Snow, stress, service, and oh, just the sick!

We woke up to snow... a LOT of snow... and constant snow, all day long. I am sick of snow. I know it is a blessing for when summer rolls around, but today I did NOT need the dark, gloomy skies and a mess on the roads. I even narrowly escaped what could have been a horrible accident... defensive driving I say... good thing I spent all of those hours in the simulator during driver's ed all those years ago! Shopping while there is a horrible snow storm and terrible wind is fun when you are trying to get kids in the car and 2 grocery carts full of groceries unloaded. That's the snow part... (and praying it is gone for tomorrow since we are making another trip to the doctor in the morning!) This is what we woke up to... stepped out the front door to THIS!
The stress part... well, it's just one of those days where you want to completely break down and cry until you can't cry anymore.... oh... yeah, that's what I did! I think the last two weeks have finally caught up. Changing the dressing on Jace's leg just makes my stomach turn over. Today while I was changing them, he asked me, "Mom, how will this ever heal?" I told him to have faith... to believe that it would. All the while I was wondering, "How will this heal?" It looks like a shark took a bite out of his leg and it takes all I can do to not break down bawling when I change the dressing! I was also thinking this morning that it is amazing what you can do when you have to. I always thought I was weak... scared to deal with such things as a mangled leg that needs the dressing to be changed daily. Especially when it is for your child. Last year it was the feeding tube, PICC line, learning to administer medications through the PICC, dealing with all of the medical 'stuff'... this year learning about skin grafts, faciotomies, even bullet wounds and how to deal with all of it! I told Katie yesterday that I just did not know how mom's do long term care for sick children... she told me that what I did all last year wasn't exactly short term. But I realize that there are so many that have it so much worse, so many great moms who go month after month, year after year dealing with critically ill children... my hat is off to all those that give such loving care.

A friend called and asked if we could get her to the doctor. She is having some complications with her pregnancy and needed to get in. Her husband's car got stuck on their hill going up to their house so she was stuck in her drive way. I was able to get her to town and then we were able to get the car unstuck and her drive way shoveled. Tallin and Mav were troopers helping us.

Today while in town, a man came up to us in the parking lot and asked if we could spare anything to help him get a motel room out of the snow and cold. Honestly I thought my heart would break. I guess I was up all night the last couple of nights with Nate being sick and I am just completely exhausted and seeing this man suffering made my heart almost break. I can't imagine what Heavenly Father must feel as He watches His children suffer in so many ways. I didn't have a lot of cash on me, but we gave him some and offered to have my brother come and help him out. He said no to the help from my brother (who is in the bishopric in his ward in town) but had tears in his eyes as he thanked us for the cash. Maybe he really needed it, maybe he didn't. I didn't really care, I just wanted to help in any way I could to take away some of the suffering of another human being! It just broke my heart! I am not sure what exactly is wrong with me... I'm not pregnant (much to my despair) and not PMS'ing... so why the hormonal break down??? It all seemed so overwhelming today!

I had my day planned out to a T.... from laundry and packing for a trip to San Diego to getting Nate in for his LAST Synagis shot (yeah for it being April and for us getting through the winter with no respitory illnesses... knock on wood here!) to shopping for while we are gone and having the house spotless because I will be gone tomorrow and then gone through the weekend... oh the best laid plans!

So we have snow.... which created a need for acts of service....(this is the driveway we dug out for my sweet friend!)

The stress is just my life so there's not much I can do with it except walk through the moment and find gratitude in the blessings and joy in the crazy journey....

And just the sick... an updated picture of Jace's leg