GNO... Part 2

Well, really, it wasn't a "night out".

And she has a very sketchy idea of fun.

But somehow she got into her head that us two (almost) legally blind half-Asians ought to take advantage of our Botsford insurance before it ended and get Lasik surgery.


Yeah....

....

... that sounds like loads of fun, right?!



Uh huh.

My thoughts exactly.



She got the idea Thursday night. Called and made us appointments Friday. I had the weekend to grow more grey hairs as I heard opinions from all sides of the spectrum. I left the ortho Lasik intimidation farewell party Sunday night telling everyone that I was not going to allow Valium and it's active metabolites to reek havoc on my system for the next several days (factoid: did you know it has a 43 hr half life and it's main active metabolite is over twice that??).  And I'd be getting two doses of that, because the one caveat with the insurance plan is they'd only cover one eye/day (you know, in case you go blind...).

Well... once again, it seems my patient God waited until 11:30 at night when I could no longer text people to ask for their opinions to chastise me and help me realize that even though I had prayed to Him, I had not listened for His voice. But in the stillness of the midnight solitude, He spoke.


At first it came through lyrics of a song, "randomly" popping into my head

 

I wait for You and my soul finds rest
In my selfishness, You show me grace

 

My hope is in You, Lord
All the day long
I won't be shaken by drought or storm
A peace that passes understanding is my song

along with the verses of Psalms 25 whispering gently to my soul.
Then, as I argued about the vague information about the risks and complications, the what-if's of provision for my family, he reminded me through the lyrics of another song

Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we'll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
It's true, You are faithful, God You are faithful

Those and more thoughts like them slowly calmed my anxious heart, gave me the peace I needed and the assurance that this was His will for me, even if it was not mine. I was troubled that He never assured me that everything would be ok, only that He has promised to be faithful no matter what. In spite of what might happen.

And thus Monday and Tuesday morning, armed with my prayer warrior friends sending texts and Scripture, such as

Psalms 29:11

The Lord will give strength unto his people; the Lord will bless his people with peace.

I went in and had eye surgery.

And it was not pretty.

That valium I was so worried about? Well, let's just say even though I haven't had so much as a Tylenol in the past 5 1/2 years... a 10mg dosage didn't have any effect on me. Well, besides a migraine and stomach cramps. So I was a bit nervous. Or a lot nervous. If you think I exaggerate, ask the doctor :)

I did have a stress ball. That didn't really help either.

Valium had the opposite effect on Danya. She doesn't remember too much of the surgery. They had to continually try to keep her awake. I can tell you what they did from beginning to end. And apparently, along with my neurons firing away, I couldn't get my head to stay still when I saw the suction coming at my eye the second surgery. So I look a bit scary. Enough so, that although my kids aren't scared of me, they do continuously pray that God will make my red eye white again. :)

But I did go from 20/300 to 20/20.

As we drove away from the center after my first surgery, the first song that was playing on the radio was yet another gentle reminder from God...

Remember when

Your hope is lost and faith is shaken

Remember when

You wonder if you're gonna make it

There's a hand stretched out

Through your deepest doubt

 

We can't pretend

To see the ending or what's coming up ahead

Don't know the story of tomorrow

But we can stay close

To the One who knows

 

We can trust our God

He knows what He's doing

Though it might hurt now

We won't be ruined

 

We believe

There is purpose, there is meaning

In everything

We surrender to His leading

He wants nothing more

Than to have us close

 

We can trust our God, always, always

He is with us, He is with us, always, always

God is good. And it's amazing the wisdom He has bestowed upon the depraved that we might have the potential to do such remarkable things. The doctors kept talking about how awesome the eye's healing capabilities are, that the epithelial flap is healed so soon after it reconnects with the cornea and without the need of stitches.

Yes the eye is awesome. But so is it's Creator.

What a mighty God we serve.


I'm thankful for this remarkable improvement in vision (and pray for no infections). It is weird, because I keep thinking I need to take out my contacts and allow my eyes to "breathe". And then I remember I'm not wearing contacts anymore. But I'm even more thankful for this new level in vision I have come to in my faith.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

 

 

Post surgery on our second eyes.

The closest you will get of seeing my subconjunctival hemorrhage unless you see me in person.
Good thing for my Asian eye smile... it's the right eye- can you tell ;)

Joel headed to South Bend for an interview and his sister Rachel was gracious enough to watch the older two.
Callum on the other hand had the privilege of coming with us and showing us his lasik-free vision ;) 

 

(I didn't copy the song lyrics verbatim, in case anyone was wondering... Just the parts that I distinctly remember hearing)

GNO at Comerica

So around 545pm last Tuesday evening, Danya started texting me. She had been given two tickets to the Tigers game and needed someone to come with her. After texting me 10 times in two minutes (including the "I'm picking you up at 635pm"), I knew there would be no way out. So it was decided that since I had almost survived 5 years without entering Comerica Park, it was time for me to break that fast.

