Today I decided to take a longer lunch hour and go see my baby brother Ryan and his wife Sarah off at the local airport. Ryan has been offered, and accepted a job in New Hampshire so of course while I am happy for them, it will be hard to see them go so far away! I mean…this is my baby brother who once started his hair on fire because he was shooting bottle rockets out of a glass from the top of his head! I was a good enough sister to catch it all on video but I guess when we didn’t win the $10,000 prize for funniest home videos😜😭…well, Ryan decided to go be all smart and landed a career that can basically take him anywhere in the United States!😍

So when I heard they were flying out from the airport I knew I wanted to go see them! I figured I would take the kids because this is the same airport I used to take Skyler to when she was younger. We always loved watching planes take off and like Skye reminded me today…we would always try to see the “big red one” fly in for landing or take off…but we rarely ever saw it. 

With a bad back and four kids…go figure…we were later than planned and Ryan and Sarah were all ready to board when we arrived! And when I could not understand the lip movement or gestures my brother was saying to me through the glass…  

He was able to come back through the gates to visit with us!   

And then it was time for him to go back through security and get ready to board!!

Ryan and Sarah were also nice enough to humor me with a selfie through the glass😍😂😬  
The kids and I then went outside and watched their plane take off and the sound of the engine never gets old to me!!   

   
And somehow, which you would never have believed it if I didn’t have the picture, but before we left, I was able to talk Skyler in to it…which really wasn’t that hard to do😜…and we are backwards and not quite like the original because yeah…I think we both felt awkward once we actually attempted it! Haha!😭😭😭   And this one she even took her headband out and tried to split her bangs!! And I just look awful! Oh my goodness! Haha!The original picture was us at the airport when she was 7 years old…one of the first pictures I took after doctors had recently told me to get arrangements made because I only had a few years left!  Yet here we are again 9 years later!! 

Anyway, it was quite hilarious when she sat down in front of me but yeah, very weird so we didn’t try too hard! Haha! But we all had some good laughs over it and that’s the important thing!

Please keep Ryan, Sarah and the kids in your prayers as they travel to look at houses and then begin the whole moving process. I can’t imagine how many mixed feelings they are experiencing but the opportunities for them are endless and I hope everything goes as smoothly as it can for them! Love them dearly and wishing them all the best!! 

That’s it! I will not cry and get emotional! Shaaa right! Okay, I cried when they walked out the gate, when they got on the plane, when the plane took off…and then I cried on the way home…but that could have also been the excruciating back pain!😜 Either way, I’m good now…until next time 😍😍 but hey, we now have a free vacation destination so no tears needed!!

Now I’m going to go pick a random picture so that the last photo isn’t of me and Skyler because I think the last picture is the one that shows up on the newsfeed😜 Enjoy the rest of your week everybody!  

The last few days have been anything but good for my health. I mean, with all of my fm and other issues going on…why wouldn’t this make for the perfect opportunity to have my back give out right?! And of course why wouldn’t I manage to run my broken toe over with a shopping cart…all because I had been walking funny…due to my back pain!! 😬😬😩🤓haha!

Needless to say, my ridiculously broken body…along with our broken vehicles, which is a whole other blog, led to Tim and me discussing our plan of bracing ourselves because this storm we’ve been in that seems to have been going on for years, just keeps getting stronger! 

And our plan of attack we came up with?? IGNORE EVERYTHING! haha! With so many issues going on, I have started to prioritize my health and will be cancelling some of the upcoming appointments that were scheduled for me. Obviously I want to keep my eye sight…so eyes and fm will be my main focus…no pun intended😜, which is more than enough. Everything else I will just deal with, because afterall, isn’t that how I have lived with so many of my “mysterious” ailments the last 14 years anyway?

