Day 319 An Update Like the "Old Days"

Dear friends,

Just a quick update on the Smith family. I realized I'm often off to the races on other topics on many of these blogs, and it's been a while since I filled you in specifically on the health and well being of the Meadow Lane peeps.

Smitty's recovery has been nothing short of outstanding. Less than a year ago his bones were smashed, his lung collapsed, he had a concussion, and his blood pressure hit 40/20 in the ER. Today he works out on the elliptical faithfully every morning for an hour, is back to work full time, (sharp as a tack, I might add), and is closing in on discharge from Sunnyview outpatient therapy. He has been through 4 major and 3 minor surgeries, and if all goes according to plan, there won't be any more. He is loaded with metal, but moves fairly well, far better than anyone predicted.

Hannah has also exceeded all expectations for recovery. Her young brain is still healing, but she can function well and enjoy relationships - both things that were in the balance last November. She continues to see the dentist frequently as the loss of her 4 front teeth has impacted the movement of the rest of them as she grows. She missed 2 months of school, and still finished the 09/10 school year on the high honor roll (amazing!) For the sake of her privacy, I will leave it at that, and just so you don't overspeculate remember she is on the track of healing. I will never, ever forget that God is for her, and I'm still praying as strongly as ever that she gets "double for her trouble". You betcha.

My boys seem to have survived the disaster in good shape. David, out of nowhere, said to me "November 8 was the worst day of my life". It will always live in his head somewhere, but it will be part of his history, and that includes all the good that he witnessed first hand. Joseph still struggles with anger over the whole thing, but he's an emotional kid, a drama "queen", much like his mama. He processed things like an elephant rather than a lamb. So time will do it's work, and the Great One will find a way to cause this too to work for good in his dear life.

You already know about me. I've been talking to you for 319 days, give or take, and you've watched as I've swung from pillar to post through the jumble of these days. If anything, I hope you have seen how relentless the Great One has been in my life, never giving up on me, my "very present help in trouble". There's no end date to recovery, but there's also no end date to the amazing grace. I'm still tromping along on the pilgrim road, looking for that city "whose architect and builder is God. I have seen the goodness of God in the land of the living. And I'm fixin' to see plenty more.

Dessert nite is coming. Be there, fellow travellers.

Your friend on the pilgrim road,

Loriann