Ketchup, Catsup, Catch-up

To say it's been a long time is the understatement of the century.  October?  Really?

To sum up:

November saw my 21st anniversary with my Prince Charming.  (When does he get promoted to a king?)  Thanksgiving with the fam in Chandler.  Another family member tested and rejected.

December brought wrestling, wrestling and more wrestling.  Gordon is the head varsity wrestling coach now, so he and Ian were together a good chunk of the time.  Ian struggled with his weight, knowing that he needed to cut a few pounds.  He ended the season much better than he started, once the weight was off.  Christmas was great.  Gordon spoiled me again with some beautiful earrings and a necklace.  Courtnie got a pair of the Miss Me jeans she was hoping for, and Ian got his iPhone.

January was busy with more wrestling and Courtnie starting volleyball and getting braces.  Lindsey came on January 2 and was tested at Mayo to see if she was a viable donor.  Luckily, she has the right anatomy, right chemistry, and it's finally the right time!  We're scheduled for April 2, and I'm counting the days!!  I'm trying really hard to stay grounded, as I've been let down so many times.  I'm torn between being super excited and very skeptical that it's actually going to happen.

February flew by!  Once wrestling season was over the first weekend of February, it was nice to be able to relax.  Ian turned 16 on February 25, and we celebrated at Texas Roadhouse with the family and his girlfriend, Kylie.  They broke up a few days later, but she is such a cutie.  (I miss her!)   Courtnie had a piano recital this month, and improved her score SO much over last year's recital.  She gets so nervous, so I was so proud of her!

We've had some family struggles in the past couple of weeks.  It is amazing how a struggles work either for us or against us.  These struggles rocked my world, but I am praying daily that this will help us grow.  Satan is alive and well, and working hard to break us.  Our children face a battlefield every single day.  Gordon and I realized that we need to do a better job providing armor for them.  It's not enough to assume they know right from wrong.  We recognize that they have their agency, and make their own choices, but that armor will hopefully deflect some of the temptations out there and keep them safer.

This month we are counting the weeks, dialysis treatments, days, and eventually hours until I can be healthy again.  I have applied for the Master's of Social Work program at ASU, and am waiting to hear if I've been accepted.  I know that this is a huge change for me, but I am excited about this new career path.  It will be two years of hard work, and a lot of sacrifice, but I feel like this is what I'm supposed to do with my post-transplant life.  I've had the "where God closes a door, somewhere He opens a window" moment, and it's led me to this point.

Once I've had my transplant, I plan on updating this better so that people know how I'm doing.  I'm so grateful for the prayers, love, and support I've received over the past three years.  I have been blessed with a sense of peace and comfort, and this has sustained me.  I'm just so grateful.