Mystery Diagnosis…..solved!

As many of you now know, Monday was a huge day for me. I finally was given an answer for the crazy health problems that began over a year ago and altered my life in the months since. I am still overwhelmed by the incredible reality that (as far as we know), my quest for a diagnosis is now over. So without further ado, here is my story.

It all began when I was cleaning a room at work last year, a week after my 29th birthday. As I moved around the bed to change the table paper, I tripped over a cord and fell full-force on my knees, whacking myself on the chin with the table rod in the process. (smooth, yes) The next day, my right arm began inexplicably jerking and twitching uncontrollably….and things went downhill from there in the following weeks and months. When I went to my chiropractor for help (thinking I just pinched a nerve), I reacted badly to his adjustment, passing out, and then discovering that I could not move, speak, or open my eyes. We initially thought I just had a vegal nerve response, and that I would recover and be better. (for the record, my chiropractor was not at all at fault….the problem was with me) Sure enough, I was much better within a couple hours. But then I began experiencing tremors….and muscle weakness. My legs began going “wobbly”, and walking was a terrible struggle at times as certain muscle groups locked up and refused to respond. I was utterly exhausted much of the time, for no apparent reason. I frequently experienced deep pain in my arms and thighs, and then came the day when I could not move my legs at all. I had MRIs, saw specialists, had test after test after test done…..with no answer. Tests came back clear, doctors were skeptical at best, and I was left struggling to regain my health without any medical assistance whatsoever.

What made it all confusing is how the symptoms would come and go. I would have terrible symptoms for a week, and then they would inexplicably disappear. I was thankful that they always left, but was completely confused about why they happened in the first place! Sometimes it was a struggle just to get through a day. Yet in the darkness, God’s presence was always there. He used my dear friends, family, and coworkers to surround me with more love, care, and prayers than I ever could have imagined, and I experienced His tenderness and compassion like never before in my life. At this time of utter helplessness, His grace was always there, holding me up, giving me joy, and carrying me when I was too weak to possibly get through a day by myself.

In His loving providence, He led me to Dr. Torin Gray, a wonderful Christian physician who listened and cared and took on my case, determined to get to the root of the problem. He was the first doctor (besides the wonderful docs I work for) who actually took me seriously and recognized that I had major issues going on….no matter HOW many tests came back normal! He was so reassuring and kind, and very encouraging. He sent me to specialists and ordered a huge battery of labs, but we could get no closer to answers. But he did not give up, and even if he couldn’t cure me at the time, I left his office encouraged every single time, because I knew I had an advocate.

There were signs that I might possibly have an autoimmune disease, which was not a happy prospect. Other neurological conditions were possibilities…but still, they didn’t quite fit my problems. We had theories……but nothing concrete, thus nothing that we could really do about any of it.

Meanwhile, my overall condition had so deteriorated in the midst of the episodes that I knew I needed chiropractic care or I was going to be totally debilitated. (I had stopped going to my chiropractor since we initially thought that the adjustments might be aggravating the problem) There were times when my body basically would “lock up” and I could not move, and a couple times my breathing and swallowing were even affected, improving only when I took muscle relaxers. This could not go on. So my wonderful chiropractor, Dr. Weatherley, bravely took on my very complicated case, and worked with me extensively. He greatly improved my overall condition, and spent hours working on me when necessary. Again, he was absolutely a God-send. Things were better, but still…..episodes would hit out of the blue, with varying symptoms, presenting themselves in different ways, and we were all completely confused about what this craziness could possibly be. My day-to-day life was greatly affected, because I could not really make plans of any kind, never knowing when I would wake up unable to walk, or having other crazy neurological issues.