I had four very jealous boys coveting my ticket (actually, the last probably only wanted to be with me. :)

After almost getting lost getting there, getting wrong directions from a sketchy valet driver to get home, having to be rerouted with a freeway shutdown and driving through a really scary part of town... well, we survived.

She said our first girl's night out was fun and a success. She said we will have to do it again. I said that was fine, as long as we skip the sketchy parts. :)

 The route the valet driver told us to take to get to the ballpark... 

 Yes, this was in the alley way...

Danya wanted me to get a picture of Cabrera and Scheurzer together in the same frame.

 She also wanted me to get one of Cabrera up to bat. 

Graduation

I know, I know... 

I said I'd put up our cottage pictures from the lake.

But it seemed a bit overwhelming tonight, since I have to go through so many. So we are a bit out of order, but how about celebrating graduation first? :)



Yup, he's finally graduated!!

Although he still has to work until the end of June.

We were blessed to have his parents, as well as my whole fam at the graduation last Saturday. I missed most of it, being outside with at least one of my children. But thankfully they announce them somewhat in an alphabetical fashion, and so I made it for the orthopaedic portion. Unfortunately, since I didn't know ahead of time that he would win some posh award for the best research, I didn't find out until I saw one of his attendings at the dinner afterwards.

As always, the food was amazing, with all you can eat buffet stations of salads, pasta and pizza, Italian, carving, Asian, seafood and sushi, a gelato bar, chocolate fountain, desserts and pastries, coffee and tea... and the one my siblings capitalized on most... the open bar.

I also found out how much of a photobooth junkie my sister is.

It was fun to see everyone all together one last time, but sad to know we will all be separating across the country soon. Goodbyes are never fun.

The new program director, spine surgeon Dr. Bono, and the ortho seniors :)

Katie, with the first of many drinks...

The boys were in heaven with their fresh sushi buffet

Danya and her "date", a good friend from OK

One of the hardest working orthos, Yo and his wife Charlotte

The boys played musical chairs... 

It was my brother's idea to get them shirley temples. 

If you are wondering, no, all that sugar did not sit well with the belly.

My brother loves his in-law so much that he sacrificed watching the game he had been looking forward to (England v Italy) to watch my husband's graduation. But he kept checking the game during the dinner :)

He stole a couple bites of pistachio gelato. I think he liked it...

Linds and I.

My fam.

Joel's fam.

A few of the orthos.

Flashing our signs... it's a tradition.

Their program director for most of their residency, Dr. Linard.

The Prieskorns, the Fritz's and us.

 Not sure which dessert run this picture was. We even came back when they brought out "to go" boxes. :)

Linds, Vanessa and I.

 Aaaah, I love these girls. These two (and Faye) got me through my five years of residency at Botsford.

 9 of the 14 ortho residents.

 Seniors!!

 The "ortho girls". :)

Somehow whenever we are together at a "party", we end up with a picture together... them holding their alcohol and me with my water... Not much has changed...

(and yes, Katie, I will still post the photobooth pics later if you want them... :)

Dad's Day Projects

... because shouldn't every dad have the opportunity to fix a broken toilet on Father's Day?! ;)

(especially after they come back from vacation and graduate residency too!)

I'm so thankful for the men in my life... especially my father, my father-in-law and the one willing to teach his child the finer things in life...

...like how to replace toilet tank parts. :)

I know it's just one of many lessons that will be learned, some through direct interaction and some through watching quietly from the background. And I'm thankful for these godly men and the examples they lead.

Happy Father's Day!

Book Review: I Need Some Help Here

** pictures from my relaxing week up north, enjoying "white space" will be soon to follow**

 

but first... a book review :)

 

 

I knew this book was going to be good when I saw the cover of the book and could relate to the picture. With three little ones running around the house, life can be a bit crazy. It's so easy to become overwhelmed, embarrassed or guilty, especially when you compare yourself to others, or your children are not going according to the plans or dreams you had envisioned.

I Need Some Help Here! is a book written by Kathi Lipp. It is filled with not only wisdom and practical advice, but examples and stories from mothers who have weathered and survived the storm of parenthood through the grace of God. I feel like this is a book that I will look back upon often, as it easily relates to young children as well as teenagers. Each chapter points out how the parent can feel desperate, helpless, frustrated or powerless while in the battlefield of life; it then follows with a section highlighting an attribute of God in each of those circumstances. I loved that. It is so easy to forget that He is above all and in all when we are in the trenches. Additionally, many chapters ended with scriptural prayers that can be prayed for both yourself and your child.

This book is for all those moms that need to be reminded that we are not alone, even if it appears that way on the outside. It also serves as an encourager for us to not hold it in, but seek friendships with others that support us, people we can be honest and transparent with, ones that will stand beside us, raising us up and praying for us.

This review was given in exchange for a free copy of the book from the publisher. All opinions are my own. :)

Book Review: Finding Spiritual Whitespace

This post is part of the  “Finding Spiritual Whitespace Blog Tour” which I am a part of...
To learn more, CLICK HERE!  

 

We've been a bit non-stop lately.

