Building Bridges

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:2

Life is constantly moving and constantly changing whether we like it or not. There are days we want time to stand still so we can take in every moment. There are also days that we want to escape us and go faster because we don't want to face the heartache. I have had plenty of each of these days in my lifetime, as I am sure you can relate. It is amazing that we can have so many pictures and videos to capture the moments we want to cherish and never forget. These memories can help us get through the bad days. I have found myself sitting in Kalli's old playroom under our stairs looking through our family photo albums many times over the past year. This has been a year full of changes that rocked the very foundation of my soul. I have been fighting to rebuild this foundation and now realize, it is something that I must build on every day. I realize that I need to build on this foundation daily in order to make it stronger. This foundation will only succumb to destruction if I allow it to do so. This foundation is built around faith, love, trust, family, and so much more. A foundation made stronger because I am not alone.

” Sometimes we need a bridge and sometimes we are the bridge. No one I know has escaped troubled waters, rough seas and challenging, scary days. There are times in our lives when we could use a little help, and other times when we are given the chance to be that help for someone else. It really doesn't matter where you are right now. What matters is that you remember we are stronger together, and taking a hand is just as important as offering one." I found this quote that I had saved in my phone back in June. How true is this? I have counseled friends and family over the years, and they have returned the favor to me. We all need to cross a bridge in our lifetime to get where we need to be. Some of these bridges we cross with the help of others, sometimes we help others cross this bridge, and sometimes we cross it alone. Remember, walls that are turned sideways, are bridges.

I will give you an update of some happenings in our family lately. After several reschedules due to the weather, Justine finally got to Fargo to do her extensive MRI. By some miracle of God, there were no new lesions found. All of us, even her neurologist, were sure lesions would show up on her scans. There is no explanation for this since she had all the neurological symptoms of another Multiple Sclerosis episode. Even though there were no new lesions, it scared Justine and her neurologist. A decision was made to put Justine back on MS medication. The infusions she had for two years in a row were supposed to put her into remission, and even though it seems to have done its job, they do not want to take any chances. Justine received her new medication in the mail. She will be on injections again, which she really isn't too thrilled about, but MS meds that are most effective tend to be either injection or infusion form. She will have injections three times per week. We had to go through the hoops of insurance coverage again and contacting the medication company to help with co-pay. Not to freak anyone out, but MS medication is ridiculously priced. The cost for her Copaxone is roughly $6500/month. Although shocking to many, we are no longer shocked by the price tag of pharmaceuticals and big drug pharma. Justine has been "helping" us reach our deductible early every year for the past 9 years! I have to joke about it because what else can you do? We are thankful insurance will cover some and there is some copay assistance up to a certain amount. We ask for continued prayers for Justine and we thank God for the miracle of no new lesions!

Many of you know that Bailee is in her senior year at the University of Jamestown majoring in nursing. She will graduate the beginning of May. Many of you also know that she has a zest for travel (like her mama and Grandpa John). Bailee has officially accepted a Registered Nurse position in the Intermediate Care Unit at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. The benefits, relocation assistance, and renowned reputation was hard for her to pass up. Tristan will be moving with her, and she starts July 5, 2022. The next few months will be interesting finding a place for them to live, lining up a U-Haul, and people to help her move. We are so excited for them, and it is a bonus it is by the ocean and within two hours of Disneyworld. It will be strange to have them so far away, but what a nice place to visit! We still have a few months, but they will be very busy! Congratulations to our Bailee Nicole!

Mark and I are keeping busy. We have been doing a lot of ice fishing together, along with Bailee and Tristan. We continue with our daily routine and do not ever deviate from this no matter what. This routine is what has made us accountable to one another and it has truly helped us become closer together. Many couples (including the past us), get busy with day-to-day life and forget to communicate effectively with one another. The daily routine we have keeps us openly and effectively communicating and it opens us up for further conversations and this makes our marriage work. Not everyone feels the same way we do and that is ok. We only want to express to others what has made us become stronger individually, and as a couple. With this world changing so fast, I want to remind you, WE want to remind you to take it all in. Enjoy the moments. Eat the cake. Buy the outfit. Take the trip. Love more and love deeper. Today is your day to shine.