Christmas Week

What a fun, full Christmas week we enjoyed together. We made so many memories. :) I can hardly believe my mom and dad are already on their way home. It seems like they just got here. Living states apart like this is a bittersweet thing. We get to enjoy them living in our home for the week they are here. This allows them to have such close relationships with our boys. But then we have to let them leave. It is never easy to watch them drive away.

Here's a few things I'd like to remember about our week together, in no particular order:

• We surprised the boys at school by hiding Grammy and Grampy in the backseat!
• Mom and I spent lots of time in the kitchen together.
• Aaron still loves to knit with Grammy.
• Derek took my dad to the shooting range for his first-ever target shooting experience.
• We took our boys ice skating for the first time and they loved it! What a great idea to let them bring friends that day. What a lot of laughter this brought to everyone. :)
• Our new ping pong table is a big hit!
• Grammy treated us all to the new Chipmunks movie. It was cute!
• My parents love us so much they even came to our dentist appointments! :)
• My dad treated us to several meals out. (Chinese, Egg & I, Arby's) What a gift that is!
• Kaleb flew his new plane outside and we walked Ginger without wearing coats. It felt like Spring break!
• We played lots and lots of games of Clue. It's a family classic I grew up playing.
• I won 3 out of 4 Scrabble games with my mom. :)
• Derek and my dad took Kaleb and Aaron bowling. Aaron was super excited to get a turkey, and he almost beat Grampy!
• Part of Mom and Dad's Christmas gift included a trip to the nearest eagle viewing site. We were blessed to see 6 eagles that day!
• Braylen and Kaleb played lots of games of chess with my dad. Aaron is itching for his turn when he masters the rules of the game.
• My husband, my parents, and my in-laws pooled their resources and gave me a really cool Christmas gift. I'm beyond grateful.
• Mom and I shopped at the mall, craft store, and Christian book store and found several things we didn't know we needed. :)
• We stayed up late watching movies, talking, and connecting. Sometimes too late!

So here we are, ready to say farewell to 2011. Overall, I think it's been a pretty good year for us. Like every year, however, there are good things and hard things. That's how life is. Still, I feel incredibly blessed--not by the stuff I have, but by the people God has placed in my life. Our pastor says that there are only two things here on earth that will last for eternity: God's Word and people. Am I investing my time in those things, or do I fill my days with meaningless busy activities? I suppose that is my challenge for 2012. To live with that eternal perspective in mind.

Wrapping up this New Year's Eve with pictures. Another year of blogging...done! :)

Cookies for Santa

Ready to open gifts!

Hank & Drover shirts...too funny! :)

Even Ginger gets treats from her Christmas stocking.

Playing Clue

Leave it to Grammy to find the funniest book for our boys!

One of many games of ping pong

Our little Aaron on ice skates

Kaleb & Aaron having fun

Braylen and his buddy

Kaleb in action

Dad & Mom/Grampy & Grammy at the eagle viewing site.
Thanks for such a fun week!

Family Christmas Card

Family photos with Derek's side of the family this fall made it easy to create this year's Christmas card. We actually had several other posed pictures, but I chose to use our "just-for-fun-photo!" It's much more real. :)

Mom and Dad arrived yesterday. We tricked the kids into believing they would be here in time for supper. Little did they know Grammy and Grampy would be picking them up from school! It was a fun surprise for sure.

Today we have lots of things to do in the kitchen. We have gifts to wrap, and Derek has a special gift to assemble tonight. Santa sure will be busy!

From our family to yours...Merry Christmas!!!

Christmas Fun

Like everyone right now, we are busy putting the finishing touches on our upcoming Christmas celebrations. I'm thankful for the blessing of being a stay-at-home mom. What a relief to send the kids to school and have 7 hours to get things done. For all those years they were at home with me and I got nothing done--it's a sweet payback now!

That being said...it took me half of December to get my house decorated. On the 15th, Kaleb helped me put the porch decorations up and I declared that we were finally done with decorating. My stack of Christmas cards is piled high...awaiting stamps. But the hard part is done. Phew. I'm also a bit slow with my baking this year. Really, what is the deal? I suppose this is what happens when a type B personality is put in charge of all these type A activities. :) Any time my type A husband wants to take over, I will gladly let him. Ha! That will be the day! :)

This weekend we had two Christmas parties: one for Derek's work, and the other with Derek's extended family. Both were fun, although very different. Gathering with other cops and investigators and their families is strangely...comforting. For one evening, I was surrounded by people who made our life in law enforcement look normal. We all "get" what it's like to live this way. And when the phone rang at 4am that night, I thought of the other wives sending their husbands out into the night to answer the call of duty.

