“Lord, help us in our new struggles”, John prayed. This was back in July after a car accident which totaled our car. We were on our way to church when a man ran a stop sign and hit the driver’s side of our car. In the motion of it all, our car crashed head-on into a rock wall at the street corner. In the days to come, John and Jonathan were in great pain. After an ER visit, x-rays showed Jonathan had two cracked ribs. John had just finished physical therapy for neck issues at the time, but felt all the positive work that was done was undone. I was shaken, but fine physically. In the heat of the summer, we trudged through car lots, climbed in and out of cars, and talked to sales representatives while looking for a new vehicle. It was exhausting. To add to the frustration, our car had JUST been paid off!! My heart sinks just writing this. While I was fine physically, I was a mess every time we went out. At every intersection, I had a sense of panic, and while I am better now, I still am hypervigilant at all times. After the insurance settlement was received, we found a car and are moving forward as best we can. John and Jonathan had multiple chiropractor visits after the accident, which, at least, helped Jonathan. John still has right shoulder issues and is going to need physical therapy.

I have a few stray gifts to share from the past few months. I do still look for them and always have a new blog post in mind to write, even though I don’t post here as often as I plan. The days are getting cooler now, and I love how the gifts change with the seasons. Descriptions of the photos are below the collage.

Top Row: (first two photos) After purchasing a replacement vehicle, we were still unsure whether we wanted to keep it. John wanted to take it for a long drive to get comfortable with the car, so we headed out away from the city and towards the Guadalupe Mountains. We love road trips, and this was exactly what we needed after the accident – no stop signs, lights, or traffic for miles. The last photo in this row was taken at the chiropractic clinic where John and Jonathan were receiving treatment. The lush greenery inside is impressive!

Second Row: This was taken over a month ago, when I first started noticing the daylight change in the evenings. I loved the glow coming through the back door window. Photo two is of a pothos plant in our bathroom window. We had a few weeks of rain, and I noticed that before the rain, the plant would have water drops on the leaves. I had never seen that before. I thought the bathroom vent was somehow leaking water. The third photo is of roses the guys brought home for me after a trip to the store. The flowers brought such beauty to our home and smelled so sweet.

Third Row: All three of us are pretty talkative, and since we spend a lot of time together and have a lot to say on many topics, quiet times are highly valued. My friend, Jonna, sent me a cute card and these super soft socks in the mail since she knows the struggle – haha. I just want to go craft, ok? Oh – and these last two photos are from my friend Kara in Pennsylvania. She lives on a gorgeous property and every season is just full of stunning views. She knows I miss a traditional Autumn season and shares photos with me often of the changing scenery. While we don’t have views like that around our area, I do appreciate the cooler weather. I am enjoying the earlier daylight and our evening walks around the neighborhood.