The Good, The Bad and The Heartbreaking

joy.


pain.



happiness.



heartache.



My emotions have been pulled in all of these directions in the past week and it is exhausting. Here's the latest scoop:

The Good: Ryan has cut his first (and second) tooth! Finally those weeks of wondering where my baby picked up that crabbiness has been explained. He's a much happier camper now. Dennis and I are soaking up all the gummy smiles we can before the face we love will be changed (and, which I'm sure, we will love even more!). :) He's really starting to look and act less like a baby and more like a kid which is so exhilarating/fun/challenging/amazing!

Looking like a kid

Exploring like a real kid!

The Bad: A few weeks ago I started a little business that I thought would be fun, but I think I may have made a mistake. I am very blessed that a dear friend has been coaching me as I begin, but I'm still not sure this is right for me. I'm really praying for direction and clarity there. In addition, my regular job that actually pays me has been kicking.my.butt. I get so frustrated when I make mistakes, but then I remember that I have received virtually no training on these new tasks. I am also getting tired of having positions outsourced to other countries to obviously cut costs. Don't mask it as a "chance for others to develop". Quit being cheap, we're not stupid.

The Heartbreaking: A dear friend of ours lost his mother on Sunday morning very suddenly. She had been battling cancer for a number of years so he had been preparing for her death (however you'd do that), yet nothing could prepare them for what transpired last weekend. My friend and his wife met his parents and his sister's family in St. Louis for a little time together. His mother needed to use the restroom in the morning so his dad helped her in there, and while she was in there, she went limp.

non-responsive.

gone.

Just like that.

Literally, one minute she was alive and the next.....

gone.

So now we are trying our best to support our friend whose heart is shattered and whose family is starting on the unspeakable journey of grief. I have never lost someone that close to me, so I am praying constantly for comforting/sensitive words to say and for the wisdom to know when to not say anything at all. I must mention that our friend's mother believed with all her heart that everything God promised is true. She is resting with Jesus now and free of the pain and suffering which beleaguered her in this life. In that, we rejoice. Thank you, Jesus, for eternal life and hope.

So that's all for now. We have a hard week ahead, but we're looking forward to family visiting this weekend which will certainly lift our spirits.