Whew!

Wow. When you think of Spring Break, you think of rest, relaxation, no work, quiet time, enjoyment, etc. Not this Spring Break. Not for me. Not for our little family. On Monday, I had to have a ganglion cyst removed from my right wrist, along with a clean-up of some tendonitis that was really affecting my movement and usage of my hand. Recovery has been proving more difficult than I first thought; I have been pretty sore and limited in my mobility. I was pretty much out of it on Monday and Tuesday.Yesterday, we had court at 9:00, and due to the recommendation of the guardian ad litem, the case is now CLOSED. Jaycee is in our full physical and legal custody, no more monitoring with lawyers or judges. Life can resume as normal. Praise God for that news!

Yesterday afternoon, I took Jaycee and Bryleigh to the dentist. The dentist checked out Bry's teeth, and there is no plaque, no build up, no problems, no issues. Perfect! Though, Bryleigh did NOT appreciate the dentist looking in her mouth. Jaycee, however, has some issues we have to handle in the next few months. She has some partial nerve removals we have to do because she was never allowed to see a dentist until we got her under our insurance in September. This summer will be interesting for her, bless her heart :(. And right now, she doesn't have any signs of loose teeth, but he thinks that will happen soon. She's so ready for teeth to come out! But there were no new issues at the appointment yesterday, and he said that was a REALLY good sign.

In the midst of all that, I took the girls to lunch and then we went shoe shopping. Jaycee needed cleats, and each girl needed sandals for Easter. Luckily, I hit the jackpot; $25 on 2 pair of sandals and a pair of cleats, TOTAL! =)

This morning was by far the most difficult thing. We had to be at the Surgery Center at 6:00 this morning for Bryleigh to have her tubes put in her ears. Now, don't get me wrong. I am thankful we finally got her tubes, because it has been a long, miserable 8 months of little sleep, lots of crying, antibiotics, weekend doctor visits, and more. Sweet baby has gone through a lot of pain and misery to get here. However, I was NOT happy about trusting someone else with my baby girl for any period of time, and apparently, when Bryleigh realized where she was, she wasn't happy about it either.

The doctor, anesthesiologist, and nurses were all so comforting and reassuring for us, and they explained everything in as much detail as possible. When the nurses "swooped" her away, she cried all the way down the hall, and I could still hear her through the double doors, and it just ripped my heart right out of my chest! We went down to the waiting area, where I quickly sent a text to my family and a few others who were waiting to hear about her procedure, then I went to the restroom, and then came back to find that Jaycee was waiting to talk to me on the phone. That child is always my saving grace. I didn't have time to panic or think about panicking because she was on the phone, being sweet and precious as always. She always, ALWAYS returns me to a place of thoughtfulness and to forget what I was so worried about. God definitely gave me a gift in her, and I am still in awe that He has granted our wishes by giving her to our family; she is OURS. And so, by the time I hung up with this amazingly sweet 5-year-old, a nurse was telling us that Bryleigh was in recovery and the doctor would speak with us in a minute. He came in, and answered all questions, described what happened, and said she did amazing and didn't really cry back there. What a blessing! Of course, minutes later, they bring her to me, and she sees me and starts crying (she knows how to tug on Momma's heart strings), but she was happy with her cup, and then of course, her thumb.

Since we've been home, she's been asleep, but I have been reflecting on this week and just thankful for a job that gives me a week at home so that things like this can happen without taking sick leave, etc. The amazing thing is that I wouldn't have done anything different this break. I needed the surgery and needed the relief. Bryleigh needed surgery so she can have relief. Our family needed the reassurance of the court case being closed (still cannot thank God enough for this gift!). It is also a stark reminder that we are blessed in all things, big and small, even if we see them as burdens. We serve a great and mighty God who knows what we need and knows what we can handle. He loves us, and for that, I am eternally grateful. What a beautiful reminder this Easter weekend of the love and sacrifice of God with the death of his one and only son, who died for US. He died for me, for you, for everyone. What a humbling feeling. After this week, He is still God. He will always be God, and no matter what trials or triumphs we go through, I will praise Him and give honor and glory to HIM. This has been a beautiful week, because I am a child of God, and He has been with me each step of the way. =)