Comings and Goings

We've had a few thorns in our life the last few months. Maybe I'll mention a few since I usually just talk about the joys. It's always good to realize that most people go through challenges, they come just like the good comes. I find that I'm not a very open person and I don't like to share my challenges with the world for some reason. But sometimes I think it helps getting them out there. It makes them seem a little more manageable seeing them listed for all to see.

1) Asthma - we first noticed this during the kickball season back in June. C was playing one day and had a really hard time breathing. I had to take him into the urgent care center and they gave him a breathing treatment. It helped him a lot and the next day we took him to the doctor and they diagnosed an inhaler. Throughout the summer we used it a few times, but this fall during soccer season we've been using it a lot. The asthma (usually just like a cough and really labored breathing) has gotten worse. We're looking at our options now trying to decide what to do.

2) Broken Arm - J broke his arm 4 weeks ago and has been wearing a cast. The good news is he got it off today. Or that may or may not be good news depending on if he continues the same level of reckless playing that he has in the past. I'm hoping that we'll keep it off.

3) Other health challenges - we've had quite a bit of sickness including the stomach flu for C, J and my sister who is living with us right now. J also had a fever for a few days which left him with the grumpies for a week. It's been kind of a medical nightmare around here with more health challenges than I care to list here.

4) New Schedule - It's been 4 weeks and the school schedule is going in full-swing. I'm amazed at how much of your day is absorbed by the comings and goings of taking a kindergartner to and from school. Being on a schedule of course means my flexibility has dropped considerably. This is not easy for me and I find that most days I am amazed at how little I actually accomplished. Of course we plow on. I know this is how life will be for quite a few years and I need to get used to it. And I need to learn to focus on the things that I am doing instead of the piles of things that never get done.

Well that's enough of that. Hopefully that helps you get a sense of just a few of the challenges that we are facing right now. After reading through this list again I am guiltily realizing that I'm leaving out several of the most challenging of trials but I guess that's okay. My trials are mine for a reason. I think one of the reasons is because there are things that I need to learn from them that I couldn't learn any other way. Sometimes our trials are also our blessings. That's how some of mine are. I'm so glad that the Lord knows what we need better than we know ourselves. If I got to pick my trials I certainly wouldn't pick the ones I have, but I don't know that I want any of yours either.