Auntie Leslie

Proverbs 18:24 says, "Friends come and friends go, but a true friend sticks by you like family."  This true friend is of course a reference to Christ, but God also grants us friends like family here on earth, which is blessing beyond what we deserve.  We have been blessed through the years with many wonderful friends like family, but I want to take a minute to highlight our very good friend like family, Leslie.  

Leslie lives in Boston and within a week of Jonah's diagnosis, she was on a plane to be with us.  Those were crazy blurry days, so I don't remember a lot of details, but I remember she came, she sat in our sorrow, she loved our kids, she brought me coffee every morning and she didn't need anything.  A few weeks later she came back again.  This time, Liz was on vacation and we needed extra adult hands.  Leslie stepped in and filled the gap, helping the kids get to their different activities, getting homework done and making the kids feel like they matter.  Recently she came back again.  This time she enjoyed time with the family, making memories and playing games.  Already she's talking about coming back in the spring.  A friend like family.

Leslie is the one who turned me onto Kara Tippetts, a women I obviously never met, but spoke words that resonate deeply with me.  She texts often and offers me mindless distractions with online Qwirkle.  She reminds me to keep my eye on Christ with stories like this:

When we talk about dropping a stone into the water, we often talk about the ripples we see as a result. But what if it's not a stone that drops in the water? What if it's one of your most precious jewels that you love and value, and that is what is dropped into the water? From that we have two choices. We can stare at where the jewel was dropped and focus only on that space, or we can look at those ripples and see what God is doing. We ache for the drop of that jewel but we still get to see what God is doing . . 

Blessing upon blessing is this friend.  I'm sure she's red in the face at so much attention, but sometimes you just have to face the truth.  Thank you Leslie for being a friend who is sticking by like family.  Thank your for the sacrifices you are making to literally walk this journey with us, thank you for being there to help carry our umbrella.  Thank you also to the many benefactors (you know who you are, and I mostly know who you are) who have made all of Leslie's trips possible. You have helped pay for plane tickets, taxi cabs, my coffee habit and more.  We recognize your support of Leslie as support of us.  We know that with your kids at home your presence is much more complicated.  Sending Leslie as your gift of love is an overwhelming blessing.  

We may never actually deserve the friends that God has blessed us with, but we will be forever grateful.  

Leslie and Noah goofing around

Ohhh, Anna & Leslie aren't too sure about this picture

At the beginning of this journey there was a lot of waiting in the family room.  In these days, Jonah was in the PICU and the number of bedside visitors was restricted.  We had a lot of visitors during the PICU days and the kids spent a lot of time waiting in the family room.

Sweet hand-holding

The kids made their own moments during all of their waiting

These early pictures are hard to look at, hard to remember, but they are part of the journey that we're all walking together.

 Jonah, Cowie & Kyle having a meeting of the minds.

Julia's always good for a selfie

As is Anna

Jonah's earliest laughter was brought on by minions.  He found it especially delightful that Kyle wanted to eat the minions

Everyone loves Kyle

Sometimes walking this journey does actually allow for a little sunlight, and always coffee!

Leslie caught the kids enjoying a special moment together

Jonah and Kyle having a conversation.  Jonah loved that Kyle was wearing his #teamjonahgoodall shirt

Leslie loved that Jonah was "all in" to his sensory play at RIC

Glasses twinsies

Ahhh, this is only a temporary good-bye