The Season of our Life

Life is a series of seasons. 

And as the seasons swirl around me, I want to be through one while simultaneously not wanting it to be over.

We love the puppies. Oh how they bring joy to our lives.

But we've never had puppies in January. Because it is so cold, we are forced to leave the pups in their den (right outside of our bedroom window) much longer than we normally do. John can't sleep in our room. So he's upstairs in our library. I'm downstairs in the bedroom.

There's another reason he is upstairs. Our sweetie Abigail has been having some sleep issues for quite some time now. If you are familiar with panic attacks, you understand that once the body associates an activity with that horrible feeling of an adrenaline surge, it is often difficult to break the association. This is where Abigail is. 

We have worked through this diligently. Abigail understands what is happening. She and John have even been discussing writing a book for kids about anxiety/adrenaline/panic attacks. We figure: if this is an issue in our family with a Daddy for a Doctor who is a specialist in panic/anxiety, surely other families are really struggling with this as well.

But in the meantime, Abigail improves each night until something throws a wrench in things. The ballet production meant exhausted nights and sleep being off and because she was so exhausted, I let her sleep in my bed one night. This meant that when she returned to her bed, the panic started all over again. 

To summarize: John is staying upstairs and dealing with children. Wendi is staying downstairs and dealing with dogs. 

A season.

It will be over before we know it.

Today, Hannah asked to be carried up the stairs before bedtime. John honestly didn't feel like it. But, as little Hannah walked away, her big "Garbage Can" stuffed animal Tiger in her arms, he said: "This is the last kiddo I will carry up the stairs. I want to do it a little longer."

So true.  

Kids grow up SO fast. Everyone tells you that. And you know it's true. And yet the days feel so long and yet the years are just FLYING by. 

It may seem like I don't write about my older boys as much anymore, but there is a reason for that. They've asked me not to. They are very particular about videos I post or "Friday Funnies" that may involve them. They are pre-teens. Isaac is a full-fledged teenager now, and while he still LOVE Hotwheels cars, it has become more about the collection than the play. Sidge is still a boy. But his brother Isaac is a teenager. He is very good friends with my fifteen-year-old nephew Gabe. Don't worry! We watch this relationship very closely, but it is healthy and good, and they are good friends. 

New seasons.

Covid, too, has been a season, and at some point, it will be in the past. We won't wear masks anymore. We won't think about whether we can hug someone or not or whether we have to be socially distant. We will all tell stories to our kids and grandkids and pray that we never have to live through another pandemic again. 

The picture at the top of this post is at a county fair in Germany. I was "stuck" there for nearly four months waiting on the arrival of little Abigail. My pregnancy had been plagued with problems including an appendicitis surgery when I was fifteen weeks pregnant ... then I went into what they thought was early labor and I was shipped to Germany.

That picture was taken when JB was over in Germany for a brief visit before leaving us all to return to Turkey and our job. It was such a hard time. We were waiting on a baby, both of us in foreign countries, away from all of our family and comforts ...

... and today that baby is nine.

Life is flying by. 

It's a wild ride.