Super Date for Super Nate

Wow!  Really, wow!  I will never be able to express in words how Chris and I (and the rest of our family) feel after Nate's event last night.  It was nothing short of completely incredible.  There were SO many people there...I guess the final count was over 300!  The line to get in was wrapped around the building and there was a constant line all night for dinner.  There were so many people that we knew and that we did not know...all there to support a sweet little boy fighting with all his might.  Miss Arizona was there and she is a beautiful person inside and out, who truly cares for and does a lot to support children with life threatening illnesses.  The parent's of another little fighter, Elizabeth (the family who delivered the Elf on the Shelf), were there and we were finally able to officially meet.  High school friends, who I haven't seen since high school and my good friend Stephanie even surprised me and came from Houston.  So...many...people.  Thank you so much to everyone who came out to support Nate.  There were so many people that I don't think I could have said hello to and met everyone, but your love and support means so much.

It took so much work and love for this event to come together, I don't think I even know the extent of it.  There were so many people involved that we don't even know where to start thanking people.  Coach and Willies was completely amazing.  Not only did the owner, Eric, selflessly donate the restaurant time and space for the event...but, the manager, Jason, helped our family and friends in an endless number of ways to put this on.  He helped plan, sat through meetings with them and fed them.  Have I mentioned that the food is delicious!  Really, an incredible business with some REALLY incredible people behind it.

There were SO MANY raffle and silent auction items that I really wasn't able to look at every single item.  There were just too many...and they were all incredible.  I was told that everyone who gave an auction item, gave without hesitation and without question.  Such complete and total generosity, like I have never seen before.

Then there is the Super Crew!  All the people who spent endless hours planning and preparing for this event...have I said incredible yet?!  Everyone couldn't believe how well run, professional, and most of all FUN, the event was.  They did the most phenomenal job!  I only have an inkling of how much work this was to put together. Emily, Alison & Joe, Lily, Taylor, Gary & Sandy, Mary & Dave, Donna & Ray, Kim & George, Liz & Chris, John & Barb and Shay...you are all, simply the best!  We also want to thank Sean & Jen, for their love and support and for getting everyone together at the very beginning.

I tried to thank everyone at the event and I got most of my words out, around my crying, though I'm not sure if anything made sense around all the blubbering.  The fortune Nate is holding, in the picture above (the best of the bunch) says, "Focus on your long-term goal".  That is precisely what you all are giving us the privilege to do.  Focus on Nate's long-term goal...being CANCER FREE FOR LIFE.  As we've learned over the last 6 months, the road to this goal is twisty and turny and rocky as hell.  At the beginning of this journey we had so many questions.  How were we going to get Nate through this?  How were we going to continue to work, pay the bills, take care of our house, pets, our other children?  How were we going to be able to make sure that Nate got the absolute best care, to ensure that he would beat this forever?  Getting Nate through these treatments is hard, really hard.  It's more than a full time job.  You all have taken so much of the burdens, big and small, from us.  Everything from meals, to laundry, childcare and finances.  This event raised so much more money then Chris or I could ever have hoped or dreamed for Nate's care.  We really feel like we can now financially handle any curve balls this treatment throws at us.  This frees up so much of our head, heart and soul to now solely concentrate on Nate.

Our sweet little boy was well taken care of at the hospital last night by Tracy, who once again selflessly offered to miss the event and take care of Nate, so that Chris and I could attend.  I wished that we could have brought him, for everyone to meet.  Once again, cancer treatment had other plans.  He would have liked seeing his face everywhere, but honestly would have had no idea what the night truly meant.  Can you imagine, Nate as grown man, fully comprehending the love and support he received as a 3 year old child in the fight of his life?

I will tell him this story every day.  The story of an entire community of people who came together to love, support and lift up a special little boy and his family in their time of need.  An entire community of the most giving, kind hearted, generous, truly caring people I've ever met.  I hope he will grow up knowing how special he is and how important it is to take care of others, in any way possible.  There have been times in my life that I wondered if there was any good left in the world.  After this experience and especially seeing and feeling it all together in one place last night, I will never question the good in the world again.  There are so many beautiful people out there.

We are truly blessed to have so many of you beautiful people in our corner.  The love and support we feel from all of you every day, and especially feeling it all in one place last night, is just what we need to help us get Nate throught this next, most difficult part of his journey.

I know that I am not adequately expressing our gratitude to everyone who came, gave and helped plan this event last night.  Words can not express our feelings.  If you were there, I think you know.  You could feel the love in the air for miles around.