What a difference a year or two makes...

Hi again! Well, if there is anyone out there who reads this anymore... Blogging has been on my list of good intentions, but intentions, even good ones, don't always produce results.  Finally it made the top of the list.

 It's been so long, I thought I had better look at where I left off.  I started by reflecting back to the name change of this blog...December 2013. Two years have passed now, and how intriguing it is to reflect on God's faithfulness to our family.  Yet, where my life is right now is not where I would have imagined or chosen it to be.  Although honestly, two years ago, our family was so consumed with Jason's health and pending diagnosis and the reality of the day to day issues of his disease that we didn't know what to think about our future.  In reflection, those days were harder than I like to admit.  Joy was fleeting.  Those days are striking because of the contrast of today.
Those days were marked by fear, anger, fatigue, physical pain, uncertainty, sadness, longing, and loneliness.  Those days were dark and anxious.  Those days reminded us of our utter lack of control.

I am ecstatic to be able to reflect and praise God for answering our prayers for restoration.  God didn't take Jason's M.S. away, but he gave me my husband back and took away the chronic pain and the most severe side effects of the medication Jason is on.  These days are marked with laughter, nerf gun wars, snuggling with books, and energy.  (As parents it is also marked with irritations for delays in bedtime, refusal to eat the dinner that was made, and arguing over simple instructions...but that's for a different post).   Sometimes it takes things getting better to see how bad things were.   It is a lot less work to find joy in life now.  The warm weather helps.

I must also remember that this period of life/health is not to be taken for granted.  We don't know the course of his disease.  It is easier to be at peace with the unknowns when he is feeling so well.  It is harder when he has bad days because then we remember.  We remember it is likely it isn't always going to be this way.  That's when I remember I have no control, and am so grateful for now.  I guess that's what we have to do when your future health is known unknown.  I try to rest in the knowledge that my Savior does have control and that he will always provide a way.  He is Joy.

These two blessings are ornery but bring a tremendous amount of joy.

Credits for an abundance of joy:  Thank you Tim and Lonita for providing the soccer ball and net to allow us to have our own World Cup game in our kitchen.  Thank you Bethany for allowing us to watch you play basketball and have your team announced. Thank you for free YMCA T-shirts in Youth Small to out fit our teams!