So on that note of ignoring my health…kids are finding ways to enjoy their summer! Nathan, Leah and Asher are all attending vacation bible school!  I might be miserable and stretched out on my back while they’re gone but the minute they get home…my problems go on the back burner as I listen to all three of them, their voices filled with excitement as they share their stories and verses from the night!! Pretty awesome to see God working in them! Oh and maybe God working THROUGH them since their verses have a lot to do with not being afraid for God is with you!

And I guess you can’t have summer fun without riding some type of vehicle! Kids have been making tracks around the yard with their go cart!  

While Leah waits patiently for a ride…  And daddy and Asher do all the hard work…  And apparently this is the time to also be breaking our ponies! Sounds like Skye earned her name as the “horse whisperer” when she was able to slide the halter on to one of the ponies. So yes, something else for me to worry about once kids start riding them!

Obviously the kids are enough of a good thing for me to stay focused on and sadly I sometimes forget and get lost in the health junk. Thankful for these moments that God uses to remind me of how blessed I am…and how faithful He truly is. 

We are praying that God helps us make the right decisions in regard to my health and we are trying not to worry or stress about scenarios that might never be. And like the kids have reminded me with one of their verses…every night this week…  

Had a follow up on my lungs yesterday and we finally have the start of a plan. It was confirmed that yes, I still have some masses growing and they continue to do damage to my body. Really this is no surprise to us though, my symptoms gave that answer away three years ago and ever since we have been monitoring the progression.

The difference this time is that my newer problematic areas are in locations where stents are not an option, something that had mostly worked for me in the past.

The doctor strongly feels that we are now at that point where we need to do some type of intervention so I will be starting the chemotherapy drug that the Mayo Clinic had been doing for other patients with fm. It sounds to be successful although they have not been able to get the research off the ground due to funding. Of course the idea of chemo infusions sounds scary to me but this is not the typical “poison.” Yes, I may have some side effects but it sounds like mostly I will be sick and tired a few days…but hey, isn’t that the story of my life?!😜

While this treatment will not reverse any of my current symptoms, we are hopeful that it will prevent anymore.

And, since I have diabetes, Dr. Hornick said my immune system is already messed up so this chemo very well could bring on a whole new world of problems. But, he also said if I don’t do the chemo then the masses will continue to grow, pressing more on my airways as well as making my hypertension worse, leading to more pressure and damage on my heart and lungs. Not really a win win scenario.

I did some scans yesterday to get a baseline so when we start the chemo we can monitor the growth…which hopefully there won’t be anymore. 

We still have to get a lot of things worked out before this can all get approved. We also have a lot of questions to be answered but the doctor was looking for me to start within six weeks. Plus, now that this option is finally available to me, I have a lot of praying to do. We will continue to trust God in the following days ahead.

Please continue to prayer for Aaron, Tim’s brother as he battles his 3rd round against leukemia. 

It’s been one of those weeks where my emotions are running overboard. One of those weeks where I think about all of our family and friends who have their own battles to deal with and the ongoing struggles they continue to face. 

And just this morning I confessed to my mom how the fm symptoms have been fairly intense recently, enough for me to lose focus on the positive and make me grumble under my breath about being sick…of being sick. Oh yeah, and I broke my toe! 🤓  

Shortly after I told my mom how lousy I had been feeling with so much pain throughout my entire body, the fogginess and shortness of breath, I acknowledged that at least I wasn’t stuck in a hospital and things could be so much worse. Things will get better. And then Tim called…

Skye had texted him last night wanting to start working with him for some extra money. Well, according to Tim, she just loves his company and wants to hang out with him all summer! 😜 Tim had some things he needed help with so Skyler met him over at the farm this morning. 

And when Tim called me later in the day he started the conversation off with “we had an incident,” much different from his typical “man she’s got attitude” comment when she’s working with him! 😝

I immediately knew something was not right as he began to fill me in on what had happened. Skyler had collapsed and as he continued to share with me the details of him catching her and carrying her out of the room to sit her down, my heart raced and instantly I began praying that she had not had a seizure…because she outgrew those from about 8 years ago. That’s not supposed to be an issue anymore. 

