Well, it's been quite a year!
One that started off pretty bad and continues to be a roller coaster ride of incredible highs and deep in the mud lows. All the lows were when Tracy was sick enough to be in the hospital--that would be last Dec., April, July, and Oct. He didn't actually go into the hospital in Dec., but he had a picc line with the kinds of drugs they would use if he had been hospitalized. They had to pull it early because of a clot, and Tracy spent the next three month on a blood thinner on top of everything else.
He spent 2 1/2 months on our sofa because he had gotten so low by the end of Jan, we needed to keep a closer eye on him, and I was determined to get the 20 lbs back on him that he had lost. I didn't. He continued to worsen until he was hospitalized in April, spending three weeks at the University of Colorado Hospital in Denver.
A low for Kevin was the end of his contract with Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment, and being thrust back into the job market. A high for Kevin was the publishing of his first novel.
A high for me was publishing my 4th romance novel.
A high for Tristan was his new girlfriend, Kelly.
A high for me was a bit of stage acting, playing the part of Rahab in a church production.
Another high was my high school reunion in May.
And a high for Tracy was proposing to his girlfriend of a year, Jessi.
Another low hit in July when Tracy went back into the hospital. It is beginning to feel like a revolving door, as the effect of the antibiotics only seems to last a few weeks. He did, however, gain back at least ten lbs this time.
With Tracy and Jessi's wedding planned for the end of Oct., we began shopping, sewing, etc. in earnest! We had a Roaring 20's bridal shower in Sept.
The same day as the bridal shower, there was another engagement announcement: Tristan and Kelly will be tying the knot in the spring!
Then the worst happened--Tracy went back into the hospital a week before the wedding. We didn't have a plan B. The wedding had to happen on Oct. 25th, or Jessi would lose the money for the building rental. We prayed and went on with the plans. And God was gracious. Tracy was released the day before, and again, would have a picc line for awhile.
After nine months of unemployment and sucking our 401k nearly dry, Kevin got a job with United Healthcare. Hurray!
In early Dec.,I did a bit of painting, and published another book. (I did the artwork for both of the Rocky Mountain books with Tristan doing the title and layout magic)
There were other highs as well... I went up Pikes Peak twice this year! You can't get much higher than that around here! And the gals I hiked with 3 days a week all summer were a huge blessing! Tristan has been designing fabric through Spoonflower and making designer scarves when he's not working for Print City or an inventory company. And of course, Kevin, Tristan, and Tracy are still making people laugh with their QuipTracks (www.quiptracks.com)
Tracy had a wonderful month of health and gaining weight before the lung infections began their dirty work again. If he can stay off of antibiotics until Jan. 5, he may qualify for a trial drug that targets one of his mutations. We are hopeful.
And here we are ready to celebrate Christmas 2014. There's no doubt it's been a tougher year than most, but God is faithful, and I'm looking forward to a victorious 2015. Because that's what Christmas is all about--a light to scatter darkness, a name to bend knees, a hope for all eternity. Jesus.
