Team Watson: How our week ended

Well, our week has ended on a good note. Brandon was back in school on Thursday. Amanda's appointment on Thursday went well. Despite a little anxiety, she did pretty good and things went smooth. Her counts are still high, her infusions went well and we don't go back until December 4, with plans to start chemo.

We did learn that her MRI will be pushed back later than we anticipated. Deep sigh. So instead of next week or even the first week of December, we were told it could be early January before the appointment could be made due to a entry error on their part. Dr. Harrod said that since she is doing so well clinically and they have no immediate concerns, the wait was not an issue on their end. Yesterday, we received a phone call that the MRI is scheduled for January 22. What?! So much for early January! More waiting. That seems to be a recurring theme in our lives.

So now comes the choice I must make. This may be a choice I have to consciously make every day. It is so easy for me to go directly to the side of anxiety, and just become overwhelmed with worry and angst over the delay in visibly seeing the progression of Amanda's treatment. I read a blog today about waiting and was reminded how God can use it in our lives to make us stronger in our faith. I can use that reminder often. The writer wrote this: Will I allow myself to question God's character as I wait? Or, will I embrace the opportunity to exercise, and grow, in my faith? Every step of this journey presents an opportunity for me and I pray that I will continue to grow in grace and glorify God, one day at a time. May our waiting be an act of worship.

Then, as if that was not enough of a reminder of choices and attitudes, my devotional today opened with, "A thankful attitude...." That was enough to have my insides cringing with the knowledge that I definitely was not looking at the situation with a thankful attitude! It closed with, "A thankful mindset does not entail a denial of reality with its plethora of problems. Instead, it rejoices in Me, your Savior, in the midst of trails and tribulations. I am your refuge and strength, an ever present and well proved help in trouble." So not only should I be worshiping while I am waiting, but I should find ways to be thankful. And I do have things I am thankful for, but I can become better with a more consistent mindset of gratitude. No matter the day and how it went, each and every day I have with my family, I am thankful.

Colossians 3:15-16

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

Today, Amanda had the opportunity to go to a class party at Grace. This was the one party she made sure I had on my calendar and that we did all we could to attend. It was the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory party. Who could blame her? With all the various sicknesses and such going around, I was very hesitant to let her go, but once I saw how important it was to her to see her friends, the benefits far outweighed the risks. She had a great time spending the afternoon in class and came home simply exhausted. It was a good day.

Pictures from Amanda's ride on Thursday are below, along with a picture of MawMaw and PaPa Watson's visit on Tuesday. For Thursday's lesson, after a little warm up in the arena, Amanda was able to go out and ride in the back pasture independently with Ms. Judy and the team close by. To say that it was a wonderful adventure for her is a little bit of an understatement.