planning ahead

I'm not going to bore you with the details of what all went down on Friday. I was at work, Laura and Sophia were out and about and Ira was with a nurse. The short of it is that Ira somehow found a way to extubate himself. (Extubate means that his entire trach came out.) Ira went a significant amount of time without O2 and was blue and limp by the time the emergency response team showed up. They *got him back* pretty quickly. When I arrived at the emergency room, Ira's color was back to normal but he was unresponsive...until they started sticking him with needles, that is. Ira is, for the most part, back to the Ira we know. Thank you all for your prayers.
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For the past couple of years Laura and I haven't looked that far ahead. The old gospel song, One Day At a Time, Sweet Jesus, has kinda been our familial theme song. The chorus speaks truth into our lives:

One day at a time, Sweet Jesus
That's all I'm asking from you.
Just give me the strength
To do everyday what I have to do.
Yesterday's gone, Sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine.
Lord help me today, show me the way
One day at a time.

Last winter/spring, people would ask about our summer plans. We scoffed at their cluelessness. This past summer, people would inquire about any possible fall excursions. We mocked their ignorance. Didn't they know that we were living for the day; only made plans for the day; hoped to make it through that day?

But within the last few months as it's become clear that Ira is stronger and more healthy Laura and I have started to peek into the future. Cautiously we have tiptoed into the next few months and written important dates on our calendars. We have quietly flipped the pages of our scheduling books and started to plan.

End of May - officiating wedding in Connecticut
Early June - officiating wedding in Jamaica (yep, it's hard being a minister)
Early July - family trip to Texas for my grandmother's 90th

Any number of situations can arise that will make these trips impossible to make but Laura and I are holding out hope that Ira's strength and health will only continue to improve. Whatever the case, it's nice to lift our heads up and peer into the future for the first time in a couple of years.

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