The other party provided us with time to reconnect with cousins, aunts, uncles, and Derek's grandma. Braylen looked forward to the card games, and practiced playing "Hearts" on the computer the week before this gathering. His dad beat him by one point at yesterday's game of Hearts. Still, Braylen loved to play! Kaleb and Aaron entertained themselves with nothing but an open room and cousins to play with! I enjoyed plenty of talk time with this family I feel blessed to be part of. :)

Playing cards with a smile on his face

Some of the great-grandkids watch GG open her gifts

This little elf keeps showing up in the strangest places...

Aaron loves hiding him, and takes great delight in finding him when someone else hides him! He named the elf "Freddy." Freddy has brought lots of fun to our days. Thanks so much Grandma! I bet you didn't anticipate how big of a hit this elf would be with Aaron!

Speaking of Aaron, I really enjoy his company in the kitchen this month. He desires to help me when his brothers would rather be elsewhere. He also gets very excited to help me wrap gifts. I'm trying to soak up these times with him while I can, because it really is hardest when your youngest grows up. This year I'm thankful Aaron is still my little boy.

Putting sprinkles on the cookies is almost as much fun as eating them

Tomorrow I need to call Aaron's doctor. We will probably end up increasing his medication dose, and that makes me uneasy. I'm afraid of more side effects. It will mean another blood test--this time over Christmas break. But since we're still seeing these "absence seizures," this is what we must do.

Before wrapping up this post, I need to document that for the first time since the spring of 2010...I was able to attend a character assembly at my kids' elementary school! Why is that a big deal? Fall of 2010--Aaron was sick. Spring of 2011--Kaleb was sick. In each of those assemblies, one or more of our kids earned an award. Even this fall, I had to miss my niece's assembly--and Derek was honored at that one. (as a community member--not a student!) But this past Friday, Kaleb earned the perseverance character award for his class...and none of us were sick! It was so nice to be there and see his surprise at winning the award. :)

That's all for now. May this week bring more and more Christmas fun!

Cabin Fever

Kaleb spent lots of time hanging around the house last week. Aaron's 6 day fever turned into a 5 day fever for Kaleb. He watched "Alvin and the Chipmunks" over and over. He listened to "Hank the Cowdog" cd's. And for some reason, I often found him reading books while hanging off the couch. I'm really glad Kaleb wasn't sick for his birthday. He also didn't seem as sick as Aaron was, although the virus followed the same predictable pattern. Strange as it may sound, Kaleb and I agreed that our times together last week were special times. What began as a frustrating illness turned into "together time" for Kaleb and me.

With two lengthy illnesses and Aaron's ongoing seizure medication dosage adjustments, I really didn't feel like doing Christmas this year. I wanted to skip ahead to January and avoid the extra work Christmas brings. Gifts, baking, cards, school activities, etc! So, I asked God for the strength to get through one day. And then the next day. And the day after that. I asked my parents and my sister-in-law to pray for my attitude. I needed to find my Christmas spirit!

Our tree is up, and Aaron put the star on. Welcome Christmas!

Aaron with his hockey ornament, Kaleb with his trains, and Braylen with his fire truck.
Thank you for the ornaments Grammy & Grampy!

Yesterday's kids' Christmas program at church really helped me welcome this season of Christmas. Kaleb chose not to participate, as he was still recovering. Braylen is too old now, so Aaron was our only son in the program this year. He sang in the choir. Actually, he did all the motions, with minimal singing. :) I want to always remember the way he played his air guitar and knocked his knees and danced his heart out on that stage.

One funny before I end this post and pick up the kids from school. For Kaleb's birthday, Braylen wrote a message on their bathroom mirror. At the end he wrote "BF." I was touched. They really are Best Friends. :) When I commented to Braylen on his nice message, this was his reply:

"Mom, BF doesn't mean Best Friend. It means Belch and Fart."

And on that note, I'm off to school!

Celebrations

Since my last post, we've celebrated a few things around here.

