Because we needed ONE more thing on our plate!

These past few weeks have been very busy. It seems like every time I think about sitting down to update everyone, I get distracted by something else, and, well, here we are with lots to say and not wanting to overwhelm everyone with the scope of our life. Many good things have happened and for those we are very thankful. We got a whole extra week off of school and some time to catch up on things that the busy-ness of the holidays prevented us from doing. We got to sleep in and play in the snow, drink hot chocolate (or coffee) and have some extra time with friends.

Along with these good things, we have had some pretty serious things as well. Just after Christmas, Grandpa Thompson (Mark's dad) was diagnosed with cancer in his stomach, throat and esophagus. It is inoperable. We are all very saddened by this news. Thankfully Mark was able to make the trip to VA to be with his parents the day that they received the final word from the doctors. We have been going back and forth about when we should take the whole family up there to visit. We desperately want our children to be able to "say goodbye" to their grandpa, but at the same time we want shield them from the pain of saying "goodbye". They are doing radiation right now and will evaluate at the end of the week as to whether to move on to chemotherapy. We are praying for a great outcome and many years left with Grandpa, but we are also aware that this may not be the reality. We are planning a trip, but staying on call in case we need to leave immediately. Mary has taken the news very well. She has had her moments of overwhelming sadness, but haven't we all. She is doing the right thing and talking about it and crying and letting it all out instead of bottling it all up inside.

Today brought another unexpected challenge... Mark woke up this morning with some pain in his abdomen. As the day wore on, it got worse and worse until he finally called our family doctor. The family doctor saw him and said that he was 99% sure it was a hernia. He called a surgeon and sent Mark up there right away. Then it was off to the hospital for pre-op paperwork, and scheduling surgery for tomorrow morning. Thankfully it is outpatient surgery and he will hopefully be home before bed time tomorrow.

I have also had some other personal upheaval this past week that has rocked our world a little bit. Let's just say that the first song on this playlist has new meaning to me these days. I am not at a place where I can talk about this, but would ask that you all pray fervently for us. Satan is attacking in many ways and on all sides. I almost feel as if we are in the thick of battle with bombs falling all around us. I can only pray that we find shelter in the shadow of His wings and that He make Himself real to us in ways that we have never seen before.

With all of this chaos and upheaval, I have yet to start working for H&R Block. I had a really hard time getting an identification number from the IRS that I needed to be able to start working there. Then we had the possibility of needing to head to VA at a moment's notice, the big snow/ice storm, and now surgery, and still the possibility of needing to head to VA at a moment's notice. My first day officially at work keeps getting pushed back. I am beginning to wonder if this is God's way of shutting that door? It would really stink because bills are mounting. I am trying to trust that God will direct my path in clear and concise steps. While working and paying off these bills would be a good thing, He may have something better in mind.

Evidently God is trying to get my attention... well, He has it. What do you want me to learn from all of this God?!? Help me to learn it quickly so those around me can stop suffering! And yet, even as I pray that I remember that while sometimes God choses to take away the hard things in life, more often, at least in our lives, He choses to give us the grace to walk through it. Prepare our hearts either way!