Our greatest thanks and praise go to God for being steadfast and answering so many prayers for Hilary and our family.  God is true and good and His glory has been shown through all our weaknesses.  Thank you, Father, for delivering Hilary from this tumor!  May we continue to trust in You and all Your ways and wait on You for answers.

 

I am in awe at the many people who pray for us (Hilary, Meagan, Miller, and myself) and want you to know how much we all cherish those prayers.  Thank you all for being an extension of Christ.

 

Thank you Mark for the endless hours you put into keeping Hilary's site updated.  You are our link to all the wonderful praying people that keep us going.  Thank you to Glenda and Dan & Brad for sharing you with us.  We love you guys.

 

To our family for being there for us:  Mom, Patty, Denny, Ann, Tom, Tracy, Leo, Linda, Gordon, Wanda, Dad, Vondell, Carol, Sam, Glenda--There will never be a way to thank you for the support we have in you.  God has truly blessed us with a wonderful family.  Thank you for your undying love for us, especially this past year as we have fought the battles with Hilary against her terrible disease and its many heart-wrenching facets. 

 

To Susan Love and the staff at Hume Imaging for getting the cookbooks to us in such a timely fashion.  Susan, not only have you been an ongoing bridge of support for Hilary, but to me also.  It was not luck that we should happen to find the Heritage Cookbook site; God has opened many doors for us, and you happened to be one of them.  I look forward to meeting you someday and knowing that it will be like seeing an old friend.  Thank you for all of your time and efforts to help our Hilary and our family.  You are a jewel.

 

To Marlene Thiede, who unselfishly gives of her time and effort to bring us dinner so often.  You don't ask what we need, you know the hectic days we've had, and take time out of your own schedule to take care of us.  Thank you, Marlene, for your thoughtfulness and your servant heart.

 

To Greg and Tammy Milligan & Cayla, for the support and love you show us each and every day; for knowing and caring for our family as we were your own.  There have been times when our neighbors watched you as you mowed our yard, and were in awe that our church family cares THAT MUCH to offer us such support.  For helping out with the youth party, and for all the times you've brought meals and taken care of Miller and the girls while I went out of town to help with my brother and his wife that has cancer, I thank you from the depths of my heart.  You all are very special.

 

To the Kellers, who while we were out at doctor's visits & out of town, borrowed our house key from our neighbor, and came to clean our floors and freshen our house for us--you are our angels. 

 

To Bob and Anne Harris for the countless cards of encouragement--these are treasured words I keep in my heart to remind me of the warmth and concern God sends us through you.

 

To Julius, who for some reason, has a sixth sense, and knows when to step in to take care of us.  You have been such a wonderful brother in Christ, but have helped our family more times and more deeply than you will ever know.  I have unending gratitude for you and your skills; for your whole family who is and has been a blessing to me and my family.  God does work in 'mysterious ways.'

 

To Terri Weaver (and her family for so graciously sharing her) for an endless list of help, support, love, concern, and being available to do anything that needs to be done.  You are truly gaining stars in your crown as you give so unselfishly of your time, your heart, your ever-listening ears.  I cannot begin to count the times you've dropped everything to get Hilary to the doctor, to hyperbaric treatments, to MRI's, to school, picked her up from school, made sure she had something to eat so that she could take her insulin, brought us dinner, helped with a youth Christmas party at our house (all 39 kids!), but mainly for helping me through many difficult days--God has blessed me with you and a new friendship. 

 

To all my friends/coworkers in the Education Dept at Baptist Health System; to Lisa for endless support at work, but mainly for keeping me sane each time we found out discouraging news of Hilary while I tried to work; as you picked up the slack in my area and helped coordinate the coverage of classes I was unable to teach; but more than that, the Christian example you are to me by your hugs, your uplifting spirit, and your laughter when all is so tense.  You are my special friend.  To Lori, who works out any problem, and helped me see a way out when I saw none.  You are a wonderful friend, and it's truly hard to see you as my boss.  Thank you for supporting me and Miller in the last year as we have been on the roller coaster of our life!  To Betsy, Coleen, Martha, Carolyn, Peggy, Yvonne, Lucia, and the numerous others that have been praying and keeping my family close to your heart, thank you.

