It feels like forever since I’ve posted!  I’ve missed you all!  Seriously.

It has been some of the most eventful days in a row for us on so many levels.   And for those who think our lives are pretty near perfect, read on…..you’ll be comforted knowing that we have our share of struggles!  Sometimes they come like wildfire.

Here goes:

Friday morning Dw and I were up early.  We had decided to have a yard sale and make some Gem cash with stuff we needed to get rid of in order to simplify.

It was 5ish when our bones squeaked and eeked  climbed out of bed.  We still wanted to sort through some more things before we opened the garage door.

Coffee on, Dw headed to the garage and as I was walking through the maze of already packed boxes my left foot, which often drags from the Multiple Sclerosis when I am tired or stressed, caught the edge of a box and I literally went flying over top of the boxes, landing with brutal force on my right knee and hands.  I thought I had broke my knee as I attempted to drag my injured self toward the garage for Dw to help me get up.   I was ticked!  I do not have time to be nursing an injury.  

We thanked the Lord that my knee did not appear to be broken, bruised yes, but it could have been much worse.  I was grateful I had mixed some Peppermint and Wintergreen Essential Oils together which I have now rolled many times on my achin’-self to ease the discomfort.  It has helped a ton!

Before long customers started arriving and things started selling.  God is so good!!

In the meantime I found that my computer was broken.   Which my computer is a necessity to communicate!  Ugh.

The kids were amazing and helped me pack a ton – after all, we had only found we were moving four days earlier.

Saturday morning friends were going to be heading to help us and I noticed Ruby seeming sleepy and it was only 8 am.  I asked Liberty to take her outside and see if she just needed a bit of fresh air to perk up.  She was outside a couple of minutes and brought her back to me in our bathroom where I was packing.  I turned to Ruby and saw an unusual look on her face and stepped closer.

“Liberty!  It looks like she’s starting to have a seizure!”

Which she was.

I lifted her out of her wheelchair and laid her on our bare mattress – because of course the bed had already been stripped for the move!

I was shaking and told the kids to go get Daddy and as he came to the room I yelled to call 9-11 {just like her neurologist told us to do – call immediately!!  Ninety seconds into the seizure we are to administer a powerful drug in her rectum.}   Her seizures are life-threatening and we have been told that if they go past five minutes they are harder to stop!

I texted my precious friend Renee from the Knee Team asking her and her husband Joel to pray and our big kids.  I phoned Dan and Lavonne and asked them to pray!

Shaking like a leaf, I administered the drug as Ruby continued to seize.

Five minutes passed.  The EMTs had to be here soon!  The littles were gathered around Ruby on our bed and we were all praying out loud asking the God of the Universe – who loves Ruby so much to intervene!

Six minutes.

Seven minutes.

Eight minutes.

I cannot type without tears.

Nine minutes.

The EMTs arrived.

They asked what had been done and I showed them the syringe.  They questioned, “You put it all in?”

“Yes!  That’s what her neurologist has prescribed!  It is ready-dialed to exactly what he prescribes!”

“Wow!  That’s a large amount!”

“Yes, her seizures have lasted 30 minutes.  They are life-threatening.”

At about 10 minutes she stopped.  Thank you Jesus!

Soon Ruby and I were packed up and on the way in the ambulance.

Dw and our friends packing the house.  Tests for Ruby.  Docs wondering if it was her shunt?

Very stressful.

Eventually, after all the tests came back okay, her seizure meds increased, we were told that her neurologist wanted us to spend the night.  I begged the doc to appeal and ask if we could please go home.

We were released to leave and Savannah came to get us.

By the time Savannah arrived Ruby was playing with the BP cord and cock-a-doodle-do-ing {she has learned how recently and it’s precious beyond words, since a rooster is my all-time favorite creature!}

We arrived at our new home as the last piece of the first load was being emptied.  Grateful for Stan, Shelby, young Graham {Stan & Shelby’s son}, Kimmy and Bruce and their son Logan
, Graham and Savannah’s help.

So thankful that Ruby was okay!  The Lord had heard our prayers!

Back to the old house for a second load.

Closing the back door of the truck we discovered that the truck wouldn’t start.  At all.

The truck rental company informed us that it was our problem.  Bless their hearts.

Eventually, after much prayer, the truck started.

We crashed Saturday night on our mattresses, thankful to have two loads at the house.  One more to go when we rent a truck again later this week.

Sunday was my birthday!  How thankful I was to be in our new home.  We had no clue where anything was, but Elizabeth found the skillet and asked if I would like an egg for breakfast.  We knew where the potatoes were {and I love eggs and potatoes} so they set to work making me a sweet breakfast in bed.

I gave each of the kids a slice of my potato and was enjoying Ruby as they headed back to the kitchen to get some more food when suddenly I heard Dw screaming.

I mean screaming.


My normally calm, even under traumatic circumstances, 
was screaming with a panicked voice!!

He was shouting, “Come up!  Come up!”

I knew someone was choking.  My heart started to race as I threw the covers off and started running to the kitchen {which is one room over from our bedroom}…

On the way I met Liberty and she was beside herself, 
“Mom!  Elijah’s choking!  Daddy can’t get it out!”

At this, my legs collapsed from the MS and now flopped to the kitchen as Dw
continued to scream commanding it to “Come up!”

Dw was doing the Heimlich Maneuver and had already done it five times with extreme force!

It would not budge – and only by the grace of God, the potato dislodged and went flying across the room.

Friends, it was close!! 

So very, very close!

What had happened was that Elijah had the slice of potato and had taken a bite and at the same time had thrown a ball up in the air.  The potato chunk went down accidentally and lodged with his head looking up.  When it happened Elijah realized he couldn’t breathe and bent over.  It wouldn’t dislodge.

Elijah then got on all fours on the floor in an attempt to allow gravity to bring it up.   Only thing Dw was on the other side of the island, I was in our bedroom and by God’s amazing grace Liberty noticed Elijah and thought, “What’s he doing?”  She questioned, “Are you okay?  Are you choking?”  She then told Dw what was happening.

I think I need to leave the coffee shop now and just have a good cry.  It has been two horrific life-threatening events two days in a row.

Was God’s merciful grace and protection evident?  

Yes!!  

But whoooa, really!!??

Feeling a bit overwhelmed and vulnerable at this point?

Yup!

So what are we doing??

We’re praising Him.

Out loud.


Intentionally.

God’s word tells us that He inhabits the praises of His people!!

Today, Dw went to the old house to pack up some more and found this: