Blessings

I am always greatful for those times when I can see the hand of the Lord in my life. He blesses me each day, and there are those times when I see blessing after blessing. Last Saturday Devon started to have really bad stomach pains, but after a few hours they eased up little by little, until on Monday morning he felt good enough to go to work. On Sunday we had talked about how he should just go to the doctor and get it checked out (which to me now is a blessing). He did, and after being sent to do some tests at the hospital the diagnosis was appendicitis. It was in the early stages (yet another blessing). He called me from the hospital after doing those tests to let me know he was staying there for surgery. That was not quite what we had expected. So I quickly called family and was able to find a babysitter so I could hurry over to the hospital (its been such a blessing to have family always ready to step in). So far I had done pretty good keeping my composure, the only time I lost compsure was as I was trying to figure out how to tell the boys where I was going. Luckily I was able to get through telling them without crying, because I know that would have worried them. Really I wasn't all that worried - I actually felt very at peace with everything. But there is something about my kids that always makes me cry when I worry about them going through anything. After the emotions were stirred up from that, I was expecting to probably cry the whole way to the hospital. Again, I really wasn't worried, but I am such a crier - and a 20 minute drive to hospital wasn't going to help. Just as I was getting ready to leave, my mother-in-law called to see if I wanted a ride to the hospital, she just happend to be around the corner dropping my nieces and nephews off. To me this was such a blessing. I was able to keep from crying because I didn't have to just think about things in the car. We talked and laughed about how funny this day was turning out. We got to the hospital just as two of Devon's brothers were going to give him a Priesthood blessing. I felt blessed to have been there for that, and blessed that my husband's brothers could be there to do that, and that they were worthy Priesthood holders. It was just minutes after that they took him off to surgery. Of course by this point, I had cried a little more. Priesthood blessings always get me teary eyed, no matter the circumstance or the person receiving it. And also kissing my husband goodbye as he heads into surgery is something that I would think would be impossible to not make me cry. A while after Devon headed into surgery his dad joined us (his Mom and me) as we waited for the surgery to be done. It was so nice to have them there as I waited, to give me conversations to focus on, rather than the emotions of the situation. And after the surgery it was so nice to have them there for a little while. A little more than an hour later the surgeon came to tell us it all went well, and that he was sure from the looks of the appendix, that there was no question that it was what had been causing problems. A little while later Devon came out of the recovery room, and we sat with him for a while in another room. Eventually Devon's parents headed home, and I stayed there with Devon until he was ready to be sent home around 11 pm. Devon's parent's had taken our kids to their house for the night, which again was such a blessing. To know there were being taking care of, and also to not have to worry about them during the night, or early in the morning when they woke up. Both Devon and I were exhausted, and it was nice to sleep in a little before picking the boys back up.


Another blessing I think is the timing of this all. If I knew something was going to happen and I could pick the timing, now would have been the week. We had nothing too important going on right now. He will be fully healed just about 2 weeks before the baby is born, which is good. I couldn't imagine trying to take care of a newborn, the whole house, the other 3 boys, and him all at the same time. He will be feeling mostly normal in the next few days, which he can't wait for. I am so thankful he went in and it was caught early. Had he not decided to do that, who knows how this week would have turned out. Honestly, I feel so blessed that there wasn't anything bigger wrong with Devon. My brother-in-law Jason has been super sick in the hospital and at home for the last two months, waiting for his body to be healthy enough and ready for surgery. For him, it has been no quick fix, quite scary at times, painful, and also an added financial strain, to name a few things.

Obviously this isn't something we hoped would happen, but as things are going on around us, I know we are being watched out for by Heavenly Father. For these many blessings, I am so thankful!