So very grateful...

Yesterday, we had an accident happen at our house.  I was at a friends house at the time for a skin care "party" and Scott was inside the house.  Max got hit by a bat, by accident.  Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, my phone wasn't working and didn't have reception where I was.  I did get a text from Tommy saying Max was really hurt.  I left the party and tried and tried to call, no luck.  Then Scott called, told me he was in the ER with Max and that he had been hit by a bat and was bleeding badly.  He was crying, Scott that is...and I knew nothing else.

Panic set in...I was hysterical and screamed at God...pretty sure he had to have heard me LOUD and CLEAR...."Keep my baby safe!"  Think I yelled that 10 times at the top of my lungs...I called my brother...he was on the phone with Tommy and was able to tell me that Max was conscious, and had been crying so that did make me feel a little bit better.  I called my friend Makila and begged her to pray and to call friends to pray....my brother stayed on the phone with me until I got to the hospital.  Of course, I was at the wrong hospital...grrr...luckily the hospitals are next to each other.  I ran in, like a mad women and found Max...sitting quietly on Daddy's lap.  I was SO glad he was awake, and they had cleaned him up and I could see he had a bad cut on his head, but his eyes were okay, and he could talk.  Sigh of relief....not out of the woods but HUGE sigh of relief.  I had imagined the worst as I drove like a crazy person there...

It was about 12:15 when I arrived, Scott and Max had been there for about 15 minutes.  We met with the Dr and determined he did not have a skull fracture, and that he mainly needed stitches and we needed to find a plastic surgeon for that.  The one that we wanted wasn't available until 3:15.  So we waited...Max napped in my arms for awhile, Scott ran home to get his blankies and his favorite puppy.

 Waiting with Momma

They then came in to do his IV, which he did great for and we knew they would have to sedate him for all of the stitching...he did great.  Thank you LORD!  Thank you friends who were praying near and far.  Sedation always worries me...always.  Don't like it ever.  Especially with my babies.  Gratefully we haven't had to do it often.  

I opted to leave the surgery room, they didn't need to pick me off the floor too.  Scott opted to stay with Max.  About 10 minutes into the repair, Max started to wake up...he was dreaming they said, all he said was DADADADADA and then Ball once in awhile.  Guess we know what he dreams about now.  :)  But the ER Doc did come in and give him another dose of the sedation meds.  It was NOT fun standing in the hall and listening to him moaning and calling out.  It was probably worse for Scott sitting in there with him having Max moaning his name.  Gratefully the surgeon was done in another 15-20 minutes and I could go back in and hold him.  

 Trying to wake up...

Since he ended up having a double dose of sedation it took him a LONG time to wake up, but they did let us go home after and hour or so recovering.  His brothers were happy to see him and grateful he was okay.  A very hard way to learn a lesson for them....pray for peace for them.  We are not blaming one of them, they feel enough burden.  Just pray.  Thanks

 At home....still so sleepy...

 Snuggling with Daddy to wake up

 More awake and reading books...

Wide awake and shooting hoops, acting himself...

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble.  He cares for those who trust in Him.  Nahum 1:7

A friend sent me this verse last night after we were home...such truth.  God protected Max, and we are so grateful.  He is acting like himself today and slept well, was up once for more pain meds and otherwise slept until 7:00 which is LATE for him.  We had him in our bed which may have helped too.  :)  Thank you to those of you who prayed.  

Another Cookie Monster

Looks like we have yet another cookie dough lover in the Shisler house...must be in their genetics.  A special note to my dear mother in law...neither Scott, nor I, nor any of our boys have yet to get worms from eating cookie dough.  So we pray that Max won't either...

Clutter and me

I am in the midst of my January clean out and organize, it's taking forever with a busy 2 year old helping at my side.  But slowly I am making dents.  Scott has been ultra helpful, not that he hasn't been before but I just notice him folding laundry without my asking for help, picking up more, making the bed so I don't have to...helping with the boys rooms...he has just stepped it up a notch or 2 in 2012 and hopefully he KNOWS I notice and appreciate his extra efforts.

I have been following this De Clutter blog for this month, she has had great tips...not on organizing...just on cleaning out.  I always need the reminders that ANYTHING I give away, or donate WILL BLESS SOMEONE else.  Something I don't use is something someone else can.  And then when I make my 2nd trip to Goodwill in a week it just makes me smile.

Today was the end of her De Clutter series and I am pasting a clip of today's post...one I am so guilty of....once I get things cleaned in a room and the way I want them there is a little boy, or a bigger boy that comes in and messes it up and I am not proud to say that often times I "snap" and am so frustrated by it, I have even been known to cry.  This post is just what I need to remind myself of what really matters...YES it's important to have things neat and uncluttered and taken care of...but there are other things MORE important.