Boy did I learn some deep lessons during this time! I never before realized how subconsciously I had a tendency to think I was in control of my own life. I love my Jesus, and sought His will in decisions and wanted to please Him…but deep down inside I still grasped to make my own choices in many of the everyday things of life. There was love for ME mixed in my love for Him.   But when facing the reality of not being able to do something as simple as walk across a room, needing help even to get to the bathroom (the utmost humiliation, really, heh)…. when I would tell people that I would be somewhere or do something and then find myself flat-out unable to….. when I sought desperately for answers and only found more questions…. I realized just how small I really am. How I am NOT in control here. That James had very good reason for saying “For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” (ch.4) God began gently – but intensely! – teaching me that my sufficiency was in Him, that my life was absolutely NOT my own, and that I was most definitely not in charge here! He also opened my eyes to the many other people who were suffering much worse things than I was, which kept my own problems in perspective…. and how people were watching my response to my present trials. I would either glorify Him in the midst of this, or bring disgrace to His name…there was no middle ground. I prayed desperately that I would not shame Him, and He began teaching me what it meant to “count it all joy” when trials came…. this was when some of His greatest work could be accomplished, not just in my own life, but in the lives of those around me. There were days when I felt utterly overwhelmed, so helpless….. but to my amazement, those were the days when I realized just how incredible my God really was. His peace was there…..His joy He gave….His love He bestowed so tenderly, even when I came to Him in a shower of tears and frustration. Not because I was special or deserved it, but because that is WHO HE IS. It was all there for the taking…..all I had to do was reach out and make it mine. He always, faithfully, calmed the storm in my heart, and reminded me that His grace was sufficient, His strength was made perfect in my weakness. When I was at my limit, His strength was only just beginning. And it was enough. Always enough.

New developments began indicating that my neck could be the source of my troubles. Dr Weatherley and Dr Gray both became convinced of this, and after Dr W began adjusting my neck again (which he previously had not done, concerned that it would harm me), I drastically improved. But after enjoying sweet respite from symptoms over the summer, I began having big setbacks in September. Then came a new development: speech problems. That was pretty scary, because it indicated beyond doubt that I was experiencing problems involving my brain. Again, though, my doctors were convinced the problem had to be in my neck, because brain signals were clearly not getting through, yet nothing was wrong with the brain itself. We began discussing sending me out of state to see specialists who would hopefully be able to detect the source of the problem.

Then came this past weekend. After doing well for two weeks, I began having significant problems speaking after my neck was gently pressed during an evaluation. It made no sense, yet I struggled with symptoms all weekend, and when I woke up Monday with the problem still quite persistent, I knew something had to be done. After months of waiting and trying to be patient, I knew action was needed but felt overwhelmed, not sure what to do. I prayed for wisdom, and my dear coworkers prayed for me too during our morning meeting. Some were in tears over my speech issues, and that too made me realize that things were getting to a crisis point here.

I called Dr. W, and he told me I needed to see an upper cervical chiropractor. He arranged for me to be treated by one that very day, and I prayed desperately that the Lord would give this doctor wisdom to determine what was wrong with my neck.

And after 14 months of waiting and praying and longing for an answer, I heard some of the sweetest words you can imagine…. “I know what’s wrong with you!”

Dr. Jones had performed special x-rays that morning, and showed me where my atlas, the bone directly beneath the skull, was askew. Instead of being perfectly straight like it should be, mine was tilted down to the right and pushed forward! He said its position would block many of the transmissions from my brain, and was also affecting my cranial nerves, resulting in the speech difficulties and motor skill issues that had recently begun (difficulty writing and incoordination, in particular). He assured me that once he corrected this, I would be a normal person again!

I was so hopeful, so longing for him to be right….but not sure. It made sense, but could this really be it?? Could it be so very…..well….simple? It seemed too good to be true! He got his little tools out, and proceeded to very gently work on my atlas. Initially I didn’t notice any difference, and tried not to despair ….but when he made a few more adjustments and stepped back, I immediately realized that something was different! The terrible “fog” left my head, and my previous speech and walking problems completely vanished. I was….a normal person!!! No pain, no problems of any kind. I could now communicate with him with no difficulty whatsoever!! It had changed in an instant!!

And that was when everything “clicked”. This was why nothing showed up on tests….this is why chiropractic had helped some but not completely….this was why my perfectly healthy limbs would sometimes not respond to my commands…..this was why neurological symptoms plagued me at times….there was a roadblock right in the middle of the “information gateway” between my brain and my body!! No wonder!

