friday night we had a plumbing issue that started with no warning, and quickly became a big problem. we now have a hole in our yard, a big check cut to the plumber, and more work to do to keep the repairs moving. total headache.
so due to that fun, we quickly shifted gears and only the girls in our clan headed to the coast to wish my dad a happy 70th. it was very fun to get to celebrate with him and have some down time with my family. loved getting to see him blow out the candles and make his wish for the year to come, and watch him have a great time celebrating his big milestone.
so this weekend was one full of balance -- the shit and the joy. i am sure that you all can guess which side of the scale goes with which event in our lives over the last 48 hours.
but problems with pipes are just that, they are problems with pipes. they are inconvient, stressful, and super frustrating. but that is all they are.
they are nothing compared to the radiation that judy is going through (she is half way through - go judy go!!! keeping sending her your prayers and love) or the surgeries, treatments, and procedures that others we know and love are going through. like the daily fight that chase and his family show each day, and i have included the latest update on him below, and their link if you would like to donate to their polar plunge team for the special olympics.
perspective.
it is that little voice that tells me at the end of a week where it seemed like most everything went wrong (except celebrating my awesome dad turning 70 which was the total highlight), that the most important thing went right.
i was here to experience it all.
that makes it seem like it a pretty perfect balance if you ask me.
+++ "Chaser did so good kicking the ball the other day, we figured we would bring it to the next level. We played a little pick-up game of soccer in the living room today with Ava, Chloe and Courtney. While Chaser was held up in the UpSee attached to Lisa, not only did he get to be up completely vertical, walk around the house for 30 mins, but he got to kick the ball back and forth with the gals. Man is that thing Awesome! He made it the entire 45 mins with hardly a moan, and most of the time his eyes were moving slowly from side to side as if he was checking things out. Although that evasive smile didn't come out yet, it seemed like he really enjoyed it- I know we all did! -Especially Chloe, who got to stand face to face with her good buddy and look him right in the eyes. While Lisa walked him around the figure 8 in our living room / kitchen, I had to sit down to absorb what my eyes where seeing. The countless dreams of him walking that have startled me awake in the middle of the night were real - right in front of me....Wow! I know Lisa was doing all the work, but just to see it again...for him to feel that again....was a pretty cool deal. It just gives us more strength and more drive to keep pushing him to that finish line when he will be doing on his own! We KNOW we got this!
We are less than 2 weeks away from the Polar Plunge here at Prior Lake. I want to send out a Thank you to all of you that have pledged to support us for the jump, and thank you all that joined the team to take the jump with Lisa, Tanner, Ava and I. For those of you that know us well, you probably are sick of hearing about the Polar Plunge coming up Feb 21st. I think it is important that you understand why we are so passionate about it. Well, I'll tell you this: Its not the idea of standing in line in an outfit that would make us shiver on most summer nights, little alone in the near or below freezing weather- Nor is it jumping into a hole cut through the ice into the 34 degree lake water, climbing up some metal stairs and dashing to the heated tent while trying to catch our breath. Its what this simple, ingenious, Minnesotan event stands for!
Prior to Chases accident, Lisa and I used sit and talk about how great we have it, and how much we loved our life. I'll be honest, it took some time, but we can honestly say that again. Although we would give anything to turn back the clock and prevent what happened by any means humanly possible- We can't, and we get that. But we have been truly blessed throughout this journey. The things we have learned about ourselves and life, we would never give back. But equally, if not more important, is what we have learned about people. We have had more encouragement and support than we could have ever imagined. Many of you that are reading this now have been with us since the beginning. There is nothing that my fingers could type that would express how much you have helped us get through this. I know its not my bad spelling and grammar that keeps you here! The prayers, kind words, and the thought that many of you genuinely care about Chase and our family, has comforted us and helped us press on countless times. Having said that, there are thousands of stories like ours out there that never get heard. People living this same life without an army behind them like we have. Thousands of children that were either born "different", or born with challenges that would make some of the toughest adults give up. Yet they push through just as Chase has and is, to fight their way to their own set of goals and finish lines. For some of them, the Special Olympics is one of those mountains they want to climb. And we know, as do a lot of you, how hard they and their entire family had to work to get there. If us taking 2hrs out of a Saturday afternoon to jump into some cold water, and me humbling myself to ask friends to give up some pocket change, helps them put a smile on their face and make them feel special- We're In! And we are going to have a smile plastered on our face the entire time we do it!
---That is why our family and friends are doing the Polar Plunge. Please help us show these families and little ones that they do matter, and that people do care. No donation is too big or too small. Here is a link to our teams page- to donate, you just click on a name and follow the instructions. We all appreciate your support- as do They!
God is Good!
https://reg.plungemn.org/team/chaseswarriors
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