What keeps us busy...

 Rugby games have begun again...and Hope is playing even better than ever...

 There have Minnesota Wild games for Aaron and McKenna and I saw a Broadway play at the State Theatre called "The Million Dollar Quartet." It was great!

 Elijah is losing his hair again and we don't know why. It is either Graft vs. Host Disease or just another sign that his body has gone through overwhelming stress.

 Isaac had a 24 hour video EEG to test for seizures. He is laughing here...not a normal response to having your head wired with 20 electrodes..His laughing bouts are concerning to the neurologist...He says they are highly likely to be seizure episodes. Now we wait for the results.

We have been feeling crafty and have made several projects lately. Can you say Pinterest?! We have been making lots of fun recipes, and fun crafts after seeing ideas on Pinterest...if you want an "invitation", just let me know!
We made a resurrection garden and a used an old door to create a chalkboard that we can write our favorite quotes on...
We have been busy...and happy..

Surveying the damage....

So many friends have faced enormous struggles this past year. Their families have been in the path of the storm and most were not able to avoid it's path. Some could see the storm approaching..yet helpless to stop it's destruction...while others were swept away by surprise.  Some families have faced what seemed like the unbearable..and survived.

But, once the crisis phase is over..whether it be a bone marrow transplant, a mental health hospitalization, a child out of control that sets our families into a spiral downward...we assess the damage. First, just like the victims of a tornado or other natural disaster, we first count heads...as we frantically make sure that everyone has  survived. We  give thanks that all are accounted for...and we breath a sigh of relief that the raging storm has passed. We remind ourselves to breath again...and sometimes that is all we can do for awhile.

And when the dust settles, we begin to look around. We assess the damage. We look for the wounded and we prioritize their needs. We see our own wounds but move on to those who need us..our children, our husband...and others.  And each time we treat the wounds of others, we are reminded of that awful, devastating storm. And it hurts. Again.

So many of us are in this phase right now. We see so many needs around us in our families, that we are just trying to sort out what needs to be done next. The physical damage is evident...at our home maintenance doesn't get done in a crisis...and things seem to be falling apart around us. The emotional damage after a crisis is not unlike PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and we struggle to know how to care for others experiencing PTSD..is it normal grief? is it something more? are we all going to be okay? how can i fix it?

  
We are in that phase right now. So many are in this phase right now. And we have friends who are sitting atop the pile of rubble that was once a strong and healthy family. They are assessing the damage. They are grieving..they lost so much...and they are hurting. But, in the loss, they have gained as well...patience beyond all understanding, compassion, complete reliance on their faith, a bonding of the survivors that gives them confidence that they can make it through anything...through Christ who gives them the strength to get through the storms.

Assessing the damage...it is a long, painstaking process.