When Life Throws A Curveball

Just as soon as life picked up speed and we were sailing through everything came to a screeching halt. The storyline feels almost too similar to our last year. We had plans and goals and then a curveball sweeps us off our feet. And this time literally. At the beginning of 2020 I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, an autoimmune disease due to hyperthyroidism. Josh had a broken wrist and needed surgery on his that turned into two surgeries. I found out I was intolerant to meat as well as a few others in our family. There goes raising all our own meat and homestead dreams. I couldn’t then imagine all the life style changes these issues were going to create. And now, 18 months later, I’m nearly in remission and Josh’s wrist is mostly fully recovered and we have a handle on our new diet, Josh has a mishap and breaks his ankle and lower leg 💔

He was dirt bike riding with a friend and was waiting for another friend to arrive. He rode up onto a flat rock just a couple feet off the ground, the bike caught too much traction and sort of wheelie-d (?) off the rock pulling him off and he just landed wrong on his foot. It wasn’t anything crazy, ridiculous or dangerous. It was just one of those freak things. He knew immediately it was either broken or dislocated as his foot wasn’t in place and pointing out wrong, even with his riding boot on.

Off we go to the ER. They tried resetting his foot three times before deciding surgery was necessary and urgent. And we’re so thankful because he would’ve been sent home to return the next day and we live an hour and half away. So within 9 hours from getting to the hospital his foot was repaired and splinted up and we arrived home in the wee dawn hours the next morning.

He has done so well mentally and physically and is such a trooper. I’m grateful for his positive attitude and the fact that he just wants to get better so he is willing to listen to his “nurse” and rest and take the meds. But man is it hard to lay a hard working man down. It has been the busiest work month for him with no end in sight. I’ve spent this week being nurse, keeping his schedule of meds, feeding and loving on him as he heals. I’ve been picking up material for jobs, driving him to jobs and meetings to keep work going as smoothly as possible. We’ve been blessed by love and support and prayers and meals and help from family, friends and church family. It’s amazing how it humbles and lifts your spirits when you let people help you.

But if last year has taught us anything it’s that we are not in control, that God has a plan through this and for this and that He will be there and provide for us every step of the way. We have had to let go of so much of what we thought we knew; yielding our plans and dreams to His will and flat out trusting the Lord. Although we didn’t foresee this setback in our summer plans, God wasn’t at all surprised by it. And knowing that He will make good come from this “obstacle/growing opportunity” helps us to rest in Him and in this process.

In the meantime, North Idaho has been so completely beautiful. We don’t tire of living here even if it makes for long drives.

Beautiful elderberry tree in bloom

Good morning Madame Elk

I don’t know what’s in store for the rest of our year but I know it will be exactly as it will be and I can still be grateful, joyful and love this life and the people in it.

If more curveballs come we’ll just be better experienced for when they come. Having a trained eye to know whether we can swing at it or take a step back and let it go right on by. All we can do is show up to the plate, right?