Unexpected Blessings and Miracles

“And the Lord, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8

Do you ever feel frustrated? I am referring to really frustrated. Such as you really want something or someone to change and it is not happening. Maybe you get frustrated at times with life in general. Maybe you feel like you haven’t been treated fairly at work or at home. Maybe you perceive your life as a series of unfortunate occurrences, and you consider yourself unlucky. It is so easy to dwell on negativity and let it overtake our lives. But, believe me, it is not worth it. Negativity distracts us from our goals and whether you think so or not, we all have goals. Don’t entertain negativity. Life is too short and too big to get caught up in pessimism.

Writing has always been a big passion of mine and it has always been therapeutic. One year ago, I started this blog. I am proud of how far Mark, and I have come, individually and as a couple. I am honored to share our story. Some people may not understand, while others get it. They get us. They see what we have gone through, and they see all that we have achieved. And you know what? I am darn proud of us. It has not been an easy feat, but it has been more than worth it. We have learned from our mistakes, and we have grown from them. We hope our friends and family see our growth. But we still have more growing to do. Marriage is constant work, whether you realize it or not.

This past ten days has been a whirlwind of emotions. I’m talking about sadness, joy, blessings, fear, anger, miracles, forgiveness, happiness, and so much more. I will do my best to explain most of these, some maybe not going into great detail. As you all know, we left Bailee and Tristan in Jacksonville, Florida. They have begun a new chapter in their lives but, so have we. We have been used to having both close to home. Bailee was my go-to girl when I needed Walmart supplies and was too lazy to go myself. She was my go-to girl when I realized Kalli needed a new pair of shoes or a dress outfit for a concert that is…well…tomorrow. If Justine, Kalli, or me wanted to go to a movie, go shopping, or get a pedicure; Bailee was our go-to girl. Bailee has always been up for adventure and has never been a person who sits still. She truly lives life to the fullest. We all will miss her being so close, but she’s only a plane ride away (or two or so depending on cancellations 😂).

Early last week we also were able to share some joyful news. Justine is expecting again. She is nearing the half-way point already. She kept is quiet for a long time, only letting close friends and family know. She is considered high risk due to her multiple sclerosis and her thyroid issues. Her thyroid issues took a drastic turn for the worse during the very beginning of her pregnancy. Her endocrinologist states that it is quite rare, and she has only seen a few cases as severe as Justine's case. Justine went from extreme hypothyroidism to extreme hyperthyroidism. In fact, if she weren't pregnant, they would have removed her thyroid and had her take radioactive iodine. Her change in thyroid caused her a weight loss that was quite concerning to her OB and Endocrinologist. Thankfully, her thyroid is slightly improved, but still has a way to go. She has gained back her weight she lost but has not had a weight gain. This is not a good sign in pregnancy, especially when she is nearly halfway; however, the doctors have reassured her that baby appears healthy. She is on oral medication that is safe for the baby. Once she delivers, she will need to have the radiation on her thyroid due to the severity of her disease. By the way, did I mention that Justine and Justin are expecting a baby boy? I think Grandpa Mark was more excited than Justine about the boy. Mark is glad to be getting an ally on his side.

The same day we were able to share the news about Justine, I got a dreaded call. Kalli Facetimed me just as Mark was walking in the door from work. She told me to come right away because her and her cousin Kaydence had been in an accident and gotten hurt. Mark and I rushed to the scene that was surrounded by amazing bystanders that were assisting. Kalli and Kaydence were both seated in chairs that someone had brought them to wait for EMS. Kalli had a large contusion to her head and road rash to her legs. Kaydence had an obvious left humerus fracture (upper arm), road rash to her legs, hands, and she was in severe pain. The girls were on a golf cart, and it was struck by a pickup. The golf cart possibly rolled (not quite sure) and landed on the driver's side. Kalli was thrown from the golf cart and knocked unconscious for a short time (unsure how long). Kaydence was able to get herself out of the golf cart and she yelled for help (although people heard the accident and were already on their way). The girls were taken by ambulance to the hospital. Kalli was treated and released with a concussion. Kaydence ended up staying in the hospital for a couple of nights. She is following up with a Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon. We were told many times over how lucky the girls were. The on-call NP told us there is absolutely no reason other than miraculous that the girls did not sustain more serious injuries or worse. They both had some amazing guardian angels with them, and we thank God that things were not worse. Wounds can heal. The accident is under investigation, so I'm not going to go any further with this.

We ended the week with a quiet Fourth of July weekend at the lake surrounded by friends and family. We celebrated America, but we also celebrated our blessings. We know things could have turned out differently in so many ways, last week and the past year. We need to focus on everything we must be grateful for, our unexpected blessings and our miracles. I hope all of you choose to focus on your blessings too. Always remember, life is fragile. We're not guaranteed a tomorrow so give everything you've got.