An update and a prayer request

The photo above was taken in between doctors appointments two weeks ago. We had three hours to kill after our meeting with the rehab specialist to discuss possible timelines for prosthesis and the process of getting Alex back on her feet after surgery. It was drizzling but she wanted to play at the playground and there wasn’t anything better to do so we did. Alex quickly made friends with a little girl who was following her around at a distance watching her use her arm crutches and looking at her leg. Alex noticed and asked if she could go talk to her. Of course I encouraged her to do that and she asked the little girl if she wanted to try the crutches. This new friend gave them a try and Alex hopped around. The next two hours they were best friends.

Alex and I had a good day together. Her next appointment was at Hanger Clinic to have her brace adjusted because her right leg has grown some and she was getting pinched by the brace. They got her all fixed up and Alex was excited to get to see the big pictures of Winter the dolphin on the wall.

Two weeks ago

LaRue danced with her studio in an outdoor performance of Coppelia. She did very well and we all enjoyed the show.

It was a cool evening and the perfect way to enjoy some hot chocolate and chili in the fall.

I was gifted a trip to the beach with a dear friend for a couple days following LaRue’s ballet. I spent two full days sitting on the beach, reading, crocheting, journaling, walking, praying, and collecting shells. It was a time of refreshment and rest. There is something about the beauty of the ocean, sand, shells, sunsets, and sky that always leave me in awe of the creator. These things always bring perspective to how much God loves us. This rest came at the perfect time. The day before I left we received word that there is a new insurance issue. We kept it quiet because we hoped it would be resolved quickly and didn’t want the kids to worry so we didn’t want them to find out about this possible delay. This has not happened yet and we decided we should reach out and ask you all to pray with us. If this is not resolved soon we will have to postpone her surgery again. We are feeling discouraged by this news because Alex is so excited and so ready to get this part done so she can begin the healing and learning to walk process. We have spent many hours the last two weeks on the phone and emailing different people trying to understand what the problem is and what our options are. As I sat on the beach those two days with the new information I was reminded how much focusing on these beautiful gifts from God encourages my heart. Anytime I am able to stop and refocus I am better able to remember how important my daughter is to God and how perfect is plan for her future is. Please pray for peace for Brent and me and the children as we wait. Pray that we can continue to trust while we continue to pursue answers but not worry about what does not seem to be working the way we hope it will.

When I got home we finished out our fall break with lots of nature time. Hiking with friends at Montgomery Bell state park. This was our first trip to this park and it was stunning. Beautiful scenery, water to splash in and critters found. We saw snakes, tasted persimmons, ran up and down big hills, and found beautifully colored leaves. It was a really beautiful day for it.

Boone spends almost every day in the back yard watching butterflies. He loves to watch them. We didn’t have nearly as many monarchs this year as we have the last couple but we had a large variety of butterflies and that was enjoyable.

This happened today!!! How are we old enough to have a child who is driving? I’m really not sure how this happened! 😄. He did very well on his test and drove us almost all the way home from Lebanon after he received his permit. I am really proud of the young man he is becoming. It was fun to get this time away with him. Often I am having to take Alex to appointments so Ethan stays home with the other kids and holds down the fort. He has carried much more than i thought I would be asking of him at this age but he helps out so graciously.

Alex and I made new friends today. This sweet girl is Ella. She and Alex had an instant bond. Ella had a rotationplasty on her left leg sis months ago. Different reason but very similar surgery. These girls have a lot in common and they had a lot to talk about. Ella showed Alex her new backward foot and new prosthesis. She let Alex ask all of her questions, they tried out each other’s arm crutches, hopped and danced up and down the sidewalk! Ella is going to be a sweet encouragement to Alex and our whole family. I am thankful that God put these friends in our lives at this time.

There has been a lot of sweet on top of the frustration of the unknown in the last couple weeks. While we wait to hear if this insurance issue is going to be resolved we continue to take steps to prepare to leave in only three weeks. We found out that due to Covid we will not have access to the shared kitchen in the home we will be staying in so that has changed my food preparation plan. Until this week I didn’t want to really plan to leave in case we have to reschedule but realized this week I couldn’t wait any longer to begin preparations. We will continue unless we hear we need to stop. One step at a time and always learning to trust in new ways.