Where do I begin????

This is gonna take a while...so grab a cup of coffee!

I was graciously informed by Billy's mom that I had not updated this blog in a timely enough fashion, but I've been insanely busy with negative progress. Really.

So, five months ago we made this appointment with Dr Cohen in Cleveland. Immediately thereafter, I applied for an Angel Flight. (Pilots with their own planes donate their time and resources to transporting chronically ill kids to distant medical facilities.) We were approved and scheduled. Someone offered to take the younger kids. Then out of the blue, a friend's brother donated an airline ticket so Billy could join us in Cleveland. Even the money needed to make this trip happen (hotel, rental car, food...) was miraculously provided.

And then came this past week...and I watched my lovely, detailed plans unravel before my very eyes. I am so not in control and the Lord apparently needed to remind me of that little detail.

So let's back up to Wednesday...two days before Christmas and the day before Billy's birthday. The shopping has to be complete because Will gets his infusion that day and that takes 8 hours, so there's no way I can leave home. So, the plan is to bake birthday cakes, prep Christmas dinner, and prep Billy's birthday dinner. I did say that was the plan, right? My plan? Uh, huh.

So Brooke arrived to start the IV and the pump keeps complaining of an occlusion. Generally that means there are air bubbles in the tubing that I need to remove (bubbles, not tubing). But today...the stupid pump just refuses to work so Brooke changes the tubing thinking maybe it's just a bad set. She heads out...and the pump plays with us again. I end up calling the Home IV company who state that apparently the motor is dying and I need a new pump. Did I mention that this company is in Waynesboro...like 2 1/2 hours away? This is an 8 hour infusion and it's already 10 AM. Oh, and as Brooke walked out the door she says, "Um, Will has expiratory wheezing." Oh, ok. So I have to unhook Will from his IV, attach sterile ends to the tubing and port, and take Will to the doctor. And he has bronchitis. How did I miss this??? Off to the pharmacy. Then to Billy's office to fax Will's records from Atlanta since I kinda forgot to do that earlier in the week. Eventually we arrive back home to receive the new pump and hook Will back up to the IV which will now finish at 10 PM. It's time to make dinner and put kids to bed...and nothing has been done for Billy's Christmas Eve birthday nor Christmas, but Will has lovely drugs (including the lovely prescription for prednisone) so maybe we can still make Cleveland.

I won't bore you with the details, but the next day pretty much followed suit, except that I did manage to bake and decorate Billy's birthday cake.

So fast forward to today. We've celebrated, we've enjoyed having everyone home, but Chelsea is now in the hospital with regular contractions. She isn't due for another month and we are supposed to have Chloe when Emily Grace debuts. Um, I leave for Cleveland tomorrow. So we set up a plan in case Chelsea does go into labor and I'm not here.

Then Angel Flight calls and tells us that one of the pilots has had to cancel so our flight to Cleveland is canceled. I had just finished making the arrangements with Teresa's brother who gave us the ticket for Billy. So now I have to call him back and tell him we can't make that flight because now we have to drive to Cleveland because airline tickets for Will and me would be $600.

Then...Erlene calls. Her mom has fallen and broken the femoral head (long bone in the upper leg that attaches to the hip) and needs surgery and a pin. Erlene is supposed to have my youngest three. At this point, it's almost comical. My lovely, orderly plan is now shot to pieces. So now what do we do? I call Anita who lovingly and graciously agrees on pretty much zero notice to host my three youngest for four days.

So, Chelsea is probably going to welcome Emily Grace into this world earlier than anticipated. Andrew, David, Caty, and Chris will be on red alert to get Chloe. Anita will have my youngest. And Billy, Will, and I leave in the morning for Cleveland.

Ya know, I really like to be in control. I like to have all the details in place. I can handle change and I generally roll with the punches. But sometimes those punches are a little more painful than others...but despite their pain, and despite wondering what in the world the Lord is doing, He still faithfully loves us and shows us that it isn't our plan that's the best. Really.