Thank you

From Brad -

Thank you...

To everyone who helped make this chapter of our lives what it turned out to be. Big or small your contribution was invaluable, and I can't thank you enough for everything you did. I'd love to tell each of you "thank you" to your face, but there are simply too many of you and I'm afraid I'd cry with too many of the hugs given and received.

To our family, who was there during the surgery, that shared moments of tension and tears with us. To that same family that provided needed moments of levity in between surgery updates.

To those who gave us cash to help make the trip.

To those of you that gave Visa and AmEx gift cards.

To those of you that gave restaurant gift cards so that Stephanie & I could step away and enjoy time with each other.

To those that gave fast food gift cards for the convenience of a quick, easy warm meal.

To everyone that provided snacks for us to eat while we spent hour after hour in the hospital.

To those that provided games, DVDs, and magazines for us to pass the sporadic moments of down time.

To the maker of the lasagna that allowed all 14 members of our visiting family to enjoy a meal together at the Residence Inn without the expense of a restaurant.

To the lady who gave enough money to cover a night at Ronald McDonald house.

To my work and my auditors for the "get well soon" balloons and bears.

To everyone else that helped build Caleb's stuffed animal collection.

To anyone who has ever given their time or resources to a Ronald McDonald House including the staff and volunteers that helped us directly and cooked several meals for us. They saved us money and time, but more than that, they made the stay bearable.

To a college friend for driving over from Fort Worth to help me "feel encouraged".

To a college friend of Stephanie's for stopping in to chat.

To a friend that walked a very similar path four years ago who has proven to be a great blessing to me in preparing me for this journey.

To the DSACO parent that has explained to me so much of what to expect so far into this journey. Great advice on taking onesies/sleepers with snaps so the wires could string out.

To the family of a dear friend that brought two dinners to us when my friend couldn't make it himself because he lives out of state.

To another dear friend for telling me that he was so anxious to have the heart surgery behind "us". And that "we" will all feel better once it's done. The use of those two words: "us" and "we" are big words to me. I'm not in this alone.

To our families that drove home that point by their interest and involvement.

To every person who has texted or called or emailed. Each conversation helped me cope, encouraged me, strengthened me, or gave me a healthy distraction at the right time.

To the minister who sends out daily bible verses... some were more than coincidentally appropriate for the day.

To our neighbors for watching our house for us, taking care of our trash, and picking up our mail.

To Mended Little Hearts for the hospital survival kit.

To the friend that quilted Caleb a hospital blanket.

To my nurse friends for the hospital survival tips.

To the family member that reminded me that Caleb was born into the "right family".

To the family member that encouraged me to be the best dad I could possibly be regardless of circumstance.

To the friends and family that remind me that everything will be okay.

To every person that Caleb has met that agrees he's the cutest kid around. Your smiles and love for Caleb is encouraging and infectious.

To the friends that have let me dump heavy things on them. To those same friends that have encouraged me to stay the course, but to only focus on the immediate.

To our new Edmond Oklahoma heart surgery family for walking this road with us and allowing us to walk through your journey with you.

To her sister for writing a great blog post that really hit home.

To Piper, Gus, Channing, Peyton, Graham, Daniel, Kaitlyn and Kamri for praying for your friend Caleb and/or for sending him Valentines cards.

To my parents for helping us haul everything back home.

To my inlaws for the hospital visits and the meals.

To Dr. Forbess and his team for their passion and expertise.

To Haley, our nurse who carted us down to get the CT scan while Caleb was having spasms and advocated for him to get an EEG immediately instead of tomorrow. I'll never forget that day or that nurse. We had a lot of other great nurses too... Pat, Melissa, Alisha, Kellye

To each and every one of you who read this blog, even if I do not know you or know where you are. Knowing that you care enough to read means a lot.

To my wife... I love you and appreciate you more now than ever. You are strong when I am weak. You ground me. You bring balance to me. You bring calm to me. You bring me love. You bring joy to me every day. I am proud of you. I couldn't have done this without you and won't be able to handle the next chapter without you. You are a fabulous mom. It was built into you. I am lucky to call you mine.

To God, my Savior. Through Him, all things are possible. Through Him, I get my strength. Through Him, I find love. Through Him, I get peace. Through Him, I have hope.

To everyone who has lifted us up in prayer.... Thank you!

I may never be able to show you how much I appreciate your contributions, large or small, tangible or spiritual. Please know... I'm glad you are following along with us on the ride to celebrate the highs and grieve the lows. To you, I am thankful.