Happy Holidays

Let’s be jolly. Happiness and cheer. Everyone dancing merrily. That’s what the world tells us this time of year through songs, commercials, etc. For many, that clangs. Doesn’t fit no matter how hard you try to force it. More on that later.

Here we are. Another month later. Supposedly in the time where we are trying to figure out how to go longer stretches without the reassurance of doctor visits. So much for bracing ourselves for that. Apparently, I laid the old sports commentator jinx on us in my last post when I said we were seemingly out of the sickly woods.

Lauren and I planned a Christmas date (subtle attempt at giving myself some credit for it) for the first Friday in December. It turned into a one-night getaway courtesy of Nana & Pops taking the kiddos. That Friday morning, I went in to get Jennings up for school and when I came back into his room to check on his progress, I could tell he had been crying. I asked what was up and he burst into tears, “My wegs huwwt.” Instantly, I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Rationally, in my head, I knew everything was fine, but this specific complaint was such a trigger. He complained of this often in the months leading up to his diagnosis (leukemia often causes bone pain as it explodes in the marrow). I watched the pre-getaway happiness drain from L’s face when I told her. He ended up making it to school and sure enough, while sitting down for lunch, his teacher called. He was acting mopey, so the nurse took his temp and he had a 101 fever. Nana got more than she bargained for with the early school pick-up, but it was somewhat of a reassuring explanation for the earlier leg pain.

Not quite two weeks later, we were out with family and Nana noticed that one of his eyes was puffy. It was considerably worse when he woke up the next morning. We took him to school anyway (he’d never go if we only took him completely healthy😂) thinking we would take him to the pediatrician later in the day. To confirm that plan, Lauren texted Dr. Bolen. She, however, was “concerned” when she saw the picture…Thursday 💥! I picked him up and took him straight to clinic that morning. They did bloodwork and gave him an IV antibiotic. The concern was around an infection that could threaten his eye - with his immune system, it’s better to be aggressive. Again, despite the rationality of that, I was convinced that we were destined for a major disruption. That seemed even more possible when, after thoroughly examining him, she wanted a CT scan, the results of which could have landed us inpatient.

Several hours later we were back home and got the call with favorable results from the scan. The infection was in a “good” location and would be treatable with oral antibiotics. His labs looked good as well. With that, we had the “all clear;” the ok to bring the defenses off of high alert. Here’s the pic that led to the Thursday explosion 👇

Also pictured is Jennings with Santa. We ran into him post-CT outside of the main entrance on our way back to the car. He was with @kristenmontgomeryphotography on his way up to Hemby Children’s Hospital. (Not)Funnily enough, L was supposed to be with them as part of their 5th annual toy drive for Hemby, but our day went a bit of a different direction. Here’s a few of the highlights from that:

In total, they donated over 570 toys, 50 hopeboxes for mama caregivers, 10 gift cards for dad caregivers, and one giant holiday balloon garland. Our family has been on the receiving end of toys, gifts, and gift cards while in the hospital, so we know firsthand what an impact it can have for a child & the family. That’s true anytime of the year, but especially during the holidays. Their goal with the toy drive is to bring hope & joy through the little things that often tend to be the most impactful in times of suffering. Thank you to all who participated & donated - Child Life told them they were essentially out of gifts before receiving these.

In between unboxing toys and unscheduled doctor visits, here’s some of the other things we’ve been up to this past month 👇

Left to right, top to bottom: the Palmer 6 on Turkey Day; the girls all dressed up for a Christmas date to see the Nutcracker with mommy; our annual (stroller-less 🙌) stroll through McAdenville, this time enhanced with hot chocolate; the making of the Palmer family Christmas card with @morgan.amanda.photography; decorating the tree, or more aptly, a game called “see if you can fit all of your ornaments on two branches”; sporting the Pokémon Christmas jammies out with the family at the Billy Graham Library.

By the grace of God, we have learned to laugh in the midst of hardship and to be moved to tears in times of happiness. I’ve been thinking a lot about joy this month. We both lived plenty of years, some even as believers, chasing the fleeting moments of happiness that are the stuff of so many “Christmas” songs.

Joy is something different, experienced only by the Christian and deepened by God as he fulfills His promise to bring us to a state of perfectness & completeness (see James 1). This deepness occurs over time through the “trials of various kinds” (again, James 1).

John 15 gives such a helpful analogy of this. Jesus is described as the vine, we are the branches, God is the vinedresser. He prunes us that we may bear more fruit. This pruning is painful, yet the results, in time (God’s, not ours), are good (see Romans 8:28). Jesus makes it clear in John 15:11 after the vine analogy, “These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

In this season, the world says to be jolly. We say choose joy. Then, you can be jolly, if that’s where God has you, and if not, you can be assured, in the pain of pruning, of what is to come.

Joy to the world, the Lord is come

Let Earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare Him room

Merry Christmas!

#allinforjennings

Oh, and PS, we have 5-year-old twins! 🤯👇

Instead of a party, they chose to go to Carowinds Winterfest where Henry took his first-ever smiling picture with Santa, smally bear rediscovered her love of roller coasters, and they gave mommy the sweetest pose. We celebrated on their actual day with family…and double the cake!