As we end this series, I have a few more thoughts to share with you.  Mainly because I know how defeated you might get in this area.  Keeping a home de-cluttered and organized is an ongoing challenge.  Life keeps changing.  What worked last month, might not work this month.  And just when you think you’ve got this de-cluttering thing conquered, something will happen to you (or me) to make us feel like giving up and accepting clutter.  What we’ll need in that moment is perspective.  Imagine this …

You’ve just cleaned up the kitchen and family room and sat back with a Diet Coke to relax for a minute, when along comes a high school wrestler who will dump his stinky shoes and sweaty shirt on the counter.  Not long after that, backpacks will get dropped in a line from the door to where you are sitting.  Papers will be tossed on the dining room table.  Later, a tall handsome man walks in, kicks off his shoes, drops a briefcase on the floor, and sets a notebook and travel mug next to the shoes.  And five people will ask you what’s for dinner within a 15-minute time span. Four will come back to ask if they can have a snack. And you will look at the mess, and sigh. And it’s right here, right at this point, you have a choice.

Hopefully … just maybe … with God’s strength and wisdom …  you will pause before attempting to make everyone feel guilty for unloading all their stuff and messing up your hard work.  And in that pause, before unkind thoughts can take root, or angry words can be spoken, God’s Spirit will give you a “hug” and remind you that life is messy.  Really. Messy.  And people are more important than clean counters.  And this won’t last forever. And LOTS of people would give just about anything to have someone they love walk in the door and drop their stuff.

Then, after you’ve thanked God for stopping your gut reaction and giving you perspective, you will get up and hug that wrestler and tell him you are SO HAPPY he is home.  You will kiss those little backpack-wearers on the forehead.  You will cut up an apple and wash some grapes.  You will kiss your husband and put his travel mug in the dishwasher. And realize that this is much more important than having a perfect home.

Oh how perspective has saved me from doing and saying so many regrettable things.  You see, our highest calling is to love God and love others.   Yes managing our homes and schedules is important.  Obviously I believe that strongly.  But maintaining a heart of love should always supersede our desire for a clutter-free home.  So when the interruptions come (and they will) … and when someone messes with your plans (and they will) … remember to keep perspective.  Keep first things first.  And  Jesus’ commands always come first.

Let’s say you keep perspective, and you avoid a meltdown, but in the quiet of your heart you feel like a failure in managing your time and home.  And maybe you signed up for this challenge thinking, I’m really going to get it together now.  But three weeks have gone by and you haven’t made one change.  If the truth were told, you are actually further behind because now you’ve spent way too much time reading those long blog post by that wordy Whitwer.

If that’s you, and you are even more discouraged than before, please take those thoughts captive, and hear what I have to say.   God is accomplishing HIS purposes for you through this challenge.   God’s ways are not our ways.  You might have signed up with the intent of de-cluttering, and God had another purpose altogether.  I learned long ago that I can sign up for one “class” but God had already scheduled me for another.  Be open to what God wanted to do during your time on this challenge.  If God did something completely crazy like heal a relationship or light a creative spark inside you that’s going to mean even more crafty clutter, please let me know.

Player

Last night we were waiting for Tommy's game to start....and our littlest "player" entertained himself with the folded down hoop on the side.  He is a riot.

Warning...Picture catch up post..LOTS of pictures

 Tommy at his basketball tourney a couple of weekends ago...

 Nephew Charlie #15 playing hockey in MN, Jack watching his buddy...

 Max came down the hall from the laundry room dressed like this the other day, baseball gloves, lunchbox, swim goggles, Drew's winter hat and puppy he dropped on the floor....

what a riot he is and what a collection of stuff he found in the laundry room.  :) And how cute is his new tee made by his Aunt Cara?

 Max getting ready to celebrate his birthday with his friends...

We celebrated with Krispy Kreme sprinkled donuts...yummy.  

 Andrew, almost 2

 Gracelyn, Just 2

 Gracelyn's big sister Lydia...

 Andrew's big sister Moriah..

 Max "thought" he wanted to play his favorite "Football Guys" with Andrew...until Andrew didn't play it the way Max thought he should, Max promptly put it away.  He is not good at sharing the "Football Guys"....

 The three littlest ones....

 The entire "party" less their Momma's who are obviously jumping around like crazy people behind me to get them all to smile...

 Tommy playing basketball for DMC school

 This is one way to get him to sit still...a pail of mini Oreos'...

 The halftime entertainment, he even got cheers...poor child whose mother doesn't wash his face after he eats a pail of Mini Oreo's...

Go Tommy!