I met Tim at the hospital and once he had given all the details that he could, he took Leah and Asher back home. But I think Skyler enjoyed their quick visit…   Labs, chest X-rays and other tests were done, all which came back normal. Skyler insisted that she was fine now and I guess if she’s still taking selfies…that’s a good sign!   She handled herself well throughout all of the testing until she found out she had to wear a heart monitor for the next 48 hours and she got grouchy. And I sat there encouraging her all while trying to hide and fight back the tears. 

She immediately shot off a look I know all too well followed by the defiance of not playing by the rules or listening to the doctors. And just like that…through her quick flare up of frustration and stubbornness, I saw myself! And I hated that it was Skyler in that bed and not me.

And of course it was hard for me not to go there…to that spot! I almost let this break me.

Labs, X-rays, heart monitors….with no reason for her episode! So many tests with no answers. This is not happening to my aprilskye! And the pleas and bargaining with God began but I quickly realized how wrong I was to be praying like that. But when it’s your child?? I was praying out of selfishness because my kids shouldn’t have to be hurting. I have always said I had enough health problems that they should be covered…healthy…throughout their lifetime. They shouldn’t have to go through the crap I go through!

I quickly went in to joking mode and then Tim had also started texting her some silly things as well, and Skyler eased up, agreeing that wearing the heart monitor for two days wouldn’t be so bad. I mean this day was almost over then Thursday she gets it off so really it’s just like one full day! 😉

We will see what the results bring, hopefully nothing. Tim keeps playing the incident over and over in his head, trying to justify why Skyler might have blacked out. This work was nothing new to Skyler as she has helped him several times throughout the years. He kept suggesting different reasons. Wanting it to be a simple explanation, which we are still hopeful that it is something simple.

Later in the night after Tim had been gone a while for chores he simply texted me “look to the east” which I did put on my shoes and went outside. We have had a lot of bad weather lately so I assumed maybe some dark wall clouds…because I think everyone knows what a freak I am about getting the perfect picture of those right Ryan and Sarah?😜 haha! But nope…a double rainbow.   And what did my pathetic emotional self do?? I stood out in our driveway and cried! Haha! First I cried because I expected to go out and see what our life seems to be full of…a bunch of dark clouds hovering over us. But then I cried because I finally saw amazing beauty in the day…beauty in the weeks that have been so dark! A reminder of the promises and goodness God has in store for us! 

And THEN I cried because Tim thought of me to go out of his way to text and tell me to go outside and see the rainbow! He sure does have his hands full with me! 😂

So yeah, I’m a basket case lately and while I might cry or be sad and angry on occasion…that doesn’t mean I’ve lost my faith…it means I’m human! God loves Skyler more than I ever could imagine so I know He’s got her…He’s got all of us.

Prayers greatly appreciated as doctors try to find answers for us. 

As I have mentioned in the past, I have another eye surgery coming up in July. I have had surgery on my right eye once and then my left eye five times so far. My doctor has been convinced the damage is due to my fm and since I also have diabetes, he feels that the two combined is the cause for such aggressive damage to my eyes!😕

I know a lot of those with fm have these same issues and have questioned if eye sight can really be a result from the illness so I am attaching a clip from one of the news channels that is doing a series on histoplasmosis and the damage it is capable of causing. And while there isn’t much information in this short clip, the illness is out there and getting known! This is someone’s story and that seems to be the only way we can spread awareness due to the rarity of our situation. And by sharing our stories, we are assisting doctors with learning how to help us!!

I will definitely be sharing this with my opthamologist next month in hopes of finding better treatment options instead of the painful and ongoing eye surgeries!

http://kwqc.com/2016/05/26/environmental-attack-margies-story/

Regardless if I’m in Iowa City for my heart, my lungs, my SVC or other issues, it’s always an emotional time for me. A constant reminder that I’m sick…something I try to deny daily as I struggle to walk up the stairs, or as I stop and wait for my heartrate to go down after playing with the kids for only a few minutes. These times in the waiting room, especially when I am by myself…are the moments where everything sinks in…the severity of this illness that continues to take a little more of my body each day. 

