Candlelighter's/Kruse Way Rotary Miracle

Yes, this is a long post, but please read all the way through to the end for what we hope is as much of a blessing to you as it is to us. No peaking, read all the way through...

As many of you know, there is this great organization called Candlelighters that helps families with kiddos with cancer. It has meant so much to us that we have chosen to spend a lot of our time and effort in support of the organization. We are on a committee that puts together a free summer camp for kiddos AND their families every year, it is the organization that daddy spent 8 days driving all over Oregon in support of Bicycle Riders earning money for them, and it is an organization in which we spend one day a week putting on meals in the two local hospitals with kiddo oncology wards so the families stuck in the hospital can have a "real" meal. The meals meant SO much to us when we were in the hospital. The girls can both say (barely) Candlelighters and show off their T-Shirts or Sweatshirts from Candlelighter events and they smile anytime it is mentioned. Well today was Candlelighters Christmas party put on at a local hotel ballroom and sponsored mainly by Kruse Way Rotary. Thank you Candlelighters. THANK YOU Kruse Way Rotary.

There were MANY things going including clowns, face painting, entertainment, food and drink, and of course, visits with Santa and Mrs. Clause. Rebekah REALLY enjoyed petting some of the reptiles they had there: Yes, that is a VERY large snake and also a tortise. It was pretty cool. Sarah obviously enjoyed the punch:

While there we met up with good friend Josh, another Ewing's Kiddo. He and Rebekah were diagnosed at almost the same time and it is no minor miracle that they are both here with us today: Rebekah and Sarah got to sit with Santa and Mrs. Clause and received some presents from them: We were apparently bad parents for making the girls come home with their presents still unopened, but there were just too many things to try and carry without new parts and and pieces falling out of new toys. They did get to open them when they got home thought - I guess Christmas has come REAL early. Around here that is not big news as Christmas comes everyday we wake up with our little girl, even if we sometimes forget to remember that. After dinner there was a blow up bouncy house and slide. The slide was a good 8-10 feet high INSIDE where the kids got to slide down and as you can see Rebekah LOVED it: It is not suprising that Rebekah loved it so much as she loves slides. But what was so surprising is how she got there. As a reminder and to describe the situation for those new to the site. This is a little girl that, due to her Cancer treatments and Cerebral Palsy, still needs help climbing regular steps and can climb playground structures (with big steps) only with help as her balance and leg/arm/hand strenght frequently cause her to fall down/off backward so she obviously needs a CONSTANT assistant to stay safe on even the smallest of playground structures. With that said, let me show you how Rebekah got to the top of this slide:

Daddy was brought to tears, not just a slight hint of water but SOBBING tears right there in front of 100's of people as this miracle unfolded before his eyes. And she did it again, again, and again. After the first few times she kept repeating "No daddy no help, myself, myself." It may seem small to many of you, but this yet another Candlelighter's Miracle for us.