"Keeping up with the Lontzes is like being a storm chaser!" ~Maria Stout (Merry Christams part 1)

I thought about making a year-end upbeat Christmas letter/card thingy this year, but considering the past 5 months, I opted to vent first. For those of you fear frankness, consider yourselves warned; this post is not for you.

Since we've been back in VA a mere 5 months ago, we've had a tire blow on the way here, we traveled 700 miles to find the renters left our place a literally CRAPPY MESS, we're in the negative with school loans, Nathan put a knife through his hand second day back (Happy Birthday, Travis) (ER visit #1), we had an earthquake, then we had a hurricane, I started 2 jobs, Nathan snapped 2 bones in his arm (ER visit #2), Nathan went on a field trip with his school and not one, but TWO cars rear-ended them and were totaled. Thankfully, Na didn't go to the ER with that one, but 12 of his friends did. No small trauma watching them being taken away on backboards and me trying to calm other kids whose parents weren't there yet.

Then I was driving home from work and stopped (7th car back) at a red light and was rear-ended. The car that hit me was totaled and my back was/is still hurt (ER visit #3). Before I could recover from that, Travis got very sick with pneumonia (ER visit #4) and was released after meds were given. Then, 15 hours later, the hospital calls and says Travis also has a blood infection and for us to come back. (ER visit #5). That turned into a 5 day very scary hospital stint that we'd like to never repeat. And this hospital stay burned all of Travis's leave that he planned to use when our exchange student (orphan from Latvia) came 4 days after he got out of the hospital. In fact, he's in the negative and that leaves him weakened (6 week projected recovery time) and him at work playing catch-up and understandably very tired when he gets home. Which leaves me doing this solo when we planned to do this together. Just in time for Christmas. At least he hasn't had knee surgery yet. That'll be a fun start to the new year with me holding 2 jobs and him not able to drive.

Nope. Our lives have had no stress at all lately.

Welcome back, Lontzes!! Virginia is STILL the land of suffering! (Have I mentioned I miss AL??) As we are limping exhaustedly into the home stretch of December, people around us are dropping like flies. My parents left for TX on the 18th, a family we Love and have Loved for 15 years is moving away on the 27th, our former mentors are moving off this continent on the 28th, and our neighbors, who have kids our kids' ages who come over almost daily are also moving a few days after that. Oh, and the person I trust the most outside my immediate family said they're not sure if they want to be friends with me anymore. Shoot me now. (that's a figure of speech, y'all) Really, though, if any of you has bad news to tell us now is the time. Our hearts are already broken and we're already beaten up and worn down. So lay it on us. We can take it. Apparently, we're stronger than we think.

For those of you out there who are formulating a rebuttal in your head, please don't type it out or call me. I don't want to hear how I should be joyful always or how I should be on anti-depressants for having feelings. I'm not depressed. I'm simply tired from the circumstances and couldn't fathom an end of the year letter without needing to vent first. I WILL make another post soon about the blessings going on in my life and what I'm thankful for. But it'll be another day. If you think it should be earlier, please see my previous entries. They're very positive for the most part. However, for tonight, this post is what it is.
Take me or leave me.