The best Christmas pictures/When does it get better?

Ok, so just imagine our lovely Christmas pictures when our boys look like this:

Ryan the Hockey player... Goober hat, missing tooth and stitches on cheek.

Zach has the scrape on his lip from wiping out in PE.

This evening, I was trying to do too many things and the boys were playing on the Lanai. I told the boys to settle down because someone was going to get hurt. I should have brought them in the house and gotten them playing something quite. But no, I continued with my laundry...

Not five minutes later I hear a weak cry coming from Ryan. At first I thought it was the normal complaint, but when I went to check, I saw Ryan on the ground with a chair over his face and Zach sitting on the chair. Upon closer inspection, I see blood pouring from Ryan's face! I have no idea how it happened, but Ryan got a cut on his cheek. A big cut. Mark's out of town, of course... So I scoop everyone up, strap them in the car, make several trips into the house to get shoes, leg braces, jackets, ice pack, wet wash cloth, jackets, purse, sanity, and cell phone. As I'm driving to the hospital, I get a hold of Missy and ask her to watch Zach...

The hospital "visit" was pretty quick. I think we were in and out of there in less than 2 hours! Needless to say, I was a wreck. It wasn't because my child was hurt. It was because I only wanted to send Ryan back to school in one piece with no major injuries. I can't deal with the "fear" and frustration of Venice Elementary School and boo-boos.

I'm not looking for sympathy, maybe just understanding. For giggles, let's recap my last 7 years of motherhood:

3 CT Scans of little boy brains (2 Zach, 1 Ryan)

3 EEG's to look for seizures (2 Zach, 1 Ryan)

3 Ambulance Trips (2 Zach, 1 Ryan)

1 two-night stay in a rural Jamaican Hospital (Ryan)

6 Sets of stitches (3 Zach, 3 Ryan)

1 Upper endoscopy to remove quarters from Zach's stomach

1 Round of serious dehydration resulting in a hospital stay - during the stay, one IV that was infiltrated causing Zach's arm to expand

16 X-rays of every bone in Ryan's body

10 total years of Physical therapy, hippotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy (7 for Zach, 3 for Ryan) We had therapy 3 days a week for 6 years!!

Countless seizures where Ryan would just fall over backwards with no warning.

A collection of medical specialists - including a neurologist whose secretary recognizes my voice!

When it all comes down to it, I don't find my children's situation funny. But I use humor as my coping mechanism. Either laugh or cry - and believe me I do my share of both - tonight there's definitely much more crying - but tomorrow, there will be laughter again.

So, I just wonder... when does it get better? I know God did not promise an easy life. He promises to always be there for us. He promises to make things work out according to His plan which is infinitely better than what we could dream up. He promises that we will feel better when we praise Him. And He promises us eternal life.

I get really excited thinking about eternal life. I mean - FOREVER in heaven. I imagine my boys having perfect bodies. I imagine my boys being able to talk to me - and the conversation revolves around more than wanting to see the Cars movie. I imagine Ryan staying upright and not having seizures. I'm not wishing my time away, I'm just living in the hope of eternal life and the love of the father. I couldn't imagine walking this road without Him!!