Support For Christi Thomas

This blog is to help offer support to the Thomas Family and their daughter, Christi, in her battle against cancer. Please visit Christi's website at www.ChristiThomas.com to learn more. There, you'll find journals, photos and a lots of other information about this amazing child and her family.

A Note About Comments: When you post a Comment, please note that it will appear online after it is approved.

Monday, October 16, 2006

San Francisco

Thank you, Robin & Kelly for an incredible trip to San Francisco!

With Eliza at the zoo.




In Golden Gate Park at the Japanese Gardens

Outside the science center

Shayla with brilliant and beautiful Robin the Great!

Muir Woods, enjoying the California tall tall redwood trees

Traci & Jenn give a San Fran Send off complete with flowers in our hair, building the Golden Gate bridge out of orange pipecleaners and yes - using dry ice to create "fog" in the bathtub! Dear Lord, thank you for these tremendous (and creative and funny) friends we don't deserve!

Within 24 hours of booking our tickets, we were on our way to the airport last week! A VERY generous "mom" from town called and said she thought it'd do us well to get away, so she gave us three airline tickets to go anywhere Southwest flies. Like she said the only catch was travel had to be completed by October 20th so we took off in a rush and yet it was a FABULOUS trip - great time spent together.

After we had the tickets and we talked about where we could go, I called one of the sweetest Christi supporters to see if she was still offering us a place to stay in San Francisco like she has offered so many times. She told us it was a small cottage without much in terms of furniture, but we were welcome to come. (Well, her description was quite inaccurate as this most amazing place was the same size as our home, it overlooked the Golden Gate Bridge and so much more!!) I had only met Robin one other time before, when we went to the Met together when she was in NYC for the day. Without a doubt, she is one of the most amazing, brilliant, compassionate and beautiful women I've ever met. It's no surprise she's a Professor; I could sit and listen to her forever! I simply didn't have enough time! Not only does she stock the fridge with fabulous foods, Robin is so inspiring and she knows so many different things including "must do's" while in San Francisco for a short period of time. (smile)

Taking Robin's recommendations we had a jam-packed schedule, just the way we like it: biking over the Golden Gate Bridge, seeing the Muir Woods (Those incredibly tall California trees) seeing Sausalito. We also enjoyed "the Exploratorium" (even though it doesn't compare to COSI) and the zoo - where we met sweet, sweet Eliza (a Christi Fan). We ate sushi and Thai food and toured Japantown and China town and of course had Shayne drive down Lombard Street. Shayla didn't care much for the Haight-Ashbury area, but she did enjoy Fisherman's Wharf and all of the seals sunning themselves. We ended our trip by taking a drive around Berkley on our way to the airport yesterday.

The days before we left were just getting harder and harder and harder. A trip was too good to pass up! Everywhere we turned there was a reminder of Christi. (Not that we don't want reminders, but it was making us so sad.) On our trip, we had time to relax, talk, walk and enjoy Shayla. It was great until we returned home and I saw the free CD rom "The Truth About Cats and Dogs" Christi had been saving up her five cereal box tops for arrived in the mail, ugh! I crawled in bed and then cried my eyes out knowing how much Christi would have loved our family vacation.

Today I made a HUGE move. I had to go get Shayla picked up from school for the first time. (I want to thank all of the sweet friends and family members who have been doing this for me as I knew there would be nothing harder.) I made it in the building, past Christi's 5th grade classroom and down to Shayla's room to get her. I knew I couldn't look at anyone or I'd start crying and I made it. The flood of tears didn't start until we were buckled in the car and it was time to leave the lot. It's so hard to believe this week will be the one month anniversary of her death. Thank you so much for your love and support and for seeing us through!! Thank you Kelly & Robin for this amazing trip!! We've been richly blessed!!

16 Comments:

At 16/10/06 3:32 PM, Blogger HeatherB said...

Ahh that trip sounds great. How very kind of your friends Kelly and Robin to send you.

I'm so, so sorry though that returning home was so hard.

I know you miss Christi each and every day and I wish with all my heart that she was still there with you.

Praying for you and thinking of you always,
Heather

 
At 16/10/06 5:22 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Love you all!

Smiles and hugs,

MD

 
At 16/10/06 8:03 PM, Blogger Lisa said...

It is very hard to believe its been a month. This morning while pulling out of my driveway I saw a little girl about Christi's age walking to school and for some reason she reminded me of Christi. I cried all the way across town because I know in my heart she is in a better place but my head keeps telling me she should be heading to school today. I truly hope this story doesnt make you sad but i wanted you to know I will keep her memory close to me forever and i will never stop crying for your loss.

I am so very happy you had a chance to get away and enjoy life a little. I am sure it did you all good. Sweet Shalya needs all of the love I am sure you and Shane are pouring on her. When I visited SF it was summer and we went biking through wine country. I dont know that you could have picked a better place to go and let the wind carry away your worries. Even if only for a few days.

