THANKSGIVING came early this YEAR

Autumn is definitely my favorite season, especially Halloween, but this year we skipped right to Thanksgiving. There is nothing I love more than caramel apples and caramel corn, little pumpkins decorating the table and of course the feast (the picture is from a few years ago but sums up the holiday at our house pretty well.) Anyway, it came early this year because of the blessings we have experienced during the past week...a direct result of our dear family and friends!

It has come in all forms: prayers, blessings, emails, text messages, dinners, phone calls, flowers, favorite treats, visits, immediate answers to prayers, capable doctors, kind nurses, modern technology, and most of all loving and supportive family and friends. We couldn't make it without you and can't let this time go by without a sincere (well as sincere as a blog post can be) and heartfelt "thanks" for your many kindnesses on our behalf.

Thanksgiving also has a new and special meaning for me because this year I have Jon! The past week he has literally done it all, including making it from our apartment on main street Park City to LDS hospital in Salt Lake City in a record 23 minutes (and this particular time down Parley's Canyon every minute really counted!) His job description has not only included his normal CropChocolate.com responsibilities, but everything from cooking and cleaning to staying up all night just to make sure I get my pain medication right on time, to just being a listening ear as I have expressed my thoughts and feelings after an eventful few days. Jon has sustained me completely and continues to do so as we navigate this new path, and for that my gratitude continues to grow.

I am more thankful today than I thought I could be, not that it has been easy or that I would ever choose to repeat this experience, but I know and truly feel blessed because of so many of you and for that we will celebrate Thanksgiving early in 2009!



*Jon's brother Dan came to visit in the hospital and in honor of the chemo treatment I received earlier in the week he bought all the 50% off "breast cancer" apparel he could find! I am not posting this picture because it is a great one of me (turns out surgery will do that to you, or at least that is what I am telling myself!), but it sure did make us smile & laugh -- thanks Dan!
*Adding to our Thanksgiving, our parents! This was taken the first full day home and as she has always been my Mom is with me every step of the way, holding my hand just to make it easier. You may notice the "big gulp" on the side -- I hear they really improve healing and add to a fast recovery!

Joy. Pain. Sunshine. Rain.

I will never forget seeing McCall clear three flights of stairs in three giant leaps. Partially because McCall can't jump--I have film to prove it--but more because of why she was so excited. After spending over $300 on home pregnancy tests, McCall went to a clinic to confirm our suspicions about her being pregnant and the results came back positive. Over the past several weeks, McCall has exhibited signs of pregnancy which will not be mentioned to keep this PG.

For two weeks we've been walking on sunshine--so to speak. Today, on a rainy day, we found out that there were complications with the conception and McCall had to go in for a dose of chemotherapy--the baby won't be born on June 7ish as expected.

Through our joy of learning of McCall's pregnancy, our love for each other and the family that we were starting to create grew in heaps. Our weekly planning had a new perspective; our lives were moving in a direction that both McCall and I have wanted for years; our conversations included possible names for either a boy or girl--names like Gary and Lou Ann. Joy made our hearts swell until they overflowed with love.

Today the joy has taken a 180 degree turn as we learned of the complications of McCall's pregnancy. The pain of knowing McCall won't be giving birth in late May/early June has brought a different perspective to life--rather than a swelling of joy, we feel engorged with gratitude and peace. Gratitude that McCall is healthy--she started cramping and bleeding somewhere in the Arizona desert. Peace knowing that the prayers of our families have been answered and McCall is home safe tonight.

We see blessings through this experience: First, we know that we are able to conceive. Second, our love has grown through both the joy and pain. Third, McCall can start drinking Diet Coke again. Forth, we'll have a full ski season.

Of course the third and forth reasons are jokes but we are grateful for the first and second...and to our family and friends who have been so generous and supportive.

We love you all!

PS - no offense to the Garys and Lou Anns out there--it's just our light hearted nature.

One. Year. Ago.

Welcome to FALL

Fall has definitely arrived in Park City, Utah! After a couple of weeks of being in SLC/Bountiful/Centerville we came home to the full spectrum of colors. We had some extra time to enjoy dinner in the Uintahs -- notice the full harvest moon in the picture -- (and no we didn't go all out, we left the cooking to Barbacoa!), an afternoon drive on the Alpine Loop (my first time making the whole drive at once) and an evening hike in Jupiter Bowl (at a sizzling 23 degrees!)

We both LOVE these types of days; outside and playing in the Utah mountains! We enjoyed them alone or with friends up until almost a year ago (we met and began facebooking about this time last year) but now we get to do them together, and that is by far THE BEST part!

"Hooray for fast love, hooray for fast marriage!"