Best of all? Unlike a dread disease or autoimmune condition, THIS PROBLEM COULD BE FIXED! Praise the Lord!

The most overwhelming abundant joy filled me from the top of my head to the tips of my toes, and I positively could have danced a jig right there in that office had I not been afraid of undoing his handiwork! The Lord had heard our prayers and answered in HIS timing…..and I felt as though in that moment, He gave me my life back.

What rejoicing and celebration took place when I returned to work that morning! Those precious ladies have been with me every step of the way, and our hearts were full of thanksgiving to the Lord for finally bringing the answer we longed for. Tears of sadness were turned to tears of joy, and we all were just in awe of what happened in the course of one day!

It will be a process, getting me back to normal. I will need therapy to strengthen my neck, and reverse its outward curve, and could have a few setbacks as he works to keep that bone in place. But now we know what to do…now I can take active measures to regain my health and live a normal active life. What an incredible gift!

I know this post has been very long, but I wanted to share not just the happy ending, but the faithfulness of God during the journey to get here. I also wanted to share more details than I have in the past, in hopes of maybe helping other folks who may have similar problems and haven’t yet found an answer….they may want to see if their problem is the same as mine! I can give you all the information you need if you ask me!

I want to thank each and every one of you who have prayed for me, encouraged me, and supported me during all the craziness of the past year…..God knew I needed you, and I would never have survived with my sanity intact had it not been for you! And honestly? I don’t think I would change any of it, even if I could, because I have learned (and am still in the process of learning) incredible lessons that I never would have, had these events not taken place. It has amazed me the treasures that are discovered in the midst of pain, and for this I am truly grateful. Don’t get me wrong, I am beyond thrilled to realize that most likely this season in my life is over (unless there are other underlying problems we are unaware of), yet I can see at least part of why the Lord chose to allow me to go through it. I know there will be other challenges ahead – life is full of them! -  but I can face them with more confidence than ever before, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that my God is faithful, and will be with me every step of the way.

“Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” Psa 28:6-7

Lydia Gets on a Soapbox….

I haven’t written here in forever. Shame on me. But tonight I have a bee in my bonnet, and thought this was the best place to get it out.

Certain comments I have heard in the last couple days have been bothering me.

“Why are people all worked up over the Carlee Anthony case? Abortion happens every day.”

“Six babies died due to abortion during the reading of the Casey Anthony verdict.”

Can I just say “aaaaaaagh!!!”?

Whew. Ok. :deep breath:

Why, in the face of every tragedy, are there people who always compare it to abortion? Does one murder not count simply because other murders are taking place?

One tragedy does not diminish another tragedy. Loss of human life is tragic whether it is one person or multitudes.

Indeed,  millions upon millions of babies have been murdered. It breaks my heart to think of all the little people who were never given a chance at life. I hate it, stand against it, pray for its end, protest it, and vote strictly pro-life. I am thankful for all those who are able to volunteer at crisis pregnancy centers! But beyond that, there is very little that we can do right now. I feel so helpless….but as long as Roe vs Wade stands, abortion continues unhindered. Tragedy, indeed.

But now we come to the Casey Anthony trial.

Thankfully, murder of a born child is still against the law. We may not be able to get justice for the unborn millions yet, but here was a chance to get justice for one little girl. That one little toddler is just as precious in God’s sight as all aborted babies are. And I was heartsick when once again, a little life is taken and nothing is done about it. Her murderer walks free. Her death remains unavenged. I am grateful for the nation-wide outcry! Thank God that outrage is not dead!

So why, when people express this outrage, are there folks who come along and act like we shouldn’t be worked up about it? I heard similar comments after 9/11. Certain people refused to get upset about 9/11 because “more lives are lost through abortion”. It bothered me then and it bothers me now.

So you aren’t going to grieve those lives lost since “more babies die every day”? This makes sense…..how? Truth of the matter is, we should be grieving both. But don’t diminish each fresh catastrophe that takes place just because it may not kill as many people as abortion does. Every single life is precious to God, and the countless people affected by every new violent act deserve compassion and care….not comparisons to “worse” things.

*steps off soapbox*

Ok, I feel better now. Thoughts?

Sometimes….

