Brax, Brody and Everleigh

Last week was one of those weeks. I wouldn't label it as "bad," there were just a lot of little things that piled on top of another in order to create a mild level of chaos around here. First, Josh started his first full week with his new company. He and his business partner, Stewart, are in the beginning stages of creating Stone Oak Builders, a company that runs the gamet from remodels to new construction to outdoor living. They are both incredibly talented and come to the company with a lot of experience. We've been very prayerful about the path of this company and I'm excited to see where God takes them. They have already been very busy with several jobs and I believe that their quality of work will get them many more referrals in the near future. Anyway, more on that to come as things develop. Needless to say, that kept Josh very busy last week. We also decided to put our house on the market just to see what happens. The builder in Josh is ready to start something new already, but we're waiting to see if our house sells and decide on a game plan at that point. If it doesn't sell in the next few months, then we'll stay here and revisit the selling issue in a year or so. If it does sell, then we'll move and start a new house. Uncertainty makes me crazy, so you can see why this week was a little stressful :) Due to our decision to put the house on the market, I pulled my real estate license out of retirement in order to list the house. That required a few meetings and shuffling of my children. In the midst of all of this, Brax ran a fever for three days, leaving him a little cranky since he couldn't go to school and see his buddies. The week ended with the below incident. We had a showing on our house on Saturday, so Josh and I were frantically picking things up while Brody napped and Brax played. He was standing on the step to our tub, just turning the water in the sink on and off. Somehow his foot slipped and he caught the edge of the sink.... Below was the result.... At first glance, it looked like his tooth had been pushed up into his gum. The gum was very swollen and bloody, so it was difficult to get a good look. However, as the swelling has decreased, we're pretty certain that that the tooth is completely gone. The question is... Where is the tooth? We can't find it anywhere!!! Can you believe that he only cried for about two minutes then looked at Josh and said "I'm okay." After calls to the pediatrician and two dentists, we came to the conclusion that nothing could be done, so this will be his look until his permanent tooth comes in at around age 5 or 6. Of all of the crazy things that he does, he had to get hurt doing something very benign. I guess that's just how it goes.

Thankfully, he didn't get hurt any worse. He's not a full-mouth smiler anyway, so most pictures will look like this :)
I don't want this post to leave you with the feeling that I'm complaining. We're so grateful that God has given us the opportunity to start this business. It may be stressful, but it's teaching us to lean on Him in ways that we haven't before and that, in and of itself, is a blessing. We're thankful that we have two wonderful boys that are sweet, energetic :) and healthy. We know that Brax could have endured something much worse and we know that God's hand was on him. We're thankful for our friends who step in and help out whenever asked (and even when not asked:). I am so blessed by my sweet girl-friends who planned a special "birthday" outing last Wednesday, spoiling me with culinary treats and little personal gifts that meant so much to me. It's the little rewards like those sweet (sometimes one-tooth-short) grins or unrequested hugs from your kids, a note from a friend, or a whispered word that you know is a message from God, that make each and every day special. We're blessed, not just merely lucky. Sometimes it takes the chaos to remind us to go to the One who calms the storms- both the big ones and the little ones! Have a great week!!!