The Last Two Weeks = A Roller-Coaster Ride

Saturday, April 27th: Lilly's Birthday Party...

Landen driving "Wormy" around 

 The boy's playing at Shogun ( after the party)  while we waited
for a table inside  (my child will NOT keep his shoes on these days)



Thursday, May 2nd: Landen got his cast off!!!!!!  After 7 weeks and 3 days...Yay!  Such a great Day!

Showing off that leg...we hadn't seen it in a while

Friday, May 3rd:  I went to Ethan's school to help them make homemade ice cream by shaking the ingredients in Ziploc bags.  The kids really enjoyed the process and they enjoyed eating the ice cream with yummy  toppings even more!  That night both boys had a friend/neighbor over to play.  Ethan's friend stayed the night but Landen's little buddy just came over for a few hours. I felt so bad because Landen didn't even play much with his friend, he stayed right with the big boys, watching them play Xbox.  Oh well, the little guy didn't seem to mind, he kicked back and  watched  Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and drank chocolate milk, ha!

Over the Weekend:  It was raining on Saturday so we rented the diamond at an indoor baseball facility in BG for the team to practice.  All of the boys loved playing inside...it  was a nice change for them.  They all took their shoes and socks off and practiced in their bare feet.  Kind of a germaphobe's worst nightmare but they thought it was F.U.N.   On Sunday after church and lunch we went and had silhouettes of the boy's made.  That's what I wanted for Mother's Day.  I haven't seen the proofs yet but I'm sure I will LOVE them!  

Tuesday, May 7th:  We took the boys swimming at an indoor public pool in BG  to help build the muscles back up in Landen's leg.  They both had so much fun they didn't want to leave!

My little fish

Ethan wanted in on the action....whopping kids with noodle action...oh me!

Wednesday, May 8th:  Ethan sang in his team talent show at school.  He sand "God Blessed the Broken Road" by Rascal Flatts.  It's a very special song to us and he did such a great job!  He made many people cry including his teacher and myself.  I was so proud of him because he suffers badly from anxiety about being on stage.  He gets so nervous that in Disney World we got up super early and took him to sign up for a Star Wars Jedi training where you perform onstage and once we got there he backed out of signing up.  Anyway, he overcame his fear and we couldn't have been more proud of our country crooner (who has quite the country twang, might I add)...

On Wednesday night, Ethan had batting practice in BG and we made a stop by Toys R' Us afterward.  At this point, Landen had yet to walk unless someone was holding his hand. He got a ball from a bin in the store and started playing with it. When he dropped the ball  it rolled down the aisle and without realizing it, he took off walking after it.  He walked up and down two aisles!  I was so excited for him. I grabbed my phone to record it and got all teary eyed (2 months is a long time to not see your baby walk)... the people in the store probably thought "Um Lady, it looks like he should have been walking a couple of years ago, LoL!

 

Thursday, May 9th: We were at Ethan's baseball practice, had a blanket stretched out on the grass, and Landen was playing with a couple of friends.  He stood up to go get a toy and he tripped over the blanket.   I caught him mid-fall but it was too late...he was screaming.  I panicked!  I'm not proud of it but I did.  I yelled for Josh and we got him to the truck to sit him down and look at his ankle on his GOOD leg. There was an extra knot there and I wasn't taking any chances.  We picked up my mom and went straight to the BG emergency room.   He calmed down half way there and was playing and giggling with Mom so we were pretty sure that nothing was broken but pretty sure wasn't good enough for me.  We had three x-rays and thank the good Lord above, no broken bones, just a sprained ankle. So we are back to scooting around again.  He wanted to try to stand this morning but it hurt when he put pressure on his sprained ankle and his other ankle is still weak from the cast.  SO, we are alternating Motrin and Tylenol, icing the ankle, and rubbing muscle cream on both legs.  Praying and praying some more that his ankle recuperates in a few days so that he can get back to walking again.  

 I know that I've said this before but seeing your kiddos hurt is the worst.  I just keep having to put this entire   "broken leg" fiasco in perspective.  It seems terrible to me...maybe the hardest thing I have ever been through other than losing loved ones.  But in the big picture I feel so weak and ungrateful when I step back and look at other's pain and suffering.  Throughout this entire process I just keep thinking about the kids that I read about almost daily who have cancer or some other life-altering, life-threatening disease.  Or these children who are born with debilitating diseases.  As a mom, I just can't imagine how their parents must hurt for them, how they must wish and pray that they could take the pain away and give them a normal life.  I think about the pain that those parents must have suffered who have lost their children....I've read about two fatal car wrecks this week where children have died.  One lady lost all three of her girls and the other lady lost her mother and her oldest child. I also read about a family whose little girl had just celebrated her birthday at her grandparents house and then went out to play and the wooden swing set fell on her and killed her instantly.  HOW DO  YOU GO ON????  By the Good Lord's grace, I suppose.  In HIM you find strength and joy everlasting!  My heart is just heavy today as I think about these losses. The love that I feel for my boys consumes me at times.  They are my heart and soul...truly.  The only greater gift that I've ever been given is soul salvation from my heavenly Father.  I also think about the sacrifice that He made... allowing His son to hang there on that cross, that we might have eternal life.  What a sacrifice....it leaves me in awe...

On this Mother's Day, I beg you to focus on that love, the love that only  He can give.  Focus on your children, not on the material gifts they give, but on them, take in their features, hold their hands, hug them tight, and make sure they know how much they are loved.  They are truly gifts from God and we never know what tomorrow holds.  Cherish every moment with them, even the crazy, wild,  not so picture perfect moments!