All our love,

Lisa WWW.Edenadams.com

 
At 16/10/06 8:33 PM, Blogger Maria said...

As usually I am shedding a flood of tears for you. I was worried you hadn't posted in awhile.

I'm so glad you went to SF and had a great time.

If you are ever in the Seattle area, let me know. :)

 
At 17/10/06 4:55 AM, Blogger Melinda Auld said...

it is so lovely to read that you had a wonderful holiday - it sounds magic! I'm glad you all got a chance to share in each other's company, especially Shayla's. Im sorry, too, that you had to experience the pain of walking into school without sweet Christi...but you MADE it! Well done! I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you. At least it is not one more "first" any more. Christi would be so proud of you. I just want you to know that I still think of her every day, and that her life is still important to me. She is and will always be my hero, as will you all be.

 
At 17/10/06 6:21 AM, Blogger Brigid and Celie said...

Hi Thomas Team! We're glad you had a nice time together in sunny California! Hi Shayla! We hope you had lots of fun! We're thinking of you!

XOXOXO
Brigid and Celie

 
At 17/10/06 9:45 AM, Blogger Kim said...

I am so glad that you had a nice trip! It was well deserved and I know that Christi was with you along the way!

Angela - congratulations on going to pick up Shayla! What may seem like a normal task to some, was indeed a huge step!! Huge hugs to you!

Kim

 
At 17/10/06 10:14 AM, Blogger Rebekah said...

Dear Thomas Team! I am glad to read that you took some time away for your family ... though not the same without Sweet Christi it was much needed I am sure. She would have loved being there so much but as you know she was there in spirit and always will be around you in everything you do ... the pictures look as though Shayla had a wonderful time and it was great to see that beautiful smile on her face again! I am so proud of you Angela that you picked Shayla up from school ... I can not imagine how hard that must be for you ... beyond heartbreaking over and over and I wish your pain could go away - in time the pain may be filled with sweet memories of Christi ... it is just so unfair ... I hope this finds you have a "good" day today ... may God continue to hold you close!

Love from my family to yours!
Rebekah Clark
Prior Lake, MN
mommy_jaden@yahoo.com

 
At 17/10/06 12:36 PM, Blogger Frapper said...

I'm glad you all had the chance to get away and enjoy such a beautiful city. It looks like Shayla had a great time, too. My prayers continue for your family.

 
At 17/10/06 4:22 PM, Blogger thonmom06 said...

Kelly and Robin....angels on earth. What a beautiful gift.

I'm so glad that you all had a good time! xoxo

 
At 17/10/06 4:31 PM, Blogger Sarah said...

Hooray! It looks like you had a wonderful time in San Francisco! I'm so glad. And talk about the perfect time of year for a trip to San Francisco! I'll bet it was beautiful!

And congratulations on going into school, Angela. I know that couldn't have been easy. I hope that it gets progressively less painful for you.

 
At 17/10/06 8:15 PM, Blogger Jennifer Lehmann said...

Thank you sooo much for thinking of me tonight and taking me to dinner. (Because we all know how yummmy cod on a bun...or cod on a pizza is!!) You are too kind! I loved hearing Shayla happily chatting away and her constant hugging. So sweet. I also loved catching up with you and hearing about your trips!! Hope we can make this a semi-regular thing. I'm up for a visit with you guys any time!

Love you lots!
~Jennifer

 
At 17/10/06 9:57 PM, Blogger Jennifer Lehmann said...

Oh and I noticed right away that the shirt Shayla is wearing in some of the pics is Christi's! Too cute.

 
At 18/10/06 12:20 PM, Blogger HeatherB said...

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing.


Wow Traci and Jenn are sure creative friends!!

Thinking about you all always and remembering you in my prayers. Your Christi will always be remembered by me with fondness, love and admiration.

Lots of love and prayers,
Heather

 
At 18/10/06 3:21 PM, Blogger ~*~Sam~*~ said...

I Pray for You and Wish I Could Do More


I pray for you and wish I could do more,
But more I cannot do from far away.
Like leaves before the wind we cannot stay,
Ripped dancing, dancing to the forest floor.
I wish I could your ailing health restore
And bring you to the strength of yesterday,
But all we mortal souls can do is pray
That God might alter what we have in store.
The beauty in our fragile life is love,
The only thing that makes the moment matter,
The golden thread that binds us all in light.
I wish, I wish I could your pain remove,
But like a wall the truth my will must shatter,
And so I send my prayers into the night

 
At 19/10/06 8:45 AM, Blogger Rebekah said...

Angela, Shayne and Shayla ... stopping by on this solemn and sad one month journey ... May God continue to hold you close to Him ... oh the payment we will receive when our lives here are over, sweet Christi is already there ... thinking of you today as I do everyday!

Love from my family to yours!

Rebekah Clark
Prior Lake, MN
mommy_jaden@yahoo.com

 

Post a Comment

<< Home