I once heard the analogy that your life is like a bunch of glass jars lined up on a mantle. Each jar is representative of the time in your day spent with someone or doing an activity. There are only so many jars you can place up there. If you try to put up too many, something else will fall off.

I feel like this is how my life has been these past few months. Some things have unfortunately fallen off the shelf and others aren't getting the time and quality they deserve as I live a jam-packed schedule. And, as, evidenced by the past few posts, my shelf has been sagging, burdened by the weight of it all.

Enter the need for whitespace. In her book, Finding Spiritual Whitespace, Bonnie Gray explores how we can awaken our soul to spiritual rest and a closer communion with Christ. The Bible clearly portrays God as the divine Creator, the great artist in this world, who formed us all to be beautiful individuals... His handiwork. Gray argues that all great works of art and composition need to be surrounded by whitespace, the place where the eye can rest (or in the case of a composition, a musical interval break). Whitespace quiets the noisy background and gives artistic value. Nurturing our souls with whitespace is a call to actually live a life of extravagance, to recognize that God created us beautiful, as is, and we don't need to clutter up our lives like pictures overtaking a fridge and continue to perform in order to improve ourselves. We need whitespace in order to live a beautiful life for God.

Bonnie Gray was working on her book when she began suffering from anxiety and was diagnosed with PTSD. She began suffering from insomnia and reliving painful memories from her past, ones she thought she had overcome, but had really just been pushed and hidden within her. Through her struggles and search for whitespace, she discovered four elements that are key in this endeavor: creativity, adventure, community and soul care. Gray, the faith barista, writes and provides examples of how you can sip and delight in these elements while nurturing your soul. At the end of each chapter she provides questions and activities for reflection, ideal for a small group setting.

The book was written in an interesting way, skipping from painful memories of Gray's childhood, to more present ones and sessions with her psychiatrist, to reflective application for the here and now. At times it was difficult for me to read, though I wonder if it was mostly from my own burdens at the time. God used this book to speak to me however; almost each chapter I read helped me as I struggled to trust and serve His direction in our move. I was reminded that often, the harder path is to choose rest, looking to none but Jesus. It is not always easy to choose the intimacy rest requires over the safer and easier path of continuing along in my normal routine. It is not a simple flip of a switch, but requires intentional effort to forcefully stop myself to not think of our impending move, but when I did so, it was only then that I felt peace. At my most vulnerable moments was when I could truly feel an intimate relationship with Him, knowing that when I am weak, He alone is glorified. I would definitely like to read this book again, soaking up more of it's applicable wisdom.

 

Bonnie Gray is the writer behind Faith Barista.com who wrote a book about her inspiring, heart-breaking journey to find rest. I was given a free copy in exchange for a review.
If you would like to know more about the freedom and rest  in Christ that whitespace can give you, you can get a copy HERE.


... and with that, I'm headed up to a cottage by the lake (with no cell service from what I can remember!) for a week of some "white space" :)

Living the Life of a Graduating Senior...

I'm not sure whether it's good or bad, but we've been pretty busy lately. It's helped taken my mind off the house situation a little, but my poor kids are starting to visibly show the affects of such a schedule. Me too, maybe... I just haven't had time to look in the mirror. ;)

Since flying in Sunday late, we had a recouperating day Monday (I think- I can't remember back that far...), but then we had outings with doctors the next three nights. In the words of one of the doctors "we kind of like to do our own thing".

So, Tuesday we went downtown with the Fritz's to their favorite restaurant Giovanni's, where I was waited on like never before. We joked later that if Danya would've asked for the waitress's tie, she probably would have been given it. The food was A. Maz. Ing, and the owner and her son, the chef, both stopped by and talked, telling stories and history etc. The Fritz's have been frequenting the restaurant for 30 years, so they are close friends.

Next, we headed to Milford, where Danya helped me feed and watch the boys play in the barn, catch tadpoles and enjoy a lovely evening at the Prieskorn's, until Joel was able to join us after 830pm. It got pretty lively in their home, but they weren't fazed as they have raised and home schooled their 6 children-- yes, I got tips! Their youngest son also entertained us- he's a national champion jump roper... I didn't even know there was such a sport!

 A lil humor... I was across the pond, when Liam yells to me, "Mommy can I take off my shorts?"
-- he didn't want to get his shorts wet. I just informed him to not go in that far :)

Thursday we were informed to dress "very casual" and expect a "special guest". Danya and I figured it was either a hot new boyfriend for her or a clown to entertain the kids. It ended up being neither. It was supposed to have been a favorite scrub tech, but he forgot he was on call for the night. Nevertheless, it was still a fun evening at the Lennox home as we celebrated everything "Michigan"... from sliders with meat from Slow's Bar-B-Q, to a chiffon cake from Townsend's... even their gifts (shirts and Pewaba pottery) highlighted our years spent here. The children also had fun running around playing ball, and exploring the flowers and hidden paths in their backyard, as well as the many screen doors that led there!

As fun as it was, I'm thankful that my parents are coming in today and hoping to have some "downtime"... we'll see!