A Fireworksless 4th

It’s amazing, the resilience of the human spirit. In the last few weeks we’ve been a little impressed (and felt a lot guilty) at how easily we can adjust and cope and move forward in our lives, in spite of the fact that Ryan’s dad lies in the ICU in Tampa, Florida, three weeks after heart surgery, in an encephalopathic state. It’s honestly surreal.

From afar, we rejoice at the reports of the slightest progress (he nodded in response to a question; he held up two fingers on command). We pray constantly for him. Ryan calls the hospital for updates, and we text back and forth with my mother-in-law. Ryley sends get-well cards. But then, we go to work and daycare, and we live our lives. We have company, and we laugh and go out to eat and watch movies. All the while, there is this little nagging ache in the depths of our hearts…this fear of the unknown and this wondering if things will ever go back to the way things were, yet this resigned acceptance that this may be our new normal, indefinitely. And then we feel guilt for all of it. It’s his dad, after all.

Tropical Storm Debby hit Tampa while Ryan was down there. The flooding was crazy, keeping Ron’s wife from visiting the hospital for four days due to road closures.

Oh, the dichotomy between that and what we were dealing with at home in Colorado, all over our state:

While Ryan was gone, I did my best to keep Ryley’s mind busy and her life normal.

We ventured over to Golden on a Saturday so we could attend the play “The Princess and the Pea.” I love children’s plays at Heritage Square because admission is super cheap, and they involve the audience in their performances.

We also went to the Farmer’s Market in downtown Golden, because I heard they had free horse-drawn carriage rides. She loved that.

That day was a perfect example of the mixed emotions. Ryan was feeling so alone and discouraged at his dad’s bedside, and we were texting and talking off and on all day. Yet here Ryley and I were having a “grand old time.” Again, it’s amazing our ability to adjust and cope.

When Ryan got home, we celebrated his return by going out for ice cream. Because that’s what we do. :-)

My parents came up this last weekend, on their way to my grandma’s house for the 4th of July. It was so wonderful to have them here, and even though it was less than 48 hours, we felt like we jam-packed our hours together with good quality time!

We surprised my dad with a little day trip to Greeley, Colorado, to the Greeley Freight Station Museum. We would highly recommend it, even for people who are not into model trains. It was really, really well done:

I love this picture of my parents. :-)

So today is the 4th of July, and it’s probably the most depressing one we’ve ever had. Because of the wildfires, fireworks are outlawed this year. Ryan has had to work, so Ryley and I have spent the day baking and relaxing. We’re trying to do little things to celebrate:

Like Jamberry Nails

 

We’re also making American Strawberry Shortcake, where the shortcake has been dyed with blue food coloring. So with strawberries and whipped cream, it will be red, white, and blue. That was all Ryley’s idea! Fun, fun. And hopefully yum!

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Ryley has just finished the nine-book series “The Sisters Grimm,” which we stumbled upon at the library when looking for a good book-on-tape for a road-trip she was taking with my mom a few weeks ago.  I thought it looked “dark,” but it’s not! The illustrations make it look a whole lot darker than it is. It’s kind of along the lines of Shrek or Hoodwinked. Ryley buzzed through the series over the last three or four weeks, giggling her way through each and every book. I had to use two libraries (our city and county) to get all nine books, but it was worth it. I finally figured it out: she has a crush on Puck, one of the main characters! She thinks he’s hilarious. Better a crush on a fictional character than a real one -- at this point in her life, at least. :-)

I am coming to terms with the fact that Ryley and I have very different interests when it comes to books and movies. She is not nearly as obsessed with Little House on the Prairie as I was at her age (she refuses to finish the books), and she views Anne of Green Gables as downright boring. She’s a different girl than I am.  I’m slowly learning to be ok with that and to just be grateful that she likes to read and then be happy for her when she finds a series she really likes. She’s definitely her own person, and she is extremely opinionated and stubborn. :-)

By the way, minus the nerdy looks, this is her, completely:

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Work is getting crazy now that the insurance claims are starting to roll in. On top of all the normal drama, one of our company vehicles was stolen over the weekend, with an estimated $7,000 of roofing tools inside. My Monday was insane, as a result, and I kind of lost my temper.

“Joy, there’s drama at every workplace,” my boss had to remind me.

“Um, not this kind of drama,” I retorted.

I had to apologize later. I understand that there’s drama everywhere, but I can’t help thinking that my life would be relatively drama-free if I worked at home, alone, writing books. :-)

I am so good at compartmentalizing. Over the past few years, I have learned how to leave my work at the office and completely enjoy my evenings and weekends. Maybe a little too much. Because the problem is that on Mondays, when I walk in, everything hits me like a ton of bricks, and I think, “Oh yeah. This again.”

On that note, we wish you all a very happy 4th of July!  We appreciate your continued prayers for Ryan’s dad. Thank you!