Beethoven's 5th

While my kids were young I had the ringer on my phone set to Beethoven's 5th. Dondondondon! Dondondondon! I was always waiting for THE call where someone was hurt or in trouble. My kids were active and took the "Just Do It'" and "Go For It" sayings literally. What one didn't think of the others did, and they were all ready and willing to join the fun.

Our friend, Julie, worked registering patients at our local Emergency Room. She would have the paperwork for the "Barber kids" ready when we walked through the door or when the ambulance arrived. There were way too many ambulance rides in our kiddos' lives. Football, skiing, and school activities all resulted in ambulance rides for 1 or 2 of my kids.

Having that "Go for it" attitude gave me plenty of time to get on my knees to pray. My prayer partners were kept on speed-dial.

Once when Ryan was in middle school I got a "get down here quick" call from the school nurse, Bonnie. We had had a good snowstorm the night before so I wondered if Ry had slipped on the ice. When I arrived she filled me in.

The 7th and 8th graders rolled an enormous snowball during their lunch hour. That sucker was 5 feet tall and weighed who knows how much. Brilliant, Go For It Ryan volunteered to lay down and let the others roll that giant snowball over him. James had the Giant Peach, Ryan had the Giant Snowball.

Needless to say, our insides are not meant to be crushed under such a massive weight. After the snowball was off, Ryan began having shooting pains down his legs. So of course, Bonnie was worried about kidney damage. Thankfully, he was fine after a frantic ride to the ER, where we were preregistered, thanks to Julie.

I will write more about the Barber ER visits in future blogs. Just know that the most famous one was after Tanner survived an 80 (yes 80) foot fall off a cliff by our house. Just keeping you reading!

I thank God that my kids survived their childhoods. I continue to pray for God's protection over them and their families. I know I could not have survived all the drama of raising my 4 without God keeping me right by His side.

In Him,
Joyful
1-28-2010
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