Looking Back Through Our Looking Glass...

As I lay here this morning, I wonder what next year will bring, hoping that it will be less "EXCITING" than this past year. Hoping for an "easy" year and the whole time knowing I will never be handed more than I can handle. Our Lord has tested this bear family this year, both physically and emotionally, and we are pulling through with an even bigger love for each other. We have learned to pull together and push through whatever comes our way.

Each of us has faced challenges, each of us have overcome challenges, and each of us has learned the power of prayer to change our lives.

Brother Bear has been a trooper through everybody else's sickness and injuries. He has grown so much and has become a very mature young cub, when he needs to be. He is an excellent student, loves his school (GVE GATORS ROCK!!), enjoys Cub Scouts, plays well with Sister Bear, fiercely protects her, and loves his family so much I can't even describe it. His love is so great! Not long ago, Brother Bear had the opportunity to spend the night with a friend, something he has never done except out of necessity, and was so excited. He had a blast playing that evening and the next morning, but somewhere in the night, Brother Bear came to a conclusion. The next morning when I picked him up, he had these words of wisdom to share, "Momma, I love my family the best and don't really want to sleep in any house that my family isn't sleeping in. I had fun but I don't think I want to sleep away from my family anymore." Of course, with tears in my eyes, I said he didn't have to sleep anywhere he didn't want to sleep and that I had missed him too. WOW! Can words even describe my feelings at that point, no they can't. Brother Bear has grown inside and out, he is a thoughtful, kind cub and we are so proud of him.

Sister Bear has had a rough year healthwise. Last Christmas she had her adnoids taken out in hopes of decreasing the number of infections she was having. It seemed to work pretty good through the spring. Sister still had not reached the 20 pound mark, but she was growing up and was sick half as often. Then an atomic bomb was dropped in June. Sister experienced extremely high temperatures which triggered a febrile seizure which stopped her breathing and sent us to the Emergency Room. This was the beginning of an 8 day stay. Sister ran a fever averaging 104 for 2 more days, her mouth ulcerated and bled, she was lethargic and nobody could tell us what was wrong. The doctors poked and prodded, ran test, ordered x-rays, gave meds and more meds. Poppa Bear and Brother Bear came back and forth to check on us, both of them worried sick. I can't tell you how many hours we spent on the phone with our wonderful friends and family, but couldn't tell them anything. Sister and I cuddled up in the bed amongst the tubes and monitors, she slept and I prayed. Sometimes my prayers were angry, sometimes pleading, but always to heal my baby girl and let us go home to our bear family. Poppa Bear and I cried gallons, we were thankful for the support of our friends who stopped by and offered books or burgers and so many prayers. After 8 days, we still didn't really have a diagnosis other than our pediatrician and our ENT came to the conclusion that it must have been a major case of cox sacci (Foot and Mouth Disease) that ravaged her already weak body. Needless to say, we spent the rest of our summer just getting strong again. Sister stayed well for a few months, hit the 20 pound mark and hasn't looked back!!! Even though she had another little stumble when she earned the notorious title of being the first hospitalized case of Type A influenza in NELA. That was another 3 day jaunt in the wonderful room at GRMC. This time with the BIG YELLOW CAUTION CONTAGIOUS sign on the door and everybody in masks and gloves. Knock on wood, that was Sister's last stay for the year. We've fought a few sinus infections and the stomach bug along the way, but Sister Bear is now 24 pounds of laughing, talking, bossy, beautiful fun. Boys beware, Poppa and Brother are watching you!!!

Now lets talk about Poppa Bear...
He is amazing, I love him more everyday. He is my rock. Poppa started the year off great, he had recovered from his back surgery and was cadillac. He and Brother built zip lines in the yard and worked on all sorts of projects throughout the year. He and his "team" traveled to pistol shooting competitions and had a great time. Poppa is one of the few, the proud, the revolver shooters. He always says he may not be the fastest, but he has more fun than everybody else! Right before school started, we traveled down the bayou to visit. Poppa spent most of his time in the bed, hurting. When we came home, it was to doctor's visits and tests. After a week of this test and that test and  2 ER visits, we finally got an answer. "Your gall bladder is completely dysfunctional and must come out." So August marks the first operation... Recovery is going good and then 3 months later a new excrutiating pain hits... "You have an acute appendicitis and your appendix MUST come out TODAY!" It was the day before Thanksgiving! So again Poppa goes into surgery. Now a month and a bit later, we are preparing for a third surgery to repair the incisional hernia that has occured due to the muscle not being completely healed from the first surgery before the second surgery had to happen. Poppa's belly looks like he lost a knife fight!!! Poppa is tough, he will handle it. Our running joke is that there isn't much more to take out, so we must be about done!!!

Momma Bear is hanging in there, I've just buckled in and gone for the ride this year. I feel like one of the boppy clowns, you know the one that you punch over and over and he keeps standing back up. That's what I've done this year. I've been punched over and over and the dear Lords stands me back up each time. I've weathered the storm and look forward to the calm of the new year. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Our family prays that you and yours have a blessed new year and hope to see all of our friends and family soon.

With love,
Momma Bear