not a whole lot of new news...

Thankful today for my beautiful family!

So here we sit waiting for answers and trying to keep Madison entertained. They allowed Madison to eat this morning. She had a bowl of cereal. She seems to be doing well. They took an x-ray about and hour ago so we are waiting to hear how that looks. I am not sure if we will see a doctor today since it is Sunday. I am thankful that Dr. Levitt returns tomorrow. The resident told us that she has been emailing him to keep him current on her conditions so that is good.

I need to stop reading about c-diff. The internet is a blessing, however, sometimes it gets you all anxious. I am thankful that we were able to spot this bacteria early on as it looks like it can be extremely serious. Hopefully they have it under control with the new anti-biotic and that she is on her way to recovery. I had heard today that they will re-culture and make sure that it is under control before releasing her. If that is true we still have several days here at the Cincinnati Children's Resort! (another nurse just told me that it could definitely be another week or so.... UUUGGGHHH)

I received the sweetest email from my cousin Sonya today. I am so impressed with her unbelievable maturity. Sonya is going to be a Sophomore at the UW this fall. These are the words that she wrote: (hope you do not mind that I shared Sonya... it was just so great and made me cry!)

"I was at a Beth Moore conference in Minneapolis this weekend with my mom and some ladies from our church. I don't know how familiar you are with Beth Moore, but she writes some amazing bible studies and books geared towards women. So needless to say it was an incredible weekend.

Her main focus of the weekend was "Life between a Rock and a Hard Place". Over and over, I couldn't help but think of you guys and the struggles you are enduring. One of the main sections we kept coming back to was Hebrews 12: 5-13. I specifically thought that these verses might give you some encouragement.

Hebrews 12: 11-13 "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.Make level paths for your feet,so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed."

I just thought that was powerful to be able to have hope and look forward to the "Later On", the other side of this mountain. The point where a harvest of righteousness and peace awaits your amazing family!"

It was so encouraging to read her email this morning. I slept at the RMH last night and woke up this morning with a lot on my mind. I think that God has really been "strengthening my feeble arms and weak knees" these last months. I have been very humbled these last few weeks in particularly. How is it that we get so caught up in things that are not important. I remember feeling this way several times after a missions trip overseas. You come back though and you some how go..."but that is there, we live in America". So I think what has really affected me this time is being here in America and seeing all the hurt. Being made aware of all that I have even in the roughest season of my life.

I have seen woman so rail thin, unable to eat because of the dispare that they are feeling by having a child that may not ever go home again. And I agonize over being 20 pounds overweight.... To be so caught up in how "bad" your child is and then walk into the RMH and see a child that will never eat, talk or walk again. To hear conversations of heart transplants, cancer and death. How can you ask why? We have struggles, no doubt- but, man o man could it be worse. To look out your window and see some of the roughest neighborhoods probably in the country, people with no hope and addictions that paralyze them. To walk through the business sections of the hospital and see signs for "financial counseling". To know that there are parents who had to chose between losing a job, or staying with their child. People with out insurance that will lose everything they had, on top of having a child that is sick.

So we will move on. Thankful at every turn, even when headed in directions that we would rather not go, because we are blessed. Confident that God is getting ready to produce a harvest of righteousness and peace for our family. And you know... I am thankful for the journey, no matter how painful. I have learned lessons that never would have been learned in the comfort of my home with healthy children.

Be careful dear friends when you pray for God to teach you patience and humility. Sometimes we only can learn when placed in the fire.