I guess you could say we T.P.'d the Minneapolis Convention Center.

It was quite a day. There was so much INFORMATION and so many NEW PRODUCTS - I can hardly keep it straight. I'll be sending out an email on Monday with all of the exciting details (if you'd like to be added to the list, let me know). There is stuff in the way of memorabilia storage and display, digital delights galore, products to decorate your WALLS, holiday items, and so much more.

Of course, there were also several inspiring heart stories. I was especially touched by this one:

Corinne is our 8-yr. old daughter, the youngest of 5 biological children. In May, 2006 (at 6 yrs. old) we noticed that she was favoring her right leg when she ran, resulting in a noticeable limp. After several initial physician visits, it was determined that Corinne had femoral neuropathy (the femoral nerve was not firing, resulting in an inability to use her right quadricep). At the time, we believed it was most likely caused by a severe "charlie horse" she received in March. We were told to expect a somewhat lengthy recovery period, but that the nerve likely would recover on its own.

After many specialists over the next 2 months, a second pediatric neurologist at Gillette Children's Hospital (Dr. Jarrar) suspected that there was more to the problem. An MRI was ordered, and a large tumor was identified on Wed., Sept. 11. The next morning we met with an oncologist, and the following Monday the tumor was biopsied. After numerous other diagnostic and lab tests, the physicians concluded that she had a soft tissue Ewing's sarcoma. We rejoiced in finding out that the tumor was localized and had not metastisized into the bone or bone marrow. On Sept 22, she began chemotherapy to shrink the tumor. On December 18, a team of surgeons at St. Mary's Hospital/Mayo Clinic successfully resected the tumor and performed a rare nerve graft (from the sural nerves behind both calves) to repair the femoral nerve that was severed. We are praying that she will recover significant use of her quadricep over the next year or so, but she compensates so well that no one watching her walk would notice her weakness.

During Corinne's treatment, God enabled us to meet a 10-year-old boy named Victor undergoing cancer treatment. He was in foster care but almost always alone. The Lord drew our hearts to Victor in an unmistakable way. God moved our hearts to become foster parents to Victor, and shortly after, we found out his current foster parents would no longer be able to care for him, that he had the same cancer as Corinne, that it was located in the same place in his body, and that he was on the exact same 'cycle' of treatment as Corinne.

Corinne and Victor had their last 3 cycles of chemotherapy in connecting hospital rooms. They both finished their last bag of chemotherapy within a half hour of each other in July, 2007. Victor is now our adopted son.

In April 2008 routine scans showed that Victor's cancer had returned in his femur (leg), a tiny spot on his spine and a lymph node in his neck. So he is once again doing chemotherapy, this time as one of six children in the nation enrolled in a clinical trial to test out a promising new drug combination.

We would covet your prayers for Corinne and Victor and our family as we walk down a path that we did not choose, but that God chose for us. The Bible tells us over and over again that God is sovereign, and that all of His purposes will be accomplished. We do not know (and will not know) how God is using these cancers and our experience to further His kingdom, but we "rejoice in our present suffering", trusting Him to provide just what we need, when we need it. He is our portion ... and we are fully satisfied in Him. Thank you for helping us to walk by faith on this path.

The above was taken from the Watters' Caringbridge website, which is located HERE.)

As you can imagine, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Click HERE to read a recent Kare 11 News story regarding their incredible testimony of love and hope, click HERE for the related video.

I was so happy to hear that come January, CM will be partnering with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help bless more families like the Watters.

I can't wait.