An Important Preface: This is the lost December update. “Lost?” You ask, “Lost where?” It was lost in the chaos of December, that’s where. My deepest apologies for it’s profound lateness. In my defense I wrote this somewhere in the first 10 days of December. Is this where “better late than never” applies? Enjoy!

Have you ever stood in line for an amusement park ride, perhaps chatting happily with your companions, blissfully ignorant of how truly wild the impending ride was going to be? This past summer I did exactly that. I lined up with my family for the tallest ride at Cedar Point. Embracing the strides I’ve made in overcoming a fear of heights, I anticipated the usual odd sensations in my feet, but thought “I’m actually going to enjoy this!”

Minutes later. My sister Jess is yelling, “Look! Look at the rainbow! Christy! Look! Do you see it? Christy! Christy? Are your eyes CLOSED?!”

In truth not only were my eyes closed, I was so overcome from being that high I couldn’t even bring myself to speak.

I was thinking this morning of how my November was oddly similar to that ride this summer. I blissfully meandered out of October. Adding things into the calendar. Chatting with friends about my love of turkey. The next thing I knew I was on some kind of crazy, twists and turns ride called “November.” I feel like I’ve just stumbled out of the cart into December, and I kind of want to kiss the calendar while muttering, “It’s over….”

So that’s a peak into my psyche. Free of charge.

Up So High (Hiking), the Loop (Hospital), and the Free Fall (Hong Kong)

You might be wondering, “What in the world does that mean?” It meant a lot of little things, added up to equal week upon week that felt rather non-stop.

10:00AM, TUE: I lead a “get out of the city into nature” hiking trip: Check.
5:00PM, TUE: Later that day, one of the kids had a minor infection that needed treatment. But being a non-emergency, we arrived too late in the day to be seen. Trip to the Hospital Run #1: Check.
7:30AM, WED: Return to hospital. Hospital Run #2: Check.
7:00PM, WED: Due to the looming 3:45am alarm for a 5am departure, I am responsibly tucked into bed in my PJs. Winding down to see how early I can conk off. Then the phone rings.
“Uh, I’m sorry to do this but I think I need to go to the hospital.” I could tell by his tone this wasn’t the twisted joke I wanted it to be. Clothes back on. Back to the hospital, this time the ER after hours: Check.
1:30AM, Thursday: Home and getting to sleep 3 hours before that 3:45am wake up call: Check.
3:45AM, Thursday: Up to I lead my “kids” on a 22 hour trip to Hong Kong to renew their Travel Visas. Off to the airport we go: Check.
2:30AM, Friday: I stumble back through my door and into bed. My kids’ Travel Visa’s renewed: Check plus.

Not all of November was as crazy as those 72 hours, but that was the nerve-shaking upside-down loop and drop in the middle. Now the Thanksgiving leftovers are all eaten. The Christmas trees are purchased and decorated. Hello, December and Merry Christmas!

For the Lamb,
Marian
aka: 宋清溪 （Song QingXi = pure stream)