As predicted, Malachi’s antibiotics required us to stay close to home this week. We spent a lot of our time enjoying the new fall weather and taking some flights on the new airplane.

I am not quite sure how it is possible for a special needs momma with the level of complexities in our home to ever hold a job/career. The amount of daily responsibilities and routines to keep them in good health is getting more intricate each year and changes so often. In just three hours Malachi required 8 diaper changes! Each time I am required to glove up and the process to change it takes about eight minutes from start to finish with these meds on board.

The bigger Malachi gets the more my body is feeling the frequent handling that has to be done. It has sparked my brain into planner mode, trying to figure out the best next step for equipment to help care for Malachi.

Malachi and I are very thankful that tomorrow is our final day on these antibiotics!

To add to the chaos, Levi started running a fever midweek that ran for about 3 days. He finished it up in time for Malachi’s fever to start. Malachi’s is still low grade but thankfully there are no other symptoms for either boy. When Malachi gets sick his seizures either amp up in frequency or lessen, and thankfully he hasn’t been having many large seizures!

Levi has been in full play mode with Malachi and has been extra inclusive this week. Their interactions have been unprompted and just so sweet to watch. We have been playing post office a lot and here Levi was trying to help Malachi write a letter.

We also had some visitors stop by this early this morning around 2:30am! I was still awake with Malachi so I was able to watch them through the kitchen window and get a close up. These are actually the first bears to stop by the front porch since we brought home the dogs last year. It was a big momma and two cubs.

I always try to be transparent on the blog, and I have to admit that I am exhausted. There are weeks that the lack of sleep alone leads to exhaustion, but then there are weeks like this one that are a combination exhaustion of lack of sleep and the mental energy each day requires.

This week I read a verse in 1 Corinthians 15:58 and the Holy Spirit prompted me to dwell on it’s words a little more than normal.

”Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

Toil. What a perfect word for this week. And it is very easy for me to sit here and whine about that toil and all the ways it affected me. See above paragraphs haha.

But when we are working within our calling, and we are working in the strength of the Lord instead of our own, our toil is never in vain. God can use the meager rations of our efforts and pure motives and fulfill such a great work through them.

When I allow my mind to entertain the idea that my toil is done in vain then I make this life about me and my wants instead of being Christ to these boys. It is natural to grow weary in doing good when we expect rewards and affirmations from our actions.

This week my mind is focusing on those commands from the verse: be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.

Please pray against fevers and new sickness in our home. Malachi has his Vanderbilt appointments in about two weeks and it is almost comical how many times we have attempted to reschedule these due to sickness.

Much love,

Leah