I don’t even know where to begin. Thank you so much for every email, donation, care package, prayer and virtual hug you sent over the past week. The response has been truly overwhelming. So far, you have donated $1,500 to the Pediatric Cancer Research Fund, which is INCREDIBLE. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Wita and I visited Maddie last Friday. Oh man, is she special. Maddie told us all about the amazing adventures she’s experienced over the past few weeks. Snorkeling in Hawaii, releasing Clarice the elephant seal back into the ocean, petting sting rays and feeding zebra sharks, to name a few. (You can read about her adventures at Maddie’s Caring Bridge page.)
What struck me the most during our visit with Maddie was how incredibly nurturing she was with Wita; tickling her feet, complimenting her blue eyes, giving her sweet, gentle kisses…I thought my heart might burst. While showing Wita her favorite Wyland coloring book, Maddie made sure to hide the shark page from little Wita’s eyes since it might “scare her.”
Such love. Wita couldn’t get enough, as you can see.
Things might be a little quiet at whoorl this week, as Dustin and I are working hard to design the website for Maddie’s foundation. (D was working on the design before the sun came up this morning. I love him so much.) Jesse and Amanda from Comal Productions have donated their services to build the website, and Secret Agent Josephine rendered an illustration for us within 10 minutes of me reaching out to her this morning. We are so grateful for these three folks. Jesse and Amanda can build a mean website (ahem, HAIR THURSDAY), and Brenda rocks. Most of all, though, they are good people. Period. (And how could I forget Amanda’s awesome website, Tipsy Society, that was featured in my I Think I’m Love series forever and ever ago.) Thank you, Jesse, Amanda, and Brenda!
This past month has forever changed the way I approach each and every day with my family. The little, nagging annoyances suddenly seem so trivial, the tender moments tug on my heartstrings a little harder, and the silly, fun moments have been amplified a million times over. At the end of last year, I told you that my New Year’s resolution for 2011 was to take at least one photo every day for memory’s sake. Well, I’m still going strong, and haven’t missed a day. Here are some of my favorite photos from January. (Click photo for larger size.)
Happy Valentine’s Day. Give your loved ones an extra hug today.
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