As a family, we would LOVE to invite everyone that has supported and prayed for Watts (and our whole family) during this cancer journey to help us celebrate his end of treatment! We have been sustained and held up by the love, prayers and support of so many and we would love for everyone to be there for his special day. From meals brought to us during hospital stays, to tabs covered by sweet neighbors at restaurants on the corner, to checks slipped to us to help with medical bills, to the team of people who moved us last year, to late night texts of encouragement, to the hundreds and thousands of prayers lifted up for our family... the list could go on and on with how we have been cared for during the last two years. We are forever grateful and consider you all part of Watts' support team!
Party Details:
His actual last day of treatment is May 29th and we want to gather around him on that day as he takes his last oral dose of chemo.
We have reserved Shelter #1 at Burmil Park starting at 5pm. At 6pm, with all of us watching, Watts will take his last chemo syringe (!!!). After that we can just fellowship and play.
***Please bring your own picnic dinner (and lawn chairs/blankets). We will have cake and drinks. [There is also a volleyball court and horseshoe court if you want to bring balls and horseshoes to play.]
***Please do not bring sick children or come if you are sick. Watts' immune system is (and will continue to be for a couple months) compromised from the chemo. If you are questioning whether you or your kids should come, feel free to shoot me an email: hannahvanpatter@gmail.com.
***If it rains, we will gather at Hope Chapel.
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One more thing... Please extend a lot of grace to me (and Michael too, most likely, but I won't speak for him) on the day of the party and in the months to come. I am approaching the day with a lot of joy as well as a lot of emotions. If you come to the party and have prayed faithfully for us for two years but haven't had a chance to tell us since he was diagnosed, please try to grab us and let us know! Just be gracious and understanding if we seem distracted or out-of-sorts.
Cancer has been a marathon journey. While we are so very, very thankful for Watts' life and want to celebrate his big day, we also bring a lot of weariness and sadness with us; physical and emotional weariness from the last two years and deep sadness for those in our cancer family who will not be celebrating the end of treatment with their sweet babies. We ache so badly for them... and, at the same time, want to honor them by celebrating every little moment before us, just as they did with their babies.
Thank you for being being gracious with me, Watts' mama,
and mark your calendars for Watts' big day!
and mark your calendars for Watts' big day!