Our family received some devastating news yesterday. Kyle’s mom was diagnosed with AML (acute myelogenous leukemia), which developed from a previously undiagnosed MDS (myelodysplastic syndrome). She will be treated at the Cleveland Clinic, and she must start aggressive, constant, 24 hour chemo on Monday. She will stay there for 3-6 weeks. Please keep her in your prayers as she begins this fight. We have every reason to believe that she will beat this. Her strength and love of family are her best ammunition. Kyle started a blog for her here , hopefully it helps her connect with people who are experiencing the same thing. I don’t think anyone quite knows how to deal with the news. She is the rock of the family. It will be a long, hard battle, but I know that she will win because she has what it takes to beat cancer. She has hope, support, the best medical care in the world, and most importantly she has perspective. She knows what it means to live and love, and she has never taken that for granted.

It all really puts this Thankful Thursday into perspective. As I sit here and think about all the things I’m thankful for, I can’t help but think of all that my mother-in-law has brought to my life.

She has given me a husband that every woman dreams of. He is sensitive, caring, loving, a wonderful father, and commited to our relationship and life together. He is all of these things because of how he was raised, the love he was given, and the example that his parents set forth through their relationship, which has lasted over 35 years.

She has given me acceptance and love, and has always made me feel like I was one of her children, not just an in-law. I love her with all of my heart.

She has also given my son that special love that only a grandma can give, and I have had the privilege of watching it blossom and grow as Kade has moved through his different stages of life.

She is an amazing woman, who has always put her family first. She had her first child at 16 and despite all of the odds stacked against them, she and Kyle’s dad persevered and had 3 more children and 34 years (in June) of happy marriage. Their relationship is really beautiful. They love each other so much and it has given each of their children a solid foundation of what family really is. She stayed home with her children and put her dreams of becoming a nurse aside, until about 6 years ago when she decided to go back to school. Now she is an obstetric RN at a major Ohio hospital, and has finally fulfilled her dream. She is the grandmother of 6, about to be 7, and it is her love of those grandchildren that will be her strongest ally. She has a hell of a lot to live for, so please keep her in your prayers as she prepares for the fight of her life.