….life doesn’t make one lick of sense.

Have you ever noticed this?

Everything is backwards. Nothing is as it seems.

People get the opposite of what they wish for, and are the reverse of what we think… a lot of the time.

That which seems perfect is not remotely so, while that which seems unlikely ends in success.

Hopes and dreams of a lifetime are dashed in the course of a day.

The good die young, while the stinkers live forever. (you know it’s true! Don’t look at me like that! )

There is no limit to the pain which we may have to endure, or to the blessings we may enjoy.

The unthinkable does happen, frequently when we least expect it.

Yet in the midst of it all… one thing is sure.

God is still there. Still the same. Still truth, love, and hope in the middle of  the darkness. The one Constant in a world of perpetual change and confusion…and the Healer of the brokenhearted. He’s the One who knows when to draw the line of our sufferings before it becomes too much to bear, while walking beside us every step of the way.

Without Him, life would have no hope and no meaning. But with Him is fullness of joy… and a song in the night.

Meeting the Duggars

Ok, so I have promised this entry for a couple weeks now, and have been reminded that I *still* have not posted about it, so here goes.

On Resurrection Sunday evening, Lacey and I attended her church’s Easter concert. As we drove over, I expected to enjoy spectacular music and a worshipful service. I never dreamed I’d be meeting “celebrities”!

We had only been seated a few minutes, though, when word spread like wildfire that the Duggars were in attendance. Josie’s doctor was a church member there, and had invited them to the event! It was hilarious to see all the heads turning and craning to catch a glimpse of the TLC stars! I was glad they were able to come, but did not initially plan to join the huge crowd around them. I figured they had enough company to last a lifetime, and didn’t want to be pesky.

The service was, indeed, enjoyable, and I was glad I went. I fully expected to just go on home, though, until Lacey came with surprising news. A good friend of hers invited the Duggars and a few other families to all go out for dinner, and she included Lacey and me in the invitation!

It only took about 2 minutes to decide we wanted to go. Seriously, how often does such an opportunity present itself? We were not about to miss out!

The two of us hurried on ahead of the enormous crowd heading to Cozymels, and informed the startled servers that there would be a group of 50 people coming which included the Duggars! The first thing they asked was “Are there TV crews?” The relief they evidenced upon hearing that there weren’t any was intriguing to Lacey and me…was this a good thing? Or…a bad thing? Hmmm.

Anyway, they managed to seat our entire group in a huge private section of the restaurant. It was kind of surreal. There were a few other large families along with the Duggars, so there were kids, kids, and more kids! The amazing thing? They were all so well-behaved. It was not pandemonium as you might expect. Everyone was minding their manners and behaving as good children should. “Controlled chaos” about sums it up.

I was impressed.

The servers were scrambling to keep up with everything, and were awesome. There were a few mishaps, but we all reassured them, and I was so happy to see how everyone behaved in a Christian manner even when things went a little awry! Little issues like that can either make or break one’s testimony before others, and I hope those waiters saw Jesus in us that night!

Lacey and I sat at the table with Jill, Jessa, Joy Anna, and…oh rats. Two of the other little girls whose names just escaped me. (It’s a terrible thing to get old. ) They were very sweet. I noticed how each of the older siblings took care of her “buddy”, and even though it was late, the little Duggar toddlers did not fuss at all. It was really neat to see how well-disciplined and genuinely happy the kids were. The eldest, John David, kept his table in stitches, and I noticed how sweet his wife really is. They are all just good people. What you see is what you get.

I had a chance to talk more extensively with Jill later in the evening, and was impressed with her grace and poise. We had a delightful chat! I asked if it was hard sometimes to live with camera crews around all the time, and she replied that actually the film crew have become like family to them now. It really isn’t that invasive as one might imagine, because they have a relationship outside of the show: several of the staff have had their entire family over to spend the night at their homes! Isn’t that cool? Although it would still be challenging to have your personal life splashed all over the country, I’m glad that she seems to take it all in stride. They really are remarkable.

This is most of the group… sorry for the poor quality of the picture. I only had my iPhone that night, and for some reason it did not want to cooperate very well. Guess it was shell-shocked by the sheer number in the picture, ha.

