Happy Birthday Kate Margaret!

Have you ever felt like Satan has launched an all out attack on every front?  Well, if you have...you will know exactly where I am at right now.....

Trials are hurtling towards our family from every side lately and many of them just aren't topics that I can discuss. 

They range from the minor and yet very annoying fact that we have a little creeper of the mouse or rat persuasion that chewed our dishwasher hose which resulted in a flooded kitchen and a couple of days of handwashing our large family's dishes.  Which, of course, results in lost time for us to do other things...like figure out how in the world to raise the rest of the money that we need!

So, my wonderful but disgruntled husband was able to go into town and get the correct parts and fixed the dishwasher.  The dishwasher was fixed, the mouse bait was put out and all was well in our household, right?

Of course not!  The next day the *brand new* hose was chewed in about four places as well as the upper back corners of the actual dishwasher!  Mouse-2, Us-0

Hmmm, why did I say I wanted to live in the country and where are our cats?!? 

So after several more days of dishwashing by hand, I am thinking of a new plan:

Logical consequences, right?!?

Or instead of cats, maybe we need to get a new pet:

Sorry!  My girls did not like this picture at all either!  But, it is the way of the chain of life and a natural solution, right?

So, I mentioned that there was a range...and that the mouse and flooding and extra chores were the least and smallest of our problems or distress.  And, I meant it.....

Again, many of the issues are too personal to discuss but involve separation and loss and tests of faith. 

And today is the anniversary of our dear daughter's birth and death five years ago today.
 Happy Birthday Kate Margaret.......

We love you just as much today as we did then....and my arms ache for you still.  We love and miss you so much and promise to work hard to be reunited someday!

We have made a little more progress but I just can't emotionally do the Walk Across the World travel guide today. 

By midnight tonight, it will be a new day in the twin's country and any time after that we may hear about our court date.  Prayers welcomed......