonderland, it felt like we were being blessed. Our home is only 30 minutes away but the snow missed it. But here, it continues to fall as we are cuddled up with hot chocolate and a movie after coming in from sledding!  And it feels like Christmas morning. We are here together, and we honestly wouldn't rather be anywhere else on earth. Charlotte's daily clinic appointments have gone very well so she has been given the weekend off!  Thank you lord. What a way to ring in 2017. Together.

Our southern children woke up so excited 

Bundled up, Charlotte played about 30 minutes before she was ready to go back inside to warmth. 





3 amigos have missed each other so much


Absence makes the heart grow fonder haha! So harmonious 

Charlotte's store: its the best--you always leave with more money then you came with 

 
Sledding! Charlotte loved it and watch Parker's moves! 

Hot chocolate 

Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 7, 2017 at 6:16 PM

    God Bless you, Brian and your whole family
    You deserve it
    Praise God for His Goodness
    You are absolutely correct about the date Christ is born In our hearts every day and Gods Gift to us should be celebrated often
    Your journey , the three amigos, and Charlotte's incredible spirit are the things great Christmas' are made of
    Congratulations. Enjoy this time. You have all earned it
    Love you, Miss you
    PG
    Pops

    ReplyDelete
  2. ppa1dayatatimeJanuary 7, 2017 at 6:41 PM

    Merry Reynolds' Christmas! Go Charlotte!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ROUND 2 under way

By -
Image
It was exactly 4 Monday's ago. We left our pediatrician and ended up here at Duke Children's just about this time of day where we were about to receive Charlotte's cancer diagnosis. It was any parents worst nightmare as we came to learn and understand this diagnosis. It feels like 4 months ago. We are still coping and feeling our way, but never in a million years could I imagine being in this "place" that we are today, emotionally and spiritually. We are still coping and going through the grieving stages, but hearing the news today that Charlotte is healthy enough to begin round 2 was great news. A couple weeks ago, hearing that your child needed chemo was gut wrenching but today it is music to our ears. It means Charlotte has recovered from round 1 and is ready to continue to fight and heal while we all cheer her on. Her spunky spirit is back. She had a wonderful, restful weekend home playing with Taylor and Parker and also getting to see some family and a few f...
Read more

A fresh start for round 3

By -
Image
You know those weekends that you just don't want to end? The ones you want to freeze in time? It was a simple one and usually not even worth a mention. Because all we did was spend time together playing at home, saw some friends and family, enjoyed each other, just low key fun and quality time. It was just one of those weekends that we all usually take for granted and really WE SHOULD. I mean, as parents, yes, we all try to soak up the sweet moments and memory making times with our children. But we shouldn't have to relish every moment where our children are feeling happiness. We shouldn't have to soak up every day we can all be together. Or embrace each day our child feels healthy enough for normal play. No one should have to live their entire lives living in the sweet moments for fear it could all be pulled out from under them. But we are learning that this is our new reality. That the normalcy we use to take for granted is now precious time because as we travel down this...
Read more

Reliving June 13

By -
Image
Today in 2019, was probably the hardest day of my life. You might have thought that would have been the day she was diagnosed or maybe that scary time we had during Charlotte’s transplant, but it was today. We snapped this picture below waiting for Charlotte’s doctors to come into her examination room during her standard check up at Duke. Mere minutes later, we saw more than the normal 4 feet in front of the door (the oncologist and NP that would see her). When the door opened and child life was there—Brian and I instantly knew. Child life had come to distract Charlotte so we could talk to her doctors. The world went into slow motion and I don’t know how I didn’t hit the floor if I’m honest. Brian’s face instantly drained of color. We knew immediately her scans had shown her disease, her cancer, had returned.  After all she had been through, all we had seen, all we had survived as a family…this day drained the hope out of me and I can still have a visceral response remembering it. ...
Read more