Circling the Wagons

We haven't had many blog worthy events in our family lately.  There is a lot going on (more than we would like), but the "happenings" are too private and tender to be included in a blog.  We have outside stress pushing in on us from multiple directions and it's effecting everyone.  Some of the children are having nightmares.  They're all more emotional and prone to tears.  Most of us are walking around with a ball in our stomach and have to force ourselves to eat.  We had our 15 year old son crawl into our bed the other night and weep uncontrollably for nearly an hour.  One of the children said, "Everything is falling apart."  Another said, "This is turning out to be the worst year ever!"  I think we are using every tool we have ever learned to help comfort our kids.

Even when we thought we were at our stress capacity, more waves of stress kept crashing through our family.

It's all we can do to "circle the wagons" and pull the kids close.    In fact, the bonds we have with some of the children are stronger than ever as we help them with their heartache.  Dode and I are doing our best to give the kids perspective and to remind them that we're here for them and so is their Savior Jesus Christ.  Dode turned to me the other night and said, "How long until all this stress starts impacting our relationship?"  Yikes!  We're working hard to prevent that from happening.  We've learned over many years of heartaches that there's usually something to laugh about in any situation.  We're trying hard to find that in the various stresses we're under.

One of the bright spots in our lives is Miriam's new smile.  Her teeth are so misaligned that when her permanent teeth come in, they don't push out the baby teeth.  So far, she's lost one on her own and had three pulled at the dentist.  Last week I took her in and they pulled out her two front teeth.  I just can't get over the cuteness of that gap.