To each of you...

For 20 years, we have meticulously (sometimes) and haphazardly (most of the time) prepared gifts to be given to all of the people that worked with our children. There were many years that we would have 40 or more gifts just for teachers, paras, OT's, nurses, PCA's and bus drivers. Some years we bake, or make homemade gifts--other years we have brought in lunch for staff or purchased gift cards. The purpose always has been the same...to say thank you to all of those people who supported our kids in one way or another. Some years, we say thank you better than others. This is one of those years that we missed so many people as we scrambled to get gifts out the door this morning. So, I just have to say..Thank you to all of you..

To each of you...who have stood by our side and supported us through this journey. To our precious friends that are always there for us...who pray for us and love us through the tough times and celebrate the joys. To those of you who have helped us in very tangible ways to care for our family...those who have offered their skill and time to help us with home and car repairs, those who have so graciously offered there own resources to help us care for our kids. 

To each of you...who have taught, loved, and nurtured our kids...to the teachers, the OT's, PT's, speech clinicians, adaptive phy ed teachers, nursery workers...thank you for standing along side us....celebrating with us as our kids show growth and maturity. And thank you for understanding that it is not failure if our child doesn't progress in the way we had hoped.

To all of you...who take that extra moment to show love and compassion...thank you,. To the bus drivers and lunch ladies..to the principals and janitors, who care enough to stop and talk to our kids who may be walking down the hall in a walker or who can't wait to tell you about their birthday. 

To each of you...who have cared for us..supported us in so many ways... to the wonderful people at Hopekids, Hopeblooms, The Starlight foundation---you have changed our lives for the better. You have taken care of the whole family--not just our kids who have unique health needs, each member of the family is made to feel welcomed and supported. To those at Joni and Friends and Cristo Vive camp, you are a gift to us. We love you all.

  

To each of you...who care for us nurses and doctors and surgeons.  You have dedicated your life to help others...our kids would not be alive without you...they would not be thriving in the way that they are. The team we have that is just incredible. To our nursing agency and the people who support us there every day, we give our thanks.

To each of you who have taken care of our children in foster care until they were ready to come home. You are a gift to us in a way you may never fully understand. We feel a bond with you like no other...you hold a piece of our child that we will never know...you hold a bit of their past and we hold their future..we will always share our children with you because you have given your heart to them and they will carry that with them for life. Thank you for remaining a part of the family. 

And finally, to each one of the nurses and PCA's that have worked in our home over the past year. You have become a part of our family and we can't thank you enough. We have the best team of caregivers that exists and we can not thank you enough for the love and care you have shown our fragile kids. The flexibility you have shown when we needed it, the beautiful expressions of care you show through out the year....you make it possible for us to care for the kids that we do...you make it possible for us to be a family and not a "care facility." We love each and everyone of you and are so thankful for all you do.

We are so thankful to God for all of the people that he has brought into our lives. We pray that you feel appreciated and loved by our family, but just in case we don't tell you enough...Thank you--we could not live this life without your compassionate care and love.