Little Fighters

Thank you for all of your prayers, comments, emails, and calls. We feel very loved and cared for. The good news is that both kids are doing great and on their way to full recoveries. As you can see here, Tali isn't quite back to her chipper self; her split lip is hurting quite a bit but is getting better. In God's mercy, Owen's couple of bumps never even swelled or turned color (as the doctor had said they would). You probably wouldn't have known he had a head injury yesterday, but after he smacked his head on his crib this evening (in the same spot as his bump from yesterday) it's pretty clear that he's had a rough couple of days.

Praise the Lord for His protection for our babies! I just can't stop picturing the sight of Owen when I found him silent and face down at the foot of the steps yesterday. I don't think it's an image that will ever leave my mind. Josh loudly came down the stairs yesterday evening and just the sound of the thumps made me feel like I was going to throw up, reliving the sound of Owey's fall in my mind. God has been so gracious and kind to us, yet again. He is such an amazing God!

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Firemen Visit the Fenskas

We interrupt this whole "marriage" business talk for an exciting story about our afternoon today.
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Lunch had just ended and we took our usual spots on the bench by the window. Both kids can be entertained for a good 20 minutes simply by looking out this glorious window (anything that entertains children for 20 minutes is glorious in my book!). Tali decided she was ready to get down so she started backing off the bench. Unfortunately, she backed off right onto her head and her face. Blood started pouring from her mouth and she screamed hysterically.

I rushed her into the kitchen to see how badly she was hurt and searched for an ice pack. Just then I heard two loud thumps and a "splat." I ran in with Tali to find Owen face down on the floor at the foot of the steps. He wasn't making a sound. Quickly, I put Tali on the floor to bleed alone and picked Owen up. His eyes were rolling back a bit and he was slowly opening and shutting his eyes. He whimpered a little but that was it. He was sort of rolling his head around. Tali was still screaming hysterically and bleeding all over.

I called Josh and he told me to call 911 while he quickly headed home. I grabbed an ice pack, stuck it on the bump on Owey's head and he started snapping back into alertness. I think the cold sort of brought him back a bit (thank you, Lord!). Tali was hysterical and telling her that an ambulance was coming to visit didn't help calm her down. I prayed with her for Owey. And so...

The firemen came. It took them about 3 minutes to arrive at our house. Tali proceeded to scream hysterically (she was almost losing her breath), Owen still hadn't really made a sound, and I was still a bit shocked.

They checked him out and I was able to take him into our pediatrician's office instead of to the ER. (They gave me the option. Would anyone ever choose to take their child to the emergency room if they could help it?) He is doing fine but we're supposed to wake him up every couple hours or so during the night to make sure that he is rouseable.

We are so grateful for God's protection for our kids. I have no clue how far he fell but I'm guessing it was quite a ways. For a mother who is a little paranoid as is about watching my kids CONSTANTLY and rarely ever leaving them alone, this was another reminder to me that there is no perfect mom. Yet another reminder to me that children are a gift from the Lord and their lives are in His hands. May I never take them for granted for even a minute.

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The Privilege of a Wife: Orienting My Life

A couple months ago I started noticing that my affection for Josh wasn't quite what it used to be. When he came home from work, I wasn't all that excited to see him. When we had the opportunity to go on a date it seemed a bit like a chore rather than a delight. When I talked with friends or had some time to plan, my thoughts and words quickly turned to my kids and housework, rarely to my husband. It's not that I didn't love Josh or wasn't glad to be married, but unlike at the beginning of my marriage, being a wife wasn't really something I thought a ton about. I knew that something wasn't right but wasn't quite sure what.

After talking with Josh and with the ladies in my small group, it became very clear that I was prioritizing my kids over my husband. More than that, I wasn't seeking to be the kind of wife that God describes in His Word. My life was oriented around growing in honoring the Lord but not in specifically growing in honoring Him in my marriage. My "to-do" list, our kids, and whatever else I wanted to do on a daily basis was what I focused on. These things that I was prioritizing weren't sinful but they weren't what God wanted me to orient my life around. My life was oriented around me.

It's a helpful question to think about. What is your life oriented around?

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Ah, to be like Mary Bailey

So Josh and I have this tradition: every year when the snow covers the ground for the first time, we watch "It's A Wonderful Life." We're not claiming it's very theologically accurate or anything like that, but it sure is a sentimental Christmas favorite!

This time when the movie ended, I turned to Josh and said, "I think the moral of this story is that husbands should make use of the helper that God has given them!" I mean seriously, think of all the trouble that George would have averted had he merely told his wife what was going on and asked for her help and prayers! No contemplating ending his life, no jumping in the cold water after Clarence, no seeing the people he loved not even recognize him, no getting shot at by his friend... Ok, but in all seriousness, it got me thinking...am I like Mary Bailey? Would I go to great links to help my husband? If he was sinning against me, would I retaliate in anger or bitterness or would I do all that I could to help him honor the Lord with his life?

God's been working on my heart these past several months in the area of my role in marriage. My friends, I am no expert here. In fact, I have a million examples that I could share of what NOT to do! But, the Lord's been teaching me things about helping Josh and I'd love to jot some of it down on here. I want to be like Mary Bailey. I'm not like her but I am seeking to grow.

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Another Fever Gone

Thank you for praying. Her fever is gone now. It's so good to have my happy, healthy girl back!

I cannot say enough about how the Lord has blessed us with our pediatrician. I absolutely consider Dr. Schnell a blessing from God. She is wonderful! Yesterday morning she called me (yes, she personally called me, not a nurse!) and talked with me for about 15 minutes about Tali's situation. She said that all test results came back negative but that she took the liberty to walk down to a different office to consult a doctor who specialized in immunology. He shared w/her several potential conditions that Tali could be experiencing with cyclical fevers. Each of those conditions, children generally grow out of but some of them could be treatable.

Anyhow, our pediatrician suggested potentially taking Tali to see this doctor at some point, depending on how December plays out. He told her that he'd be happy to talk with us AND he "just so happens" to be Owen's allergist (who we also really like).

So that's the news as of now. We're praying that this is the last of her fevers, but if they continue, we're glad that we have some potential help available.

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Pray for Our Girl

Hello friends. We'd love to request prayer here for Tali, that her fever would go away. She's been fighting it since Friday (105.9) and after a night and morning without it, it's coming back a bit this afternoon. We'd love prayer for her, that the fever would completely leave and she could get back to feeling healthy. Also, please pray for Caleb, Tali's friend, who is fighting off the same sort of thing.

Thank you!

p.s.-We went to the dr. today and she thinks that Tali might have a sort of cyclical reoccurring fever (not something contagious or some virus or something). Most kids grow out of this by the time they are six or seven. We shall see.

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Savoring Fall

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