We had a nice visit with my side of the family for Thanksgiving.... however it was cut very short due to Chris and Sarah-Bethany both being sick... poor babies... We were SOOOOO sad to miss out on the Thanksgiving feast with the Fryar side... still pretty bummed on that...
**At dinner, Dad mentioned how great it was to have all of us together for Thanksgiving... then said it would be the LAST one with all of us because next year we'd be back in Brazil... He was a little teary over that...
BUT I, of course, also mentioned to him that HE would be IN BRAZIL WITH US for next Thanksgiving!! He and Mom came 2 years during Thanksgiving and it was so wonderful!! The Christmas decorations were already up everywhere in town and we got to cheer on the Razorbacks BEATING LSU BOTH YEARS!! It was so funny because with the time zone differences... we were up yelling at the TV and dancing in the yard at 1 am!! *That was the year with all the over-times too!!
SO....... while it may be a little sad now.... at least we can BEAT LSU if Dad comes to Brazil!! :)
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But it was a bit surreal tonight as we put up our Christmas decorations and sorted through what we want to sell in the yard sale. It made me reflect over the past few years...
Thanksgiving 2009 - We had received the call from Mom and Dad giving us Mom's new diagnosis of Lung Cancer in October. We called them on Thanksgiving and let them know that we had decided to come home at Christmas FOR GOOD, not just a Visit. She was so happy and relieved to hear that we were coming home. Even though I've working as an Oncology Nurse since 2001... it's still different when it's your Mama! It was a hard role to play: daughter and nurse.
Thanksgiving 2010 - Mom was starting to have a lot of pain so she just laid on the couch while we busied about making dinner and all. She would hurt so badly if she moved at all. At the same time... we were anxiously awaiting any news to hear when we would travel for Negash... knowing what was soon ahead for Mom. It was definitely began my season of "Great Contrasts." I prayed to the Lord as these two massive events were set for a collision course... I prayed "Lord, YOU are going to have to work this out... I can NOT chose between my son and my mother... so I am going to have to STOP worrying... and let you BE GOD!! I release this!!" ...and He SOOOO took care of it... We traveled to Ethiopia for our court trip (1st of 2 trips) on the second week of February, returned and I was home for 1 1/2 weeks before I needed to be with Mom. She was ushered into Glory on February 26th. Then we were called to return to Ethiopia to bring Negash home on March 10th. **That was DIVINE INTERVENTION... only the LORD could have navigated that! It still makes me sad that Negash has never met her... she would have loved his hard-working spirit and DRIVE to learn! ...and now Sarah-Bethany... oh how she would have LOVED to have another girl around... *deep sigh*
Thanksgiving 2011 - We got to spend Thanksgiving with Dad and introducing Negash to even more US holidays! So fun! Everything was still so new for him... and so funny to see how he puts things together! He and Caleb had fun playing with Brooklyn, Trevor, and Ryan! Dad was so glad to have all of us there! We couldn't wait to spend our first Christmas with Negash! ...AND... we had just found out 3 weeks prior that we were PREGNANT! What in the WORLD?!?!? That was INDEED a COMPLETE SURPRISE and a Gift of Heaven! *Check back to posts from November 2011 to see the Excitement/Fear/ELATION/Nervousness and all that was happening around that time!
Through all... The Lord has been so faithful to us... so Amazing and so True to His promises! Our last 3 years has not been all happy and joyful... there has been many things our family has had to work through... but we stand humbly before the throne and know that Jesus has been KING OVER ALL!!
**We NEVER would have expected the Lord to call us back to Brazil right now!! ...but then... He has surprised us at many turns and corners and we now live with the Expectation that He will Surprise us again!! ...and again... So we now prepare to go... carrying with us the precious memories of the past Thanksgiving and Christmas times we have been blessed to have Stateside! ...and looking forward to ALL HE will do in the next few years!
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