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Saturday, August 12, 2017

I Will Yet Praise You

Hello! 

I'm not going to lie. I'm sitting here getting ready to write and there's an inner battle inside about whether or not I should skip posting and take a nap while both kids are down...

I've decided to post :)

This last week has flown by. Mama is back in Washington for a couple weeks so it's just us here. Last time she went, we had just moved here and I remember being so nervous. Cale's schedule was changing pretty drastically as well...which added to the mess of emotions. This time I feel a lot more confident. This is home and I know my people and their needs. I know our normal routine and goodness I know I can pray all day and night. ;) 

(it's funny how blogging with out emojis just doesn't feel as fun as it could be. haha.)

 My SIL and niece came Wednesday evening and then left yesterday, which was fun and a good distraction. Nora loves her Grammy and said last night that she doesn't like even a little bit that Grammy is not here. I absolutely love the bond those two have. 

I have to share this picture-last week when I was trying to get the blog post finished, I stuck E in the bath to play...without water. It worked! He loved it! 


He also has decided he enjoys riding in the cart his own way-


It literally took him 20 seconds while I was turned around looking at something. The next time we went to the store, he of course knew exactly what to do. We spent the entire trip having mommy turn him around the right way and he would whip right back around. He also attempted to master climbing all the way out that trip. Yikes! 

(I need the emojis! Seriously!)


Cale and I started back in February making it priority to have a date once a week. It doesn't matter if it's during the day or at night. It doesn't matter if we go out or stay in. It's just us, my focus on him where we can connect and enjoy each other. This has been sooooooo good for us. After Nora was born, we went through some adjustments that I didn't expect at all. I felt blindsided. I didn't see some of what we went through coming and it was hard. 

When I was pregnant with Easton, I was very intentional about putting things in place and really trying to set our life up to help combat some of the challenge of adjusting. Weeeeeell, E decided not to sleep at night and make mommy lose her mind. 

By February I was really struggling. Like, a lot. 

One of the ways was for the first time since the accident, I was really starting to feel like Cale was just there for me to take care of. He felt like extra work. I know that probably sounds harsh and maybe doesn't translate from my brain to your eyes well, but it's the best way I can put it. It was such a difficult time for me. And because of his brain injury, he didn't get it. 

That's when we made the commitment to do these dates every week. There have been days that I didn't want to go. Whether we had an awful brain injury moment in our home or I was just simply exhausted, this time with him allowed for me to step out of my flesh and love my husband as I'm called to. It truly has been a gift-for both of us. 


Easton wearing his shirt from Uncle Mike & Aunt Rae! :)



I've been able to go kayaking with Nora several times this summer. It's been so fun! She loves it. Her first time going all she wanted to do was reach out and touch the buoys. She said they were so cute and friendly. Ha! Since that time, she really enjoys the whole experience and looking for the birds and whatever else we can find. This last week when we went, I finally let her have her very own paddle. I never let her before because I knew it would just end up overboard but she has wanted to help paddle so badly, so I just went for it. 

Multiple times she would say, "Mommy, thank you for letting me have a paddle!" 


Nora give me a good smile. 

"I am. See!"

oh man.


We went to a place nearby that had a lot of different animals. Ciera was so excited to get close and also a little nervous. I was going to snap a picture of her getting really close to it when Nora comes storming in with no worry in the world. She just wanted to feed the pretty bird. Haha! 







Easton was very confused why the giraffe was eating the carrot. He wanted it! 



We build a lot of forts around here. They're so much fun. Well, of course while Nora had someone here to give her all of the attention imaginable, she had a fort built. 



This picture cracks me up. We were getting ready to pose for one but hadn't quite gotten ourselves together yet. My SIL snapped this one and it's definitely our favorite!



------

I just wanted to say that with me posting again, it doesn't mean that life is going amazingly well and I've got everything figured out or that it's all a big mess and I'm falling a part. 

A few days ago one of my friends asked me something about how to get to the beginning of the blog. A friend of hers is going through something difficult and she wanted to share my blog with her. I actually wasn't quite sure so I got on and found my way to the beginning. I didn't spend much time reading but I did skim a few posts and started to think about those early days in the ICU. 

The first few years after the accident everything was so sweet. Cale was continually changing. There were lots of really difficult times as well, but at the time, I didn't realize that after almost eight years of life with a brain injury things were going to be a completely different kind of challenge for us. It's not that it's end of the world terrible. It's just not what I imagined in the slightest-in many ways, and that's ok.

Not to mention we added a couple kiddos 
...and moved across the country!

