It is just the beginning of November but winter is definitely here!
Tuesday night it started snowing during the night and we woke up on Wednesday to a winter wonderland.
It continued to snow all morning long.
It was SO beautiful!
I think we had somewhere around six or seven inches total!
After breakfast yesterday the children did their chores and then I called them to the living room with a song I sing – like I do every school day at 8:30 a.m.!
They all sat down and I announced we were going to head outside to sled and play in that beautiful snow.
Keeping that secret all morning was SO worth their reactions!!
WE HAD A BLAST!!!
Sledding was the best!
Ruby even loved it!
We headed back inside when we were thoroughly soaked and frozen to make some hot cocoa with whipped cream.
It wasn’t too long after that this guy showed up!
Snow storms perks!
Road crews can’t work in the snow!
After lunch Eliza started feeling poorly – our sweet girl.
Ruby is taking advantage of the cuddles – she lifted her head when I approached to take this photo!
As of this morning Eliza is burning a hot fever and feeling pretty yucky.
After lunch Lane and Tate both went down too.
It seems we have the flu.
Makes me even more thankful that we skipped school yesterday to play outside!
Making memories with my crew is an all time favorite!
You might remember that freezing cold day back at the end of May when my crew built and planted a garden for me.
That little garden space was PERFECT!
Just enough.
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed watching Tate become our garden manager!
He LOVED being in our garden, harvesting for me, pulling weeds, watering, and keeping track of it all!
At the beginning of October I arrived home from Chad’s therapy appointment one afternoon to see that Addie Mae took it upon herself to get our garden harvested and put up – with her side kick’s help, of course!
That little garden gave us a lot of yummy fresh eating!!
Tate and Addie spent the rest of the afternoon that day washing and preparing all that produce for the freezer.
Bless you two!!!!!
Addie told me that very evening that I should let Tate have the garden to himself next year.
How sweet is that!?
We have worked ourselves out of a job!
I am sure I won’t be able to keep my hands out of it completely, since I love to garden too, but I think Addie is on to something!
Twin Oaks is a sweet little nest, and our land has proved to be just as sweet!
It has been over seventeen weeks since Chad’s accident where he almost lost four fingers on his left hand, so I thought an update is due!
Chad is doing AMAZING.
He is still making progress getting those fingers to bend all the way into a fist again, and he is building strength and endurance in those fingers as well.
We still see Chad’s hand therapist at Gundersen Lutheran Hospital once a week – sometimes we have helpers with us!
I took a video of Chad during part of his therapy appointment a couple of weeks ago.
I think the grip was set that day around 29 pounds, which was hard!
Chad’s healthy hand can grip 75 pounds – just for a reference.
I don’t think Chad was able to do the whole board that day – that is where the endurance part comes in – but to see his hand bend and grip to move those pegs brings tears to my eyes!
He has come SO FAR.
It sure helps that we have an amazing hand therapist! We love her so much!
In other news, Chad was released to go back to work with just a few restrictions.
HE WAS SO HAPPY!
We have a good, doable, three days a week schedule for his job that allows mornings for school and lunch at home.
We feel so blessed.
Chad has been practicing his guitar again too!
He doesn’t know this, but the first time I heard him playing his guitar I sobbed.
It was a good sob.
Needed.
It’s been a long four months.
Chad does not have enough bend in his fingers to play 100 percent correctly, but he is working toward that goal!
We want to see him on the Worship Team at church again soon!!
Of course the day his therapist cleared him to shoot his bow, he ran outside the minute we got home and has been doing so ever since.
See why I cried?
There is SO much to be thankful for!!
Chad has also been working on his driving skills!
I enjoy letting Chad drive!
He is a good driver!
In other Chad news, he is growing about one inch a day.
I know, I know.
We call him our gentle giant!
We have been out and about a lot this last week or so, and have run into a lot of friends who have said a lot of prayers on Chad and our behalf since the accident.
Seeing you all face to face, getting a chance to show some of you Chad’s hand, squeezing your necks, and shedding a few tears with you has really filled my heart so full.
Even though we try to figure out why, we ultimately have no idea why the Lord allowed this to be part of our story, especially Chad’s story.
We DO know, without a shadow of a doubt, that His ways and His plans are the BEST though.
So we continue to pray that the Lord will use Chad’s accident for Him.
For His glory.
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for healing Chad and for all that you have allowed!
