This picture was taken during our last Ricks Family vacation in Fall, 07 to Hidden Springs Ranch and the Six Lakes Loon Cabin. That's Maya up there. This little cabin retreat 2 hours from here has become a favorite vacation spot for our family. My kids love to spend time there, especially because it means they get to fish with uncle Jake (a rare treat to have his pro advice), and to climb this wall. Nobody loves to struggle up the wall more than Maya. She is pretty good at it, impressing those of us who are 4 times her age. She would have no trouble getting to the top at all, were she just a little taller! (genetics) Jack, on the other hand, basically gets the harness on, climbs a little, and then jumps off the wall with a big grin on his face. Quite the x-gamer-in-the-making, I'd say. (also genetics...and... scary). So, there it is. The "Patient Climber" and the "Free-Faller."

I thought this picture was fitting for this post, as I'd like to write about Maya's struggle with her health, if you don't already know. For about 3 years now, Maya has been in a lot of pain, which we recently discovered had a very tangible cause, (based upon a bowel re-section in January to remove a diseased section of intestine). For 3 years, we have had no specific answers and watched her suffer enormous bouts of pain and get scared to eat, amongst a whole host of other problems, like low energy, fear to go to friends' houses in case the "tummy problem" happened, etc.

This last week, she developed a kidney condition which made us really worried. It has a fitting name for a worrisome condition: "post-infectious glamerulonephritis (PIGN)." It basically happens when the antigens the body makes to fight an infection fight a little too hard and start attacking the "filters" in the kidney.

Maya was passing blood (think coffee-colored) and had to go to the hospital lab, after we rushed her to the dr. She had already been to the doctor's about 3 times in February for various illnesses, and came through those without so much as a shot. She wasn't excited when the doctor said she had to go to the lab and give blood. Considering that she had just recovered from her surgery at the end of January, and knew what happened the last time she entered the hospital with no plans to stay, you can understand why she exclaimed, "Mom, my life is just hard. I'm tired of all this stuff and I just don't want to do it anymore. Don't make me go in there." It broke my heart to hear my crying kid say these words. She's endured a lot of ambiguous pain over the last 3 years, with no answers. She has been to doctors who couldn't fix her. And, she's heard me say that I don't know how to help her a lot. We were scared that she wasn't o.k., and I didn't have any answer except, "Lots of people have struggles, honey, and I'm going to help you with this. I won't leave you, I promise. You can be brave. You are just going in to give blood. Nobody is going to operate or anything."

Why didn't I just give her a hug and shut up? Well, that's motherly guilt for you. Anyway, we were not pleased with the blood test results, and her behavior was scary. Fever bouncing around, funny behavior, won't eat or drink. I'm thinking, "Not again!" We talked about having a blessing. Dad came home and gave her one. It was very inspired. I was glad to hear him receive the words that Maya needed to hear and that we needed to hear. I know they weren't his words, because he's a man of very few. And, I feel like Maya's speedy recovery is in part due to that blessing and in part, due to her prayers, the prayers of others, and faith. I am grateful the condition happened, because it may end up helping us diagnose her other health problems, but I am also grateful that she didn't have to suffer for too long. We are lucky to have help from a higher power at times like these. People who hadn't seen us for a couple of days would think I made the whole thing up, she's doing great, totally energetic, and ready for life! We don't know what's ahead, or if this condition could return, but we are grateful to know we can make it through with the Lord's help.

Anyway, here's to our Maya. She is brave and has to face a lot of scary things, but she has amazing resource, strength, and faith for such a little body. We love you, Maya!