Happy New Year!

It has been quite some time since my last post; between the pre-Christmas stomach flu and the post-Christmas virus that hit our house hard, it's been hard to find a spare moment.  Thankfully, we are all on the mend and back into our routines - which, after getting through the trenches of illness, feels like a significant blessing.  I was able to take the boys out skating just last night... and as the sun set and my youngest laughed at his own shaky attempts at his first time on the ice, I felt an incredible amount of joy and peace in the moment.


I've said it before, but it's amazing how much changes in a year.  Our Christmas Eve photo last year of the boys compared to this year shows just a small reflection of how much they're growing.

Again, it's amazing.

Two things I've been thinking about.  The first is an important documentary from CBC called "Minimal Risk".  The similarities to my own story are disturbing and I think it's incredibly important for women to be aware of the reality of nefarious side effects of hormone-based drugs (and ultimately for any drugs or supplements anyone may be taking).  If you have a chance, please listen to this documentary.

Although I have been assured by every specialist I've consulted that the drugs I received from mirena are not responsible for my clots, I still wonder whether or not similar factors of those in third generation hormones could've been an initiating factor for my case.  Although I am no longer in pursuit of the answer, the fact that I will be prescribed blood thinners indefinitely until a source can be found does provide me reason to consider it.    For more information about clots, check out the video and information on the CBC Health page.

The second thing I've been contemplating has been with regards to how relevant the messages from our church have been of late.  You can watch "An Uncommon Start" and "An Uncommon Power" online.  Motivating and inspirational, the topics have resonated with me in this new season of my life.  And with the consideration of seasons, this new book by Richard Blackaby is on my "would-love-to-read-when-I-get-the-chance" book list (for the season where book reading above & beyond storytime for the boys is made possible. No matter how much I enjoy reading to the boys, it will be nice to carve out some book time down the road).  All the same, I'm not rushing into that season; despite the challenges faced with a crew of busy boys in varied stages of discovery, I'm enjoying my health and the possibilities of each new day where I'm feeling immeasurably blessed in the frazzled, overwhelming, fun, exhausting, and rewarding moments of right now.

It's a good place to be.