November 14th, 2012 by Zac

This is  a picture of Gwyneth that her and Emili constructed one day. I’m not sure what it represents – Eve? Rapunzel? Snow White? Confused teen? I’m trying not to let it scare me! You can make your own guesses in the comment section below.

Nevertheless, at least we can have a little fun now and then after all we have been through recently.

Gwyneth still has wires and rods in her body and she is due to have them removed soon. She is walking and functioning normally with the repaired bones. I’m not sure she’s ready for gymnastics, but she’s on a solid recovery road.

Kim just recently took her first trip alone since the accident. You can read more about that from her own “pen”, in her earlier “Prague” post. She gives herself injections of blood thinner each day and has recently started to have some back pains. Not surprising after the jolt she endured. Combined with the ongoing pain from her healing ribs, she rarely finds a completely painless posture or resting position. Slowly she is regaining daily strength and she will probably resume teaching again in the new year. But for now, she still spends a good bit of time in and out of doctors offices, waiting rooms, filling out papers and trying to understand all the results in Slovak.

If you are really confused at this point and didn’t know there was an accident, you can read about all the details HERE.

Just last week we received notice that the State is legally charging Kim with what amounts to reckless driving. It’s normal procedure for the State to charge the faulty party in an auto accident here. So, we have hired a lawyer just to make sure she is represented fairly and accurately. We have been told that she will probably receive a fine of up to 2000 Euros (that’s about $2500) and the suspension of her driving license here in Slovakia for up to one year. Pretty harsh, I know. And not exactly the encouragement she needs after all the pain she has suffered.

Across from our new house we are renting since February last year, is a tennis court. So, the kids have been taking tennis lessons each week. The courts are clay, so that was different for them. And since it’s gotten colder, practice is in a nearby gym. Sam seems to be the naturally skilled player, but they all three enjoy the challenge.

Hampton is in his last year of kindergarten, with which he has a love-hate relationship. It’s never easy to predict which emotion will control him at any point. He has a swimming class on Wednesdays and also has recorder lessons each week. But the dreaded part of each day is nap time. Despite the ups and downs, he is getting what is most important – Slovak language. It’s always amazing how kids absorb a language. And so far, he speaks more Slovak than any of our children did at age 5. Below, is a picture of him changing into his “inside shoes” for school, which is a requirement of all students each day.

Overall, the family is doing well. We talk often about why God allowed the car accident to happen and what he had planned for us in that crisis. Last night we read from scripture,

              James 1:2 & 3 – “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

So, we push forward, in pain and through fear, knowing that God is with us and that his wisdom will take us farther and higher than we can imagine!