The Reinforcements are Here!

"A real woman can do it all by herself."

Do you believe that?  Sometimes I try to believe I can do it all myself.  I love that quote but there is more to it, more on that in a minute.

Often I start off my weekend with a to-do list of no less than 25 Herculean tasks.   I have the best of intentions but by Saturday around 11 am the laundry left in the washer since yesterday is starting to smell mildewy. I just never seem to get it all done.   By mid-day I've decided that yesterday's makeup is still on good enough to get through until tomorrow and what I really need is a nap then a big plate of cheese fries help me power through my afternoon to-do list.  Keeping up with the pile of medical bills, doctor visits and all the regular stuff has been a bit of a challenge. To be brutally honest I really can't do it all by myself.  But fortunately I married someone who understands that.

I think we are ready for the rest of that quote now....

"A real woman can do it all by herself

.....but a real man won't let her."

Nothing sums up Jay better than that.  He has always been there to lighten my load and make my life easier and better.  That hasn't changed even though some days he really hasn't felt like helping out.  He worried a lot about what to do after his transplant when he physically wouldn't be able take care of things.  But he didn't just sit around and worry about it, he made some plans and enlisted some help for us.  Lucky for us he has a wonderful sister Donna.

Donna is one of those amazing people who doesn't just sit around and think of nice things to do, she actually gets out there and does them!  She has helped so many family members including caring for her Grandmother for several months when she was failing.  It really did feel like the Cavalry riding in to save the day when she came from California to stay with us for a few weeks.  All Jay had to do was ask.


The kids and Grandkids have also been around to help.  Like this little guy.  He's got a thing for vacuuming and when he thought nobody was looking he took matters into his own hands.

He had half the kitchen cleaned up before we knew it what was happening.

Some of the other kids stopped by to see Grandpa tonight since he won't be able to see them while his immune system is down.  He had fun scaring them with his central line.  (more on the central line here)

The kids have always been there every step of the way, we really haven't done this alone.  Jay's twins Clayton (on couch) and Amber (standing) and Amber's husband Akbar are there when ever we need anything.  It was great to spend a little normal time with them tonight before our big day tomorrow.

Countless others have been there for us too.  Visiting Teachers and neighbors brought in dinners during the stem cell collection days.  Sometimes it's hard to accept all that kindness but it was really nice to have great leftovers clear through the weekend.  We have one of those amazing first-week-of-the-month home teachers.  No, it's not a myth those kind of home teachers really do exist and they have been there for us body and soul.

When you step back and look at things, it's all about "WE Can Do It"  not "ME Can Do IT".  

We can't thank you all enough for being there with us.  We feel the power of every prayer and positive thought that has come our way and are so blessed to have you all pulling for us. 

Step by step we'll get there,

Jay & Lynn