We had a very nice relaxing Thanksgiving break! My family, descended upon our house for Thanksgiving Day. It was a fun, NORMAL day! 🙂
Normal, I am realizing lately how much I relish NORMAL!
Normal means a day free from being consumed with thoughts of Alzheimer’s and the pending destruction of this horrible disease on our family.
Normal means just that! Being a family, enjoying time together, being silly, serious, sarcastic, sporty, and doing things together that we have always done.
Normal this time of year means going to Tyler’s basketball games, taking the kids to youth group, eating dinner together, watching movies together on Friday nights, eating Pizza and popcorn on the weekends, having Madi’s annual Christmas cookie party, celebrating Tyler’s 16th birthday soon, putting the tree up, eating candy each night from our “countdown jar.” Normal things we do every December!
Many people have said to me, “Oh Sandy with so much going on you shouldn’t have everyone to your house for Thanksgiving.” “You shouldn’t have to cook that day!”
But I thought, Oh yes, please let me do those things! Cooking the turkey and fixings on Thanksgiving day has been something I have done for years. It makes our disrupted life seem NORMAL when we can do the things we have always done. I had a great day cooking and hanging out with my family.
I have also noticed my kids are less stressed by all of this when we strive to keep up our regular busy schedule.
So I am thankful for Thanksgiving Day this year! It was a memorable and fun day! That is why I have stuck random pics of our great NORMAL day through out this post! 🙂
So many of you have asked how you can pray for us………..please keep these things in mind as you pray.
Curt is now home, no longer at school. Pray for him that he will keep active and busy. Pray as he adjusts to his new routine.
Pray that somehow God can use our situation to bring glory to God during such a rough time.
There is SO much information to sort out for the future. We met with a lawyer on Monday afternoon, and he was VERY helpful. But there is so much to do to plan for our future financial and health care needs of our family. It’s a bit overwhelming at times…..ok, it’s overwhelming lots of times! 🙂
Pray for the kids, they seem to be doing ok. Madi has her moments where the stress of such a fearful diagnosis in her dad will suddenly captivate her and take over. She often has trouble falling asleep at night. Please pray she can get to sleep each night.
Pray as we all adjust to living with a new normal. Sometimes I get so sad seeing Curt struggle to do certain tasks. It just breaks my heart sometimes to see this. But this is our new normal, and pray as we learn to live with it in a positive way.
Thanks dear bloggy friends, thanks church friends, thanks school friends, thanks old friends, and thanks dear, sweet family. I can assure you we could have never come this far with out all your hugs, prayers and encouragement!
Jesus and Dark Chocolate 
NORMAL … is sooo necessary!
And you wanting/needing a NORMAL day is totally NORMAL for all you’ve been going through.
I remember getting an email from a friend sometime after my accident when I told her I was struggling emotionally, confused/frustrated/depressed, from all the changes my injuries forced on me. She sent me an email saying … “Feeling like that is NORMAL for someone with all you’ve been there.” That word NORMAL in caps was exactly what I needed to see that day … to know that my messed-up emotions did not mean I was going crazy or something.
oops … sent that too soon.
I wanted to add praying for you, for Curt and for your children!
Oh my friend, I wish I could come through the computer and give you a great big hug. Thanks for letting us know how we can pray for you. I will definitely continue to pray for your beautiful family. May God give you peace as you walk out your new normal.
Love the new look on here and thanks for sharing all these specific prayer requests. Now I know better how to pray!! and yay for sticking to NORMAL routines….hugs and love, F
Today at my church book group someone brought up your blog…
“Do you guys read Jesus and Dark Chocolate?” We have your link on our church blog… I then told this person…our outreach person…her name is Megan…that you were the one that I sent a prayer request for… it all came together… So you are on our prayer concern list…
Interestingly… 3 of the 4 members of our book group are bloggers…
Hope when you read this that your day is good…and you have some peace!
Love ya
Beth
Sandy,
What a great post. It will be so special to you for a long time. And I’m thankful you included the ways we can be praying specifically for your family. I will write each one down. God is already being glorified through you!
Still praying for you all and your New Normal. God WILL bring glroy through this somehow. He doesn’t waste anything. God Bless you all!
Dear Sandy,
You don’t know me but Lori West is a dear friend of mine and our families serve together at MAI. She shared with me what is happening in your lives and I have been praying for you all and following your blog since. It brought my heart joy to read about the good and ‘normal’ Thanksgiving your family shared. Even more, the way that you are seeking to lean on God and glorify Him in your struggle. A dear family in our home church in TX walked a similar path as their husband/father battled Lou Gehrig’s/ALS and it was such a blessing to see the grace God gave them for each day. Your family is precious just as Lori had told me and I feel a care and affection for you all. I have two teenage boys myself and can really put myself in you Mom’s shoes. Please know that I will be praying for you. With love in Christ, Sylvia Stewart
Thanks for the list of ways to pray for you and your family. I have added them to my prayer list.
Have you ever read the book by Carol Kent – A New Kind of Normal? it is very good and may be helpful. She is a christian talking about her life and the struggle they are going through. Just a thought.
Glad you had a great Thanksgiving. I am praying for you guys!