Carried

We came home jet lagged and weary, and you carried us.  We slept all day, loved on four little, attention-needing souls,  ran to lots of medical exams and had a hospital stay and you carried us.

 

  The kindnesses kicked off with Jen and Mike who left us a basket filled with Christmas fun since they were travelling when we arrived home.  THREE types of chocolate, people.  Chocolate always carries!

 

Our friend Angela is service hearted, with a masters degree in living in community.  She rallied the troops and a meal train was formed for ALL of December. ( We even have a couple  meals coming in January!  Can't believe it!)  We are so humbled, and so immensely grateful.  On several days when I could only claim to have accomplished getting everyone dressed, knowing dinner was coming was a huge blessing.  On days when fears were flowing, meals were emotional comfort.  During the hospital stay, meals were life.  Seeing the smiling faces of friends every single night carried us and blessed us so that we could focus on little ones in transition.

Oh, how you can cook!  We had Mexican casseroles, fried chicken and rotisserie chicken, homemade apple pie, lasagna, cookies, fruit, green beans, casseroles, lemon chicken in wine sauce, meatloaf, chili, chicken noodle soup, Christmas treats, rice, salad and all kinds of rolls.  The kids literally SQUEALED each night when the doorbell rang (Am I right, Autumn?!).   I might have dropped a few tears of gratitude as well.  Sitting around our table each night eating these meals was a blessing.  Carried. 

 

 



The blessing continued at Christmas, when my parents showed up to cook a special prime rib dinner, and then kept cooking, cleaning and playing while we started to clean a house that hadn't been cleaned sense early November....or October?!  They even left a pot a stew for the day AFTER they left.  Carried.

Baklava.  Layer upon layer of honey, crushed pecans and phyllo dough.  Our supper club pal and baker extraordinaire, Ashley, must have spent HOURS making this deliciousness.  It came WITH dinner and all kinds of hand-me- down boy toys.  We can not even take in that kindness.  Carried.

 



 



Neighbors brought homemade bread and gift cards.  Handmade verse cards encouraged us as they hung from our bathroom mirror thanks to Heather, my sweet poppyseed chicken making,  Bible study friend.  Carried. 


Our chef friend, Kari, left dinner waiting on our back porch when the girls and I returned home late in the evening from admitting Evie to the hospital.  Meatloaf and mashed potatoes never were so comforting.  Carried.

The amazing Jill dropped off an Advent devotional, made us photo magnets from our trip and created our trip video.  Seriously?!  Our church left t-shirts for the little people.  Rachael made us dinner despite our best effort, though she has a new foster son.  Angela and Jen babysat our girls multiple times during dr's appointments.   Carried. 

 

 

Trish made a banana bread with her meal that was the only thing Evie ate for a week.  She then brought over another WARM batch the morning after we got home from the hospital. She can encourage like no other.  Carried.  

 

HUGE hearted Brooke ordered us a Cracker Barrel dinner (woot, woot!), brought Christmas craft kits for the girls and made personalized tubs of gifts for Eli and Evie.  This girl gives and gives some more.  Another cool part of the story?  As she was leaving work to pick up this fabulous meal, she told her manager what her plans were.  That generous manager then BOUGHT OUR MEAL!  Carried. 

 
 

The big brown truck MADE OUR WEEK when he brought this tin filled with sugary beauties from kind-hearted, distant family members that we've never met! Thank you, Priori family!   If only we could have captured the kids' expressions when they peered over the box at this Christmas cookie perfection.  Carried. 

Fun thanks to the Wilcox family for sending an Advent calendar full of crafts and these crazy cute matching jammers!  Comfort is high on the priority list with this team, so you blessed us perfectly. PJs carry big time!

Thank you, friends.  We are overwhelmed by your kindness.  Humbled and challenged to love you so well in return.  We KNOW meal making is hard work, so THANK YOU, thank you, thank you!  Every single thing was appreciated.   Your kindness was not small to us and your generosity was yet more evidence of God's great provision. 

 

We are blessed up and truly felt carried during a sweet, tiring, crazy and challenging time.  We promise to carry you right back.  Thanks for doing life with us.  Recipes, please.

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2