I hesitate to write this phrase, but

it has been a quiet season the past month.

No significant catastrophes to report.  I would love to say that we are enjoying a quiet season, but there is this wondering when the next crisis will occur.  Krisann was praying the other night, and she said, “I don’t know what else to pray for because our lives are not that crazy right now, but I know something crazy is going to happen because we’ve had a quiet season and that’s odd.”   I think she spoke what everyone else has been feeling.  It’s a bit on the odd side to enjoy a quiet season but yet also dread the next thing that is to come.

A Quiet Season with Zine?

I’m trying to decide if there is indeed a quiet season with Zine.  Although there has been no major crisis, there continues to be a slow decline.  We are to the point that I am beginning to question at what point do we do things differently?  I think we are embarking on the time that a lift to get Zine in the bed would be beneficial.  Can it be done without a lift?  Yes, however, it is a challenging task.  Would a lift help, or would it be a nuisance to use?  Are we ready for a change or do want to continue doing things the way we know how? So many thoughts and questions are running through our minds.  Knowing what best is is super difficult.

Zine did take a fall recently when he was home with Krisann.  I had gone to see Priscilla Shirer with a girlfriend.  I was worried about how Krisann would handle an event like this, but she did great.  Zine was able to get ahold of Conner to come and help him. Therefore, Krisann had no anxiety because Conner was coming to save the day!  She was so sweet when I asked her about her feelings, she said, “I walked up front and was confused and thought what did I miss?  It’s not every day you walk up front and see your dad laying on the floor.” I am so proud; she could not have handled the situation any better than what she did.

Chloe, on the other hand, did not do so well with the situation and she wasn’t even at home.  However, it is her greatest fear that will happen when she is home with Zine.  She cried and cried one night that it would make her feel helpless, and she didn’t want to feel that way.  She was able to verbalize a lot that night.  Sometimes no words are needed.  As she shared, Krisann got in the bed beside her and told her, “You’re not alone; I will always be here for you.”  Sometimes Krisann is wise beyond her years.  If I had responded, I would have tried to encourage and fix instead of comfort.  There is much to be said for being able to sit with someone in their pain and not try to fix.

A Not so Quiet Season with Chloe

Chloe is in a not so quiet season.  She too has no major catastrophes going on, thank goodness.  However, she has many changes going on in her life.

Growing from a teenager to a young adult is hard for any young person.  However, add special needs on top of that, and it makes this season extremely difficult for her and me.

We were delighted to see her graduate from high school.  It feels like a major accomplishment.  However, her future is so unknown. I tell her that sometimes you take the next logical step.  That’s what we are figuring out right now, what is the next logical step.

We have been slowly weaning her off the prednisone that she has taken for the last four years.  It is not an easy task.  With that, she has been encountering more pain, which is no fun.  However, her body needs a break from the prednisone if at all possible.

We have begun the process to get her qualified for disability per her neurologist suggestion, and are in the waiting stage while they gather all her medical information.

We are preparing to travel to Ohio in a week and a half for her appointments with multiple doctors at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, but hope to add in a little fun along the way.  I’ve been brainstorming and thinking about the possibilities!  Of course, most of the time, we are so tired from the trip we do not want to do anything. I am always making the best of difficult situations, though. That’s my specialty!  So be on the lookout for the fun I invent along the way!  And be in prayer for our time there.

Our Sweet Friends have moved.

God brings people into your lives for seasons, and evidently, God knew that the past few years we needed the Walker family to walk with us.  God has moved them to Seattle, Washington, and needless to say, their move has left a crater of a hole in our hearts.  Our home will be a lot quieter without them around!  They have loved us well over the past few years.

I mentioned it earlier with Krisann and Chloe, but the Walkers knew how to sit with others in their pain.  They knew when to encourage and when to cry.

They will be missed greatly.  However, our lives have been richly blessed by their presence.  Pray for us as we grieve their absence.

Ohio Bound

I will be posting updates when we are Ohio bound.  I will cherish your prayers as I make that drive and as we go through the tests and doctors appointments.