Recently Dallin and I were helping Ezra think of his blessings so he could remember to include them in his prayers. We used the five senses to help prompt him to think of things on his own. For example, "Can you think of something you are grateful for that you can hear?"
He came up with this list (in priority order):
1. Firetrucks (hear)
2. Ice cream (taste)
3. Bear (touch)
4. Family (see)
5. Peanut butter (smell)
I am glad we made it on his list! Firetrucks and ice cream are mentioned regularly now in his prayers. Cute kid! I am counting my blessings too; we have felt some extra tender mercies lately.
Right now we are down a car. Dallin's 250K+ mile commuter car has more problems than are worth fixing, and is, frankly, no longer safe for driving at speeds over 35 mph. We determined that it could possibly be a good car for an expert mechanic who was looking for a cheap fixer-upper project, so we took a number of photos, added a very detailed write-up about its maintenance history, and posted the car on Craig's list for sale. Imagine our surprise, and delight,when three interested buyers contacted us within hours of the posting. Less than 24 hours later, the car was sold--not for much, but enough to exceed our expectations and help us feel very blessed.
Being a one-car family could be much more difficult, but we have been blessed yet again. Dallin works at a company about 45 minutes from our house. Our bishop happens to work at the company next door, and is part of a van-pool sponsored by his company. Dallin found out about the van-pool, was permitted to join, and has been enjoying a much less stressful commute. But that isn't the end of the story, Dallin has also been hoping/trying/wanting to exercise more than his sit-in-a-cube-all-day job allows. The van-pool picks up at a grocery store about 15 minutes from our house, which happens to be very well networked with sidewalks and bike-paths, such that Dallin can now ride his bike to and from the pick-up/drop-off site, and get some nice exercise at the same time. Blessings!
Maren had two nasty ear infections earlier in the month, and was prescribed Amoxicillin as treatment. Despite having medicine that should have helped her ear infections, she seemed to be more agitated, not less. She woke up most every night with a fever, and was a restless, fussy sleeper. About five days into the medicine, I noticed some spotting across her nose, forehead, cheeks, neck, and shoulders. I thought it might be a heat rash, or a reaction to a new type of baby shampoo. The next morning, her entire face was blotchy red, and puffy. The rash had expanded to her chest and back. I attributed it to a food allergy, and we went to see the doctor. My pediatrician feels--though Maren has not had an official allergy test--that she is allergic to penicillin. (Interestingly enough, I just learned that both my parents are allergic to the drug, as well.) Unfortunately for Maren, the rash got much worse before it got better. Last weekend she was a puffy, red, itchy mess from head to toe. I am counting my blessings that she was never in distress, that it didn't affect her breathing, and that we made it through the weekend without an ER visit. The rash is gone now, and miraculously, so are her ear infections, so she didn't have to start a new type of medicine. Blessings!
