Leap of Faith

Mason and his beautiful baby blue eyes!!!

At this time I feel I am not only WALKING BY FAITH, but also taking the largest LEAP OF FAITH I have ever taken in my entire life. And, hopefully will ever have to take in my entire life! Decisions have been made, dates have been set, airline tickets purchased, childcare plans confirmed, and an agreement in place w/ Mr. Mom (Mark) to take over VERY SOON.

For those of you who don't know me very well, or only through the blog, I will explain how HUGE this is for me to leave my other four kids behind as Mason and I head to Stanford to await his new heart! I NEVER take girls' nights outs, let alone a girls' weekend away. I can count on 2 fingers the times Mark and I have taken an overnighter away from the kids. & the only other times I've spent the night away from my kiddos is when I've spent the night in the hospital with Mason. But, even then I never went more than 24 hours without seeing them. Since Primary's is only a 45 minute drive they could just come visit with Dad or Grandma. Now, don't feel sorry for me because this has been my choice not to get away...... I LOVE more than words can express my job as a full time mother and just have always found it hard to leave my kiddos, even for 1 night!!! (To those of you who do take girls' nights out etc...I do admire you though...because I know it's good for the soul!!!)

So, to leave my children for an infinite number of months in the care of someone else is going to be VERY hard for me!!! It makes me cry right now just writing about it. Mason and I will miss the kids and Mark very much.

But, to help my Miracle Mason receive a new heart with hopes of a much better quality of life and more time here on earth with us, I feel will be All WORTH IT!!!

I know I could not do this with out the knowledge of a Heavenly Father and without faith that He will comfort us as we are away from our family, and comfort those at home whom we are leaving behind.

Here are our plans:

On February 16th Mason and I will head to the airport with 2 suitcases, a carry on, a feeding pump, and a portable O2 concentrator. Yes, that's right, we will be living out of 2 suitcases for MONTHS. (I almost feel like I'm going on another mission like I had at age 21., when for 18 months I lived out of 2 suitcases. Only worse, It will be 2 of us using 2 suitcases!!!)

We will hug and kiss our family at the gate and board a plane to Stanford (well, to San Jose California) with I'm sure many, many tears!

Stanford University

(picture copied from stanford.edu)

I will leave my kiddos during the day (before and after school) in the care of Sammi. Whom my kids LOVE!!! She was our full time babysitter two summers ago. We couldn't be more thrilled or excited that she is moving back from Vegas to help us!!!! Grandmas, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and neighbors will also help and be of great support, but with Sammi they will have consistency everyday in our own home. ("THANK YOU SAMMI, MORE THAN YOU'LL EVER KNOW!!!!")

In the evenings, Mark will put on a new hat as 'Mr. Mom' after a long day at work. To him I want to also say "Thank you! Thank you with all my heart for all you do, and especially right now that you will be here to give the kids your love AND mine while I am gone!" He will most certainly fly to Pal Alto when Mason goes in for his transplant surgery, and other times to visit when he can sneak away.

I must say I'm overwhelmed with emotions at this time. Happiness, because I feel so strongly this is the right thing to do. Sadness, because I will miss extremely everyone at home. Stressed, because I have so much that I need to get done in the next 10 days ( not to mention celebrating Braiden's and Ammon's February birthdays). Grateful, because of the outpouring of support we are continuously given. Nervous, because Mason still has to have a positive Chest CT once we get to Stanford before they will list him. Hopeful, because we have been given new HOPE w/ an amazing medical option that may save our baby's life.

I recently read a talk by President Gordon B. Hinkley titled "The Faith to Move Mountains" and I found the following quote to be very appropriate to our families LEAP OF FAITH at this time:

"May the Lord bless us with faith in the great cause of which we are a part. May faith be as a candle to guide us in the night by its light. May it go before us as a cloud in the day."

Thank you for all your prayers which I know have given our family the strengthened FAITH and HOPE we have needed to move forward into our newest chapter of MIRACLE MASON'S JOURNEY

*********************And an additional extra special thank you to a wonderful friend who purchased mine and Mason's airline tickets with their flight miles as a gift to us!!!*************************

****One last thing, because many of you have been asking.....................The new date of Miracle Mason's Benefit Dinner will be announced soon on our blog. Keep checking back in for the details. I'm assuming some time in March or April.