• Braylen performed in his first band concert! The 6th graders played 3 songs. Braylen played the tympani, the snare drum, and the bells. He tells me his favorite instrument to play was the tympani. Thanks to Grandma staying at home with Aaron, both Derek and I were able to go to Braylen's concert.
• Aaron recovered from his 6 day illness in time to go to ONE day of school last week. Friday was also great because...
• Our first snowfall of the season started Friday night! I think we got between 5-6 inches of snow. Our boys all had plenty of time to play in the snow, shovel the snow, and build snow forts. I have to laugh when people ask them if they built a snowman. Umm, no. They don't build snowmen. They build snow forts! :)
• Kaleb's birthday party with family might have been a week later than I'd originally planned, but it felt right on time to me. He enjoyed a big spaghetti dinner with the family in town, viewing his slide show videos on Grandma and Grandpa's new big screen TV, opening presents, and eating chocolate birthday cake.
• I know this will come as a shock to those of you who know us well...Ginger is sleeping in the house at night...not in her crate, but on her dog bed!
• Aaron's reached a therapeutic level with his medication. We even have some wiggle room with his dose, should we feel the need to increase it. His illness set him back a week, but as of today, I think we are making progress with the current dose.

Some pictures to highlight our celebrations...



6th grade band

Braylen playing the snare drum

Time for presents!

Kaleb's favorite gift. Thanks Grampy & Grammy!

When the boys turn 10, Derek likes to get their tool collection started.

Kaleb really wanted roller blades. He'll look forward to
using them in the spring!

I bought Aaron some slipper socks to cheer him
up during his illness. He loved them!

Kaleb with his #10 cake
Surrounded by his family of course!

This month is already passing quickly. Our Christmas decorations are going up slowly, but we're getting there. Aaron and I put our tree up on Sunday while the others shoveled driveways. Now if only I had help with my Christmas village! Mom and Dad, you need to retire and come spend December with us! :)

10 Years with Kaleb

In case you haven't guessed it by now, I LOVE my kids' birthdays! Today is Kaleb's 10th birthday. Such a milestone for him, and for his mom too. :)

Forever our middle son, Kaleb has many gifts and abilities that are uniquely his. Nobody can make us laugh like Kaleb can. No one is more tender with our pets than Kaleb is. Kaleb can handle Braylen's antics and Aaron's bidding like no one else. He's a pro at being the little brother and the big brother. He is a delightful son to parent, a true blessing from God. He is very different from Braylen and Aaron, who tend to favor one another. I love that about Kaleb.

Today I'm posting 10 pictures from 10 years with Kaleb. With each picture I will list one thing I love about Kaleb. Here we go.

Kaleb's been a good sleeper from the very beginning.
He was my easiest baby, by far.

Kaleb didn't want to walk until he could do it without falling.
He still carries that mentality with him in every new thing he's faced with.
He won't do something unless he can do it well.

I've always loved his squishy face.

Kaleb is a picky eater, but he loves his sweets and his meat.
Just don't give him green beans. 

See what he puts up with? He never likes to be alone, and I think
that comes from never having the chance to be alone!

His teachers love to comment on Kaleb's sense of humor.
We can't get enough of it either.

Kaleb's imagination is far bigger than I can comprehend.
This allows him to play with his big brother and little brother.

Sometimes we forget that Kaleb is capable of doing things we allowed Braylen
to do at his age. We're trying to be better about that, but I don't think Kaleb
minds at all. I imagine he'll always be a kid at heart. Just like my dad. :)

Kaleb loves our country's history. He loves eagles. He's definitely our most
patriotic son!

10 years is just the beginning...God has great plans for this boy.
We are blessed to be his parents!

Happy Birthday Kaleb Matthew!!! May God bless you greatly in the year to come!

Together Time

We managed to carve out a day for Thanksgiving last week, and I am so thankful we did! The very next day, Aaron came down with a sore throat and high fevers. We are spending yet another day together, while Daddy is at work and the brothers are at school. We are together a LOT these days. Together at the clinic. Together at home. Together on the couch. Together playing games. Together in the middle of the night. For the past two nights, my little buddy has woken me up at 4:20 am. Oh, and Derek was called out to work Saturday night, not coming home until 3:45 am. At least Braylen and Kaleb seem to be sleeping through the nights, because the rest of us are not.