Today was a day I was by myself so I figured why not blog! I sat quietly, observing the others around me, smiling at the little kids that scrambled throughout the chairs and sending sincere glances to the moms trying to control them. But one couple definitely caught my immediate attention! And even though I had no idea who they were or why they were in the same waiting room as me…I was instantly inspired by them! 

It was a man and a woman probably in their 80’s and what I loved best about them…the man had his arm around his wife and she had turned her body to sink into his chest with her hand on his knee. I was in ear shot so I was also able to listen to them visit with each other. He would crack jokes…mostly about the current politicians, and his wife would turn her head to look up at him and laugh, which then made him smile back down at her. 

Two younger ladies then approached them and referred to the older couple as “mom” and “dad.” The four of them just sat and visited, laughing at whatever dad had to say, obviously he is quite the character. I took from their demeanor that this was not their first time in a waiting room…they looked too comfortable…something us lifelong patients tend to be! 

As the wife was called back to meet with the doctor, she struggled getting out of her chair and her husband said quite loudly, “do you need me to goose you?” which of course sent the entire waiting room into an area of laughter. It was adorable but then something struck me after she was gone.

Once the wife and daughters were out of sight, the man’s smile disappeared. I watched from the corner of my eye as he sat quietly in his chair. Shortly after, he got up and moved to another chair. He appeared fidgety and let off several loud sighs as he sat waiting. Again, I am a very emotional person these days, so I fought back some tears as I watched this man, who could be my sweet old grandpa, obviously sitting there with concern, waiting for his wife to return. Of course my thoughts then turned to my own husband.

I couldn’t help but think is this how Tim is once I am wheeled off to my routine procedures or never ending surgeries? The one thing I love most about my hubby is his amazing…yet sometimes disturbing, sense of humor. He makes me laugh!! He knows when I’m angry and frustrated, sad and scared…so he makes me laugh!! He has never failed me when it comes to this! But just like the man across me, does Tim’s smile fade to worry once I am out of sight? Most likely I know it does and for that, I hate this illness even more. 

As I continued to steal glances at this man, he passed the time by staring off at the floor, tapping his fingers on the chair, chomping his gum and drinking his can of pop. Whenever the door opened, he would lift up his head with a look of anticipation on his face, but when it was not his wife, his focus went back down to the floor.

These types of moments are the most difficult for me. I see through other spouses, the affects and feelings my own husband probably has towards me. The love is apparent when they are together but when the “sick” spouse is out of sight, the worry and fear and even frustration is splashed across the other spouse’s face! 

Tim must experience these same range of emotions about me. Chronic illnesses, which I have several of now, are straining on relationships due to ongoing appointments, finances, insecurities and so many other factors. BUT, chronic illnesses are not harder on one spouse over the other…the struggles are just different!

People continue to tell me how “lucky” I am that Tim is still with me, I was just told this again earlier in the week, and yes, he is the one who gets stuck dealing with kids while I’m either at an appointment or recovering from a procedure…or when I’m fighting a bad day of symptoms…and one of these scenarios occurs almost weekly! So yes, he has a lot on his plate all while managing our cattle operation, which is more than enough for one man!

I truly get that…and, I don’t want sympathy or attention, that is not my intention at all, but before you mention how “lucky” I am that Tim stays with me…please stop and consider what that one statement is really implying! I mean, it’s not like one day I just said hey, let this illness overtake my body to see how miserable it can make me and all of my loved ones. I really do not like that this illness comes with so many challenges!

Because procedures, pain, exhaustion, hospitals, hospital bills, maximum days of anxiety and fear over all of the what ifs is not exactly what I wanted our marriage to be…neither of us did!

