I took a month off…

We never get to take a month off of living life but a few of you are starting to get worried now that I’ve taken a month off of blogging. It was purposeful and I am starting to blog again. After Anika’s accident I needed to spend extra time with her. Then it was huge preparations for Hunter’s graduation, the State Track meet, commencement and hosting 300 people at our house for an open house to celebrate Hunter. 

Graduation hug. Thank you to my friend Becky for capturing this moment!

Hunter was diagnosed with mono two days before State Track and three days before graduation. Then both my mom and I had strep throat. Thankfully, my sister and her kids came to spend a month from their new Colorado home to North Dakota! My family and lifelong besties showed up to help us with every detail. It was a grand celebration despite some chaos.

Then, we needed a rest. I kept writing my weekly Agweek column and posted life moments on Instagram and Facebook. My grandma follows along to my social media accounts so I don’t want to disappoint her with nothing to see or read! But at times in life something has to give so I walked away from my computer and let it be. I don’t blog without a computer in front of me. Old school style.

One thing I know is I love writing and sharing so I am coming back this weekend and going to start posting some past events, like graduation, a few columns and will share our upcoming family vacation. 

A few updates needed for inquiring friends include Anika’s healing. Your prayers made a difference. To the prayer groups, individuals and families from ALL over who sent cards and well-wishes, we are so thankful and blessed by your prayers and kindness. Modern medicine is amazing. God heals. So does rest. Anika is on the mend. She gets a shorter cast on her arm in a couple of days. Most importantly, a neurosurgeon told us last week she has normal brain and her skull fracture is healing just as it should be. The post-concussion impact of dizziness and headaches may continue for a couple of months. We are so thankful. Anika now is looking forward to July 1, her seventh birthday!

Elizabeth is our middle child and when the other two were struggling I told her we were putting her in a bubble. NO accidents or sickness. She’s been okay so far and went to her first local basketball camp of the summer this past week. We’ll attend another camp in July. Her focus right now is to read an hour a day. She has a BIG reward in mind if she pulls off all this reading every day for the summer. Time will tell if her dream comes true from her daily reading.

Hunter is all cleared from mono now. He slept for three weeks, attended State FFA (my column about it) and leaves for football workouts and summer school at college in a few weeks. Last June he was broken and still grieves the loss of his best friend Zach and Zach’s brother Connor. This June, we experienced deep loss again from a local small plane crash near our home which killed all three in the plane. Our community mourns. It’s life changing.

As a friend after the crash sat on our porch, crying, we talked about seemingly unfair circumstances, kids, husbands, marriage, loss, life. She said “Hunter has had a lot of success, a lot of highs but also a lot of lows.” Life is a roller coaster for all of us. I told my friend and believe this isn’t the best it can get it. The world is full of pain and hurt. We aren’t meant for perfection in this life. Heaven is paradise. It has to be. I believe it and live for it. 

Today in my column I share about what we can do in the midst of hurting. My friend stood up and spoke at her son, sister-in-law’s and nephew’s funeral this week. A triple funeral that changed my life. She called for random acts of kindness. Without fanfare or any expectations, you and I can change our families, friendships, communities and more by sharing kindness, even in the middle of hurt. Read it in full here and eventually I’ll post on my blog too. 

This catches me up a month! Now I’m off to enjoy a Saturday on the farm with four generations of family and the World’s Largest Turkey BBQ in Aneta, North Dakota!