Seriously????

People who know what's been happening in our family have asked me why I haven't updated my blog...so I am.

First of all, Katie is recovering very well. So well, in fact that she is now allowed to go in the hot tub and had her weight restriction raised to 20 pounds. She feels well...so much better than before the surgery. Thanks for your prayers, cards, love and support.

Last Monday, Blaine told me that he'd been having some of the neurological symptoms that he had when he became paralyzed two summers ago. He feels an electrical shock down the back of his legs. It seems he's had this a few times since his paralysis (I didn't know this) but it resolves itself. He became alarmed when he had a problem with his vision on Monday where he was seeing zig-zags in part of his field of vision. This pretty much freaked him out. I talked him into calling the neurologist who'd seen him for the paralysis and we were waiting for a call from him the on Tuesday.

My mom was over, helping me rake and get the yard ready for the wedding and we were talking about what God could be doing with this, the latest happenings with Blaine's health. I mean, we just got over Katie's mongo surgery just 4 weeks ago and now this? Oh, my.

I began talking with God myself as I was raking. I reminded Him that when Blaine was last int he hospital that I knew that I was not able to pursue the adoption (for Aliya) if he was not able bodied. We can hardly keep up with the kids we have now and I really, really need him. I was asking God to relieve some of the extreme stress Blaine has been under for the past couple weeks and that he really needed a break.

Just as I was praying this, De ran outside and yelled at me to come in the house. There was water all over the laundry room floor!

He pulled out the washer from the wall...nothing. He pulled out the dryer and there was a hole in the sheetrock and water was spraying out all over! I remembered that MJ had turned on the spigot (hooked up to a hose with a sprayer on it) outside a couple hours earlier so in my limited knowledge of all things plumbing, I ran outside and turned the spigot off and De told me it stopped. We got the floor cleaned up and wiped down the dryer.

It then dawned on me to check downstairs in case some water dripped through the ceiling. As I walked down the stairs, I could hear it. It was POURING out of the ceiling, out of every light fixture, all over the pool table and wood floor! I could not believe what I was seeing. All I could think was, "God...WHY????"

We got the water turned off and the electricity shut off and began the clean up. It took every towel we have but we had it cleaned up before Blaine got home. I knew that we could not claim this on our insurance after the fire. We'd have to pay for it but worse than that...Blaine would have more work and stress on his already overburdened self. Stress is what caused the paralysis in the first place!

I did not cry during Blaine's recovery after the accident.

I did not cry after the fire.

I did not cry when he became paralyzed.

I did not cry (much) when Katie went through her surgery.

I DID cry after this. I lost it. Couldn't keep it together.

When Blaine came home, I think he was so shocked to see me in such a state that he hugged me and said, "It will be ok. It's just some sheetrock and a wood floor." So calm.

So we are once again at a place where we are trusting God to take care of us in the amazing way He has so many times in the past. After the flood, the neurologist's nurse finally called back and said the dr. wants Blaine to have an MRI and then see him. The "good" thing is that he felt the zig-zag vision problem was a migraine. Is that good? :) Now I know I'm crazy when I say that a migraine is good. Oh, boy!

So the basement is torn up...part of the ceiling has not sheetrock or insulation and half of the wood floor is torn up. Blaine did find out that they do make the same wood flooring so we won't have to pay for a whole new one, so that's good.

We honestly are starting to feel like Job here, you know from the Bible? I am going to try to get an appointment to talk with our pastor and tell him our story because there is a strong spiritual aspect here and I want some direction.

I feel like we have a "Kick me Satan!" on our backs. It's crazy.

We know that God is greater, stronger, higher, wiser, all knowing, all powerful, and all present. He's obviously allowing this all to happen but I'd sure like to know why.

So if once again I could ask for you to pray for us, we'd really appreciate it. Pray that Blaine will not have to go back on Prednisone and that the MRI will show nothing. Pray for protection for the rest of the family, strength and encouragement.

Pray for Katie, who now is close to wanting to cancel the wedding and go before a judge in her pretty dress and marry De to take some of the stress off her dad. Her surgery really took the wind out of her sails. I want her to enjoy this time, not look back on it with bad memories.

We thank you in advance for your prayers again!

Love,

Laura

I have pics of the basement. I'll post soon.