Amanda and the Hendersons

Here I am, sitting next to Parklen in his hospital bed..typing these words as I bounce the baby in her seat.  This room is so normal to us, even the baby......it feels natural for us to be here.  Parklen had surgery today.  Back when he was sick this summer and had a perforation in his bowels, they were forced to surgically separate his intestines.  He has had one end sticking out of his tummy for the last two months.  On our way to Denver yesterday, Parklen pointed at his belly and the part sticking out and said.."Mom, tell me exactly when they are gonna get rid of this guy?"  They repaired it today.  I have said it before, but surgery isn't such a huge deal for Parklen any more.  He spent his morning asking me how long until it was time.  He knows the routine......he remembers the faces of the surgical nurses, the anesthesia team and his doctors.  He was thrilled today when they gave him a purple donut pillow to rest his head ...

There are probably close to a billion things I could complain about daily.....seriously.  But, in the same respect........I have about a billion things to be thankful for as well.  Don't you think that concentrating on the latter is a better choice.  The bad will always be there in life.....but, if you look hard enough you will always see that the good is bigger! If you don't know.....a few years ago we lost our home.....it was due to a compounding of events, but mostly because of outstanding medical bills for our babe.  We used a little money we had saved to purchase a small mobile home to live in while Devan went to school and we rebuilt our financial situation.  Almost as soon as we moved in, we outgrew the home. Parklen's medical equipment takes up space.....a lot of space.  Add that in with a college students books, two boys' toys.....and everything else for daily living and you get one crowded situation.... Then, along comes baby.........

This is Paysen's view of his "super brother" I can remember back when Paysen was born.....long, long ago.....well actually just about 7 years ago.  I had everything figured out back then.  He was born into a life of stability. He had a schedule.....I knew exactly what he would be doing at any given time....like I said, I had things figured out. Fast forward a couple years and those figured out things were shattered.  I am living in the midst of a family that is not average....anything but. Our schedule is dictated by oral medications, IV medications, treatments, and how a particular someone is feeling.  I cringe at the thought of making plans, knowing that I will very likely have to cancel them.  When you think of a "normal" family, you may think of things like, bedtimes, meal times, discipline, activities......and so on....   Our family is quite different....bedtimes are changed according to medicines that are scheduled.  Meal times are...