Al Roker shared his gratitude for “another Christmas with his family” after spending four weeks in hospital undergoing treatment for blood clots.
The acclaimed Today show host, 68, took to his Instagram on Sunday to share a glimpse of his holiday and thanked everyone who was “praying” for him amid his recent terrible health crisis.
“So grateful to have had another Christmas and to be with my family,” he wrote.
“We make assumptions and plans and they can [be] turned upside down in no time. You think you are grateful and you show gratitude.
Grateful: Al Roker shared his gratitude for “another Christmas with his family” after spending four weeks in hospital undergoing treatment for blood clots
Giving his followers a glimpse of his Christmas celebrations, the 68-year-old Today Show host wrote: “So grateful to have had another Christmas and to be with my family.”
The presenter spent the holidays with his 62-year-old wife Deborah Roberts (seen), their three children Courtney, 35, Leila, 24, and Nicholas, 20, and Courtney’s husband, Wesley Laga
“And then suddenly you realize that the depth of those words is so much deeper. I can never thank you enough for all of you who have prayed for us.’
Family time: One photo showed the group all wearing matching Christmas pajamas, while in another Leila and Nicholas were baking cookies together (seen)
In a series of posts, the news anchor gave his followers a glimpse of his Christmas parties, which he spent with his 62-year-old wife Deborah Roberts and their three children — Courtney, 35, Leila, 24, and Nicholas , 20 — as well as Courtney’s husband Wesley Lago, 32.
One photo showed the family in matching Christmas pajamas, while another featured Leila and Nicholas baking cookies together.
Other snaps from the weekend showed the family walking together in the snow.
Al even shared some pictures of the delicious-looking meals they ate while on vacation, including an extravagant breakfast of frittatas, arugula salad, bacon, and homemade cinnamon buns.
Al even shared some pictures of the delicious-looking meals they ate while on vacation — including a breakfast of frittatas, arugula salad, bacon, and homemade cinnamon buns
Delicious: For Christmas dinner, the family enjoyed ham, asparagus, brown rice and a salad (left). The night before we had chicken, macaroni and cheese, lettuce and carrots (right)
Success: Al also cooked a spatchcock turkey with mayonnaise. And while he admitted some of his family members were “skeptical” at first, they all ended up loving it
White Christmas: Other snapshots from the weekend showed the family walking together in the snow
For dinner, the family enjoyed ham, asparagus, brown rice, and a salad. Al also made a spatchcock turkey with mayonnaise — a recipe he learned from The New York Times.
And while he admitted some of his family members were initially “skeptical” about his turkey, they all ended up loving him.
Days earlier, the weatherman had posted some pictures of him and his family decorating a Christmas tree together and he again shared his appreciation for being able to be with his family after his hospitalization.
“So grateful to be doing well enough to grace the Roker family,” he captioned the post.
Al was first rushed to the hospital in November after developing blood clots in his legs and lungs.
He was released on Thanksgiving in time to spend the holiday with his family, but had to be brought back a day later due to “complications.”
Days earlier, the weatherman posted some pictures of him and his family decorating a Christmas tree together
And in the caption, he again shared his appreciation for being able to be with his family after his hospitalization
“So grateful I’m doing well enough to grace the Roker family,” he captioned it. His wife (left) and son (right) decorate the tree
Al was first rushed to the hospital in November after developing blood clots in his legs and lungs. Earlier this month he decorated the tree
After spending a total of four weeks in the hospital, he went home on December 8 and returned virtually to the Today Show four days later.
During the performance, which was broadcast from the kitchen of his New York City apartment, he said he’s getting stronger every day while sharing an important update on his health.
“There is a certain weakness. I do physical therapy and occupational therapy every day. I need to get my strength back,’ he said.
“But I feel good. i feel strong Every day is a little bit better than the last and last night I had dinner.
“I just have a feeling there will be a little drudgery. But there are people who have to do a lot more with far fewer resources. I am very fortunate and very blessed to have the resources.
He also thanked his co-stars for visiting the hospital, adding, “You guys were great stopping by the hospital.
‘Hoda [Kotb] was actually, I think, made an honorary doctorate. She would literally show up. She did a ‘ho-dini’ like she was just there.’
He was released on Thanksgiving in time to spend the holiday with his family but was brought back a day later due to “complications.” He will be seen earlier this month
After spending a total of four weeks in the hospital, he went home on December 8 and returned virtually to the Today Show four days later (pictured).
During the performance, which was broadcast from the kitchen of his New York apartment, he said he was getting stronger every day
“We miss you so much Al. The crowd misses you. There’s not a day that we don’t go out, that people don’t hold up signs: ‘Where’s Al?’, ‘We want Al!’ Savannah Guthrie told him.
‘It’s good to be home. It’s good to see their faces,’ he replied. “It was a tough hit, I won’t lie, it was the toughest yet and you know I’ve had my share of surgeries.”
Al’s medical emergency comes over two years after he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September 2020.
At the time, a routine physical exam revealed that he had elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which is a screening tool for early detection.
A biopsy later confirmed he had a more aggressive form of the disease, but because it was caught early it was easily removed through surgery.
The Today Show star went public with his diagnosis on the show on November 6, 2020, three days before he underwent five-hour surgery.
A week later, he received a pathology report stating that there was no evidence of cancer in his body outside of his prostate, which he had surgically removed along with the surrounding lymph nodes.