The Thurmans came down from Utah for their Spring Break to visit. While they were on our side of town we decided to have a pic nic dinner at Rio Vista park. It was a really fun evening! Their kids are growing up fast!! It was fun to visit with Marla and Kyle...
The mostly very large group of girls! Cannon's the only boy!
L-R: Kayli, McKenzie, Macy, Megan, Katelyn, Brooke, Cannon, Heidi, Aimee and Emma
Cannon is the center of attention!
Glad you came Marla and Kyle!
OK so this picture requires and explanation! On March 26th-- 2 days after we got back from Australia, I was running-- doing my morning workout-- and my toe caught in a seam in the sidewalk and I fell and broke my right ring finger (in trying to catch my fall)--- REALLY BADLY!! I had that whole stinkin' day all planned out with visiting teaching and other "to-do's", but it just wasn't meant to be! It was a bad break that will require surgery! (That's April 9th--Oh boy, can hardly wait!) Ugh! So here in this picture, Marla and Kyle thought it would be funny to mimic my bandages and "cast" and take this picture. I didn't really think it was very funny! It has really been sore, and it's my right hand, so I'm not able to really do anything! Doing my hair, fixing food, laundry, even pulling up my pants are all very difficult tasks! And it hurts! It's going to be a long recovery because of where the break happened and the kind of break it is-- the fact that it's in the first joint of my finger is the worst place it could've happened. It's going to be a long road to recovery!
I'm smiling in this picture, but deep down inside I was fighting depression due to a horrible injury that not many people understood because, after all, it was just my finger! No big deal right? Well that finger is on my hand, which is the hand I use to do everything. Doing everything is how a mom feels worth... well, I felt pretty worthless, because I couldn't do the things I was so used to doing. This was a very hard time in my life, and I felt stupid because, yeah, it was only just my hand... not like I was dying or suffering some horrible loss... but none the less, it put me into a horrible depression that led to extreme anxiety for several months. I've never felt that way, that badly, for that long and it was an extremely difficult thing to have to pass through. (I'm writing this after the fact), but what I've learned is that there was some reason that I needed to experience all of these feelings and hurts and emotions-- from very physical pain and all along the gamut of very personal emotional distress. I felt very alone and I didn't like the attention I got with people constantly asking "What happened to your hand?" and then me having to explain the incident for the billionth time, in front of my kids who were tired of hearing it, and tired of me not being able to be their mom, at least like they were used to. And I was tired of not being able to be their mom like I was so used to!! I also learned that people will put a limit on the service they will render, based on what THEY think you need and their time frame. If their patience had run out, well then, it was time for the service to stop-- whether I needed it still, or not. (And for the record...I needed it terribly-- mostly just someone to come help me do the things I needed to do, but also more to talk to me and encourage me-- that's all!) But no one really did--that help never came. I think they thought that Mindy Freeman could handle her life (like always) and that SHE didn't need any help... when in reality I needed it in so many ways! I even had people say to my face (good friends) that ,"Those people in YOUR ward need to bring you meals and help you!" (Said in a snotty voice.) It hurt, because the people that said it never bothered to bring dinner-- my friends-- the very people I trusted. Service isn't limited to only the people within the confines of your ward. If you see a need... HELP!! We need to love everyone regardless of whether we think they merit our help, or not. There is definitely "sorrow that the eye can't see" and boy did I pass through it. Now, I can say, though, that I have a different relationship with my Savior. I learned that some days (the worst ones) if I could just picture myself, like Peter, reaching up to Him in this storm of my life, that that could be enough to get me through the day. This is how I got through a large portion of this trial...literally reaching out to only Him who can save. It was still hard, and my relationship with Him is still growing, but it was in these depths of sorrow that my understanding deepened of HOW to reach out to Him and for that I am very grateful!
Subway sandwiches for dinner!
Emma and Brooke
Good friends!
Cousins
I love the look on Mac's face!
Fun!
Cannon is such a novelty with this many girls!
All he wanted to do was play with his car!
0 comments:
Post a Comment