when it rains it pours

And while that statement could be true about our weather, as of late--it is also true of my life. 

First of all, thank you for all of your well wishes for Mary during her recovery from Lyme's. It is a slow and steady recovery, but thankfully, as of yesterday, I think I can say she's pretty much back to normal. No more croquet mallet crutches, no more "Tiny Tim". 

And just when you think life might settle down again, and things return to normal......you drive your oldest daughter to the barn to go riding and decide to hang around because it will only be a short ride. And you stand there in the ring and watch her pony spook, buck and bolt. And you watch her fall hard onto the dirt ring. And she stands up, bleeding from her mouth, nostrils caked with dirt, cheek scraped--scared, but still tough. She tells you her arm hurts, but she can move it, so you relax a little.

bucked, but stayed on

And then, brave little girl, gets back up on that pony one more time. Tears still stealing out from the corners of her eyes.

And here we are a few days later. Emma fractured her radius, but thankfully it is only a thin crack. No cast, just a soft splint. The first night was downright brutal. Tears, pain, exhaustion and things being said like, "I'm scared I'll never be able to fall asleep and I'm so tired." or "I don't feel like myself. I just want to be normal again." Moments where you wonder who is hurting more--the little girl, or the mother.

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My friends keep checking on me--asking how I'm doing--one child recovering from Lyme's, the other with a cracked wrist. But really, I'm doing fine. Aside from a topsy-turvy school schedule, and floors that billow with dog hair, dust and bits of wood from the woodstove--we're all doing fine. Hot cups of tea in the afternoons, a table littered with craft supplies, too many episodes of Little House on The Prairie, and visitors bringing sugary sweet cookies and quarts of chocolatey ice cream, all help speed up the healing process, I believe. 

I'll be back here next week with a little more regularity. I have a few things I've been meaning to share once I'm off full-time nurse duty.

Happy Weekend. And thanks for caring about our little family.

**the bucking pony picture is actually not from this incident. same pony, old bucking episode. she stayed on for that one:) **