Today on Easter I am reminded of how amazing our God is! When I think of the cross and what He did for me there is nothing I can do but rejoice! No matter our situations, no matter our trials, the trials we are in today mean nothing. There is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING in the entire world that can change WHO He is and WHAT He has done! Stay focused and keep taking steps towards Him so He can take your life wherever He wants to.
I am still so surprised at the path that I am on. But as we celebrate the incredible gift of eternity that Jesus blessed us with,I am again reminded of His love for us. He loves us so big, and we don’t need to look hard to find the ways. This beauty is one of my dearest friends. I am so blessed and so thankful to have such amazing women in my life. My plan was to be home this week…. But my timing is not His timing so I will enjoy the moments of joy and sunshine in this valley. Thank you for being willing to spend Easter with my family instead of yours, for being willing to juggle all the things this week and for loving us so big.
I received approval for rehab today. To start it is for seven days. It is a very specialized neuro unit.specializing with my specific types of deficits. Thankfully private rooms (thank goodness!). I know that I should be so happy and grateful but I am so very sad as well. I still can’t believe that this has happened. That I can’t take care of myself or my family. I am so ready to be better and stronger and home. I want to snuggle with my kids and watch a movie on my couch. I want to be in church on Easter and for Bible study. I just want to be me again.
Here I am at rehab, this starts the next chapter…. I am trying to focus on the blessing of getting this opportunity knowing that a lot of people don’t get the same opportunity for a full recovery. Tomorrow sounds like it will be quite busy and intense. I am bringing my A GAME and giving it all I’ve got. Knowing that God surrounds me in this battle will keep me pushing towards the finish line…. Please continue to pray for healing, strength and miracles. Pray for my medical team. Pray for my family. This road is so hard…. On a bright note this lovely friend came today to wash and brush my hair. I can’t tell you how thankful I am. Another thing to not take for granted…. The ability to wash and brush your hair.
I am so incredibly grateful for the friends my God has given me. My sweet friend Chantal flew down the night before surgery with the plan that she would take care of me for those first few days at home. Sadly she is at my house and I am here. This is our pre-surgery picture
This is the post that Chantal wrote on Facebook tonight:
Certainly not the week we thought we would have when we took this “pre pic”. With all this “rain” I know your rainbow 🌈 will be bright and worth it!!! You have got this and I might not be close still but I am always here!!!! Positive mindset and lots of prayer!!
Friends forever
This girl of mine who has been with me through all of life’s challenges since we were thirteen flew down to be my own personal nurse. Obviously, once they started realizing all the significant deficits that I have post operatively, it was made apparent that I wasn’t headed home as much as I wanted it. This girl came up here and took care of me, washed me, brushed out my hair (dear Lord I am going to need some HELP with my hair), helped me move and repositon, kmade sure was stretching moving and flexing all the things I can’t move on my own. There are no skin issues, no sores, no foot drop…. I was so disappointed that we didn’t get our “girls movie night” at my house. When she left the hospital last night I was still unable to do do just about everything, and she has since said she felt so guilty leaving me. Tonight we faced timed and I showed her my miracle movement, and we ugly cried together. I am praising God for so much tonight.
I was born to be a mom, born to have rough and tumble, sports playing adventurous kids. Or so I thought. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a mom. Didn’t want to have a bunch of kids running around. I wanted to be the soccer mom, the softball, and football mom, the band mom. The dreams I had wasn’t a part of God’s plan.
So often we have this ideal scenario in our head about how things will be. How our careers will go, how our marriage will go, how our family will grow and thrive. But what happens if your kid doesn’t fit into that little dream? Or further more what if your kid is the one that is a little bit different than all the other kids? What if your kid is the one who is autistic? OR physically challenge? Mentally challenge? So curious and creative that they are always finding something to get into and unfortunately sometimes get hurt…… What if your kid is the one who other kids look at and are nervous around? What if your kid is the one who has a reputation that reaches their teachers long before they do? What if…….?
Unfortunately in our society we are expected to have our children fit in this little tiny box of conforming to “the norm” of society, and if our kid doesn’t fit that box, where does that leave us? When someone has something to say about your child’s behavior, or the way you parent doesn’t momma bear come out? It certainly does for me. I truly get enraged when I see or hear other parents talking poorly about a child. Or attacking the child’s mom because of the child’s behavior. This mom stuff? Incredibly incredibly difficult. Instead of mom’s judging and confronting, we should be encouraging and loving. We should be teaching that momma anything that would improve behaviors and bonding. We shouldn’t be telling mom’s that their child isn’t going to have friends, and is going to get into a lot of trouble…. WE should be speaking life into that mamma and her baby, praying over them, praying for God’s guidance throughout the lifetime. We should be encouraging her, offering her our help, offering her a hug and a compliment or encouraging word. This mom stuff? It is SO HARD. The last thing we need is the judgement of another mother. Mommas? Help a momma out. Don’t judge the beautiful gift of children that God has given her. If her child is loud and full of energy? Run around outside and get them tired. If her child is introverted and doesn’t interact the way others do? Ask her how to reach her child and spend some time with that kiddo. If her child is sick and has lots of medical stuff going on? Go to appointments, learn about her child’s diagnosis offer her a break? If her child is a mess maker all day long? Help her clean……
We have the power to encourage or destroy our children, we have the power to help them embrace the incredible human beings that God has created them to be. We have the power to literally change the world for the rest of their lives.
Use your words to speak life into each family regardless of whether their child is the same or different from your children….. No matter what your expectations are, or what the worlds expectaions are….. KNOW that your child/ren are amazing miracles that God has created, that He has created him/her for an incredible purpose, regardless of what the world says. And you know what Momma? YOU ARE DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB!
I have always been blessed with amazing friends. Friends that I can call on at any moment, to pray with, laugh with, and encourage. Friends who help grow me as a Christian, as a mom, as a wife, as a nurse, and as a person. The biggest thing I was worried about when we left Massachusetts was that I wouldn’t be able to have friends the way I had up north. I didn’t know if I would be able to connect heart to heart with new people.
But as usual God blessed me beyond measure. I am so thankful for my friends. For the opportunity to learn about God and being wives, and mothers together. I am so so blessed. These ladies are my life line in this life. The joy and laughter they have brought to us is indescribable. . The encouragement and prayer times are incredible . It is more than I could ask for. They are truly my sisters.
e have the privilege of having babysitters that love our kids like they are apart of their family. The Creech family, has loved on us basically since we moved to North Carolina. Even when Matt was still up in Massachusetts they went out of their way to love on our family. Well their oldest Morgan celebrated her birthday the other day at the farm where she works. We had so much fun! My girls are truly animal lovers, and are thrilled whenever they get the opportunity to be around animals. We had so much fun. The farm is a rescue for animals that may have been bought by families who have decided they are no longer wanted, or animals that need some extra TLC. Yes that is a baby kangaroo!!! He is the sweetest and I can’t even begin to tell you how soft his fur is. His name is Hamilton .
Beautifully Blessed 