Lacey enjoyed getting to know some of the girls too! It was fun.

Jackson is absolutely precious. Such a little charmer already! He was too, too cute.

It was an unexpectedly fun and spontaneous evening, and I really enjoyed meeting them all. As we parted ways, our lighthearted farewell was “See you on TLC!”

In the midst of unthinkable tragedy…hope

I try to mainly post cheerful topics here on my blog… there’s enough gloom and doom in the news right now without my adding to it. However, last week I learned of a tragedy so severe that it has been hard to shake from my mind.

The Eshes were a family of Mennonite singers from Kentucky, well loved and respected by their church and community. A friend was to be married out of town, so all 10 family members–Mr and Mrs. Esh, their three daughters, son and daughter-in-law, two adopted little sons, and a family friend–headed out in a van to attend the wedding. But they never arrived.

A tractor-trailer rig crossed the median and smashed through the cable barrier, crashing head-on into the Esh’s vehicle. The two little boys miraculously survived, but every other person in that van died instantly. Every one of them. Eleven people. In that instant, an entire family was gone.

This was not the first tragedy to hit their family. Several years ago their oldest son was killed in a snowmobiling accident while serving as a missionary in the Ukraine. Last December, their home burned to the ground. And now this.

I can’t wrap my mind around a tragedy that unspeakable. These were people who loved God and served Him faithfully. One would “think” they would be the last folks in the world to experience such things. Yet no one is exempt from suffering, and for reasons unknown to any of us, He chose to allow particularly fiery trials in their lives before taking them home early. They are face to face with Jesus now, and will know no more pain. But I can’t imagine what their extended family and friends….and those precious little boys… are going through right now. To the world’s way of thinking, they should be angry at God. But as the following interview reveals, their faith remains strong even in the midst of extreme tragedy.

Talk about grace in the fire….

There is so much mystery, too. If you copy and paste the following link in your browser, http://www.wbko.com/news/headlines/89644927.html, you will find that there was another young lady planning to travel with them that fateful day. She had arranged everything with her friend, and then strangely forgot all about it until hearing news of the wreck. God intervened and kept her off that van, sparing her life. In my human reasoning I want to ask, “Lord, why not the rest of them too? Why did such a horrific accident have to befall that sweet family? I don’t understand!”

But the truth of the matter is, I’m not promised I am always going to understand. I’m promised that God is good even when everything my eye can see would seem to disprove it. As I’ve heard it said, when we can’t understand the hand of God, we trust His heart. I do not personally know any of the family, so I am on the outside looking in. This is not “my” trial, yet I know I can learn from it. My own faith has been encouraged to see the grace evidenced in the loved ones left behind. Please pray for them though; trusting God doesn’t mean that coping is easy.

I want to close with a link to a song the Esh family sang several years ago. It is beautiful, and the video includes pictures of them, a very touching memorial to a family whose lives–though sadly cut short– were wholly given to God to the very end.

Praise God they are home.

Spring Break Part 2

So I can’t resist sharing the adventures of the second half of my “spring break” with you. Who says you have to be in college to get one?? Not me!

Last week was such a fun time! I returned home from my first trip on Tuesday, went to work on Wednesday, and then was gone again on Thursday. (yeah yeah, I know…party-harty! ) Melissa and Ms Debbie (her mom), two precious friends of mine from church, had invited me to accompany them to Branson during Melissa’s spring break. They are some of my favorite folks, and Branson is one of my favorite places, so that was a very easy “yes”.

It was a rainy, chilly trip, but the gray skies could not dampen our joy at having a “girl’s getaway”! We made it safely in to town, and got settled into our condo. Then we did what any normal females would do in a town like Branson. We went SHOPPING!!!

The next day was full of fun. We stopped by the Sight and Sound theater to reserve our seats for the “Noah” musical that night. I was impressed with the beauty of the building and property…. it was really neat!

The lion and lamb were just out front, and made a perfect backdrop for a picture. As did the gently rolling Ozarks in the next photo.

