Monday, November 22, 2010

My Health

I've had a little bit of a health scare the last two weeks. Without going into too much detail I'm now temporarily paralyzed on the left side of my face. It's been quite a struggle for my family and I. I was in the hospital for a few days and I was confronted with the most helpless feeling I can remember in quite some time. The boys had a hard time understanding what was wrong with mommy. My husband had a hard time being both mom and dad all of the time. I am still having a little bit of a problem knowing that I'm vulnerable.


At the end of the day, it could have been much worse. I was out of work for only a week. The doctor's think that I will heal okay over time without surgery as long as the medication does it's job. I have a lot to be thankful for, but it's still a very scary experience. As a mother I want to protect my children from all possible moments of hurt, but I can't always protect them. Hearing my oldest cry on the phone while I was lying in a hospital bed is not a memory that will fade quickly. So, as I look forward to this Thanksgiving Day, I'm going to take a few extra moments to really appreciate all that I have in my life, and to appreciate the joy that my sons and my husband bring to me. I know that this life goes much faster than I sometimes want it to, so it's nice to be reminded that we all have many reasons to be thankful.

Monday, November 8, 2010

My Kitchen

My husband and my father are currently in the process of renovating my kitchen. We are building out a completely new space. We're knocking down walls and moving the location of the kitchen. They have been working so hard on the project for weeks.




This past weekend they successfully hung the last of the cabinets, installed the butcher block counter tops, and installed my fancy sink.




I know it probably sounds strange but this sink was my inspiration for the entire kitchen. I look at this sink and I feel like I am immediately transported to a time when life was slower, simpler, and more quite. I think of the uncomplicated farm life when you worried about your family and their fortune and nothing else. Sometimes I feel committed to so many different people and projects and places that I never have time to just enjoy my life. I want to savor the time I have with my family because I know that this time will end all too quickly.


I know that a sink will not solve all of my problems but I have hope. Our kitchen is the last MAJOR remodel project left in our little house. I'm looking forward to lazy weekend mornings making breakfast while the boys play. I'm looking forward to making lots of wonderful meals and sweets with my boys in this new kitchen. I'm looking forward to enjoying many meals prepared by my wonderful husband in this new space. I'm just looking for a little peace - just like so many more people out there.