A "Say Good-bye to Cancer" Party

As many of you know, last January my much beloved sister-in-law, Kelly, was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer. To say that this diagnosis came as a shock, is a gross understatement. We were out of our minds with disbelief and just overwhelming sadness when we first found out. Kelly and her family are a huge part of our lives -- she is a second mother to our children and the center of Mike's family since his parents' divorce. She and her husband and four children live in on the farm that Mike grew up on, and it is the place for many holiday gatherings and family get-togethers. Besides being a wife and mom, she is also a kindergarten teacher and an active member of her church. I can honestly tell you that there are few people that I know that are beloved as she is by pretty much anyone who has been able to spend even five minutes with her. Every where I go there is at least some stranger who asks me if I know Kelly, and if I can give them an update on how she is doing. I can't tell you how many times someone has approached me to tell me how special they think Kelly is and how they are praying for her. In fact, her mother-in-law told me, while we were setting up for the party, that the greeter at Walmart walked up to her and told her that Kelly has had an amazing influence over not only the staff of Walmart, but also the shoppers. This woman had seen Kelly asked by strangers about her cancer, and shared that Kelly had been so gracious and open about her journey.

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About mid-way through Kelly's chemotherapy, I had the thought that there should really be a major party at the end of all of this. Kelly had just been such a trooper, going back to work within weeks of her diagnosis, and continued to work despite undergoing a rigorous treatment schedule. She also had to endure many, many tests, most of them not very comfortable, and, of course, she lost all of her beautiful hair. When I asked her what she thought about a party, she got very excited. In my mind I thought we would have just a simple family gathering, but as time went on I really felt like I wanted to include all of the people that have been supporting Kelly's family, from the church members who were bringing in meals, friends who were sending letters and gifts, co-workers who were rooting for her recovery, and just everyone who was praying for and loving this family.

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Kelly and I picked the date, my other sister-in-law made the invitations, and we sent them out to more than 100 people. The party was an outdoor potluck and we provided barbecue chicken. I was amazed that we had nearly 100 people come. It was a huge crowd. Every time I turned around there was someone giving Kelly a hug or a gift. She has seriously touched so many people with the way that she has lived her life, and I was so pleased that this party turned out so well and that Kelly was happy with it. The weather even held (it was very windy, of course. The tablecloths I had sewn blew everywhere), which was all I wanted.

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We are all super optimistic about Kelly's recovery. Her last chemo treatment was two weeks ago and her white count numbers are nearly down to zero. She has an upcoming scan that will check for any remaining tumors, but the prognosis is just awesome. We are so grateful!!!

The beautiful guest of honor, Kelly.

Her husband, Steve, who has worn his shaved head in solidarity.

One of the things I really wanted to do was have people leave messages for them so that the family would always remember how much they were loved. This picture and frame turned out really cool.

Mike and my mom wrangled the kids for me. I wouldn't have been able to do this without their help. You can see that Sam is barely holding it together.

Some shady characters that were up to no good.

The cookies I made as favors. Remind anyone of a certain wedding that happened 10 years ago?