Ahem. Well. As you can see, we tend to be Rather Goofy when we’re together. Sometimes Very Goofy, as a matter of fact. But who wants to be serious all the time? Not us. (not that there was any danger of that anyway…) Ok, how ’bout a “take two”?

Ok, now we look like our usual proper selves. :halo:

I realize we are covering it up a bit, but isn’t that ark well done? I should have taken more interior pictures… the architecture was really beautiful!

After securing our desired seats for later in the evening, we headed down to the Landing. It was my first time, and I loved it! We had a lovely walk along the river to get there.

We then met up with some church friends who were in the area, and had an entertaining lunch at Famous Dave’s. I haven’t been at my church for long, but already I love the sweet people there. We had the best time together! I thought it neat that we were able to pull together an “impromptu” group so easily.

We shopped down the bustling strip…. there were stores of every kind you can imagine! We probably had the most fun at the Yankee Candle outlet, though… smelling candles can be quite the experience.

Yeah, well… this one was not impressive. Mistletoe may be festive and fun  during Christmastime, but its scent is not remotely romantic!  (do people hold their breath while kissing under it? Hmmm)

We grabbed a bite at McFarlain’s, and had a good laugh over the pranks pulled there. They have a table which gradually rises throughout the meal until it’s practically up to your chin. We observed the victims’ initial puzzlement, and then their amusement as they realized they’d been “had”.

Then we headed to the Noah play. It was awesome. Really.

I wish so bad I could have photographed the amazing costumes and set (particularly their stunning portrayal of the ark) but alas, no cameras were allowed during the show. So you only get to see this pitiful little screen. I say “pitiful” because the actual production was on such a grand scale. Ah well… guess you just need to go see it yourself! It was highly enjoyable, and I liked the way they clearly presented the Gospel without being “preachy”. It was a wonderful way to end a fun day!

We were sorry to have to head home the next day, but unfortunately most good things have to end eventually. It was sure nice while it lasted though… good friends make life so sweet!

God cares about brakes…and pocketbooks

The providence of God never ceases to amaze me. It doesn’t have to be in something big. It can be little stuff. Like car brakes.

A couple weeks before leaving to visit my friends in Missouri, I began noticing my car was making weird noises. When I hit the brakes, there frequently came a ghastly growling sound, almost like a cooler full of melting ice being shaken around. Of all the timing, I fussed to myself. Right as I am paying off the last of my medical bills and getting ready to spend my money on fun for a change, my car has to mess up.

I asked my coworkers about it, and they gave me the grim news that a big-time brake job was most likely in my future. Great.

It got really bad the day before my scheduled departure, so reluctantly I called Midas and arranged to bring my car in the next morning. I then contacted Rebekah and explained the scenario. She was very sympathetic, and I promised to get up there just as soon as possible. Meanwhile I struggled not to feel grumpy about the enormous bill looming in my future.

Then my phone rang.

It was Rebekah again. She’d told her husband my tale of woe, and said she now had good news for me. “Alan says that if you’ll just get your car up here, HE will do the brake job for you himself!” He WHAT?? “He says it doesn’t sound like your brakes are at a dangerous point yet, so as long as you use them sparingly, you should make it up here fine. Then he will take care of it himself.” I hardly knew what to say! Oh my goodness… what a perfect solution! Alan is a wonderful mechanic, and would do good honest work. I wouldn’t have to worry about being over-charged, or told I needed parts replaced when it wasn’t necessary. I really didn’t want him to have to go to all that trouble, knowing how busy he is, but they insisted. How could I refuse?

As I hung up the phone, I was overwhelmed by the goodness of God. There I’d been fussing over the timing of it all… that timing which in actuality could not have been more perfect! I could definitely see His hand in it all, and I had perfect peace that He would keep me safe on the trip up. Sure enough, I didn’t have a moment’s trouble. Alan discovered that my front brakes were 90% gone and my back brakes were 70% history, so both needed rotors and brake pads replaced. But that was all I needed…nothing more. Ah, gotta love a good honest mechanic!

But that’s not all. He would ONLY accept payment for the parts. That’s it. He would not take one dime from me for the labor. That total brake job ended up costing me a whole $116! My brakes work great, no more growls, and I am good to go. I also have true friends who are ready and willing to help when I’m in trouble, and that’s worth far more than any amount of money.

