Snow!!!

The snow just kept coming down last night! I am not sure about exact levels but I have not seen snow like this fall in a one-day period in the Richmond area in a LONG time. We will surely set some records here.

It is almost 9 AM and it's still snowing! It's been going pretty steadily since 5 PM.

Those of you who live in the Richmond area know that while snows like this can happen, they are rare and far between. When we do get snow like this, it is typically in January or February, not December. Here's where I am going with this: this snow is a gift for Charlotte! I am sure it will be her last snowfall and while she won't be getting out and playing in it, she can see it from her window. Is it also a coincidence that Frosty the Snowman was on TV last night? I think not! I have asked everyone on the CJSTUF facebook page to build a snowman for CJ today (if you live where there is snow). You can upload a "fan picture" on the Facebook page as well so we can see your creations.

It's the little gifts.

Charlotte woke up about 11 PM last night as I was giving her meds and she drank a good bit of chocolate milk again. She's been drinking and stirring off and on all evening. I went to sleep about midnight but Roger was up with her and did her 3 AM meds. I woke up to find that two police cars were in our cul de sac (called out to one of the houses for some reason). With all the snow, they actually got stuck! Roger went out at one point and tried to help dig them out. A snowplow came through (which I am sure was a result of the policemen calling them out. There is no way they would come to our street at this point.) but it didn't seem to help. Anyway, at some point, the cops got everything fixed and were able to leave. THAT's how crazy this snow is!

I stayed up with her after 3 and got some sleep on the trundle bed next to hers. I put the Spa Radio channel from Pandora (on my iphone) on and the music was so relaxing. We were both snoozing.

We had some good mother/daughter moments around 7 this morning as I gave her next dose of meds. We have the morphine pump but I told our nurse to take her time getting out here today. I know the weather has made things nasty and we are doing ok.

A few folks did sign up for early morning reading but the weather has canned that as well. All is good! If you have signed up for any time this weekend and cannot make it due to weather, please just come when you can. You may call or email us ahead of time if you want to check. We completely understand. On the other hand, if you live in the neighborhood and want to venture out, come on down to Slash Court! We'll have a coffee/cocoa party!

She has been drinking the chocolate milk off and on and I actually stepped away from posting this for a bit because she has started talking pretty well. She is fairly alert and saying little things to us, answering questions and smiling. She is comfortable. That is good!

I had posted yesterday that we found a group of people (three separate people, actually) step up to help the family in Denver. Well, I received a great email last night from my high school friend Cara in Florida about this and I had to share. Her email text follows:

Just wanted to share six degrees of CJ that gave me chills today.

My good friend Katie lost her mom to lung cancer on December 22nd last year, so we've been talking some lately about doing something to honor her mom in some way, and Katie really wanted to find someone struggling through a similar situation that she could help in her mom's name. Of course Charlotte came up when we were discussing all this. Remembering that Katie and her family lived in Denver for years, I mentioned the family that you had "shouted out" for thinking Katie might know someone up there who could help out.

Today was a half day at my boys' school, so we met Katie and her 3 kiddoes at the mall for lunch and a Santa visit. Katie told me about her best friend from Denver, who is a mom of twins and who's "Moms of Multiples" group had money to give burning a hole in their pockets. Katie GLOWED when she was saying how her friend jumped onto the opportunity to help the family you know from Houston. What are the chances that these things happen? (This, to me, is how God works).

So a mom from Richmond who grew up in Port Orange travels to Houston for treatment for her little girl, and meets a family from Denver in desperate need. A high school friend of the Richmond mom has a friend raising her kids in Port Orange but who lived in Denver for years. This friend lost her mom last Christmas to lung cancer, and was searching for a way to pay it forward and honor her mom. So she calls her Denver best friend and hooks her up with the Denver mom thanks to the Richmond mom's thoughtfulness and caring in her OWN time of desperate need.

Thanks to Charlotte. And you.

Did you follow all that? This is what we want CJSTUF to be about. This is "where it's at". I am constantly amazed at the way the Holy Spirit works within our lives and within our communities to help us help each other. Complete strangers have been drawn together from all over the country and all over the world. Now they are not just helping us but reaching out to help others. Charlotte is the catalyst but YOU are the engines. The Holy Spirit is the fuel to keep that oil burning! And it never runs dry!

There's your Guideposts spiritual moment for the day. If you are somewhere there is snow, stay home if you can and be safe if you must go out. If you are somewhere sunny and warm (or at least sunny), enjoy the day and think Frosty the Snowman thoughts!

HUGS,
Rachel