Life Goes On...And It Is All Good.

I can't believe it's been a month since my last post! What a relief to be into May and almost done with this term of school. I am looking into internships this summer, however, so I will probably be busy a few hours a week with that (if I get one that is).

Life has been moving along at a steady and satisfactory pace. All of the doctors' appointments panned out well, and it turns out all of the problems I've been having lately are completely related to the original heart/autonomic nervous system disorder. Whew! Whew? Yeah, whew! No strokes, brain tumors, aneurysms, circulatory blockages, kidney disease, or cancer of any kind. Life will continue to be full of ups and downs with my health, but hopefully there will be a few more ups than downs.

I have encountered a few experiences this month that I feel are worthy of note. One occurred while I was walking ( I think a lot as my legs propel me around "the fishbowl"). It happened to be quite cold that day, and I was buzzing as fast as I could to keep warm and to get done! I was complaining in my mind about winter and how particularly long it had been this year. I realized that even through the darkest, longest, winter there is always the hope and faith that spring and summer will come. For those of us who live where there are actual seasons, it's a pretty for sure thing...after winter is spring! Just like after night is morning. LIFE IS THIS WAY. I recently went through a "winter" or a "night" and felt pretty bleak spiritually. In the end, "summer" or "morning" finally came and I was renewed and filled again with hope and enlightenment.

My little pug dog, Sally, was sick a few weeks ago. She was QUITE ill, so ill I wrapped her in blankets and rushed her to the Pet ER in Meridian. I was there for several hours with her as the vets at All Valley Pet Hospital tested her and then took care of the problem. She had a little blockage in her guts that was causing her extreme pain and discomfort. She was VERY ill. I was terrified! For those of you who don't know me very well, I am extremely attached to my little dog. I completely adore her, and here she was in the hospital, so so ill. When the vet told me it was a little blockage and they were going to take care of it right then and there, I felt tremendous relief wash over me. We had been there for several hours while she was being tested, examined, waiting for lab results, and then having the obstruction removed. That whole time I had been watching TV (nothing else to do). I went outside with her so she could poddy. It was about 1:30 A.M., very quiet, very peaceful. I felt peace fall upon me like a blanket. Then, as soon as we walked back into the building, I sat down by the TV again and looked up. RIGHT THEN, a commercial for an LDS video came on, and there was a clip of the Savior on the sea of Galilee calming the waves as He said, "Peace, peace be still." I burst into tears. WHAT WERE THE ODDS? I had been watching TV for hours, this was the first LDS commercial and it happened to open with the Savior saying, "Peace, peace be still." I KNEW that Heavenly Father was watching over me and my little dog. He knew I had been worried and anxious and sad. He blessed me with the message of peace. I knew it was for me. It was not a coincidence. Of course, my Sally began to recover as soon as the blockage was removed and is now back to full health; sassy and happy, bouncing all over everything.

I've had some great talks with my oldest son lately. He loves his old mom just a little I guess. Many times during his life, I have questioned my parenting skills and ached to be a better mother. He has let me know, though, that he is glad I am his Mom, and I haven't done as bad of a job as I thought. Thank goodness for prayer, because I have used it every single day since my sons were born and God has never failed to direct the paths of these magnificent sons. And they are magnificent; my goodness I am a blessed mama.

My magnificent sons are outside in the dark chasing each other around our large yard with air-soft guns, my precious piggy (pug dog Sally) is snoring sweetly on my lap, and life is good. It is really really good.