The good news? Aaron did great at the clinic bright and early this morning. I was worried I would have to drag him there with a 103 temp, but our 4:30 am ibuprofen kept the fever at bay. The blood draw was rough, but we should have results on his medication level later this week. Our doctor ran some more blood tests because of Aaron's fevers and sore throat, and those came back normal. And so we wait for this virus to go away. And we wait to see if we need to change his seizure medication dose at all. Waiting and more waiting. I treated Aaron to donuts, and that helps brighten our moods. :)

Because of Aaron's illness this weekend, Kaleb's birthday party with the family here in town was postponed. Kaleb had a great attitude, and I couldn't ask for a more understanding son. He's also really stepped up and helped out a lot around here. I can't praise him enough for his choices lately. I hope and pray Kaleb is greatly blessed on his birthday this Wednesday. :)

A few things to catch up on...

• My Great Aunt Viv passed away on October 30th. She was 93 years old, and faithfully sent birthday cards to all of us every year. I will miss seeing her card in the mail this week.
• My Great Aunt Sylvia passed away on November 9th. She was 88 years old, and all of my memories of her are from my childhood. Still, I've never known a stronger Norwegian lady. Uff da.
• Aunt Sarena and Uncle Dave took Braylen and Kaleb to visit their Great Grandmothers on Saturday. I'm glad they did, since Derek and I can never get it together to do it ourselves. They sang Christmas songs to one in the nursing home, and went through photo albums with the other. I think they enjoyed seeing pictures of their dad when he was their age. :)
• Sometime this year, Braylen started calling Kaleb "Cob" and Aaron "Ron." It's stuck, and I frequently hear them calling each other these nicknames. I'm not sure how Braylen avoided receiving a nickname.

Time to play some checkers with Aaron. He has it all set up. :) Time for some more "together time" with my boy.

They made pilgrim hat cookies for Thanksgiving, after much pleading on my part!

Lots to be Thankful For

First, an update on how Aaron's doing.

He's been on his medicine for 13 days now. The side effects have all but disappeared...praise the LORD for that! The only side effect that remains is...hiccups. Aaron gets the hiccups, especially at bedtime, and he can hardly say his bedtime prayers! As annoying as it can be for him, it's one side effect I think we can live with. :)

Last week I requested his medicine in pill form, since the liquid tasted so terrible. Now he takes his medicine without complaints...a truly wonderful thing. I feel like we have our Aaron back. We've even had several days this week where Aaron didn't whine or complain all day! How wonderful it felt to praise him for his attitude instead of reprimand him. How wonderful he must feel to be out from under the fog of his medicine!

Are the seizures going away? Well, that's hard to tell. Last Thursday and Friday I was seeing them before school, after school, and even during school. (I volunteer in his classroom a couple times per month.) Over the weekend, I didn't notice any. I haven't seen any this week either. But when I ask him if he's missing instructions at school because of his "blank-outs," he says he is. Hmm. At least I'm not noticing them like I was last week. That has to mean something, right? His first blood test is on Monday, and that will tell us if the medicine is at a therapeutic level in his body. Another step as we walk through this diagnosis.

Moving on...

Derek's deer hunt was last week! He looks forward to this all year long. This year he took Kaleb, his dad took Braylen, and they spent the entire day in the field. Grandpa got a buck early in the morning, and Derek got a doe in the evening. The 4 guys came home a happy bunch. I'm even happier that they do everything they need to do in the garage...not in my kitchen. :) And since this is my blog and not Derek's, I will post a picture of our dear son and not a picture of the deer!

Kaleb in the field

My brother-in-law treated us to a hockey game again this fall. His company has a suite, and it even came with supper. :) Aaron is our hockey fan, and I felt so blessed to be able to do this with him. We all had a good time together. Aaron loved watching all the goals--11 in all!

A weekend at home was just what we needed after a busy week of hunting and activities. Derek and the boys worked hard in the yard while I did my spring cleaning in the fall. I have a hard time buying Christmas gifts for our boys when our family room is cluttered with more toys than you can imagine. So, my task was to find things to give away, making room for what's to come. I think we did a pretty good job. Mom and Dad, we have a few things you might want to pass along to Will. You'd better leave room in your van this Christmas. :)

Supper with friends on Sunday was a great way to end our weekend. Now we're gearing up for Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday. School gets out early this afternoon, and I have 3 pies, a pretzel salad, and sweet potatoes to make. The boys will make some pilgrim hat cookies, although they don't know it yet. Derek and I both wish we were traveling this year. It's an itch we get that goes back to our college days. However, we are staying in town--no road trips for us. We're blessed with family to celebrate with here at home and look forward to it! :)

Our husbands bought us matching vests...how sweet of them. :)

Happy Thanksgiving! We really do have a lot to be thankful for, don't we?

