A Sense of Normalcy

     It has been a long time since the tyranny of the urgent hasn't seemed to consume my life, and my house has been showing the effects of it for a while.  Yesterday morning my washer and dryer started clicking away at 6:30 a.m., and at midnight there was still a load going in the washer.  They ran all day long with all kinds of clothing and bedding items.  Praise the Lord for working machines!  A lot of my ironing got done, and the old pillows and sheets on our bed were even replaced with brand-new stuff!  In between loads I managed to tackle lots of paperwork on my desk, replace the furnace filter, and even cleaned the coffee pot with vinegar!  I felt like a totally new woman by the end of the day! 

     When Keaton got home from school, he asked Heath if he would help him carve his pumpkin.  It warmed my heart to see the two of them having fun together on this project, and it reminded me to never take for granted the simple little pleasures in life. 

     I'm thinking maybe Heath had just as much fun as Keaton did! 

     Then they went outside and took advantage of another beautiful fall day and threw around the football for a while. 

     Haley and Kelsey excused me from going to their last regular swim meet of the season over in Rock Island, but Tuesday night was senior night for Haley, and as a family we all went and had fun celebrating with her. 

     Earlier in the week Heath hadn't been feeling 100%, but a trip to the chiropractor on Wednesday morning has made a ton of difference for him.  Evidently when he had his seizure, he must have jarred his body really hard because a couple of his ribs had been thrown out of place, which we knew from another visit already, but now they were shifted again, and his spinal cord was being affected as well.  Combine that with a cold and some painful coughing and sneezing, and he was becoming increasingly more uncomfortable.  It's very tricky to discern when to call which doctor, but for now it seems as though we have made the right choice, and the last couple of days have been much better for him.  Thank you, Jesus! 

     It just feels as though this week has been a little more normal for us as a family.  The schedule hasn't been quite as intense, and we haven't had any major traumatic happenings, and for all of that, we are very thankful.  Harris thoroughly enjoyed a beautiful scenic drive in Wisconsin yesterday, and doing my Bible study with a cup of coffee on the deck in our back yard has become a treasured event for me these last few days.  God has given us some spectacular fall days, and we just need to make the most of them!