We Survived...

Burns made it safely home today.  I couldn't be happier.  Even though weeks like this are exhausting and at times brutal, it is good for me in the fact that it gives me even more reason to appreciate my husband.  He is a good man.  He works hard and he definitely pulls his weight around here.  I'm a lucky gal.

There were other lessons learned this week.  I think the thing that stuck out most for me was the fact that without Burns, Shelton still wants to be here and the two of us can really enjoy being together.  We have great conversations and when I set limits and expectations that are greater than he would prefer, Shelton now handles it well and really tries to see my perspective and understand why.  I have definitely learned how to deliver things well when talking to him and our conversations are quite enjoyable.  This is nothing short of a miracle, and proves yet again that God is good and is in all things both big and small.  Thanks to each of you who have been praying for us.  Continue on my prayer warriors, please don't cease to pray!  He hasn't had any ill affects after the kidney stone passed and even survived a pretty tough fall out of his chair while at him mom's house.  Again, he is healing more and becoming more and more independent each day.  As we begin this new week, we are praying again for motivation and perseverance for him during his days.

Cooper may be beginning to have some of the first visible reactions to our new normal.  He has been hyper sensitive and overly emotional this past week.  This could be somewhat due to Burns being gone, although he hasn't ever be that emotional over daddy not being here, and possibly due to the fact that he appears to be going through a major growth spurt but there seems to be a bit more behind it.  He desperately seeks my attention at all costs.  He cannot handle it when minor things happen.  I know how he feels.  I find myself looking for reassurance lately and have clearly lost it over the less-than-major things that have happened lately (as is documented in my post, Even in Australia) so I do know how he feels.  It was only a matter of time before we started to see some different behaviors surface in our littlest man, and now we pray for guidance as we try to lead him well through it.  He's a champ and we are not in denial that he needs our love, careful observations and attention even though life here has gotten a little crazy.  The truth is that up until recently, for all realistic purposes, Cooper has been an only child.  Sure, we have two children but he has never had to share toys with a sibling, wait for us to serve someone else food before taking care of him, help get another kid out of the car before getting him out or anything else that comes with having two (or more) young children who need so much physical assistance.  And, for the first time in his life...now he is second in line.  He'll live, but it doesn't mean that we don't need to pay careful attention to how he is processing this change.  Please pray for him and us as we work through one more speed bump that is now slowing us down a little.  God is good, and cares as much for Cooper as he does the rest of us, so there is no reason to believe that this will be any different from the other answered prayers we've already been a part of.

And now, I must head off to bed...as another week awaits.  I pray that each of you have a blessed week as well.

{I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.}  Galatians 2:20