Joy, week 16

JOY in 2012



I had a quiet pause in the car on Friday afternoon while I waited for my children to exit their school.  I thumbed through my 2012 notebook to review my goals for the year and see where I really stand.  It was revealing.

I’ve accomplished some specific things that I set out to do, such as an overnight trip to do some sewing with my sister.  There are a great many specific things I haven’t touched yet.  The goals for implementing certain changes or habits in my life/home are more humbling because it’s difficult to change.  I would like to regroup a little, get back on track.  All I need to do that is some quiet time.  Anybody have some quiet time for sale?

Seriously, I do feel like I need to refocus, but I’m in the sprinting stage.  Life from here to summer will be a blur and I want to do a good job.  I’m going to do my very best and remember that in a few weeks we’ll have a major shift in schedule and I can start over in those areas that are lacking.

The week was a good one.  I’d sum it up in two words:  doctor, soccer.  Tonight we had a little birthday party for a friend of mine and the children enjoyed themselves immensely.  We laughed and shared stories and enjoyed the utterly perfect weather.  A wonderful evening, making me sigh with gratitude for the gift of friendship.  Last night we spent an equally enjoyable evening with some old friends.  I feel so blessed to know these remarkable people.

I have so much more to say, things that have been floating around in my head all day, but I just dozed off for the 3rd time.  We have to get our son to the hospital super early in the morning for his ankle surgery so I think I’d better call it a night.

Have a great week!

Jennifer

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What a week!

Musings on Life and Beauty

It’s Friday and I’m tired, but I’m also a bit giddy.

You see, the sun is shining and I love it.  I walk around the corner of my house and can hardly believe how fortunate I am to enjoy so many flowers in my own yard.  It makes me smile with joy.


I spent an hour or more this morning visiting with an old friend who lives far away.  OH, it is wonderful to just sit and talk with people I love.  I find myself treasuring these experiences more and more.

Today is the first day this week that I haven’t spent considerable time in a doctor’s office.  We’ve been in medical offices every consecutive business day since last Friday, and I’m thrilled to have a reprieve (for 3 days, barring any emergencies)!  What a ride this broken ankle has been in just one week.  We’ve gone from a doctor to another doctor to a surgeon to another surgeon.  We’ve had two sets of x-rays and a CT scan.  We’ve gone back and forth between crutches and wheelchair.  Yesterday morning found us in the office of the ankle specialist who will perform surgery next Monday.  They cut off his cast and put him back in a boot, so we’ve gone from boot to cast to boot again.  After the surgery he’ll go back to a cast, then back to a boot.  Crazy stuff, this broken ankle business.


Our evenings have been full of activity.  Wednesday night found us at BYU for the Hope of America performance which our 5th grader was involved in.  When did this kid get so big and handsome?




Last night I had eight children at two soccer games.  I spent the evening trying to watch both games and keep track of five children running around (the one in a wheelchair was easy to spot, especially because pushing yourself through tall grass in a wheelchair is slow work).  My four year old needed to use the restroom so I took her and the two year old with me on the walk across the park to use their facilities, thinking the others would be fine.  I returned to find a crowd gathered around my seven year old, who sliced her foot open in my absence.  She was sobbing, there was blood all over her foot, and I couldn’t help but marvel at what a spectacle we were as people started asking me if the boy in the wheelchair was mine as well.  I took a deep breath and wondered silently if we’re just weird or if our drama is simply a matter of odds.  The more people in your care, the more life there is to be lived, I suppose.  It seems we’re doing a lot of living right now.  Tears pricked at my eyes, not so much because of the cut or anything specific.  I just felt worn out.

I suppose I’m learning.  I felt that feeling of stress, tension, embarrassment at all the attention, and then I let it go.  It was time to smile and enjoy what we were doing.  I turned and surveyed this beautiful view and concluded that all will be well.  I am so fortunate to be alive and experiencing so very much.


On our way home I bought some steri strips and we doctored the gash ourselves.  Because I couldn’t bear to sit in another doctor’s office.


You know, I really wouldn’t mind a boring week or two.  Do you think it’s possible?

Smiling, Jennifer

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