Relieved

Amazing is the only word that can describe how I see the world after my eye surgery. I waited for over a year to remove the side effect from my vitrectomy in 2011. Didn't hear about that? I do not think I blogged it! Anyway, I noted tonight on my way home from class, that I was seeing so clearly that I forgot what it was like to be impaired. That is a truism. We forget what it was like before the after effect. Take hearing for example. I sincerely do not remember what it is like to hear silence. I have not heard silence since 2007 except for one brief period while I was charting in the back of the nurses station in Elmhurst hospital in 2008. It was so quiet then, that I thought something was wrong! Often times when I am listening to this constant sound, I wonder if I have been hearing it all of my life. When I was little, and I slept out in the back yard, I listened to the sounds of chirping insects. Now, that sound is what I hear all of the time. But I never give up hope that one day, the silence will return, and I will appreciate all of the nuances of sound that people without hearing loss experience. But I digress.... I am so excited that there are only three more classes, one clinical, one care plan, one final,150 NCLEX questions, and one final exam remaining in Fall semester! That sounds like alot, but it really isn't considering what we started with! Over by the 14th of December, then a month to enjoy the season with Tina and Preston, decorate for Chritsmas, and take our yearly tour into downtown to Chicago to shop and enjoy the people. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at Tina's sister's house in Minnesota. I do really enjoy going there. I missed an opp to see JR, but I talked with him today and better days are ahead in the spring or summer. Preston had a great experience, swimming in the pool with us for the first time. He was so exicted and happy to be there, I felt so good inside! He is going to be a good swimmer! Tina shared many good times with her family, and we all got to catch up with each other as lives keep moving forward and changing as the seasons do. I find myself torn between not wanting to go to NC to see dad, my brother, and sister, and wanting to go to NC to see my dad, brother, and sister. With God's blessing, this will work out. Tina has entered her second trimester, and we are thrilled that things are going well. This time we are more accepting I think of the way things are rather than worrying every step of the way. Really? HA HA. I am always worried! Anyway, she is such a trooper, a truly wonderful woman with a heart of gold! I do love her so. I continue to be amazed at God's gifts to our family. We are truly blessed to be where we are, who we are, and have the people around us that care. Thank you Lord for the season that is upon us, and we continually pray for preparation to serve you better. And may you keep Talia Marie or Thomas Tyler healthy. To all who read this, Merry Christmas! May your lives be filled with promise!

Balancing

So Summer is two-thirds over here in the suburbs of Chicago, and it is entirely possible that cooler weather will descend upon us and the air will be crisp before we know it. What has been a stressful, yet fulfilling year has moved into high gear with plans of a second child moving forward. We are hopeful that Preston will have a sibling by this time next year, and that God will bless us as He has done so far in our lives. We are excited at the possibility of staying up at odd hours, waking in the middle of the night, changing diapers, consoling hurt feelings, nuturing young souls, and occasionally remembering to love each other as we prepare small lives for bigger promises. There is an excitement about moving into the 4th semester of school, knowing that when Thanksgiving arrives, the light at the end of the tunnel is truly one that shines on the future! Graduation in 2013 will be a culmination of many years spent learning to be a complete caregiver, and registered nurse. Sharing family experiences outside of our immediate one is on the agenda for this year and next, so we are excited to include travel at the end of this year, and next Summer after our new baby is born. Tina is earning her black belt as an auditor for Ingredion, and 2013 will also afford her the opportunity to chase her dreams while being a mother, a manager, and my lover. There is also the hopeful promise of a new set of golf clubs for Summer of 2013, and a chance to manage a few rounds with my buddy JR, even though he has moved back to Minnesota. My dad said I was one fo the most courageous people he knew...actually he said I have alot of guts. Lets just hope they don't develop any problems so that I can live long enough to see our children be able to drink out of a regular cup without throwing it across the room. No matter what though, it will always be a balancing act to get through this life. Never be afraid to try to make more out of yourself than you think you can be, and do not let anyone challenge your faith that God will always orchestrate what you need. Power on, full screen ahead!

God first

I heard the news today oh boy.....not from the Beatles song...but from God. It was delivered in a message from one of the elders at Ginger Creek Community Church. "God does not prosper us to increase our standard of living, but to increase our standard of giving." As a family, we will submit to God, give generously, and find the life that He has meant for us to follow. I know it is hard to believe. I know it is easy to define ourselves by the circumstances in which we live. But there is a promise from God that if we put Him first, and give from our heart, He will give us everlasting life, and prosper us beyond what we could imagine.