On The Road Again

Jacob is back on the road today for a week. Today when I was driving the girls to school, it was funny to think that both Jacob being home and Jacob traveling feel normal. I think that is a good thing. The other normal things when Jacob is gone is 1) the girls get sick and 2) something else happens to make things crazy. Keely started having sinus issues and a scratchy throat Friday night and Jordan joined her Sunday night. They decided to start getting sick before Jacob left this time! We ran out of Tylenol and Ibuprofen last night, and Jacob was able to go out and get us some! So thankful! Yesterday, as I was about to walk out the door to go to Costco my legs started bothering me. I walked back in and got on the computer to check the weather and a tropical storm was forming down in the Philippines. It looks like it will just come up the side of Taiwan, but I can still feel those storms in my joints even if they aren't going to effect the island too much. That will be the predictable excitement! We'll see what the unpredictable excitement will be!!

I have had a lot of thoughts that I've been thinking of sharing, but I'm just never near anywhere to write them down. We'll see if I'll be able to work writing more into my daily schedule or not. You just never know!

I do know that life is just normally crazy and busy. Before the girls started back to school, I wondered what my days would look like. However, they looked a lot like they did when it was just Jordan and I. I don't think I did a very good job of putting things on hold so she and I could learn and play together. What I'm realizing is that she just joined me in my life. Going to stores and going to Bible studies. Funny how it sounds, but that built a good bulk of our time right there! With Jordan in school, Jacob feels more free to ask me to help with a project or two. So all in all, I'm not bored with both girls in school. My biggest obstacle these past too weeks is that I have tried to do too much while the girls are in school and then I'm exhausted when they get home and need snacks, help with homework, dinner, showers, and bed time stories. I forgot that my fatigue happens in the afternoons -- and can be pretty bad if I don't rest in the afternoon. One of my biggest priorities this week is to rest in the afternoons before I pick the girls up from school. Jacob had been helping with homework, because doing it with two who both want help at the same time can be a headache. However, Jacob gave me a chance to try it out yesterday and it was crazy but we succeeded. I'm glad, though, that I had rested! I just have to learn what my body needs and listen to it.

I just feel like I should leave you with a picture today since I haven't posted any pictures in a long time! Some of you may have seen this picture on Facebook. Jacob took it on the first day of school. We were all waiting to cross the street to the school, and the girls were holding hands and talking about school and recess and playing together at recess. It just made our hearts want to burst! We prayed before the girls were born that our children would be good friends. They have their days, but I especially take joy in days like this one!

We survived today, through God alone!

I know all of you will be so surprised...but...Jacob is traveling again! I told someone earlier this evening that Jacob will be home 3 weeks after he gets back from this trip and that would be the longest stretch since April 10th. That wasn't entirely correct. He was home a month this time before traveling again, but the girls and I weren't here for the first week and then we had students here for 14 days. I love all of you students and when you hang out with us! It's one of the best parts about this job! However, my husband isn't around those days. Sooooo...with all of those words and explanation-- it's been a crazy few months!

It's always hard being a single parent-- the girls miss their dad, I miss my best friend, and there is more work! Then enters this crazy journey I've been on since we started this particular job in June of 2009. Just a couple weeks after we arrived in Hong Kong, my body just shut down one day. I was able to muster enough energy to get Jordan down for an early nap (she was one at the time) and I gave Keely (who was two and a half) the IPod to watch Sesame Street podcasts. (Podcasts didn't run continuously at that time- so every 2 minutes Keely would wake me up to turn on the next one. I would go back to sleep right away every time!) Things just progressed from there -- needing to take a nap once a week to twice a week to every afternoon. Then the joint pain started. All of that has just continued as new symptoms pop up every few months. Needless to say-- that makes life hard in general, but it can really make it difficult when it's just me here! 

But this job is just so God. Jacob came out here doing IT! Now we work with students! (It's just hard to write down all of the details that makes that so crazy and so amazing- so just trust me that it's truly amazing)! God gives Jacob new abilities all the time as well as pulling out talents and characteristics -- many which may have been hidden in our last job.