Ain’t God good?

Country boys meet city girl

I have so much catchin’ up to do here. It hasn’t been all that long since my last post, but I’ve been traveling so much here in the last week or so that it seems there is a ridiculous lot of telling to do!

I have been friends with Rebekah W for years. I remember when she was Rebekah M, with no thought of Mr. W. I remember when we met her family when they sang at the Folk Center all those years ago, and how quickly we became friends. I remember all the long letters we wrote back and forth. Now she is a happily married woman, as well as the mother of 3 endearing little boys. It’s been several months since the birth of her latest munchkin, so I decided last weekend it was high-time I got myself up there to meet him. Plus his brothers have been wanting “Wydia” to come for a while now, and it isn’t nice to disappoint little boys.

I enjoyed a most pleasant trip up there, and arrived at their cute little place out in the boondocks almost before I knew it. They have about a 30 minute drive to get anywhere close to civilization, so safe to say they live in the “sticks”. This city girl was thrilled to be surrounded by rolling hills and peaceful farm country! I loved the change of pace from my usual “norm”.

The boys have not had much exposure to gals from “the big city”, though, and were intrigued by some of my everyday habits. They had never seen a blow dryer before. (the looks on their faces were priceless when I first turned it on!) Makeup brushes were a novel concept. (“Doesn’t that tickle your face?”) Every morning they came to the bathroom and watched in fascination as I “put on my face” and styled my hair. It was quite hilarious, actually.

They may not have been too impressed with my “foof” and styling nonsense, but there was one piece of city technology that totally won them over.

My iPhone.

It was a total hit during my visit. The boys had never seen one before, and absolutely loved the little car racing app! I joked that they were going to miss my phone more than they’d miss me when I left. It was so cute how much they enjoyed that phone!

They still love good old-fashioned puzzles and board games too, though, and we spent many an hour playing together.

See that big grin on my face? I absolutely loved being surrounded by kids all weekend! Candy Land was one of our favorite games, as you can see. Aren’t they darling?

This is a player piano. (yes I know you have eyes, but it needed an explanation ) Alan bought it for next-to-nothing, and is now in the process of restoring it. We had so much fun playing merry old tunes, yet another highlight of my visit for sure.

Just look at that little blue-eyed boy. He totally stole my heart while I was there! I relished the chance of having lots of baby time!

All in all, I had a lovely time catching up with old friends and getting away from all the hustle-bustle of city life. Don’t get me wrong; I love my life. But every now and then it’s nice to get out to the country, away from it all, where the air is fresh and life is simpler. It’s just good for the soul.

“When I consider the work of Thy fingers…

…the moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained, what is man that Thou art mindful of him?”

I used to be such a fuddy-dud when it came to the outdoors. I didn’t want to get all sweaty and yucky and was just way too stuffy about that for my own good. I look back and just shake my head: how much I was missing!

I have now reformed. The more I go along in life the more I absolutely love being outside. There are so many life lessons to be observed in the nature around us; so many of God’s laws are visible in His creation. His love of beauty and order is evident to even the casual observer. The intricacies of even the smallest creatures (like bees, for instance!) give silent witness to the infinite wisdom and creativity of the Lord of the universe.

I experienced the great outdoors this weekend with my friend Elizabeth. We both love Pinnacle Mountain, and immensely enjoyed taking a hike on the Rocky Valley Trail. It was a cloudy, cool day, and there wasn’t much green to be seen, but that did not diminish the beauty before us:

The Arkansas River winds its way down the valley as Pinnacle Mountain rises above the hills in the distance.

Elizabeth enjoying the panoramic landscape!

Ditto that...

Don't look now, but Elizabeth is holding a boat between her fingers!

Awww...friends! And hiking buddies, too.

"There's a patch of blue sky...let us chase it!"

Ah, nothing like unexpected sunshine on a cloudy day!

Look at the beautiful color of the water behind me! So lovely. Elizabeth decided she'd had enough pictures for one day, which is why she is curiously absent here.