But, I did not cheat on Tim, I don’t abuse him…I am sick, I have an illness.

This is something I couldn’t, and cannot control.  It could happen to Tim just the way it happened to me…which I pray countless times throughout the day that Tim and the kids continue to stay healthy!

But, Tim and I have grown in our faith so for that alone, we are blessed, making the challenges and obstacles worth it!

With all that rambling being said, I didn’t see that couple after I was done but what an impression they made on me.  And I really do hope Tim and I are still laughing, regardless of the challenges and the concerned looks that will appear on our faces over the upcoming years, at that couple’s age!

And as far as my appointment, I was not an A+ patient today!😬 They are pretty confident the surgery did not work, however, in order to confirm that, I will be going back in two weeks for some other testing and another ultrasound to see if we can’t find answers. This is no surprise though right?! 😜

It is what it is and summer is just one day away so time to focus on activities to keep us busy over the next couple of months!

Time sure does fly when you’re having fun. But it doesn’t take long before we find ourselves constantly being tested again…it’s time for the doctor appointments to start back up! 

In another week I will go back to my lung doctor for my routine testing which includes scans, blood work and pulmonary breathing assessments. Due to the recent fm progression that is causing new blockage in my airways, this appointment is coming sooner than usual but that’s okay. I am hopeful nothing has gotten worse over the last few months! 

July will also be my SIXTH eye surgery but I really have nothing else to say about that whole situation…gotta love my bitmoji tho😜 

 

With all that being said, tomorrow I am back in Iowa City for a follow up from my surgery…a surgery that appears not to have been a success due to the majority of my symptoms returning this past week. It is what it is and I know we will eventually get these symptoms under control….it just takes longer to figure me out…ask Tim! 😜

I also wanted to give a quick update on Tim’s brother Aaron as I have a lot of family and friends who continue to pray for him and their sister.  Aaron did not have the best results this week as his labs showed what appears to be cancer blasts. He will be undergoing a bone biopsy to figure out what is going on. 

Please lift Aaron and his entire family up in your prayers during this difficult time of painful testing and unknown answers.  

Leah’s second year of dance has come and gone so fast! And the final week is always crunch time with extra practice and dress rehearsal in order to prepare them for two back to back recitals! But it’s also during this week where we get to see all of the hard work and dedication that the kids and the instructors have put in over the past year! It’s always a great performance…and it always brings me to tears😍😭

Leah was full of energy and ready for dress rehearsal… And while dress rehearsal was on a school night and lasted almost three hours…that didn’t stop her from trying to sneak some worms in to her room the next morning…yes, she poured dirt and 13 worms into her Frozen bag…thankfully the blue pale gave it away before she got in the house!🙃
And if Leah didn’t have enough to be excited about already, daddy got to hang out with her for the afternoon at school for an early Father’s Day that included fishing! 

Finally the big night! And like last year at this time, I once again found myself to be a little envious of all the “dance moms” I was surrounded by. I didn’t dance growing up, I played sports!! I don’t know what to do in these situations!!😬 This year we had the opportunity for Root to do makeup so Leah was excited about that…  And always thankful for big sister Skye, especially in situations like this!!😍  So once the hair and makeup were done it was showtime!!  And it was perfect!! Leah did an amazing job and really seemed to enjoy herself being out on stage!

But I think what she enjoyed most was getting flowers from grandpa and grandma Lalk!

The Friday night performance didn’t get us home until about 10pm which everyone crashed the minute we walked in the house! Then Saturday…we did it all over again! Skyler did Leah’s hair, Root did the makeup and then this time Tim and I left Skyler and the boys at home so that Asher didn’t have to try and sit through the two hour show all over again!

The superhero theme was really upbeat with a lot of fun songs which made for a great afternoon of entertainment! Thank you to the great instructor and assistants who do such a wonderful job!   

 And just like Friday night, Leah loved getting more flowers from grandma Vicky and grandpa Steve! 

