Oh October...

You won't be missed.

Autumn is my favorite season and October is my favorite month.  Favorite because, here in Michigan, the scenery is spectacular.  The beautiful reds, oranges, yellows, browns and deep, deep greens as the trees shed their leaves really contrast against the cold, grey sky.  Around here, we head to the cider mill on a cool dry day to pick apples and indulge in some fresh donuts and cold apple cider.  It's sweatshirt, jeans and rainboot weather.

Well, I did say October won't be missed.  That's because October is also my least favorite month.  Since I've been an adult, October has typically been a rough month for me.  It's when I get in car accidents.  It's when my pets die.  It's when I encounter travel difficulties.  It's when I have a health crisis or two. 

October 2011 was no exception; in fact, October came early this year.  The last weekend in September, I was in a car accident.  Not a bad one, no one was injured...but my car was in the shop for two weeks getting fixed.  Our son had an ear infection and a nasty cough that he just couldn't shake.  On October 5th, found out that our  baby had passed about 2 weeks earlier and I was scheduled for a D&C on Friday, October 7.    As this was our third loss in less than a year, I decided to take an entire week off work to recover...more mentally and emotionally than physically.  During that week off, I developed ear and sinus infections.  Then Mr. Amen was sick with a terrible sinus infection and cough.  Next, on the Thursday of my impromptu "vacation", our son had a severe allergic reaction to a cashew and was rushed from one hospital to another by ambulance (lights & sirens) and spent the night in the pediatric intensive care unit.  Once we got him stabilized and finally back home, we had a quiet week and though we were through with this October's trials.  But then my dad had some grand mal seizures one night and was rushed to the hospital by ambulance.  My brother and I stayed up all night with my mom at the hospital.  Finally, October ended.

Good riddance.

We were involved in preapring for a NFP conference and the coordinator from the Archdiocese said we should be prepared to be attacked by the devil leading up to the conference.  Boy, she wasn't kidding.  We were prayed up and ready to handle it all.  It was certainly exhausing and really tried our patience and faith.  But we made it through better than ever. 

And all I have to say to the devil is :  BRING IT ON!  YOU ARE MESSING WITH A CHILD OF THE MOST HIGH GOD AND YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN DEFEATED!