Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

I have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! I have the most amazing kids ever :) I have a warm home to live in with family that absolutely love us and surround us in laughter, smiles, hugs and support. I always love this holiday not just because of the food and feel of fall- but how much it reminds us of all that we have and all that we have been blessed with. This day has always been more special to me than any other holiday because of this handsome boy..........
It was 7 years ago on Thanksgiving Day that we were released to take him home from Doernbecher Children's Hospital. I will never forget how scared I was when he was so sick. As I sat in his hospital room in the ICU here at our local hospital, I knew that something was truly wrong that they were not seeing. As they began talking about sending him home and letting him recover at home, I began praying. Praying that someone would think of some other test, some other reason to keep him longer. As the time went on I began to feel helpless. I knew that he was not okay. About that time my Heavenly Father blessed us with Dr. Harrison. I will never forget her walking into his room and saying that she had gotten home a little earlier than planned from her trip and she felt the need to stop in and check on Devin. Within no time at all, she had ordered an ultrasound on him. I thought to myself- why an ultrasound? After she began looking she knew right away that he needed to be flown to Doernbechers immediately. His intestines had folded inside of themselves like a telescope. That is why he was pooping blood and throwing up blood. So they began getting him ready as the Life flight crew huddled in to his tiny room, my emotions began to flow. I was scared and didn't know if he was going to be alright. As we made our way down those white, crispy lonely hallways with him on the stretcher I began to cry. I will never in my life forget the people that helped us along the way. I remember when we were up in flight with him, he began to really go down hill rapidly. The man sitting across from me (Chris) told me to prepare myself. Really? prepare myself? How in the world can anyone do that? I didn't even look at him, but just stared out at the clouds. I had a numb feeling, yet "it is going to be alright" feeling that came over me. But he didn't mind. He sat there with me, comforting me. Asking me if I believed in God. He knew what I needed at that moment. And although he was there for me and with me for only a total of one hour or maybe a little more- he was family to me. So were the other two on board that flight. It was so hard for them to leave. But as it was done the whole time, Heavenly Father was looking after me because the minute they left, there stood my grandpa and aunt dawn. They sat with me through his surgery and waited with me until my mom and sister and Ryan and his mom arrived. The next few days after his surgery were ups and downs. He was so swollen and yellow from his kidney failure and word was coming in about the possibility of brain damage because he wasn't waking up. Yet again though- Heavenly Father blessed us. He eventually woke up and became well enough that they moved him from the amazing NICU down to another ward to recover! It is so hard to be a mother and watch your child lay in pain and not know how to help. One of my greatest memories though of his recovery was the moment he smiled again for the first time. He was given a stuffed skunk from a nurse named George. George is the most well known nurse I think at that whole hospital. He is the one to bring a smile to everyones face. Well, George was with us through his surgeries and gave him that little stuffed animal, and kept checking on him. So my sister picked the skunk up one day and was trying to play with Devin. Up and down that thing went, till she flew it up and over into his hospital crib where it landed next to him and he began to giggle. Over and over she did it. It was the best feeling in the world! So on this Thanksgiving Day, 7 years ago, I got to bring my little boy- home to my aunt and uncles house to celebrate! What an amazing gift.......and to Dr. Silen, George, Chris, Maggie and all the other staff that helped with Devin, along with all the family and friends that were there in support....THANK YOU! I will never forget you all and all that you have blessed me with. I will forever be grateful for your knowledge and strength, your love and faith and your devotion. For it is because of you and my Heavenly Father that I have a happy and healthy 7 year old boy! One who smiles and loves life to its fullest :)