I am not a morning person!  I am grumpy and sometimes very unpleasant to be around before 8am...and I woke up in Jack's bed this morning.  Snuggling wasn't on Jack's list of things to do, so I grumped out of bed and realized, my friend Beth has probably been up for hours already in New York, going about her horrible reality of her husband and father of her four children in the ICU.  Suddenly, I am sort of ok with being up and going about my regular stuff.  Eating my Elvis Toast (peanut butter and banana) and contemplating going to the gym.  Now that it's two minutes away, I don't have to leave 20 minutes early to drop Jack in the Child Care.  I can just poke around until 10 min before and then go.  At least if I pack my bag the night before...

So, yes, I'm thankful for my life right now and the ability to move through it in a normal that I've chosen for us.  Even if it means an early wake up in a bed that isn't my own.  At least I can wake up, in my own house in my own town, with my kids and my husband. (Well Hubby had to leave early to take MIL into Seattle to catch the train, but...usually he's home this early.)

Beth posted yesterday that she's feeling our support for her, but that she doesn't feel like she's as Strong as we're giving her credit for.  That she can't think of a life with out Nathan and what it would mean for her an the kids.  That she can't stand living beyond the moment.  Reading that broke my heart all over again.  My Grief counseling training works better on people I don't know.  I just keep reassuring her that I'm not going to quit praying for them ever.

In my last post I mentioned that Nathan was well loved, and my Blog Friend H, proved it.  I've never met her, but we're friends on FB, and she let me know that people she knows, that I don't know are posting about Nathan and his family on FB.  I'm reasonably sure that Nathan doesn't know H. So I'm currently getting a small amount of entertainment calling Nathan "Kevin Bacon"  (Look up 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon if the funny isn't funny to you)

Ok, I need to de-stink myself and my child so we can go to the gym and then to his "Great Play" class. Talk about FUN!!!!! I love that place! I get to bounce around and play right along with him!

Many of you are friends of mine on Facebook, and have seen my numerous posts about my dear friend Nathan Shoultz and his current fight for life.  But I forget that you are probably a. not friends with Nathan on Facebook, nor are you friends with my friends who are all fully invested in praying for him, or his family who post more specific updates than I do.

Who is Nathan?  Nathan is the Dad to four amazing little children, and husband to my friend Beth.  They are the ones I wrote about in This Post and the few around it.  We don't travel across country for just anyone.  They are most precious to us, we planted our family tree so close to theirs, that our roots intertwine.  They are friends, but truly they are adopted family.  They grow in our hearts the way Jack does.

So, here's the gist of what's going on, and a link to Nathan's blog where his friend John Armstrong is updating twice a day or so.  On Monday Nathan suffered a traumatic stroke, which cut off the branch of the posterior cerebral artery to the left side of his brain. Actually it was the left carotid artery(a very interesting post on this is on Nathan's Blog), I was going on my limited anatomy of the head and neck from Dental School, further proof I don't know everything!  It has damaged a great deal of the left side of his brain.  It's really very "dicey" as his brother West says.

While he's out of "Danger" he's still healing and it's uncertain medically that he will regain the robust health he once enjoyed.  I think they're trying to be positive, and not tell us everything the doctors tell them, but based on my limited medical background, the prognosis is not great.

The good news is this: He is a Christian, and has literally thousands of people praying for him, and for his family and friends.  We're praying for a miracle.  Most of us have assumed a pretty continuous attitude of prayer.  We're metaphorically text bombing the Throne Room of God, and Spamming the Inbox as well.

Would you consider joining our efforts?  Even if you are not a Christian, your positive thoughts and concern are welcome.  Those of you who are without faith, consider putting aside your disbelief, or doubts or what ever you'd like to call it and pray for this amazing family, who would pray for you and give you what ever they could, and love you for exactly who you are.  Because no one meets the Shoultzes and remains the same.  They are the kind of people who affect and effect change in the people they meet.  They've changed me, they've inspired me, they've loved me through hard times, and I encourage you to read his blog and allow their overall "Sweetness" to invade your life.  Even if it's just for the next few days. Try it Here at Nathan's Blog.

Tis the Season for Hope, Peace, Joy, and MIRACLES!!!!