One season ends, another one begins

 Nick finished his football season yesterday. Overall his team had a good season.  Nick played mostly defense but on occasion he was QB.  His favorite position is running back, which sadly he didn't get to play.  He tried out for basketball about 2 weeks ago and made the team.  For 2 weeks he's had double practices.  This week he'll just have basketball, which will be nice. A funny thing about this picture is Jay and Nick have the same stand, hands on hips.  During each of their times playing football I could look for my boys on the side lines and know it was them because their hands would be placed on their hips.  I frantically searched for a picture of Jay (standing like Nick) but couldn't find it.

 Jay went with Mike and I to Nick's last game yesterday and was quite entertaining.  He loves to bug his dad!

 The boys take private basketball lessons.  I went with them the other day and was impressed with what I saw.  Just this week we got a concrete driveway.  The boys will be able to set up a hoop and play basketball at home, something they are really excited about.

Football season is ended, but basketball is about to begin!  I always say I have a love/hate relationship with sports, but as the boys get older I have more of a love relationship.  They need the structure and activity and I know one day when this is all over, I will miss it!

One day at a time

It's been a hard 3 months.  Heck, it's been a hard year.  On Oct. 9 we crossed the 3 month finish line for mom's stroke and Oct. 15 we crossed the 6 month mark of my dad's death.  What a year!  Full discloser, lately I've wondered where God is in all this.  I wonder how and why this has happened to our family, not once but twice.  Why did my mom have this stroke and on top of that why does she have diabetes?  Yes, I know we can go through the medical reasons for the stroke and diabetes, but I'm questioning the spiritual reasons.  Everyday I remind myself God is in control and I know He loves all of us, beyond any of our comprehension, but still I struggle.  This week Kim and I took mom to the stroke doctor.  He went over mom's MRI and CT scans.  He showed us the "good" side of her brain which has a prominent vein for blood to pass through, then he showed us the "bad" side of her brain.  The vein was barely visible.  The damage to her brain was staring us right in the face.  The facts are mom is not a surgical candidate, she is at a very high risk for another stroke, they are hoping to reduce mom's risk for another stroke with medication management.  None of the news was great, but it wasn't terrible either.  Her doctor was amazed that mom lives independently.  He said most people who have the kind of stroke mom did aren't as recovered as she is.  I do remind myself often the woman has had 2 strokes in 3 months time and battles diabetes on top of it.  She's pretty much super woman if you ask me.  It's also a good reminder that God has not forgotten us.  Mom may not be restored to the place where she or us would like her to be, but God has granted her more time on this earth and yes it may look different but it's not any less meaningful.  The bottom line is hope remains and no one has more faith and hope than mom.  She very proudly states that there will not be any more strokes and in 2 years time (mom loves her time lines, something that strokes don't always adhere to but she tries) she'll be as good as new.  I have prayed, boy have I prayed that God can give me the kind of faith my mom has and I've begged Him to honor my mom's confident declaration.   Even if mom only recovers a wee bit more, even if her speech is always a little broken and even if her right arm doesn't get to the point in assisting with daily living, I pray she has no more strokes.

Reunited

 This weekend the boys and I went to TX to visit Mike, Jenny and Curt!  It did my heart well to see them and spend time with them.  It's been such a tough couple of months for all of us.  I'm very proud of all of them.  It has not been easy.  On a positive note the direct flight from Bloomington is affordable and easy!  The boys and I took an early flight on Saturday morning and took an afternoon flight today from Dallas.

                                           Mike and Nick had to talk politics, of course!

 On Sunday we went to a bbq place called Hutchin's.  Sieb, Mike and Jay had gone to this bbq place in July and Sieb could not stop talking about it.  It did not disappoint.

 These two!  This was supposed to be a trip for Nick and I but Jay came along because Curt really needed to see his good buddy, Jay.  It made me so happy to hear the two of them laughing and hanging out together.

Nick enjoyed the pool!  We sure loved our time with the Ausili's.  It's been an adjustment for all of us but I'm so thankful the Lord gave us each other.  Our friendship has been on going for 40 years.  Jenny and I have been friends for 25 years and we raised our kids as siblings.  Our friendship is a rare gift and distance won't change that.  It only makes the time we do spend together more precious.  Until next time!