Somewhere Between....perspective....

This might get a bit cheesy for some of you...so I will apologize now!

I have shared little Ethan's story with many of you. To save a lot of typing, you can read his story at http://www.ethanpowell.com/ . Recently, I was asked to keep another little man in my prayers, Mitchell Whitiker. If you would like a very sad, yet very joyful story, check out http://www.gomitchgo.com/ . You will need to go back a few months and read the blog, but I swear it is worth it. These two precious children, one still here and one who is now with Jesus, have touched my life in ways I don't understand. No, I have never met either. No, I don't know the families aside from email. No, there is no reason their stories should touch me enough to write a blog entry on them. But I firmly believe God puts people in our path to teach us and impact our lives.

God is good. He is faithful and He is merciful. His will we might not understand, but it is perfect. Two little boys with leukemia don't deserve to suffer, to face the end of their lives before one learns to walk or the other learns to drive. Yet, driving and walking don't seem to be the plan God has. And yet, the parents write "it is well.....God is merciful!"

And I complain because I can't get into my hair dude for a much needed highlight.

Perspective, Angie, perspective!

I am going to end with a direct quote from Mitch's father, John . I find these words the most awesome thing I have heard, ever-and I mean that....words every little boy longs to hear from his father on any given day.

These were the words John used to give Mitch permission to stop fighting:

"Well done, my son, I am proud of you. My Warrior. My Prince. My Name. My Joy. My Mitch."

Perspective.....

Somewhere Between....my mother and myself.....

Of course, the minute Tob gets on a plane, you just KNOW something is going to happen - just like you know gravity is keeping your feet on the ground.
Braden woke up with horrid stomach cramps Monday. Now, for all you non-parents-of-tweens, this is not an abnormal occurrence on any given Monday during the school year. I somehow managed to get all 5 of mine, along with Taylor, Annabel's BFF, out the door on the way to school, figuring the cramps were a fake. I used all the "mommy reverse psychology-I know you are faking lines".... "I would hate for you to be sick and miss Matthew's birthday."...... "I was planning on going to Target after school."..... These usually highly-effective lines did little. So, I pulled the "I am mommy! Hear me roar!" line and said, "Unless you produce some puke, your butt is going to school." It was about three minutes after this roar that I realized he was not faking. So, dropped the big kids off, took the babies to preschool, took Braden to Dianne's, and headed to my post-op appointment.

During the course of the morning, his cramps worsened and seemed to be located on the right side. So, off to the Doctor we went. Then off to the hospital we went. In went the IV and we were officially in room 5515. And Tob was in Baltimore. Never fails. After several tests and hours, I was very relieved to hear his Appendix was fine. No surgery needed. Just the start of a bad stomach bug. I proceeded to beg the good Doc to let us go home. No need to spend the night in 5515 for a stomach bug, right??? She finally gave in, and at 11:30 pm we were on our way home.

Of course, Braden HAD to point out that he could have died. You thought I was faking...and I could have died!!!! (...oh the drama...) I quickly pointed out that he would not have died because it was just a bug. And NO! I was not going to buy him a new paintball gun just because I thought he was faking and he almost died. Then I did it...before I could catch myself. The whole "crying wolf" speech that I swore I would never use was pouring from my mouth....and I was pounding my hand on the steering wheel in perfect time.

I looked over at my son, who was gazing out the window, half listening, and the years flew backwards. I could smell the interior of Mom's black BMW. I could feel the bumpy texture of the stiff seats. I could remember sitting in Mom's car, the roles reversed, having that same speech delivered to me, her hand pounding the steering wheel in perfect time.

As he continued to stare out the window, I can't be sure, but I am willing to bet he was making a mental note to never lecture his child who "almost died" about a wolf.

Good Luck, Son.

Somewhere Between....asleep and awake.....Tob is off on Business...in Baltimore....eating Crab Cakes I am sure...I am here, of course! It is midnight. William Jude took a very late nap, so he is still going strong. I, on the other hand, am quite ready for my bed-which I will be sharing with him this evening.

Not quite sure if it is boredom, exhaustion, peer pressure, or the fact that I am tired of playing Thomas the Tank Engine??? Whatever the reason, I got the wild hair to start the blog I have been swearing to do for so long now. Tob is going to stroke....he is convinced there are very bad people out there just waiting to abduct us through some sort of computer vacuum??? So if you see anybody, grab them for me.

I decided to name my masterpiece "Somewhere Between..." Why?? Those of you who know us well don't need to ask that. For the others of you...I can sum it up really quick. With one cat, two Weenie dogs, five kids, myself and my Hubby, we are always in between something (usually sanity and insanity)....just depends on the day!Well, the Judester is crying because he can't find Bertie...hopefully that means he is ready to commence slumber. Here's to hoping.