Today, something struck me that I really should be more thankful for...We went to our good friend Bev's house today to help her put up her Christmas decorations.

(Wait. Huh? Rewind. Christmas decorations, you say? In NOVEMBER? 2 weeks before Thanksgiving?! That's. Nuts.)

Actually, how I wish it were just nuts. But it's more complicated than that. Bev was diagnosed with the same kind of cancer my mom had about a month ago, and she's scheduled for surgery...the DAY before Thanksgiving.

So as you can probably guess, she wouldn't be all too thrilled to put up Christmas decorations while she's recovering, and she's working 12 hour days all week next week, so she'd have no time to do it then...so my mom and I went over and helped.

And it. Was. Fun.

I'm serious.

Miss Bev is seriously the coolest person ever. She's got more energy than a hyperactive gerbil, and I'm always amazed at all the work she gets done! She's one of those peck-on-the-cheek-whenever-I-see-you kinda people. She's just really really cool and so much fun to be around!

But decorating gave me a serious case of deja vu...exactly a year ago, my mom and I were down there for a weekend helping Bev put up those same decorations...except back then, my mom was the one having treatments.

It's been almost a year since my mom finished all her cancer stuff...and I sometimes go for days not even thinking that my mom had cancer a year ago, much less being thankful for it...

Those 9 months and 23 days were the scariest of my life...watching someone I loved go through so much suffering and having absolutely no power to take that pain away was the hardest thing I've ever ever had to do...all I could do was pray. But God showed me so much through that time...He gave me comfort that He would give my mom comfort. And He never ceased to amaze! Anything we prayed for, He gave us ten times over what we expected...isn't God amazing?

So today, I am thankful...

That my mom doesn't have to wear hats anymore.

That every other week isn't chemo week.

That she can play guitar again.

That my Livestrong bracelet doesn't make me cry every time I look at it.

That my mom is cancer free.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, God...