Guess What God Did

Nine days ago, I posted about Molly's bunny being very, very sick.  And so he was.  The vet examined him and determined he probably had an intestinal blockage or ate something poisonous.  She also said he was showing signs of severe neurological damage.  His temp was 94 degrees (bunnies normally have a temp of 101 or so).  He could not use his front legs at all.

Although the vet suggested we euthanize him, we opted to bring him home and take care of him until the end came.  In the meantime, we requested prayers for his healing.  Many of you (and your children) have faithfully prayed that Starburst would get better.  Surely if not a sparrow falls to the ground without God knowing about it, he would be concerned with our little rabbit as well.

We went about caring for Starburst's basic needs - making sure he was getting food and water.  We made his cage "handicap accessibly" so he could manage without the use of his front paws.  We gave him water out of a syringe.  We hand fed him hay and alfalfa.

I didn't spend much time with him yesterday because of the holiday, but he seemed to be doing better.  Today, when I went to check on him in the morning, he was standing on both front paws, hopping around perfectly normal, cleaning his little ears....everything...completely normal!

Soooooo, thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who prayed for his healing.  In the grand scheme of life, a bunny is really a small, small matter, but the fact that God cared about this very small matter just reminds me that He cares about all that concerns me!

Yay, God!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Not just the obligatory "Happy Thanksgiving" message.  I truly do have so much to be thankful for....and so do you!  I hope you are all spending the day with loved ones and with hearts full of thanks!

I'm thankful that it wasn't single digit temperatures for our Turkey Trot this morning.  It wasn't 50 like last year, but it could have been so much worse!

Deb and I looking ready to race!  Nothing like a little bedhead to put you in the racing mood!

On your mark, get set.......go!

Some of the 14,000 runners

Some of the turkeys in the race...

And now for a little song to get you in the thankful spirit (actually, I should listen to this song every morning!)

Happy Anniversary to Us!

Twenty-three years is a long time.  A lot can happen in 23 years, and a lot has.

Twenty-three years ago Chris and I had both recently graduated from the University of Minnesota.  He was working at Unisys, and I was doing temp work while looking for an engineering  job.  On a sunny, brisk November 24, we said, "I do!"  And we did!

Twenty-three years ago, I married my best friend, and now, 23 years hence, he is still my best friend.  He comforted me through the dark days of three consecutive miscarriages.  He kept me calm, faith-filled, and focused during two successful pregnancies and six successful adoptions. He has allowed me to be me...and all of the strangeness that that entails - tattoos, piercings, and purple hair; strange musical tastes (for a 48 year old); gallivanting around the country to go to music festivals.  Really, you must admit, the man's a saint!

Two imperfect people, one (me) more imperfect than the other (him), have been doing life, love and faith together for a score and three years. 

I love you, Chris, more today than 23 years ago!  Happy anniversary!

Bunny Update

For those that are following Starburst's progress/illness, he is hanging in there.  He is eating and drinking water (albeit through a syringe at times) and does not seem to be in any pain.  His front legs still don't work, more or less.  He usually has them splayed out to his sides. 

We are very thankful that we didn't euthanize him as the vet suggested.  We are hoping that we will see continued improvement in his well-being, but for now we're taking it one day at a time.

Thank you to all who are praying for him.  It means a lot to me when you ask how he's doing :-)

Today At School

Today at school we painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. 

Okay, maybe not, but we did get to find out what painting on a ceiling might feel like.  Let me tell you, it gives you a whole new appreciation for what Michelangelo did.

Here are my little artists....

And their masterpieces.....

 

The Problem With Pets

I love animals.  I love keeping them as pets.  Cats, dogs, bunnies, hamsters.  If they're furry, I love them. 

But there's a problem.

I get attached to my pets.  They're like a part of the family.  This does not make life easy because, unless your pet is a tortoise, you're going to outlive it.  I don't like this.  This is the problem I have pets.

Last December we had to put our dog Snickers down.  It was HARD! 

Now we have a very sick bunny.  This makes me VERY sad.  Still praying that little Starburst pulls through, and we would appreciate your prayers to that end as well.

Scratch That

Last May I wrote a blog post about my theory of Minnesota weather.  My theory was that global warming was a myth, and here in Minnesota we were experiencing something called Seasonal Shift.  The theory was based on the fact that it was snowing in MAY.  Therefore, in my brain-of-limited-capacity, I determined that the seasons in Minnesota had in fact all shifted by two months.

The downside of this theory was that it was SNOWING in MAY, but the upside was that summer would linger gloriously into November.

Well, today, I would like to officially declare my theory a bunch of BUNK!  Lo and behold, it is not still warm and toasty here in Minnesota.  NO!  Instead, I woke up this morning to single digit temperatures, and we had snow on the ground last week!

Seasonal Shift is a myth!  There!  I've said it.

My new theory?

My new theory is that summer in Minnesota lasts approximately three weeks.  There is a week or two of fall and a week or two of spring and the rest of the year is WINTER.  Yes, that's 45 weeks of winter.  That pretty much sums it up.

Ponder that for awhile as I go bury my head in a down comforter!

A Little History Lesson

Awhile back, my wonderful son Evan introduced me to these wonderful history videos. Trust me, they are like no history video you've ever seen before. I found them highly entertaining AND educational and so, I will share them with YOU!




Now that you've been thoroughly educated on London vs. The City of London, you should check out his video on the United States/Canada border!

History is so fun!!!!  Almost as fun as science!

Nine is Fine!

Particularly when it is my sweet Raelea turning nine years old!!  Hard to believe it's been nine years since I received that early morning phone call saying that we had a girl.  Raelea, you truly are a bright ray of sunshine in our home!  We are so thankful to have you as a daughter.

We love you, Rae Rae!

Overwhelmed

I'm feeling very overwhelmed this morning, but not in the usual despairing sort of way.  I am overwhelmed at God's faithfulness to me.

Those that know me well may have heard me say in the past, "If my children turn out to love Jesus and are a blessing to others it will be in spite of me not because of me."  I meant it.  Quite literally.  It was not just some religiousy thing to say, and it was not fishing for compliments.  I am a VERY flawed individual, and I am a very flawed parent.

Today, as I reflected on my three older kids, I can only give praise to God for what wonderful, Jesus-loving people they are.  I am quite amazed.  I was certain that I would ruin them!  Seriously!  They are not perfect, but they love Jesus.  They are giving, fun individuals.  I couldn't be happier!

So, thank you, Jesus, for doing your amazing work in them, in me, and in our family.  Thank you for redeeming my flawed efforts and my blatant failures and making something beautiful out of them!