I can share more later- I know that I will but for now, to give you a clearer picture of where I'm at as I write to you I wanted to share a song I heard three weeks ago. 

My friend Jenny in NY wrote it and it's incredible. INCREDIBLE. She was doing a concert and it was on Facebook. As I listened to the words, I was giving Nora and Easton a bath and I felt the words heavy. They were exactly what my heart had been praying.

I sent Jenny a text and asked for the lyrics and later asked if she had recorded it yet. She did send my the lyrics and I've read and then reread them. She also sent me a rough practice of her singing and I've played that over and over. As soon as I have some kind of something with her singing that I can post, I'll post it for you but for now, here are the lyrics...


I Will Yet Praise You
(words and music by Jennifer Hopper)

Forgive me for my fears and doubts
Surround them with your love
For years and years they've brought me down
I know I just need to trust, your love
I know I need to trust, your love

In the valley on the mountaintop my praise will be the same
'Cause I trust you I believe in your love and the power of your name
(repeat)

I will yet praise you no matter what may come
I will yet praise you when all is said when all is done
I lift my hands, raise my voice its you I adore
I will yet praise Lord

Forevermore, I'll worship and adore
Forevermore I'll praise you Lord



11 comments:

  1. Hi Kathleen. Thanks for your love, heart and honesty. Life is full of "stuff" and I have found it's how well you transition those things not the outcome. I am still trying to learn that. As you know it is never what WE plan. Keep up the good work.
    Love and prayers to you and family.

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  2. Hey, Girl!! I can't begin to tell you how much I am glad you have posted. It's been a crazy ride at my end, too. I told Father if He wanted to call me Home, it would be okay with me. He just smiled, filled me with His peace that passes all understanding, and set me on my feet again. He's good at that. :) His gift to me was getting to read a bit about you life again. The timing was all His. Thanks for listening/following His nudging to write.

    I loved see Easton in the tub playing. I well remember needing to clean and not knowing what to do with the littlest one. I, too, gave her a dry bath. She, too, LOVED it. Thanks for the memory.
    What a sweet story about how Nora said thank you for letting her have a paddle. She seemed to know what to do with it. :)
    I remember when were just home from the hospital, three days later actually. I stood in the middle of the living room saying I just can't take this any more. I had only slept...well hardly at all. Dave held our sweetheart and let me sleep. I had a two hour nap, after which I felt I could handle it again.
    Salome took the girls to the Seattle Zoo. There was a baby giraffe. It was "only" six feet tall. That doesn't sound small except when one realizes adults are between fourteen and nineteen feet tall.
    My Lily has a fort in the shop. We even had an overnighter with her sleeping in the fort and me on Jon's futon. She had fun.
    I love your favorite picture. Those kind are the best. Oh, I have on a plaque, "Going out of my mind, back in 5 minutes." Only I fooled them, I haven't come back yet. '~'
    I totally get your feelings. What's more, Father does too. In fact before the dawn of time He knew you would have them. That blew my mind when I realized Father knew I would be feeling "my feelings," and He wasn't going to waste them, but use them for His glory.
    Miss Sharon is right, to live life is to have the stuff of life a part of it. I am reminded of the verse, "Man makes his plans, but Father directs his steps."

    Blessings and Much LOVE,
    Marion

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    Replies
    1. God's timing is always so perfect. I love that!

      It's so true. Kiddos can be all over the place so any creative way to keep them contained is amazing ;)

      Yay for the zoo! We have a great zoo here, at least that's what I've been told but we haven't been yet. Hoping to go soon!

      We got the package you sent! The game is going to be fun!!! I have a funny story about it that I'll email later with. Love you!

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  3. I forgot to say I loved the song. I look forward to earing it someday.

    :) Marion

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  4. Lol at the emoji comments. I wish I could use them too when I blog!

    Hard to believe it's been eight years, Kathleen. You've made a beautiful family in that time. I'm so proud of you.

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    Replies
    1. What?? Do you still blog?!?! I need the address because I don't remember if I knew. I think I remember you stopping the wonder woman right?

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    2. and yes! 8 years in February! crazy...

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  5. I wanted to take the time to thank you for sharing your journey and life with us. I have followed you since I read about the accident I believe in the TCH. Krista G. Kennewick Wa.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for staying with us for the journey! It truly is such a huge encouragement to us!

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  6. You heart never ceases to amaze me! Raw, real, and open... Thank you! I know I'm way behind, my life has transitioned a ton and I'm just now getting back to your posts; can't wait to make it through more! Bless you all, it's good to see how healthy and happy life you are (not that there aren't rough times that we don't see)!

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