We noted what appeared to be the remains of a most unfortunate vehicle. We puzzled over how it managed to even *get* there as we climbed the steep trail...until we discovered a road at the top of the ridge. Evidently someone drove off it. I sincerely hope they are ok, but one does wonder.

All in all, it was a most pleasurable hike. We both felt invigorated and refreshed. Arkansas has much simple beauty to offer, and although it may not rival the Rockies or other marvels out West, it certainly contains much enjoyment for those who venture out!

I was a disgrace to homeschoolers…

So the day started out like a perfectly normal Saturday morning, a couple of weeks ago. Little did I know that it would end up being completely different from what I expected… Cheerfully oblivious to this fact, I threw on my workout clothes and headed to the gym for some much-needed exercise. I decided to leave my phone and keys in my bedroom, since my pants have no pockets and I wouldn’t be gone terribly long. Lacey had just returned from a 3 mile run, and I knew she was tired. She is not a morning person anyway, so she wouldn’t be going anywhere for a while.

I enjoyed an excellent workout, and headed back to the apartment to get ready for the day. It was such a beautiful morning, though, that I decided to briskly walk around the apartment complex first to end my routine. Lacey’s car was still there so I knew all was well. I happily listened to Casting Crowns and thought how life really couldn’t get much better than this.

Boy, was I about to get a reality check.

After a 3 minute walk, I headed back to the apartment for a much-needed shower. To my surprise, the door was locked! How strange, I thought. Lacey must’ve decided to lock it while I was gone. I knocked several times, but received no response. Suddenly I had a sinking feeling. Running back out to the parking lot, my fear was confirmed. Her car was gone!

I had to laugh at my silly predicament, and ran back up to the office. They’ll have a spare key, I thought cheerfully. No big deal. I merrily threw open the office door and nearly collided with two well-dressed young men. They were waiting to sign a lease, and stared at me in what seemed to be horrified amusement, silently observing me from head to toe. Of course. That is always my luck. I can’t run into a sweet old grandma who won’t notice my fly-away hair, rumpled workout clothes, and red sweaty cheeks…nope, it has to be sophisticated fellows who scrutinize every sad detail.

But no matter. I explained my predicament to our sympathetic apartment manager, and she assured me they had a spare key. We headed to the back office… only to discover that it wasn’t there. The maintenance guys still had it, and weren’t working that day! She called and left a message, but said she had no idea when they might return. Rats.

I ran back and tried to open our windows, but like any halfway sensible girls would do, we had locked them. I hoped nobody noticed my “suspicious” behavior, as I climbed back over our patio railing and pried at our windows, and called the police on me. It isn’t a crime to break in if it’s your own apartment, right?

My next course of action was to get Lacey’s number from the office file and ask her to come rescue me. Once more our sweet apartment manager willingly obliged me, and actually called Lacey herself. I knew it was a bad sign though, when she told me to pick up the call on line 2 in the neighboring office. Uhoh. Meanwhile, Mr Sophisticated #1 sat at her desk, observing all.

“Did you forget?” was the first thing Lacey said as I picked up the phone. “Remember, I am having my oil changed this morning! I’m at the mechanic’s, and it’s going to be a 45 minute wait!” Mhm, that would be me: Miss Forgetful! We laughed and laughed over the whole crazy scenario, and she promised to come back as soon as possible. It would naturally be my luck that she would happen to have NO access to her car on the one day I lock myself out of our apartment!

I headed back to the gym and decided to extend my work-out while I waited. Maybe if I burned lots of calories, my brain cells might work better! One could always hope.

And then came the final blow as I suddenly looked down at the shirt I had chosen to wear this particular morning. Of all days, I would pick today to wear my brown “Homeschool Alumni” t-shirt from last year’s reunion! The hilarity of the whole scenario sent me into gales of laughter. I had run all over the apartment complex like a silly goose, locking myself out of my own apartment, all the while advertising the fact that I was a homeschool graduate. Yep, that would be me.

To my homeschooled friends: my humblest apologies for the disgrace I have brought upon the rest of you intelligent peoples.

To my other friends: go ahead and laugh. It’s ok. I am too!