Plans and Steps

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

We received a diagnosis for Aaron's symptoms last week. Although it was just a formality...in my heart I knew what I was seeing the moment I first saw it. He's having absence seizures. They are very easy to miss, since there are no convulsions with this type of seizure. He simply stares ahead for a few seconds, mentally "checks out," and is unable to speak or respond to what's happening around him. If he's speaking when it happens, he stops talking. If he's standing, he keeps standing. He doesn't fall down. Some last 3-5 seconds. Some last 15 seconds. Sometimes he remembers what was said during his absence. Sometimes he doesn't. We think they are increasing in frequency because he's starting to tell us he's missing things his teacher says.

We opted to medicate him for several reasons. First, we don't want him to suffer with these and fall behind in school. Second, there is a family history of a different type of seizure disorder, and we want to try and protect Aaron from that. So far Aaron's been on this medication for six days. There are side effects, but I think they are beginning to fade. Praise the Lord for that! This medicine makes him drowsy, irritable, and gives him an upset stomach. We are not seeing any reduction in the number of seizures, but that is to be expected right now. This medicine needs to come to a therapeutic level in his body before we can expect to see results. Our prayer is that once we get Aaron's dose to a therapeutic level, this medicine will stop his seizures. If it doesn't, then we will need to see the specialist that our pediatrician is currently consulting with. For now, we will go with this plan.

Aaron hates his medicine. It tastes bad. It makes him feel bad. But when I tell him I'm sorry, he tells me it's not my fault. He says, "I need to take this medicine to get rid of the problem, even if it gives me other problems." Sweet boy. My mother's heart hurts over this. I would gladly take this off of him and place it upon myself if I could. But I can't. God knows my weakness, that my faith is weak when my child is hurting. So, He gave me a glimpse of His power when I was at my weakest moment. When I called our school nurse to report this diagnosis and treatment plan, guess what? She responded with, "I took that same medicine when I was a child." What?!?!? You mean to tell me, I can talk with a nurse about what Aaron's feeling, and she can answer me because she's taken it herself? Out of all the conditions and medications out there, we have a school nurse with the exact same thing in her past? Okay God, I'm listening. This nurse tells me how Aaron's feeling, tells me how long he will feel this way, and speaks to my heart in a way that even our doctor could not. It was like the Holy Spirit was telling me, "See what I'm doing? I'm handling it. Don't be afraid."

God didn't stop there. On the day we received the diagnosis, my cell phone rang. Some friends of ours, who had no idea what were going through with Aaron, called to ask if they could come pick up our van and take it to their mechanic. Since Derek was swamped at work and I was wrapped up in Aaron's medical needs, the van still sat in the garage after being towed home the week before. It was weighing on my mind, but I could only deal with so much, and Aaron came first. When I told my friend we would be humbled and grateful to accept their help, I explained why her call was so timely. There were a few happy tears on both ends of the phone call. :) Since they refused to let us pay for the repair, Derek and I have decided to "pay this forward" when an opportunity comes our way. In my heart I heard this whisper from the Lord: "If I can fix your van, I can fix your son. I'm handling it. Don't be afraid."

Did I plan for this to happen? For Aaron to take medicine for years to come, for routine blood draws and diagnostic tests, with always a possibility that this will progress into a more difficult seizure disorder? No way. I didn't plan for this and I didn't want this. I still don't. But from the beginning, I've seen God all over this. He sustained Aaron in the womb when all looked lost. He's given him a healthy childhood and provided us with doctors and nurses to help us with this. He's determining our steps. I like how The Message translates Proverbs 16:9: "We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it."

He's determining our steps. He's making us able to live it. :)

Comic Life

I think the creators of several comic strips must spy on our family for inspiration. I frequently think "Baby Blues," "Family Circus," "Dennis the Menace," and occasionally, "Zits," portray our lives well.

This week I found THE perfect comic strip for Kaleb. I clipped it out of the newspaper and left it on the counter for him to find. He didn't let me down. :) After reading it he said, "This is the best comic ever!"