Everything about this girl steals daddy’s heart…    

And that melts mine😍   

  With all of Leah and her dancing…I am exhausted! 😜 Haha! But I sure do love the smell of flowers throughout our house!🌹

Today we finally had a day of nothing scheduled…a day of rest…kind of…well, not really😜 After church we all played outside in the water…   

  and got our garden started!! Better late than never!!  

It was a great day filled with fun and accomplishments and better yet, Leah came up to me out of the blue for a hug followed by informing me of what a fun day she had with her family!😍😊

This is what living life is all about! 

What a fun filled week it’s been so far!!! Sunday night Tim and I got to double date with my parents to the Danny Gokey concert and how amazing that was!!   

 He really knows how to get the crowd going and he can really perform all while glorifying God! I laughed and I cried and I praised God for all of the amazing blessings my life is filled with…and not things…but the amazng people in our lives!

I took my book because I thought you know what, so many amazing songs have come across the radio at the most appropriate times for me. “There’s Hope In Front of Me” was one of those songs so I thought it might be cool to let one of these artists see just what kind of struggles one of their listeners deals with. That one song specifically, can instantly calm me and reminds me that no matter what I am facing…the struggles that continue to rise, the selfish days I question if it’s all worth it…of course it’s worth it!! Because there is hope and good days just around the corner!!

Things won’t always be bad, life is full of ups and downs…and usually the downs tend to crash upon us all at once but I have faith things will get better! I have hope that my good days will outweigh my bad days! And if that song wasn’t powerful enough, his most recent song really hit home!! “Tell Your Heart To Beat Again”…and the best verse in the song that overtakes me and brings me to tears every stinking time…   

What an eye opening reminder that while we might think our lives are crumbling and falling apart…God is still working in us! While I might be crying now, I know God is encouraging me to just hold on, to let go of my own control and what I think is best…and to trust Him because He is guiding me!!

So anyway, even though I had intentions of handing out my book, I of course chickened out! Tim and mom pushed me to give my book to him and well, I’m not the assertive type so my mom saw the sound guy and went to ask if he worked with Danny which he did. I was set to just have my mom give my book to him…to give to Danny! Haha! But no, he informed my mom that Danny would be coming out to sign autographs so I could give my book to him personally! Noooo! Tim and my mom pressured me, saying really I had nothing to lose and I would not get this opportunity again! As Tim and I waited in line…   

I constantly bombarded Tim with what do I say? Should I do this or say that? How should I open the coversation? I was also in my fleeing mode and begged Tim to let me just leave the book on the stage and if he gets it he gets it but Tim said no! Haha!

Finally, it was our turn and really I have no idea what I all said but he did seem appreciative that I gave him the book! And he high fived me and grabbed my hand when I said I had outlived my diagnosis by 4 years;)    

   

  

I’m not sure what we’re doing here haha!!  

It was another night where I stepped out of my comfort zone and regardless if he reads it or not (which I really hope he does take the time to), God has defintely used the illness I originally thought was destroying my life…for me to grow in my faith, my confidence…and my fears of public speaking and initiating contacts with people! Haha! Because of my illness, I found my way again!!

Then Monday I had a follow up appointment on a few different issues, go figure, but all seems to be okay and no referrals made to any other specialists! Wahoo!!

Tuesday night Nathan had his last orchestra concert as a 6th grader and he did great!!  

And tonight was the first night of dance rehearsal for Leah’s big recital coming up!    

  

 And as I am getting all emotional from looking at how old she is in these pictures…I again became overwhelmed with how far God has brought me! Seeing the smiles on our kids faces encourages me because so often I feel like being sick prevents me from being the mom they so desperately deserve. 

I am so thankful that God continues to watch over us…well He always has but now I actually see that He always has been here with us! 

