highs & lows

***update***

we received a call ...she does indeed have a broke tibia.

we won't get the full report until tuesday.

hopefully this means no surgery....

we won't be able to see the orthopedist for 10 more days.

now i just need to keep her compliant with her boot cast & crutches

while we're on vacation...

 

 yesterday was quite the day for highs & lows around our home.

we headed out early to pick up emi from the airport.

we stood behind our security ropes,

talked nervously, full of excitement with other parents,

and cheered for servicemen as they exited their flights.

every time one would walk up the entrance way cheers would erupt.

it reminded me that while emily was only gone for three weeks,

i can't imagine sending off my child or my spouse for an undetermined 

amount of time, with their life in jeopardy no less.

again, a time to be grateful for all those that sacrifice for our country.

 her group finally came up

i looked for her

& looked for her
& looked for her.

i could feel the tears starting to well up in my eyes as i kept trying to find her

in all the hoopla.

finally

the last one up

behind everyone else

walking with ms. stephanie

hobbling on crutches
came sweet em.

forget that darn security rope thingy.

oh gosh, i was so excited to see that child!

 (crying again as i write this.

talk about highs & lows.)

her leaders told her over & over again

how proud they were of her.

everyone hugged her & told her what a brave trooper she had been.

she just smiled & smiled.

 her sweet nurse keely

that took care of her

through throwing up

shots of toradol

ankle wraps

crutches

& a little homesickness.

from one nurse to another, thank you keely

for EVERYTHING!

you are awesome!

 one of madi's besties

( one of randy's daughters)

was also on the trip

&

was such an encouragement to emi.

funny thing.

after 21 days of basically eating nothing but chicken and white rice

she was begging to head to chickfila.

i've raised her to appreciate the finer things in life

wouldn't you say?

i scored some good mom points

by bringing her long lost cell phone

so she could social network on the ride home.

talk about excited.

 

she was so happy.

so excited.

she called her bff & chatted away.

i looked over to dan in the front seat

& told him how perfect. we bring her cell phone

& we can listen to her retell her trip 

& not even "annoy" her with all our questions.

score

funny thing.

later in the day i was cleaning out her luggage ...

i had sent her with a bar of soap.

guess what came back....

the unwrapped bar of soap.

classic.

we slammed down some chickfila

she took a hot shower

& we headed to the orthopedist.

while the xrays showed she had not fractured her ankle.

she appears to have torn "the worst" ligament you can tear.

until we get the results back from the MRI

( which could be middle of next week. hello long holiday weekend)

she has to wear a heavy boot cast

& stay completely off it...

if the MRI shows a tear,

she may need surgery.

while this is certainly not life or death

she was just devastated.

i think after spending a couple weeks of her trip

unable to do alot that the other kids were doing,

having to ride piggy back

or have someone help her do things

to come home & find out we're not done yet

was just too much.

 we were all a little deflated.

my heart just goes out to her.

i've never been on a mission trip, but dan has been on many.

last night as we plopped into bed

(after my previous night of 4 hours sleep. remember?)

he first helped me out with a little glass half full mentality.

he reminded me of all our blessings

& some specifics of how things could have been much worse.

i really needed that.

i was pretty mentally overloaded 

feeling overwhelmed with just all that's going on this summer

& needed to be grounded again.

he told me that her spirit is processing through so much...

through what she saw

the orphans she held

the poverty she witnessed

the emotions she experienced

the way she felt the presence of the Lord

the connection of friends from her group

her working through the conflict of what "we" have 

verses what so many in other countries ( & here too for that matter) do not.

through the weeks of feeling a tad homesick

and then add on an injury.

he told me

while he obviously doesn't know what "it" is

he does know the Lord has a plan

has an event, or many

has a person, or many

has something

that the injury

wrapped around how she spent her last three weeks

being loved on & loving on others

will shape her.

will develop a deepness to her character

will affirm in her spirit

who she is & who she's called to be.

but for now

while she unpacks all those thoughts

we will love on her

we will let her be frustrated and disappointed

we will listen to her highs & lows

& we will be so proud of this brave child of mine.

how i love her so....