 

Dr. Akright--what a blessing you have been!  I believe you are a God-send. I believe everything happens for a reason, that there are no coincidences, and that you were put in our lives to care for Hilary.  Thank you for your kind heart, for being so compassionate, and quick to respond to Hilary's care.  I am extremely grateful to you and your office for the great level of care and concern given to us.  With deepest gratitude. 

 

There are so many who have touched our lives and have helped us get through so many difficult days, hours, weeks.  I am extremely grateful to Dr. Bogaev, and his office staff (now part of our family!) who has to be the greatest of all.  Tracy who is the coordinator of our life at times, is not only professional, but consistently treats Hilary as if she was the only patient in the office.  Fara, is our nurse angel.  Fara is even concerned about our dogs and asks about our family.  She has called numerous times to check Hilary's condition, has given us her home phone, her cell phone; there is just no way to thank you all enough for the last year of up's and down's that you have pulled us through.  There is no other office in this city (and believe me, we've been to a lot of them!) that cares for their patients and their families as you do.  And wow!  Tracy was on top of getting the largest order of Hilary's cookbooks for us!  Thank you so much for your continuing care, love, and support.

 

For Mary Guerrero, who has been the inspiration for so many of Miller's co-workers in the emergency dept, to give financially to Hilary's medical trust fund, to write to Oprah on Hilary's behalf, to help me get enough hours at work so that I could be out taking care of Hilary after her surgeries; Mary, you are too special for words, and I am so grateful for your smile, your words of sunshine in my life.  You've helped me through many days.  I love you dearly.

 

For Lori Romano (and your patient family, Paul & Lexi), not only for being a true neighbor, but for the constant lending of your ears, the endless days and nights of listening to me about the day's activities, my heartaches of my children and my husband, trying to help me see things in a different light.  I am eternally grateful for your kindness, your honesty, your patience with me, your availability to just sit with me (almost every night for the last year).  Who would do that unless they were an extension of Christ?  You are linked to my heart in ways that no one else is, and for that, I will cherish you always.  Thank you for being you.

 

For my Miller, who is the base of my soul, who has been consistently and faithfully by my side for over 21 years, who knows my heart inside and out, who puts me on the pedestal of his life and cherishes me fully, I thank you.  I am hopeful that 2006 will bring many wondrous and miraculous times for us, as I am thankful for your never-ending perseverance and diligence in taking care of our family so well this past year.  Thank you for your dedication to our family.

 

For Meagan, my first born, I am so grateful to you for enduring the difficulties you've had, but yet prevailing over them and counting your blessings all along.  You are such an encouragement to me; for reassuring me in sad times, in the times of caring for Ann, and letting me know that I was where I was needed, and that things would work out.  I am so thankful that God has given you to me for this life and I am looking forward to seeing you grow into such a caring, giving, and loving person.  You have been such a giant support for Hilary this last year--sometimes nothing will do but a sister.  You are a wonderful sister to Hilary and an even more special daughter to me--I am thankful to be called "Mom" by you.

 

Hilary, there are no words to express how I feel about you, your attitude, and your heart.  It seems that during these trying times this whole past year, you made an extra effort to be uplifting and sunshiney to us all.  I am thankful for you and your progress--my heart is definitely lighter--and I am mostly thankful that God gave you to me to care for.  What an inspiration you are to so many people.  You have written a cookbook (before me!) and maintained your unselfish ways, as you made dinner almost every night, and took care of me, Meagan, and Daddy.  You are an amazing teenager!  Thank you for keeping your sparkle, for loving and caring for us even in your own times of need. 

 

I know there are so many that I can't even begin to name that have been there for us this whole time.  Forgive me if I leave off names, as my mind isn't always as clear as I need it to be.  I am grateful to everyone who continues to hold our family up in prayer, and especially holds Hilary up to God that she might one day be rid of this disease. 

With loving thanks,
Connie