Sometimes all it takes is a simple comic strip to make our day. :)

Real Life

I'm glad this is the month of Thanksgiving. It helps keep me on the right track. It would be easy to get wrapped up in my own problems and do nothing but fret and worry and complain. But I'm learning there's a much better way to live. Especially in the middle of "one of those days." Or one of those weeks. Or one of those months.

Aaron had his EEG this morning. We should know more tomorrow when our doctor calls us. Our van gave us problems on Saturday. We were hours from home...so we rented a car and left our van behind. Derek and his dad retrieved it with a trailer on Sunday. Our internet went down for a few days. It's back again, better than ever. (pretty minor when compared to the rest of our life, but still an inconvenience!) Work keeps piling up for Derek, causing him to work late almost every night. Although, this overtime is probably how God is providing for our financial needs...hospital tests and van repairs are not cheap. And we have a birthday and Christmas to prepare for...

I don't really have a purpose with this post. I guess it's just an update on our life right now. Like everyone else, we're walking through some things I'd rather not have to walk through. But we're not stuck in a pity party. We really do have lots to be thankful for.

Here are a few fun moments we've been blessed with.

Aaron told me not to post this, but I can't resist. We painted rocks with nail polish.
He asked me to paint my nails in the same pattern as the stripes on the brick.
Right now I have 10 different polish colors on my fingernails. :)
This shows I will do anything for my son!

Derek and I were treated to a football game with his brother and sis-in-law:
two of our very best friends!

We even took Aaron out to breakfast this morning after his test. Events that happened within our community mean Derek has quite a day and night ahead of him...but he came with us to the hospital and I'm thankful for that. Aaron painted "God is good" on his rock, and I have to agree with what he painted.

Halloween Happenings

Some things were different this Halloween. Some things were the same. I guess that's the story of my life with growing kids. :) All 3 boys carved pumpkins this year. It was a fun family event that we almost forgot to do! Braylen carved his own pumpkin from start to finish. Derek and I helped Kaleb and Aaron, and had fun doing so. Aaron continues to love all the seeds, and Kaleb loves the mushy pumpkin guts. Braylen prided himself on how well he cleaned his pumpkin, saying he must have his dad's skills. Each boy designed his own face and I think what they created reflects their personalities.

Braylen's pumpkin has a huge smile, just like him.
Kaleb's pumpkin and face carving are perfectly round and proportioned, reflecting his perfectionist personality.
Aaron's pumpkin has a goofy, crooked smile...he's been known for his funny faces since birth. 

Trick-or-treating looked different this year. Braylen walked home from school with a friend and stayed there all afternoon and evening. They had fun together, but I missed having my boy here with us. We invited some friends over for supper...actually, they invited themselves, but they're good enough friends that they have the right to do that. :) I set the table with all my football serving pieces. (thanks Eric and Amber!) I wish I had a picture.

Of course I took pictures of the trick-or-treating. Our nieces came over to walk around our neighborhood with us. We were a group of 6 adults and 7 kids. And one dog who wondered why in the world were we walking so slow?

Can you spot my NASCAR driver and Clone Trooper?

Here they are with Ginger Girl.

Aaron carried his blaster gun with him the entire time!

Of course they had to show you what they're REALLY like. :)

This time of year always brings back memories of 2003 for me. It was the day after Halloween, I was 17 weeks into my pregnancy with Aaron, and I thought I lost him. I drove myself to the hospital while Derek took our boys to his parents' house. That was the hardest drive of my life. Many miracles later, Aaron is a healthy 7 and 1/2 year old boy. He completes our family perfectly.

The day after Halloween 2011...Aaron has a doctor's appointment. I find myself wishing we didn't have to take him to the doctor. I want to deny there's anything wrong with him. Then I remember November 1st, 2003. When all hope was lost, God asked us to trust Him. How Aaron's life was sustained through all the complications of my pregnancy--only God could have done that. How fitting that this trial with Aaron falls on the exact same date as it did 8 years ago. I believe that our God is a God of order. A God of intentionality. There are no coincidences. He's asking us to trust Him again, and he's using the same date on the calendar. How cool is that? I'm working on that trust, moment by moment.

This is not a life-threatening issue. Not at all. So many people go through much harder stuff than this. Next week Aaron will have an EEG, and hopefully we'll know more after that. Until then, we are choosing to remember God's faithfulness.

Psalms 77:11-12

"I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all Your works and consider all Your mighty deeds."