Unfortunatelty I haven’t always made God priority. And while I am still sick, actually worse off than I was before, I am happier than I was before! I truly see the little beautiful things that I was missing out on. My circumstances haven’t changed, well, actually they’ve gotten worse, and the last couple of weeks, everything has actually started to pile up and may be the beginning of new challenges! But I am happy, Tim is happy because we are relying on God to pull us through…and we know He will!

There is no perfect life, and Tim and I tried for so long to control everything ourselves, which almost destroyed us! Today we were faced with some challenges and Tim handled it the best he ever has! He simply replied “Surprisngly, I am okay with whatever happens, and I know God will take care of us”! 

Yes, I cried after I got off the phone with him! But, after he said that about one situation…we were faced with three more situations and Tim said he better rethink what he had told me earlier! Haha! No matter what we are faced with we will get through it together, because we both have God as our main priority!!

The rest of the week is filled with some minor doctor appointments for me and a lot of dance rehearsals on top of working and trying to catch up! So, now while I would loveeee to go to bed, I am off to do some work while the kids are sleeping!

And in case you haven’t heard this song yet…here you go!

Today was Leah’s appointment for her ears and last minute we decided to all go as a family so that we could go out to lunch afterwards. Originally it was going to be Tim taking Leah so I had basically just showered and was in my usual weekend wear…nice and comfy clothes! Well I hurried up and changed and when I came back down Tim questioned how I was feeling and said I looked rough…followed by…it’s not my clothes but my hair and my…well,  “you don’t look healthy” he finished with. Have I mentioned how sweet my hubby is?!😜

But yes, I have tended to me more red, puffy and extremely exhausted looking!  I did start to get testy with him but caught myself because once again, he is at least starting to acknowledge that my health isn’t the greatest on days instead of ignoring it. But, maybe just a little bit out of spite…I went upstairs, ran the straightener through my hair a few times, put on a sweater and splashed a little foundation and lipstick on my face! And come to think of it…he really didn’t say I looked any better afterwards!😁

But anyway, back to the important stuff. All went well for Leah at her appointment!!

 And while she sure was enjoying herself…well daddy…he was realizing why I suggested I stay at home with Asher 😍  Leah did have some fluid in her ears but after examining her ears, nose and throat pretty thoroughly, the doctor feels her ears are related more to allergy reasons! That means no tubes and no removal of adenoids!! She does have to take a medication for six weeks but he is confident that will clear everything up! Again, I know this is common and not a big deal but we are extremely thankful for the outcome! 

We then headed down to the East Bremer Diner for some delicious lunch before going back home to hang out and play games while daddy was home for a few hours!

I also survived my first week back to work and am trying not to get overwhelmed with all the work I walked back in to! I had to laugh when my fmla paperwork came back from the doctor basically indicating that the fibrosing mediastinitis and all of my other issues could average 5-7 flare ups a month lasting a few days each time…meaning over half of every month!! Once again, thankful that my doctors recognize how hard this disease truly is on those of us affected by it! I definitely have been struggling more the last few years but am extremely grateful for the accommodations made for me to work at home. Plus, my job has the health insurance so definitely not ready to throw the towel in quite yet!!

Tim is also facing some challenges with his job but he is an extremely hard worker and dedicated to doing his best. We have both been praying about our cattle business and then all of this stuff pops up! So while we aren’t exactly sure how everything will play out or what God’s plan is, I know whatever happens God is watching over us…and maybe pray that we can figure out the direction He is trying to lead us in!😬

As far as my grandma, she is finally settled in to a nursing home as she just wasn’t safe being at home anymore. It is always hard to see but we know it’s best for her!

Other than that it’s been a low key weekend and those are always welcomed…and appreciated!! 

Now it’s time for bed so that I can be well rested for the big Danny Gokey concert tomorrow night!! Oh and remember…he replied on Facebook and told me to bring friends so whoever is in the area should definitely meet us there…I would hate to let him down!! 😜😍😂

Enjoy the rest of your weekend everyone!