God gets me through when Jacob is gone. I often have energy I never have any other time. Today was not one of those days though. I didn't have energy when I woke up this morning. I was hurting this morning and I didn't want to get up, let alone do all the things it takes to get to Costco and shop in Costco. I mean really!?! Lady with the child on your back, we had two more things on our shopping list and a girl who needed to use the restroom! Could you really walk past us so slowly, making it impossible to turn down the aisle-- all the while you check out the items in my cart! 

Today was hard and we made it! And I think we made it liking each other. I don't think any of the three of us were contemplating running away today! Now, that was God! That was a miracle! Praise the Lord to allow Jacob to do this job and allow us three girls to support him even with the obstacles we have! Praise The Lord!

Thankful

I have been meaning to post sooner and thank all of you for your prayers while Jacob has been gone. God didn't answer my prayers the way I thought he might last Wednesday, but His ways are always better! I WAS exhausted after Bible study, but we managed to buy a few things at the grocery store, got ourselves home and ate lunch before I crashed for an hour nap. I'm thankful Jordan does room time and then continues to entertain herself during those crashes! I'm also thankful those naps give me enough energy to make it until the girls' bedtime! I got the kitchen cleaned up and the dishes done about 10pm. The train wreck that had occurred in the living room finally got cleaned up including the clothes that needed putting up on Thursday. Those towels managed to get washed on Thursday too. Jacob didn't sleep any on his flight even though he had a whole row to himself, but it sounded like he got a lot of work done! When I woke up Thursday morning with only a couple things checked off my to-do list, I had an overwhelming sense of peace. I knew we were being prayed for and that peace was better than everything going exactly how I had wanted.

The rest of the week has gone well. Friday morning, the lady who cleans our apartment called sick. It was amazing though that I already had everything picked up and I hadn't left any dishes for her to wash, so cleaning the bathrooms and vacuuming was pretty quick and easy to do! Four-thirty Sunday morning, Keely woke up with a fever. When we woke later that morning the fever meds were doing their job, but it was starting to climb again so we gave her more. I was thankful that we have a pharmacy that is a two-minute walk away! I kept her medicated all day and we kept her fever under 100. She had Iowa Testing this week and I didn't want her to be sick. She was able to go to school Monday. She was tired though, and we went at lunchtime to check on her. We wanted to make sure she wasn't exhausted and needed to crawl into bed! Jordan started getting the low-grade fever too, but everyone is mostly well now. Just some allergy symptoms, which is typical this time of year for our family!

Yesterday afternoon and evening we seemed to have had enough of this three person family and were ready to be reunited with Jacob! Only 3 sleeps left! "I think I can, I think I can!"

Again, thank you for your prayers. They are appreciated and we are definitely feeling them!

Reflections

Jacob just left for the airport awhile ago. His alarm went off at 5am, but he didn't move after he turned it off. I laid there in bed, waiting for it to go off again. I finally glanced at the clock, 5:06 -- the snooze wouldn't have gone off yet. The next time I glance at the clock it is 5:21 -- I must have dozed off and Jacob must have turned off the alarm instead of hitting snooze. I finally rouse him awake. "I couldn't go to sleep last night," he says. He didn't sleep well the past two nights, and so I didn't either. Jordan prayed at dinner that I would feel well today so I could spend a lot of time with her. Not sleeping well doesn't help my chronic fatigue and aches and pains. I pray I can spend a lot of time with you too, sweet Jordan. I pray keeping up with the kitchen and dishes won't exhaust me. I pray putting up the laundry that is overflowing the living room that Jacob sweetly folded last night won't exhaust me. I pray washing the bath towels that never dry from one use to the next in this humid city won't exhaust me. I pray going to our Bible study this morning won't exhaust me. I pray Jacob can finally get some rest on the plane. I pray his meetings could actually be restful and rejuvenating and not energy sucking. I pray that this overflowing plate of Jacob's to-do list will get more manageable. As I reflect in these early moments, while it is still quiet, I see how my crazy ailments and Jacob's overwhelming task list just feeds off of each other. I am thankful for the sweet family moments we had on vacation last week. I am amazed that even through rain and crowds, we managed to find some relaxation before the next months-- maybe even year-- spirals into a busy flurry. Oh Lord, this family won't make it without you. You alone know all we need, and I pray for your guidance and your hand as we begin this busy and exhausting season of life.