Do You Have Room? (New Christmas Song)

Merry Christmas!

This week we are celebrating the Savior's birth and I have so many reflections and blessings that I am so thankful for. I am so grateful to Eric's donor whom I think of daily, how much love and gratitude we have in our hearts for the Miracle of saving Eric's life by becoming his donor.

We are so blessed to be here at this point of our " Journey of Hope" Eric responding and doing well the doctors tell us they are very pleased with his progress. He went to the doctor the other day and his white cell count is 3.6 , red cells counts 4.41 with his platelets at 109. He is doing well, energy is getting better and loving working and being back to normal life.

Last year it was such a different Christmas for us. We had just brought Eric home and he was not doing to well, the nurses were coming in daily to take care of him and he was pretty weak. What a difference a year can make. We are so grateful to the Lord for allowing Eric more time with us as a family, for blessing us with his donor, for allowing hid body strength to continue fighting despite what the doctors were telling us and the test results were saying. We know we have had many blessings to be so thankful for.

I hope all of you have a Merry Christmas and take the time as you are spending the Holidays with your family and loved ones to reflect on the Savior and his birth and all he has done for all of us. I posted this beautiful video about the Savior last Christmas on my blog and I love this so much I shared it with the Young Women in our Ward this past Sunday. I think it is an amazing reminder of the Savior's birth and us allowing him in our lives. I am posting it again and hope that you all enjoy it- it is one of our family's favorites! Merry Christmas and I hope we all have room for the Savior in our lives! I hope we all remember " Each of us is an innkeeper who decides if there is room for Jesus." - Neal A. Maxwell

I Know That My Redeemer Lives

A year ago.....

A year ago tomorrow was the exact the day Eric and I fly home from Texas from his bone marrow transplant. I will never forget that day, we boarded the plane and Eric looked at me and started to cry as we took off and said" We are going home, can you believe it?" " I didn't know when I flew down here if I would be able to make this flight home."

Our hearts were so full of joy and grateful that Eric was well enough to come home again, to be a family again and see his kids. I remember on that long flight I kept looking at Eric sleeping and saying so many prayers, thanking the Lord, thanking his donor and asking for continued strength for Eric and his body. I remember it was a short day of being home when we also got bad news that he was rejecting his bone marrow transplant however after a week of fasting and prayers we received another amazing blessing- a Christmas Miracle he was 99% grafted with his donors cells and no cell abnormalities despite the tests results the prior week.

Another amazing reminder of what the Lord has given us and the continued blessings we receive. I can not help but reflect on the dates, the mile stones and the past hardest year of our lives with such gratitude in my heart to the Lord. I remember when Eric was first diagnosed with his cancer back in June 19,2002 he was in the hospital undergoing high dose chemo therapy and Elder Neal A. Maxwell called us at his hospital room and told me that he and the Quorum of the Twelve wanted to take Eric name in the temple that week and perform a special fast on Eric's behalf. The blessings the gospel brings and continues to bring to our lives amazes me.

I am so grateful to be on this part of our " Journey of Hope" for Eric, to be home a year from then and Eric responding so well. He is as his doctors tell us all the time a MIRACLE! I could not have been blessed more to be given the amazing blessing to be his wife, eternal companion which I cherish daily. I am so grateful to his donor whom we will get to meet in about 9 months from now, what an amazing gift- the gift of life you have given us! Christ like unconditional love, there are no words to express enough our love and gratitude.

One of Eric's favorite songs and mine as well is " I Know That My Redeemer Lives" Eric had told me he wanted this song to be sung at his funeral, he told me that it gives him great peace. I am so grateful that I did not have to plan that at this time but I know this is a beautiful song that will someday be sung at his funeral. Many times while at Eric's hospital bed side I would be crying and pleading with the Lord and listen to this very song, Eric is right the peace it provides. I know the Lord provides these beautiful songs to bring us comfort and peace in time of need. I am attaching this amazing song and video that I hope you will watch and feel the peace and comfort we feel when we listen to this beautiful song. Please click on the video/ song link that I am posting to watch and listen to it.

We are so grateful for all our blessings and thank all of you whom have shown unconditional love and support. Thanks for continuing with us on our " Journey of Hope"